To Run Before You Walk
By
Dragondolphin1990
Chapter 2-It was tiger, I think...
Disclaimer-I still don't own either of them.
I'm a fifteen year old American orphan who grew up in a hospital. That isn't exactly the kind of life I wanted. All I wanted was a mom and a dad who could somehow heal my wounds. I got five teenagers and an alien. Who cares, though? I'm finally freed of that hell house called the hospital. Trust me, you don't want to be eating cold chicken every other day for the rest of your life.
Apparently, there aren't as many Chi in Japan as America, but who's to say the Yeerks aren't as bountiful? I met one today who is called Tohru Honda. She-erm, it-is living with three men. Three human men. Three cursed human men. My life was saved by one of those men, Kyo Sohma. My trip to Japan was... different. I was being chased by a controller, so I escaped to the ocean. I lost my bearings (which I always seem to do) and ended up swimming across the world to Japan. Don't ask how. I'm not sure of that myself.
The other men are Yuki and Shigure Sohma. The Sohma's have a funny curse. I don't mean to be mean or anything, but I get a kick out of it. Whenever a girl hugs a guy, they turn into animals of the Chinese zodiac. I never really listened to the thing, though. I believe in astrology. I'm a Leo, by the way. I think I was born in the year of... the kangaroo? No, wait. That isn't in it... Maybe it was the shark. No, still not it. I know I'm the lion in astrology.
Kangaroo, no. Shark, no. Lion, no. Wolf, no. Leopard, my fave animal, no. I think it was something with fur. Oh, yeah, I remember now. I was born in the year of the tiger. Why was I trying to remember again? Oh, yeah, the curse.
"Does she have to stay?" Shigure asked.
Tohru replied, "Yes, she will stay."
I interrupted, "Could you stop talking like I'm not right here?"
"Sorry," they both said.
I rolled my eyes and walked out of the room, only to see Yuki and Kyo. I asked them, "Do you guys have a computer?"
"Yes, it's in there," Yuki said, motioning to another room.
I went in and did a search on the year of the tiger. I'm stupid, I know. I just wanted to see what I'm like according to these people. Apparently, I'm straightforward, sensitive, short-tempered, and courageous. I'm supposed to get along with horses, dragons, and dogs, but not monkeys. I also have a lack of respect to my elders. I guess this zodiac thing is pretty true.
Wait a minute, short-tempered! I do NOT get short tempered! Well, I am now, but... okay, so I get short-tempered sometimes. Just sue me, then.
I get along with dogs? Isn't Shigure a dog? Stupid zodiac! It's lying!
Unhappy with my zodiac sign, I turned off the computer and walked back to Yuki and Kyo. Kyo asked, "What'd you do?"
"I learned I'm a tiger and I'm supposed to get along with dogs and I'm short-tempered."
"Sarah and Shigure sitting in a tree, K-I-S-" Kyo started, but I interrupted.
"Yeah, right. Believe what you want."
Shigure and Tohru came into the room. Tohru said, "Sarah will be staying with us. If that's OK with everyone."
They all seemed to agree, but I said, "But I need to get home! The others are probably worried that I got caught!"
Tohru said, "I'll help you take care of that, if you stay with us."
I trusted her because she is a Chi, and, therefore, she cannot be a controller, "OK, fine by me."
Shigure said, "So it's settled. More high school girls get to live in my house... High school girls, high school girls, all for me, all for me!"
I said, "I hope you realize that I can kick your butt."
He shut up and scooted away from me, toward Tohru. The result: a dog. I rolled my eyes as he started chasing his tail. Tohru pulled me away before he transformed back. We went up to her room, which had a telephone of its own.
"This is a secure line. I'll call the Chi in America to let your friends know that you're safe," she said, dialing a number, "Hello. This is Tohru, from Japan. Could you please let the Animorphs know that Sarah is here and safe? ... Okay, bye bye."
I said, "I didn't know they know Japanese."
She said, "We're advanced robots. Did you think we only know one language?"
"You have a point," I said as we returned to the others.
Shigure was human again by this point. It was getting late, so we all went to bed. Since they didn't have any extra beds, I slept on the floor in Tohru's room. That night, I didn't sleep well. I woke up having a coughing fit. Tohru was immediately by my side. She asked, "What's wrong?"
I continued coughing for a few minutes. When I stopped, I said, "Damn. I thought that I was over this. Before I became an Animorph, I had a terrible lounge disease. The doctors said I wouldn't make it, that every day I stayed alive was a miracle. When I first morphed, I thought I had lost the illness, but obviously not."
Tohru asked, "Do you need a doctor?"
"I'll be fi-" I said but had another coughing fit. When it was over, I said, "Maybe a doctor wouldn't be that bad, but not until the morning. I'll morph something else for the night. Wake me up before two hours are up."
I morphed a cat and curled up next to the Chi and fell asleep, without any coughing. I felt myself being shaken.What?
"It has been nearly two hours. You should become human again."
I quickly morphed human. We went to the kitchen and I helped Tohru prepare breakfast. The others woke up and came in. We ate breakfast quietly without many conversations. After we ate, I felt my breathing become short and shallow. My chest tightened and the coughing began. It lasted for an eternity. When I finally caught my breath, I said, "I think I need a doctor..."
I passed out from lack of oxygen.
((Yuki's Point Of View))
Sarah was coughing and then she passed out. Shigure did the only thing he could, run around like an idiot. I took the phone and called Hatori.
"Hello."
"Hello."
"Yuki? Why are you calling?"
"There is this girl at our house and she just passed out. Before she lost consciousness, she said she needed a doctor."
"I'll be right over."
Kyo said, "If Hatori knows she's here, it's only a matter of time before Akito knows."
Tohru said, "I hope Sarah's OK."
Shigure finally calmed down when Hatori arrived. He answered the door and let Hatori enter, "This is Tohru."
Hatori bent down to the unconscious girl, "What happened?"
Tohru said, "Last night, she told me that the doctors at the hospital told her she wouldn't make it much longer. Today, she had a coughing fit and passed out."
Hatori asked, "Do you know which hospital?"
"It's probably in America. She's American," Kyo said.
Hatori nodded and got to work.
I felt really bad for her. I know how it is to not be able to breath well, but I've never passed out.
((Sarah's Point of View))
I slowly regained consciousness. My eyes fluttered open to find myself face to face to a man. I screamed. He quickly got away and rubbed his ears, "You are definitely loud enough."
I calmed down, "Who are you?"
"My name is Hatori Sohma. I'm a doctor."
"Doctor? Good. I used to have this sickness, but then I thought it went away, but it came back," I managed to say in one breath.
"You seem fine now," he said.
I stood up, "Thank you for all of your help. I'm fine now."
"Just try not to do too much. If you need anything else, they know where I live," Hatori said, and then he turned his attention on the others, "So, how did you meet her?"
Kyo said, "I found her drowning in the ocean yesterday."
Shigure added, "She somehow got here from America."
Yuki said, "She spent the night."
Tohru said, "She knows about the curse."
The last statement caught Hatori off guard, "WHAT?"
I smiled, "It's true, but I won't tell a soul, promise!"
"We can't know that's true," Hatori said, walking toward me.
Tohru seemed to know what he was up to and put herself between the two of us, "You can't take her memory! I know she won't tell."
He tried to shove Tohru to the side, but they ended up hugging. There was a bright light and Tohru was holding a sea horse. I asked, "Is there a sea horse in the zodiac?"
"I was born in the year of the dragon," the fish said.
"According to the zodiac, we're supposed to get along, then," I said.
There was another light and Hatori was standing there, naked. Everyone looked away. After he got dressed, he said, "Sarah, I am going to take away your memories of the Sohmas."
"How can you do that?"
"I just can."
He walked toward me, and I walked away. Finally, he had me against the wall. I like my memories, really, I do. I also like being an Animorph. That's it! Leopard beats dragon, I hope. I morphed leopard. He stared at me. I growled and knocked the doctor to the ground. Apparently, I don't cause them to transform when I'm morphed.
He was lying on the ground, his face two inches away from my teeth, which were bared and growling at him. I said in thought-speak, Trust me. You don't want to mess with me, Hatori.
Tohru ran to me, "Hatori isn't your enemy. You shouldn't be using your powers to hurt him!"
He's trying to hurt me!
"He doesn't have a choice. You do."
I choose to keep my memories.
Our argument had given Hatori the chance to get out from under me. He was trying to make a run for it when I lunged to stop him. I got his left leg wedged between my upper and lower teeth. The flesh broke and blood spewed everywhere. His bones broke. Then, I decided to stop. I morphed human.
He was holding his leg in agony, staring at me. I ran into the kitchen and rinsed my mouth out. Blood tastes nasty! When I returned, Tohru had given him a splint to hold he leg until a cast could be made. I said, "I'm sorry. I hope it's a clean break."
"How can you be sorry? You just mauled me!"
"It's not like I killed you or anything."
Kyo said, "I think I know why you said you like leopards..."
I chuckled, "My favorite morph is the leopard. As you can see, I could have easily killed our poor doctor. I was holding back just now."
"That is what you call holding back?"
"Yeah, I was. Do you realize how many people I've killed?"
Tohru said, "None. You haven't been in any battles yet."
I stuck my tongue out at her, "Stupid Chi, why'd you have to tell. Don't you have some dog to worship or something?"
"Okay!" she said, hugging Shigure, "DOGGY!"
Shigure wasn't sure if he should be happy or freaked out. I chuckled and then turned my attention back to Hatori, "May I please keep my memory?"
"If you can convince Akito to let you."
"Who?"
"He is the head of our family. You don't want to get on his bad side," Yuki said.
"Everyone is on his bad side."
"Okay, so if I can convince him to let me keep my memories of you guys, you won't take them from me?"
"Yeah, that's how it is," Hatori said.
"Let's go!"