1Twill: Well, even though the last chapter only got two reviews, I'm updating again. And just a note to one reviewer - Ayame's hair isn't your regular blonde, I know. It's a platinum blonde, pretty much white. I wouldn't quite call it silvery, even though in the anime they gave it a grey tinge. If you look at manga pictures, Ayaa's hair is more white than silver, so I stick with my blonde description. That's just me. As for Ritsu, he would've been only about half a year old when Akito was born, according to my sources. I'm unfortunately not completely familiar with manga events, being only up to volume 11 (I think) myself. So if you do see things that are out of place, just let me know. Shigure and his parents... well, there's still plenty of time for things to go wrong, right?

Shigure: How nice.

Twill: Anyway, as there were no requests for anyone this chapter, I've moved back into slowly expanding on the character universe. There's a cameo appearance of a new juunishi, some expansion on Kureno and Akito, and an interesting turn at the end. Or at least I think it is. Enjoy!

WARNING! SPOILERS!

This story features spoilers centering around chapter 97 of the manga, and dealing with characters. If you don't know all the characters yet, or what chapter 97 means, then you'll ruin things for yourself by reading this fic. Of course, by now you should already know this and are prepared to review at the end of the chapter, right?

I don't own Fruits Basket either

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Midmorning Break

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Kureno's time in the main Sohma house, in the room directly beside that of the new Kami, passed by much faster than he would have imagined, being away from home. As Akito was still young and growing, Kureno spent his waking moments attending private lessons with a variety of people all carefully employed by Ren. He learned reading and writing, basic math, and most importantly, how to run a good household.

It was soon a few weeks past his eighth birthday, and Kureno was watching silently as a futon was rolled out in his protector's room, against the wall beneath a window. A curious but subdued toddler watched from atop the proper bed.

As the few meager possessions of the rooster were placed haphazardly in cupboards, Ren appeared seemingly from shadow and looked over the final results. She gestured to her son and a servant hurried to bring the young Akito to her.

"You're getting a new playmate now, Akito. He'll do whatever you tell him to, won't you, Kureno?" Ren's dark gaze moved from Akito's wide eyes to the more respectful, down turned gaze of her pet project.

The red head nodded, and a delighted god hurried to his side. "Play?" he asked, grabbing hold of Kureno's hand, tugging with all the might of a two-year-old. When Kureno nodded again, Akito promptly grabbed him in a hug.

There was a moment of silence where Kureno stared down at Akito, who continued to hold him round the middle. He had only ever been hugged by his mother, and wasn't used to remaining human for the entire process. He tentatively pulled away, taking Akito's small hand in his own, and led him off down the hall. An attendant followed after.

"Disgusting." Ren turned away from the sight of her child with a horrible little animal. She looked instead at the new arrangements of the room, noting with satisfaction that the two would always be together. She nodded. "This is fine."

One of many nameless household helpers stepped forward, a man who's name Ren had long forgotten. "But why have the two in the same room?"

"The animal has never been outside the Sohma walls, and now he never will be. Already the filthy little creatures have sought to escape the family - to schools, to estates off the main grounds - but they won't get far. Akito will have a friend that will tell him exactly what I want him to know. There will be no corruption of nonsense such as 'freedom' and 'choice.'" She turned and swept off through the halls, servants following.

"But... he's a juunishi."

Ren's expression darkened marginally. "Yes, that's unfortunate. But my son will have to deal with them sooner or later. Better to start early and show him that they are no better than pets, meant to serve him."

They arrived in the main reception hall, arriving from a side door. Ren placed herself artfully on a stiff chair and signaled that she was ready to receive her morning appointment.

A woman with black hair pulled back and held in place with two chopsticks shuffled in nervously, holding onto the small hand of a child with strawberry blonde hair. The mother bowed respectfully while the child took the opportunity to hide behind her long kimono.

"And which is it?" Ren asked, eying the small being with contempt.

"Monkey."

Ren flicked her hand sharply. "Leave the child and wait outside." Despite an obvious hesitation, the woman let go of her child's hand and slowly backed out of the room. "So," she began, "what are you? Your hair is long, your clothes are plain, your face is young and yet I can't tell if you're a boy or a girl." Ren narrowed her eyes. "You're a horrible little creature. What is your name?"

The child looked to be on the verge of tears, eyes darting around as if hoping for salvation from one of the many impassive attendants. With a sniffle, a small "Sohma Ritsu" was choked out into the heavy air.

"And how old are you?" Ren's tone was sweet, offsetting her cold stares and piercing eyes.

"T-two and a half."

"And you live with your parents in a hot spring resort?"

Ritsu stared up at Ren in confusion, not understanding what he was being asked. He hiccuped and then started to cry. Almost instantly, the head Sohma recoiled and someone wrenched open the door separating the reception hall from the waiting room, calling for the parent.

Ritsu's mother entered and stared almost horrified at her son, who still stood where she had left him, crying pitifully and not understanding what was going on around him. Instantly she was on her knees between Ritsu and Ren, bowing deeply to the house head. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She continued to bow and wail her apology as her son continued to cry behind her.

Finally having enough, Ren stood. "Silence," she commanded loudly. Instantly both mother and son were quiet, though the latter continued to sniffle and hiccup. Ren's command was venomous. "Get out." The two hastened to comply.

--

Playtime with Akito didn't last very long. Soon after settling down for a story, read by Kureno who was proud to show off his skills, the attendant announced that it was time for Akito to visit the new family doctor, and Kureno was to accompany him. This fact at first didn't make any sense to the rooster, who had never been to the doctor, formally, in his life. And when it was explained what a doctor did, Kureno was certain that only Akito needed to go, anyway.

But the reasoning behind the whole ordeal became very clear as soon as they stepped into a white room and Akito started to sniffle. Apparently he wasn't very fond of the doctor, and, eying the sterile metal instruments on a counter, Kureno could understand why.

"No," was all Akito said, before hiding himself behind the person his mother had said was his.

The new doctor, or at least one Kureno had never seen before, smiled humorlessly and commented on how children were silly things that didn't know what was best for them. The attendant said nothing. Kureno frowned. He didn't think that the man, with stringy black hair pulled back into a sloppy ponytail and a pinched face that made him look like he was always in pain, knew what Akito was thinking.

"Why are we here?"

The doctor smiled his fake smile again and picked up a glinting needle from his array of medical tools. "Akito-sama is here for his vaccinations."

The frightened Kami risked peeking out from behind his protector only to shrink away again at the sight of such a large, pointy thing in conjunction with his name. Kureno sighed, understanding the importance of the shots but not liking the doctor any better for it, and stepped aside. He did, however, make sure to take Akito's hand.

"It's okay," Kureno whispered. "It only looks scary. He'll just poke you with it a little and then he'll give you some candy, like in the story we were reading."

"Right you are." The doctor bent lower, reaching out a cold hand and grabbing the nervous Akito firmly by the arm. In a blink, the needle was in, out, and put away; out of sight and out of mind. "There."

Akito didn't seemed thrilled at what had happened, but didn't burst into tears either. He merely looked sulky, which was confirmed when he stomped out into the hall with all the wrath of a two-year-old throwing a tantrum. Kureno looked up expectantly at the doctor, waiting for the promised reward for enduring such a visit.

"If you're looking for candy, kid," the man said, smile gone, "you should know you can't always believe what you read in a book."

He ushered the rooster out of the white room and shut the door with a snap.

--

"He's getting restless, Ren-sama."

The head of the Sohma household turned to look out a window, mouth set in a thin line. It had just started to rain, which, she knew, would cause troubles. Turning primly to the servant, she said, "Fetch my son and his toy and meet me down in the pit." She then brushed past her and swept off to the inner reaches of the Sohma secret.

He always acted up when it rained, Ren thought bitterly. Never mind that it couldn't possibly reach him where he was, and never would. He just liked to make things difficult for everyone by throwing a fit. Ren wondered why she had to put up with him anyway. There was nothing remotely appealing or useful about him, so why suffer his presence anywhere on the grounds?

She exited the house, not caring about the small sprinkling raindrops that misted the air and clung wetly to her body. Her footsteps were smooth and silent, allowing Ren to almost glide across the lawn like a dark shadow. She had a mission, and loath as she was to do anything about it, Ren was forced to attend to him and his ways. For a little while longer at least.

There was one thing appealing about giving birth to spawn; they took on the family responsibilities. When Akito came of age, it would be his job to take care of the wretched animals, and the him that awaited her. Allowing herself a small, fleeting smile, Ren entered a small, hidden bunker in the private recesses of the grounds that only Kami could walk on - and those brought in by god - and descended down several flights of stairs.

As she drew near to the bottom, Ren could hear faint shuffling and scratching. Soon after, an awful stench assailed her senses, though she was prepared to face it. The lighting was faint, and inwardly the Sohma head was grateful. It meant she wouldn't have to look at him very clearly - a small blessing in the face of such a curse.

Finally, at the bottom, Ren removed a key from a hidden pocket, inserted it, and turned the handle on a simple door. She stepped into the pit. Inside she was met with a brief silence and then a low, pitiful moan. In a distant corner, barely visible in the gloom, her eyes made out the twisted form of a creature never meant to see the sun.

He was the cat.

"And how are we feeling today?" Ren's voice was laced with disgust and contempt. She made it very clear that she was bothered by his actions.

The creature turned its misshapen face toward her, the faint light from the hall behind the door glinting off old, yellow iris' and slitted pupils. He shuffled closer, only a few steps, and paused. Finally, in a weary voice, he spoke. "I don't like the rain."

"You should be used to it by now."

"Let me out?" His voice was barely a whisper. The question was weak, for the cat already knew the answer. He'd known the answer for his entire life, and yet he always asked.

Ren always responded the same way, as well. Her silence was bitterly cold.

Behind her, the sound of the bunker door being opened trailed its way down the stairs. There were faint voices as well. As they grew nearer, the cat slunk closer, curious despite the circumstances. And as the voices became clearer, Ren noticed that there was an extra one that didn't belong. Her eyes narrowed.

"I said let me go!" The servant Ren had dispatched appeared in view dragging along a boy of about nine or ten with messy grey hair and eyes. He was struggling against the tight grip on his upper arm. "Please let me go?" Behind him trailed Kureno and Akito, the former helping the toddler to navigate down the steps.

"Who is this?" Ren asked stiffly.

Before the servant or boy could answer, the cat stirred, hissing dryly in the darkness. Where a normal cat's hiss would indicate anger or displeasure, his seemed more a defeated sigh. "Grandson."

"He was sneaking around the bushes outside, Ren-sama."

"I was leaving. I told you that. You didn't have to drag me down here." The boy looked as if he wanted to kick the attendant, though his eyes kept darting toward the dark shadow behind Ren.

"Icky," chimed Akito, holding his nose.

Ren ignored her child, focusing solely on the intruder. "Who let you in here?" The boy refused to answer or look at her, a fact that left Ren most annoyed. "Well?"

"You're not the boss of me."

"Kitty?" Ren was forced to pull her attention back to the child she had asked be brought in. Akito was trying to see what was lying just beyond the hazy light, watching them with eyes that seemed to glow.

Ren indicated that the boy be taken away. "No, Akito. He's a monster."

"Is he one of the juunishi?" Kureno, too, was looking at the cat.

"No."

"Why is he down here?" The red-head looked up at her, curious and not understanding. If this person thing wasn't a juunishi then how was he a monster? And why lock him up like this?

"Because he is not fit to see daylight." Ren turned her dark gaze on Akito. "He's a monster, Akito. You must always punish monsters."

"That doesn't seem right."

In a swish of fabric, Ren turned on Kureno and struck him hard across the face. He tumbled to the ground sending rocks skittering across the floor. Akito yelped in surprise. The cat backed farther into the shadows. And Kureno remained very still where he had fallen, holding his face, hot tears trailing down his cheeks.

"Your place isn't to question me. You don't know anything about this, and what I tell you, what anyone tells you in this house, is absolute truth." Ren's voice was dangerously low. "Do what you're told and don't think for yourself. That's how to live a protected life, juunishi." She almost spat the term at him. "That's what you want, isn't it?"

Slowly, eyes lowered to the ground, Kureno nodded.

"Good. Now Akito, point at the monster." Ren smiled as her son raised a shaky hand and pointed into the darkness. "Very good. You must always remember that the cat deserves nothing better than to be locked up, where you won't ever have to look at him." She glanced back at Kureno, who was getting back to his feet. "And also remember that there is no fate worse than his."

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Twill: Now as far as I know, the old cat is only briefly mentioned in passing from a few characters. The details aren't very accurate, so this is my take on it. And I know that the cat is supposed to be locked up somewhere, so I've made it a hideaway under the estates. I mean otherwise people could come and visit easily, thus defeating the purpose of locking him up in isolation, right? I know Ren goes to visit, and it seems like she has before, but would you be happy to see her? I doubt it. Send me a review and tell me what you think!