Another Like Kyo
Kaede swung her backpack over her shoulder and looked into the sky, the sky was bright and warm. Kaede was seventeen years old with long orange hair that spiked on the ends. Her eyes were deep and blue like a beautiful summer day. She wore khaki shorts with a red tank top. Around her wrist was a bracelet made of alternating white and black beads. In her pack, all that was left was a pack of band-aids, three bottles of fruit punch, lemon and berry blue Gatorade, paper, pen and half a box of goldfish. I'll reach the shigures house soon…
"Ms. Honda…we appear to be out of onions for the miso soup," Yuki noted scanning the cabinets.
"I'll need to run to the store after school then…I guess we can find something else…." Tohru smiled.
Shigure trotted in eating a rice ball with his editor close behind and slammed the door behind him, leaving the editor irritated. She grabbed a nearby mallet and swung it wildly at the door. Yuki and Tohru shook their heads and returned to looking through the cabinets when Tohru exclaimed, "Look, leeks, they'd be perfect for the soup!"
Kyo slithered in, eyes crossed, "Leeks, I'd rather die than eat that…." Kyo stopped in his sentence and looked outside. He stared for a moment before running outside and climbing onto the roof. Puzzled, Tohru followed him up to the roof where kyo stood looking around in the distance.
"Uh…Kyo…is something wrong?" Tohru said puzzled.
"Yeah…something's…. all wrong…it feels as if I'm in two places at once…whatever that means…aww forget I said anything" Kyo plopped down and sighed.
Tohru smiled, "I guess I know what you mean…they say it's an out of body experience"
"Out…. of body?" Kyo said irritated.
"Yeah. Oh, breakfast should be ready in ten minutes, don't wait or it'll get cold!" Tohru climbed back down the ladder and returned to the kitchen where Shigure sat smoking and reading the morning paper,
"Ah Tohru, after school your going to the store right? To pick up some leeks? Could I ask a favor, pick up bread and soy sauce….we might be having….an extra guest, but don't mention it to either yuki and especially not Kyo."
"Oh! A new member of the zodiac?!" Tohru exclaimed.
"……." Shigure said nothing and continued reading the paper. Puzzled by Shigures strange actions, Tohru took breakfast off the stove and set it out for everyone. Kyo arrived fully dressed for school and Yuki followed him. Kyo noticed Yuki and seized the oppurnaity,
"Alright you stupid rat, today's the day! I'm going to beat you…you stupid rat!" Kyo screamed at Yuki.
Yuki, irritated said nothing but sat down at the table and began eating with shigure and Tohru. Kyo growled at Yuki and proceeded to kick him when Yuki shot out his hand and grabbed Kyo's leg and flipped him on the floor,
"Now get up you stupid cat and eat before you waste ms. Honda's hard work"
Kyo stood up and sat next to Tohru angrily,
"Stupid rat" he muttered.
"Ma'am, do you perhaps know of where Shigure Sohma lives?" Asked Kaede to a bookstore owner.
"Ah! So you must be friends of Shigure? Yes, he's in the woods past the river…here's the directions, it shouldn't take you too long to reach the Sohma house," The book keeper wrote down the directions to Shigures house and drew a map and handed it to Kaede who bowed in thanks then went outside. Go to the school and head straight down the road. Kaede read and walked on, soon finding the school in front of her. Walking straight she found herself looking at the sky and noticing a black cloud rolling in and thunder peeling through the sky. School had been let out a little over an hour ago; hopefully everyone was nice and safe at home.
"Shigure, we're home!" Tohru exclaimed as she walked into the house and began putting groceries in the kitchen. Kyo and Yuki slopped onto the floor and began their homework.
"So how was your day yuki?" Shigure asked.
"Fine, the school festival day is next week and everybody has been pretty busy with it"
"I had to put up with that stupid Yuki, so my day was okay I guess" Kyo said irritated.
Shigure smiled and there was a knock at the door. Tohru dried her hands and went to the door and opened it to find a girl about her age with long orange hair that was freely blowing in the breeze,
"I'm Kaede sohma, may I come in?"
Tohru nodded and went into the kitchen and got tea for everyone and returned, giving everyone a cup. Kaede thanked Tohru and said, "I come from China. I am a Sohma. When I was born I was taken from my parents immediately, for reasons you shall soon find out and stayed there until a year ago when I transferred to North Star High school and then when I found out why I was moved away I came here, about four months ago."
Kyo and Yuki were puzzled, "Shigure…who is this?"
"Hmm…well lets just say that what she's about to tell us is not to be repeated outside this house" Shigure stated sternly.
Kaede bowed her head,
"When I was born…a problem occurred, you see Kyo and I were born at the exact same minute in the same room. Kyo's master's grandfather had recently passed away and when the spirit of the cat came, it didn't know which baby to choose so it doubled itself and I became the cat as did Kyo. Akito was angry as well as his father, the previous head of the house. He wanted be dead as was the rule of the Sohma house when this rare occasion happens. My parents pretended to have killed me, but sent me to China in an orphanage. Then last year they visited me and explained everything, and I'm here to tell Kyo…we're bonded…by blood. Never ever tell Akito of me, otherwise he'll kill me and erase all of your memories. Akito is an evil man, he has whipped many members of the zodiac, thrust members through doors, broken spirits bones, and once drove one person to suicide, the man is crazy, then again he bears a great burden…his life is wasted."
Kyo stood up and clomped upstairs without a word then slammed the door to his room. Yuki sighed, "Forgive Kyo, this is a great shock to him…."
Tohru shook her head, "I thought I knew most of the families secrets…. but this…poor Kyo"
"Living with Kyo, you know his true form?" Kaede questioned.
"Yes, I accept him for not what he is but who he is" Tohru said quietly.
"Good, you're a definite first, I guess you've met Akito as well?"
"Yes…I fell sorry for him" Tohru said even more quiet.
Kaede nodded, "I think I'll have a chat with Kyo now"
"Kyo, it's I, Kaede, may I come in?"
"Hpm…. what right do you have coming into our house?!" Kyo said slamming his fist onto the floor.
"I understand…I did the very same thing when I heard of you…I may not look like it, but my temper is as bad as yours…but I was saved by living in a family of only girls in a girl community…so I didn't learn of my transformation until I entered high school…a boy hugged me and Atori was sent and erased his memory…"
"You sound worse than Yuki, what's so bad about erasing others memories?"
"You'll find out when it's you who loses something or someone dear to you"
"So…. leave" Kyo hissed. Kaede bowed and closed Kyos door behind her and walked back downstairs.
"Shigure, Kaede seems the complete opposite of Kyo…. how come?" Yuki questioned.
"Well," Shigure thought, "I guess different environments, after all she was in a all girls school and was raised by a single woman, so she couldn't have found out until…her parents came and got her, shattering her life so to say" Shigure scratched the back of his neck, "I need to get back to my writing, oh and Yuki…be nice to the pretty girl you sly dog." Shigure waved slyly and crept into his office. Yuki grew angry and slung a towel over his shoulder, "I have homework ms. Honda, and please excuse me" Yuki left and walked by Kaede as she entered the kitchen,
"Tohru…can I stay here a bit longer? I don't think Akito can catch me staying here for at least a week"
"Um…you'd better ask Shigure in the morning, it's his house, but I'm sure he'll say yes"
Kaede bowed, "Thank you" Kaede crept into the living room and rolled out a sleeping bag she had been carrying and went to sleep. Tohru smiled, it was only 6:00, but Kaede was probably worn out from her journey. Tohru turned off the lights and went up to her room. As she turned on the lights she jumped back seeing Kyo on her bed.
"Kyo! You startled me!" Tohru exclaimed.
"Hmph. How long before she leaves?"
"Hmm? Oh, Kaede, um…I'm not sure"
"It's not safe here, Akito's been looking for her for the past 16 years, an 'outsider' may have told him of her current whereabouts"
"Is it really so bad kyo? Why can't there be two cats in the zodiac, I know it's not right, but can't she still live?"
"No" Kyo hesitated, "It's part of the curse"
"Curse?"
"Yeah…death"
"Die…"
"Yeah"
"Kyo…"
Kyo said nothing more but jumped down from Tohru's window and climbed across the roof and windowsills to his room. Tohru shivered and closed the window and got ready for bed.
The Next morning Kaede seemed deep in thought and slightly worried. At noon, Kaede left without a word to the others, but dropped a note in the bushes in her hurry. Tohru took it in and read it aloud to Yuki, Kyo and Shigure.
Kaede,
So glad to have finally found you! I'd like to invite you to a cup of oolong tea at the main house this weekend at 7:00 p.m. Oh, and Shigure, Yuki, Kyo and Tohru should know where to find the main house, being that they've been there before…so come…we have much to discuss!
Sincerely,
Akito Sohma
P.S. Don't bring anyone, this is rather personal, just as well, don't tell them.
Kyo shook his head, "No doubt to kill her"
"Could that be the only reason?" Shigure smiled.
"Listen Shigure! If you know anything we don't…" Shigure shook his ring finger, "Nope, the writer keeps holy words to himself."
Kaede entered the main Sohma house and trotted along until she was spotted by a young doctor who introduced himself as Hatori,
"So, you must be Kaede Sohma?"
"Yes Mr. Sohma"
"Akito Sohma awaits to see you"
He led Kaede through a large house and into a large room gently lifted by the light. Hatori left, leaving Kaede alone with a man only two or three years older than her.
"Kaede Sohma, the second cat of the zodiac…" Akito turned his face towards Kaede and sat down next in front of her, "and…my daughter"