DISCLAIMER - Fruits Basket is NOT mine. No matter how many times I may declare otherwise.
AUTHOR'S NOTE - References are made throughout the story to my first fanfic, The Shot That Stopped Time. This story here is sort of a continuation, taking place after the events of that fanfic. Please R & R TSTST before reading this.
"Breakfast!"
It was another typical Monday morning in the Souma household. Tohru was preparing a delicious breakfast for Shigure, Yuki, and Kyou, while the last two of the trio were engaged in a fierce debate over the previous Friday's math homework.
"I'm tellin' ya 1/3 of 100 hundred is 33!"
"And I am telling you that you need to go back to elementary school, " Yuki declared. "1/3 of 100 is 33.3 repeated. You can never have an equal third of an even integer."
"Why the hell does the '3 repeated' matter anyway?"
"If you had half a brain it would be obvious."
Tohru gleefully placed breakfast on the table, eager to interrupt the bickering that was taking place in the other room.
"Kyou, Yuki, breakfast!"
"We're coming, Miss Honda!"
"Damn rat."
"Stupid cat."
It had been 6 months since the accident. That horrible night when a criminal almost tore so many lives apart. The night Tohru was almost lost.
She was now moving on her own and almost completely back to normal. However, the onigiri still had trouble walking on days she was over-tired, an obvious indicator of her physical condition that she didn't like the boys to see. After all, she hated to worry them, and hobbling around the house like a cripple did just that. But Tohru was determined to conceal that occasional stress as best she could, in true Tohru fashion.
As time flew by, Kyou and Tohru had grown closer. Ever since she had moved in more than 2 years ago, she had seen the neko everyday. But following the accident, the pair would always go for a walk alone together. The purpose of this at first was to help Tohru's legs recuperate. But then it just became part of the daily routine. Something each of them looked forward to every night as they lay down to sleep. Neither realizing that the other was just as giddy about the next morning's outing.
No one knew what exactly the two spoke of. Obviously it couldn't be anything too juicy, Shigure informed Yuki one evening, because the two of them couldn't even bump into each other without blushing.
And now, on this sunny Monday morning, the two headed off on their walk, completely unaware of the developing plans of one whose new obsession was to utterly destroy them.
"I'm sick of that stupid bitch," Akito Souma said as she stroked Kureno's face. "She is taking my juunishi away from me. What gives her the right to even think she is part of this family! She's not! She's a stupid little twit. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Don't you think, my dearest Kureno?"
Kureno was silent.
"And now I hear that she and the monster are getting even closer. Walking in the woods together in the mornings. Talking on the roof of that house at night. I won't have it. I can't have it. She won't mess up the order of things in this family. She's an outsider. And I am going to have to take drastic measures to punish her for her deeds. Even if I have to kill her with my bare hands…."
At this Kureno's eyes widened in a swell of emotion he rarely showed in front of anyone, especially Akito.
"You aren't serious, Akito?"
Kureno searched the young woman's eyes, desperate for anything that would answer his question. All he saw was a dark, abysmal hate which he had never before seen in those eyes. Akito was serious.
"Oh, Kureno, what is this look in your eyes? Have you never heard of the concept of justice? That's all I speak of. Those who sin must be punished. Sometimes those punishments must be severe, even if it means the extermination of a living creature. Surely you understand the terrible burden I must bear as the head of this family, passing judgement upon my loved ones. I don't enjoy it. But it is my job to protect this family from corruption."
"Akito," Kureno whispered, summoning the courage to ask the question that was filling up his mind. "Do you really think that murder is justice? Isn't murder itself a crime deserving of a severe punishment? Can you truthfully say that you don't enjoy such a thing?"
The smile on the woman's face made Kureno's blood run cold.
"There are always exceptions. It isn't murder if it is done for the right reasons, my dear dear Kureno. And besides, do you really think I would murder that bitch? That would be too easy a punishment for her. No, no, instead I will kill her from the inside out. A slow, painful death. I'll rip her mind apart ----drain her emotions instead of her blood. And yes, oh yes. In this case……"
Kureno watched as Akito rose to walk to her garden through the shoji screens, her blood red yukata moving in the cool breeze.
"….In this case, I will definitely enjoy it."
OK, now that we have the establishing chapters over, we can move on to the story. What is Akito planning for Tohru? Does she know how deep Kyou and Tohru's feelings really go? And why on earth did I mention Momiji in the intro Author's Notes? R&R and I will continue.