Hey, Invader Nicole here, making her debut fic for Fruits Basket. My favorite character is Sohma Akito so most of my Furuba fics might be censored around her, if not her and Kureno. I got the idea for this fic from experience to say the least, though I was left alone in my own grieving. (cries) You'll see what I mean if you read. Well, thank you and have a good day. Translations for any Japanese words are at the bottom. -Invader Nicole
Disclaimer: 'Fruits Basket' is owned by Natsuki Takaya, bless her for coming up with the idea for Furuba. Oh how I wish I owned Akito . . . or any of the male Juunishis'! I was born in the year of the snake.
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"Broken Wings"
By Invader Nicole
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"Please, Akito-sama, try and eat something. You haven't eaten in three days, it isn't good for your health."
Kureno sighed in defeat as he was met with a glare he was all too familiar with. Akito had refused to eat anything the maids made or offered in three days; only pushing it away, throwing it up purposely or even throwing it at them. Clearly she was in a bad mood and he didn't know why. He had hoped bringing her to the Shinagawa restaurant would get her to eat, but he had failed. She didn't care if she was causing a scene by commenting how terrible the food looked or that she was constantly sneering at the other customers. 'What's wrong, Akito?' he asked himself in his mind.
"Excuse me, sir."
Kureno turned to see one of the restaurants waitresses has addressed him, carrying what was most likely the bill for the meal in a black leather booklet. "Would you like a bag for your food to take home?"
Kureno stared back at the food that was uneaten by Akito, knowing she wasn't going to start any time soon. "Yes, please. Arigato, miss."
The waitress nodded as she laid the booklet on the table and reached for the untouched plate. She paused and stopped as an alabaster hand rested on hers and she stared up to see it was of the foods owner. She was met with teal eyes narrowed at her own brown ones, almost shoulder-length dark purple hair framing a gaunt-looking face. She inwardly winced, feeling a sense of danger coming from the person. "Can I help you, sir?"
Akito smiled at the young waitress, not bothering to correct the gender mistake since most people did think she was male. "Yes, we don't want the food to go. Just please take it away."
"Are you sure, sir? It's no trouble at all, you barely touched it."
"Yes," interrupted Kureno, "we will take the food with us. Thank you."
"No, we won't, Kureno," insisted Akito; putting emphasis on each word. "I don't want the food."
"Then we can give it to Hatori-san, I'm sure he wouldn't mind a good meal, he barely leaves the house now a days." That was a lie, Hatori usually did leave when he wasn't caring for Akito. But Kureno did want to try Akito some food later, even if it was by force.
"I can get one of he maids to cook him something well, or we can get a delivery. So no, we don't want the food. Thank you, we will be leaving now," Akito said as she rose from her chair and was about to walk away.
"Akito-"
"Why don't I just wrap it up for you anyway, you can decide whether you want it or not from there on," the waitress pointed out; hoping that would solve everything. "It wouldn't be an inconve-ow!"
The waitress cried out as she felt her hair being ripped out, screaming as she felt a vice-like grip from the pale hand have a strong hold on her. Akito had done it so fast she hadn't even seen, nor had she expected such strength to come from such a small person.
"When I said no, I meant it. Understand?" Akito asked as he gave a hard tug on the waitress' locks.
"Yes! I'm sorry! Now please let me go, your hurting me!" the waitress cried out again.
"Good," Akito said before releasing her hold from the waitress who now lay on the ground. "Let's go, Kureno. We're leaving."
Kureno sighed, he was hoping Akito wouldn't become violent while they were away. There goes that idea. He grabbed his coat from the back of the chair and put it on as he followed Akito, bowing and apologizing to the waitress as she stared in disbelief. "Akito-san, you really shouldn't have done that."
"And why not?" Akito asked as she pushed through a clear-glass door. "She was annoying me, how she kept on insisting to give me the food after I clearly declined. How stupid."
"It's her job," Kureno said to Akito as he finally caught up with her, pausing as he walked to stare at something. Akito noticed he wasn't at her side and turned to see Kureno was staring at what looked like am ordinary bush.
"Kureno, what are you doing?" she asked mockingly.
"Akito-san, look here," Kureno said, not taking his eyes off what Akito couldn't see.
Akito made a low mumbling noise as if contemplating whether or not to go see before finally giving in and walking to where Kureno stood. She immediately regretted it as her teal-colored eyes where met with a small bird. A brown sparrow barely the size of her palm to be exact, it's bead-like black eyes starring at her as it lay on the ground.
"It's injured."
"Come again?"
"Don't you see? It's twitching terribly and it's acting frantic. It won't fly away and it looks like it's struggling to use it's wings. My guess is it's injured," stated the ex-Rooster of the zodiac.
"You think?" Akito asked sarcastically. "C'mon, lets go," she said as she began to walk away.
"Akito . . . do you mind if I take it with me?"
"What!" Akito asked as she turned back to the Rooster. "Yes, I mind. It's filthy and disgusting, if it is injured it won't live long so there wouldn't be any point. Now let's go," Akito ordered as she turned to walk back to the car again.
"Akito."
Akito growled in exasperation, "What now, Kureno?" If it was about the bird again she would make sure to shove it up his-
"Onegai, Akito-sama. Please. I can't help it, I may not be the Rooster anymore, but the spirit of the bird still calls to me, it needs my help. Please?"
Akito drew in, amazed by the sincerity of what Kureno had said. He looked like he was about ready to cry, and over a bird? She thanked herself for not being born under a vengeful spirit. Of course, being the head of the house wasn't much of an option either. She rolled her eyes before nodding to the older man, cracking a little smile as Kureno thanked her and smiled at the bird that lay in his hands.
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Akito gazed out the window of her room, shivering as a small gust of air blew into the room and onto her. Small pellets of rain began to pelt onto the roof and soon became a rhythm against the whole house. Akito sighed in annoyance as her gaze wandered to Kureno, only a foot away from her as he tried to help the bird in any way possible. In her opinion, the bird looked worse than when they had found it. It's eyes were glazed over and its small wings beat weakly, chirping every few seconds before stopping for a while.
"You should've just left it there, now if it dies here you'll just be miserable about it."
"I know, Akito-san, but I couldn't help it. Thank you though, for allowing me to bring it here. Arigato gozaimasu."
"Mmph," Akito mumbled before lying back down on her futon, wrapping herself in the warm depths of her pink/white yukata and blanket. She narrowed her eyes for every chirp the sparrow made, wishing she had just left it outside the restaurant.
"You know, Akito-san. This bird reminds me a lot of you."
"How do you compare me to that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at the Ondori as she raised herself by her elbows to see Kureno.
"Simple, this bird needs help just like you do at times. Without a helping hand the bird would be alone and scared, defenseless, it may even die. It just needs someone to care for it and make it better, that way it'll probably be kinder towards others and become well again. I think you just need someone to care for you like that, so you won't have to be afraid of others just like that sparrow is."
"That . . . is probably the worst comparison ever made about me. I'm nothing like that bird, Kureno, nothing. I don't need anyone's help, understand?" Akitp asked as she narrowed her eyes to slits at Kureno.
"Yes, Akito, I understand. Gomen. But . . ." he added.
"But?"
"But doesn't this feel like dejavu, Akito-san?"
"How so?" Akito really was becoming annoyed with all the questions coming from Kureno, he never spoke this much.
"Well, it was almost the same situation, but it's similar to how you and I met. I remember, you were really little and had asked me to help you with a bird, although I really couldn't help much. It wasn't until later after that incident you and I became good friends," Kureno said, smiling at the confused look on the nineteen-year-olds face.
"I don't remember any of that. Stop lying, Kureno."
"But I'm not, Aki-"
"I said stop it!" Akito screamed at Kureno as she quickly slapped him on the left side of his face with an incredible force, her sharp nails digging into his cheek and flesh. Kureno winced in pain, clutching his burning cheek as he smiled weakly at Akito. "Just shut up and let me sleep."
"As you wish, Akito-san. I'm sorry for bothering you," Kureno said as he bowed to Akito before dimming the lights and went back to attending to the bird.
"So ridiculous," Akito said before grumbling and hiding deeper into the futon and closing her eyes, the sound of rain against the house and the bird chirping were the last things she heard before falling asleep.
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Fourteen years ago . . .
A thirteen-year-old Kureno Sohma walked around the grounds of Sohma estate with little interest, wondering when his mom's meeting with the head of the houses' mother would be over. He was supposed to meet the head of the house today too, but he had yet to meet that person. He was also supposed to meet some of the other zodiac animals, the Rabbit and Ox he was sure. He frowned as he found himself from where he began, lost in the gates of the estate. Kureno finally sighed in defeat and sat himself at the base of a tree, relishing in the simple shade the sakura flowers offered in the spring sunshine.
"It's nice here . . ." he whispered.
"Sumimasen, sir, are you talking to yourself?"
Kureno sat up from his resting spot against the tree and looked around for the voice. On his right side sat a little child who couldn't be any older than five. Large, round teal eyes; somewhat covered by dark purple bangs stared back at him as if he was an oddity.
"What?"
"I asked you if you were talking yourself."
"No, I'm sorry. It's just that this place is so nice."
"Yeah, it is nice. Your new here, right?"
"Yes, my name is Sohma Kureno."
"Really? That's great! Could you help me with something, please?" the child pleaded with earnest eyes.
"Uh, sure, with what, may I ask?"
"Follow me, Kureno-san."
Kureno got up from the tree and followed his new friend, hoping he didn't lose them on the estate grounds. After a few minutes he found himself near a koi pond, the white and green yukata-clad kid bending over next to the edge of the pond. "C'mere."
Kureno nodded and walked next to the child, sat by her side so they were at almost the same level. On the lining of the koi pond he saw a small sparrow, about the size of a rice ball. Kureno heard its cries for help, as it chirped trying to escape from the two intruders. It tried to flap both its wings, the right wing span extending to it full length, but refusing to do so properly. One of the bird's legs twitched wildly, clawing at the rock surface of where it lay, the other leg lying curled up against its body uselessly. The bird's eyes were wide, looking for any way out possible.
"It's hurt really bad."
"Huh?" Kureno asked, coming out his thoughts.
"The bird, it's injured; at least I think so. It's trying to fly away but can't, I think the right wing and left leg are broken."
The kid was right, Kureno noted. He had raised a few sparrows in the past, the wing and leg were injured. Usually when a sparrow was like this, it would most likely die.
"Can you help it? You are the Rooster of the Zodiac, right? So you can help it?"
"What!" Kureno said as he stumbled back from the child. "How did you know I was the Rooster? I didn't tell you that when we met."
The child smiled at him and picked up the bird, cradling it and stroking it's head. "Simple, I'm Sohma Akito, the head of the house. I was supposed to meet you, my mom told me I would be meeting the Rooster today. So, can you help it, Kureno-san?"
'Well . . . that was one way to meet the head of the house,' Kureno thought. He took a look at the small bird resting in Akito's hands, a grimace covering his features at what he thought would happen.
"What's wrong?"
"Gomen, Akito-san, it's going to die."
"Don't say that! Akira will live!"
"Akira? The bird's name?"
"Yeah, I named him after my father who passed away. I really miss him and there wasn't anything I could do to help him, so I want to at least help this bird," Akito said wistfully as she stared at the bird.
"Demo, Akito-san, the bird won't live very long at all. I know this because I know about sparrows, the bird is 'shot,' it has maybe a few minutes left. There's no way to help it, not even at an animal hospital. Right now it's going through something similar to a human heart attack."
Akito looked terrified now, he noted. Her eyes went down to the sparrow in her hand, Kureno was right, the bird was barely moving now, it's eyes were literally growing a little gray and slowly closing. Small tears gathered at Akito's eyes as the birds movement ceased, it's eyes were shut and it released the last of its bodily fluids into Akito's hands. Akito finally screamed and dropped the bird at her feet, running to Kureno and flinging her small arms around the teens waist. She pressed her face into his shirt and cried what she had been holding in.
"Why, Kureno! Why! Why did Akira have to die? I wanted to help, I really did!"
Kureno didn't know what to do, he had a small child, his god, crying into his shirt about a bird that reminded her of her fathers death. Kureno's heart panged out for her, it really did. Every Zodiac member had a connection with their god, whenever the god was upset or angered they all felt it in the air and in themselves. He hugged Akito to himself and nuzzled the top of her head with his chin, whispering things in her ear.
"You did everything you could, Akito. It's not your fault Akira died, it isn't, so don't ever think that. The bird probably knew you were trying to help it so don't worry, I'm sure he died happily knowing someone cared for him."
Akito continued to cry for a few minutes, refusing to let go of her hold on Kureno until she was done. Kureno patted her on the head softly as she sniffled and finally released him, not caring about the large, wet spot on his shirt front. Her eyes looked as if they held fear for something, bloodshot cracks contrasting to her eyes' teal colors.
"Kureno?"
"Yes, Akito?"
"Promise me that you won't be like that bird, you won't die and leave me here to cry. I don't want you to die, I like you even though I just met you. You listened to me cry about Akira and you didn't mind that I got your shirt wet or that I stopped calling you in the 'san' honorific. Thank you, Kureno," Akito said as she smiled to her new friend.
Kureno smiled back, glad he had helped cheer up his god. "I promise, Akito, I'll always be here for you. I won't die," Kureno said as he hugged Akito, making sure he kept his word.
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Akito sat up quickly, gasping in large breaths of air. She looked around the room for Kureno, not finding him anywhere. All she could hear was the rain and wind as they drew againdt the main house. Akito shivered, her eyes scanning the room for her Rooster, only seeing the shadows around her. "Kureno! Kureno, where are you?" she screamed with all her lung power. Akito heard a beat of footsteps coming towards her and the sliding door of the room opened to reveal a tired Kureno, a blanket draped over his shoulder before he ran towards her and collapsed on the ground by her side.
"What's wrong, Akito? Are you okay, are you hurt!"
Akito sighed in relief, Kureno was still here. "No, I'm not hurt, I just didn't know where you were. I woke up and couldn't find you. Where did you go?"
"I went to get you a blanket, you were shivering in your sleep. I wasn't sure if you were cold or scared though, you were crying in your sleep too, I was about to get Hatori-san."
"I was crying?" Akito reached her hand towards her face and found hot trails of tear had been falling down her cheeks.
"What were you dreaming about, Akito-san?" Kureno asked with concern. 'What would drive Akito to cry? In her sleep no less.'
"It wasn't a dream, it was a memory . . . " Akito whispered as she recalled what had happened fourteen years ago when she had first met Kureno.
"A memory?" Kureno asked interested to learn more.
"Yes, of how you and I met, and the one with the sparrow. What happened to that sparrow you found anyway?" Akito silently hoped it hadn't died, it would be like fourteen years all over again, it would remind her of . . .
"It's alive, Hatori made it a splinter for its wing and leg. I'm glad it lived, now it has a chance to continue to live again," Kureno said happily.
"Good, I'm relieved also."
"Ne? Why, Akito-san? I would've thought you wanted that bird to die."
"That bird would've reminded me of . . . Akira and you. My dad, Akira, died and I couldn't do anything to save him or that bird fourteen years ago. I thought that if this bird died . . .you would die too. I wouldn't know what to do if you died, Kureno . . ." Akito said, trying to hold back tears threatening to be released, not wanting to show her emotions in front of Kureno.
"Akito."
Akito felt a strong pair of arms wrap themselves around her small frame, she opened her eyes and the tears fell down her cheeks once again and she saw a head of auburn red hair resting on her shoulder.
"It's okay to cry, Akito. You don't have to hide it," Kureno whispered to his goddess.
Akito smiled sadly and hugged him back, finally letting out all her tears. She was glad the bird was alive and that Kureno had told her it wasn't her fault, she had always waited for someone to say that to her. Ren had always told her that she wished she could be with Akira instead of Akito, and Akito didn't care, she had Kureno with her. "Thank you, Kureno, for keeping your promise."
Kureno smiled, "Shinpainai, Akito, I'll always be here for you, don't forget that."
"Kureno?"
"Yes, Akito?"
"I'm hungry."
Kureno had to laugh at that, now she was hungry. He would buy her food again if he had to, he was glad. Shigure frowned at the sight he saw before him from the crack in the doorway, the spirit of the Dog inside of him wanting to be the one to comfort his goddess instead of the Rooster. He glared before walking off, leaving Hatori by himself at the doorway with the healed sparrow in his hand. The Dragon smiled to himself, perhaps there was hope for their Goddess and the Ondori after all. He nodded before walking away from the door, deciding to leave the two to themselves.
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Arigato - Thank you
Onegai - Please
Arigato gozaimasu - Thank you very much
Yukata - A light kimono made from cotton that's usually worn in the summer because of the heat or for festivals or ceremonies, coming in many designs and prints.
Ondori - Rooster
Gomen - A shorter version of 'Gomenasai' can mean either 'I'm sorry' or 'Excuse me'.
Sakura (trees/flowers) - A pink flower grown on small, dark brown trees and in America are called 'cherry blossoms'.
Sumimasen - 'Excuse me' or 'Pardon me'.
Koi (Pond) - A small pond usually in the backyard of a Japanese home with white or orange fish called 'koi.' That's all I know about them, gomen.
Ne? - Usually referred to as 'Hey' or to get some ones attention.
Shinpainai - Don't worry
Well, thanks for reading 'Broken Wings,' I enjoyed writing it very much although it only took me like half a day to write. I'll be sure to post my next Furuba fic soon as well. Review please. Arigato. -Invader Nicole