Disclaimers: See Chapter 1: Lost in teh Forest

Author's Note (1): My japanese sucks. I'll try to keep it to a minimum. Plus, I may get confused with the honorifics. I just hope I got them all right. f not, I hope some of you will let me know.

Chapter 2: Decisions in the Night

'There has to be a way,' Tohru thought as she went down to the kitchen. She set the teapot to boil as she stared out the window. Not seeing the full moon or the stars, she stared at the night sky. 'There simply has to be away for both of them. To break the curse- to keep Kyo free. But what can I do?'

"You do what you can do, Tohru," said a voice in her head. Tohru blinked as she heard her mother's voice. "Go slowly and do your best, that's all you can do."

"Oh, Mother," Tohru whispered as she stared blankly. "There's no time. How can I do my best and go slowly?"

"You do what you can and simply believe in people, Tohru," her mother answered. "People are different and that makes them special in their own way. Each has their own talents and weaknesses, but that doesn't make them bad people. Just special and different. And when you believe, miracles can happen, Tohru."

"Oh, Mom," Tohru whispered as she went to the whistling teapot. "Miracles can happen, and it'll take a miracle to save Kyo."

Feeling restless and upset at her helplessness, Tohru took her cup of tea into the living quarters and turned on the television. As she flipped through the channels, she heard Kyo's anguished words go through her head.

+flashback+

"I'll finally be able to take my rightful place in this family!" Kyo shouted as he lifted his fist, ready to fight.

"I'll beat the Rat this year!" Kyo shouted as he faced the New Year's sunrise.

"You have no idea what it's like to be a cat! To be the outsider! To be me! If I could have beaten you in one race-one contest- anything-then Akito would have been forced to accept me into the Zodiac!" Kyo shouted.

end flashback+

"What can I do?" Tohru said aloud to the TV screen. She stared at it as the commercial about a new type of rice ended. She startled as the opening jingle of a popular cooking show started then stared it. Her heart started beating faster. "Can I do this-is this a battle?"

Hope started to fill Tohru's heart as she thought hard. 'Kyo can do this-Kyo can do this and he can win! But can I do this?'

She heard Hatori-san's quiet voice. "No one dares to go against Akito- no one dares to gamble against Akito… those that do… let's just say that they learn to regret it later on."

"What's the worst that could happen?" Tohru asked herself as she closed her eyes. Tears started to flow as she imagined herself living in a tent again. Alone. Then she saw Kyo in a cage, his eyes devoid of the fire she usually saw there. She opened her eyes again. "So that's the worst that could happen…

+flashback+

"All be cause of the RAT," Kyo spat as he lunged towards Yuki again. He snarled as Yuki blocked his attack and knocked him away, but instead of landing on his back, Kyo landed on his feet, ready to attack again. "Akito gave me more time for the pathetic cat was given more time to beat him! Because the Rat is special!"

"I never asked to be the Rat!" Yuki hollered back…

"Stupid! Akito doesn't care about us!" Yuki screamed back. "He only cares about his sick games…"

"We don't know why Akito does whatever he does," Hatori said as he looked at Tohru. "He simply orders…and we obey. He's the Head of the Sohmas. It's always been that way."

"Akito playing puppet master again," Hatori said tiredly.

"Akito orders and we're just like his puppets, like Hatori said" Yuki said bitterly as he looked at Tohru. He lifted his head to look at her and saw her reach out to him. Painfully he crawled towards her. "We eat, drink, laugh and cry. We're human- but we're still treated like puppets- his toys to play with…his toys to abuse."

end flashback+

"Sohma-kun," Tohru whispered. Fresh tears started to form in her eyes as she realized what Sohma-kun said. "You're going to be hurt too, aren't you? Just like Kyo. All because you're the special Rat…"

Tohru's heart grew heavy as she looked at the TV show and saw the two chefs compete against the clock and each other. She heard her mother. "Do the best that you can, Tohru. And leave the rest to take care of itself…"

"I can do this- I have to. And I won't have any regrets," Tohru whispered as tears rolled down her face. "No regrets, Hatori-san. I promise."

Author's Note (2): Please kindly review.