Chapter 2: Akito's Surprise

"I brought you guys some tea!" Tohru ran up to Yuki and Kyou, who now, thanks to Kyou's mint, have broken legs.

"Hey thanks Tohru," Kyou took his cup quickly.

"Thank you, Miss Honda," Yuki took his cup gently.

"I'm going to go to the supermarket to do some grocery shopping, 'kay?" Tohru said with a slow smile forming.

"Sure! Go ahead," Yuki and Kyou both said.

"You've worked hard enough to help us with our legs that, I would like to recall, Kyou's mint caused," Yuki smirked at Kyou.

Kyou glared him with narrow eyes.

Tohru giggled a little. "I'm going now!" As she paced herself down the stairs, she could hear distant yells between Kyou and Yuki. She slipped her shoes in, grabbed her red jacket, a scarf – for it was cold outside – and went off jollily.

"I wish that those two would get along…" Tohru thought grudgingly to herself.

"Why, Miss Tohru Honda," a calm, cold voice came out from her right.

Tohru turned her head and saw none other than Akito by the window.

"Well, what is a fine, beautiful girl at this nice, cold weather seem to be sulking about?" Akito asked.

"Sulking? Um…" trying to find words to form a lie, she said, "I was just worried about schoolwork. That's all. Don't worry. It'll all be done soon! I'm sure of it."

"Determined, are we?" Akito asked. "Homework seems to be a big issue among children," he added slowly.

Tohru looked at him, wondering what he was up to.

"Say, I have a few minutes on my hands. Would you like to join me in drinking some tea?" he finally asked. Tohru felt as though there was something. Akito just doesn't have anyone join him for tea.

Trying to avoid anything tricky to happen to her, she simply said, "I have to go get groceries! Maybe next time."

"Aw. I was hoping, maybe I would be able to discuss to you with," he paused, only to say, "the issue between Yuki and Kyou."

"Kyou? Yuki?" Tohru asked with wonder. "What happened? Is it something bad?"

"I just want to share something with you," Akito said and quickly added, "Would you like to spare a few minutes?"

Tohru was very uncertain, yet the issue about Yuki and Kyou seemed so important. She wanted to help if there was a problem. Though, the other part of her mind seemed to linger over the thought that Akito was just saying these words to only lure her to into matters that may not relate to Yuki and Kyou at all. She gave it a shot anyways.

"Sure," she said with uncertainty in her voice.

"Go through the front door," Akito said and closed the curtains.

Tohru went through the front doors with a wooden frame around it. There were six pots of small trees growing in some sunlight that shown through the sky. She entered the main house, relieved to feel the warmth around her cold face.

"Over here, Tohru," Akito's voice echoed down the only corridor that was in front of her.

She entered Akito's room, finding that Akito has closed the window and curtains, so it made the room somewhat dark.

"Tohru," he said. "Oh, you are so beautiful."

Tohru looked at Akito a little grimly.

Akito's face turned to the single flower that stood tall. With a thick stem supporting the bud that would blossom, Akito held the bud so delicately and spoke, "This bud is so beautiful, isn't it?"

Tohru was silent.

He continued, "Though it is beautiful, it will blossom to the peak of its beauty, then die, looking awful. Tragedy, isn't it, Miss Honda?"

"Yes, it is," Tohru said.

"Though, as ugly as its corpse would look, it'll only decompose to become soil," Akito's voice suddenly became colder, "where people walk on it, and spit upon." He turned his face slowly to Tohru, smiling a broad smile. "I could see from your face that you would so wish for everyone to live in harmony, am I right?"

"I wish for such to happen, yes," Tohru said while staring into Akito's empty eyes.

"I too am tired of Kyou and Yuki fighting constantly. Why do they seem to always fight with each other?" Akito looked out the window to Shigure's house.

Could it be that Akito had suddenly turned a new leaf? Tohru was pondering this as he continued.

"Tohru, I know I have been harsh to everyone in the past. I am truly, deeply sorry for such despair I have given everyone," Akito's eyes never lost Tohru's. "It is only my wish that everyone would live in harmony, Tohru. I am really sorry for what I did!" he pleaded this time. "I just want everything to be right again. I know it's hard to believe, but this is what I want. I truly did turn a new leaf." He touched the flower's leaf with his long fingers, mingling in them with such delicacy. "Which is why I ask you to come to help me." Akito went to a cabinet nearby and took out a monkey's paw. Tohru's face was a little contorted by this paw.

"It is very delicate," Akito carefully brought it to Tohru.

All the four fingers on the paws were stretched outwards, as if it would take a lot of pressure and energy to make them make a fist.

"Have you heard of the magic this monkey's paw can hold?" Akito asked.

"No. What magic?" Tohru was now linking this paw to her little genie friend.

"Believe it or not, this paw grants you as many wishes as the number of fingers it possesses. I wish for you to use these wishes wisely. I know you would make the best decisions."

"You want me to wish for Kyou and Yuki to stop fighting?" Tohru asked.

"That was what we were discussing, weren't we?" Akito asked with a question in his eyes. "By all means, I think that should be your first wish."

"But," Tohru was unsure to ask this question, but she asked anyways, "why can't you make the wish?"

"The monkey paw only obeys wishes from true hearted people," he answered calmly, "but I, on the other hand, am healing from the evil that I known have existed within me. It still senses this evil."

Tohru stared at the paw.

"Go ahead," Akito urged her, "make the Kyou and Yuki wish. Remember to make your wishes precise."

Tohru continued to look at the paw. "I wish for Kyou and Yuki to be friends," she said, but quickly added, "for a long time."

The thumb of the monkey's paw magically folded rigidly. Tohru was frightened, but stayed quiet. The thumb did not move. Akito took the paw from Tohru and put it back into the cabinet.

"Very well done, Tohru. I knew that the paw would obey you," Akito said.

Tohru felt very unsure of this paw. "I have to go," she said and walked out.

XXX

I know that this is such a switch of tones between this chapter and the one before it. I just finished reading a mystery novel, so it still has a small…okay fine, a huge effect on me. Not as light hearted as the one before, but next chapter will be about Kyou and Yuki being nice to each other! Yeah, something you don't see in the manga/anime of Fruits Basket. Well, please review.

Thanks for reading! I appreciate your time and special thanks to reviewers.

Though, they say responding to reviewers to against the rules now, so no responses anymore.

Review!