"And Then….." for "Fruits Basket"

Disclaimer: This is my story, so please don't steal! I've worked really hard on it for years! I don't own the Fruits Basket characters or concept, except for the stuff I make up.

For Caiti, my dear friend

Chapter Twenty-eight: The Tragedy of the Seahorse—What Lies Within

"Are you sure this is going to be alright?" Chiharu asked nervously for at least the tenth time since they began the trip home. While he gripped the steering wheel of the car, he felt the heavy gold band rubbing against his fingers on his left hand. He found himself glancing at it frequently, as though afraid it might just disappear and that his recent marriage might turn out to have been a dream. Their honeymoon to mainland China had been wonderful. It had been the happiest week of Hatori's life. But just like a dream, it had to end. Now they were driving back to the main estate on this cool, crisp autumn day. Though he'd made sure the servants fully understood the instructions he left two weeks ago in case anything happened, Hatori would have to explain his long absence to Akito. In truth, he was a little nervous about facing the head of the family himself. He had done what no other Sohma had: directly disobeying Akito. He should have done it a long time ago, with Kana even. Although, had circumstances not developed the way they did, he never would have met Chiharu, would never have found the joy he had now. But in just minutes, all of that might be dashed away.

They entered through the main gate and drove through the complex for a minute, following the roads that curved everywhere. Hatori brought his sleek black car to a stop in the gravelly drive alongside his house. It was still his house, if not for long. He still had to move his belongings out. He would live in the House of Sohma no longer. The nearly inaudible hum of the engine went totally silent as he turned the key in the ignition and pulled it out. He looked at Chiharu in the seat next to him. She wore a gentle smile on her smooth face, but there was evident nervousness in her beautiful green eyes. Hatori reached over to cover her hand resting on her lap, feeling her warm skin and the cool hard stone and band under his palm.

"No matter what goes on in there, you are still my wife," he told her. She knew very well what had happened when Hatori took Kana before Akito. That was not going to happen this time. Not to her. He'd already told her to stay with the car. If he didn't return…..no, he would return. He would walk away from the main house with his head held high, a free man. He stepped out the car and the first thing that met his eyes was little blonde Momiji running towards him, dressed in a mute brown and red sweater, gloves and a hat of gray wool, and dark corduroy pants that tucked into this boots. His tea-colored eyes were alight with glee at seeing his friend and caretaker, and the bounce in his step seemed to echo it.

"Hari!" Momiji squealed with delight. "You're finally home! You never told me you were going on vacation, silly! And you didn't even say goodbye!"
As he trotted up to him, though, breath forming misty puffs in the chilly air, he skidded to a stop in the shallow snow and gravel and gaped at Chiharu getting out of the car as well. Visitors were rare at Sohma House, especially those who weren't Sohmas, and they were forbidden within the walls of the inner complex. Momiji didn't know who Chiharu was. Or who she was now.

"Hello, Momiji," Hatori said, acknowledging him with the beginnings of a smile. Momiji's soft brown eyes were still puzzled, especially when Chiharu came around to stand next to Hatori, lacing her fingers in his. Momiji's eyes darted from Hatori's face to hers, confusion deeply etched in them.

"Who is this lady, Hatori?" he asked slowly, looking up at the older man through pale golden wisps of hair.

"This is Chiharu Sohma," Hatori replied in a stately manner. He took pride in saying that name. He took a deep breath to steel himself, though. He was not going to be afraid. He would stand tall and face whatever came. With Chiharu's hand in his, he felt stronger than he could ever be alone. "She is my wife, Momiji."

The boy rocked back with this startling revelation. Suddenly his wide eyes filled with tears, and unblinkingly he stared at Hatori as an anguished sob escaped his throat.

"You got married, Hari?" He sounded betrayed.

"Yes, I did. I've come to tell Akito."

Momiji's tears didn't subside. The boy looked absolutely panic-stricken.

"Akito wants to see you, Hari," he announced, his voice breaking as the gravity of the situation finally began to make sense to him. "He sent me to tell you. He wants to see you right now….."

Hatori nodded. It was as if Akito had foreseen this coming. To Momiji he inquired,

"Would you please stay with my wife? I think you'll like her if you get to know her. She's family now."

"O-okay," Momiji responded with a shaky voice, sniffling.

"Hatori, please be careful!" Chiharu said to him as he began to walk towards Akito's hall. He looked over his shoulder and smiled at her to reassure both her and Momiji.

"Don't worry, I will."

The whole complex seemed chilly, and not just because of the light snowfall and the bare trees. Even the buildings seemed gaunt. A couple of servants were at work raking fallen leaves off of the paths, and they greeted Hatori with wide-eyed stares. It was hard to keep anything secret at Sohma House. Rumor spread faster than wildfire. Hatori's absence had no doubt been noticed, and very much speculated upon. Akito's hall in the center of the complex, not far from where Hatori usually lived, was the largest building in the estate, save the Grand Hall, where the New Year's celebrations and other important events were held. Its roof and patio were of the traditional style, looking like a Shinto shrine in its design. The gray, cloudy sky made the place seem even more foreboding. Hatori entered and removed his shoes at the door, proceeding along the wood floors in his socks. The interior was dimly lit, rather suitable to the weather outside, but Hatori knew the way to the audience chamber very well. Akito was waiting for him there, no doubt. Though he'd tried hard not to think about him while was on vacation, Hatori couldn't help wondering how Akito was faring. His dementia seemed to be growing more severe as the season progressed. Hatori didn't recall such behavior as a usual symptom accompanying the previous heads of the Sohma family, but then again, there was still much about the curse that modern medicine could not explain.

He reached the chamber and opened the sliding frame door softly. In contrast to the rest of the house the large room was brightly lit with stand lamps, giving it a warm glow. The moveable walls that allowed a view of the garden outside were shut, offering only painted flowers and birds instead. Hatori stepped inside and closed the door after him. As soon as it clicked shut, he heard Akito's wind-like voice.

"So you've come back, Hatori."

Hatori spotted the young man at the front of the room, gazing into an empty birdcage. His magenta kimono was wrapped tightly around his thin, malnourished-seeming body. Akito's dark hair had grown out a bit, and Hatori almost thought he saw some premature streaks of gray in it. The gaunt, sallow face was as skeletal as ever. Judging from his demeanor, it was almost as if the man was already dead on the inside. Hatori crossed the tatami mat floor and bowed down before him humbly.

"Yes."

"I've been told you've taken an outsider to wife." His voice was deceivingly calm, which put Hatori all the more on guard.

"So you do know," he replied. It was not wholly unexpected. Secrets were very hard to keep at Sohma House. Especially from Akito.

"It's true then?" The pale man smiled maliciously. "I thought so. I wondered why you were acting so strangely lately, spending so much time away from the house." He turned his attention away from the birdcage and focused on Hatori now. "Do you want to know how I know?" he asked, a cold gleam in his deep blue eyes.

"Shigure told you," Hatori stated flatly. Akito's eyebrow's lowered, as if he regretted not having the chance to taunt the Dragon.

"He had no choice," Akito snapped. "I made him tell me. He is the Dog, I am the Master. It is in his nature to obey me." Again, that sly smile crossed his features. "Whether he wants to or not."

Hatori nodded. This, too, had not been wholly unexpected.

"At least Shigure knows to heed his master's commands," Akito said, taking deliberate, slow steps towards him. "A lesson you have yet to learn." His visage changed in a flash to the angry, turbulent young man the doctor had seen much of in the past few years. "You were foolish not to learn from your former mistakes, Hatori! I want you to divorce this woman immediately, whoever she is! I'll have no outsider wheedling her way into this family! For all you know she might simply be after our money! She's using you, Hatori!"

"I don't believe that," Hatori replied calmly, shaking his head. "I am the one who approached her, not the other way around."

"Then it will be much easier for you to be the one to initiate the annulment!" Akito exclaimed. "I will not allow this marriage! I forbid it! First thing tomorrow morning, our lawyers will begin the paperwork, and you will be punished for your insubordination!"

"Chiharu and I have an apartment in the city," Hatori declared, as if he hadn't heard a thing Akito said, "and I plan to move out by the end of the week. I am resigning from the clinic in the city—there are plenty of qualified doctors there, so they won't need me. I will keep my office here in the estate and be available to the Sohmas every day. If there are any emergencies after hours, I can be reached at home."

Akito glared at him with an outraged expression.

"How dare you!" he hissed incredulously. "You think you can defy me and go your merry way?" He was trembling with fury. Hatori merely regarded him with the emotionless face he'd practiced all his life. "I demand that you renounce this so-called marriage and erase this woman's memory at once! And you will be confined to the compound—for the rest of your life, if need be! You will face the consequences of your disobedience, and I assure you, Hatori, they will be very harsh!"

"No." The simple answer seemed to blow Akito away. This new sort of insurrection was as new to Hatori as it was to Akito. But Hatori would not be ordered around anymore. Akito would just have to accept that.

"You—!" Akito's temper seemed to die down, and his quivering ceased, but Hatori knew very well that his anger was merely becoming compact. And the light in his eyes had him concerned. He may as well be in the same room with a rabid wolf. "So that is your final answer," Akito said in a near-murmur. "You've decided to betray me." He reached behind his back, for his obi. Hatori, more worried now than before, started to rise. "There is only one punishment for traitors in the house of Sohma!"

And Akito leapt at him with a knife in hand.

Shigure felt his spirits lift a bit when he rounded a bend in the path that went by Hatori's house and saw his friend's black car parked outside. They sank to rock bottom again, though, when his eyes fell on the two figures sitting on the hard ground next to the vehicle. A woman in a pale yellow dress with a terrified expression on her face, and in her arms a pale yellow bunny rabbit wailing fit to be heard all over the complex.

"Chiharu? Momiji? What are you doing here?" he inquired, going over to them. He felt a sudden rush of adrenaline as he realized the situation. "Where's Hatori?" he asked, alarmed.

Momiji was too distraught to answer, drooping limply over Chiharu's shoulder and sobbing noisily. Chiharu was holding on to him like a life preserver, her cheek pressed against his fur.

"He's…..with Akito," she replied unblinkingly, as if in shock. She pointed off in the direction her husband had gone. Shigure gazed in the direction she indicated, feeling as if a freezing wind was blowing through him, though the air was still and dead. "He told me not to follow him."

"What have I done?" he uttered softly. His sandals beat the gravel rhythmically as he dashed towards Akito's house.

A stitch formed rapidly in his side, but he didn't pay it any attention. Bursting through the door, he pelted down the hall until he arrived at the audience chamber. It wasn't difficult to find. Anyone could have done it. All they'd have to do was follow the shouting.

He threw the door aside and stopped dead at the sight before him. Hatori, a little rumpled looking with his tie coming undone, cornered and trying desperately to keep a birdcage on a stand between him and a livid Akito. Shigure gasped at the sight of a knife in the other man's possession.

"Akito!" he cried, barging in. Akito turned his head at the sound, and at that moment Hatori seized the opportunity to rush him. They went crashing to the floor, knocking the wire birdcage and a round table with a vase of flowers over in the process. Hatori pinned Akito's arms down to the mats. Despite Akito's skinny, weak-seeming frame, the Dragon was having difficulty keeping him down. Akito flicked his wrist wildly, nicking the other man's forearm and drawing blood. Shigure went to them and forced down Akito's feet, which were trying to kick Hatori in the head. With his free arm he pried the small knife out of Akito's white-knuckle grip and tossed it away, safely out of reach. While the younger man thrashed about on the floor, Shigure cried to his best friend, tears dampening his face,

"Please forgive me, Hari! I didn't mean to. He made me tell him, and I couldn't hold anything back."

"It's alright, Shigure," Hatori responded, grunting slightly with exertion. Akito was fighting them like a wildcat, screaming and cursing at them both. "I understand."

"What do we do now?"

"We have to calm him down," Hatori said.

"Ah, right!" Shigure gazed down into Akito's fierce blue eyes. In a slow, soothing tone, he told him, "Please, be at peace, Akito. I know you're angry right now, but we want to talk to you. We're not going anywhere, so please calm yourself!" The head of the Sohma family gradually relaxed. He struggled a little less, anyway. His eyes were still burning with a cold fire, though, as he told them,

"Get off of me."

Shigure and Hatori exchanged glances and warily backed away from their master. With surprising agility he lashed out at them, making them roll back. He got to his feet and straightened his robes, looking offended at being handled in such a rough way. But he made no move to attack them again, or to go for the knife, which was in the middle of the floor in plain sight. Shigure was a bit surprised that Akito would even have thought to use it on Hatori. Was the man that far gone?

"You shouldn't have interfered, Shigure," Akito said in a crooning voice. "Hatori here is a traitor, and needs to be dealt with as such."

"Akito, please," Shigure responded quickly, bowing his face low to the floor, on hands and knees like the dog he was, "have mercy." Tears were leaking from his eyes anew, dripping onto the floor. He could hardly believe that he had given in to Akito's demands so easily. He was the traitor, not Hari. True, he'd had no choice—it was part of his curse as the Dog. He must be loyal to his master. Even so, his zodiac animal's nature could be used in more ways than one. Only he could hold sway over Akito. It was his counterbalance. "Please, have mercy," he repeated. "Hatori is the only one who can treat you, and he's a Sohma! He's family! If you must punish someone, I beg you to take your anger out on me! But please, let Hatori and Chiharu stay together! They love each other!"

Akito was silent for several minutes, as was Hatori. Shigure only prayed that his influence was strong enough to mollify the violent man. It was becoming increasingly harder to do lately, as Akito's curse gained strength. From where he crouched on the floor, Shigure looked over at Hatori, who seemed to be realizing what was taking place. When Akito spoke, however, they both gave him their full attention.

"I'll offer you an ultimatum," he announced in his cool, breathy voice. "It is something I've been thinking about for a long time. Tohru Honda."

"What about her?" Hatori inquired. Akito cut him off sharply with a gesture of his hand.

"We will give her a test to see whether or not outsiders can truly understand us." He leered at Hatori. "Whether or not they can truly accept us." In a loud, clear voice he continued, "If Tohru Honda can lift the zodiac curse off of the Sohma family by the time the sun sets on the last day of the year, then I will allow you and your…..wife….." he said in a disdainful tone, "to remain together. But here, on Sohma property." Shigure breathed a sigh of relief, but before he was even finished exhaling, Akito continued, "However, if she fails, then she will have to cut off all association with the Sohmas, and her memory will be erased. Your wife's as well. Oh, and one last provision. Neither of you are allowed to tell her about this ultimatum or give her any assistance. And you are not allowed to refuse it."

"Yes, Akito," Shigure and Hatori answered in unison. Inwardly, Shigure balked. 'How is she supposed to lift the curse by the New Year?' he wondered anxiously. 'And why can't we help her? Does Akito actually want to be cursed?' His heart pounded rapidly in his chest as Akito listed the terms, but he bowed his face to the floor anyway, obedient dog that he was. "We agree."

"We have a deal then. I don't know why I give you two as much leeway as I do. Now get out of my sight."

Shigure and Hatori were both quick to comply. Shigure paused to pick up the abandoned knife while Akito turned his back to them, stalking to the front of the room to right the toppled birdcage and stand. Shigure stuck the weapon in the belt of his robe and shepherded his best friend away from the audience chamber.

"That was close," he sighed as they walked the shadowy halls, stepping back out into the brighter daylight. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Hatori said, cradling his lightly bleeding forearm. "Let's go by my office and get some bandages. I don't want Chiharu to see me like this."

"This time you might have lost more than an eye. You could have lost your life. And it's my fault," Shigure lamented.

Hatori put his arm on his shoulder comfortingly. "I don't blame you at all, Shigure," he said calmly. "I knew this might happen, sooner or later. At any rate, I wasn't planning on keeping it secret from Akito for long." They turned onto a narrow path that threaded between two small houses inhabited by some of the family's servants. Hatori's office wasn't far now. "Back there, when Akito proposed his ultimatum…..that was you, wasn't it?"

Shigure chuckled in embarrassment and scratched the back of his head.

"Heheh…..you never know. I figured that since I was able to convince him to let Tohru stay with us in the first place, it might work again." There were few who knew of the Dog's special ability. The secret was passed through the line of the dog to the successor as soon as they were old enough to use it responsibly. Not even the head of the family knew of it. It was a fact that, as far as the Sohmas were concerned, Akito's word was law. It was his privilege as the leader of the clan. But the Dog could sway his decisions if the circumstances were right. It was the only way Shigure was able to control him when he went ballistic. Hari knew about this. He'd seen it in action before, when Shigure had convinced Akito to let Yuki and Kyo live with him, and again when Hatori had first presented Kana and been attacked. History seemed to be repeating itself.

All of the members of the zodiac had some special ability or other. Shigure supposed it was a compensation for being cursed. With Hari, it was the ability to erase memories. Every Dragon before him could do it, since the very beginning. It certainly came in handy over the centuries. With Yuki, it was unprecedented popularity. Ritsu had incredible acrobatic talents, Kureno possessed masterful fighting skills, Kagura had her great strength. Life with such powers might actually be fun were it not for the other aspects of the curse.

The two of them arrived at the office near the eastern portion of the estate, and the doctor set about swabbing his minor cuts with antiseptic while Shigure fished around for some gauze and bandages.

"Do you think she can do it?" Hari inquired thoughtfully as Shigure helped him wrap the clean strips around his forearm.

"Who, Tohru? Of course she can. She's on it right now, even."

As they left, Hatori commented to him, "The curse has been studied for centuries. Medically, there's nothing wrong with us. With the exception of Akito's degenerating condition, of course. I can't imagine the sort of means it would take for us to lift it. It's unnatural. I find it hard to believe a naïve teenaged girl would be able to find the answer."

"I might normally think that way, too, but I've already seen what she can do. Besides, maybe she's the one option we haven't tried yet."

"For all our sakes, I hope you're right. If she can't, however, I will have to give up Chiharu. Now that Akito knows, there's no escaping that. And Tohru will be punished as well."

"Still, it's better than losing them for certain," Shigure said. "If that were to happen, I wonder what would happen to us all?"

Hari stopped in his tracks, causing Shigure to pause as well. The doctor's gaze was riveted on the gray and white gravel, and his voice was soft as he confided to him,

"If I lose Chiharu, I lose everything. I'm not going to go through all that again."

"Hari, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that if I end up having to erase her memory, then I am going to give mine up as well."

"But your powers don't work on yourself," Shigure pointed out, giving him a quizzical look.

"I know, but there are still ways in which they can be silenced." Shigure noticed his friend's gaze on the knife under his belt. Shigure grasped the hilt of it and looked at the Dragon sternly.

"Don't start thinking about that until we've tried everything we can," he said in a firm voice. "Tohru will be able to help us. I know it. Have a little faith."

Hatori began walking again. "I will try," he said, passing him up. Shigure tagged along beside him, and they rounded the corner of a blue, hipped-roofed building and saw Chiharu and Momiji, who was still in rabbit form. At the sound of their crunching footsteps, Chiharu's head jerked up, and when she saw Hatori, a broad, relieved smile melted over her face, and she leapt up to meet him.

"Ah! Chiharu, you're squishing me!" Momiji cried, trapped in her arms. Chiharu let him hop down, apologizing, and he sat back on his long hind legs, nose twitching curiously. "Hari! You're alright! I was so afraid you were going to be in trouble, and so was Chiharu! You shouldn't have scared us like that, you know," he admonished the doctor in his childish voice.

"I'm sorry, Momiji," Hatori replied. He turned his attention to his wife. "I spoke with Akito. He was…..less than happy about our elopement, but he is stable now." He took her hand in his, thumbing the wedding band idly. "There is something I need to tell you," he said. Then, to Shigure, who had picked up the yellow rabbit off the chilly ground to hold in his arms, "If you'll excuse us….." He escorted Chiharu away, into his quarters. Shigure watched his retreating back sadly, scratching a furry spot between Momiji's floppy ears. It would be hard for him to tell Chiharu about the deal struck between them and Akito. She would probably be afraid to lose her memories. Even more afraid for Hatori. Shigure had enough worry for them both, but especially for Tohru. He wouldn't be able to tell her about the enormous challenge she now faced blindly. His research hadn't turned up much of anything useful, but it looked like now he couldn't give her any aid. Not directly at least.

"Say, Momiji, you wouldn't mind giving your dear uncle Shigure a hand for a little while, would you?"

"Not at all!" Momiji chirped brightly. "Umm, but I might need to change back first."

"That's fine. Just meet me in the Sohma library in about a half hour or so. Oh, and if anyone asks, you're just doing some research for your homework."

Kureno hid back in the dark halls outside the audience chamber, arms folded across his chest and frowning as he listened in on the discourse between Akito and the Dog and Dragon. His lip curled ever so slightly as Akito went over the conditions of the agreement, but at the same time he wanted to laugh. There was no way that girl Tohru Honda would be able to lift their curse. He would make sure of that.

After those two left, he slipped into the audience hall. Akito in his disheveled kimono was righting the empty birdcage that had once housed his prized canaries. Kureno thought his entrance had been unnoticed until Akito spoke up.

"You're late, Kureno. I was expecting you yesterday."

"I know. I had a job to take care of in Shizuoka. But I'm here now, just as we agreed." In all honesty, he hated these weekly meetings that Akito had made him promise to keep—it kept him from his business and from his other projects. Akito certainly liked to keep him on a short leash. But on the other hand, being around Akito was somewhat refreshing—the part of him that delighted in seeing the suffering of others felt rejuvenated just being around the man. As Akito's condition worsened, Kureno found himself in more of a position to expand his own power. Akito was losing the slender grip he had on reality; Kureno was waiting for the opportunity to arise to push him over the edge. Until the time came though, he would be patient, giving his "advice" as he always had and reporting the goings-on of the Sohmas to his master, like a dutiful spy. He settled down onto his knees. Akito had always considered him his right-hand man, but as far as Kureno was concerned, he was merely keeping up the front. At each of these meetings Kureno would deftly weave his lies—just enough to keep Akito feeling isolated and miserable. And Kureno fed off of his negative emotions like a remora on a shark. Just like all the previous weeks that had gone by, it was time to subtly remind Akito who really held the power in Sohma House. He found himself frequently having to turn him against that foolish girl, and transform any hopes of her success into the pangs of despair. The girl was ruining everything. Part of Akito really wanted to believe in her, to accept her kindness and love. Kureno couldn't allow that.

So, secretly, cunningly, he again wove the web of torment that he had specially fine-tuned to Akito, soft and light enough so that Akito himself wouldn't even realize he was caught in it, but strong enough to put Akito's strings back into Kureno's hands. Kureno would manipulate him to achieve his own ends as he had for so many years.

And then, once the flames of Akito's anger and sorrow were fanned into life, Kureno would brace himself for the beating that would inevitably follow.

Author's Notes: Heh. Bet you guys were starting to think I couldn't write shorter chapters. Well, this one just happened to turn out that way, according to my outline. Kind of nice, since I can post it so soon. Well, we're almost to the end. I've been spending the last few days working on my Mononoke-hime fic and drawing up the outline for the "And Then….." sequel. Yes, I decided to go through with it. It won't be as long as this story, in all likelihood (I don't know if I can survive doing this again, anyway). But it should be pretty interesting. Thanks for reading, everyone, and special thanks to those people who take a few seconds to leave reviews!

Next chapter:

"And Then….." for "Fruits Basket" Chapter Twenty-nine: The Answer