Oh thank heavens! I finally was able to upload this blasted document! Ok in short it would have been up last week or so, but hey! A certain website wouldn't let me upload ANYTHING!
Ok I won't rant since you've all waited patiently. Ok well MOST of you have waited patiently, and if you don't like how long I take? Well that's just tough, because I like to think I have more important things to do in my life. Such a delusion, I know. Well I'm being threatened to move it along, and I can just imagine the frustrated sighs echoing around right now;
All right! Shutting up now!
Beyond the Darkness
Chapter Six: A Strange Day
Aiska sighed as she stared out at the passing scenery, trying to ignore Hatori's glances.
"Is everything… all right?" He asked just as he pulled up outside the house. Aiska raised an eyebrow as she turned to him.
"I just witnessed you turn into a seahorse and you ask me if everything's all right?" Before she could restrain herself, Aiska burst out laughing. As she tried to stop herself, she ended up in a coughing fit followed closely by a series of sneezes.
"I'm ok." She stated quickly before Hatori could open his mouth.
"This is my fault." He turned away sadly.
"No it's not. Your Akito person is the one who tripped me." Hatori closed his eyes as Aiska chewed her lip nervously. "I'm sorry, I meant no disrespect." Aiska could not help but think back to the dark eyes that had followed her as Hatori had coaxed her to remove her dripping wet clothing behind a nearby screen to don a kimono instead. He had forced her to rest, take deep breaths before he glanced to Akito, who had nodded and Hatori proceeded to inform Aiska how the Sohma family was cursed by the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. She had lain silently the entire time, staring at the ceiling while Akito sat back, his gaze never leaving her.
"Akito…will wish to know…"
"Why you fretted over me?" She smirked, "Then he may know."
'Let the bastard feel guilty.'
"Clearly he believes you can be trusted with our secret, so I do trust I don't need to remind you to keep it that way?" Aiska merely mumbled as she pushed the door open and stepped into the chilling evening air. She smiled to herself as Hatori sneezed behind her,
"You should rest, it is not very fitting for a doctor to catch a cold." She yelled over her shoulder before slamming the door shut and watching as Hatori drove off.
With a tired sigh, Aiska turned around only to be confronted by Romiko, who was leaning against the doorframe, her arms crossed. Without a word to her friend, Romiko grabbed her arm and proceeded to drag her inside.
"You won't believe what I have to tell you!" She grinned, fighting back her laughter.
"You won't believe what I have to tell you!" Aiska smirked. The two met eyes for only a second before breaking down into a fit of laughter.
"How did you…?"
"Was pushed into Hatori, you?"
"Fell into Kyo while I was showing him a move. He was so cute! A little orange kitty!"
"Oh no! What happened?"
"Well, I couldn't resist! I had to pick him up! Only while I was patting and cuddling him, he transformed back." Aiska stifled her laughter. "Well I dropped him pretty quickly and leapt into Shigure. Imagine my surprise to be suddenly sitting on a black dog! Well after that, Shigure explained everything." Romiko tried to calm her laugher as she poured the tea and sat opposite Aiska.
"But didn't you say you were pushed into Hatori? And please tell me whose kimono you're wearing." Aiska's eyes flashed down to her borrowed clothes and she laughed nervously, realising she left her wet clothes in Akito's room.
"Well, I suppose I wasn't really pushed, but I'll get to that in a minute. I met the head of the Sohma house today." Aiska sighed, staring into her tea.
"And?"
"Well, he was strange. Very strange."
"Strange good, or strange bad?"
"Hard to say. Well, I sort of… tripped when I passed him to leave, and fell into Hatori. And there I was, lying on the floor at the feet of the head of the Sohma family with a seahorse beside me!" She snickered softly to herself. "It was definitely a strange day."
"And the kimono?"
"Well, when Hatori changed, I guess I kind of freaked out over whether he needed water or not. Anyway, I threw him into this pond…"
"And you went in after him?"
"I suppose you could say that." She laughed, tossing her braided ebony hair over her shoulder.
"You still haven't answered the question." Romiko smiled slyly.
"I guess it belongs to Akito."
"Akito?"
"The head of the Sohma family."
"Is he cute?"
"Romiko!"
"Just asking! Well? Is he?"
Aiska gave a frustrated sigh, "I suppose so. He's not as old as I thought he'd be. He's about our age."
"Really?" Romiko smiled.
"Oh don't give me that look! It was Hatori who gave me the kimono, for all I know it could be his. I'll wash it and return it later. Maybe I'll be able to get my clothes back then." Aiska raised an eyebrow as a grin spread across Romiko's face, "I didn't mean it that way!"
"Of course not." She smiled knowingly as Aiska rose with a frustrated groan. "But more importantly, did you tell Hatori?"
"Yes of course, it is all sorted so you don't need to worry yourself. Hatori will be my doctor from now on." Romiko sighed with relief and watched as Aiska mounted the stairs, mumbling to herself.
"Do you want to go for a walk later?" Romiko called after her.
"Yeah, just let me get changed."
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"Ha'ri! What a pleasant surprise!" Shigure's voice rang merrily as Hatori seated himself opposite Shigure. "And what brings you here?"
"I had the feeling you needed me." Shigure smiled as Hatori stared intently at his hands.
"Romiko found out."
Hatori sighed, "So did Aiska." Shigure blinked with surprise.
"What? How?"
"Akito… wished to meet her." Hatori paused as Shigure poured him a cup of tea. "I'm not sure what happened, but Akito had her pinned against the wall." They sat in silence for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts.
"What else?"
"Well, Aiska can certainly give as well as she gets." Hatori gave a small, sad smile. "She managed to get Akito on his back." Shigure's brow furrowed with concern. "Don't worry, he's fine."
"And Aiska?"
"She's still alive, if that's what you're worried about. He managed to trip her, and she fell into me."
"Honestly Ha'ri, you'd think a doctor would have faster reflexes than that. But… how did she take it."
Hatori's eyes scanned the table, "She panicked and threw me into Akito's pond. Then she managed to fall in herself. I transformed back, and she freaked. I thought… she seemed…"
"She… took it badly?"
"That's just it, she took it really well."
"And Akito?"
"He didn't say anything."
"Nothing at all?" Hatori shook his head, his eyes meeting Shigure's.
"And what happened with you? Do you want me to tell Akito of Romiko's discovery as well?"
Shigure only smiled, "Blame Kyo. But she also took to it very well. She just… laughed. He transformed back while she was cuddling him. She screamed, quite understandably, and jumped at me. I guess it must be my animal magnetism." He laughed as Hatori only frowned.
"Ha'ri, while you're here…" Shigure trailed off as he wandered from the room. He returned a moment later carrying a small box, which he gently placed on the table between them.
"What's this?" Hatori asked curiously as he lit a cigarette.
"Just some of the things I kept from the old house."
"I thought you threw those things away."
"You never know when such trinkets may come in handy." Shigure laughed, waving off Hatori's glare. "Now what have we here." He rummaged through the box, withdrawing many old pieces of paper, letters, photographs and such. Hatori gently picked out a photograph from the pile that showed his father holding a baby Akito in his arms. Another man stood beside him, the man Hatori assumed to be Akito's father. Although Hatori could not really remember the man, he could see the similarities between father and son. Akito had the same drawn, pale skin and darkened gaze. And yet, his father had a different light to his gaze, almost as though he was prepared for the fate that was ahead of him, while Akito seemed to fight his with all his strength. As Hatori studied the photograph, he realised where he had seen those eyes before.
'Aiska…'
The young woman held the same look of acceptance, the same appearance of contentment in her life as was in Akira's eyes.
"Hey Ha'ri, look at this." Hatori turned to Shigure only to find an exquisitely hand crafted hair clip shoved in his face. Snatching the object from Shigure, he turned it over in his fingers, studying the design in the lamplight. The blue and silver patterns merged beautifully to make the image of a bird in flight, its wings stretched in full across the clip.
"Maybe it was Ren's." Shigure offered, pulling an old toy train from the box, the paint peeling and fading from the wooden contraption.
"I cannot recall seeing Akito's mother wearing it though." Hatori sighed, gently placing the clip on the table.
"Seems a waste that something so beautiful should go to waste. Maybe one of the girls would like it." Shigure smiled dreamily as Hatori rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"Romiko, are you sure the shops were this way?"
"I'm pretty sure they were after Shigure's house somewhere. At least, I think so." Romiko laughed nervously. Shigure and Hatori's eyes met.
"And speaking of beautiful young girls." Swiftly he rose and slid the door open. "Romiko, Aiska, you look a little lost." He called out, catching their attention through the trees and bushes. Sheepishly they made their way towards him and followed him into the house.
"Now what are you two doing out at this time of the day? Don't you know there are perverts around?" The two girls met eyes before bursting out laughing.
"Looks like they're onto you." Hatori couldn't help but smile.
"We won't trouble you, we just can't remember where the shops were." Aiska hastily cleared her through. "Oh all right, I can't remember where the shops are."
"What do you need?" The two exchanged glances.
"Dinner." Shigure only laughed.
"Stay, I was about to order take out anyway since the kids are away on some kind of school camp. You too, Ha'ri, have dinner with us." He winked mischievously.
"No, I should be getting back."
"Oh no, we don't want to trouble you! We just haven't had the chance to get to the shops yet, have we, Aiska?" Romiko was met with silence. "Aiska?"
All eyes fell on Aiska as she sat silently, her gaze locked on the hair clip.
"Aiska?" Romiko asked, concern etching her voice.
"What? Oh yes, I'm fine." She replied wearily, refusing to remove her gaze from the clip.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Shigure smiled slyly, "Just like…" He was quickly silenced by Hatori's glare.
"Yes, it is. Very beautiful." She sighed, her mind wandering to memories she had nearly forgotten.
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The bright sunlight hurt Aiska's eyes as she wandered the many trails around the hot springs, often losing herself in thought as she fondled the hair clip lovingly. It had been on one of these occasions when she was on her way back from a bath that she had paused, all the emotions that she had been suppressing falling out of her in hot, heavy tears. She had collapsed, the clip slipping from her fingers as she buried her face in the towel.
"It's not fair!" She had screamed into the afternoon air, the peaceful silence reverberating through her mind. She had sat under a nearby window for a few moments until she had managed to calm her thoughts and return to her parents as though nothing had happened. It had not been until late that evening when Aiska realised she had forgotten the hair clip. Without a word to her parents, she had raced back to the previous spot, only to find it missing. Had it not been for her already broken heart, Aiska knew she would have cried over it, but its loss seemed insignificant in comparison to the loss of her livelihood.
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"Here." Hatori pushed the clip across the table. "Keep it."
"I couldn't! It must be so valuable!"
"We insist. No one else is going to wear it." Shigure added.
"Thank you." She smiled sadly as she gently picked it up, caressing it as she studied the sapphire and silver patterns across the wings and body of the bird.
"It's getting late." Hatori flicked his cigarette butt in Shigure's direction.
"Goodbye, Hatori."
"Yes, goodbye, and thank you." Hatori smiled to the girls as Shigure walked him outside.
"Well that was certainly unexpected."
"Those two are so similar." Hatori remarked, shaking his head.
"Who? Aiska and Romiko?"
"No, Aiska and Akito."
Shigure's brow furrowed, "How?"
"I'm not allowed to say. Doctor-patient confidentiality." Hatori replied, tapping the side of his nose.
"Oh guessing games! Lets see? She's really a reincarnation of an Egyptian queen?" Shigure glanced to Hatori. "Don't give me that look!"
"Can you please be realistic for once?"
"All right, she's…ill?" Hatori paused to fish out his keys. "Fatally ill?" Hatori still did not comment as he opened his car door. He slammed the door shut before rolling down the window.
"Just take my word for it, those two have a lot in common. And yet, they're just as different."
"She doesn't seem fatally ill though…"
"I'm not saying, but I have permission to tell Akito. I think after today she wants him to feel guilty."
"I guess they'll both be in for a bit of a surprise then." Shigure sighed, watching as Hatori nodded before driving off into the darkness.
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Akito didn't stir as he heard a car pull up. He didn't need to rise to know it was Hatori arriving unusually late. Akito lay with a hand behind his head and another resting over his eyes, deep in thought over the afternoon's events. Gently Hatori's footsteps padded down the hall before he paused at the door. He knocked deftly as Akito only rolled over, turning his back to the door. The door slid open and Hatori poked his head inside to find the apparently sleeping Akito breathing soundly. He sighed with relief as he softly made his way over and pulled the blankets over the slim figure. Akito didn't even open his eyes as the man eventually left after closing all the windows and doors to keep the biting cool night air out.
Akito's eyes fluttered open as he heard Hatori's footsteps fade down the hall and promptly kicked the blankets off again. He scowled, rolling over on his futon as his thoughts wandered back to the young woman and her reaction. He hated to admit it, but he was surprised by her reaction. He had always imagined that an outsider would be afraid to learn of a human transforming into an animal, yet Aiska's reaction had proven otherwise.
'There is always more to someone than there seems. I'm sure there is more to you than I can possibly guess.' The girl's words echoed through Akito's mind as he dwelled on their meeting. He wasn't sure what it was that aggravated him so, whether it was her demeanour or her confident, unwavering sapphire gaze.
Until the next time this website allows me to update! Review if you like, it doesn't bother me. But it IS nice to know that ones work is being appreciated : ) Cheers all!