Chapter Four
Kyo and Kaede had only five minutes to decide what to do, before Akito ordered them killed. Kaede frantically searched her mind. She knew they couldn't jump out of the tree, couldn't plead, nothing. There were no options left for them, just to die, would that really be their fate? Kaede looked at Kyo and softly said, "I'll go…tell Akito and save yourself…"
"Do you really…" Kyo paused and looked at Kaede, "Live with the burden of that?"
"Then," Kaede said, "I look at it this way. I'm going to die no matter what you decide…" Kaede stopped for a little and was silent, "Kill me now and the family will go on living, but…. if we can't get out of this tree and you still refuse to leave me, we'll both be killed. If we can get down from here, and I live the entire family will die…" Kaede felt tears coming on but held back, "I just…don't want to die, but there's no way around it…."
Kyo knew Kaede relied on him to make the decision, it was too hard to make, first, he and Kaede needed to get away from here, but how? Kyo turned to Kaede,
"I wonder…if we could change into our Zodiac forms…"
Kaede looked blankly at Kyo, "We could try…" Kyo grasped Kaede into a hug before Kaede could speak and nothing happened. Kyo threw himself from Kaede. This isn't going to work… Kaede thought softly. Kyo looked down at the ground as Akito smiled, "Times Up" and snapped his fingers and the men got in position to fire. Kaede felt her eyes burn and quickly turned to Kyo, "Kyo…forgive me!" With her eyes closed, and tears flowing, Kaede pushed Kyo onto the ground and shouted, "Kill me!"
Akito smiled and cautiously moved Kyo back and ordered the men to fire. Kaede smiled, At least Kyo will live. He'll have children, and live long and happy, even if he is a member of the Zodiac, that doesn't mean he can't have happiness. Besides, I could never be so selfish to sacrifice so many peoples lives, innocent lives, some who don't even know of what runs in their blood. Kaede was shot back by the impact and felt the warm metal burn in through her flesh and Kaede felt everything inside her shut down and took one last breath as her dead body collided to the ground below.
Kyo felt a heavy weight on him as he awoke from his world of darkness. Kyo opened his eyes and looked around, though still fatigue loomed over him. Kyo bolted up straight as he looked around the room he was in, his own room. Kyo began panting, "Kaede!"
Tohru peeked into Kyo's room and frowned, dried tears at the corner of her eyes, "Kyo?" She asked weakly.
"What happened…the last thing that I remember is Kaede pushing…." Kyo stopped realizing just what had happened and slammed his fist hard onto his leg and cursed. Tohru looked and the ground and said nothing. Hatori came in and looked at Kyo, "I see you're awake, after being out for five days, that was quite a fall you had there" Hatori pulled out his medicine bag and began working on Kyo, applying fresh bandages to his wounds and an ice pack to his head. Hatori took kyo's blood pressure and when he was finished put it away and pulled a stool up to Kyo's bed, "I guess you'd like to know what happened? Hm…well, the only witness of course was Akito, and we were able to squeeze a few details about what happened from the gunmen, but perhaps you can fill in the final few pieces."
Kyo shook his head, "I blacked out, heard one or two voices, and even that I don't remember."
Hatori pulled out a cigar and smoked for a little while before answering, "Kaede is dead. Of course I would be too if someone put twenty-five bullets in me."
Kyo's usually stern, focused face softened, "She died then…that means we go on living"
"For the moment until Akito decides our punishment!" Sang Shigure as he hopped into the room.
"Darn Shigure, don't you even bother knocking before coming in!" Kyo screamed in rage.
Shigure put his kimono shelve to his mouth and tiptoed out blushing. Kyo slumped back and put his hand on his head, so, everyone is still alive…Kyo couldn't ward off his fatigue and drifted back to sleep, dreaming of Kaedes death.
Tohru came downstairs while Shigure and Hatori sat down to a cup of tea. Shigure smiled at Tohru and motioned for her to sit down. Tohru took a seat and Shigure looked at Tohru, "Tohru, is Kyo up yet?"
"No…" Tohru said softly, "He should get up soon…I hope…"
Everyone was quiet for a while before Yuki came in and sat down to drink tea with Tohru, Shigure and Hatori. No one could say anything, too much had happened, and Kaede was dead. They couldn't move forward until Kyo woke up and they could talk to him. The time went slowly by and finally Yuki brought up what to have for dinner. One thing led to another and soon they were talking again, each trying to get their minds off things.
Kyo didn't wake up until 7:00 that night, and he awoke with a start. Kyo awoke from a horrible nightmare; Kaede was bleeding everywhere and begging Akito to spare her, even though she knew she was gong to die. Akito glared a smile at her and slapped her firmly across the face and stepped on her chest, crushing her heart. Akito killed his own daughter! Kyo bolted upright in bed and beads of sweat fell down his back and chest. Kyo sat there panting for a few minutes before getting up and putting a clean shirt and pants on. Fatigue no longer plagued him and he descended downstairs where Hatori, Shigure, Yuki and Tohru sat, talking and drinking tea. The others noticed Kyo and invited him to sit with them. Kyo sat and looked and each person carefully,
"So, tell me, what did happen?"
Everyone was silent for a while before Shigure spoke,
"Well, Akito has been silent during this time about what happened, however, we were able to get a few details from the gunmen. Here's what we know; Akito chased you and Kaede into a tree and the gunmen surrounded the tree. You asked Akito for five minutes, he granted it, Kaede didn't want you to die so she pushed you out of the tree and she was killed."
Yuki looked at Shigure, "So…what details are missing?"
"Is it truly what happened, or is there more?"
Kyo nodded, "That's all I can remember, I can't remember anything after colliding into the ground."
Shigure nodded and leaned back in his chair, "Now the problem is the families reaction to what we were planning on doing. Some are against us, but surprisingly most people are for us, everyone in the zodiac is. Everyone in the family seems to be turning against Akito, except for a certain few. We're at a stand still at the moment, no doubt, Akito himself will come here and punish all of us."
Tohru was silent for a while then weakly said, "But…isn't he going to die soon?"
Shigure nodded, "Soon yes, but not soon enough for us to avoid any kind of punishment…"
Yuki's eyes slanted, "What kind of punishment?"
Shigure was silent for a while, "Just think, how were you punished as a child and when he was a child? Now imagine, you're older, can take more and e can do more"
Tohru put her hand on Yuki's shoulder, "Don't worry…we just need…"
"To stand up and shout for yourselves," A voice said from the front door. Everyone turned to see Momiji, Haru and Kagura. Kyo gulped and slid closer to the stairway, ready to leap at a moments notice. Kagura was unusually calm as she approached Kyo, almost showing…no showing love,
"Kyo…are you okay?" Kyo looked surprised and looked at Kagura, "Yeah" he said finally. Haru confronted Yuki and asked if he was okay while Momiji comforted Tohru. Shigure smiled, "Is everyone else coming too?"
Momiji nodded, "Yeah, they said they would be here soon!"
Tohru smiled, "So, Ritzu and the others are coming?" Momiji replied with a grin, "Yeah, and two members you've never met are coming!"
"The horse and the rooster…" Yuki said meditated.
As if on cue, the door opened again and four figures stood in the doorway, Aya, Kisa, Hiro and Ritsu. They were greeted and informed the others that the rooster and horse would be unable to attend, but would visit soon. All eleven for them formed a circle and Shigure led, "So, the thing is Kaede is dead, and Kyo has the full cat spirit and Akito is very angry with what we were planning in secret."
Hiro snorted, "So what's the big deal, what's Akito going to do to us. Why'd you even call us here, do you think that we wanted to be apart of this, did we even ask you, or did you just assume that because we're also members of the zodiac that we would agree to this? You know you really shouldn't assume things like this without other people than yourselves and those that live with you. If you don't you might get into trouble in the future, now that's just some good advice."
Everyone blinked except for Kisa, who grabbed Hiros shoulder gently, "It's okay Hiro"
Aya stood up, "We can't forgive Akito for killing Kaede! Even though she had only half the spirit of the cat, shouldn't that mean her death needs to be revenged?"
"But Aya…" Tohru started, "He already is going to die…just like everyone does, is it our right to choose when he dies?"
"Tohru…" Momiji said softly.
Aya was startled and complimented Tohru, "Jus like Hari, you're much more forgiving than I!"
"Why can't we just let it go?" Ritsu asked.
"Cause this is Akito we're talking about!" Kyo shouted, "Do you even realize how hard it was to see someone killed right in front of you?! She even pushed me out of the way so I wouldn't get killed! I have to live the rest of my life with the burden of knowing she died, and I lived!" Kyo felt his anger burning and stomped up the steps to his room and slammed the door behind him