Chapter 6: Haru's Driven Persistence

I didn't notice I put suffix until I submitted the chapter and you pointed it out. See…it stinks when you're American and not Japanese…. you get the words honorific and suffix mixed up. '' Nonetheless, here is Chapter 6!

Yuki allowed the words to pour out carefully as if by saying the wrong thing the letters would spill all over the place and stain their minds. "He is determined to release Kyo because he believes that he doesn't deserve what is happening to him. Haru…." He sighs a little and rubs his forehead out of aggravation, "as we all know, has a bad sense of direction, and Kyo always showed him where the bathroom was, and where everyone's houses' were. It was quite a nuisance. But, Kyo continued to put up with it and drag Haru around. Clearly, he is grateful for this and wants to repay Kyo any way he possibly can, even if it means sacrificing his own freedom just to do the right thing." As he finished speaking he found Tohru and Shigure staring at him, slightly dumbfounded, yet understanding everything he had said.

The first thing that came out of her mouth was, "But…Haru-kun…. he might get hurt. They could both get hurt if he does something wrong…" Her voice trailed off after she had spoken. She couldn't believe what she was saying. It sounded as if she had no faith in Haru's capabilities, but that wasn't true was it? She completely considered the fact that he could do whatever he set his mind to. Then again, everything can't go the way she wanted; the way he wanted. All Tohru could do at the moment was think about the things Yuki had just said. Analyzing every aspect of his explanation to what Haru meant, she finally realized that if Haru were to go black while confronting his task, he could possibly achieve anything. The thing was, though, would he incidentally hurt Kyo, just out of pure anger.

There was so much to think of; just pondering about every thing that had even the slightest importance made your head ache. Tohru suddenly scratched the upper half of her left arm and held her arm gently, staring at the ground now. Was there even a way to do anything? She asked this as if she hadn't already attempted to get an answer to that question. Tohru continued to wonder about the things most significant to her and the things she wanted.

As if the answer had just landed right at her shoe-covered feet, she dropped her arms to her side and hurried upstairs, taking two steps at a time; this was most unusual for someone like her. Skidding to a slippery stop she takes a quick hold of the empty room's doorknob and keeps herself on her feet delicately. Her now sweaty palms twisted the bronze knob and she found herself pushing it open. By this time the children were playing cheerfully in Katsuro's bedroom that was just beside Tohru's; it connected together as a joint bedroom, but the door could only be opened with a key. They always knocked when one another wanted to gain entrance. Walking into Kyo's former room, she looks around at the complete emptiness. She felt a hole form in her heart, like the last parts of Kyo were finally torn from her. Then, she found herself looking at the closed closet. Walking to it slowly she pulls the doors to the sides to open it. On the ground, laying limply, was a photograph. It was the one she had slipped into his bag. He clearly took it out and left it here intentionally. The only thing that came to mind when seeing this was, He doesn't want to remember me… he's pretending he never knew me isn't he? Kyo-kun…. She thought all of this without even reconsidering. It was all that she allowed into her thoughts at the moment, it's as if her mind wouldn't allow her to take any other facts into account.

She dropped to her knees weakly and her back slammed against the open closet door. After wincing a little, she ignored the tingling pain that was running wildly up and down her back. Tohru took hold of the photograph a couple moments later and gazed at it. The picture had captured the rare smile that Kyo produced only around Tohru, even though Yuki was with them in the picture.

XxX

The darkness in the sky made everything feel cold. The hairs on Kyo's arms were standing upright and he began to get the goose bumps. It made him look like he was frightened of Akito, and that was probably the last emotion he was feeling. Many minutes had passed since they exited the house and trudged through the creaky forest. Kyo looked across the street and found himself eyeing the entrance to the Sohma Estate where all the inner Sohma's resided. His body was thrusted forward and before he could react he had rammed into a solid iron gate. He cursed under his breath after a few moments of gasping for air. Hearing Akito laugh vigorously Kyo groans in annoyance. The strongest emotion in him at the time was hatred. Hatred towards Akito and her objectives. Anger towards how much she was intent on tearing him and Tohru apart. Abruptly, he slams his fist against the gate and for an instant, his knuckles rang and his hand became numb. No sooner then a minute later he was screaming in excruciating pain.

She approached him and her hand rested on his head. After rubbing his head a little, her fingers sifted through his hair and she took tight hold. Kyo yelps and his hands instantly leapt up and grabbed her wrist trying to pry her hand off his scalp. Akito pulls him to his feet, ignoring the scraping of his fingernails against her hand. As fast as it could, the gate opened quietly making it give the illusion of gliding across the grass. She continued to drag him along, across the dirt trail that ran throughout the Estate. Of course there was streets though so that those who had cars could drive out of the gated Estate.

Moments later, Akito approaches an old, rundown building that actually made Kyo shiver when he caught sight of it. Her free hand grasped the long doorknob and she pushed it down. The sound of releasing locks filled the air and she yanked the door open instantly. He stared into it and caught site of it and he's soon pushed in out of nowhere by Akito. Just as the door began to slam shut, he could hear the faint laughter of joy coming directly from Akito.

There was nothing inside the room, just as it was empty when he came and retrieved Tohru from captivity. The walls were covered with torn sheets now instead of the steel panels being visible. He quickly glanced at the window and soon realized that trying to make an escape wouldn't work. The windows had cold, rough steel bars covering them perfectly. The bars locked almost onto the window, it was practically impossible to plan an escape from this dark sanctuary. He turned around and pressed his hands against the door. The moment he did this his hands began to burn from the extreme cold the door produced. His body had been lukewarm before touching the icy cold, so now he felt as if he were going to suffocate. He couldn't believe how cold it really was in the room. In seconds he dropped forward onto his knees, and soon, onto his stomach.

The panels on the ground were purely made out of wood, but no splinters were able to take form at any time since the carpenters had sanded it. He stared blankly at the wall with the only window. The only light that seeped into the room was from the faint moonlight, and it was getting in through one of the less crowded bars. His hand out stretched a little toward that direction, fingers pulled out so it wasn't in a fist. It looked as if he were trying to grab the lessening light. He couldn't allow it to depart and leave him in the darkness. Nobody would be nearby to care for him as Tohru had. "I… want to see her face again…. even if it is from the bars at the window. Even if….it makes me sad…" his voice leaked across the floor and he dropped his arm to the ground. The spot he was lying on was where he was probably going to fall asleep. "I'm…. sorry…. I didn't…take the picture…. Toru…" he spoke, not realizing that he had said her name wrong.

Akito stayed outside the building for quite a while hopping that he would be calling desperately for help. Those cries didn't happen and she sighed a little, walking off toward the house that Kureno lived in with her, that she actually called home. Her hand dropped into the spot where she could open it, and she slid it across the sliding rails. Entering quietly, she slides the door shut, and walks toward her bedroom.

Opening that door, she enters and began to take her kimono off.

"I wouldn't do that just yet Akito…." The voice sounded a little raspy, but dead set on doing something.

She pulled the kimono back over her completely and tied it so it wouldn't open by itself. Akito peered, her eyes slicing through the darkness like a knife through a cake. When she saw that it was Haru, she was caught by complete surprise. Approaching him progressively Akito notices a smug grin on his face and a quick glare formed in her eyes. "What are you doing here you insignificant ox?" Akito questions trying to voice her authority over the Juunishi as well as the entire Sohma family. Another question sprang from Akito's mouth, "Where's Kureno!" she bellowed as if talking louder would make everything sound clearer.

Haru shot her a soft grin and got up from the chair he was sitting in. Walking towards Akito he stops after he reached her. Looking down at her a little to try to make eye contact, he whispers, "I'm guessing you already caged in Kyo… The new, more crowded bars were installed so that not even machines can break them apart huh?" He says this like he is trying to get information out of Akito. For the first time ever, Akito seemed to be shuddering, more or less cowering in fear of Haru. The last time they encountered each other she was left on the ground after being struck. "Do you have any idea how wrong it is to lock up a human being as if they were an animal? You know, it'd make people think you're experimenting on him. Testing out new, messed up things on how to…. extend your life." He put emphasis on the word 'extend' as he spoke to not let her forget that he knew about her short lifetime. She grimaced slightly and shot her attention to the ground not wanting to even look at someone less superior then herself.

"You have no right being in here and assaulting me once again." Her voice was sturdy and firm as she spoke trying to show Haru that she wasn't afraid of him like it looked like she was. A small smile crept across Hatsuharu's face and before long he mumbled something and slipped his hand under her chin, lifting her head up a little so that they can meet eyes once again. "Looking at you doesn't frighten me you dumb cow!" Her own grin appeared and before long she brought her hand up and tried to slap him as hard as she could. But, with strangely fast reflexes, Haru catches her by the wrist and glares at her. "Let- Me- Go!" Each word came after trying to pull away from him.

Shaking his head, he spoke quietly, "You have no right to hit me…" He said this and tried to mock Akito.

"I HAVE ALL THE RIGHT TO HIT YOU!" She roars and tries to hit him once again.

This time his other hand caught that wrist. He held her arms over her head and glares. "Try to strike me again and you'll regret it."

Her attention was on something else though. She was looking at her closet out of the corner of her eye and found a pair of eyes looking back her in fright. Akito looks at Haru more slowly so that he doesn't catch her wondering eyes. "You will regret even coming here, Haru. Mark my words if you like."

"I'm sure I will…." His voice trailed off and he began to exit the room until he remembered something. As he went back to grab the door handle he found it lock and screaming was coming from the inside. "RIIIIIIIN!" He exclaims pounding his fists against the door. The yelling of pain grew louder by the second and tears were splashing out of both pairs of eyes. There was one last yelp and then complete silence had befallen them. "RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!" He yells once more and drops to his knees at the door. Haru pounded lifelessly against the door over and over again to no prevail.

The sound of yelling and screaming had awakened Kyo and he looked around the dark room slowly. Gathering himself up, he walks to the barred-window silently and peers out it trying to catch a glimpse of something. But the only thing he saw was the light in Akito's bedroom on and something stained across her curtains at her window. More pounding was being heard as well as desperate cries. It sounded as if it was Haru calling, but he wasn't quite sure. And for all he knew the stains on Akito's curtains were from some kind of nasty food that she eats. The last word he heard before realizing what had actually happened was the cry of Rin's name. At that moment, he knew something had happened and Akito caused it. He dropped his head against the bars gently and rolled his eyes up a little to keep his attention outside, sorrow slowly consuming his heart.

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter...as if clearly took my a while due to all the homework I've been having to do. Please continue to Read & Review! Tell me whatcha think!