Thanks so much for all your kind words and for your continued reading of this story. It means so much to me! This next bit is one of my favorite chapters even with all its darkness! Please be kind to it and give me lots of reviews!
Disclaimer: Don't own Furuba and don't own the song I slipped in here. It's "Last Breath" by Evanescence.
GONE…?
Chapter 9- Akito's Wrath
Sooner than they realized, they were on their way to the Sohma estate. There was little talking on their short trek; everyone was steeling themselves for what was to come. The calm breeze ceased to blow as they walked up the familiar tree lined road where those "outside" lived. Once again, Tohru was impressed by the grandeur of the Sohma house. It reminded her of what she thought the emperor's palace must look like. They let themselves in through the large gate and once inside the grounds were intercepted by Hatori who looked as though he had added ten years to his frame with his look of worry and confusion. Obviously he had heard of the meeting that would take place that afternoon. "I'll be around if you need me," he whispered to Shigure who, as was his nature, merely laughed and brushed his comment off as though he was a worrisome mother hen, but he also lay a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder as they passed.
In the entrance hall, a servant came to lead them to Akito's chambers. Tohru was quaking with anxiety and nerves. She had met Akito twice before and neither visit had been pleasant. Yuki put his hand on her arm, his face expressionless, a mask to shield him from the powers of the head of the household. The long room was dark but for a single round window to the outside world that shed a brief glimmer of gray tinged light onto the opposite wall, casting the figure just behind it into shadow.
The servant closed the door behind them and they were alone. The figure appeared to them from behind the window. "We meet again, Tohru Honda," Akito said softly. "And I see you brought everyone with you. So much the better. It makes my job easier." Akito sat then on the large chair on the dais in the center of the room. Tohru, remembering herself, knelt on the cushion placed at her feet.
"It is good to see you again, Akito-san," she replied with a bow of her head.
"Is it now? I'm glad you think so," Akito answered in a quiet laugh. Kyo, Yuki, and Shigure had not moved. They stood like soldiers at attention, carefully but suspiciously regarding their commander. "I'm sure you would like to know why I've invited you all here." It wasn't a question, it was a statement and they knew to keep silent and let Akito speak. "You, Tohru Honda have lived in the Sohma household long enough and I would now politely ask you to leave the Sohma household and never show yourself to the members of this family again."
"Why?" Shigure asked in alarm.
"How dare you ask me that Shigure? She has lived with you for over a year and I have allowed it until now. She has been causing problems of late and all the members of the family seem smitten with her. It's not proper. So I am ending it here."
"I… understand," Tohru answered slowly. "And I thank you for allowing me to know and live with the Sohmas for so long. I will take your secret with me to my grave."
Hold onto me love
You know I can't stay long
All I wanted to say was I love you and I'm not afraid
"Very good, the voice of reason sits before you Shigure." Tohru did not look back to see her guardian's face. She was too dumbfounded. To leave the Sohma house, to be cast out again... She had lost her home again… her castle… her fairy tale.
"The next order of business," Akito said smugly, "is you Kyo." Kyo's eyes widened.
"Oh no…please no…" he whispered.
"Oh so you already have guessed. Yes, you are to come back to Sohma house and you will be locked back in that cage where the Cat belongs for his disobedience to God. You didn't fulfill our bargain and so you must suffer the consequences."
"No! I won't go! You can't force me!" Kyo yelled. "I'm not just the Cat! I'm--"
"A monster without your bracelet. Don't you dare tell me what I can and can't do Kyo! I am the head of this house and will do what I please."
"Akito please reconsider! He hasn't even finished high school yet, he's no threat to you!" Shigure called out.
"Silence!" Akito cried, a vengeful look in those haunting eyes. As though on command, two people came through the doors and grabbed for Kyo, but the boy would not give in that easily. He lashed out at the first kicking him furiously. Shigure went to assist him, trying desperately to yank the other man off of Kyo.
Can you hear me?
Can you feel me in your arms?
"Please Akito! This isn't the way to do it!" he cried over the muffled grunts and yells of 'Let go of me! Get off!'
Yuki stood still, watching as though transfixed. Tohru could not just stand by and watch. She ran to edge of the dais, and bowed low to the ground in front of Akito. "Akito-san, please don't hurt Kyo-kun! Don't lock him up! He doesn't deserve this kind of treatment, please! Let him go!" The tears were coming fast and hot, hitting the smooth wooden floor beneath her.
"And what can you do, Tohru Honda? You can't even break the curse! What do you know what the Cat deserves! How can you tell me what to do!" Akito grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her head back to let her see the rage of the head of the house. "You can't even break the curse! What use are you to anyone in this family? You're just a stupid little girl!"
Tohru was screaming without realizing it, Akito jerking her head this way and that. The mighty head of house was now standing up, dragging her along. "Let go!" Tohru was crying. "You're hurting me! Let go!"
Instantly Yuki was behind Akito, pulling the furious beast away from Tohru, but Akito's grip stayed firm. There was a struggle and more screaming, Tohru being pulled and yanked this way and that. Suddenly, through watery eyes, she saw Akito throw Yuki off in a great heave and immediately, Akito turned to the hostage and threw her hard away from the dais. Tohru hit something hard behind her and sprawled out onto the floor, the wind knocked from her, and a sharp pain building in her head.
The scuffle with Kyo was over now she saw. Two men were lying on the ground, but she couldn't decipher which two, her vision was going fuzzy. She could hear Shigure yelling at Akito. Suddenly, warm hands reached behind her, pulling her up. "Tohru!" It was Kyo. "Are you all right? Say something."
"Kyo-kun," she whispered, and suddenly there was nothing.
Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you?
Sweet raptured light
It ends here tonight
………………………………...
When Tohru next open her eyes, it was bright. At first she was confused, unsure what had happened or where she was, but suddenly it all came back to her. "Kyo!" she called frantically. "Shigure-san! Yuki-kun! Where are they?" She struggled to sit up, feeling as though bricks weighed her down.
"Tohru! Tohru! You're okay!" A young blonde boy had come bounding into the room stopping just in front of her and grabbing her hand frantically.
"Momiji-kun!" she cried, hugging him desperately. But she had forgotten what it meant to hug a member of the Zodiac. There was a miniature explosion and suddenly, a floppy-eared bunny rabbit appeared in front of her. "Oh! Oh no! I'm sorry, Momiji-kun!" she moaned.
"It's all right, Tohru! I don't mind at all!" the bunny said, snuggling up next to her, as she stroked his fur gently.
"What is going on in here?" demanded a voice from the doorway.
"Hatori-san!" Tohru said, surprised by his sudden appearance. Then she realized where she must be. She was in Hatori's house.
"Momiji, I thought I told you not to disturb Tohru-kun," he reprimanded the rabbit.
"Sorry," he replied, hanging his head.
"Hatori-san, please tell me, where is Kyo-kun? And Shigure-san? And Yuki-kun?" she asked of the doctor, thoroughly distressed now that she was fully conscious.
Hatori looked unsettled at first, but then sighed quietly and said, "Momiji, please go into the other room for a moment."
"Ha'ri, you're boring. I want to stay with Tohru!" he answered stubbornly, but dragging his clothes after him, the rabbit hopped out of the room all the same.
I'm going to miss him, Tohru thought sadly, remembering the punishment she had been issued. And Hatori too, they have always been so nice to me…
I'll miss the winter
A world of fragile things
Look for me in the white forest
Hiding in a hollow tree (come find me)
"Tohru, I'm so sorry. A lot of things have happened since you were knocked unconscious. Kyo has been locked up on Akito's orders. Yuki is to move back to the Sohma estate and not leave under any circumstances. He will be home schooled for the rest of the year. Shigure is here now, but he should be leaving shortly. Akito has calmed down now, and says you may say your last good-byes to everyone as soon as you are well enough. Then you must leave and not come back."
"Oh, Hatori-san… I… I don't want to go… I know I must, but I'll miss you so much. And what about Kyo-kun? Akito-san will hurt him, won't he? I… I don't want anything to happen to him or any of the Sohmas…" She was sobbing now, tears squeezing between her tightly closed eyelids. Hatori's hand brushed against her face, wiping the tears away. When she opened her eyes to look at him, she saw he too was crying, silent rivers running down his otherwise emotionless face.
I know you hear me
I can taste it in your tears
"I never wanted you to leave. When we first met, I just… I wanted you to be happy. I didn't want you to get mixed up in this horrible mess. I didn't want you to end up like her," Hatori said, trying his best to compose himself.
Tohru knew what he meant by her. He didn't want Tohru to end up like Kana, Hatori's first love. She had been betrothed to Hatori, but Akito had ended the relationship and forced Hatori to erase Kana's memories. "I-It's all right Hatori-san, I'll leave, but I will never forget you. I never could. You mean too much to me for me to forget."
There was silence for a moment. Then Hatori told her, "You should be all right to leave by tomorrow. I'll make sure everyone is here to say goodbye. Oh, Momiji doesn't know about the…circumstances, so let's not tell him just yet." Wiping his eyes, Hatori added, "I'll be back later," and with that, he left the room.
Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you
Sweet raptured light
It ends here tonight
Laying back, Tohru tried desperately to stop the tears, whispering to herself, "There's no room for sadness. There's no room for sadness. I'm happy I met them, and I will miss them, but there's no room for sadness."
With this mantra in her head, she fell into a light slumber, closing out the world beyond and dreaming of the happy times she had had with the Sohmas.
………………………………...
The room was dark when Kyo opened his eyes. It was night. He stood, gazing out into the night. The stars outside his barred window shone hazily through the mist of early evening. Angrily he shoved himself away from the window, and began pacing the twelve feet of floor that he possessed. Great, this was all just great. She was hurt, how badly, he did not know. Akito had had him thrown into this cramped little cell, Yuki was back into the Sohma bin, which, Kyo actually thought was a good thing. Serves him right that stupid rat! But he would never see Tohru again. If she was all right, which she had better be, she would leave immediately and never set foot on Sohma property again. "Arrgh! Akito you bastard! I'll kill you! This is all your fault! Why couldn't you just leave us all alone!" he screamed into the night. Dropping to his knees, he said, "Why couldn't you leave her alone?"
Closing your eyes to disappear
You pray your dreams will leave you here
But still you wake and know the truth
No one's there
………………………………...
Shigure Sohma was distraught. Everything had been going just fine, if only they had had more time. If only he had told her more about the curse, about the meaning of it all, then maybe, just maybe things would have been different. He couldn't focus on anything, he couldn't think of anything for more than a moment. He needed a pen, a notebook, something to keep his hands busy. There on the desk he found what he desired, and sitting on the floor, he began to write.
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young girl. She had lost her mother not long ago and had been living in a tent in the woods when a handsome young prince and his dashing cousin met her on their journey home…
It was in this same position Yuki found Shigure two hours later. "Shigure?" Yuki asked quietly, as though afraid of waking something deadly.
"Hmm?" Shigure mumbled, shaken out of his stupor.
"What are we going to do?" Yuki asked, sitting across from his cousin.
"About what, Yuki-kun?" Shigure asked, oblivious as always.
"Honda-san! We can't let Akito do this! We have to fight back!"
"I'm afraid that for now Yuki-kun, there is nothing that we can do. We just have to wait and see…" He turned back to his notebook. He was now at the part where Tohru had first encountered Ritsu Sohma and was pleased with how well the story was going. He wished he could have someone illustrate it as well.
"What are you writing?" Yuki asked curiously.
"A memoir about our dear little Tohru. I don't want to forget a single detail. Would you like to help?" he asked.
"No. I think I'll go to bed," Yuki said in disgust, as though he could not bear to stand by Shigure another moment.
"Very well. Good night, Yuki-kun."
"Good night."
Say goodnight
Don't be afraid
Calling me, calling me as you fade to black
Ah, conflict… Yes, there is much more to this plot than you first expected, hmm? Well I have some bad news for you ladies and gents, I am going on vacation and won't be back for a week… heh… so if you aren't mad at me for leaving you in suspense, please leave me a nice message to read when I return!
