Chapter Six: Tohru's Good Deed
Tohru spent several wonderful months with the Sohmas. It was in these few months that she found out about their well-kept secret. For the most part she was having the time of her life. She played games with Kagura and Momiji in the evenings, and often talked to Hatsuharu during the afternoons. Kyo had been sent back to the mountains, so she missed him greatly. Yuki however was the only person she hadn't seen in the last three months. One night when she was strolling to her bedchamber she saw him sneak out and walk out onto the palace grounds. She took a deep breath and decided to follow him.
Yuki walked to the back of the palace to a wall hidden behind moss. Tohru peered around the corner and saw him kneeling down and pulling weeds.
"It hardly seems customary for a prince to do gardening your highness" she replied.
Yuki looked up smiling but didn't watch his step, stumbled over a glove on the ground, and fell right into her arms.
POOF!!
The next moment that Tohru opened her eyes she couldn't see him anywhere. All she could find were his clothes.
"Yuki!" she called, "Your highness where are you?"
"I'm down here Miss Honda!"
Tohru looked down and saw a small silver rat staring up at her with large purple eyes.
"Yuki? Is that you?" she replied kneeling down.
"Mhm" he murmured, "Oh Miss Honda turn your face for a moment won't you?"
Tohru obeyed and in the next second another POOF sounded. Yuki quickly snatched up his clothes and ran behind a bush.
"You can look now" he replied.
Tohru looked him directly in the eye. He was now standing in front of her fully clothed.
"Yuki?" she said silently.
Yuki sighed.
"Well I guess you were bound to find out sooner or later. Come on, we had better go and see Shigure."
***************************************************
"So you see Tohru, Our family has lived with this curse for two hundred years now. All of us transform into the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac whenever we are hugged by a member of the opposite sex, or when our bodies are under a great deal of stress."
"Oh" Tohru replied sweetly, "I had no idea. Will I be punished for finding out such a thing?"
"I don't think so, as long as you can keep the secret" Shigure said grinning, "Most of the servants in the palace don't know about it, but I think you knowing about it won't affect us in the slightest, wouldn't you agree Yuki?"
"Oh, uh huh."
"Okay then, I promise I will keep your secret. I won't tell a soul" Tohru replied standing up.
Shigure nodded.
"I'd better escort Miss Honda to her chamber" Yuki said also standing up.
"A fabulous idea" Shigure answered.
"Good night Shigure" Tohru bowed exiting the room with Yuki.
"Such a sweet girl" Shigure thought to himself, "I do hope the King won't be too angry that she knows" he sighed.
***********************************************
"By the way Yuki" Tohru replied when they were walking back, "Shigure didn't mention the Cat in his story."
"The what?"
"The Cat. You know it's in the old tale. About how the cat was tricked into not going to the banquet by the rat."
"How do you know that story Miss Honda?"
"Well let's just say that my mom was fascinated with the Chinese Zodiac."
"Oh. Well to answer your question there is a Cat. Kyo my cousin is the Cat of the Zodiac."
"Kyo is the Cat?"
"Huh? You've met him?" Yuki replied astonished.
"Yes. His carriage stopped in my village once and I gave him some water."
"Oh" Yuki said indifferently, "Well here we are. Good night Miss Honda" he bowed.
"Good night."
***************************************************
"Akito?" Shigure walked into the King's chamber, "May I come in?"
"Of course" a low voice answered from a far corner.
Shigure walked into the dark room and kneeled before the small young man who sat before him.
"So Shigure" Akito replied, "What have you come here for?"
*****************************************
The next morning Tohru fixed Kagura's hair as she did every morning. However today, she didn't have any chores to accomplish, so she decided to explore the great castle instead. She walked down the hallway and then down the long staircase. Down below a young maid was scrubbing the gigantic hall floor. Tohru recognized her as the young woman she had helped months before. She paused in her scrubbing to look at her hands. Tohru noticed that her hands were covered with cuts and bruises. She immediately ran down.
"Oh hello Miss" the girl replied.
"Hello, your name is Hanako right?" Tohru kneeled.
"Yes."
"You look hurt" Tohru said, "Here let me help you."
"Oh no Miss. This is my job. I have to do it."
"But you're in pain Hanako. And please you can call me Tohru. Now I think you should go and see the doctor while I take care of this till you return."
"But" Hanako stood up.
"Please go. I insist."
"All right" she replied with tears in her eyes, "Thank you again Miss Tohru."
She took off running down the opposite end of the hall.
"Okay" Tohru said to herself, "Let's get this floor done."
A few minutes later Shigure came strolling down the stairs. He stopped when he saw Tohru on her hands and knees.
"Tohru what on earth are you doing?" he asked confused, "This is a lower servants job."
"I know that" Tohru replied continuing to scrub, "But the young servant who was scrubbing it was hurt, so I am taking over until she comes back."
"You are doing this for her?" he said incredulously.
"Yes" Tohru replied looking at him and blinking twice.
Suddenly Yuki came over.
"Miss Honda? Why are you scrubbing the floor?"
"Because I am helping out a fellow servant while she goes to see the doctor about her hand. I will continue to do this for her sake."
"But Miss Honda, it's not your job. This is your time to relax, to do the things you want."
"I am doing something that I want. I am helping Hanako."
Tohru scrubbed that floor till it was sparkeling clean. Finally she was finished.
"And that's that" she replied.
Hanako came running over with Hatori the family physician not far behind.
"You finished it?" Hanako cried with joy, "Oh thank you Miss Tohru" she hugged her, "You truly are the sweetest girl."
"Don't mention it. How are you feeling?"
"Oh much better" Hanako replied, "I can return to my duties now."
With that said she hugged her tight one last time and ran off.
"It was a good thing you sent her to me" Hatori replied in his deep monotone voice, "If she had scrubbed any longer the cuts would have gotten worse, probably infected."
"Yes indeed Hari" Shigure said placing his arm on his shoulder, "She truly is a remarkable girl."
"Don't be silly" Tohru brushed.
"Tohru there your are?" Kagura replied coming over, "Momiji and I have been looking for you everywhere."
"Oh coming."
Yuki just watched as she ran up the stairs. He stared in wonder at the kindness of her.
"Yes, truly a remarkable girl" he heard Shigure say.
*************************************************************
Authors Note: Thanks for the review Kaurin! Keep them coming! In answer to your question, can't tell it's a secret that I will reveal at the end.
Next Chapter: Lost Home Again
Tohru meets King Akito and runs away from TarraSohma. See why!!
Tohru spent several wonderful months with the Sohmas. It was in these few months that she found out about their well-kept secret. For the most part she was having the time of her life. She played games with Kagura and Momiji in the evenings, and often talked to Hatsuharu during the afternoons. Kyo had been sent back to the mountains, so she missed him greatly. Yuki however was the only person she hadn't seen in the last three months. One night when she was strolling to her bedchamber she saw him sneak out and walk out onto the palace grounds. She took a deep breath and decided to follow him.
Yuki walked to the back of the palace to a wall hidden behind moss. Tohru peered around the corner and saw him kneeling down and pulling weeds.
"It hardly seems customary for a prince to do gardening your highness" she replied.
Yuki looked up smiling but didn't watch his step, stumbled over a glove on the ground, and fell right into her arms.
POOF!!
The next moment that Tohru opened her eyes she couldn't see him anywhere. All she could find were his clothes.
"Yuki!" she called, "Your highness where are you?"
"I'm down here Miss Honda!"
Tohru looked down and saw a small silver rat staring up at her with large purple eyes.
"Yuki? Is that you?" she replied kneeling down.
"Mhm" he murmured, "Oh Miss Honda turn your face for a moment won't you?"
Tohru obeyed and in the next second another POOF sounded. Yuki quickly snatched up his clothes and ran behind a bush.
"You can look now" he replied.
Tohru looked him directly in the eye. He was now standing in front of her fully clothed.
"Yuki?" she said silently.
Yuki sighed.
"Well I guess you were bound to find out sooner or later. Come on, we had better go and see Shigure."
***************************************************
"So you see Tohru, Our family has lived with this curse for two hundred years now. All of us transform into the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac whenever we are hugged by a member of the opposite sex, or when our bodies are under a great deal of stress."
"Oh" Tohru replied sweetly, "I had no idea. Will I be punished for finding out such a thing?"
"I don't think so, as long as you can keep the secret" Shigure said grinning, "Most of the servants in the palace don't know about it, but I think you knowing about it won't affect us in the slightest, wouldn't you agree Yuki?"
"Oh, uh huh."
"Okay then, I promise I will keep your secret. I won't tell a soul" Tohru replied standing up.
Shigure nodded.
"I'd better escort Miss Honda to her chamber" Yuki said also standing up.
"A fabulous idea" Shigure answered.
"Good night Shigure" Tohru bowed exiting the room with Yuki.
"Such a sweet girl" Shigure thought to himself, "I do hope the King won't be too angry that she knows" he sighed.
***********************************************
"By the way Yuki" Tohru replied when they were walking back, "Shigure didn't mention the Cat in his story."
"The what?"
"The Cat. You know it's in the old tale. About how the cat was tricked into not going to the banquet by the rat."
"How do you know that story Miss Honda?"
"Well let's just say that my mom was fascinated with the Chinese Zodiac."
"Oh. Well to answer your question there is a Cat. Kyo my cousin is the Cat of the Zodiac."
"Kyo is the Cat?"
"Huh? You've met him?" Yuki replied astonished.
"Yes. His carriage stopped in my village once and I gave him some water."
"Oh" Yuki said indifferently, "Well here we are. Good night Miss Honda" he bowed.
"Good night."
***************************************************
"Akito?" Shigure walked into the King's chamber, "May I come in?"
"Of course" a low voice answered from a far corner.
Shigure walked into the dark room and kneeled before the small young man who sat before him.
"So Shigure" Akito replied, "What have you come here for?"
*****************************************
The next morning Tohru fixed Kagura's hair as she did every morning. However today, she didn't have any chores to accomplish, so she decided to explore the great castle instead. She walked down the hallway and then down the long staircase. Down below a young maid was scrubbing the gigantic hall floor. Tohru recognized her as the young woman she had helped months before. She paused in her scrubbing to look at her hands. Tohru noticed that her hands were covered with cuts and bruises. She immediately ran down.
"Oh hello Miss" the girl replied.
"Hello, your name is Hanako right?" Tohru kneeled.
"Yes."
"You look hurt" Tohru said, "Here let me help you."
"Oh no Miss. This is my job. I have to do it."
"But you're in pain Hanako. And please you can call me Tohru. Now I think you should go and see the doctor while I take care of this till you return."
"But" Hanako stood up.
"Please go. I insist."
"All right" she replied with tears in her eyes, "Thank you again Miss Tohru."
She took off running down the opposite end of the hall.
"Okay" Tohru said to herself, "Let's get this floor done."
A few minutes later Shigure came strolling down the stairs. He stopped when he saw Tohru on her hands and knees.
"Tohru what on earth are you doing?" he asked confused, "This is a lower servants job."
"I know that" Tohru replied continuing to scrub, "But the young servant who was scrubbing it was hurt, so I am taking over until she comes back."
"You are doing this for her?" he said incredulously.
"Yes" Tohru replied looking at him and blinking twice.
Suddenly Yuki came over.
"Miss Honda? Why are you scrubbing the floor?"
"Because I am helping out a fellow servant while she goes to see the doctor about her hand. I will continue to do this for her sake."
"But Miss Honda, it's not your job. This is your time to relax, to do the things you want."
"I am doing something that I want. I am helping Hanako."
Tohru scrubbed that floor till it was sparkeling clean. Finally she was finished.
"And that's that" she replied.
Hanako came running over with Hatori the family physician not far behind.
"You finished it?" Hanako cried with joy, "Oh thank you Miss Tohru" she hugged her, "You truly are the sweetest girl."
"Don't mention it. How are you feeling?"
"Oh much better" Hanako replied, "I can return to my duties now."
With that said she hugged her tight one last time and ran off.
"It was a good thing you sent her to me" Hatori replied in his deep monotone voice, "If she had scrubbed any longer the cuts would have gotten worse, probably infected."
"Yes indeed Hari" Shigure said placing his arm on his shoulder, "She truly is a remarkable girl."
"Don't be silly" Tohru brushed.
"Tohru there your are?" Kagura replied coming over, "Momiji and I have been looking for you everywhere."
"Oh coming."
Yuki just watched as she ran up the stairs. He stared in wonder at the kindness of her.
"Yes, truly a remarkable girl" he heard Shigure say.
*************************************************************
Authors Note: Thanks for the review Kaurin! Keep them coming! In answer to your question, can't tell it's a secret that I will reveal at the end.
Next Chapter: Lost Home Again
Tohru meets King Akito and runs away from TarraSohma. See why!!