Disclaimer: I do not own any contents associated with Fruits Basket
Man did I not just sound SO PROFESSIONAL?
Hello my loyal fans, I want to thank you all again for the great reviews, and never ending loyalty. You make my writing fun, and a warm fuzzy feeling that someone out there actually likes it!
So live on loyal fans and thanks!
Just to let you know of other stories written by me
Crescent Scar- Wolf's Rain- Romance
Under the Crimson Moon- (I think that's the title)- Rurouni Kenshin- Romance- Stopped
Summer Vacation in the World- .HackSign- Romance-Stopped
Love's Flame- Yu Yu Hakusho- Romance/Tragedy- Stopped
Most of my stories were stopped because no one was reading them (tears)
If people start reading them, I will definitely continue.
Chapter 24
Tohru remained still on the board she was tied to, tears falling from her eyes, and blood dripping from her cheek. Akito laughed softly, and then it grew and grew to maniacal laughter. He felt success, finally the young girl had broke.
"Do you even begin to now understand the pain that us Sohmas feel?"
"Of course not..." Tohru said gently
Akito was taken aback on this "What?"
"How could I...ever fully know...I am not a Sohma. Physical pain, is not all that your family feels; they feel rejection, fear, sadness, worry, the feel of being different. How could I know, when I'm just a simple girl. No matter the amount of torture you inflict upon me, I'll never really know."
Hatori, who had been looking at the floor in shame now looked up surprised. Tohru was not beginning to be released, wasn't crying and whimpering about the pain, not even pretending to say she did feel it, willing to take more. "Miss Honda..." Hatori looked at her, with a stain of disbelief.
"You retched girl, you actually ask for more pain? You wish to feel more remorse and agony, I shall gladly give it to you!" Akito said glaring at her, he pulled her by the ponytail. "Do you really want to die?"
Tohru remained calm, only flinching slightly as he locked onto her hair "Of course I don't...I want to live and do all the things my mother wanted me to do, but if I do, I wouldn't be sad either. People die, and people live, that's all there is to it"
Akito could not begin to understand this girl. She appeared to be such a foolish simpleton, and yet she had the complexity only comparable to his own. He could not see the pain on her face, why could he not see the pain, why was she not beginning for cease like the others Sohmas did when they were hurt?
Kisa was crying silently against Hiro. Hiro watched her, even he feeling shamefaced and sorrowful. Although he was not found of her, he did not want to see this, he did not want to relieve this guilt that he had for Kisa. He looked to Hatori for guidance, but even Hatori did not know what to do.
"You moron. You truly are a fool" Akito said releasing her hair. "I'm done with you for now," Akito turned, opening the sliding door. The door's light blinding everyone compared to the darkness, he stepped through, and shut it with a slam. Tohru let out a sigh and Hatori instantly ran over to her, beginning to untie the ropes at her hands.
"SISSY!" Kisa left Hiro's sides, bending down, and began to untie the other ropes. Hiro only followed, relieved it was over, for now.
"You idiot Tohru, why would you say such things to Akito, now you're only going to suffer more?" He told her with a small hint of anger in it. When Tohru was finally freed, she fell to her knees, Hatori wanted to catch her, but it just wasn't possible.
"Heh...its okay Hiro...its over for now" Tohru told him tiredly her blood still dripping on the floor with her dirty tears.
"Miss Honda..." Hatori rubbed her arm and rested his forehead against the top of her matted hair "I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry..."
"Hatori...don't feel guilty...you are...in a tough place...." Tohru fell forward, her head resting against Hatori's knees. Kisa and Hiro stood aside looking on in fear.
"Kisa go get my medical bag, Hiro, go get some blankets and things for Tohru. We have to get her cleaned up." Hatori looked down at Tohru and rubbed her head. I have to tell Shigure...
Because....she might not even be alive by the time you reach her....."
Everyone froze, no one dared to move, and no one dared to breath. Shigure, still looking at his newspaper. Now, everyone could see it, the tears brimming in Shigure's eyes. He was worried, even though he told the other's not. Oh Flower...please be alright.
"Do I dare to ask...what you mean by that?" Yuki asked
"No, don't dare....just...hope."
After that, Kyo had spent the rest of the night staring out the window, he had even skipped food, and put no effort in the torture the stupid rat. He couldn't just sit around, he was trying to hard, but how could he let this pass if Tohru really was in danger. Shigure came out of his room, and sat down on the couch beside Kyo.
"I know this is hard...."
"Its just damn stupid! You're telling me to wait here, and hope, when she could be dead right now. I know you want to adopt her, we all want her here, what's the point if she's been killed, hurt, everything. She doesn't have any reason to be punished and hurt by Akito."
"I know..." Shigure said looking out the window, their silence was interrupted by the phone ringing beside Shigure. "Hello, Sohma House"
"Shigure..." a sad voice asked
"Hatori?" Shigure's eyes widened and he looked to Kyo, who was just as eagerly waiting to see who it was. "What is it Hatori?"
"Miss Honda."
"Is she alright?" Shigure screamed into the phone.
"I have to be brief, I should not even be contacting you. Overall she's fine. She has a small laceration on her cheek, and is more than anything tired, both emotionally and physically. I'm not going to permit her to come to school tomorrow. Master Akito has more of his torture in store, I need her to recover fast as she can. Master Akito's illness is also growing worse, after tonight's stress, he'll be sick tomorrow as well. So, if your boys want, they should come tomorrow, when he's helpless to do anything."
"Hatori what happened to her? What did Akito do?" Shigure yelled into the phone.
"I have to go, just remember what I told you...click..." Shigure wouldn't release the phone, even though the only sound was the humming of the dead line. Medical reasoning, that's all Hatori had given them, that doesn't mean shit. He had to know, what happened, what really did happen?
"Well? What the hell did he say?" Kyo yelled at Shigure.
"We're going to see her tomorrow" Shigure said slamming the phone down "I am not going to let them play mind games with me!" Shigure walked into his office and slammed the door so hard the whole house seemed to quiver in fear.
"What's with all the commotion?" asked a sleepy sounding Yuki as he walked down the stairs.
"Tohru's been hurt" Kyo said slowly
"What?" Yuki's eyes widened "Is she alright? What happened?"
"I'm not sure Rat...Shigure wouldn't tell me what he heard...but it sounded like even Hatori could not give enough information.."
"Do you think this test is really worth it?" Yuki was beginning to wonder if testing Tohru was worth it, with all the pain she'd go through, just to be with them
"I'm not sure anymore...I want her here, with us together, but, are we worth it, compared to all the pain she goes through?" Kyo asked looking away
"I don't know..." Yuki replied looking at the floor
"But don't you think, Tohru's also doing this because she wants to?" Momiji asked, he entering the room. "I mean think about it, right now, we only look at it from our angle, we want her here, but she'd never go to Akito's unless she wanted to be here too. Tohru's trying really hard, because in the end, we're all she has...she wants to be here."
"Yeah, but she's also getting hurt for our sake. What happens, if she passes, and then later on decides we aren't worth it?" Haru asked he following
"Don't say that!" Momiji turned around with tears brimming in his eyes "Haven't you heard how many times she says she's so grateful, and so happy to be here? Don't you see her smile all the time now, remember the day we sent her back to her grandfathers, she was miserable. She belongs here!"
"Shigure says we're going to see her tomorrow.." Kyo added
"Well, aren't we going to see her in school anyway?" Yuki asked
Kyo shook his head "I think Hatori's keeping her home. I've got a really bad feeling. What is this, only day two?"
"She still has 11 days left." (Yesterday, and today, leaving 11, my way of thinking))
"If she's been hurt on only the second day, and they're taking her out of school, what else will she face?" Haru asked sadly
"I don't know...I really don't know" Kyo said looking out the window "Tomorrow can't come soon enough."
"Tohru...wake up Tohru..." a small voice asked
"Huh?" Tohru opened her eyes slowly. Everything in front of her was blurred, she could barely make out the outline of the figures, until slowly her eyes began to focus. "Hiro...?" Tohru rubbed her eyes again, and there he still stood beside her on the floor, his knees bent. "Hey..." Tohru smiled gently
"Tohru...I....I...." Hiro had tears in his eyes, even him, someone who had to be brave for a long time, couldn't stand with himself for what he had helped in
"Hey Hiro...its alright..." Tohru said
"No it isn't! Tohru I helped him! I helped him and look what he's done to you! You're hurt..."
"This is nothing, I fell from a bridge a little while ago and was swept down rapids."
"That's not the point you idiot! The point is we all helped, we're no better than Akito. Kisa's crying like crazy in her room, and even Hatori is ashamed. You of all people doesn't deserve to be hurt when you're the only one who accepts us for what we are!" Hiro looked away clenching his fists. Tohru took his hand again and held it tight
"It's okay. I know that you don't mean the things you do. You're obeying someone's command, even if you don't believe it to be right. I'm not mad. Tell Kisa and Hatori that too, I could never be mad at you. You're all, in a tough situation, sometimes personal emotions conflict with our jobs" Tohru closed her eyes gently
"Tohru? Are you going to be okay?"
"I'm fine Hiro....I'm just...tired...." Hiro's hand touched her face, and her eyes opened quickly.
"Sorry...you're so black and blue...his hits are harder then you think...and the cuts pretty big too...Hatori had to stitch it up"
Tohru just laughed "Its okay..you should Kyo after he's done fighting"
"They're coming to visit tomorrow....I heard Hatori on the phone"
"That's great...they get to see me looking like a plume" Tohru laughed again
"You should eat something..." Hiro said quietly.
"I'm not the hungry right now..." Tohru answered him quietly
"Please eat something...you haven't eaten anything since yesterday. When you cook, you don't even cook for yourself."
"Since when did you worry about me?" Tohru asked gently
"Since it became obvious how important you are to everyone here. Even if you can't think for yourself, you think of us. No one has ever been, as willing and understanding about the curse as you are. I don't think, any of us could survive if you left"
Tohru smiled. "Fine...I'll eat something if it'll make you feel better. I don't want you to worry on my account"
Hiro sighed gratefully. He got up quickly, leaving the room and came back with a small bowl of hot soup. He gently placed the dish in her lap and she sipped at it quietly
"Are you still going to stay here....and face him again?" Hiro asked
"Yes" She said unemotionally staring out the open door.
"Why?! Why are you staying? He'll kill you Tohru"
"I know." She said unemotionally again
"What the hell is wrong with you? Why do you do this to yourself?!"
"I don't know....what is my to all the pain everyone here goes through...."
"Tohru..." Hiro lifted his head confused
"What is the one to the happiness of many....I want the Sohmas to be happy...." Tohru thought of Kyo back at home, always confined and his wishes only just out of reach. She thought of Shigure writing at home, Haru and Momiji fighting, and Yuki waiting.
"Are you serious?" Hiro asked. How could someone be so willing to give up their life
Tohru only nodded "I will finish this...never leave something unfinished, you'll always wonder about the outcome then...that's what mom said"
"Go to sleep Tohru...you're talking crazy stuff now" Hiro said with a smirk.
Day Three
The boys all cut school, no one cared, not even Shigure. But Shigure told them that they should at least wait around until nine o'clock, for hospitality reasons. Everyone was waiting around the house, Kyo especially pacing around the house.
"Easy there Kyo, you'll wear a hole through my carpet" Shigure told Kyo while reading his newspaper
"How are you so damn calm!" Kyo barked. But Shigure only remained looking at the newspaper, his eyes following the words, but none of them truly sinking into his mind. The hallway clock stroke nine and began its chime, in an instant, the boys all ran, leaving everything, and piled into the car.
They ran to the entrance, and there Hatori stood waiting. "Just on time I see' Hatori said looking at his walk
"Take us to her now" Shigure said with a hostile voice, even to his best friend.
"Of course..." Hatori said, turning and opening the gates. They opened slowly, moaning along. He took them through the quarters, everyone getting dark chills up their spines.
"I remember now why I hate this place" Yuki muttered under his breath. Kyo followed in the back. He truly wasn't supposed to be here, since he wasn't really a zodiac member, but it didn't matter, he had to see Tohru.
Tohru's room was near the far most edge of the Sohma's estate. Hatori knocked on the door quietly. "Miss Honda...we have company" But there was no response from Tohru. "Miss Honda?"
"She's sleeping..." Said a small Kisa. Hatori slid open the door. Kisa was sitting beside her, Hiro's sleeping head in her lap, he half outstretched on Tohru's futon. Tohru turned on her side away from them, sleeping quietly, her face content, but blotted out by the black and blue bumps on her face. "No matter how many times I tell them to wake up, they just keep sleeping"
"Do you think they're alright?" Yuki asked peering into the room. Hatori walked in and bent over placing his hand on Tohru's forehead.
"She doesn't have a fever, she's probably still exhausted. Tohru..." Hatori shook her shoulder and shook it. Tohru flinched and Hatori stopped feeling bad. Shigure walked in and patted his friend's shoulder.
"Flower...time to get up..." Shigure said gently. Tohru's eyes opened slowly and she looked at him sadly.
"Tell me this isn't a dream" Tohru said weakly
"If it is, I hope we never wake up" Shigure said gently stroking her unsmoothed cheek.
"Shigure!" Tohru cried grabbing onto him, he whimpering and wagging his tail.
"Its okay now Tohru, its okay" He said resting his muzzle on the side of her face.
The rest of the boys waited outside, knowing that she needed a while to cry and calm herself down again. Tohru squeezed Shigure so tight, she didn't want to let go, but she had the absent feeling of not feeling another's arms around her. But there was no reason to complain, Hiro woke up a few moments later, but said nothing, and only wrapped his arm around Kisa.