I know that in the original Fruits Basket manga that Akito is a female, but making him a female in this story would just cause problems for my storyline, so she will be a he.
Therefore Akito is a man and he has some big things in store for Kyru.
Poor Kyru indeed.…
I don't think that you all will like what will be happening to Kyru in coming chapters, but it can't be helped. She is my main character and is therefore forfeit to my whims and imaginations! Wahaha! But I think that Kyo's luck will indeed improve, so that's a plus.
But don't worry. She won't suffer….too much.
And yes, Yuuichi does have competition in Kaguro, the son of Kagura. Let's just say he takes after his mother in his devotion.
I like Kaguro as a character, so I think I will make it hard for Yuuichi-kun.
No matter. Let's begin! I've already said too much.
Disclaimer: Remember I don't own Kyo and the Sohma family! And I most certainly don't own Fruits Basket, although I do love it!
Let's get started!
Chapter 25: Change
Everything must change. Nothing is constant.
The more you struggle against time, the more it will fight back.
Joy and bliss are not eternal, but neither is pain.
Akito looked down upon an unconscious girl. He stroked the soft skin of her cheek and caressed her forehead, like a newborn baby.
"How delicate…" he whispered to himself. "So easily broken… Shattering a heart that is too independent for its own good…..sounds fun." He stopped is gentle caress of the girl's face and looked toward a dark figure in the doorway. "My dear, Hatori. You've come to check in on this girl, have you not?"
"Yes, Akito-sama. You summoned me to come here," he answered unemotionally.
"As I did," he paused, "Do you know why I called you?"
"No."
"I want you to take a blood sample from this girl and find her parentage, although I'm already certain how it will turn out," he paused again to look down at the girl, "Come closer Hatori. Look at her face as I do." Hatori did as was requested of him. He left from the doorway and before long he was standing next to where Akito sat near the girl. This was the first time Hatori would see the girl. When he heard that Akito had caught an outsider inside the compound, he just assumed that maybe someone from the family outside the compound just got curious. He hadn't expected anything like this. As he caught his first glimpse of the girls face, he had to stifle a gasp. It had been a long since he had been surprised about anything, but overall this took the cake. "Kneel down, Hatori."
He did as he was told and kneeled down next to Akito. This girl is like a female version of a sixteen year old Kyo, he thought.
"Take a good look at this girl, Hatori. Who does she remind you of?" Akito touched her hair, "Bright orange hair……like a tabby, street cat." Hatori knew exactly what Akito was talking about. He knew just who he was assuming was the father of this girl.
"Kyo." Hatori said shortly.
"Yes, Hatori. Our own monster seems to have breed before his capture," he moved his hand from her hair to the soft skin of her face, "But I saw her eyes….." Hatori hadn't seen her eyes yet. "They were of someone else. Another monster from our past who got away, with her memories in tact." Hatori knew also who he was referring to and from then on he feared the worst for this girl's future. Akito stroked her face again. "Silly girl, why did you come here. You would have been better off staying hidden with your monster of a mother. Filth is better left unseen."
"Akito-sama? Do you also want me to take a blood sample from Kyo as well? Just to be certain."
"Do you not think I am right, Hatori?" Hatori flinched slightly. "It does not matter though. Do as you wish, as long as you make certain you know who her parents are. I will deal with it from there." He got up and walked toward the door of the darkened room. "I must find out how she escaped my notice before now. How could she have gotten away with existing?" He left the room, leaving Hatori alone with the girl. Once Hatori was sure Akito was gone, he spoke.
"Innocent child. How did you get involved in this?" A look of pity graced his aged face as he plunged into his doctor's bag and recovered a needle for drawing blood samples. He took the girl's arm and laid it out in order to find a vein. He found the correct vein and plunged the needle into the vein. He pulled back on the needle's handle and watched the red fluid fill the small container. Finishing his task, he sighed. "I am truly sorry." He left the room and closed the door behind him.
Kaguro was put into solitary confinement within another closed off section of the compound used to punish those who crossed Akito. He sat with his head against his knees as he recalled the events that led to his confinement and Kyru's capture.
"I am Akito." Akito stood behind the frightened girl with a devious look in his eye. It was clear that he intended to cause pain to the girl that stood staring at him. "It it rude to stare little girl…" he said with an angry expression. Kyru couldn't move an inch. She was paralyzed with fear as if her muscles had refused to heed her commands.
"Kyru! Kyru!" Kyo screamed. "No! Leave her alone!!" He reached his arm as far out of his window as he could manage, as if trying to save his daughter. No matter how hard he struggled. It was all in vain. He could not reach her. He was powerless again, just as he had been with Tohru. "Please no! It can't happen again! Not again!" Kyru barely heard her father cries. Her gaze was transfixed on that of Akito's. Kaguro was useless as well. There was nothing he could do about the situation either. Another man who had come with Akito was holding him back. He held his arms in an arm lock, he couldn't break.
"Shigure-san! Let me go!" Kaguro struggled, but it was all in vain, "Akito-sama, it wasn't her fault please let her go!" he called out to Akito. He stopped his struggling because it was of no use anyway. Shigure's grip was too strong. He slumped his head down, clenching his teeth. "Punish me Akito! Not her!"
"This girl is mine." Akito knew that she was frozen in fear of him and he took advantage of this and struck her in the back of the neck. He hit hard enough to knock her unconscious. She fell forward from the impact and uttered one word as she fell.
"D-dad…" She fell hard on the ground, not moving once after that. It was as if she was lifeless. Another scream screeched forth from Kyo's mouth.
"Ahhhhhh Akito…! You bastard!" He bared his fang-like teeth in defiance of Akito. He could barely hold back the monster inside him. The anger welled up like an overflowing fountain. It was times like this that he wished he could control the beast inside him and use it to slaughter Akito. Kaguro closed his eyes tightly to block out the pain of watching her fall to ground, lifeless.
"No…" he whispered. Akito turned to him.
"Look at me, Kaguro." Kaguro didn't respond and kept his head down. "I said look at me." Akito grabbed his chin harshly and brought his face up. Then gently he took both hands and held Kaguro's face, motherly. "My dear, young Kaguro look me in the eyes and tell me if you had anything to do with this." Kaguro had no choice, but obey Akito, his god. He knew full well that when he looked into Akito's eyes that he wouldn't be able to lie to him. It was as if Akito had absolute control over his soul.
"I-I did." He admitted.
"What did you do?" Akito asked innocently. Kaguro felt as if he was being controlled as he felt lost in the darkness of Akito's eyes.
"I l-led her here….Akito-sama." And with the ending of his confession he received a hard slap from Akito. Akito made sure to dig his nails deep into Kaguro's cheek when he slapped him. He wanted to leave a mark that Kaguro would remember.
"Shigure." Akito turned to his lapdog. "Take Kaguro to solitary confinement. He disobeyed the golden rule of those connected to the zodiac." Akito smiled. "He must be punished." Shigure nodded and took Kaguro away. Kaguro put up no struggle, for he knew that there was nothing he could do. He was bound to Akito and the family he belonged to. He knew that his personal feelings meant nothing. Kyru would have to be on her own until he got out.
Slumped against the wall of his confinement room, he lifted his head from his knees and looked out of the one window in the room. He looked into the dark sky and wondered if he'd ever see Kyru again or would her memory be erased. If that were to happen Akito would make it seem as if she never existed.
Back at the Cat's Prison
Outside nightfall had begun to settle. Darkness was overtaking the light.
"Kyo." Hatori addressed the solemn Cat as he entered his territory. Kyo looked up and acknowledged Hatori with disdain. He sprinted toward him and grabbed his collar. It was different now that Kyo was an adult. He was the same height as Hatori and most definitely didn't fear him, but then again, he never had been.
"What's happening, Hatori?!"
"Why don't you relax for a second and I'll inform you." Hatori's face was stoic as usual. "I need answers and a blood sample." Kyo was reluctant, but he yielded. In his mind he was forming a plan to protect his daughter from harm. He sat down on the floor and watched as Hatori kneeled down to his level. He began to ask his questions while he prepared his needle for bodily fluid extraction. "Do you know the girl who snuck into the compound today?"
"No."
"From what I heard, you were calling out the name "Kyru". Is this the girl's name?"
"I don't know. I've never seen that girl."
"Is that so?"
"That's what I just said, isn't it?"
"Is she your daughter Kyo?" Hatori finished preparing his needle and was ready to draw Kyo's blood.
"No. I was delusional. I meant to call out Tohru's name." Seeing that Hatori was ready to take his blood he put his arm out and let Hatori place the needle to his rough skin.
"Is that it?" Hatori drew the blood from Kyo's vein, again, watching the fluid fill the canister, just as Kyru's did. "Well, now it doesn't matter if you're telling me the truth because your blood will tell me everything I need to know." He put the blood into his bag with the girl's blood sample. Kyo's eyes widened.
"What?"
"Akito ordered me to take a sample of your blood and the girl's blood." He stood to leave. "Although, it's pretty clear that you are the girl's father. As for her mother….I'm sure it won't take long for Akito to take care of that." Kyo was stunned. He hadn't known that that was what the blood was going to be used for. His plan was immediately dismissed. He had been planning to deny everything in order to protect Kyru, but the blood evidence would ruin that. He had surely doomed her. Hatori turned and headed to the door, but before he left he spoke once more. "You can't protect her if you can't even free yourself Kyo. I wonder if you have forever bound Tohru to this family as well as brought in a new hostage."
Kyo fell to his knees, threw his fists against the floor, and began to sob.
What have I done……?
Back At Tohru's House
It was getting late and Tohru was sure that Kyru should've been home by then. She stood outside the front door and frantically looked back and forth across there yard, praying that Kyru would emerge from the bushes or something. She was starting to entertain thoughts of calling Kazuma or Uo or Hana and ask if they had seen Kyru or if she had decided to stay with them. She clenched her hands together and struggled to maintain her fragile calm. She'd been afraid that the day would come when Kyru did not return home and this might be that day.
She quickly rushed into the house and called Kazuma. The phone rang only once
"Hello. This is Sohma Kazuma."
"Master-san! It's Kyru!" As soon as Kazuma heard that, he knew that something was wrong. The day had come when there precious girl would be plucked from them, just as Kyo had been. He immediately responded to Tohru.
"I'm coming over right away Tohru-san! Wait for me before you do anything!" He heard Tohru utter a sobbing "ok", he put down the phone and rushed down the hallway, headed toward his bedroom. The day has come where I will have to defend my granddaughter. I will not let her be taken away without a fight. Kazuma was no sooner dressed than he was in the car and headed toward Tohru and Kyru's house.
At Tohru's house Tohru was sobbing in the dining room at her and Kyru's table. Her head was down against the wood of the table as she sobbed openly. A million horrible thoughts ran through her mind. Kyru had told her that she had a late soccer practice, but she knew that couldn't be because it would never last this long. It was almost ten thirty at night. The moon was up and the stars were out. Kyru would always return home before then so she could look up at the stars.
Where could she be? Tohru thought. What if she wondered into the Sohma's territory? What if she went home with Yuuichi? Has she been taken? All these questions arose in Tohru's mind. These only served to make her sob harder. She heard a knocking at the door and quickly pulled herself up to answer it. It was Kazuma. He stood at the door soaking wet, in his kimono and jacket. It had begun to rain outside as if foreshadowing tragic events to come.
Once Kazuma saw the state that Tohru was in he knew it was serious and that he had done right in rushing over.
"Where is she?" He asked urgently. In response Tohru knees fell from under her and she broke down into more sobs. Kazuma just stood there and watched her deterioration.
"I-I-I d-don't know…!" She managed to croak out from her throat. "She said she would b-be home l-late and I-I just thought that she would be ok." She cried harder, blaming herself. "I-it's my fault!" Kazuma finally escaped his baffled state and knelt down to comfort her.
"It's okay. We'll find her. It's not your fault and I think we both know what's happened here." Tohru lifted her head to look into his eyes. "Akito has found out about her." Kazuma stated solemnly.
"B-but we were so careful…." She did not want to believe it.
"We couldn't stop the inevitable from happening." He closed his eyes, sadly. "Once involved with the Sohma's, you can't escape." Kazuma took Tohru into the house away from the rain, outside. He sat down next to her on a cushion. "Please don't cry anymore, Tohru-san. I promise you I will fight for her." With that promise, he stayed with her all night, comforting her. He gave his word that in the morning he would go confront Akito.
The Next Morning
In an empty room the sun filtered in through the paper of shoji doors that led to an outside garden. On the wood-paneled floor of the room there laid a futon. Under the covers of the futon lain a sleeping girl, with her head lain comfortably on a white pillow. Her orange hair was sprawled around her, loose and unbound. Her eyes were closed, but as the room began to lighten from the rising sun shining its light through the shoji doors, she began to awaken.
Her eye lids lifted slightly then closed again, shunning the light. She wrinkled her nose before trying to open her eyes again. This time she gave her eyes time to adjust to the light and succeeded. It took her a moment to gain the strength she needed to lift herself from under the cover and off the futon. When she finally did she sat upright and rubbed her eyes. She was unaware of what had happened to her. She couldn't remember a thing. She looked down at herself and saw she was dressed in a sleeping yukata.
How did I get in this? All of a sudden her memories of the previous day returned to her and she was hit with a realization. I think I saw my dad! Just as she thought this the shoji doors that led to the outside garden were opened. Kyru quickly turned to see who it was that opened the doors. The light that gushed in form the outside was brighter than the light that had previously existed within the room. She shielded her eyes, but through the shade produced from her arms she could see the outline of a man.
"I see you're awake." The voice was deep, yet not threatening. "The sedatives I gave you kept you asleep since yesterday." The man closed the doors behind him and Kyru could see him more clearly. The man was aged and had dark hair that hung long on one side of his face, covering one of his eyes.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Sohma Hatori." Hatori was carrying his ever-present doctor's bag and he wore his white lab coat. Kyru was determined not to act frightened and keep her cool. This was hard considering "keeping her cool" was not something she was used to. She wasn't like Yuuichi. She could not muster a cool royal-like façade on the spur of the moment. She vaguely wished that he was there to back her up. She threw the covers from over her legs and jumped up from the futon. She faced Hatori and grimaced at him, determined to get answers.
"Why am I here?! Where's my dad?!" Hatori didn't flinch. "I know my dad's here! What have you done to him?! " Hatori moved closer to her and she backed up to the wall. Hatori sighed.
"There's no need to back away from me. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm only here to examine you and make sure you weren't harmed from the blow you took from Akito-sama."
"Akito…?" Hearing this Kyru's memory of coming face to face with Akito came back to her. Now that she thought about it, that was the last thing she remembered. She felt a sharp pain from her neck and everything went dark. The next thing she knew she was waking up in this room. She vaguely remembered her mother telling her about the head of the Sohma family, Sohma Akito. He was the person who ordered her father incarcerated. She immediately became angered. "Where is Akito?!"
"Hm? Why?"
"He took my father away from my mom! I'll make Akito give my dad back!" She threatened. It seemed that Hatori didn't take her seriously.
"I see that you know about Kyo, but he is not to be discussed at this moment. What matters now is you." Hatori moved closer and Kyru tried to back away again, but she could go no where else. She refused to look fearful, so she took a fighting stance
"Stay away from me! Don't touch me!" Hatori sighed and gave in.
"Maybe you'd be more comfortable if I wasn't the one doing this." He moved away from Kyru and toward the door leading into the hallway. Kyru stayed on her guard, until he left the room and closed the door. She exhaled a breath and slid down the wall, into a sitting position. She moved her legs closer to her and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees. She closed her eyes.
I don't know what to do. I found my father, but I think I was knocked out by that Akito guy. How am I going to get out of here? Grandpa……mom…… She had no idea what to do. She put her head down. She wondered how she would get home. They had kept her here instead of abandoning her somewhere. What did they plan to do with her. She was an intruder in their world. Would she be punished? She wanted to go home. As she began to drift off a little she heard the door to the room open again. Her head bolted upwards and towards the door.
This time instead of a man, there was a young woman, not much older than her. Maybe she was around the age of eighteen or nineteen. She had dark hair like the man before her and her eyes were somewhat distant, like his. Her dark hair was parted in the middle and her bangs fell above her eyes on either side. Her hair was just a little longer than shoulder length, but not near as long as Kyru's. She wore a navy blue skirt with a matching vest over a white collared shirt, all under a white lab coat. In the pocket of her lab coat were a pair of reading glasses and in her hand was a blue doctor's bag.
"W-who are you?" Kyru asked tentatively. She looked at the girl and thought she was very beautiful and sophisticated.
"I am Sohma Hanari. I am the daughter of the doctor that was here previously." She bowed politely and smiled slightly. "I'm also a doctor, although I'm still in training." She moved towards Kyru and knealt down to her level. "What's your name? I heard that you gave my father a hard time. He told me you took a fighting stance."
Kyru was reluctant at first, but she eventually spoke.
"Honda Kyru…."
"Is it okay if I call you Honda-kun?"
"Yeah, I guess…." Kyru shrugged. Hanari set her bag down on the floor and began to rummage through it.
"I'm sorry about my father's behavior. It's just that he's become hard over the years from his work and stress. He is cold most of the times, but he isn't always like that." Kyru just nodded as Hanari pulled out a stethoscope from her bag. "May I?" Kyru thought for a moment before deciding to let Hanari work on her. She concluded that she wasn't going to cause her harm. Maybe she could even talk to her, even though she still got that empty, cold vibe she got from the girl's father, just not as bad. She let Hanari put the stethoscope to her chest and followed her directions. "Breathe in and out, please."
Kyru nodded. She breathed in and out s couple times before Hanari put the scope to back and had her breathe a couple times more. When she was done she took away scope and pot it away. She next took out a thermometer and stuck it under Kyru's tongue. A couple minutes later, Hanari removed it and looked at the small digital screen. "Hmm…"She looked at Kyru. "Everything seems normal. Do you have any questions?"
"When can I go home?" She looked directly into Hanari's eyes, with her aquamarine ones. "I want to go home." Hanari's eyes looked away from her sorrowfully for a second before, turning their attention back to her and becoming cold.
"I'm sorry, Honda-kun." She began to pack her things back into the bag she pulled them from. " I thought someone informed you." Kyru's eyes showed her beginning to panic.
"Informed me of what?" She asked frantically. Hanari just stood up, ready to leave.
"That you are to….." Hanari started, indifferently.
"…..stay here forever." A dark figure in from the door finished. Hanari turned toward the figure and bowed.
"Akito-sama."
"Leave us, Hanari and go tell your father the results of the examination."
"Yes, of course." She left and closed the door behind her. Akito's eyes had never left Kyru during the whole exchange. His intense gaze was beginning to bother Kyru. She didn't like it. It made her uncomfortable. It was like his dark eyes penetrated through her outward barriers and dug deep into her soul. She could remember her mother telling her that this Akito person was dangerous and that he was the reason she had to be hidden from the Sohmas. She shuffled herself back up against the wall as he approached her slowly, but then she realized her fault in showing her fear. Akito took this to his advantage. He knelt down to her level with the intention of intimidating her.
"Hmm. Well aren't you a very pretty girl." He reached out to grab her. "Very much like your mother."
"You leave my mother out of this, you bastard!" She slapped his hand away like filth. She could tell that he was lying.
"But you have a streak much too like that monster." Akito could barely contain his anger, but he had no choice in that it would not gain him control over her.
"What monster?" She looked puzzled. No one had ever referred to Kyo as a monster to her before. She had no idea that Akito was referring to her father. Akito saw his chance to get into her mind.
It seems that Miss Honda did not tell her daughter everything. Akito thought. "The monster is your father, of course."
"How dare you say that about my dad!" She could feel her anger grow inside her, along with her courage. "You truly are evil!"
"Huh? Me, evil? Is that what your mother has told you about me? How do you know she wasn't lying to you?" He could see her obvious rage.
"My mother's not like you! She wouldn't lie!"
"Is that so? Well what if I were to tell you that she wasn't telling you the whole truth about that monster you call your father? What would you do?"
"I know you're lying! She would never!"
"You'll be surprised what mother's will say or do to protect their children." Akito was weaving his web of evil. He looked away for a few seconds before looking back to her and staring straight into her eyes. "Don't you think she would try to protect you from the truth?" Kyru knew that she shouldn't trust him but now that she thought about it her mother had kept the truth from her for her entire life and she had said that she had done it to protect her. Could she have been holding something back again?
Would mom do that to me? Would she still keep something from me? She thought. She looked back on her memories of her mother and Kazuma. Would they lie to her again to protect her. Akito looked at the confused look on Kyru's face and he was pleased that his plan was working.
Hmm. He smiled to himself. I think I'll turn her against the people she loved most. "I suppose she could have been trying to protect you from the fact that you were born from a monster…." Kyru's eyes were hidden below her bangs.
"W-What do y-you mean by m-monster?"
"Oh…so you're curious to know what I mean by that?" Kyru hated herself for saying it but….
"Yes…"
"Well you'll find out soon enough because this will be your new home."
"No!" She shouted. "I won't stay here! You don't own me!"
"Oh, but you're wrong, my dear!" He exclaimed. "You are a Sohma by birth! I do own you!" He said decisively. A maid entered the room.
"Akito-sama?" The maid asked.
"What is it?" He asked harshly, but the maid did not flinch because she had become used to this treatment from Akito.
"Sohma Kazuma and a Honda Tohru have requested an audience with you." She stated. Akito smiled and began to laugh, menacingly. Kyru's eyes opened wide, when she heard the maid utter those words. Mom, Grandpa……
"What perfect timing!" Akito exclaimed. "Why look here! They've come to try to save you." He looked back at Kyru, taunting her.
"Mom! Grandpa!" She threw herself off the floor and lunged toward the door. She had to run past Akito to get to the door that led to the hallway, so she diverted herself and headed toward the garden doors. She was intercepted by Akito and he acted his authority out upon her swifty. He came up beside her and punched her right below the ribs, knocking the air from her lungs. She exhaled all at once and fell to the floor in pain. She gasped deeply, trying to bring air back into her lungs.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I couldn't have you escaping and running to your mother, now can I?" Tears began to form in her eyes as the pain really began to kick in as she returned air into her lungs. She wrapped her arms around her chest in pain and clenched her teeth. She was trying to force herself to come to her feet and engage him in real combat, but she could not force her injured body to move. "Silly girl, you cannot interfere." Her sight was beginning to get blurry and ahe was begging to lose consciousness. Akito turned to the nurse. "Take care of her and finish preparing this room. This will be her room."
"Yes, Akito-sama." Akito turned and left.
Ahhhh…It hurts…Mom…Grandpa…Kyru blacked out.