Disclaimer: Here I am finishing up chapter 2 of my supposed to be one shot fic. LOL I'm such a complainer. Anyways, don't flame up on me if chapter 2 turned out to be so horrible because it's supposed to be one shot. By the way, I don't own Fruits Basket. If I do, I'd be filthy rich and continuing the manga instead of writing this fanfic. And if you guys noticed, the rating went up…sorry but there will be adult content FROM NOW ON in my story. Rated M for adult content, language, and all those Shigure madness (Shigure madness comes in chapter 3). Oh for those who don't read the Japanese manga…MEGA SPOILERS FOR CHAPTER 97!
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Chapter 2: A Melancholic Story
Kureno weakly smiled at Akito who was sleeping next to his side. His arms were wrapped around her, to assure Akito that he won't leave while she's asleep. He's always needed by Akito when she doesn't want to feel alone.
She seems so peaceful. Just like when she was a child, but now… everything is different. She…doesn't truly smile anymore. Everyday she would hold a grudge on life, her mom, and everybody. Having to know that her true identity has to be kept a secret…it hurt her so. What was worse was when she found out she was to die too soon. And everyday, she would await it slowly… Though her death approached slowly, Akito would feel the pain of every step it took. She would have a fever once in awhile and a case of malnutrition and a psychotic break down.
It was melancholic to watch her like this when she's awake. But Kureno saw something different while she slept.
As the clouds in the dark night sky parted to reveal a silver orb beaming brightly in the ebony sky, its rays of light pierced on Akito's skin through her open window, making her pale skin glow brilliantly in their gloomy room. Meanwhile, Kureno watched her in a dazzling smile seeing her like this. He too was exposed to the moon light but all he could do is gaze at the wonderful, and yet temporary, moment of beauty on Akito.
He caressed her cheek lovingly, but Akito was not a heavy sleeper. She was awoken by the caress and her eyes opened wearily. Unlike her usual way of waking up, Akito didn't have a cold stare. Instead, her eyes seemed gentle and calm. However it was approached with an unwelcoming statement. "It's still…night…" she yawned in an irritated tone. "Why did you wake me up?"
Kureno smiled at her, still caressing her cheek, and replied, "I didn't mean to…"
Akito didn't respond. She just hugged him loosely and was falling back to sleep. Kureno pulled her closer and slept to, thinking about the times, old times… However, even in his dreams he wondered why he could still think about Akito the way she WAS. It was the past. He should get over it.
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(Flash back: the day Akito's dad dies and her gender is revealed, my version)
Akito's tears were slithering on her as she failed to hold them back. Her father died…Akira died…he was probably the only parent she'll ever have for her mother is just a bitch who can't take care of her own daughter in a proper way.
Why am I crying? I knew he was going to die someday. They said he was severely sick. I knew what that meant…why am I crying? Momma said it would be the weakest thing to do…She said crying was a waste of time that destroys your pride…why am I crying? She said that only girls do it… She wept furiously as she hugged her knees up to her chest, sitting on a shadowy corner.
Behind the door of her lonely room, she could hear hurried footsteps. But she couldn't tell if it was more than one person…She did know they were in a hurry to get in.
The Shoji screen slid open faster than lightning and appeared Ren, glaring at Akito with a hint of tears on her cheeks. "Are you crying!" Ren yelled. "I told you only girls do it! YOU'RE WEAK! SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL STOP CRYING!" She ran to Akito and slapped her on the face multiple times. Each time, her cheek got redder and small droplets of blood came out of her lip. The pain made the crying worse.
"I SAID STOP CRYING!" Her final blow sent Akito to the floor. Later on, Kureno and two maids arrived.
"Ren-sama, stop doing this to Akito!" he shouted. The maids came to Akito's side and took a look at Akito's bruises and cuts. Kureno took a glance at Akito and he gasped. "Ren-sama, leave her alone! You can't just vent your anger out on the kid!"
Ren was about to say something to Kureno, but she heard Akito's feminine voice softly mutter, "Leave…me…alone."
Ren was about burst. "What…did you…say?"
Akito didn't answer.
"TELL ME WHAT YOU SAID…YOU LITTLE BRAT!"
Still no answer…
She slowly walked to her side… "You're so weak…" She kicked Akito in her abdomen. The two maids were aghast and didn't move while Kureno tried to hold her back. But Ren was too strong and was able to push him aside. Ren kept kicking hardly at Akito. Tears swelled in Ren's eyes. She was blinded by them and kicked Akito lower into her body and soon almost to her neck.
Meanwhile, Akito screamed in agony and sometimes yelled, "STOP IT!" while she sobbed hopelessly. Then Ren, by accident, kicked her in the mouth. More and more blood came out of her mouth. The floor was now stained with a splatter of dark red liquid and her face was stained with crimson as more and more poured out from her nose and mouth. Continuously, blood flowed never ending.
Finally, Ren stopped. "It's all your fault why he died…All your fault!" More and more of her tears swelled in her small dark eyes. "You're so weak!" Then, she abruptly blurted out the secret she's been keeping from Akito her whole life, "NO WONDER WHY YOU'RE BORN A GIRL!"
Akito became wide eyed, the maids were bewildered, and Kureno was horror-struck. Who knows what Akito will do? All her life she thought she was a boy, but what now that she found out she was a girl?
Ren left the scene ordering the maids to come with her.
Kureno ran to Akito's side taking out a piece of cloth from his pocket. He placed it on Akito's bleeding mouth and nose. He cleaned her wound slowly and said, "Akito let me take you to Hatori's office." His napkin was now soaked with red and he noticed that while he was cleaning up, a tooth lay on the floor. It was obviously taken out when Ren kicked her or when she was sent to the floor.
However, Akito refused and stayed on the ground weeping.
"Is she alright?" a familiar voice asked from the entrance of the room.
Kureno turned his head to see Shigure standing near the doorway looking sadly at Akito. "Why weren't you here to help me?"
Shigure turned his back to leave, but stood still one more time, "She needed to know who she truly is, Kureno. We can't hide it from her forever." He left the scene, abandoning Kureno to deal with Akito's wrath.
Kureno was stunned with fear when he realized that Shigure just revealed to Akito that they knew about the secret way before she did. He cursed Shigure's carelessness……or did he do it on purpose? Shigure's always jealous of Kureno because Kureno was Akito's favorite.
Akito glared in disbelief at Kureno. She sat up starting coldly at him. "You knew and you didn't tell me?"
"Akito, I-…" Kureno stammered.
"YOU KNEW AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME!" she screamed.
Akito stood up. "YOU THINK I'M STUPID!"
She ran to the portion of her room where her bed and cabinets and dressers were located. She quickly took out all of her toys, childish objects, and lotions and fragrances she got from Shigure and other people and threw them on the floor. One by one, she would either smash it to the floor if it was fragile, tear it apart if it was tear-able, threw it on the walls with all her might if it was hard to destroy, and stepped on it if it didn't hurt. Akito stepped on something made of porcelain to destroy it and her foot got injured with blood spilling again.
"AKITO STOP!" Kureno demanded frightened.
Akito fearlessly took some kind of a hard toy Kureno gave her when she was 3 and smacked it at Kureno's face as hard as she can. "YOU BASTARD! YOU LIED TO ME! YOU COULD'VE TOLD ME ABOUT IT!" Akito cried out. Her eyes were red with tears. "WHAT DO YOU THINK I AM? STUPID! YOU MUST BE PRETTY FUCKED UP THEN! YOU'RE JUST LIKE THAT BITCH! YOU'RE JUST LIKE HER! YOU'RE ALL LIKE HER!"
Kureno fell to the ground with a big bruise and small cut on his cheek a little surprised at the language and called him that. All of a sudden, Akito passed out in front of him and he caught her with his arms.
"You could've told me Kureno!" she cried falling asleep. Kureno too was struck by tears and hugged her tightly. She was tired of screaming, getting hurt, feeling pain, going through tantrums, and she had a lot of cuts and bruises and most likely lost a lot of blood. Once he was sure she was sleeping, Kureno carried her to Hatori's office for some patching up and told one of the servants to clean up her room.
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(Continuation of Flash back)
Kureno practically stomped to him when he saw Shigure. "You dumb ass! Why did you tell her we knew!"
Shigure looked sadly at Kureno not answering. Finally, after a few seconds he said, "I love Akito. I don't want to hurt her…"
"Well you did!" he yelled.
"I know I did Kureno, but at least it hurt you…"
Kureno was awed. What…did…he mean?
Ever since that day, everything was lost. Akito was lost. She wasn't herself anymore. Everything seemed too morbid for her. Her heart was lost, her smile was lost, her soul was lost…everything beautiful about her was lost. It was just a melancholic story.
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Disclaimer: So what did you think? I know it was pretty short, but it gets longer. OH and if there are areas where I need improvement, please say something about it! Chapter 3 might not come in a long time since I am working on another fanfic. So you guys have to wait!