I updated finally! This chapter is a bit choppy...not my best work. Still, I wanted to give you guys an idea of what's going on. By the way, someone commented on how I tend to spell things wrong on one of my stories, well, you're right. Sorry about that guys. I'll try harder to edit my work!
Haru's stomach growled, and he sighed unhappily. Why are these people keeping me here?
The door opened, and standing in the doorway was none other than Akito.
"Well, if it isn't Hatsuharu. We haven't spoken in a long time."
"I preferred it that way." Haru said evenly. "What do you want from me, Akito?"
"Now Haru, what makes you think I want something from you? Maybe I just want to chat."
"So you chain me to a wall? Somehow, I doubt you want to chat."
Akito chuckled. "True. Haru, I'm surprised. I took you for a fool, being the ox and all. But it seems I was wrong. Unfortunately, that means I must dispose of you."
"Aww, quit your blabbering." Haru finally went black. "If you kill me, do you really think the others won't realize what happened? You're going to die, Akito, and if you kill me, no one will care when you're gone. No one."
Akito stared at him. "No one will care anyway. You all want me dead."
"That's not true." White Haru returned. "You're bitter, Akito, so bitter you don't realize something. Despite your dangerous manner, there are people who loved you, just for you. But you pushed us all away. Now you have no one."
It seemed his words hit home. "What…what do you mean?" Akito asked.
"I mean, some people cared about you just because. Being head of the family wasn't why. They just cared for you." Haru was buying time. "But you were too angry to notice. Now, that love is gone, Akito. And yet you continue this harassment of the members of the zodiac."
There were sounds of commotion outside, but Akito didn't move. Suddenly, the door burst open.
"Akito!" It was Kagura. "How could you do this to my Kyou-kun?" Without a thought, she jumped him. "Damn you!"
Shigure was behind her with Hiro and Kisa. "Haru! Are you all right?"
He grunted in response.
"Kagura, stop it now. Stop!"
She stopped. This angered Akito.
"You dirty boar! How dare you touch me?"
"Akito, calm down!" Shigure was in over his head. "Kids, run! Run to my house!"
Kagura undid the chains holding Haru captive. "Come on!" And they ran, leaving Shigure alone with an enraged Akito.
They didn't stop until they reached the house. They startled Tohru, Yuki, and Momiji as they burst in.
"Haru!" Momiji was happy to see him. "Haru…you look tired. Where were you?"
Haru slumped down. "You don't want to know. How's Kyou?"
"We don't know. Ha'ri's in there now. What's going on, Haru? Is it Akito? Is Akito doing this?"
"Yes."
The room tensed. Yuki felt as though his fears were growing rapidly and swallowing him up. I hoped it wasn't true…
"Where's Shigure-san?" asked Tohru.
"Sensei…we left him alone with Akito!" Haru hadn't grasped the concept until now.
"What? Haru are you crazy!" Yuki yelled. "Now we have to go ba-"
"No one will be going back." Hatori appeared out of nowhere. "Shigure is the only one who can calm Akito. This is a dangerous situation, for all of us."
"Hatori-san! How's Kyou?" Tohru asked.
"He sustained a head injury. It's too early to tell anything."
A shot of fear ripped through the room.
What if I never get to…to say I'm sorry… Thought Yuki. Why wasn't I nicer? Neither one of us asked to be possessed by the spirits of the cat and rat.
"So what's going to happen?" Hiro asked the question on everyone's mind. "I mean, if Akito's trying to kill one of us, how do we know he won't come after the rest of us?"
"I think Akito was trying to accomplish this unsuspected. I don't believe he'll try to continue."
"I do." Haru said quietly.
"What? Why?" Kagura asked. "Why continue this terror?"
"I think he believes killing us will make him live." Haru frowned. "But…I don't think so. I think he'll die anyway, and he'll have the guilt of trying to take the lives of others."
"Don't talk about that." Yuki hissed at him. "You'll scare everyone."
"Hatsuharu-san, you look pale. Are you okay?" Tohru asked.
He shrugged. "Tired, worried, and hungry. That's about it."
"How long were you in that place, Haru?" Kisa asked. "I came by earlier in the week and you weren't here."
"I don't really know. Right now I'm just tired."
"Hatsuharu, maybe I should look you over." Hatori said. "Come with me."
Haru followed Hatori into another room, and everyone started talking.
"What are we going to do?" Kagura cried.
"We're going to wait, and continue living as usual." Yuki responded.
"But we can't go back to the main house." Hiro said. "What about our families, huh? And Shigure is still back there with Akito. We can't just live as usual. This is not normal!"
"I know…I know…" Yuki said. "I can't change what is happening. I don't know what to do. Don't look at me and expect me to know."
"But you're the rat!" Hiro shouted. "The rat in the zodiac stories was clever and scheming, and always had some idea! Why don't you?"
"Because the rat in the stories isn't me, okay? I'm just me, Yuki Sohma. I can't do anything." Yuki got up and stormed out.
"Uh…Yuki-kun, wait!" Tohru went after him.
"Now look what you did Hiro." Momiji said. "Don't expect so much from people. Yuki's afraid, just like I'm sure you are. He's human too."
"Yes Hiro. Why were you so mean?" Kisa asked.
"I just…I don't know. He's the rat…he's older than us…he should know what to do."
"I'm older than Yun-chan and I don't know what to do." Kagura said. "We're all unsure. Don't put all the pressure on one person."
"Okay…" Hiro said uncertainly.
Just then the door slid open, and Shigure walked in.
"Shii-chan!" Kagura gasped. "You're okay!" Thank goodness!"
"Yes, well, Akito is not happy. I managed to calm him down and disband the team he hired. This is crazy…Oh I assume everyone's staying here tonight? Then I better find some sheets and such."
"Shigure-oji, what's going to happen?" Kisa asked.
"I just don't know…" he smiled. "But I promise I won't let anything happen, okay?"
"Okay." Kisa and Hiro left the room.
"Shii-chan, you can't really promise that, can you?" Kagura said softly.
"I suppose not…but I think we all need some comforting words right now, even if they're all lies."
"Yes. I think everyone needs to be lied to sometimes."