You are summoned before the highest court
Not for the experience or to travel north
It is our wish and our will
But it is also our love for you still
You shall cross beyond the vast lands
To a place known to be uncommon and grand
There you will meet your very prince
And you shall live with him ever since
But be very carefulFor behind the darkness lies the fearful
A strike of death, it will succeed
Unless you decide to concede
To give up something more than your own
That will result to cries and moans
As you stare at the heavenly sky
You think about the reason why
But there will be no answer further
Even after the seasons wither
For time will pass so fast in speed
And soon you will decide what you really need
As long as you doubt who you are
You won't go that far
For they will do nothing but to face something so grim
Once they knew that you would face death with him…
Tohru looked out of the window once more. The night sky was so calm, as well as the forest surrounding the Sohma's residence. But her heart wasn't.
She felt very unhappy.
If I could just tell him everything… she thought to herself. My mission… my feelings… my destiny… but if I will, he would get hurt… or even get killed.
Her hands were shaking and tears fell from her eyes. "I don't… know…."
"Then don't think." A voice came. She turned around and expected it to be a Sohma but…
"I am a Sohma, right?" the stranger grinned as he stepped towards the light.
"…no." she whispered as she crawled away from him. "You can't be! How did you get here?!"
"Your guardians are too busy to protect you…" he whispered. "And my dearest relatives are also ignoring your very feeling. Don't you understand, Tohru? I'm the only one who can understand you…"
"Please go away, Akito-san." She cried out.
"I can't… I can't just make you feel this way… so superior and all." He grabbed her on the wrist and pulled her towards him. "Just don't move…"
"Please don't…" she whispered. She looked up to him and was surprised to see him kissing her fully. She pushed him back but her body was weakened and she felt dark aura covering her.
"I would really like to thank your mother. If it wasn't for her," he whispered. "I wouldn't be here in front of you."
"Where… where is she?! What did you do to--"
"She should have given me freedom, not send those two guardians to protect you." He grinned. "They don't have a choice anyway. You're appointed to---"
"NO!" she yelled. "I rather fail my mission than… than…"
"Than what?!" Akito whispered on her ear angrily.
"Than to see them suffer… to see them die…" she glared at him but her eyes were filled with fear. "Than to see them killed by you!"
Akito slapped her painfully. She gasped and held the aching part of her face. "You have a destiny… to make them face death, to accept their defeat. They won't live longer anyway."
"Then I would die protecting them." She told him firmly. Akito laughed at her reply.
"Then I would make sure that you won't even protect them." He cupped her face and started chanting. She felt her body became stiff and more powerful aura surrounded them.
"I'll make sure… that you would wish… that you are powerful… like me…" he whispered as he gripped her face harder and continued chanting. She felt her power and strength leaving her and she stared at him helplessly. Her vision started to blur and worse, she couldn't scream for help anymore.
"STAY AWAY FROM HER!!!" Yuki appeared on the doorway. He pulled Akito away from her and punched him on his side. He winced in pain while Yuki had the opportunity to check on Tohru.
"Tohru, are you ok?" he asked but there was no reply. She was cupping her own face and was weeping bitterly. He stretched his arms and hugged her tightly.
"What have you done?!" he asked Akito, while the criminal started to laugh in amusement.
"Yuki, you really have a keen sense. I had no regrets on appointing you as a clan head---"
"Shut up!" he charged towards him but Akito raised his hand and Yuki's body became stiff. He landed on solid floor while Akito grinned at him evily.
"But I had regrets on raising you as my son." He whispered.
"You're never my father."
"I see. Now, you completely disappoint me and you know what happens when I'm disappointed." He looked outside the window and laughed. "I always loose control, that I could kill anyone near me."
"Right now…" he glanced at Tohru. "I think she's nearer than you, don't you think?"
"Akito…" Yuki struggled against Akito's control while Tohru looked up at him.
"I'll do anything." She whispered. "Just leave him alone."
"Really?" Akito raised an eyebrow and kneeled in front of Tohru. "Anything?"
"Tohru, no!" Yuki ordered. "Don't do it."
"Yes, anything." She weeped.
Akito grinned as he went closer to him and whispered something on her ear. Her eyes opened wide and gasped. She moved away from him while he let out a light chuckle.
"Funny… I thought you would grant me anything." Akito whispered.
"But.. You're not my master."
"Don't listen to him, Tohru!" Yuki yelled once more. "Don't follow anything that he'll say! Just don't do it!"
"Why, Yuki?" Akito stared at his own stepson. "Don't you know that Tohru will die soon?"
Die soon?"Don't say it all." Kazuma appeared on the doorway and glared at Akito. "You don't have the authority to spread the word."
"Kazuma…" Akito stepped back from his place. "Why are you…"
"Here? I have a promise to fulfill: to protect her." He raised his hand. "And not even you can lay a finger on her while I'm around."
"You filthy…"
"Yuki, stand up." Kazuma ordered. "If you're planning to protect her, I want you to stand up, now."
Yuki struggled on his position and slowly and steadily got up on his feet. Kazuma held out his hand for him to grab on. "You're ok?"
"A little." But Yuki wasn't completely focused on that question. He looked at Tohru, who was still completely helpless and terrified.
Akito let out a brief chuckle. "I guess the night of assault is a bit unscheduled. I'll see you all again soon." He glanced at Tohru. "I hope you would grant me that soon." Then he disappeared.
That very day, on Kisa's birthday, everybody was busy fixing the main house, as well as the food and gifts. Kisa, of course, was out of sight during the preparation, for they thought that this will be considered as a surprise. But there was also one person who was missing.
"Where's Tohru?" Yuki asked.
"Maybe she's in the kitchen, helping Kagura in cooking or something." Shigure replied as he laid a blue tablecloth on the main table. Yuki made his way towards the kitchen and…
"I'm sorry princess." He stopped once he heard a voice. The door towards the Kitchen was thin wood and it was a bit ajar so he carefully leaned against it and, to his own surprise, eavesdropped on the conversation inside.
"We went back to our homeland for a full report." He heard Uotani explained. "But what we got was horrible news… from the royal family… your mother to be exact."
He heard Tohru fell on a chair and wept. "This… can't be happening…"
"I believe this is the work of that bastard." Hana said firmly. "He's the only one who can absorb immortal power as well as killing one without any help."
"But any immortal being can be detected once he or she trespassed inside the castle." Uo replied. "How could he assassinate the queen so fast and clean that no one knew about it?"
"Maybe he dragged somebody else along." Tohru whispered. "Now I know… why everything that was so cruel happened on one night. It's because my mother, the goddess of luck, died."
"But, princess, you're her daughter! You should have luck yourself!"
"No I don't." Tohru replied.
"What do you---"
"He came last night, Uo-chan, Hana-chan." She blurted out. "He almost killed me… and Yuki."
"He did what?!" Uo yelled. "He can't be. Did he touch you?"
"Yes…" Tohru replied. "He maybe took half of my power… but Yuki-kun rescued me as well as Kazuma-san."
"Kazuma…" Hana whispered. "But that doesn't make sense. If Akito was here last night, then who assassinated the queen at the same night?"
"Hmm, you're right. That's a bit odd…" Uotani replied. "There must be some kind of diversion…"
"I told you, he maybe sent a mortal to kill my mother." Tohru said.
"Then that mortal should be very good like…Kazuma." Hana thought evily.
"It's not Kazuma, dummy." Uo glared at her. "He was there with Tohru. So he did hire someone else."
"…let's talk about this some other time, ok?" Tohru asked. "I'm here to celebrate Kisa's birthday. I should be happy. Once they notice that something's wrong with me, they might suspect something."
"Yes… even if it isn't your order, I would like to spy on Kazuma." Hana said quickly. "I need to know if he knew something that we don't."
"Ok…" Tohru replied and Hanajima disappeared in a poof.
"Princess." Uo began. "Are you… planning to tell them?"
"Tell them… about what?"
"Your mission."
Yuki leaned a little more at the door to listen carefully at the current topic.
"I… don't know, Mildred. I just don't know."
"They have to know." Uo said firmly. "They have to say something about this. If it's not their will, then we can figure out another way out of this. Remember what your mother said; You can disobey rules once in a while so you can also choose not to continue this mission!"
"But my mother is dead, Mildred, and once I come back, I don't deserve to be looked at. I'm ashamed and I have disappointed my relatives so much. This can be my last mission but now, I have to do this right."
"Then what are you going to do, princess?! Use Yuki's life for your own pleasure?!"
Yuki jumped from his place. My life? He thought. She's going to kill me? Is that her mission?
"But I thought you love him?" Uo asked gently.
"…I do."
"Then what are you planning to do now?"
"I'll think of a way… another way to complete my mission." Tohru replied. "I have to do this. I need to. If I don't and leave them behind, Akito might kill them. They're defenseless, Uo-chan. I need to protect them."
Uo sighed heavily. "If that's your plan, then I will your lead, mistress. But to tell you right now," she whispered. "your life depends on this. The whole royal family lies on your hands---"
"And the whole Sohma clan lies on mine." Tohru ended.
"If you want to get this over with, just choose one priority and leave the other one to waste."
"…That's not my plan."
"It's an idea, princess. Please don't take it lightly." Uotani explained. "So… are you planning to grant all of their wishes?"
"Yes, there are 4 left: Kisa-chan, Shigure-san, Yuki-kun… and someone else."
Yuki almost giggled after he heard that someone else. Probably, it's Ritsu. He thought.
"Then you'll get your freedom?"
"Maybe…"
"You're not sure?"
"Even if Yuki would wish for it, I can't accept it. I still need to stay."
"But you'll end up on the same path before." Uo glared at her. "Once that happens, it would be difficult for him to let you go!"
"…then I have to think about that also." She giggled.
Doesn't she trust me on this? I promised her that I would give her freedom.
Now, she's refusing it?
I'm really lacking details! Talk more about it!
"I need to go get some leeks in Yuki-kun's garden."
"Leeks?"
"It's a kind of edible plant."
"Ok. Just be back soon."
"Ok." He heard the back door open and closed in a moment. The door in front of him swung open and he found himself staring at Uo-chan, whose face was unreadable.
"You heard everything?" she asked.
"I don't know if that's everything." He replied blankly.
"Just take Hanajima's advice. As long as Akito and Tohru won't meet in person or even talk at each other, she won't finish her mission." Uo winked at him. "That way, she can live longer with you guys."
Live longer? "SO she's going to die."
Sounds like it. "We… don't really know, Yuki." She replied calmly but firmly. "She's trying very hard to keep you all away from him. She's trying to fulfill her mission without any of you getting hurt."
"What is her mission, anyway?"
"I…don't think it's my cue to say that." Uo turned her back against him. "Why won't you go and ask her?"
Without a word, Yuki left the kitchen and went straight to his garden. Finally things are clearing up piece by piece.
"Very good, Hiro." Akito patted the boy's head. "You've done well."
"…it's… nothing." Hiro replied as he stared at anything near him except Akito.
"Nothing? What are you talking about?" he held Hiro's arm and pulled it close to him, making the boy wince. "This bruise needs some medication."
"No." he pulled back his arm. "I don't need medicine from anyone, especially that doctor."
"Hmm, you still hate our clan doctor, am I right?" Akito kneeled in front of Hiro and went close enough to whisper. "You hate him because he basically always pretends to be Kisa's father."
Hiro nodded, knowing that his words failed to reply.
"Don't worry. I haven't forgotten your wish, Hiro." Akito grinned at him.
"Are you sure you'll grant it?"
"Any wish from you is fine with me. I'm not like that goddess who does wishes for the good." He huskily whispered. "We should curse people sometimes, right Hiro?"
The young Sohma grinned wickedly, the same grin Akito used to do. "Let's do it today."
Akito smiled mysteriously. "It will be very surprising for all… especially Yuki. But… I need you to do one more thing for me Hiro. Then I'll give you enough power to conquer the Sohma clan."
I don't need Power to conquer the whole clan. Hiro thought. I only want enough power to teach that doctor a lesson.
Akito grinned as he stared at Hiro. Just a little more, Celeste, and you will soon come back to me… to fulfill my wish once more.
And also to fulfill your mission, as well.