Chapter Twenty-Four: A Heroic Act
Kyo and Yuki stood in front of Tohru.
"Give it back you bastard!" Kyo demanded, "That doesn't belong to you!"
"I can't do that" Kageru chuckled, "I would be letting down my mistress after all. She has waited a long time for her revenge to be carried out. And now you only have about forty minutes left. You'll never succeed."
"I don't understand something" Yuki replied angrily, "What do you get out of this? For assisting?"
"That's easy" Kageru said smiling, "I get ShiraNobi. I get to rule over it. And not only that I get a princess to help me rule over it" he stared at Tohru.
"What!" Momiji exclaimed.
"Over my dead body you will!" Kyo shouted.
"That's the idea. My mistress doesn't care if you survive. She hates the Sohma family after all. And so do I. You two" he pointed at Yuki and Kyo, "Have been nothing but trouble for me."
"I'm sorry. Maybe will be more than just trouble for you next time" Yuki replied.
"Very funny" Kageru frowned.
"And what makes you think that my grandfather is going to willingly hand over his kingdom to you Kageru?" Tohru asked.
"Oh that's easy Tohru" Kageru grinned, "If I have you as my prisoner, that old man will crumble at my feet."
"Don't you dare talk to Miss Honda so formally" Yuki said angrily, "You lowlife."
"I may be that. But the clock is ticking. And you Sohmas are almost out of luck."
Yuki and Kyo started to charge him but Hatori and Shigure held them back. Kageru just continued to stand there, smiling away. Tohru stared at him for a few minutes.
"What am I going to do?" she thought, "There has to be someway to get that figurine away from him."
***************
Yuki and Kyo finally were able to pull themselves from the older Sohmas grasp. They both ran towards Kageru, who merely laughed and ran out of the cavern. The two boys followed by Haru, Momiji, and the rest of them followed him out. He ran out of the waterfall and into the lake, splashing water as he went. Yuki and Kyo jumped through the water fall at the same time and landed in a fighting stance.
"I think just this once" Yuki said, "That we can fight side by side Kyo."
"I'm with you. Let's teach this asshole a lesson!"
Tohru arrived at the scene and saw the three boys fighting in the lake. Yuki and Kyo were both very good martial artists but Kageru was good too. He dodged their attacks expertly. Kyo ran towards him and flipped behind him. While Kageru concentrated on that, Yuki ran over and punched him in the face. Kageru landed in the water. But he quickly shook it off and flipped back, striking Kyo with his foot. Kyo fell into the water.
"You'll pay for that one you bastard" Kyo seethed, "I can't stand water."
"Stupid cat get over here!" Yuki shouted.
Kyo nodded and ran over. The two of them faced Kageru once again.
"Only a half hour left" Kageru egged them on, "You'll never make it."
"I have to stop this" Tohru thought.
She ran over to the middle of the three boys and held up her hands, blocking Yuki and Kyo from Kageru's view.
"Tohru what are you doing?" Momiji called.
"Stop this Kageru" Tohru demanded, "Leave my friends alone."
"Miss Honda" Yuki said out of breath.
"Tohru get out of the way" Kyo replied.
"Listen to them Tohru" Kageru said, "There is nothing you can do to save them."
He was flipping the figurine up and down in his hand. Tohru watched him then smiled.
"You're wrong about that" she replied turning to face Yuki and Kyo.
Just at that moment the King of ShiraNobi and Akito arrived. They both stared stunned at what they saw next.
Tohru walked over to Yuki and placed a small kiss lightly on his lips. Kageru was now staring stunned, the piece in midair. Then she walked over to Kyo and gave him a small kiss on his lips as well.
***************
That did it. Kageru was so busy staring at the scene in front of him that he forgot to catch the figurine. It fell into the lake. Tohru quickly made an about turn and snatched it up. Akito on top of his horse suddenly jumped down, much to the protest of the other king. Kageru shook himself out of the trance and then kicked Yuki who was still stunned as well at what just happened. Kyo angrily kicked him back then helped Yuki back up.
"Kyo I've got the figurine" Tohru replied.
At that moment Akito grabbed her from behind. The other Sohmas protested, as well as her grandfather. He took the figurine out of her hand.
"Akito what are you doing?" Yuki said preparing to come over.
"I will not let this girl interfere any longer" he replied angrily.
"But she's not interfering" Kyo shouted, "She's trying to help us."
"I don't believe that."
Shigure, Hatori, Kureno, and Ayame looked at one another and nodded. They walked over and pulled Tohru from Akito's grasp. Then while Kureno was holding onto him, Shigure took the figurine back and handed it to Tohru.
"What do you think you're doing?" Akito shouted at them.
"We're sorry to defy you like this Akito" Hatori replied, "But we want the curse lifted. And if this is the only way we hope that you understand."
"Let go of me! Let go of me!" Akito demanded.
"Go Yuki, Kyo, Tohru!" Shigure shouted, "Get that on the Zodiac Stone before it is too late!"
Tohru nodded and the two boys, at a run followed her in. Momiji and the others followed afterwards.
"Arrest him!" the King of ShiraNobi said to his guards, pointing at Kageru.
But he was too quick for him. He jumped up and followed the Sohmas into the cave.
"I will not fail my mistress," he said to himself as he ran. The Sohmas had fifteen minutes.
**************
Tohru quickly handed Kyo his figurine. He took the cat and walked over to the stone. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kageru running in. Momiji and Hatsuharu tried to stop him, but he pushed them aside roughly. Kyo was so close. Tohru took a deep breath and ran over, Yuki calling her name as she went. She ran over to Kageru and held his hands back. Kyo turned and saw her.
"Don't worry about Miss Honda!" Yuki shouted, "Put it in Kyo! There's only five minutes left!"
Kyo nodded and turned back around. He placed the cat on the very top of the stone. The light underneath was lit. It was bright orange. The clock in Hatsuharu's hand clicked to midnight. The stone began to glow bright orange, illuminating the walls. A woman's screeching scream was heard throughout the cavern.
****************
Everyone who had been outside entered the cavern and saw Tohru struggling with Kageru. He had heard his mistress's cry and saw the glowing stone. Out of pure hatred he finally smacked Tohru so hard that she fell from his form.
"Miss Honda! Tohru!" Yuki and Kyo shouted as they scrambled over to her.
The other Zodiac members angrily charged Kageru and pulled him to the ground.
Yuki leaned over Tohru as Kyo knelt down. She was unconscious.
*************************************************************
Authors Note: That's it! One more chapter to go! I know it's a cliffhanger but I got to give you one last one until the finale. See you all again on Wednesday!
Next Chapter: Back to Reality
Pretty self-explanatory I think!
Kyo and Yuki stood in front of Tohru.
"Give it back you bastard!" Kyo demanded, "That doesn't belong to you!"
"I can't do that" Kageru chuckled, "I would be letting down my mistress after all. She has waited a long time for her revenge to be carried out. And now you only have about forty minutes left. You'll never succeed."
"I don't understand something" Yuki replied angrily, "What do you get out of this? For assisting?"
"That's easy" Kageru said smiling, "I get ShiraNobi. I get to rule over it. And not only that I get a princess to help me rule over it" he stared at Tohru.
"What!" Momiji exclaimed.
"Over my dead body you will!" Kyo shouted.
"That's the idea. My mistress doesn't care if you survive. She hates the Sohma family after all. And so do I. You two" he pointed at Yuki and Kyo, "Have been nothing but trouble for me."
"I'm sorry. Maybe will be more than just trouble for you next time" Yuki replied.
"Very funny" Kageru frowned.
"And what makes you think that my grandfather is going to willingly hand over his kingdom to you Kageru?" Tohru asked.
"Oh that's easy Tohru" Kageru grinned, "If I have you as my prisoner, that old man will crumble at my feet."
"Don't you dare talk to Miss Honda so formally" Yuki said angrily, "You lowlife."
"I may be that. But the clock is ticking. And you Sohmas are almost out of luck."
Yuki and Kyo started to charge him but Hatori and Shigure held them back. Kageru just continued to stand there, smiling away. Tohru stared at him for a few minutes.
"What am I going to do?" she thought, "There has to be someway to get that figurine away from him."
***************
Yuki and Kyo finally were able to pull themselves from the older Sohmas grasp. They both ran towards Kageru, who merely laughed and ran out of the cavern. The two boys followed by Haru, Momiji, and the rest of them followed him out. He ran out of the waterfall and into the lake, splashing water as he went. Yuki and Kyo jumped through the water fall at the same time and landed in a fighting stance.
"I think just this once" Yuki said, "That we can fight side by side Kyo."
"I'm with you. Let's teach this asshole a lesson!"
Tohru arrived at the scene and saw the three boys fighting in the lake. Yuki and Kyo were both very good martial artists but Kageru was good too. He dodged their attacks expertly. Kyo ran towards him and flipped behind him. While Kageru concentrated on that, Yuki ran over and punched him in the face. Kageru landed in the water. But he quickly shook it off and flipped back, striking Kyo with his foot. Kyo fell into the water.
"You'll pay for that one you bastard" Kyo seethed, "I can't stand water."
"Stupid cat get over here!" Yuki shouted.
Kyo nodded and ran over. The two of them faced Kageru once again.
"Only a half hour left" Kageru egged them on, "You'll never make it."
"I have to stop this" Tohru thought.
She ran over to the middle of the three boys and held up her hands, blocking Yuki and Kyo from Kageru's view.
"Tohru what are you doing?" Momiji called.
"Stop this Kageru" Tohru demanded, "Leave my friends alone."
"Miss Honda" Yuki said out of breath.
"Tohru get out of the way" Kyo replied.
"Listen to them Tohru" Kageru said, "There is nothing you can do to save them."
He was flipping the figurine up and down in his hand. Tohru watched him then smiled.
"You're wrong about that" she replied turning to face Yuki and Kyo.
Just at that moment the King of ShiraNobi and Akito arrived. They both stared stunned at what they saw next.
Tohru walked over to Yuki and placed a small kiss lightly on his lips. Kageru was now staring stunned, the piece in midair. Then she walked over to Kyo and gave him a small kiss on his lips as well.
***************
That did it. Kageru was so busy staring at the scene in front of him that he forgot to catch the figurine. It fell into the lake. Tohru quickly made an about turn and snatched it up. Akito on top of his horse suddenly jumped down, much to the protest of the other king. Kageru shook himself out of the trance and then kicked Yuki who was still stunned as well at what just happened. Kyo angrily kicked him back then helped Yuki back up.
"Kyo I've got the figurine" Tohru replied.
At that moment Akito grabbed her from behind. The other Sohmas protested, as well as her grandfather. He took the figurine out of her hand.
"Akito what are you doing?" Yuki said preparing to come over.
"I will not let this girl interfere any longer" he replied angrily.
"But she's not interfering" Kyo shouted, "She's trying to help us."
"I don't believe that."
Shigure, Hatori, Kureno, and Ayame looked at one another and nodded. They walked over and pulled Tohru from Akito's grasp. Then while Kureno was holding onto him, Shigure took the figurine back and handed it to Tohru.
"What do you think you're doing?" Akito shouted at them.
"We're sorry to defy you like this Akito" Hatori replied, "But we want the curse lifted. And if this is the only way we hope that you understand."
"Let go of me! Let go of me!" Akito demanded.
"Go Yuki, Kyo, Tohru!" Shigure shouted, "Get that on the Zodiac Stone before it is too late!"
Tohru nodded and the two boys, at a run followed her in. Momiji and the others followed afterwards.
"Arrest him!" the King of ShiraNobi said to his guards, pointing at Kageru.
But he was too quick for him. He jumped up and followed the Sohmas into the cave.
"I will not fail my mistress," he said to himself as he ran. The Sohmas had fifteen minutes.
**************
Tohru quickly handed Kyo his figurine. He took the cat and walked over to the stone. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kageru running in. Momiji and Hatsuharu tried to stop him, but he pushed them aside roughly. Kyo was so close. Tohru took a deep breath and ran over, Yuki calling her name as she went. She ran over to Kageru and held his hands back. Kyo turned and saw her.
"Don't worry about Miss Honda!" Yuki shouted, "Put it in Kyo! There's only five minutes left!"
Kyo nodded and turned back around. He placed the cat on the very top of the stone. The light underneath was lit. It was bright orange. The clock in Hatsuharu's hand clicked to midnight. The stone began to glow bright orange, illuminating the walls. A woman's screeching scream was heard throughout the cavern.
****************
Everyone who had been outside entered the cavern and saw Tohru struggling with Kageru. He had heard his mistress's cry and saw the glowing stone. Out of pure hatred he finally smacked Tohru so hard that she fell from his form.
"Miss Honda! Tohru!" Yuki and Kyo shouted as they scrambled over to her.
The other Zodiac members angrily charged Kageru and pulled him to the ground.
Yuki leaned over Tohru as Kyo knelt down. She was unconscious.
*************************************************************
Authors Note: That's it! One more chapter to go! I know it's a cliffhanger but I got to give you one last one until the finale. See you all again on Wednesday!
Next Chapter: Back to Reality
Pretty self-explanatory I think!