Family Uproar
The whole Sohma family was in an uproar and an emergency family meeting had been called as soon as it became apparent that Kisa and Momiji were missing with their where abouts completely unknown. All the cursed ones had been ordered to report to the family holding for an audience with Akito and even Kyo, who never set foot there except during New Year was ordered to come as well. Along with the cursed were Kisa's mother who was beside herself with worry and Momiji father who had left work without a thought as soon as he'd learned of his son's disappearance. Everyone crowded into the large room they'd been ushered into they were waiting for Akito impatiently.
"I wonder where Rin is. There will be hell to pay if she doesn't show up." Haru muttered under his breath, trying his best to hide his worry as the minutes clicked by with no sign of her. Akito was always especially hard on the members of the curse who were female and he feared what kind of punishment she might face if she didn't show up. Kueno would come with Akito and other then him everyone else had arrived but Rin. Where could she be? And where was Kisa? It wasn't like her or Momiji to pull a stunt like this. He knew there were still some kids that teased her at school but for the most part he'd heard she was fitting in a lot better and making friends. She would have told him if something was wrong. Wouldn't she?
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"Well I must say this is unexpected. Where do you think they could have gone off to and why? Somehow I can't see this as a lovers run for freedom." Shigure said with a rakish smirk as he looked at Yuki who stood there with his arms crossed looking none to pleased and more then a little worried. "They didn't say anything to Tohru about this did they?"
"No. When Kyo and I asked her she said they both seemed fine the last time she'd seen them. She said Kisa had seemed particularly happy about something in fact. And don't be stupid, of course it's not a lovers tryst. Only a baka like you would guess such a thing." Yuki said with a dark look, absently straightening his shirt collar. "One can only hope they're together. They'll be safer that way." Yuki added as he looked over at Kyo who was sitting off by himself with a scowl on his face. The cat was uneasy and worried though he was doing his best to hide it from everyone else.
"What could they have been thinking running off like that." Hatori said to Ayame though he wasn't looking for a response. He'd come home yesterday to find a note from Momiji saying he was staying over at Shigure's house. He'd had no reason to question it so he'd gone to bed, warn out from a day of waiting on Akito hand and foot. He knew that Kisa's mom had been left a similar note and if they were accurate then Momiji and Kisa had left of their own accord. They knew the dangers, the punishments that were sure to come. What were they up to that they would risk so much? Had they both run away for some reason? Momiji had seemed a lot happier in the last couple of weeks, had perhaps he been looking forward to something that had fallen through or looking forward to leaving? But Momiji would have said good bye to him or at the very least the two would have said good bye to Tohru. Which led to the idea that they intended to come back. The question was when would they be back and where from.
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"I'm sure they're fine and on their way back from where ever it is they've gone to this very minute, Hatori." Ayame said as he patted Hatori on the shoulder, understanding that Hatori viewed himself as Momiji parent of sorts and that Hatori took the duty very seriously. Hatori took all his duties too seriously actually but this was one Hatori had taken on by choice. Ayame knew Hatori felt guilty over his part in Momiji losing his family and that since then Hatori had tried to replace them, first out of guilt and duty and then out of love. Ayame doubted Hatori could love Momiji more if Momiji were actually Hatori's son. Hatori was more a father then Momiji's real father, Ayame thought darkly as he looked over at the man who stood there trying to comfort Kisa's mother without a lot of success. The man had married a woman not strong enough to take what it meant to be in this family. Few women did unfortunately. His mother had been able to accept him and Yuki..but she hadn't been able to be a real mother to them either. The last time he'd heard from her was New Years.
Everyone going quiet it was apparent Akito had entered the room. Walking up to the front everyone cleared a path for him, Kueno following behind Akito like a dog though he was in fact the rooster. Taking a seat at the back of the room Akito sat down, watching them all silently for a moment, his black robes and pale face giving him an almost otherworldly feeling. "Have they been found yet?" Akito finally asked in a soft voice, belaying the anger he was feeling. They thought they could pull one over on him, that he was too weak and feeble to notice. Oh he knew they'd tried to hide the disappearances from him but he wasn't stupid. He knew everything that happened within his family. His cousins would pay for their disobedience. His word was law and no one broke it without punishment.
"No they have not." Hatori said, speaking out as one of the eldest and because he happened to be on Akito's good side at the moment while it was hard to know with the others. Better he who had little to lose take upon Akito's wrath then someone who had much to lose that Akito could easily take. "I'm sure they'll be returning any moment now though."
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"You have more faith then I do. Does anyone here know where they are?" Akito said as he scanned to room, his eyes flashing as he realized there was another missing from the room. "Where is Rin." Akito demanded to know, his growing anger not quite masked as his hands fisted on the arm rests.
"You..you gave her permission to go on that trip sir." Came Kagura's voice from the back, the girl twisting a lock of hair around her finger nervously, terrified that she would say the wrong thing and bring Akito's wrath down on her. He had already sent Kisa and Rin to the hospital at least once..girls and Yuki were always Akito's favorite people to take things out on. "She left this morning before word got out about Kisa and Momiji. I'm sure had she gotten warned earlier she would have be here but her plane left at five in the morning."
Loosening up as Akito did remember giving the girl permission in a weak moment. Half asleep and drugged from whatever concoction Hatori had brought to help ease the constant pain he was in. That was the only reason he'd let her go and was regretting it already. Perhaps she was a part of this, the sly bitch. She was as trustworthy as a fox and though beautiful was full of poison, just waiting for a chance to strike out and bite him. She had done his bidding concerning Haru but he had no doubts she was far from broken. But she would be..oh but she would be along with Kisa. The girl had not learned her lesson the first time like Rin had. Kisa would be brutally reminded when she returned why everyone did his bidding without question. "Have you spoken to your wife and daughter as to whether they know anything?" Akito demanded, pointing at Momiji's father.
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"No, they have not seen him but my daughter has been sick with the chicken pox and as my wife has been staying with her they wouldn't have had the chance to." Was the shaky answer. He himself had not seen his son around the building at all and he'd gotten the feeling Momiji was avoiding him. Usually his son made the effort to see him but it was as if his son was pulling away from him as his wife had pulled away from Momiji. It hadn't helped that he'd snapped at the boy a week ago either, he thought with a brief look of pain. Ever since the letters from J.D. had come in his wife had been particularly dark and depressed, no doubt because of words he'd once spoke when Momiji was still small and his mother still remembered him though wished she didn't. He'd said that he wished she were more like her sister, that J.D. would never abandon her child simply because it was different. He'd yelled at her, demanding to know why she couldn't have taken after her sister just a bit so that Momiji wouldn't have to suffer for her weaknesses. He'd hurt her so badly with those words and even though shortly after those words and Momiji were erased from her memory he sometimes wondered if that was just wishful thinking. He'd catch her looking at Momiji sometimes and he would get the feeling some part of her new but didn't care. She wasn't a bad person..she was simply too weak to face the harsh realities of his world. Much less her son's.
Meanwhile
"Wow, everything looks so small from up here." Kisa said with awe as she looked down at the thriving city of Toronto from the top of the famous C.N. Tower, the highest building ever built. They'd been able to see the tower long before they'd gotten to it and it had most definitely been on her list of places she wanted to visit. "It's like being at the Radio Tower only better. Look Momiji, a plane." Kisa said with delight as she pointed to one as it headed in the direction of the airport.
"Yeah it does. I want to go walk on the glass again." Momiji said as he practically vibrated with energy trying to take in everything as once. "It was like walking on air almost. And hey did you know, Kisa that if you were to drop a penny from up here it would leave a huge mark on the ground when it landed? That's why you have to be careful not to drop even the smallest thing from this high up because it could cause so much damage when it hit something..or someone. Imagine getting taken down by a penny." Momiji said with a smirk, the smirk growing when Kisa stuck her tongue out at him.
"Well there's still a lot to see so what's say we go walking on the glass again then head out of here for some lunch?" J.D. said with a grin, delighted with their reactions and just delighted with her companions in general. They were both such nice and interesting kids, everything was a new and wonderful experience and J.D. was learning to look at things a little different which was always a good thing. Seeing things through another person's eyes was always interesting. When the two agreed they headed back in and were soon walking on glass with the city of Toronto and the cement sidewalk visible beneath them. It really was almost like walking on air only you could feel something beneath your feet. Quite the contradiction. But then today was full of contradictions. She'd learned she had a nephew but one her sister didn't know her own and likely wouldn't acknowledge as her own even if she still remembered. Her nephew had lived a hard and painful life losing his own family, being asked to suffer instead of his own mother who was too weak and selfish to bear the burdens instead. And yet Momiji was remarkably like her, happy and cheerful with a bright look on everything. Then again from the way he described his cousins, especially Hatori maybe it wasn't such a stretch. She wished he were here so she could personally thank him for everything he'd done. Momiji talked about him with such love and affection J.D. had no doubt he was the closest thing Momiji had had to a real parental figure who was likely largely responsible for how well her nephew had grown up. Hatori had taken over the role of the father who'd chosen his wife over his son and now she would take over the role of mother her sister had so easily casted away. She'd decided soon after she'd heard his story that he needed her and since his family was in Japan and that's where he lived she would just have to go there. As the daughter of a diplomat she was use to moving and adjusting to new cultures and her nephew was more important then her store. She'd sell her half or whatever and open up a new one in Japan, close to Momiji so that she could see him all the time and he her.
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Once they left the tower the three stopped to admire the nearby moose statue which the cousins had been informed could be found all over Toronto. Apparently there were moose statues of various themes throughout the city and Kisa wanted to see all of them. So far she had a picture of herself and Momiji in front of three of them, this being their forth find. Snapping the picture with a grin J.D. handed over the camera to Kisa who'd already gone through two rolls of film if she wasn't mistaken and was well into her third. That done they headed down the street till they found a hot dog vendor since J.D. Had informed them they couldn't come to Toronto without trying one. Soon armed with their hot dogs and soft drink of J.D.'s recommendation they trooped over to a park bench to eat away with a great deal of relish.
"So have you called home yet to let everyone know you're alright?" J.D. Asked after taking a sip of her Coke. She'd already gotten out of them that they hadn't told anyone where they were going having explained that they wouldn't have been allowed to come. She couldn't quite understand that but she'd left it alone. "I'm sure your parents will be worried, Kisa. Plus this Hatori of yours sounds like a born worrier, Momiji."
"They'd trace the calls and come get us." Kisa said quietly as she nibbled on her hot dog. "And my dad divorced my mother after I was born, his memory was erased as well. Only he was the Sohma rather then my mother..but she was the one who could handle it."
"Trace..would they be that worried?" J.D. asked in surprise, shocked by both of Kisa's comments. What kind of parents was God making now a days. Was the whole bloody family this bad at choosing spouses or in Kisa's father's case acting like a grown up instead of a child who hadn't gotten the toy he wanted for Christmas.
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"In the Sohma family our cousin Akito's word is law." Momiji said, uncharacteristically somber and serious. "Even though he's very young he rules the family with an iron fist and anyone who's ever gone against his wishes has paid for it dearly. Especially those of us who are cursed. Perhaps because while we might turn into animals our curse is nothing compared to his. He's always been weak and sickly, even more so then Yuki but even more so he is alone, those are his true curses. No matter what he's done to us in the past we've always had each other to lean on, to go to when things have gone bad or we just need someone. Everyone pays Akito respect but because of what he's let his curse do to him, to his soul he is without the love and friendship of anyone. Shigure may pretend it and some of the others do but most hate and fear him and he knows it. Every year he grows worse with that knowledge and so every year he tries harder to bind us closer to him. He would have forbidden Kisa and I from coming here solely because it would make us happy..and mean we might again have something he does not have..love."
"And so he does his best to kill the very thing he wants most." J.D. said with a look of understanding. "The old if I can't have it no one will. But then if he's like this why hasn't he been over thrown? If the whole family is against him why don't you all leave?"
"We who are cursed know him the best. The rest of the family rarely see him or even get a sense of what kind of person leads their family. Most of the family doesn't even know about the curse, just those who are closest to those who are." Momiji said with a sad smile on his usually so cheerful face. "It is those who are cursed that he seeks to drag down with him because he is as much a part of the curse we bear as any of us. His curse is connected to ours just as ours is connected to him. I don't know how it works except to say that he who is cursed as Akito was cursed has always been in charge of keeping the cursed ones and as part of our curse we have been doomed to live under his rule. I don't know what would happen to one of us if we attempted to cut all ties but I don't think Akito would allow that to happen. Sometimes I wonder if his life doesn't depend upon it."