Title: To Disregard is to Err

Author: Rachel Elizabeth
Email: ceramicprincess@fanfiction.net
Status: Incomplete/Work in Progress

Genre: Drama/Romance/Drama/Supernatural/Drama [are you getting that?]

Rating: PG-13 [for now, only because the Jyuunishi are tricky]
Warning: Lots of fluff will eventually abound and ending spoilers.

Summary: [Hatori/Kana] Kana is having dreams that bring her to reality. Can she really handle the thought that she's been living a lie? And can she be strong enough to persevere?
Proviso: If I really owned them why would I be a poor college student?

Author's Comments: This is Melodie's fault. I swear. So I know this is unlikely, but I had to write it. Seriously, 'cause every time I watch Furuba I'm always so indignant on Hatori's behalf. So here you have it. A Kana/Hatori story, I just hope you guys enjoy it and for all you fans who read my other work . . . gomen, gomen-ne! I know how I stray, but this has been in my head for a while.

Feedback: Please? I will not resort to begging—Please?
Dedication: To Melodie—'cause it was her fault anyway. She was the one who said, "Aw, poor Hatori." Damn her empathy!

—Clearing through dust—

         She smiles as if her entity means something to me, as though she was a precious pearl in the Sohma family. I couldn't stand to look at her for more than two seconds, just knowing what she had done to Hatori. Still, she looked at me with clear eyes, and I found it amusing that she remembered nothing; I took great pleasure in knowing that she never remembered a thing. It was one of the few things in life that still held amusement for me, other than the fact that everyone was under my command. Erasing people's memories was one of the few pleasures that made my spine tingle; a shiver of excitement [even from just looking at the people] would travel down my body at their glances.

         She was a poor thing, really. She had mouse brown hair, like that girl that I allow to live at Sohma Shigure's house, Tohru. In many ways, Kana resembles Tohru in thought and action more than either of them would ever know. They were both sickeningly sweet natured, meek and they had both fallen hard on the truth of the Sohma's. I snort indelicately and Kana looks up at me, confused, and a trifle embarrassed—as though she has anything to be embarrassed about. Except for the fact that she was easily controlled and half of her memories are lost causes. She was a poor thing, really.

         Anyone that didn't have fortitude did not belong with a cursed Sohma. Even that seemed like a ridiculous statement to me because I know that I would never allow a member of the zodiac to marry anyone. It was a simple thing, really, if one thought about it longer than two seconds. I would always be the head of the household, I would always hold the power, and no one would disobey me and . . . marry. I shudder at the thought, thinking it ludicrous for a Jyuunishi to have physical contact like that.

         That girl, Tohru, the one who was so ordinary, she too, once thought that she could save the Jyuunishi. However, I knew better, I've known these cursed souls their wholes lives; there was no one who could save them—or me, and I would not let her expel my control. It had been entertaining to watch her stutter and cry in the rain, hurt and confused as Kyou's true form came to light. That had been vastly amusing, seeing her there, frightened out of her wits.

         However, what had not been amusing was the fact that, that girl thought that she could just walk in to my house and tell me that she was sorry. As though saying that she was sorry—and supposedly meaning it—could lift the curse from the Sohma's. She had come in that day with such clear intentions, and I doubt very seriously that even she knew what she was going to say to me. Even so, there she had been, sitting in front of me, apologizing for whatever deeds she thought that she needed to apologize. I lost track of the number of things she should be contrite for.

         These were stupid, stupid women. I would not relinquish my control and they would not—could not—save the cursed Sohma's.

         And anyway, the real amusement of the entire family was Kana's rejection. I still remember that day that she came in to ask to marry Hatori. She had been so cheerful and anticipative; there was nothing more that I would have liked to do than to slap that look off of her face. How dare she come to me, the one who suffers for them all, to ask for happiness for one of my subordinates? Both women irritated me constantly. Idly, I thought that I was being very compassionate to both women, allowing them to live as they do.

         Without my assistance, Kana would still be living with Hatori, saddened at the deed that she had done to his eye, and Tohru would have never known the truth about Kyou. Kana would, even now, be sitting with her hands over her eyes, crying, "gomen, gomen". If it weren't for her save-the-world attitude and the thought that she could revive the Sohma's, Hatori's eye would not be as it is now. I wanted her to live with that thought for the rest of her days, but then I realized—it was tremendously more fun to have her agonize over a past that she could never remember.

         Both women owed me and I intend to collect very soon. Furthermore, since Kana seemed to have an earlier date with me, I suppose that she would be the first that I will collect from. She will abhor the day that she thought to oust my supremacy. I smile brutally at her; she really was a poor thing.

         Akito was one of those people whose thoughts never quite reached his eyes. The man was as unpredictable as a tsunami. Every time he looked at someone it was as though he could read into their thoughts and know all their weak points. Kana had to admit that that was definitely the most frightening aspect about him. She had also heard stories that he had the ability to freeze someone's memories so that they would never remember things that he did not like. He played with people like they were toys sent to him by Kami and Kana didn't want to think what he could do to her.

         "Katsuya tells me that you've frequently had bad dreams," Akito punctuated, clearly amused.

         Kana hesitated, not willing to share too much information with him. However, there was one thing that she had never been called and that was rude, "Yes. The same dream keeps coming back to me at nights."

         Akito snorted again and looked at Kana and his eyebrow rose and he mused out loud, "Well, isn't that interesting. Tell me about these 'dreams'."

         Kana frowned at Akito; his disposition about this whole affair was turning this into a circus event. "Well, I guess 'dream' is a bad way to put it. I just have these feelings . . . like something isn't right in my life anymore. Like I've lost something that I don't have."

         Akito burst out laughing and shook his head, his shoulders still shaking with mirth, "My dear, you've been under tremendous stress. Perhaps you need to take more than a week off." With this statement, he chuckled under his breath and stood up, obviously bored with where the conversation was headed.

         Katsuya frowned at Akito from his seat, not liking where the conversation had been going. Everything that Akito mentioned seemed to turn into a huge event for him or he paid it no heed. Katsuya did not appreciate his wife's feelings being thrown about so easily, but far be it for him to open his mouth to the head of the household. Sometimes, though, he'd just like to get his hands around Akito's neck—

         "Katsuya, Kana tells me you own a small grocery store. How is that going for you?" Katsuya noticed by Akito's tone that he neither cared nor was very interested, but he felt it necessary to ask out of politeness. It was amazing the bounds the man would go for simple amusement from other people. Katsuya also thought it was disgusting.

         "Good, I suppose, business is finally picking up." What Katsuya really wanted to tell him was that he could take his politeness and shove it up his—

         "I almost forgot to mention, Kana," Akito started, waiting for her eyes to meet his.

         When Kana looked up from her hands in her lap, she saw the sinister grin that had been plastered to Akito's face and visibly shuddered. Akito either didn't notice or didn't care enough about her, but he continued on in his oblivious manner. "I met an old friend of yours who happens to by dying for a visit to see you sometime."

         Kana frowned, unsure what Akito's game had turned into. "An old fr-friend?"

         "Mm," Akito started, "He was very adamant and you know how men are. I insist you meet him, he does miss you so."

         When Kana started to visibly shake at the mention of an old friend, Akito just smiled slightly, amused again at the unexpected turn of events. Kana was the easiest creature to torment and it was almost shameful the way he continued to play with her to get a reaction from her.

         "Akito, as much as my wife would love to visit an old friend, the stress has been unduly great upon her. So perhaps at a later date she could visit this—"

         Kana shook her head, "No. I will meet him." Akito cheered in his head; Kana had too much common sense to think that this was all coincidence.

         "Very well, perhaps tomorrow at say, eleven?" At the smile that spread across Kana's face Akito walked to the door, pleased with the events of that day.