Chapter 2.
It was a stormy and dark night. Yuki hated it. He sighed and wished Tohru was here to lighten his mood. Through the window, he continued to stare at the angry clouds marking the sky. Like the night, his mood was dark and gloomy.
"You're still up," stated Shigure as he peered at the younger boy.
"Can't sleep. What about you?"
"Oh I'm just about ready to."
"Then go ahead."
"You see, Tohru won't be back sooner if you keep acting like this."
"Will you cut it off," Yuki was beginning to get agitated.
"Allright, allright, I'm leaving. If you don't want to talk it's fine with me," Shigure sighed. "I'll just collect my injured ego and retreat."
Shigure opened the door and stared at the way being viciously painted with rain and mud. "You know Kyo is already sound asleep. I stole a peek moments ago. He's so adorable when he sleeps."
Yuki gave him a dirty look. Shigure smiled innocently and turned his back to leave. He didn't though. A sound of nearing steps stopped him.
Shigure turned. A tall figure shrouded in black appeared before the two cousins.
"Shigure," the stranger had said evenly, "It's been awhile."
Shigure froze. "Why are you here?" he demanded in a seriousness that was nothing like him.
The man ignored him as he shifted his attention to the younger cousin. "You must be Yuki." The man smiled. Yuki was puzzled.
"Why are you here?" Shigure insisted. He was getting angry, Yuki noticed in amazement.
"Why, I'm here for Yuki."
Yuki was surprised. "For me!"
"The HELL!"
Suddenly, the orange head boy was there. "What's going on?"
"And you must be Kyo. It's a wonder they still keep you in this family."
Kyo was instantly ticked. "Why you!! Who the HELL are you anyway!"
The man only smiled. Rain was dripping from him still. His violet eyes that were so strangely like Yuki shone with unread emotion. He turned to Yuki and said calmly, "There is a car waiting for us not too far away so let's go Yuki".
"What the.. !! Shigure, who the hell is this guy?" Kyo demanded.
Shigure stood with rage and hatred written all over his face.
"I'm not going anywhere with you."
That seemed to anger the man. He was upon Yuki in a flash, cupping the younger boy's chin roughly. "You see my little mouse.",
Yuki's eyes widened at that. ~So this guy knows~
"I didn't come alone. I have friends. You either come with me nicely or.."
"Or what?" challenged Yuki as he shrugged out of the man's grasp.
"Well I'd really hate to hurt anyone but.." And he smiled evilly.
"Tasuki!" Shigure practically yelled the man's name.
"Stay out of this Shigure." The man didn't even turn to face him.
"Leave this house NOW," Shigure demanded.
The man didn't budge.
"Hey," Kyo rolled his fists in anger. "The man told you to get out of his house. You heard him: LEAVE or I'll kick you out myself".
"You leave me no choice then." With that the man clasped his hands twice. Two seconds later a group of men in black surrounded the house, all armed.
"How dare you.." Shigure approached the man but was stopped by three men quickly. They forced him to the ground. A sword came down seeking Shigure's neck.
"NO!!" Yuki screamed.
The man, Tasuki, signaled for his man to stop. "I tried to warn you."
"I'm the one who's warning you, Tasuki. If you harm the boy, I will kill you," Shigure promised.
The man laughed openly, his violet eyes gleamed under the pale light.
He grasped Yuki by the arm and pulled him away. Yuki didn't struggle this time. The man however stopped suddenly. He turned to eye Kyo, who was also restrained by two men, thoughtfully. "On another thought."
Shigure upon noticing the man's look turned suddenly very pale. His eyes haunted by fear.
The man walked toward Kyo slowly, pulling Yuki with him. "Did you know kitty that the cat is the only one that gets a chance to be free?"
"What? What crazy things are you saying?" Kyo spat at him.
"You get a chance to free yourself of the curse. Only they didn't tell you."
"You're crazy."
"You get to be free if you, and only if you, k.."
"STOP IT! I'm warning you!" Shigure screamed with rage.
The man's smile widened. "Only if you kill the mouse."
Kyo and Yuki's eyes widened with disbelief.
"You see, the mouse always dies at the end. Dies on the hands of the cat. The Cat kills the mouse. The cat gets its revenge and its freedom. It's so obvious."
Yuki stiffened under the man's hold. Kyo looked completely lost.
The man smiled at their reaction. "You see they didn't tell you because they wanted to protect the mouse. It isn't fair, don't you agree, Yuki?"
Yuki didn't answer.
"Tell them Shigure," the man addressed Shigure sarcastically.
Both Yuki and Kyo turned to their older cousin.
Shigure's head was down and he was shaking with unpleasant excitement.
The boys were shocked as the meaning of the man's words sank in.
"Don't. Don't listen to him." But Shigure's voice was unconvincing even to himself.
That seemed to please the man more. He turned to Kyo once again. "I'll do you a favor, orange head. I will give you your freedom on a plate of gold." And he yanked Yuki's arm pulling the stunned boy in front of him.
"I will let you kill him. Right here and Now."
Kyo stared at him with terror. "You're crazy!"
To Kyo, everything followed went in flash. Yuki was flunged against a wall and he, was held by two or three men and hauled to stand right in front of his cousin. Rain was heavy and loud but Kyo could hardly feel it.
Tasuki produced a dagger and walked to yuki. "In order for this to work you have to stab him," And he tore Yuki's shirt open with the dagger, "Right in the heart," And he put his hand on Yuki's now bare chest, "Right here." Yuki flinched slightly. "I will even make it easier for you." With that, the man raised his dagger to mark the place on Yuki's chest with an x. The scar started to bleed right away. The rain would wash the blood away a moment and the scar would bleed anew the other, Kyo noticed with a sick feeling.
The man then turned to Kyo and handed him the dagger forcefully. "Here do it," he ordered.
Kyo dropped the dagger instantly. "You're crazy," he murmured.
The man narrowed his eyes at him.
The dagger was picked again and forced into Kyo's hand. He was held and dragged closer to where Yuki stood against the wall. His hand that held the dagger was raised and readied to stab Yuki's heart. His hand was inches from his cousin's chest. Kyo's eyes widened with pure terror.
He tried to pull away to struggle but they wouldn't let go of him. He realized what his hand would do and lost himself to panic. "Noooooo!!" he screamed over and over. He could hear Shigure's screams vaguely from distance. It seemed just like a bad dream. Only it wasn't.
"Be a man and do it. Avenge your freedom," the man rebuked sternly.
Yuki stood there, head down, without any will to struggle.
"Nooooo! Noooo!" Kyo continued to scream without the slightest control.
"DON'T DO IT KYO!!" Shigure screamed as if it were Kyo's choice.
The dagger came down and... "STOP!" the man held his hand up stopping his men. Kyo was released and instantly fell to the ground unable to support himself. He was shaking and panting uncontrollably.
The man shook his head unsatisfied. "You disappoint me Kyo. I thought you'd be more of a man."
****************************** TBC
It was a stormy and dark night. Yuki hated it. He sighed and wished Tohru was here to lighten his mood. Through the window, he continued to stare at the angry clouds marking the sky. Like the night, his mood was dark and gloomy.
"You're still up," stated Shigure as he peered at the younger boy.
"Can't sleep. What about you?"
"Oh I'm just about ready to."
"Then go ahead."
"You see, Tohru won't be back sooner if you keep acting like this."
"Will you cut it off," Yuki was beginning to get agitated.
"Allright, allright, I'm leaving. If you don't want to talk it's fine with me," Shigure sighed. "I'll just collect my injured ego and retreat."
Shigure opened the door and stared at the way being viciously painted with rain and mud. "You know Kyo is already sound asleep. I stole a peek moments ago. He's so adorable when he sleeps."
Yuki gave him a dirty look. Shigure smiled innocently and turned his back to leave. He didn't though. A sound of nearing steps stopped him.
Shigure turned. A tall figure shrouded in black appeared before the two cousins.
"Shigure," the stranger had said evenly, "It's been awhile."
Shigure froze. "Why are you here?" he demanded in a seriousness that was nothing like him.
The man ignored him as he shifted his attention to the younger cousin. "You must be Yuki." The man smiled. Yuki was puzzled.
"Why are you here?" Shigure insisted. He was getting angry, Yuki noticed in amazement.
"Why, I'm here for Yuki."
Yuki was surprised. "For me!"
"The HELL!"
Suddenly, the orange head boy was there. "What's going on?"
"And you must be Kyo. It's a wonder they still keep you in this family."
Kyo was instantly ticked. "Why you!! Who the HELL are you anyway!"
The man only smiled. Rain was dripping from him still. His violet eyes that were so strangely like Yuki shone with unread emotion. He turned to Yuki and said calmly, "There is a car waiting for us not too far away so let's go Yuki".
"What the.. !! Shigure, who the hell is this guy?" Kyo demanded.
Shigure stood with rage and hatred written all over his face.
"I'm not going anywhere with you."
That seemed to anger the man. He was upon Yuki in a flash, cupping the younger boy's chin roughly. "You see my little mouse.",
Yuki's eyes widened at that. ~So this guy knows~
"I didn't come alone. I have friends. You either come with me nicely or.."
"Or what?" challenged Yuki as he shrugged out of the man's grasp.
"Well I'd really hate to hurt anyone but.." And he smiled evilly.
"Tasuki!" Shigure practically yelled the man's name.
"Stay out of this Shigure." The man didn't even turn to face him.
"Leave this house NOW," Shigure demanded.
The man didn't budge.
"Hey," Kyo rolled his fists in anger. "The man told you to get out of his house. You heard him: LEAVE or I'll kick you out myself".
"You leave me no choice then." With that the man clasped his hands twice. Two seconds later a group of men in black surrounded the house, all armed.
"How dare you.." Shigure approached the man but was stopped by three men quickly. They forced him to the ground. A sword came down seeking Shigure's neck.
"NO!!" Yuki screamed.
The man, Tasuki, signaled for his man to stop. "I tried to warn you."
"I'm the one who's warning you, Tasuki. If you harm the boy, I will kill you," Shigure promised.
The man laughed openly, his violet eyes gleamed under the pale light.
He grasped Yuki by the arm and pulled him away. Yuki didn't struggle this time. The man however stopped suddenly. He turned to eye Kyo, who was also restrained by two men, thoughtfully. "On another thought."
Shigure upon noticing the man's look turned suddenly very pale. His eyes haunted by fear.
The man walked toward Kyo slowly, pulling Yuki with him. "Did you know kitty that the cat is the only one that gets a chance to be free?"
"What? What crazy things are you saying?" Kyo spat at him.
"You get a chance to free yourself of the curse. Only they didn't tell you."
"You're crazy."
"You get to be free if you, and only if you, k.."
"STOP IT! I'm warning you!" Shigure screamed with rage.
The man's smile widened. "Only if you kill the mouse."
Kyo and Yuki's eyes widened with disbelief.
"You see, the mouse always dies at the end. Dies on the hands of the cat. The Cat kills the mouse. The cat gets its revenge and its freedom. It's so obvious."
Yuki stiffened under the man's hold. Kyo looked completely lost.
The man smiled at their reaction. "You see they didn't tell you because they wanted to protect the mouse. It isn't fair, don't you agree, Yuki?"
Yuki didn't answer.
"Tell them Shigure," the man addressed Shigure sarcastically.
Both Yuki and Kyo turned to their older cousin.
Shigure's head was down and he was shaking with unpleasant excitement.
The boys were shocked as the meaning of the man's words sank in.
"Don't. Don't listen to him." But Shigure's voice was unconvincing even to himself.
That seemed to please the man more. He turned to Kyo once again. "I'll do you a favor, orange head. I will give you your freedom on a plate of gold." And he yanked Yuki's arm pulling the stunned boy in front of him.
"I will let you kill him. Right here and Now."
Kyo stared at him with terror. "You're crazy!"
To Kyo, everything followed went in flash. Yuki was flunged against a wall and he, was held by two or three men and hauled to stand right in front of his cousin. Rain was heavy and loud but Kyo could hardly feel it.
Tasuki produced a dagger and walked to yuki. "In order for this to work you have to stab him," And he tore Yuki's shirt open with the dagger, "Right in the heart," And he put his hand on Yuki's now bare chest, "Right here." Yuki flinched slightly. "I will even make it easier for you." With that, the man raised his dagger to mark the place on Yuki's chest with an x. The scar started to bleed right away. The rain would wash the blood away a moment and the scar would bleed anew the other, Kyo noticed with a sick feeling.
The man then turned to Kyo and handed him the dagger forcefully. "Here do it," he ordered.
Kyo dropped the dagger instantly. "You're crazy," he murmured.
The man narrowed his eyes at him.
The dagger was picked again and forced into Kyo's hand. He was held and dragged closer to where Yuki stood against the wall. His hand that held the dagger was raised and readied to stab Yuki's heart. His hand was inches from his cousin's chest. Kyo's eyes widened with pure terror.
He tried to pull away to struggle but they wouldn't let go of him. He realized what his hand would do and lost himself to panic. "Noooooo!!" he screamed over and over. He could hear Shigure's screams vaguely from distance. It seemed just like a bad dream. Only it wasn't.
"Be a man and do it. Avenge your freedom," the man rebuked sternly.
Yuki stood there, head down, without any will to struggle.
"Nooooo! Noooo!" Kyo continued to scream without the slightest control.
"DON'T DO IT KYO!!" Shigure screamed as if it were Kyo's choice.
The dagger came down and... "STOP!" the man held his hand up stopping his men. Kyo was released and instantly fell to the ground unable to support himself. He was shaking and panting uncontrollably.
The man shook his head unsatisfied. "You disappoint me Kyo. I thought you'd be more of a man."
****************************** TBC