"I can't believe I'm wearing a skirt." Tori grumbled as she climbed a tree.
"A pink skirt at that." She climbed halfway up a tree, sitting cross-legged
on a thick branch. She crossed her arms and a raven landed on one
gracefully. "What's the point of a skirt anyway?" She asked it. She had
been forced to wear some of Tohru's clothes while hers were being washed.
It seems that Tohru doesn't own any pants apart from her work clothes,
which Tori would have worn if Tohru hadn't insisted on her skirt.
"Tori-san!" Tori looked down to see Yuki walking under her tree. She groaned under her breath and started climbing again. The raven on her arm flew away huffily. 'Sorry!' She thought, 'But no one can see me in this skirt.' She moved out from the trunk of the tree, and stepped on a thinner branch, not looking where she was going. The branch broke under her weight, sending her falling through the branches with a short yelp of surprise. Yuki looked up to see something falling to the ground.
"Tori-san!" He ran to help her, but before she hit the ground, her wings shot out, and she landed gracefully. Yuki stopped abruptly, stunned at her safe landing. Tori put all her weight on her feet, only to have one leg buckle under her. Her wings shrank back into her back, as she sat there in surprise. Tohru rushed out, Shigure on her heels.
"Tori-chan, are you alright?" Tori looked down at her leg, eyes wide.
"Hey look, I'm bleeding." She pointed out. She was indeed bleeding, quite heavily in fact. Her fall through the tree scraped her leg badly, but she didn't seem to notice it until she fell over. Tohru ran around panicking while Shigure rang up Hatori. Yuki looked at Tori, puzzled.
"Are they Honda-san's clothes, Tori-san?" Tori looked down at her clothes, and remembered that they were, indeed, Tohru's clothes. She closed her eyes, and reluctantly looked over her shoulder. Seeing what happened to the back of Tohru's shirt, she swore under her breath.
"Tohru-chan, I'm sorry." Tohru stopped running around, and looked at the girl. Tori pointed to her back, a cheerless expression on her face. Her wings had ripped two large holes in the back of the shirt, ruining it. Tohru ran off to get another shirt before Tori could stop her. Shigure wandered out, a sober expression lingering on his face, carrying a walking stick.
"Tori-chan, Ha-san needs you to go to the estate. He wants to have a look at you, but can't come over." He helped her up and gave her the stick. "To keep the weight off your leg." He explained, and helped her over to the veranda. "The taxi should be here soon, don't worry.
-----
Akito looked out his window to see four people walking across the grounds. He recognised three immediately, but when he saw the black and white hair of the fourth member of the party, an insincere smile spread across his face, and he moved away from the window. He rang a small bell, and a young girl entered the room, bowing nervously.
"There is a girl with black and white hair here. Find out where she is and bring her to me at once." Akito's quiet voice filled the room, making the girl shake visibly as she bowed again, and made her way out of the room which seemed to consume any light that went into it. Akito moved back to the window and looked out of it gleefully, imagining what he would do once Tori was back in his grasp.
-----
"Nice clothes." Haru commented lightly. Tori frowned at him leaning against the doorway so casually as her leg was being tended to.
"Shut up." She snapped. Whatever Hatori had put on her leg was stinging, making her short-tempered. "If it weren't for these clothes, I wouldn't be here at all." She hissed as Hatori put more antiseptic on her leg. "Bloody skirt." She mumbled to herself. Hatori bandaged her leg firmly, and was about to let her go when there was a knock at his door. Tori was made to stay where she was while he talked to the person. He left the door open slightly, and bits of the conversation floated into the room.
"I'm sorry sir, but Akito-san wants to see her." Tori and Haru glanced at each other, and Haru opened the door more. "He is insisting on it."
"I'm sorry, but she is not fit to go anywhere right now." Hatori's voice had an irritated edge to it. "She shall see him when I say she is able to."
"But sir, what am I to tell Akito-san?" The woman whined. Tori moved to get off the bed, when Haru held his hand up to stop her. Hatori was murmuring something quietly outside. She sat there for a moment, then realised what she was doing and got up quietly, ignoring Haru trying to stop her. She almost reached the other door when a voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Where are you going?" Tori spun around to see Hatori standing in the doorway, looking at her disappointedly. "I am assuming you heard my conversation," Haru and Tori looked down, guilt showing clearly, "but what I said was true. You shouldn't be running off." Tori started to protest, but Hatori stopped her with a glance. "Whatever your reasons for leaving may be, you are not to go until your legs have healed properly." Tori gave a defiant stare, and then grinned triumphantly.
"Fine." She sat down and started unwrapping the bandages. Hatori frown and moved to stop her, but she looked up with a powerful expression on her face, stopping the doctor from acting. Unwrapped, she saw how badly it was, and hesitated slightly. Determination filled her features as she spread her hand over the leg and closed her eyes, chanting quietly. Her wings spread out slowly, and light spread gradually from her fingers to surround her injuries. Her chanting got louder as the light brightened, and disappeared, leaving her leg healed.
"Wow" commented Haru from the corner. Tori opened her eyes and looked at him while her wings withdrew. "How did you do that?" She frowned at him, and he held his hands up innocently. "It looked incredible, that's all."
"It's a spell, if you could call it that. More like a talent that is emphasised through saying a specific verse." She stood and made her way to the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be off."
"Why didn't you do it before?" Tori's hand froze on the door. She turned around to face Hatori's fierce expression and Haru's confused look. She made her way back to the chair and sat down heavily.
"I really should be going..." She tried to avoid the question, but sighed. "I could say I needed to build up my energy, but to tell you the truth, I forgot." She looked at Hatori sheepishly. "I forgot what I had to say, so while you were putting that stuff on-which really hurt, by the way- I was racking my brain to remember it. It finally clicked when you went all doctor on me." She stood up and went over to the door again. "Now I really have to run." She waved and rushed off, leaving Hatori and Haru watching where she had stood.
-----
The woman stood in front of five men. "Ok, there is a girl in the estate that Akito-san wants. You have seen her picture, so you know who to look for. We have to get her, at any cost." The men nodded, all wearing identical frowns on their faces, and rushed off. The woman stayed where she was, smiling bitterly as she watched them go.
-----
Momiji looked up at the sky thoughtfully. 'I hadn't realised the clouds had built up during the day.' He shrugged it off and went back to playing with Tohru. 'I guess it'll rain later.'
-----
Tori was lost. 'Do I turn left, of go straight ahead?' She turned left down a hallway and ran into a large man going the other way. He looked down at her and smiled proudly as he reached out for her. Tori looked at him, confused, and before she realised what was going on, he grabbed her arms and started walking off.
"I'll get a good reward for finding you so quickly." He told her absently as they walked along. Tori wasn't listening, she was too busy making a complicated plan in her head to escape. "I wonder what Yuriko wants you for anyway." As soon as the come to a garden, all thoughts of a plan left her head, and she kicked back as hard as she could, hitting the exact spot she wanted. He let go of her as he doubled over, leaving Tori to shoot off and climb the nearest tree.
"Boys! The target has been found. Come to the west garden quickly, before she escapes!" Tori looked down to see a middle-age woman talking into a radio and glaring at the tree Tori was in. 'Yuriko, obviously.' Tori closed her eyes and concentrated on Raku and the others. She felt their answer and smiled as she settled down to wait for them to come.
She looked down to see four men standing around the man she injured. He seemed to be recovering, and looked quite angry. Yuriko walked over to the group and pointed to Tori's tree. The men looked where she was pointing and started making their way over. Tori was about to climb across to another tree when the birds came. Raku landed on the branch next to her and looked at her with one eye. She nodded, and jumped out of the tree.
The blackbirds swarmed into the air, preventing the men to see Tori in the flock. She rose above the birds, so Yuriko and the men could see her, and dived towards the group. She stopped and landed gracefully, noticing they were all too surprised to try and grab her. She was about to put her wings away when a voice rang out.
"Get the pest." Tori turned to see Akito on a veranda, looking at Tori with pure hatred. Tori cleared her face of any emotion and bowed politely. Akito's lip curled and he rushed towards her. She flew out of his reach, landing nearby. He rushed at her again, this time just missing her. This went on like a vicious dance, until Akito latched onto her leg. She lashed out, narrowly missing Akito's head but loosening his grip enough for her to flee to a nearby roof.
Hatori and Haru rounded the corner to see Tori landing on the roof. She stood on the edge closest to Akito and closed her eyes, her right hand out flat. The flock of blackbirds perched on and around her, leaving the hand free. Last of all, a small, white bird, similar to the one the fed in Akito's garden, flew over and landed on her outstretched palm. She opened her eyes and smiled a cold smile. Raku hopped from Tori's shoulder to stand next to the white bird. He hopped on top of it, pinning its head under his foot. The little bird struggled for a while, and then stilled. Akito cried out in a mix of grief and anger.
The blackbirds, apart from Raku, flew into the nearby trees as Tori lightly launched off the roof, rising into the air. She was still rising when one of the men pulled a gun and shot at her. The bullet went through her wing, and Tori let out a cry, which made all who heard it shiver. Her hand dropped, and Raku and the white bird flew off as she plummeted. On the ground Haru ran to catch her, but he was too late. As she hit the ground with a sickening crunch, the sky opened up and it started raining. As if the sky was crying for her.
------
Sorry for taking so long. I was sick, had school and worst of all, writer's block. I had the ideas in my head, just couldn't put them in words. Plus, FF.net was being grumpy and not letting me on, sorry! Because I took such a long time, I gave you a longer chapter. Thankyou to my new reviewers:
Chibi Mi-chan: Thankyou for telling other to read my story. Don't be sorry about only two more people reading it, it's two more peple to tell others. For your help, I give you some cookies! *Gives you Fruits Basket cookies*
Chibi Mo: Thankyou for the compliments on my spelling and grammar. I'm glad this makes sense (I aways worry it's just a big pile of nonsense). Thanks for trying to get others to read too! *Hands you a packet of instant Fruits Basket characters*
KelTortall(): Thankyou for your nice review. I hope you do come back!
"Tori-san!" Tori looked down to see Yuki walking under her tree. She groaned under her breath and started climbing again. The raven on her arm flew away huffily. 'Sorry!' She thought, 'But no one can see me in this skirt.' She moved out from the trunk of the tree, and stepped on a thinner branch, not looking where she was going. The branch broke under her weight, sending her falling through the branches with a short yelp of surprise. Yuki looked up to see something falling to the ground.
"Tori-san!" He ran to help her, but before she hit the ground, her wings shot out, and she landed gracefully. Yuki stopped abruptly, stunned at her safe landing. Tori put all her weight on her feet, only to have one leg buckle under her. Her wings shrank back into her back, as she sat there in surprise. Tohru rushed out, Shigure on her heels.
"Tori-chan, are you alright?" Tori looked down at her leg, eyes wide.
"Hey look, I'm bleeding." She pointed out. She was indeed bleeding, quite heavily in fact. Her fall through the tree scraped her leg badly, but she didn't seem to notice it until she fell over. Tohru ran around panicking while Shigure rang up Hatori. Yuki looked at Tori, puzzled.
"Are they Honda-san's clothes, Tori-san?" Tori looked down at her clothes, and remembered that they were, indeed, Tohru's clothes. She closed her eyes, and reluctantly looked over her shoulder. Seeing what happened to the back of Tohru's shirt, she swore under her breath.
"Tohru-chan, I'm sorry." Tohru stopped running around, and looked at the girl. Tori pointed to her back, a cheerless expression on her face. Her wings had ripped two large holes in the back of the shirt, ruining it. Tohru ran off to get another shirt before Tori could stop her. Shigure wandered out, a sober expression lingering on his face, carrying a walking stick.
"Tori-chan, Ha-san needs you to go to the estate. He wants to have a look at you, but can't come over." He helped her up and gave her the stick. "To keep the weight off your leg." He explained, and helped her over to the veranda. "The taxi should be here soon, don't worry.
-----
Akito looked out his window to see four people walking across the grounds. He recognised three immediately, but when he saw the black and white hair of the fourth member of the party, an insincere smile spread across his face, and he moved away from the window. He rang a small bell, and a young girl entered the room, bowing nervously.
"There is a girl with black and white hair here. Find out where she is and bring her to me at once." Akito's quiet voice filled the room, making the girl shake visibly as she bowed again, and made her way out of the room which seemed to consume any light that went into it. Akito moved back to the window and looked out of it gleefully, imagining what he would do once Tori was back in his grasp.
-----
"Nice clothes." Haru commented lightly. Tori frowned at him leaning against the doorway so casually as her leg was being tended to.
"Shut up." She snapped. Whatever Hatori had put on her leg was stinging, making her short-tempered. "If it weren't for these clothes, I wouldn't be here at all." She hissed as Hatori put more antiseptic on her leg. "Bloody skirt." She mumbled to herself. Hatori bandaged her leg firmly, and was about to let her go when there was a knock at his door. Tori was made to stay where she was while he talked to the person. He left the door open slightly, and bits of the conversation floated into the room.
"I'm sorry sir, but Akito-san wants to see her." Tori and Haru glanced at each other, and Haru opened the door more. "He is insisting on it."
"I'm sorry, but she is not fit to go anywhere right now." Hatori's voice had an irritated edge to it. "She shall see him when I say she is able to."
"But sir, what am I to tell Akito-san?" The woman whined. Tori moved to get off the bed, when Haru held his hand up to stop her. Hatori was murmuring something quietly outside. She sat there for a moment, then realised what she was doing and got up quietly, ignoring Haru trying to stop her. She almost reached the other door when a voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Where are you going?" Tori spun around to see Hatori standing in the doorway, looking at her disappointedly. "I am assuming you heard my conversation," Haru and Tori looked down, guilt showing clearly, "but what I said was true. You shouldn't be running off." Tori started to protest, but Hatori stopped her with a glance. "Whatever your reasons for leaving may be, you are not to go until your legs have healed properly." Tori gave a defiant stare, and then grinned triumphantly.
"Fine." She sat down and started unwrapping the bandages. Hatori frown and moved to stop her, but she looked up with a powerful expression on her face, stopping the doctor from acting. Unwrapped, she saw how badly it was, and hesitated slightly. Determination filled her features as she spread her hand over the leg and closed her eyes, chanting quietly. Her wings spread out slowly, and light spread gradually from her fingers to surround her injuries. Her chanting got louder as the light brightened, and disappeared, leaving her leg healed.
"Wow" commented Haru from the corner. Tori opened her eyes and looked at him while her wings withdrew. "How did you do that?" She frowned at him, and he held his hands up innocently. "It looked incredible, that's all."
"It's a spell, if you could call it that. More like a talent that is emphasised through saying a specific verse." She stood and made her way to the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be off."
"Why didn't you do it before?" Tori's hand froze on the door. She turned around to face Hatori's fierce expression and Haru's confused look. She made her way back to the chair and sat down heavily.
"I really should be going..." She tried to avoid the question, but sighed. "I could say I needed to build up my energy, but to tell you the truth, I forgot." She looked at Hatori sheepishly. "I forgot what I had to say, so while you were putting that stuff on-which really hurt, by the way- I was racking my brain to remember it. It finally clicked when you went all doctor on me." She stood up and went over to the door again. "Now I really have to run." She waved and rushed off, leaving Hatori and Haru watching where she had stood.
-----
The woman stood in front of five men. "Ok, there is a girl in the estate that Akito-san wants. You have seen her picture, so you know who to look for. We have to get her, at any cost." The men nodded, all wearing identical frowns on their faces, and rushed off. The woman stayed where she was, smiling bitterly as she watched them go.
-----
Momiji looked up at the sky thoughtfully. 'I hadn't realised the clouds had built up during the day.' He shrugged it off and went back to playing with Tohru. 'I guess it'll rain later.'
-----
Tori was lost. 'Do I turn left, of go straight ahead?' She turned left down a hallway and ran into a large man going the other way. He looked down at her and smiled proudly as he reached out for her. Tori looked at him, confused, and before she realised what was going on, he grabbed her arms and started walking off.
"I'll get a good reward for finding you so quickly." He told her absently as they walked along. Tori wasn't listening, she was too busy making a complicated plan in her head to escape. "I wonder what Yuriko wants you for anyway." As soon as the come to a garden, all thoughts of a plan left her head, and she kicked back as hard as she could, hitting the exact spot she wanted. He let go of her as he doubled over, leaving Tori to shoot off and climb the nearest tree.
"Boys! The target has been found. Come to the west garden quickly, before she escapes!" Tori looked down to see a middle-age woman talking into a radio and glaring at the tree Tori was in. 'Yuriko, obviously.' Tori closed her eyes and concentrated on Raku and the others. She felt their answer and smiled as she settled down to wait for them to come.
She looked down to see four men standing around the man she injured. He seemed to be recovering, and looked quite angry. Yuriko walked over to the group and pointed to Tori's tree. The men looked where she was pointing and started making their way over. Tori was about to climb across to another tree when the birds came. Raku landed on the branch next to her and looked at her with one eye. She nodded, and jumped out of the tree.
The blackbirds swarmed into the air, preventing the men to see Tori in the flock. She rose above the birds, so Yuriko and the men could see her, and dived towards the group. She stopped and landed gracefully, noticing they were all too surprised to try and grab her. She was about to put her wings away when a voice rang out.
"Get the pest." Tori turned to see Akito on a veranda, looking at Tori with pure hatred. Tori cleared her face of any emotion and bowed politely. Akito's lip curled and he rushed towards her. She flew out of his reach, landing nearby. He rushed at her again, this time just missing her. This went on like a vicious dance, until Akito latched onto her leg. She lashed out, narrowly missing Akito's head but loosening his grip enough for her to flee to a nearby roof.
Hatori and Haru rounded the corner to see Tori landing on the roof. She stood on the edge closest to Akito and closed her eyes, her right hand out flat. The flock of blackbirds perched on and around her, leaving the hand free. Last of all, a small, white bird, similar to the one the fed in Akito's garden, flew over and landed on her outstretched palm. She opened her eyes and smiled a cold smile. Raku hopped from Tori's shoulder to stand next to the white bird. He hopped on top of it, pinning its head under his foot. The little bird struggled for a while, and then stilled. Akito cried out in a mix of grief and anger.
The blackbirds, apart from Raku, flew into the nearby trees as Tori lightly launched off the roof, rising into the air. She was still rising when one of the men pulled a gun and shot at her. The bullet went through her wing, and Tori let out a cry, which made all who heard it shiver. Her hand dropped, and Raku and the white bird flew off as she plummeted. On the ground Haru ran to catch her, but he was too late. As she hit the ground with a sickening crunch, the sky opened up and it started raining. As if the sky was crying for her.
------
Sorry for taking so long. I was sick, had school and worst of all, writer's block. I had the ideas in my head, just couldn't put them in words. Plus, FF.net was being grumpy and not letting me on, sorry! Because I took such a long time, I gave you a longer chapter. Thankyou to my new reviewers:
Chibi Mi-chan: Thankyou for telling other to read my story. Don't be sorry about only two more people reading it, it's two more peple to tell others. For your help, I give you some cookies! *Gives you Fruits Basket cookies*
Chibi Mo: Thankyou for the compliments on my spelling and grammar. I'm glad this makes sense (I aways worry it's just a big pile of nonsense). Thanks for trying to get others to read too! *Hands you a packet of instant Fruits Basket characters*
KelTortall(): Thankyou for your nice review. I hope you do come back!