Chapter 11: Within His Dream
This chapter takes place during the time Haru is telling the story to Tohru. Yet another sad chapter…sorta. Just to clear something up, Katsuro is an OC. So..he's not in the actual manga. Just a question I had to answer. Continue to review and say anything you like! In this chapter, the italic typing is Kyo's Dream.
Kyo rolls around on the rickety, wood floor that was practically an extremely dull mahogany red. There was nothing within the shack that was fit for human inhabitation. Nothing. All there really was, was steal bars, and discolored walls that looked like cement but were actually constructed with really thick pieces of wood. There were multiple splinters wedged into his skin even though he had only been living in that hellhole for three or four days at the least. As painful as the wood pieces were, he with stood it all, wanting to prove his physical strength and show that he wasn't as weak as Akito depicted him.
His eyes were tightly shut by his own will and he attempted at sleep once more. His pain…his thoughts…they were all eating at him like a disease. Kyo rolls onto his left, facing the window that was covered in bars. A piece of wood cracks a little as his foot drops against it. Even the ground he slept on was worn and useless. The way he felt. It was an impossible fate to escape from. He was going to live here forever, no matter how hard he bangs against the doors and walls, no one will ever come. Even if they say they will, they wont. Their fear will take control of their being and stop them from rescuing him.
Groaning almost silently, Kyo places his left hand firmly on the wood and keeps his eyes closed. His body fell into a soft sleep and his eyes twitch for a few moments before he drifts into a deeper sleep. Kyo's body was showing off a strangely content posture and his face bore a somewhat happy expression. It was quite a surprise, especially since his mind was full of dreadful thoughts while awake and now in his sleep. Something wasn't right. It didn't seem, nor feel normal inside. Slowly, he turns back over, lying motionlessly on his back; clearly he was so tired, nothing would awake him even if he were to notice that he was hardly breathing. The air –which was probably the only thing in the room other then Kyo himself-, was fairly musty and it made Kyo cough often. Even while sleeping, you can hear him cough huskily. It wasn't healthy and even though he hadn't been breathing it in for more then a week, it quickly got to work and is currently affecting his health like a drug.
The sun burst through an open window with a powerful sense of energy. As hot as it was, everyone was reasonably cheerful and wearing summer clothing. The young boy with the orange hair –Kyo- turns around and looks out that same window with a shy, saddened expression. His mother walks up from behind him and gently pulls the window down to close it. He pulled his hands out of the way and watched his mother shut the window. After she left the room, he let out a deep sigh and placed his hands against the windowpane. It was quite cold because hadn't laid its rays upon it in a long time. The window had been open for many days until his mother found it open and closed it.
He let out a quiet whine and lets his hand sprawl open across the glass. The warmness of the sun quickly soothed his freezing hand and he instinctively throws his other hand against it for the warmth. After he felt his hands begin to burn, he withdraws his hands from their last position and lets them drop to his side.
What caught his attention was something sad. A group of children, about his age, were playing Fruits Basket in the courtyard diagonal of his house. Kyo had let out a short gasp at this sight. The last time he was outside with those same kids, they said that Fruits Basket was out of style and that no one played it anymore. They lied to me… The sadness rushed through his body once more and he turns his back to the window, and hurriedly runs to the door, throwing it open and running with his eyes closed. In an instant, he ran into his mother and a popping type of noise is heard and next thing he knew, he was sitting sadly in his cat form. Tears were gently strolling down his cheeks and not being able to contain himself he jumps up at his mother and she caught him in her arms.
"My dear, sweet boy…" her voice sounded so caring to him and he believed her love.
His cat form sniffles and he nestles into her. Then, something changed. This memory became clouded and within seconds something different happened. A woman is thrown into the house and she hits the ground. Kyo and his mother stood stilly and look at them woman. She was so familiar to Kyo and his mom but, they just stood their. He tries to pull out of his mom's grasp after recognizing the lady but she held him tightly. "MOM! LET ME GO! WE HAVE TO HELP HER! She's my…only friend…" He gasps lifelessly, poofing back into his human form. Nonetheless, his mother held him back, even though he was without his clothing. He desperately reaches for the young lady but his mother pulls his hands back and holds them behind his back. "Mom! Please…. we have to help Mrs.Kyoko!" He shouted sadly, "She's…she's hurt, Mother!" Kyo added helplessly.
The woman laid on the ground, almost motionless. Her slight breathing caused Kyo even more worry. He couldn't stand this; the only person who 'really' cared for him was being hurt.
Suddenly, he saw another figure standing at the doorway down the hall. This figure was much, much shorter and made Kyo wince a little in order to make out the details of this person. That person was the young master, Akito.
Why was this memory being altered? How was he not in control of what was happening like he normally is? Usually, the dream would go on as normal, fulfilling the memory it was based on. But this time, it was completely different. The feeling in Kyo's body had shifted some how and he was becoming mentally confused. A sharp stinging sensation begins to burn at the back of his neck, and he stays asleep, unwillingly allowing the dream to continue on in its course of nature.
A sharp grin comes from Akito and her body begins to shift into the present, older version of Akito. Kyo flinches and then turns to go behind his mother. But, she pushes him forward and he falls onto his clothing. Cautiously, he put them on and then knelt down beside Kyoko's body. He yelled angrily and fell on Kyoko's back, crying into her clothing; mourning. She was gone again. And yet again, it was his fault. He could've helped her but he wasn't strong enough. How was he going to explain this to that daughter he told him about? The one he promised to take care of when he grew older.
Akito lets out a proud shout of laughter. "I own your dreams you monster. You're in my possession. Itsumo. That word is normally used in a good way right?" another sharp sounding laugh came from her mouth and she places her hand on the back of her head. The laughter continued for a short period of time and then she stops. Looking at Kyo with a greedy grin, she says softly, "I dare to say that this is not a pleasant dream for you. Kan Yume? Pft. What a joke! For you its hell! For me! IT IS A SWEET DREAM! Oh yes…. very. Now…while you suffer in your dreams and in your hellish sanctuary, I will be attempting to jokingly mourn Rin's death." She disappears through the door, leaving the young Kyo crying his eyes out in fright and sorrow.
His eyes shot open the moment she disappears and he sits up. Sweat dripping down his forehead, Kyo groans and rubs his face instantly. The sweat now rests on his hands and he just stares at them blankly. "How…did she do that?" he mutters. Then, in anger, he rephrases his previous sentence, "HOW DID THAT WENCH DO THAT!" Kyo thrusts his right fist into the wood and the coppice flies into the air, dropping around and leaving even more splinter in his hand, knuckles, and arm.
Staggering to his feet weakly, he looks at the ground, both hands closing into fists. Some of the splintered wood drops out of his skin, but most of it remained. "Why is she doing this to me? As if I'm not being tortured enough, right? I long to see Tohru…but…the seems like a long shot. I doubt Akito will let her or Haru near this house again." His voice was shaky even though he was alone in the room as usual. Looking down, Kyo lifts his left hand up and rubs his forehead since there weren't any splinters in that hand. He was too stressed out now to even think any farther. Nevertheless, he continues to question Akito's abilities to enter his thoughts; his very dreams. "How is she able to make such a happy memory so painful. Does she possess more power then any of us even realize?" Even though it wasn't like him to contemplate this much, he did anyways. His mind has made some severe changes ever since he was locked up. He's become far wiser some how, if that is to make any sense. And, he considers many things now, rethinking his past moments with certain people such as: Tohru, Yuki, Kyoko, and Shigure, just to name a few. "She feeds off of my dreams. Creating my good times into horrible ones, just so she can make those very memories her 'good ones'. She literally does bring a whole new meaning to kan yume…" he sighs a little and drops his left hand back down to his side, opening both hands completely so that he can alleviate his right hand of the pressure of having to hold itself closed and having wood digging into it.
Walking over to the window slowly, he peers out through the small spots where light shone in. Almost everything was invisible to his eyes. The sunlight was burning his pupils because he hadn't seen such a strong burst of light for practically five days. His eyes weren't used to so much light, even though hardly any was shining in. Through his small blindness, he was able to see a group of people in the distance as he winces to peer past Akito's house. The throng of people appeared to all be mourning Rin's death still. For some reason this began to disgust Kyo and he turns around abruptly.
Trudging back to the center of the room, he drops down gradually and sits cross-legged. "Its so stupid. Can't they see past Akito's mental disguise? She's trying to make them believe it was an accident. She admitted it all in my dream for God's sake! Akito said she was going to jokingly pretend to mourn! What kind of retards could actually believe she is sad! Oh my god! This is so freaking pissing me off right now. Practically all of my relatives are retarded. Not being able to see through Akito's false-self." He grunts under his breath, and folds his arms across his chest in annoyance. The wood continues to dig deeply into his skin and he winces, closing his eyes entirely once again. He'd hardly gotten twenty minutes of sleep while he was having the screwed up version of his reverie.
The anger continues surging on through his veins as he thinks about Akito's evilness. Sadness suddenly befalls his face when he finds himself thinking of both Tohru and Kyoko Honda. How close he use to be to them. May it have been he and Tohru or Kyoko and himself, the bond was once strong but the energy of it has failed to continue on. It has melted like the snow. In his mind, their bond has gone from the coolness of winter, to the warm and breathy spring. He wasn't going to be able to see Tohru for a while if he doesn't recuperate his strength. Without that force, he didn't have the ability to knock down the walls that bound him to the darkness. In order to cut himself loose he gave himself the orders to concentrate on his old training. At the thought of this he slightly grins, he was to try and attempt to advance his training within his hellish confines. By the time he is given the chance to make his escape, he'll be strong enough to defend himself against any type of armies that Akito sends after him. Even…. if it is Akito herself.
Here is the eleventh chapter of Kan Yume. I know its very informative and…somewhat sad but…it's very helpful. This chapter mostly explains the summary. At least…I think it does. Read and Review! Tell me what you think.