When Tohru dies in a car accident, all the Soma's are crushed. Still, life has to go on in Shigure, Yuki and Kyo's household, and they need a housekeeper. Minne Kuremoto is the one who is chosen, a bright, lively girl, who soon wins, if not the love, but at least the respect of the Sohma's. But Minne has big secrets to hide, and big secrets to discover. Will she take Tohru's place in the Sohma's hearts, even though Minne and the late Tohru are so different…?
Chapter 9:
Minne: I woke up in what was clearly a hospital room. I looked around, careful not to revive any sore bruises or pains I might have. I found my body perfectly functional, and it surprised me. "Oh yeah…" I thought. "I was the one inflicting pain."
At one side of me, Yuki was lying, his delicate features sporting a blissful smile. Turning, I saw Kyo's orange head peeping out from under the covers. 'That stupid cat…' I thought fondly, wondering what could have happened to get him into the hospital.
Then, I saw someone else, on the other side of Kyo: A girl, with brown hair and a smile on her lips. Tohru. I sat up with shock. Tohru was dead…wasn't she? But there she was, lying in a hospital bed, and I could see her heartbeat on the monitor standing next to her. A steady, healthy heartbeat. Tohru was alive! ALIVE! I could meet her, talk to her, and get to know her at leisure. She and Kyo could have a happily ever after together, Yuki would be saved, Momiji would be truly happy again. I thought about the others, Rin, Kisa, Hatori…
People I hadn't even met, yet about who I knew almost everything, and to whom Tohru's reappearance in life would bring so much happiness.
I climbed out of the bed, surveying myself. Apart from a few bruises, I seemed fine. I thought about the atrocious events of…of what? When had that happened? When had I gone to visit Akito? I remembered how I had hit him, and how empty I felt while doing it.
It was a useless action, useless violence which probably solved nothing and made things worse.
But somewhere deep inside, I gleefully contemplated the possibility of permanent injury, something to keep Akito in bed for the rest of her life, dumb, mute, out of the Juunishi's lives forever. 'Cruel' I scolded myself. 'You are not cruel, Minne!'. Thinking again about my actions, I felt nothing but an unfillable emptiness. Tohru would never have hit Akito. Or if yes, then only with words of love and encouragement so strong they would have knocked all the evilness out of her.
'It's been a few days, Minne, only a few days, maybe a few weeks'. And then, all of a sudden, a thought came to be, one both horrifying and soothing. 'What if it's all a dream? Maybe I'll wake up, there where I fell asleep, next to Hikari's bookshelves, with mangas strewn around me. Maybe…" I knew, of course, it was all wishful thinking. Dreams didn't work like this. This wasn't a dream, but the truth. I felt, all of a suddenly, mightily tired, so tired I nearly fell back onto my bed, my eyes closing, my brain shutting down at a faraminous speed. "Good that Tohru's back, though" were the last words I managed to utter, despite that power that pulled me relentlessly into sleep. They were words I simply had to say, no matter what.
Yuki: When I opened my eyes, the first thing I felt was acute relief. I struggled to find its source, searching the confines of my throbbing brain for an answer. 'Minne', my brain supplied. Akito. Tohru. It all came rushing back then, like a flood or a whirlwind, something stronger, more powerful than joy. Delight, bursting in me like so many bubbles, sprouting from my heart like soft green tendrils, blooming like fireworks of scarlet flowers through the sky of my being. She was. Not dead. Not dead. She was. The words spun around until, no longer able to stay submerged, they sprang out of me like the jet of a fountain, the fire of a volcano.
"Tohru is alive!" I nearly yelled, sitting up straight, my head gyrating to and fro hectically as I took in the bland hospital surroundings. There she was, three beds away from me, deep in peaceful sleep. Minne was on my right, also sleeping. Beyond her, I could see Kyo stirring, moaning in his sleep. A heavily bandaged arm was peeping out from his covers, and I wondered briefly where he had gotten the injury before turning my attention back to Tohru. Sweet Tohru. Living Tohru. I pushed myself up, flexing my limbs. I felt fine. More than fine, I felt alive for the first time in so many years, it seemed, an eternity almost. How could I have survived the emptiness so long, I wondered, chuckling slightly at the already hazy memories of 'back then'. Now is now, I decided selfishly, and I would live it fully and wholly, not missing a day on looking backwards. I strode slowly to Tohru's bed, relishing the feelings inside me, feelings too strong to even try to explain. I settled down by Tohru's head, gazing down at her with admiration. She was so beautifully perfect, I thought, as I brushed a strand of hair from her face. My hands lingered on her cheek, and went to trace the curve of her nose. They lowered, almost imperceptibly, until they were hovering above her slightly parted lips, feeling the soft warm air rushing past them when she exhaled. They continued their exploration until they flittered to her forehead and settled there. It was a little warm, indicating a small fever. Oh Tohru, how I missed you! Impulsively, I curled up next to her on the bed, careful not to get to close, but close enough to feel the heat emanating from her body. My eyes closed of themselves. I don't know when I fell asleep, but I certainly know that it was the breathing of my angel that lulled me into its comforting darkness.
Kyo: There was the pink cotton candy monster, just behind the sakura tree, coming at me with the speed of "MANGA LIGHTNING BOLT FIREEE!" one foot stuck out to kick me. I aimed a punch at him, and my fist connected with all the cotton candy softness of his belly. Suddenly, I was sucked into the pink, stuffy mass—
I groaned, and my eyes opened slightly, before closing again at the garish brightness of the room I was in. Didn't I usually close the blinds? And my sheets weren't usually pale purple. I scrambled out of the mess of covers and pillows, propping myself up on my right arm, before being blinded by a stab of pain that coursed through my arm at the speed of light. Shit, I thought, as I glanced at my arm, which was covered in white bandages. I thought I had vanquished the little cotton candy sucker! I didn't know he had the burning venom in his belly. I glared at my hand, perplexed, until I suddenly realized that it was all that dream I was getting regularly since I'd read all those ninja mangas in sixth grade. But then, where did the bandages come from? I lifted my head instinctively, and there she was, barely a few feet away, her eyes open, looking at me with curiosity.
"Kyo-kun…?" she hazarded, and the world came crashing down on top of my head. I yelped, closed my eyes, and popped them open again.
"You're alive…?" I murmured in disbelief. She laughed her silvery laugh like tinkly bells.
"You're the one who saved me, Kyo-kun, don't you remember?" Her face clouded over with the memory. Before I could say anything though, she continued:
"Where are we?" She asked, glancing around. I turned my head to gaze at the bright, nondescript room. A hospital room. I turned back to tell her, only to hear her utter a soft 'oh'. I followed her gaze, and a bitter laugh escaped me as I saw the object of her attention. How could I not have noticed before? That stupid, stupid rat, curled up next to her like he owned her.
"Don't move, Tohru!" I nearly shrieked, jumping off my bed, then wincing at the sudden movement, which had revived the pain of a number of cuts and bruises that littered my body. "I'll—gasp—save you from that—wince—dumb--" My head started spinning, and I had to sit back down in defeat.
Tohru surprised me by chuckling.
"Oh, Kyo-kun, it's alright…let him sleep. But how are you feeling? Are you all right? Does that hurt very badly?" Her voice was now full of concern as she eyed my many wounds with horror.
"I'm…fine." I lied, keeping my eyes down. No need to bother her with my problems. And anyway, if she liked Yuki that much… I didn't realize that she had gotten off her bed and padded towards me slowly until she was on her knees before me, gazing into my face.
"Kyo-kun…?" she murmured, and her eyes were soft. "You broke a house to save me." She was smiling. "You broke down a house." I grinned back at her then, basking in the glory of her soft, gentle eyes. "Thank you, Kyo-kun." She laughed. "Thank you."
Somehow, before I knew it, before my consciousness could analyze my move, before my mind could freak out and my brain do a back flip inside my cranium at the very idea--my lips were on hers, and it was the most beautiful, the most wonderful thing on earth.
Minne: When I opened my eyes again, the first thing I saw was Kyo and Tohru sitting on the floor, kissing. I averted my gaze to give them privacy, and instead stared at the hard white door that seemed vaguely familiar. It only took a few seconds of staring until I realized that that was one of the many doors of the Kaibara town hospital—the very place where Mina was interned. My heart started beating faster inside me, as I slowly got up, and walked carefully to the door. Nobody noticed me leave, and it was just as well: I didn't want to disrupt the newly formed couple. The hallways were dark and empty—I supposed it was sometime in the night, nearing morning though, from the light that filtered through the window at the end of the corridor. A corridor that I knew. Mina's room was only a few doors away. Tentatively, I walked towards it. Put my hand on the knob. Breathed in. Breathed out. Should I tell Mina what I knew? Breathe in. Breathe out. Turn the knob. Concentrate. Push the door open—no, don't shy away. It had never been this hard to go see my sister before. Open the door, Minne, stay calm. And there she was, lying on her bed, eyes open, gazing at the door as if she'd known I would be behind it, ready to burst in.
"Minne" she spelled out with an enchanted laugh. "What are you doing here? It's not visiting time—why, it can't be later than four in the morning…" She seemed better, much better. Her eyes sparkled, and it did them justice that they kept me away from her ruined skin. That would never heal, curse Akito!
"I've had an…accident." I'd actually caused it, but I couldn't tell her, not yet.
"I know." Her smile grew wider. "At least, I think it was your doing." She nodded towards the bed next to hers, which had been empty until now. It took all of my restrain not to explode. There, next to her, was lying the creature that I most little wanted to see: Akito herself. Covered in bandages, one arm in a cast, she was indeed a pitiful sight, but all I could feel was emptiness.
"How did you know it…was me?" Revulsion started kicking in as the realization that I had been the one to do the damage sank in. I wasn't violent by nature, and what I beheld shocked me to the highest point.
Mina was laughing openly now, a shaky little sound that made me think of something sinister and menacing.
"The wretch was mumbling your name as they wheeled her in. Thank you for hunting her down for me. This was a much better job than I could have expected." I was submerged by nausea. My dear, dear Mina was saying that. It was wrong. She had never been cruel. Never resentful. She had a sweet, open heart.
"You could have worked a bit more on scarring though" and now her eyes glimmered coldly. "Those wounds are all quite nice, but they'll heal tracelessly. You could have, I don't know, made it all a bit more permanent. See what she did to me?" Mina stuck a hand out for me to observe the criss-crossing, spider web marks, exhibiting her pain with pride, almost contentment. I clenched my stomach with my hand, and ran out of the room, my sister's baleful laughter following me out and down the hallway.
Wow…figure Mina becoming so twisted. What the hell happened there?
Hey guys! I'm sorry…I haven't updated for ages! You've probably all forgotten that this story even exists! I just hope you don't hate me too much. As always, read and review. Constructive criticism would be really nice at this stage, because the story has taken a rather surprising turn, and I'd like to know what you think of it…
