The Shogun's Daughter

By: StarlightSakura

Chapter 10

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A/N: I'm sorry it took me a while to get out. I started writing it down one day and I couldn't stop. Then I did, then writer's block hit (or something came up., can't remember which), then I started writing, then I finished, then I started typing, then I lost my disk (yesterday), then I found it (an hour ago), now I've finished it. That was my chapter ten adventures. Enjoy!!!

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At the Sohma house:

Whitney, Kyo, Yuki, and Hatsuharu entered the room where Tohru and Kisa were taking care of Kagura and Asako.

"Oh my god! Kagura-san! Are you alright?" Whitney asked.

Kagura, who had woken up just moments earlier, looked at Whitney. She noticed Whitney and Kyo holding hands. "I'm fine." She said in a sarcastic tone filled with jealousy. "Kyo-kun." She added, this time with a bit of anger in her voice.

Kyo let go of Whitney's hand and knelt next to Kagura, but with caution. "What do you need?" He asked.

Kagura slowly sat up and looked at him. Then, her hand flew at Kyo and her palm connected with his face. "You bastard! You could've died out there? Why did you do it? You idio.. Ow!" She yelled as her sudden exertion sent pain shooting throughout her body.

Kyo grabbed Kagura's shoulders and laid her back down on the futon. "Get some sleep and don't worry about me." He said. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

Kagura smiled then brought her hand up to the red mark on his cheek. "Kyo- kun, who did this to you?" she asked.

Kyo glared at her. "Who do you think?" he said before standing back up.

As he stood, a strange chill went through his spine. His senses went on high alert. All those years being cursed had gifted him with sharper senses. He heard something tearing through the air at a high speed and heading for them. "Everyone lay down on the floor! NOW!" he yelled as he fell to the ground.

Sensing the nervousness in his voice, everyone else dropped to the floor. Just in time too. At that moment, an arrow flew through the room. It landed on the wall followed by three more.

After a few seconds, Kyo stood up, followed by Hatsuharu, and Yuki. The three Sohmas told the others to stay where they were and then they went outside.

"Who's out here?" Kyo yelled. Because his senses were on high alert, Kyo could hear the lowest noise and see the slightest movement.

From around the corner of the house appeared a small, black cat with two white spots on either side of its body. It walked up to Kyo and rubbed itself along his leg, purring softly.

"Get away from me dammit." Kyo said, pushing the small creature away with his foot. The cat hissed and ran into the forest. A woman and a man came out from where the cat had disappeared. The woman had a bow in her hand and a bunch of arrows on her back. She smiled as her eyes locked onto Kyo's. "Sohma Kyo, throwing aside the animal of which you used to be." She said

Kyo scowled at the woman. "What do you want? And who are you?" He questioned.

"Why, you don't remember? Ugh, I'm hurt. "Watch it young man. You could hurt yourself." Did you listen to my advice after our encounter with each other all those years ago?" she asked.

Kyo thought for a while. Then, his eyes widened in shock. "So you're the old witch who cursed me with the blood of the cat, huh." He told her. "Thanks."

The woman looked surprised. "What?! Why are you thanking me? I put a damn curse on you!" She yelled.

Kyo nodded. "Because of what you did, everyone shunned me, thus making way for Whitney to enter my life. If not for the curse, I might've been married by the time I met her." He said.

Scowling, the woman raised her hand high into the air. "If you liked being cursed so much, how about I make it permanent?! From this day forward, every child born under the name Sohma shall be cursed with one of the animals of the Chinese zodiac!" she yelled.

"Chinese zodiac?" The three questioned.

"Yes. Each child shall be cursed with the spirit of one of these animals: the dragon, the serpent, the dog, the rabbit, the boar, the ram, the horse, the rat, the rooster, the tiger, the monkey, and the cat. Any member born under the curse of the cat shall be an outcast in their life, just as you are, Sohma Kyo. The cat is accepted neither in the zodiac, nor this society. The only way any Sohma child shall be free of the curse is if there is one cursed member of every animal living during the time of birth!" She yelled. Dark clouds gathered around the Sohma house. Then, it started to rain.

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At the main Sohma house:

"Akito-sama! Akito-sama! The... the sky, it is raining blood." Hatori said as he burst into the room of Sohma Akito, the Sohma clan leader.

Akito looked out the window to confirm what Hatori had said. Seeing the red rain falling from the clouds, Akito put a hand out. As soon as the rain touched his hand, steam came from it and a hissing sound was heard as the rain burned into Akito's skin.

"What the hell?!" Akito yelled as he drew his hand back inside.

It was at that moment that the blood-rain started dripping from the ceiling onto Hatori. His arms were soon covered in the deep red liquid. Hatori started feeling something changing inside his body. He tried to wipe the blood off his arms with his hands but what fell off was quickly replaced by more. "What is going on?" he asked.

Outside in the gardens, Momiji, Ayame, Hiro, and Ritsu were also being covered by the rain.

"Ayame-san, what is this? It's nasty!" Momiji cried out as the blood ran down his face to his legs. He felt his body change as well.

"I don't know Momiji. Hiro, you, Ritsu and Momiji go inside, I'll go call Akito." Ayame said. The two boys nodded and went inside while Ayame went the other way towards Akito's room.

"Akito-sama! It is... Akito-sama! Are you alright?" Ayame yelled as he saw Akito on the ground holding onto his hand. Hatori was by his side. "Hatori- kun! What happened?" Ayame questioned.

"It was the blood-rain. It touched his hand and now he's in great pain. Go get me a bucket of water, quickly!" Hatori yelled.

"The well is full of this blood-rain." Ayame said. Just then, he felt some drops hitting his head. He looked up and a drop of blood-rain hit his forehead. "It is coming inside." He said to himself. He looked out the window and noticed dark clouds surrounding only their home. He also noticed another patch of the ominous clouds off in the distance. "It is only over our home and one other place." Just then, a thought hit him. "Isn't that in the direction Shigure-kun lives?" He asked Hatori.

Akito looked up. "What?! This is going on over there too? Quickly! Go prepare our horses! We are riding over to Shigure's home right now!" Akito yelled. He shut his eyes and groaned as the pain shot through his hand again.

"Calm down Akito-sama. Ayame, go ready the horses. And have a carriage ready for Akito." Hatori said.

"Just the horses. I'll be fine." Akito ordered.

"Ayame, get a carriage ready. Akito-sama, we both know that with whatever pain you are feeling, you will not be able to hold the reins of a horse for long. Ayame, go." Hatori said.

Ayame nodded and ran out of the room. Hatori helped Akito stand and, allowing him to lean on him for support, walked out of the room.

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At the Sohma house:

"Kyo. What's going on? Who is she?" Shigure asked as he came out of the house.

"She's the one who cursed m... me..." Kyo looked at Shigure and noticed that his arms were covered in blood as well. "Oh no. Yuki, Haru-chan, Shigure! Get inside, NOW! Don't let Kisa or Kagura get touched by the rain!" Kyo yelled, realizing what was going on.

"K... Kyo-kun. What is this?" Whitney asked as she stood by the door.

"Whits-kun! Get back inside and stay there!" Kyo yelled. 'Oh no! If this is really the curse being brought back then... I can't, we can't...' Kyo told himself. "I won't let that happen." He whispered.

"Oh but it already has happened Sohma Kyo. You have been cursed again. Just as the rest of the Sohma's are now. You cannot do anything to reverse Anata- san's curse." The man said.

"What do you mean "the rest of the Sohmas"?" Hatsuharu asked.

"Anata-san, allow me to show him." The man said.

"Go ahead Makoto-chan." Anata said.

Makoto disappeared and reappeared behind Whitney. He pushed her hard and she fell onto Hatsuharu. As her chest met his back, there was a soft *poof* along with a cloud of smoke.

When the smoke cleared, a cow was standing in Hatsuharu's place. "What the hell? What happened to me? Why am I a damn cow?!" He yelled.

Whitney jumped back in shock and Kyo caught her, already knowing to avoid embracing her. "Kyo-kun. Are you... cursed again?" She asked, taking a deep breath hoping that Kyo would not confirm the worst.

Slowly, Kyo nodded. "That doesn't matter right now. Go back inside and don't come out." He said.

"I can't leave you. I..."

"GO!" he yelled.

Whitney jumped from the shock of Kyo yelling at her. Tears threatened to fall but she held them back and nodded. She started for the door but stopped halfway. She went back to Kyo and gave him a soft kiss. "Be safe." She said as she pressed her lips against Kyo's.

"I will." Kyo mumbled as he returned her kiss. Then, pushing her away, he added, "Take care of yourself and everyone else. Don't worry, I'll be fine." He smiled at her confidently.

Whitney disappeared inside the house and Kyo turned his attention back on Anata. "You bitch."

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~*~*END CHAPTER TEN*~*~