Ripple 24

[Chapter 54. Banquet Table Overturned.]

Yuki and Tohru held hands as they walked the wooded path beyond the lake house.

"You weren't lying to me, were you, Yuki-kun?" she asked anxiously. "You were really all right with seeing Akito?"

"Yes, I truly was, Tohru." He closed his eyes briefly. "Akito's problem is that he wants everything to remain the same as it always has been. I have a temporary advantage over him since he has not noticed yet how much I have changed. But how about you? We brought you out here and then had to desert you with only the cat for company."

"Oh, Kyo-kun and I do okay together." She giggled. "He took a nap while I built a sand castle on the beach. Of course," she pouted, "he said it looked more like a pile of nothing."

"Shall I beat him up for you?" he teased.

"No!" she replied in a shocked tone. "It has been months since you two have fought, and I'm not going to be the cause for you to break that record."

"Ah, well," he shrugged, "in that case, let's do something equally as enjoyable." He steered her off the path and guided her to a low-hanging tree branch. He ducked under and stood on the other side.

"What—?" was all she managed to say before he cupped her face with his hands and kissed her deeply.

When he raised his head, he smiled sweetly at her. "Too many people around the house for us to do that, much less anything else."

Tohru giggled. "Way too many chances of interruption."

They spent a few more minutes in that pleasurable pastime before Yuki regretfully headed them back to the house. "If we're gone much longer, Kisa will send out a search party for her 'Onee-chan'."

"Yipes! I don't want Hiro-kun to get cross with me again!"

"That boy!" Yuki frowned. "I'll be glad once his puberty hormones settle down."

As they disappeared around a bend, a hidden figure pushed aside some leaves. "'Sweet innocent girl', my ass!" Akito growled. "I will show that upstart the way things are done in the Sohma tradition!"

Momiji rocked back and forth on the living room floor of the annex. "What time is it?"

"It's five minutes later than the last time you asked," Hiro replied acidly.

"I hope Akito-san isn't mean to Kyo-niisan," Kisa said in a worried tone.

"I hope that stupid cat keeps his temper," muttered Yuki. "I warned him, but I don't think he has ever taken my advice."

Lying prone on an assortment of pillows, Hatsuharu removed his arm from his face. "I'd back Kyo against Akito any day. Well," he grunted, "as long as Akito doesn't use the 'god command voice', that is."

At that moment Kyo burst from the door which led to the leader's inner sanctum. "How long is that guy gonna keep me waitin'?" he snarled.

All of the younger zodiac members straightened in surprise. "He isn't there?" squeaked Momiji.

"Isn't that what I said?" He stomped down the hall. "If he deigns to show up, tell the bastard I had to take a piss."

"This isn't good," Yuki said.

"Yeah, what if Akito hears what he called him?" asked Hiro.

"That's not what he means," piped up Momiji. He and Yuki shared a glance. "We left Tohru alone in the other house."

"Onee-chan!" cried Kisa.

Yuki strode towards the exit. "I'm going to find her."

"I'll help." Hatsuharu jumped to a standing position.

"Me, too," said Momiji staunchly.

"Hiro," Yuki turned, "you and Kisa stay and fill in Kyo when he returns. After that, I'd advise returning to our place and lying low."

"Hiro-kun," Kisa took his hand with a worried look, "let's go look for Onee-chan with them."

"Sure," he agreed manfully, "after we give Kyo-niisan the message."

Although Kyo had argued fruitlessly against Akito's order to visit him, he could not disobey. The rest of the youthful zodiac members had apologized to Tohru for abandoning her. She, however, waved them off with a cheerful smile.

"I love being with all of them, especially Yuki-kun and Kisa, but it will be nice to have some peace and quiet," she said to the empty room. After preparing several snacks, she set off on a walk, planning to have a solo picnic by the beach after attempting to improve on her 'castle' from the day before.

But she never reached the lake.

"You are so out of my league and fail to realize it. Look around you, you annoying nuisance. You are alone; all my subjects have forsaken you: the interloper. You are nothing—NOTHING!—you little bitch."

Tohru attempted to look unaffected by Akito's rant, which had been going on for five minutes. "Akito-sama," she reached out a placating hand, "why don't we—"

"Wretch!" Her gesture was slapped away. "You are not worthy to touch the greatest god of the zodiac! For the first time in generations, all of my animals are together at the same time. Never will I allow you to steal them away. They are mine and shall be with me forever. You have no place in that future, you horrible, ugly little girl!" Eyes almost crazed, Akito raised an arm threateningly, and Tohru closed her eyes in anticipation of the blow.

When she heard it strike but felt nothing, she opened her eyes. Between her and the Sohma head stood Momiji, trembling with fists clenched.

"Don't, Akito," the boy pleaded.

"What?" Akito mocked. "Is the bunny planning to protect the scheming wench? Out of my way, rodent!"

Momiji wavered, but Akito's glare turned into an order that he could not disobey. "Run, Tohru!" he hissed before he scampered off.

"See? When it comes down to it, none of them can overrule my strictures. You can't beat me, little girl. We. Don't. Need. You."

"Why do you torture them like this?" Tohru burst out, eyes filled with tears. "A god should want his people to be happy, but they aren't."

"How naive. Happiness? Irrelevant. Their position is to love and adore me."

"You can't force love," she argued. "If you were more kind, more benevolent, love would come on its own."

"Don't speak to a god about love! What do you know of our relationship? They will love me! They do love me!" The screeching figure advanced on Tohru, fully intent on administering the punishment which Momiji had averted.

Yuki suddenly appeared on the path, pushing Tohru behind him. "You overstep yourself, Akito!"

"My poor bewitched rat." A hand reached out to caress his face, and a snarl appeared when he backed away to avoid it. "Step away from that whore!" was commanded in an intense tone.

Yuki quivered as he fought the order. "No!" he gasped.

"That's right, Akito." Kyo appeared at his side. "You'll have to get through both of us."

"What?!" A hysterical laugh was heard. "The monster is joining with my special one? How amusing!"

"Not just him," Hatsuharu stated laconically as he joined the others. Momiji, face still red from Akito's blow, stood beside him, back straight. Even Kisa and Hiro arrived, the tiger clasping Tohru's arm in a death grip.

"You forget who is in command here!" The voice grew higher and higher, and spittle hit Yuki's and Kyo's faces. Akito dramatically pointed. "Abandon her, my animals! Your god commands you!"

"Some god!" A tall shapely girl clad in black leather dropped from a nearby tree. "A little man with delusions of grandeur, who gets his sick kicks out of bullying girls."

"Who's that?" Tohru whispered to Kisa.

"Rin-neesan," she told her.

"Oh, the spirit of the horse! She's beautiful," she breathed.

"Yeah," Hiro added, "Akito pushed her out of a window."

Over the boys' shoulders, Tohru could see a pattern of scars on the girl's exposed back. "Ooh!" she sighed.

"Rin!" Hatsuharu called out. "What are you doing here?"

She ignored the boy and advanced on Akito. "What is it with you?"

"Rin, no!" Shigure and Hatori approached at a run from another direction, followed by Kureno at a slightly slower pace.

"Gure-nii," she slanted him a look, "stay out of this. I told you that I would do anything to end this damned curse."

"This isn't the way," Hatori implored in low tone.

"No, this isn't the way," the girl flashed back. "The 'outsider' has the right of it. This is not the way a god should behave. He is a controlling bully, who gains sadistic enjoyment from causing suffering."

Akito snarled at her. "Any suffering is self-inflicted." Taking a deep breath, the 'god' proclaimed theatrically, "You are all mine. Mine to love, mine to command, mine to destroy, if needed. Now, little horsie, step back and behold my power. My animals," arms spread wide, "abandon this repulsive wench! Send her away from our holy family. Cease this feeble mutiny and return to the bosom of your rightful leader."

The air seemed to quiver as the echoes of the cry dissipated. The people seemed frozen with inaction until Yuki shook himself and stepped forward. "No," he said simply.

At that, Kyo started and stood shoulder to shoulder with him. "Just try and make us," he pled with a grin of almost glee.

The others, one by one, blinked as if awakening from a trance. Akito's eyes widened and a mournful and disbelieving wail was heard. "No, no! My zodiac! My animals! My subjects!"

Shigure caught the leader's body before it hit the ground. Hatori knelt beside him and grasped a wrist to take the pulse.

Yuki turned. "Tohru?" he asked in wonder before enfolding her in his arms. He clenched her tightly, and when he did not transform, a tear fell from his eye.

"Step aside, Rat!" Kyo ordered gruffly before doing the same.

"Make it quick," the Prince warned, but before Kyo could release her, Momiji had shoved the former cat aside. He resigned himself to a long wait.

The freed zodiac members ceased their excited chatter and turned to the older cousins when Hatori spoke in concern, "Breathing is shallow. We need to loosen her chest bindings."

"Her?" They all whispered to each other with raised eyebrows.

Sure enough, within a minute it became obvious that their leader was female. Painful red marks cut across her chest above the small amount of cleavage which was visible.

"Akito was a woman?!" Kyo clutched both sides of his head. "Were we blind or somethin'?"

"I was the closest and never knew," Yuki stated hollowly.

"I threatened to knock his—her—block off!" Hatsuharu stared down at his boots. "If I had really done that…"

"It wouldn't matter!" Rin spat out. "I don't care, male or female, anything you had done to her would have been deserved!"

"No, no, Isuzu-san!" Tohru left off hugging the former ram (who insisted that he did 'not need any more proof!') and moved to her side and placed a hand on her arm. "Lack of forgiveness will just poison you in the future."

"I wish she was poisoned!" Tears of impotent rage filled the other girl's eyes. "Enslaving us all...torturing us… belittling us…"

"Rin, it's done." Hatsuharu slowly embraced her.

"Haru—!" She broke down. "I wanted your freedom."

"I am free, Rin. All of us are now."

As if to prove the point, Hatori's cell phone began ringing. He scowled when he saw the display but still answered it. He broke through loud chattering which could be heard five meters away. "Yes, Ayame, we all felt it." After a pause he added, "Yes, Yuki, too. Here," he thrust it at the younger man, "he's your brother. I have a patient to care for."

Yuki looked just as uninterested in talking as Hatori, but he brought the instrument to his ear. "Nii-san? Yes, it was a surprise, almost as big as finding out that Akito is a woman." His eyebrow quirked when his brother's voice trailed away to nothing. "So," he grinned as he pulled the—finally!—freed Tohru to his side once more (he would not tire of being able to do that for a long time), "you knew all along and kept the secret. Shame on you, Nii-san."

"It was Akito's wish," Kureno spoke up suddenly. "Her mother is...unhinged and threatened to abort her if she was not raised as a male."

"My mother!" Akito wailed. "She taunted me that the curse was the only positive thing about me."

"That's wrong," Tohru said. "It's good that it broke. There aren't many good curses," she added with a nod.

"But it was all that I had," she cried. "All that I was. Now I am nothing! Who will love me as myself, as a mere mortal?"

"I will, Akito," Shigure said in the most tender voice any had ever heard. He brought her hand to his chest. "Do you feel this heartbeat? It beats only for you, as it has all these years, even before your birth."

"Love?" she asked. "Without the curse? How can that be?"

"I've always been yours, even if you chose not to see it."

"But aren't you concerned with the...change? Will I be able to love you back? I don't know how..."

"Then you are like a young child," Tohru spoke up suddenly. "It is something that you must learn: one step at a time."

Akito turned to her, still with a bit of arrogance. "That is so simplistic, you outsi—uh, Honda."

"But she's right." Yuki courageously drew near his former tormentor. "I didn't change from a cowed boy to a man who was willing to stand up to an authority figure overnight." He took Tohru's hand. "This girl had a wise and wonderful mother, so unlike most of us." The others nodded in concurrence, while Akito's eyes dropped.

"Even if you fail at first," Tohru added, "as long as you keep trying, you will improve."

"And do not forget, Akito," Shigure stroked her hair, "I will be by your side to help. Always."

She stared up at him with disbelieving yet hopeful eyes. "Truly?"

"I can no longer...sense your existence or any of the others as I once did, but my feelings are still as strong as ever." He kissed her forehead gently before raising his head with a frown. "Come to think of it," he turned to Kureno, who flinched slightly, "this is how it has been around you for some time."

He bowed his head. "The curse broke for me when I was a teenager. I know not why. Akito was aware of it immediately and begged me not to leave her."

"So that's why we never saw him alone," Yuki whispered.

"Yes," Akito held out an arm to him, "my faithful rooster. I kept you imprisoned by my side with chains of guilt. Let me take a first step." She swallowed hard and looked at Tohru briefly. "You are free now. Please do not hate me too much."

Kureno knelt and took her hand. "I will never hate you, Akito, but I cannot love you as much as Shigure does." He tilted his head towards the former dog, who appeared displeased at their brief contact.

"Wait!" Tohru's hand flew to her mouth. "What about the others?"

"Niisan said that Ritsu called him, hysterically apologizing for failing the clan," Yuki told her, rolling his eyes.

"And Kagura?"

"Darn!" Kyo pulled his phone from his back pocket and groaned. "I had set this on silent for my meeting with Akito. Look, she's sent about twenty texts already!"

"Best you take care of that soon, you stupid cat," Yuki said with a malicious smile. "Especially now that you have the freedom to choose any woman in the world as your mate."

"Oh, yeah!" His face lightened at the realization that Arisa was no longer out of his reach. "You are good for a few things, after all, Rat-boy!"

"You two definitely need to find new nicknames for each other now," Tohru ordered them staunchly.