Out of All People

Written By: RedFireHead41

The sky was an unusual dark color this night as Kyou approached the dojo. The cat noticed the large clouds gathering amongst each other, creating an uneasy feeling to the air. Rain Kyou thought as he shivered slightly and sped up into a run for the main doors. Somehow, he could always since when the rain was coming and every time the water touched him it was like a level of energy was drained from his body. Rain always held terrible things in his mind. The memories of those rainy days brought sadness and despair to him. The day when he transformed, and both Tohru and Yuki chased after him. Why? he wondered because they cared.

And that night he found Yuki sprawled upon the muddy ground beaten and weak.

That night will never leave his mind.

Kyou shook his head to clear away the memories flooding his mind and finally reached the dojo's main doors. He gently pushed them open and entered into the complex. Everyone was mostly inside from what he saw, but there were dim lamps lighting the paths leading to separate buildings. Quickly, Kyou ran upon the familiar paths and stood at his master's door. He lifted his fist and knocked twice upon the solid wood.

The door slid open and there stood Shishou, dressed in hi normal attire. His face brightened at the sight of his student as did the face of his student himself.

"Why Kyou, hello there," greeted the older man stepping inside to allow Kyou entrance.

"Hi, Shishou!" Kyou said happily with a smile and entered into the building. The orange-head slipped off his shoes and stepped up onto the wooden floor on the next level. Shishou stepped up next to him with a smile and asked, "How are you this evening, Kyou?"

That happy mood half vanished and he groaned, "Starting to become a bit tiring…"

Shishou chuckled, "Well, yes, I do think the oncoming rain will wear you out completely."

"It's a pain in my ass," the cat grumbled narrowing his eyes as if he were annoyed.

Shishou continued to smile and walked with his student into the dining room where Kyou noticed no plates or food was set. Odd he thought skimming the kitchen with his orange eyes for any sign of a meal. Shishou paid no attention to his gaze lingering throughout his kitchen and sat down upon a futon close to the table. Kyou slowly joined him.

"Would you like some tea?" the older man asked kindly.

Kyou looked at him oddly and replied, "U-uh, no thanks…" I guess he added mentally.

Shishou decided to disregard getting tea himself and politely faced Kyou. "So tell me Kyou, what pleasure do I owe for your visit?"

Now this situation was becoming more stranger by the second, and the last question seriously made Kyou look like an idiot towards his master. Shishou tried hard not to laugh from the look before the orange-head replied.

"Didn't you invite me over for supper?"

Shishou's smile somewhat disappeared, but he still held kindness on his face. "Well, not that I recall my boy. But, if you would like to stay for dinner, I'm sure I can prepare something for us."

Kyou's animated tail and ears slightly twitched as he snapped, "I'm not eating what you burn. I'd rather eat Shigure's cooking."

"You sure do get to the point, don't you," Shishou chuckled scratching an itch behind his neck. "Well, I do suppose I would rather not eat what I cook. Heaven for bid what would end up in any of my meals."

Yeah, like ash and dirt Kyou thought shivering.

After a moment of silence, Shishou looked at his student with some seriousness and asked, "Tell me Kyou, where did you hear that I invited you to dinner? I don't recall anything of that sort."

Kyou looked at him simply. "Yuki told me that you called earlier while I was at school, and asked for me to come over for supper. I believed him of course since he was talking about you."

Shishou raised an eyebrow. "Becoming more of a trusting person towards Yuki now are we?"

Kyou's transparent fur seemed to stand up on edge as did his tail, ears, and face. He quickly scratched a fake itch upon his head and barked, "L-like hell if I trust that damn rat! Ha! Never in your dreams."

Somewhere deep down and hidden beneath that lie, Kyou felt as if something tore at him.

"Hm, I do believe that Kyou," Shishou said as he folded his hands upon his lap, "Please don't misunderstand yourself though. I can see some hesitation in your words."

Instantly, Kyou sprang into major defensive mode and he shouted, "Hesitation my ass! That stupid rat d-deserves nothing but fists in his face!"

Shishou eyed him playfully and asked, "Do you truly believe tha--"

"Yes! Now shut up about Yuki!"

Shishou was slightly take aback by the quick interruption, and he could se the regret in Kyou's orange eyes. The boy quickly bowed his head and said, "I'm sorry Shishou…I shouldn't have, uh…said that…"

The master slowly allowed another smile to graze his lips before he patted the orange hair upon Kyou's head. "It is alright, no worry. You are usually like that, so I should be accustomed to it by now."

Kyou was about to say a response, but the elder spoke before him.

"I believe you misunderstood what Yuki told you earlier. Maybe you should head back to Shigure's and see him."

"But Shishou--" Kyou started. But said-elder cut him off with his hand politely.

"Like I've said Kyou, it is alright. I shall see you another day, and on that evening I promise to have dinner with you."

Not entirely liking the idea of just leaving so suddenly, but knowing that Yuki had somehow said the wrong thing to him, caused the cat to quickly get to his feet and head for the door. As he approached it, the familiar and tiring sound of taps hit the roof. Shishou suddenly joined his side as the orange-head placed on his shoes, and held out a folded umbrella to the younger boy.

"Please take this, Kyou. I would hate for you to catch a cold."

Kyou accepted the offering tool and stood next to the door. He looked somewhat sadly back at his master and said, "I'm sorry Shishou. I guess another time…"

Shishou nodded with a smile. "Yes, another time."

Kyou inclined his head too before turning and sliding open the closed door. The rain was light, but from the color of the clouds it was clear that a downpour was coming soon. Kyou unfolded the umbrella and lifted it above his head, shielding his body from the rain above. He turned back around and waved to his master before taking off down one of the dojo's several paths. Shishou watched him leave and disappear behind the corner off his home.

Something isn't right…the man thought as he re-entered his house. He stood upon the first step with his eyes closed in thought. I sense something bad will befall this night…and I am starting to fear for Kyou…

Shishou quietly stepped back into his dining room and sat upon the same futon he occupied before. He opened his eyes narrowly and stared at the wooden surface of his table.

Please….protect him. Protect Kyou…

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"I'm heading out now!" announced Tohru standing ready at the doorway of her home. Shigure walked out of the kitchen and stood in the hallway.

"Would you like me to escort you there Tohru? It isn't good for a pretty girl like yourself to be wandering the streets at any time of night."

Tohru couldn't hide the blush that always seemed to appear on her cheeks and replied with some kind-of reassurance, "N-no, that's okay Shigure. Uo said she would meet me halfway tonight. Her and I are going to work together!"

Shigure's expression was one of shot curiousness. "Oh? Working together?"

Tohru nodded. "Yes! Uo's volunteered today at my work for community service and got the same hours as me. I wish she didn't go through all that trouble of being with me at the same time, (recalls Uo strangling the manager) but I appreciate it."

Shigure smiled. "Well then, work hard."

"I will!" the young girl replied cheerfully, "Please take care of Yuki while Kyou and I are gone!" With that, she picked up her pink umbrella, unfolded the contraption and headed out the open door. Shigure sighed and rubbed the back of his head with his eyes lost somewhere upon the floor.

Take care of Yuki hm?

For a couple of hours inside Yuki's room, the rat boy was still lying in his bed. Since Kyou had left, all he could do was just stay put and wait for the inevitable. His fingers held tight to the sheets covering his injured, weak body while his silver eyes continued to stare at the falling rain outside his window. Shigure had visited him a few times after Kyou's departure, but only to see if he needed anything. In all honesty, Yuki felt empty and cold. He didn't want the desire for food, or the comfort of a bed. All he wanted, was Kyou.

His sweet Kyou. He desired his safe presence and warmth of his body instead of life's givings laid upon him. Yuki could still somehow feel the taste of the lie he spilled linger upon his lips. He lowered his eyes away from the pouring rain and dropped them under his purple bangs. Knowing that he lied to Kyou was taking it's toll on him, and remembering that he had broke his promise once before was still tearing open his heart. But all of his lies and decisions was to keep Kyou safe. To keep him safe and away from Akito. Nothing else mattered anymore. Not sense he fell in love with the cat of the zodiac.

Yuki believed that his own life didn't matter anymore.

Feeling tears prick his eyes, Yuki forced the to remain inside. He would not succumb to this despair for protecting his lover. He would be strong for him like Kyou has always done for himself. These injuries did not matter, and now that his life was not, he would not face Akito as a broken soul. He would take whatever cruel punishment or words from Akito's lips and use them to become stronger. Stronger for Kyou.

There was a knock on his door, and Yuki heard Shigure.

"Akito has arrived Yuki."

Yuki opened his violet silver eyes and stared at the plain wall ahead of him. He could hear the rain pour down outside as if the world was crying for what was to become this day. He released the tension he held upon his covers and looked towards the door.

From outside, Shigure announced, "I'm letting him in."

The door opened and it seemed as if a dooming fate entered his room. Akito stepped into the dimly lit space and looked eerily down upon Yuki's form sitting upright in his bed. Dark eyes met silver ones head on, and Akito's were full of uncertain emotion. Yuki could never tell what this man was thinking or seeing of this world. The thought of that always will disturb him.

Akito turned his head around to face Shigure standing in the doorway.

"You can leave us now. Let Kureno in."

Without hesitation, Shigure moved aside to allow the said zodiac member enter the room. Yuki stiffened from the emotionless eyes of his relative glance at his own before moving away. Kureno stood in the corner of the room as Akito seemed to smile at Shigure before sliding the door shut. The Sohma head turned back around and faced Yuki still lying in the bed. Yuki looked at him as he approached closer.

"Well, my dear Yuki," he said quietly outstretching his arms. He reached the bedside and lowered himself closer to the boy.

"It sure is great to see you once again…"

Yuki's entire body stiffened completely as Akito wrapped the boy in an embrace. The rat said nothing and stared blankly at a lost piece of floor upon the ground. Kureno remained silent in the corner of the room.

Akito pulled back slightly and looked straight into Yuki's eyes with concern. "What? No greeting from you, Yuki? You know that is very rude to a guest of your house…"

Yuki could feel the fear start to rise, but he strongly repressed it. He narrowed his eyes and answered, "I am sorry. Hello Akito…" Yuki turned his head towards the rooster in the room "And hello, Kureno…"

Kureno said nothing.

Akito chuckled disturbingly and rode away from Yuki's body, giving the boy a small sigh of relief. The Sohma head breathed in deeply and said, "Well Yuki…because I have you here and it seems that, you cannot escape--" Yuki cringed instantly. "--I wanted to ask you something…"

Yuki looked nervously up at Akito and asked, "What is that..?"

Suddenly, Yuki was assaulted with Akito's face directly under his nose. His dark eyes were narrowed dangerously to an angry complexion and his lips were curved into an eerie sneer. Yuki felt his chin behind held up sharply by Akito's pale fingers.

Akito then asked.

"How did you escape my room that Thursday night?"

Quick fear and ice shot down Yuki's arms and legs. He suddenly felt his voice crack and he could barely come up with an answer. The memories of that night were haunting to him and the wounds started to repeat themselves that they were there and still stinging. Akito was defiantly not a patient person and therefore started to twist Yuki's chin to the side and question again, "How did you escape, Yuki?"

"I…I don't remember…" he choked out feeling the sweat start to drop from his brow. Akito snapped his chin to the side again causing a small whimper to leave Yuki's lips. The angle at which the Sohma head held him was tight and uncomfortable.

Akito wasn't buying Yuki's words and said, "You lie."

Yuki couldn't help himself and lifted his hands to the wrist of Akito's hand fiercely holding his chin at the odd angle. Akito quickly pulled back and slapped a clean one right across the boy's face.

"Don't you ever touch me without permission, rat!" he snapped. Yuki's body was hunched over his bed as he held his bruised cheek. Akito quickly re-gripped onto the boy's chin and forced the silver eyes to meet his own evil ones.

"Now tell me," he said firmly, "How did you get out that night?"

"I-I swear to you Akito…I don't remember. I don't remember anything!"

Akito looked at him dangerously. "That's a lie. It's that you don't want to remember isn't it?"

Yuki shook his head. "N-no…"

Another hard slap sent Yuki's upper body completely over the bed. Akito had no hesitation to grip onto the boy's purple hair and yank him back up to his dark eyes.

"I think I have a clear guess onto who saved you that night."

The tone of his voice and the look on his face was one the implanted a deep knife in Yuki's heart. He knew it then, and wouldn't doubt it. Akito knew! The sneer and glint in his eyes were proof enough. How could've he known? he asked himself.

Akito pulled Yuki closer to his eyes and asked with deadly venom.

"It's that cat, isn't it?"

Yuki panicked and shouted, "What're you talking about Akit--OH!" Yuki felt a hard fist slam into his healing chest and pain erupt throughout his body. He fell forward onto Akito's outstretched hand, but the Sohma head pulled back allowing Yuki's body to crumble to the floor wrapped halfway in blankets. Yuki gasped as he held his stomach and weakly coughed up bits of air and blood. No…he thought with worry Kyou…

"That bastard cat will pay for touching what is not his," Akito spat angrily clenching a fist. "I'll lock him up for eternity and watch him rot into a corpse!"

Yuki's eyes widened and quickly, he tried to sit up and reach for Akito's leg. "A…ki…to…don…t"

"Shut up toy!' Akito shouted kicking Yuki in his stomach. Yuki cried out and grabbed his hurting body. Pain was becoming the only feeling in his mind and body, nothing could stop it. So much pain. Pain from Akito, pain from his injuries, and the pain of knowing that Kyou was in danger. How can he help Kyou like this?

I am so pathetic…Kyou…I'm sorry…

"Shigure!" Akito called. Yuki heard the door slid open somehow and both Akito's and Shigure's voices speak. Barely could he hear what they were saying, but when he opened his eyes he met the dog's worried eyes reach his own, pained ones.

"Akito, what are you planning to do?" Shigure asked. Akito snapped a dangerous look at him.

"That is none of your business! Now, tell me where Kyou is!"

Yuki immediately struggled to his knees and pleaded towards Shigure with both his eyes and voice.

"N-no…Shigure…don't t-tell him…"

Akito turned around and glared at Yuki. "You dare defy me?!"

Yuki could still feel the fear of what he was about to do, but like he knew before: nothing else matters. He looked equally with Akito and answered him. "I am done...listening to your lies Akito…I am finished. I am done with this curse...as are we all! We don't need you anymore!"

"What?" Akito gasped with another one of his eerie looks. "You know you need me Yuki. You know I am your only key to survival! You cannot live without me, none of you can!"

Shigure stepped passed Akito and knelt next to his injured cousin. He met Yuki's silver eyes and whispered, "Enough Yuki…not today. Not now."

Yuki couldn't believe what he just heard and protested, "But Shigure--"

"No!" the dog said quietly but sternly.

Yuki stared at Shigure's determined face, and slowly nodded. The dog smiled and lifted him up back onto his bed.

"Kureno, we are leaving!"

Both Yuki and Shigure looked back at the Sohma head as he turned his back and headed for Yuki's door. Kureno was right in toe.

"Wait Akito!" Shigure called, "Where are you going?"

Akito stopped walking and glared back at the dog. The deathly glare was enough to make Kureno stop and shake in fear. Still, the Sohma head said nothing and within the moment, turned and left with Kureno slowly following.

After Shigure heard the sound of his front door sliding open then closed did he let out a long breath. That was quite something he thought. He brushed his fingers back through his black silky hair and rubbed the back of his neck. What a night…

"Shigure…"

The dog stopped his rubbing and looked down at an exhausted Yuki. The boy laugh on his back, squeezing out short, pained breaths while holding tight to his stomach. Shgure sighed and brushed away the sweaty bangs from the rat's forehead. "I'll go get you some water," he whispered as he gently touched Yuki's newly bruised cheek. Yuki slowly nodded and the dog left the room.

That's when the tears started to fall just like the rain outside.

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Kyou was running through the rain like a lost dog. Frustrated and feeling completely tired out, he traveled under the pouring sky and towards his residence. With the rush, he felt his body being drained much quicker of it's energy than before and his muscles were getting too weak. Kyou mentally cursed the weather for the umpteenth time and continued his way across the muddy ground. He looked forward and felt relieved when he entered the woods surrounding his home.

Almost there. I'm defiantly talking to Yuki when I get there too. What the hell is up with him telling me a lie? I thought he said no more lies were going to pass from his lips.

Kyou growled.

Damn stupid rat!

Noticing that the rain was creating huge puddles of water and mud across the pathway, Kyou decided to venture home through the woods. He took his way under the tree canopies and headed forward, umbrella still overhead. He traveled deeply into the woods that even the black car passing by couldn't see him.

And nether did Kyou notice the passing black car drive away from his home.

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"Those who take it upon themselves to kill others, must be prepared to have others try to kill them in return."

The Law of Karma (or so Sanzo says)

Said by- Genjyo Sanzo, the One and Only

A/N: Why hello there everybody! Thanks to all those who've reviewed my story and those reading it. I'm sorry once again, but I am a person now who is limited to computer access. It seems my own computer is fried (lol…not kewl) and that means no internet. BUT, I will always type up a chapter once I can on another computer late at night. Currently, it is 1:28 PM and I'm babysitting animals at a friend's house. They don't know this, but I'm borrowing their computer for good use! (bows in thanks)

Anyway, please tell me about any mistakes, if I lost my touch, if it makes since, anything! That means REVIEW! Please, please, please, please, please, review! I don't accept anonymous reviews, but still, sign up and then review if you can!

C-ya again soon! Ja ne!

FireHead