* - * - *
The night deepened. The stormclouds that had been massing ominously all day churned and gyrated, and green-tinged lightning struck the heavy black peaks again and again. But there was no sound. Tohru could hear nothing but Kyo's ragged breaths over the roaring in her ears. The rustling of the forest and the waters of the lake had gone completely still. Everything was fixed upon the vision of cold, deadly perfection clothed in white standing before them.
"Akito," she whispered faintly.
In front of her, Kyo drew in a hiss of breath. "What the fuck are you?"
With slow, deliberate steps Akito stepped off the bridge of light and walked toward them, the small smile never leaving his face. Kyo grabbed hold of Tohru's arm and pushed her backward, keeping himself between her and the dark sorcerer. Only half-aware of Kyo's movements, Tohru desperately searched the pale, handsome face before her, but there was no hint at all of the Yuki she knew in the ice-gray slits and the cruel, little smile.
Akito stopped and raised an eyebrow. "Stand aside, child of sorrow. I want to speak to her."
"The hell you do," Kyo snarled. "You're not getting anywhere near her."
Akito's eyes narrowed, and the next instant Kyo was flung aside by an invisible force, sending him flying backward several feet away. "Kyo-kun!" Tohru cried, then gasped and hunched over when the Sun Stone burst into flame inside her. Something brushed against her cheek, and to her shock the heat receded to a bearable level. She looked up and saw Akito standing closer to her, watching her through the faint blue rays radiating from her chest.
He gave her a sympathetic smile that was disturbingly at odds with the gleam in his eyes. "It hurts you, doesn't it? It burns when it goes out of control."
Tohru stared at him, speechless.
"Does it feel better now?" he asked solicitously. "I sent its power back. The Sun Stone isn't known for its mercy, you know. It is a weapon before anything else. It takes blood and authority to control the Stone, neither of which you have." He noticed the look on her face and chuckled. "Are you so surprised that I can control it? I am the king's son, after all."
Tohru opened her mouth, but nothing came out. His voice hypnotized her, the soft, silky words coiling around her, rendering her immobile. From the corner of her eye, she saw Kyo pick himself up off the ground and charge at them again, shouting furiously, only to collide against an invisible wall. He staggered and scowled at the air, then began to beat his fists against the shield. She could barely hear his voice now. He sounded so far away.
Akito laughed again. "Oh, I'm sorry. I've been so rude. You've been my guest here for three days now, and I haven't even introduced myself." He stepped closer to her. "My name is Akito Sohma, and you are Tohru Honda, are you not? I'm pleased to have finally met you, Tohru Honda-san."
Tohru struggled to breathe through a throat closed up with fear.
"Hmm," he murmured, eyeing her assessingly. "You are pretty, aren't you? No wonder you have both dear Yuki and the child of sorrow so enthralled. It makes it all the more…convenient."
He stepped even closer to her, so close now she could feel the cold oiliness of his aura. The sensation made her skin crawl, but she couldn't move or even look away. He raised his hands and laid them upon her face, one running over her brow and cheek, the other sliding into her hair, mimicking Yuki's tender actions before. She tried to wrench away, unable to stop her body's reflexive response, but all she succeeded in doing was to jerk her head a little to one side.
He cocked his head at her. "Why do you recoil, Tohru Honda-san? You didn't before. In fact—" he pressed even closer to her, bending his head to hers, his silky voice whispering now even inside her head "—let me show you just how close you wanted me to be."
No! She twisted aside, desperation lending her strength. Her gaze fell upon Kyo, whose fists still continued to pummel thin air, his rage not quite able to conceal his fear. Akito noticed their exchange, and his smile widened. "What's wrong, Tohru Honda-san? Cat got your tongue? Or…was it the mouse?" He reached out again and turned her face toward his. "Look at me," he crooned. "Show me the disgust you feel. You don't want me touching you. You don't want me near you. The truth is I sicken you, don't I?"
Her head moved feebly from side to side. "Yuki…kun."
He froze.
"Let him go," she whispered faintly.
He drew back, his hands falling away. "Please let them go," she pleaded, her voice gathering strength. "Please, Akito-san."
Ice-gray eyes narrowed, then he backhanded her viciously, sending her sprawling onto the ground. Before she could recover, he strode over to her and pulled her upright by her hair until she was kneeling in front of him, moaning and bleeding from her cut lip. "You don't know your place, Tohru Honda-san," he informed her in that same silky voice. "You don't matter. I do what I want, and I take what I want. Anything I want." His other hand drifted down to rest between her breasts, right above the glowing outline of the Sun Stone. Her eyes shot wide open and she began to struggle in earnest, but the grip on her hair tightened even more. "I could take your life, if I wanted to," Akito went on almost conversationally. "Or I could take this instead."
His fingers dug into her chest, and Tohru threw her head back and screamed as the Sun Stone exploded. Streams of fire and blades of ice tore into her chest and raced through her body in wave upon wave of scorching, freezing agony as blue and white rays burst from her chest and her back. Akito's fingers continued to sink into her chest, and Tohru continued to scream even as her vision darkened and her mind floated upon a black, silent ocean. I'm dying, she thought as she drifted through empty space, listening to the tortured cries coming from a great distance. I'm dying and Akito will get the Sun Stone. I'm sorry, Kyo-kun. I didn't mean for this to happen.
Then the pain stopped just as suddenly as it began. As her mind sank back into her ragged, aching body, she slowly opened her eyes to find Akito regarding her thoughtfully. She became dimly aware that she was still kneeling in front of him, and that the only thing keeping her upright was his hand in her hair, while the faint blue glow radiating from her chest told her that he had stopped trying to pull the Sun Stone out of her, which explained why she was still alive. She didn't know whether to be grateful for that or disappointed.
"How interesting," Akito murmured. "The Sun Stone has merged with your heart. It should have made things simpler for you, but then you don't know what that means, do you? That fool mage greatly overestimated you."
He looked past her, and a cunning expression slid over his face. She managed to turn her head toward Kyo, who had ceased his furious battle with the shield and had fallen on his knees, white-faced with shock and horror. I must look terrible, she thought dazedly. He's even forgotten to be angry now. She looked up again into the extraordinarily beautiful face above her—the soft, silver hair, the pale skin, the iron-hard strength in his arm as he held her upright—and tears slid silently down her cheeks. "Yuki-kun," she begged desperately. "Yuki-kun, please come back."
Akito glanced down at her, and to her disbelief started to laugh. "'Come back?' But dear Yuki never left. He can't hide in his little snow-kingdom anymore. You've given Yuki back to me, Tohru Honda-san."
Then he saw everything, she realized, sinking even deeper into despair. He saw me almost die. Oh Yuki-kun, I'm so sorry.
"But I tell you this, Tohru Honda-san," the dark sorcerer added softly. "You will not die by my hand."
He threw her from him, and she collapsed in a heap almost right at Kyo's feet. The invisible barrier dropped at the same time, and Kyo ran over to her and lifted her up. "You all right?"
"Yes," she croaked.
He turned toward the figure in white, and Tohru shrank back from the murderous rage blazing in his eyes. "You sick bastard!" He launched himself at him, fists flashing at deadly speeds kick. Alarmed, Tohru could only watch as Kyo went berserk, a spinning, kicking, punching tornado almost faster than her eyes could follow, but Akito dodged every blow all too easily. Then in a single move, he sidestepped Kyo's next hit and punched him in the gut. There was a sickening thud of flesh hitting flesh, and Kyo toppled slowly backward, grunting with pain.
"Kyo-kun!" Tohru cried, rushing over to him. As if on cue, green lightning lashed at the stormclouds, cracking them open as the rains poured down from the sky.
The sheets of icy water parted, and Akito came to stand over them, looking completely dry and unruffled. "You lost again, Kyo of the Ashari. But then, we both know that a child of sorrow doesn't deserve to be trusted."
Kyo glared at him through dripping bangs. "Shut up!"
In reply, Akito held up his hand and a dagger appeared, spinning slowly end over end in the air above his palm. A dagger with a curved blade and a hilt shaped like a hawk's head. The dagger stopped spinning and shot downward, the blade burying itself into the ground inches away from Kyo's feet. Kyo visibly paled.
Tohru stared at the dagger, the wound in her left hand twinging in remembered pain. Then she lifted her eyes to Akito. "He won't do it. Kyo-kun is stronger than that."
Kyo glanced sharply at her.
Akito merely smiled. "Run."
Through the curtains of rain the shadows surrounding them shifted, gathered together and reformed, and from the pools of darkness figures began to emerge. Immense figures, with sharp-fanged skulls and glistening red flesh stretched over bony spikes and long arms that ended in dagger-like claws. Tohru whimpered, and as if in agreement, the Sun Stone's light blazed brighter.
"Shit," Kyo cursed. "Tower guardians."
They were surrounded by nearly a dozen tower guardians, each one with the clear intent to kill. Without another word, Kyo scrabbled up, grabbed her hand and pulled her through an opening in the circle of demons. The icy drops pounded at them through their clothes and rendered them half-blind, but Tohru could still hear the heavy thudding of massive clawed feet as the demons gave chase. They fled down the shore, thinking to head for the relative safety of the clearing, but skidded to a halt when more tower guardians appeared ahead of them, blocking their path.
"Shit!" Kyo spat again, turning round and round as he searched frantically for a way out. Tohru faced the advancing demons and raised her hand, ready to summon the power of the Sun Stone, only to find her arm snatched back. "Idiot!" Kyo snapped. "You want that thing to try and kill you again?" He set his jaw and turned toward the forest. "Dammit! We've got no choice."
Grasping her hand again, he plunged into the forest, dragging Tohru behind him. The canopy of leaves spared them from the worse of the rain's pelting blows, but the feeling of malevolent watchfulness became almost overwhelming. The light from the agitated Sun Stone cast an eerie blue haze about the damp murkiness, illuminating each root and gnarled branch and strangling vine they passed. Glowing red eyes followed their progress from the boughs and behind treetrunks, but none of the forest monsters attacked, warned off by the light of the Sun Stone. Or too cowed by the presence of the tower guardians, Tohru thought, hearing the crashing noises behind them over her harsh panting breaths. "Where're we going?" she gasped.
"To the barriers."
"Do—do you know the way?"
Kyo paused for a moment, scanned the trees, then set off again. Even with her fear-induced energy rush, she had to struggle to keep up with his pace, slipping often on the wet ground and wincing whenever a branch snagged her hair or scratched at her face, but Kyo didn't slow down, and Tohru was grateful for his hand around hers which kept her from falling flat on her face several times. "I remember bits and pieces," he answered. "I…think I've been here before."
His voice sounded tight, as if he couldn't believe he actually had a reason to be grateful for his curse. Tohru's foot caught in a root and with a soft cry she fell, sparks of pain shooting up her ankle. Kyo cursed again and bent to untangle her foot, and Tohru laid a hand on his shoulder. "Kyo-kun, listen," she said urgently. "I can't hear them anymore, can you?"
Kyo cocked his head. Sure enough, the crashing noises had faded away, and the forest resumed its baleful silence. The exhaustion hit them, and he sat down heavily upon a root beside her, wiping at the sweat and water running into his eyes. Tohru was silent as she massaged her ankle, but Kyo noticed her expression and turned away.
"Oy, did you mean it?" he said gruffly.
"Eh?" He moved his head to say 'forget it', but Tohru remembered. "That you're stronger than Akito says you are? Yes, I did. I believe it, Kyo-kun."
He glowered at her from underneath his bangs, then looked away again. "Stop looking like that."
"L-like what?"
"Like a little girl who's lost her favorite doll. He couldn't help you. That fucking bastard Akito is just too strong." He shrugged at her surprised expression, though he still wouldn't meet her gaze. "I could hear everything. You were calling for that damned mouse. You do a really lousy job of picking who to trust," he ended in a barely audible mutter.
"No." She moved so that she was crouching in front of him and looking into his face. "No, I didn't make a mistake. I trust Yuki-kun, just as I trust you, Kyo-kun. I won't believe I could be wrong about you. It's just this curse and this place and—and Akito. There must be a way to set you free. Maybe in Ryuukama they'll know what to do, and when I find out, I'll come back for you. I promise."
Kyo blinked, taken aback by her speech. "I don't want to leave you behind, but I have to," she went on, tears clogging up her throat. "I'm so scared, Kyo-kun. I'm scared I might not ever see any of you again."
"I'm coming with you."
"Eh?"
"As far as the barriers, if I can." His eyes looked at everything except her, but even in the wan light of the Sun Stone the blush on his cheeks was visible. "Even if it's that damned Yuki you really want. I won't let you be alone in this place."
Tohru took his hands in hers, forcing him to finally look at her. "Thank you, Kyo-kun," she whispered, smiling at him.
Instead of smiling back, he shoved her away from him, yelling "Watch out!" She tumbled backward, and a huge clawed limb shot out and buried itself in the space where she'd been kneeling. The rest of the demon oozed out of the darkness, followed by its companions. Kyo yelled again, dodged another incoming blow, and ran over to her.
"That was quite touching, child of sorrow," the dreaded voice called out from above them. Akito was lounging on a branch, his back to the tree trunk and one leg dangling in the air. "If you'd been that charming from the beginning, you might have stood a chance against my little brother for once."
The tower guardians closed in around the two, and Kyo and Tohru were nearly backed up against a tree. "Shut up!" Kyo raged at him. "Quit toying with us, you fucking coward!"
Akito's smile turned predatory. "In due time, child of sorrow. Now run."
The demons moved again, but the two remained frozen. "I said run!" Akito screamed, wild-eyed. "I want to see you run!"
Another clawed limb swung toward them. Kyo and Tohru threw themselves out of the way at the last minute, and instead of decapitating them, the sickle-like claw sliced the tree neatly in half. They stumbled into the darkness again, their entire universe narrowed down to the rain, the forest, their burning lungs and bursting hearts, and always, the crushing presence of Akito and his demons behind. Tohru fought to keep up, trying to ignore the stabs of pain in her ankle and the rising heat in her chest, trusting in Kyo to lead the way although she herself could see nothing past the blue circle of light the Sun Stone cast. Finally they came to a less dense part of the forest, a roughly circular patch of mud a fraction of the size of the clearing near the lake. It was ringed by enormous spiny-looking trees except for one side, which ended abruptly in a deep chasm. Kyo stopped, and the frustration on his face told the entire story. They were lost.
"Kyo-kun?" Tohru tried haltingly.
He kicked at a clod of dirt, which vanished in the rain. "Fucking hellhole!"
"Kyo-kun, they'll hear us."
"They can smell us, idiot!" he snapped. "They can smell our fear."
Tohru clutched at his arm, eyeing the darkness warily. "What do we do now?"
Kyo opened his mouth to answer, but a greenish glow melting out of the line of trees caught their attention. The green light grew bigger then Akito stepped out, the rain once again parting for him. He circled them leisurely, ice-gray eyes glinting with amusement at the way Kyo pushed Tohru behind him, his entire pose screaming defiance and fury—and fear.
He raised an eyebrow at the red-haired boy. "Well? Answer the question, child of sorrow. What do you do now? Do you stand and fight? Do you keep running? There's nowhere else to run, you know. This is the edge of the forest. There's nothing beyond but empty space. This is where it all ends, so hurry up and think of something new."
Kyo growled, a raw, inarticulate sound of pure rage. He's goading him, Tohru realized. Akito's trying to get him to attack. And why does he keep calling him the child of sorrow?
Akito tsked mildly. "You really are so stupid. Why don't you stop wasting time and do what you've been sent here to do? Or don't you want your freedom anymore?"
Tohru froze as Yuki's voice drifted into her mind. Akito set all sorts of impossible conditions for his release. Freedom is what Kyo desires most of all, and Akito knows this.
"Screw your 'freedom', you lying conjurer," Kyo returned, but Tohru didn't miss the way his body stiffened.
"Why are you being so obstinate?" Akito went on, sounding like a patient father lecturing an unruly son. "Murder should be easy for you. After all, you've done it before."
The gasp slipped out before Tohru could stifle it. Kyo began to tremble. Akito missed none of it. "I see Tohru Honda-san is confused by all this. Go on, child of sorrow. Explain it to her. Tell her how it feels to murder the person you should have revered more than life itself. Tell her how your own flesh and blood rejected you, how your very existence drove your own mother to her death. Tell her about your curse, child of sorrow. Tell her what you really are."
Tohru expected Kyo to lose all control at that point, but the red-haired boy didn't move. He stood with his head bowed and his arms hanging limply at his sides, as if Akito's words had drained away all his vitality. The sight of her fiery-spirited friend looking so defeated drove her to the point of absolute recklessness. "Stop!" she cried, coming out to stand in front of Kyo with her arms raised as if to shield him. "Stop this, please! Leave him alone!"
Akito merely looked at her.
"I don't care what he is or what he might have done," she continued despite Akito's frigid silence. "Don't do this to him. Please, Akito-san."
"Tohru," Kyo breathed, completely stunned.
Then Akito began to laugh. He wrapped his hands around his stomach and laughed and laughed, the sound chilling her inside and out. "You really are such good friends, aren't you?" he said. "It's wonderful that someone like him could have such a sweet girl caring for him." He raised his right hand in the air then closed his fist. Kyo choked. Tohru whirled around just in time to see the red-haired boy rise into the air, his arms and legs twitching erratically as if he were struggling against an invisible chain binding him from head to foot. He drifted toward Akito until he hovered between him and Tohru a few feet above the ground, his crimson eyes rolling wildly, his throat working desperately. Tohru shrieked and tried to make a grab for him, but for some reason her own body refused to obey her.
"Well then, child of sorrow," Akito said brightly, ice-gray eyes alight with unholy anticipation. "Why don't we just show her what you really are?"
His left hand lifted to the level of Kyo's head, green light flaring from his outstretched fingers, and slashed downward through the air. There was an odd tinkling sound, as if a hundred tiny glass balls had spilled onto a marble floor somewhere very far away, then tendrils of black smoke began to wrap around the paralyzed form. Kyo twisted his head toward Tohru, his face contorted with panic even as the crimson irises began to change.
He opened his mouth and screamed.
"DON'T LOOK!"