Chapter Two – Ame Agari (After the Rain)
Tohru was having that kind of dream. The one where you know that you're dreaming, and it confused her. "I'm alive?" she whispered in her dream- voice. "How is that possible?"
Those voices came to her again. Those ones she didn't recognize. The voices of the dream-people who depended on her for something. "What is it you want of me?" Tohru cried in her dream-voice. "I'm not who you think I am... I can't help you... I'm dying..."
Her dream turned into nothingness. Then pain. Unbearable pain. More pain than she'd ever felt before. And though Tohru was not one to complain or let on that she was hurting, the pain was too much, and she screamed. But not in a dream-voice.
---
Sohma Yuki strolled slowly along the beach of the island that he and his family inhabited. He sighed and looked up at the sky, which had cleared after the rainstorm the night before.
The Sohmas had lived on the island for several years, ever since a number of people had discovered their curse, and could not have their memories erased before they began spreading the news. The cursed members of the family had planned just to disappear, as if they hadn't existed at all, and it seemed to be working.
The normal Sohmas were able to truthfully deny any knowledge of such members of their family, and managed to turn attention away from themselves. The family members who knew about the curse either decided to live on the island with the cursed Sohmas, or chose to have their memories erased. There were few exceptions—only those that had permission from the head of the family: Akito. People thought that the "eyewitnesses" were just attention-seekers, and forgot all about the Sohmas.
Yuki wasn't really paying attention to the beach—it was merely a shortcut to get to his secret base, a garden that he tended as a hobby. His other hobby was beating his cousin Kyo—the 'baka neko'—into a bloody pulp.
He was getting bored of his second hobby for the morning, and had decided he needed some time alone. Especially away from his brother. Yuki's eye twitched at the thought of the irritating snake. He had decided to 'visit' Yuki's older cousin, Shigure, at the house where he, Yuki, and Kyo all lived.
Yuki couldn't say he was at all happy with the living arrangements, but in order to get away from Kyo, he'd have to move back into the main house... And the cat surely couldn't stay at the main house without being locked up. And as much as Yuki hated Kyo, there was a spark... a speck... a smidgen of compassion that he held for every living thing. Almost.
Alone with his thoughts, Yuki didn't notice the body lying near the tideline of the beach until she screamed—an ear-splitting scream. He nearly jumped out of his skin, then walked cautiously over to where she lay.
As he came up from behind her, he noticed a gash on the back of her head that was open and bleeding. Her brown hair lay in wet strands across her face, and her clothing was soaked.
Duh, he reprimanded himself. She just came out of the ocean, no need to observe the fact that she's wet.
She made no motion, nor sound, after the scream, but one scream was enough. Shigure and Kyo came running down the beach towards him.
"What the HELL did you do to her, kuso nezumi?!" was Kyo's obvious response to the situation.
Yuki shot him an annoyed glare. "Nothing, baka neko." To Shigure, he added, "I found her like this when I walked past. She screamed, and I noticed her."
"Ah, Yuki-kun, as observant as ever," Shigure teased softly.
Yuki narrowed his eyes at his cousin. "This is no time for joking, Shigure."
The dog, being serious for the first time in months, winced at the sight of her bloodied and limp form. "We'd better get her to Hatori."
Both boys stared at him for a moment. "Ikan..?"
---
Tohru stirred slightly, then opened her eyes a slit. Bright light shot pain through her skull, and she sat upright, holding a hand over her face to block out the sun's rays. The quick movement made her dizzy, and the world appeared to spin around her for a moment. Her eyes slowly adjusted, and she glanced around.
She was in a small room, lying on a plump mattress on the floor. She had on another girl's clothing, to her utter embarrassment, and a thin blanket lay on top of her.
There were four other occupants of the room, and she looked at each questioningly and in turn.
First was a lavender-haired young man with violet eyes, who looked about her age. He gave a small smile, and she looked at the ground in response, before raising her eyes to glance at the second person.
Next was another young man with orange hair and angry red eyes, who refused to look at her.
Then an older man with brown hair and a kindly smile. And finally, another older man with a sullen expression, and hair falling over a nearly useless eye.
Tohru returned her gaze to her blanket, and fiddled with the edge. The silence was deafening, and rather uncomfortable, but she couldn't have spoken even if she wanted to. Her throat was raw, and it pained her to swallow, even to breathe.
She had so many questions that were bursting to be let out, but the pain in her throat restrained her. Who are you? Why am I here? How did you find me? Why am I alive? She fingered her clothes lightly... Whose are these? But surprisingly, she felt safe... Even in a house with four strangers.
Someone cleared his throat, breaking the silence, and the seemingly kindly man began to speak. "Konnichiwa," he said cheerfully. "I'm Sohma Shigure." Gesturing towards the lavender-haired one, "This is my cousin, Sohma Yuki..." and towards the orange-haired one, "...and this is my other cousin, Sohma Kyo."
Glancing around the room, Shigure seemed to remember the other man. "Oh, and that scary-looking one is Sohma Hatori. Now, who might you be, miss?"
Tohru tried to speak, but it only came out as a hoarse croak. She blushed and hugged her knees to her chest.
The lavender-haired one – what was his name again... Yuki? Yes, Yuki – smiled again. "It's okay, miss." He gestured towards a glass of water sitting beside her mattress. "Take a drink, then try again."
She reached clumsily for the glass, but managed to raise it to her lips, and take a few sips. The water was fresh and clean, and tasted wonderful. Yet when she opened her mouth again, no sound came out – but it wasn't because of her throat. Tohru wasn't entirely sure she wanted to speak—she didn't know what to say.
Yuki thought for a moment, then disappeared through a doorway, and returned momentarily with a piece of paper, a pot of ink, and a brush. "Could you write it down for us?" he asked kindly. "Gomen nasai," he added, "that's all I could find in the way of writing utensils at such short notice."
Tohru shook her head and gave what looked as if it might be a smile... by some standards. She took the brush hesitantly, then, with a shaking hand, wrote, 'Honda Tohru'.
Yuki came up beside her and read it. "Honda Tohru, hm? Then hajimemashite, Honda-san."
Hatori frowned slightly and nodded to the brush and paper. "Now that we know you can write, suppose you tell us how you got that injury on the back of your head. And those bruises."
Tohru paused, and looked at him for a long second, something unreadable in her eyes. Then, she again fumbled with the brush and ink, trying to write as neatly as possible. She pulled the page to her lips and blew on it, drying it, then handed it to Hatori, giving an apologetic smile and shrug.
He turned it right side up, and read it out loud. "Wakara nai." He glanced at Tohru, but her face turned away from all of them. However, he could tell by her quivering frame that she was holding back tears, and he looked away, deciding it was better not to attempt to question the girl any further.
He stood, motioned for his cousins to follow him, and left the room. As the other three trailed behind, Hatori sighed, and closed the door behind them, staring at it. "We need to decide what to do about that girl. That Honda Tohru."
Kyo growled disgustedly. "If this is going to involve Akito, count me out."
"Then go, baka neko," Yuki said haughtily. "Of course it involves him."
Kyo glared at his cousin, looking as if he wanted to punch his face in—which probably wouldn't have worked anyway—but at a warning glance from Hatori, he cursed under his breath and stalked away. "Kuso nezumi..."
The others entered a room off to the left that Shigure called his study... though what he studied in there was a debatable subject.
Yuki was the last to enter, and he watched his orange-haired and hotheaded cousin tramp back into the girl's room. He narrowed his eyes. What is he doing? Yuki thought to himself.
"Ne, Yuki-kun!" came Shigure's annoying carping from inside his 'study'. "What's keeping you? You aren't going to stalk off like Kyo-kun, are you?"
Yuki rolled his eyes, and wandered slowly inside, with one last glance at the now-open door of the room down the hall. Sure, someone ought to keep an eye on the girl, though for some reason, he wished it wasn't the baka neko... He was bound to mess things up, somehow.
They each knelt upon a large cushion on the hard wooden floor, but no one spoke. None of them wanted to address the subject at hand, and they each had their own reasons.
The lavender-haired boy, the former 'Prince' of his high school, felt pity for the girl. He had no idea what had happened to her, that Honda Tohru. Her wounds were one thing—what terrible accident had she suffered? It must have been bad, as she seemed to be hiding the truth about what had happened. There was also the fact that she was on a remote island with complete strangers, and her fate was in the hands of Akito. No one could tell what he might decide...
The inu, the novelist, and the seemingly kindly man had his own motive. Can Shigure's thoughts truly be accurately described? But they were, most likely—need I say it?—purely hentai. No elaboration necessary.
And the doctor, the tatsu, the man with sight in only one eye, was simply thinking of a girl that their 'guest' reminded him of. A girl light brown hair, a soft smile, and a question that changed his way of looking at the world... What does snow become when it melts? A girl from his past, from a long time ago...
But he was the first to break the silence. "Once I think about it, all we can do is talk to Akito. Or rather, I shall talk to him. He's not in the best of health right now—I was extremely reluctant to leave him—" here he glared at Shigure, "and I should not discuss such a matter with him while he is ill. I will return and tell you his decision in a week's time." With that, Hatori stood, and strode evenly to the door. "I'll be leaving now. Yuki, don't let Shigure do anything... questionable... to the girl." With those words, he was out in the hall, his footsteps echoing behind him.
"Hey! Ha-san," the inu called after him in a whine, "what's that supposed to mean?!"
- - -
Tohru was left alone to calm herself, and bring back her cheery smile. Glancing around the room, she decided to take a look outside, and get her bearings. She had no idea where she was... Nearby her home, perhaps? Then she could take her leave of the Sohmas, though they did seem like nice people...
She felt a little weak, still, but she wasn't one to give up... again. She crawled over to a wall, and used it to support herself. She walked in baby steps across the room, and over to a sliding door covered in rice paper.
Tohru pulled it slowly open, inch by inch, and winced as the bright sunlight hit her eyes. Once they had adjusted, she gazed out at the most beautiful tropical setting she had ever laid eyes on. Palm trees and trees bearing colourful fruit, vines with flowers of vibrant shades, and multi- coloured birds flitting across the sky.
Tohru stepped outside into the warm sand, sliding the door shut after her. She filtered the white grained between her toes, and walked over to one of the fruit-bearing trees.
Meanwhile, inside, Kyo was re-entering the guest room just in time to see Tohru slip outside. He followed her silently, opening and shutting the door behind him as he leapt onto the sand. He then watched as she steadied herself against the trunk of an orange tree with one hand, and plucked one of the fruits with the other.
Tohru lifted it to her nose and inhaled. It smelled delicious—then again, anything would smell delicious to a stomach that hadn't eaten in a couple days. She was about to take a tentative bite, when a voice stopped her.
Kyo walked up beside her, and her blue eyes met his red. "Oi!" he called in an annoyed tone, "what're you doing, baka?" His voice came out a little rougher and more annoyed than he really felt... He reached out, and plucked the fruit from her hands.
Tohru looked at the ground, and he noted her sad expression. Her stomach grumbled with hunger, and Kyo winced inwardly. Now who's the baka? Ahou, of course she's hungry... Tohru flushed, and looked back up at him.
Kyo cleared his throat gruffly, and waved the fruit around in front of her face. "This's an orange. If you bit into it, it'd taste nasty, baka. Haven't you ever seen one before?"
To Kyo's surprise, Tohru shook her head slightly, her eyes filling with tears. Her shoulders slumped, as she thought, Aah! Watashi wa baka-desu!
The neko sighed. "You have to peel the skin off first." He dug his nail into the fruit, and peeled a piece of the orange coating off. He then turned the orange around so a fresh part of it faced her. "Now you can do it yourself."
Tohru nodded and took the fruit, squinting at it, and mimicking his actions. As Kyo expected, she brought the orange too close to her face and got the juice from its peel squirted in her eye. She winced, and Kyo grabbed the fruit back.
"Baka! Can't even do this one thing right..." He tore off the rest of the skin, and was about to toss it to her, when a thought occurred to him. She'd never even seen an orange before, so, being the fool that she was, she would probably just try to eat it, and wouldn't realize how it split off into sections. Pfft, he told himself silently as he pulled out a piece and munched on it, I'm only doing this because I'm hungry. Not for her.
He threw the orange back at Tohru, and she caught it. She looked up to thank him in her wordless way, but he was already stalking away, muttering loud enough for her to hear about stupid girls who couldn't do anything right. After all, he didn't want her to think he was nice or anything.
A/N: Not much chance of that anyways, Kyo-kun =P
Hee, thankies for reading, people. Here's the glossary of Japanese words for this chapter. Arigatou gozaimasu!
Chapter Two Glossary
Baka neko – this is the cute little nickname Yuki has for Kyo.. It means "stupid cat".
Kuso nezumi – the nickname Kyo has for Yuki in return. 'Means, literally, shit rat. or shitty rat, I suppose. o.O strange, ne?
Ikan – means, "how?"
Konnichiwa – hello, or good morning.
Gomen nasai – "very sorry".
Hajimemashite – pleased to meet you.
Inu – means dog
Hentai – umm.. perverted.
Tatsu – the dragon from the zodiac
Wakara nai – I don't know, or I don't remember... type of thing.
Baka – 'means idiot, fool, or stupid.. they can all apply, you choose =P
Watashi wa baka desu – I'm such an idiot..
Ahou – also means idiot.