Me: And we are back for another wonderful chapter in of Furuba: Dark Secrets! Sorry for such a long delay! So much school and stuff I could scream! I'm trying to get back into my Furuba mood so I can finish writing this story and hopefully its sequel.

Isuzu: We're back again, dear readers (huffs)

Rena: That's great.

Me: You don't sound so enthusiastic – This chapter's mostly about you and Isuzu!

Rena: (scoff) What's so great about that fact of the matter?

Isuzu: I was thinking the exact same thing. (glares at Rena)

Me: Lol get along in the trailer you two. Save it for the actual chapter.

Isuzu/Rena: (turns away) Humph.

Me: Ah yes, you two will be fine friends one day.

Isuzu: Not even in your dreams, kid.

Me: Well, if we get technical about this, I CAN make it happen, since I AM the AUTHORESS of this story ;)

Isuzu: Whatever.

Rena: Hey, O Mighty Authoress Person, start the chapter will you?

Me: Fine, fine. I own nothing but my characters and this story!

Chapter Thirty Six

"Tea? You know me well enough to know that I didn't come here to chitchat over a damn cup of tea and eat croissants, you prissy little girly princess!" Isuzu snarled.

"Isuzu, that's no way to speak to Tsujitani-san. I don't need you causing trouble for me. If you can't control your anger, then I ask that you get out. Leave. We don't need you here." Yuki said firmly.

"Shut up! What do you know? Who the hell are you to order me around? All you are is Akito's play thing! His cowardly tool!" Isuzu retorted.

"Isuzu, what has you so mad? Why are you pissed off? And why are you directing it at Rena? Why did she do to you?" Momiji demanded.

"You shut up too! Did I ask you to speak to me? Did I?!" Isuzu harshly spat. "No, but I won't let you just barge into here and talk to my sister any ole way you please." Momiji replied.

"Sister? Ha. I don't even understand how any of you can love that… Thing." Isuzu looked hatefully at the light hime.

"Don't insult her! Just because you're angry and bitter doesn't mean you have the right to take it out on her!" Momiji yelled, obviously becoming impatient with Isuzu.

"Listen you little piece of shit, I – " Isuzu tried to come near Momiji, but Rena held out her hand and called out, "Light Bindation!" and a blinding light surrounding the angry horse, the light forming bright shackles and keeping Isuzu in place.

"Release me you bitch!" Isuzu struggled with the shackles that bound her with great determination. "Yuki… Tohru… Momiji… Please leave the room at once. There is something… Isuzu-chan would like to discuss with me." Rena looked at the wild horse.

"Are you sure you'll be okay in here with her by yourself? She's REALLY angry. I mean, you had to bind her to prevent her from hurting Momiji." Yuki pointed out.

"I'll be fine, I promise. Nothing bad will happen to me. I will be okay. So please, leave Isuzu to me. I need to talk to her in private, anyway." Rena replied. "Just hurry up and go. It isn't safe for you guys to be around while she's here. Let her cool off."

"…Alright, Tsujitani-san. Call us if you need anything. Or if she becomes too much of a handful for you." Yuki nodded, motioning to the onigiri, and the Rabbit. Reluctantly, the three left the room, the door closing behind them.

"Isuzu-chan… How did you receive your memories of me? Of the Destined Future? Hatori-nii, Hanajima-san, Uotani-san, Momiji-kun, Hatsuharu-kun and I didn't give them to you, so then… Who did?" Rena inquired.

"I don't need to explain myself to the likes of you, bitch!" Isuzu barked. "Ah… Such pointless anger… You're always… Always resented me, Isuzu-chan… Haven't you?" Rena smiled to herself.

"Like hell I have! I always have and I always will!" Isuzu sneered. "If that is how you feel… Then… I don't have time to put up your arrogance. Just because you're pissed off doesn't give you the right to take it out on me." Rena scoffed.

Isuzu walked up to Rena and swung her arm, sending the food Tohru and Yuki had made her flying across the room.

"Then make time. And yeah, I am pissed. And it's all your fault!" Isuzu retorted. "So I'll let my anger out on you, whore!"

Oh? A whore, am I now? Isuzu-chan?" Rena laughed to herself. "Stop laughing, you piece of shit! You're a fuckin' whore! A dirty, filthy, rotten whore! All you are… is a piece of shit! That's all you are, dammit! So then why… Why did everyone think you're so damn perfect? Why?!"

"And what, pray tell, makes me a 'dirty, filthy, rotten whore' and a 'piece of shit'?" Rena demanded. "What reasons or proof do you have? Why do you hate me so much? What are you motives?"

"I hate you because I do! I have no reason to explain myself to a whore!" Isuzu snapped. "Isuzu-chan… Remember the first time we met? It was… You who was sick and myself who was healthy. It was me coming to see you… Not the other way around. And it was me trying to be your friend… Not you trying making me your sworn enemy." Rena whispered.

"Even before you met me, Isuzu-chan… You detested me. Even when I offered my friendship and blessings to you… You looked at me with eyes full of pure hatred."

~Beginning of Flashback~ (Five years ago)

"Rena-hime… Do you want to come with me on a trip?" Hatsuharu asked the young light hime as he walked up to her. "Eh? Go with you where?" Rena raised a curious eyebrow.

"Hatori-san, Ayame-san, and Sensei won't be back for awhile, and they left me in charge of you once again. I would like to go somewhere, but only if you don't mind giving to be dragged along." Hatsuharu explained.

"Oh. It's fine with me. I don't mind at all – going somewhere is MUCH better than staying her and doing nothing!" Rena responded. "Good… Then follow me." Hatsuharu took Rena's, walking out of her palace within the Supreme Kingdom with her.

"When are we going to get there, Hatsuharu?" Rena asked the Ox. "Not for a while, but it's not too long of a walk, so don't worry about it." Hatsuharu replied.

"Oh… Well… Where are we going then?"

"To the hospital."

"EH?! Are you sick?!"

"No. But an… Extremely close friend of mine… She's really, really sick."

"How sick are we talking?"

"Sick enough that she's slowly dying and there's not much they can do to save her, quote the doctors who take care of her."

"Oh my goodness… I'm so sorry…"

"It's okay. She's getting a little better."

"Who is this friend of yours?"

"Rin."

"Eh?"

"Oh yeah, that's right. You probably don't know her by her nickname. You might know her by the name of Isuzu Sohma."

"…Ah! Yah, I've heard of her before!"

"So you mean… You've never met Rin before?"

"No. She's the only member in the Juunishi that I haven't met. I guess Kureno-san counts, since I've caught a glimpse of him before."

"Well, today's you're lucky day, Rena-hime, because you're about to meet Rin. Be prepared. She's… Wild."

"Oh joy…"

-----------------------------

"May we please go in to see Rin?" Hatsuharu asked the nurse. "Ah! You're back! Man, you come every day to see that little girl, don't you? You must be worried a lot about your cousin… Ah! And you've brought a friend?" The nurse walked towards Rena.

"Hi! My name's Rena Tsujitani! How do you do?" Rena tilted her head to the side and clasped her hands, smiling innocently and irresistibly adorably.

"…Is that you, T-Tsujitani-hime! F-Forgive me for not recognizing you at first! You've grown so much! Kawaii! Small Lady, is this young boy here your escort?" The nurse asked.

Rena nodded. "Hai. This is one of my best friends – Hatsuharu Sohma. He's kinda like my body guard. He's REALLY STRONG. We're here to see Isuzu Sohma." Rena informed the woman.

"Come right along then, Small Lady! We'll more than gladly take you to see your friend's cousin immediately!" The nurse turned down the hall. "Arigatou gozaimasu, Ane-san." Rena curtsied. "C'mon, Hatsu!" Rena took Hatsuharu's hand and ran after the nurse.

"Now I warn you, Princess, that Isuzu girl is extremely feisty. She gets a little mean and nasty sometimes. If she causes you any trouble, just tell us. We'll straighten her right out for you, okay?" The nurse told Rena.

"O-Oh, that won't be necessary, haha…" Rena sweat dropped. "She's a sick patient, not an inmate." "Come on, Rena." Hatsuharu opened the door, walking in. Rena followed close behind the Ox.

"Rin? Rin, are you awake?" Hatsuharu stopped beside of Rin, at the side of her bed. The Horse groaned and turned in her sleep, opening her eyes weakly.

"Rin, it's me, Haru. How are you feeling?" Hatsuharu asked his distant cousin. "H… Haru?" Isuzu croaked. "Save your energy. I just came by to say hi and talk to you for a bit." Hatsuharu sat down beside of Isuzu, stroking her hair.

"Even as sick as she is, she's really pretty… I really hope this girl gets better…" Rena thought. "I don't want her to die. She and Haru seem to be so close…"

"Who is that?" Isuzu demanded, sitting up a little to get a better look at Rena. "Eh?! Oh, um, my name's Rena Tsujitani. You may or may not have heard of me… I'm the Supreme Princess of the World." Rena introduced herself.

"It's an absolute pleasure to meet you, Isuzu-san."

"That's the girl I've been telling you about, Rin. The one I have to protect so that I can earn money to make sure they keep you in the hospital with good treatments until you're well again." Hatsuharu explained.

"She's also a friend of the family's I assume you've heard of the Tsujitani Curse before, right?"

Isuzu nodded, her eyes still fixed on and staring in Rena's direction. "Isuzu-chan… Let's be friends." Rena held her hand out to Isuzu.

Isuzu slapped Rena's hand away, anger flickering in her eyes. The feisty, ill wild horse shot Rena a glare of pure hate and disgust, looking almost as if she wanted to kill the Princess of Light.

"Eh… W… Why is she looking at me with pure hate in her eyes?... What did I ever do to her?... What's her problem?" Rena wondered as she took a few steps back and drew back her hand.

"Don't call me 'Isuzu-chan'… Like I'm your friend. I will never be your friend. I hate you. You despicable insufferable creature." Isuzu growled.

"I will always hate you, forever more. Princess."

-End of Flashback-

"You certainly did keep your word, that you did." Rena laughed dryly. "Oh, Isuzu-san… I've always tried to get along with you. I've always admired you. Always. But you just won't accept my friendship. Why do you insist on being this way? Why do you insist on hating me?"

"…Since the day I was born, I had been lonely. Even when I was with my parents, who could actually make me smile, I was still very lonely somewhere in my heart." Isuzu began softly.

"On top of that, Akito ever liked me, just as he doesn't in this era. Even when I was young, he detested me, and would say horrible things to me. And I was usually separate from most of the other Juunishi members."

"I was so very lonely… But that was until Haru came along. As little kids, we'd play together, and he'd make me really, really happy. I was so happy when I was with Haru. I was alive. I loved him."

"When I was young, everything was like a happy play with my family. But I asked one wrong question… About why they were always so happy and if anything ever made them sad… And the whole play came to an end, just like that."

"In the end, they told me they didn't really want me. I was nine years old, and I got really sick. I was diagnosed with a fatal disease. But my parents did come and visit me, once."

"I had been trying to go home to them. But my mother told me it was okay. That they didn't really want me to come back home. And that they didn't know how to love me anymore."

"I felt like such a bad person… But that was when Haru spoke up for me, and demanded that they apologized to me… Telling my mother that she was the bad one, and not me."

"That was the last time I saw of my parents. They stopped visiting. But Haru came and visited me all the time, which made me so happy. It was okay if my parents left me behind… Because I still had Haru. Haru was the only thing I needed – As long as I had him, everything else could go straight to hell."
"A year later, my parents stopped paying for the bills. They cut off from me completely, and forget about me. I was in jeopardy of dying. So Haru, even though he was only eight years old, insisted on finding a way to raise money for me, even though I said he didn't have to."

"As long as I died in Haru's arms… As long as he was the last thing I saw… The last thing I heard…The last thing I touched, felt, and smelled… I would be happy. As long as it was him."

"Yes… And that was when he came to my Palace, and asked to be my bodyguard. He had heard that I needed one, and took up on the offer. The pay was unbelievably well, might I add. At first, I thought he was just a joke. He was no older than myself, and a runt, at that." Rena whispered.

"But he proved his strength, when it came down to it. He was incredibly skilled. The best warrior I had ever seen. And that's when Ayame made a deal with him. He, Shii-chan, and Hatori would pay for your bills as long as he did his job and protected me."

"But, if he failed to protect me, then they would leave you to die, which motivated Hatsu to train hard, and he was at my side often, guarding me. I hardly remember a time when I wasn't with Hatsu, except for placing like the bathroom and my bedroom and when I slept and stuff."

"Hatori, who has the power of the Legendary Dragon, gave the Naginata of Densetsu to Hatsuharu, taught him how to wield it, and taught him how to control and use the powers of the Legendary Dragon."

"He would train along with Uotani-san, Hanajima-san. And Momiji-kun. Ayame, Shire, and Hatori would show them how to use their powers."

"Hatori has the powers of the Legendary Dragon and of Time, therefore, he was Momiji and Hatsuharu's sensei. Ayame had the powers of Lightning and Ice, so he was Uotani-san and Hanajima-san's sensei. Kazuma-sensei, who was a priest and a martial arts teachers, would teach them archery and how to use their priestess powers. Kazuma, Ayame, Hatori, and Shire worked with everyone in the filed of fighting and actually battle."

"Shire had many powers. Some would call them powers we possessed other than the ones we used to fight with. For example, mine is magic, Akito's in psychic, Kyo's is teleportation, Yuki's is telepathy and telekinesis, Tohru's is healing, Kagura's is incredible strength, Momiji's is geokinesis (control of plants and earth), and Hatsu's is magnokinesis (control of metals and putting up magnetic fields)."

"Shire had telepathy, telekinesis, teleportation, geokinesis, and magnokinesis. He trained with us all equally. Hatsu began to rain with all of us too, and stayed by my side more and more as he grew stronger." Rena told Isuzu."

"Exactly! You already had your friends! You were always all over Momiji… All over Akito… All over Ayame, Shigure, and Hatori… And soon enough, you were all over Haru, too! You're no better than a whore!" Isuzu snarled.

"Heh. I was… Always with Momiji, Ayame, Hatori, and Shire… Always listening to Akito… Always friends with Haru… But that's not what makes one a whore. Especially since Momiji and the mabudachi trio were merely like big brothers to me, Akito is my owner, and Hatsuharu is my friend and protector." Rena looked at Isuzu.

"If you ask me, Isuzu-san… I finally get it… You were jealous of me… Weren't you? Everyone liked me better. Everyone got along with me better. Even Hatsu. And that made you unbearable lonely… Didn't it?"

"…He was always with you… Protecting you… Laughing with you… Being with you… It was all too much! Haru was hardly able to see me anymore! He was so wrapped up with you and protecting the Chosen One shit!" Isuzu murmured.

"He came to see me less and less. And that's when… Akito decided to come and see me more and more. To say horrible thing to me. To make sure I stayed sick. To torture me."

"I was so damn lonely… And scared… And so fucking bitter. No one cared about me! No one! And it was all YOUR FAULT! You took Haru away from me! Why! Why did you have to take HIM, of all people?! Why?!?!" Isuzu yelled at Rena, furious now.

"…Isuzu-san… I'm… Sorry. So very sorry… I never thought about how Hatsu always being with me… Always protecting me… Would make you feel. I never, not ever once, realized that you might be lonely or scared." Rena apologized.

"When Hatsu could only see you a few times a month, being how busy he was… And when Akito wasn't bothering me… All those times… That must have been when he came to see you."

"Yes, there was nothing Akito could do physically to hurt you. But he could do things to destroy and tear you down – mentally and emotionally. I can only imagine the kinds of horrible words he said to you."

"He kept both your body and your spirit weak. He made sure you stayed sick, and filled your heart with dread. He… He wouldn't have been able to hurt you so badly if Haru would've been able to be with you more."

"I… I understand now… Why you hate me. Those feelings of dread, pain, jealousy, bitterness, anger and fear… Were caused only because I 'took' Haru away from you."

"You needed someone to blame, and it was easy turning all of those intense feelings into hatred for me, wasn't it, Isuzu-san?""

"But Isuzu-san… All along… You were never truly alone. Hatsu was always there, protecting you, watching over you, from a distance. He loves you and cares for you more than anyone else. He'd spend those entire days with you, the few days he could a month. Sometimes in the dead of the night, he'd sneak off and watch you while you slept. As long as he could be near you, it didn't matter to him whether you were awake or asleep."

"He tried his best to protect me… Trained his hardest… And gave every battle everything he had. For your sake, Isuzu-san. He talks about you and thinks about you all the time."

"I know you may not believe me, but… Everything that I have said is the truth. Even if you never believe a single word I say again… Please believe what I have told you today, and at least that alone."

"Hatsuharu loves you. He would do anything for you. And you mean the most to him, out of everyone in the entire world. That is the honest and unshakable truth. Whether you choose to accept it or not." Rena finished.

"Y… You… Don't talk like you know so much! You don't know a damn thing!" Isuzu snapped, clenching her fists. "Don't talk like you know me, because you don't! Don't talk so damn superior, like you know all the solutions to everyone's problems! You don't!"

"Just because you're – "

"I do know this, Isuzu-san… All those years ago, when you slapped my hand away and looked at me with pure hatred… I failed to see a lonely, scared little girl begging me not to take the only person who truly loved and cared about her. And for that, I apologize once more. My deepest, most sincere apologizes." Rena bowed.

"And… I figured it out. The only other person who could've given you your memories of the Destined Future… Would be Akito. Isuzu-san… Did Akito hurt you? Again?"

"Akito hates me. He despises me. He loathes me. So then why would he let me off unharmed? Knowing this, why do you even have to ask? Even an idiot would know the answer to that question." Isuzu retorted.

"I see…" Rena trailed off. "Don't you have something better to do? Like prepare them for that battle thing they'll be involved in? It's the evening. The sun will set in no time. You don't have much time left." Isuzu walked towards the window.

"Isuzu-chan, wait! Hatsu… He'll really want to see you! Won't you wait and talk to him for just a few minutes? I bet he misses you just as much as you miss him." Rena pointed out to the Horse of the Juunishi.

"…Rena?"

"Yes?"

"You… Still don't have the right to call me 'Isuzu-chan' like I'm your friend. I will never be your friend. Got that?"

"Hai, Isuzu-san."

And with that, Isuzu opened the second story window and carefully jumped out of it, landing roughly but firm, and ran off.

"I haven't had any time to show Tohru, Yuki, Kyo, or Kagura how to use or master their powers. Hopefully, this battle will be a good demonstration to them. Afterwards… We will have no choice but to start their training immediately."

"But tomorrow's Monday, and that's when it's time for the field trip. They're going to have to skip a few days of school after tomorrow, I suppose… Damn, this is coming on them all too fast… I hope we have enough time left… Before the day of the Final Battle."

"They must train hard. I hope I can convince them to train their hardest and follow my every direction… Especially Kyo-kun…"

Me: Ah, finally! It's about time I post something up xD

SWD: Yeah, it's been like, forever.

Me: Well, there you have it! Da-da-da-daaah! Chapter 36!

SWD: Read and review please.