Author's Note: Content warning. I must advise you to read past the bad part because as a result of it, something very important happens. All things happen for a reason in my stories so if anything bad happens, it's because something good will come as a result.

And after the next chapter (aka rock bottom) I SWEAR things get better.

Oh crap, I keep forgetting dividers for scenery changes. I apologize if you have been getting confused.

Enjoy.

Chapter 15 (February Stars)

Kita looked down at the half-empty bottle of sake in her hands and sighed. She had been at the party for three hours even though it felt like thirty. She lazily leaned back onto the small pile of coats next to her consisting of only Raidon's green-brown cargo trench coat and her own long, black jacket. Raidon was sitting next to her reading with a book in one hand and an empty bottle in the other hand. His spiky, red hair drooped over his dark brown eyes and every time he moved, the sound of chains hitting his oversized black cargo pants and bracelets rubbing against his sweatbands could be heard signifying that he was still alive. They were currently seated on the only couch that didn't have some drunk couple making out on it. To say the least, they were so out of place.

It had taken three hours for Raidon to consume a small bottle of sake while Kita was only halfway through with hers. She had drunk sake before but it was with her father and it didn't taste this foul. Neither of them wanted to get drunk; they didn't even want to get buzzed but it was the only drink being served and if they didn't at least hold a bottle, they would have inebriated kids coming up to them every five seconds asking if they want something to drink.

It was hard to miss Hoshiko as she was wearing a skimpy, bright yellow tank top that brought out the gold tones in her honey-colored eyes and a short white skirt to show off her long legs. She liked warm, bright colors that would draw attention to her and she was doing a fine job of it by dancing suggestively with her boyfriend Taro, the wavy blond-haired first year who had thrown the party. Both of them were pretty drunk and had just gotten over their second fight that evening.

"Why does she do this stuff to herself?" Kita asked out loud to Raidon who was still more fascinated by his book than the ongoing festivities. He had been asked to dance by a couple loosened-up, first-year girls who seemed immensely fascinated in trying to see through his gray t-shirt but he wasn't interested in girls who slurred their words or didn't know half of the words in his wide vocabulary so he politely declined.

Raidon looked up at Hoshi and Taro who were now sloppily kissing to a cheering audience of Taro's friends.

"I couldn't fathom why." he said, shaking his head. "Maybe if she were to find a more mature boy without dipsomaniac tendencies, she could finally be totally fulfilled in her romantic endeavors and stop getting into so many unpredictable situations."

Kita nodded. "Yes, but what are the odds of her finally being attracted to someone who would be a good influence on her?" Kita asked, taking a tentative sip of the sake and scrunching up her face. Nope, still terrible.

"Unfortunately slim." he said, sighing. Poor Hoshi has no idea what's wrong about what she does.

Raidon opened his book again. He was already worn down by the party and they hadn't done anything but talk, pretend to drink, and talk some more with Hoshiko checking up on them every fifteen minutes or so to make sure they were having a good time. It was really the atmosphere that was so tiring. Drunk people are such nuisances.

Kita's gaze shifted from watching Hoshi and Taro to another couple that was sitting on a chair in the corner of the large room. The girl was sitting in the boy's lap and they were both smiling at each other. Real smiles, not drunk ones. Kita couldn't really read lips but she knew what one phrase looked like. "I love you," she saw the boy murmur to the girl, his voice inaudible to Kita over the music playing. The girl smiled a little wider and replied with, "I love you too," and the pair kissed sweetly.

"I want that." Kita said out loud to herself.

"Huh?" Raidon asked, looking up.

"I want that." Kita repeated, pointing to the happy couple.

Raidon looked over at them and chuckled to himself.

"You'll get that." he said, sounding very sure and sincere. Kita snorted in disbelief.

"I'm serious." Raidon said, now sounding a bit annoyed by her lack of confidence. "You deserve that after all the trauma that had struck you. You need someone who could help you to feel again because as much as Hoshi and I want to help you, it's blatantly obvious that we can't."

Kita looked down sadly. She almost had that. Almost. Akito did have the ability to make her feel scared. She was currently in a relationship but she couldn't see any actual love in it. There was evident lust and, well, a touch of sadism and that wasn't even close to love. Akito said he loved her but she had a hard time believing it. When he was sick though, it seemed almost like love, the fact that he only felt better when she was around and the way he held her...but every other time it was like she was a toy. She had remembered hearing things about Akito locking up Yuki and using him as something to take out his aggression on. Was she the same thing?

I should get in contact with Yuki sometime, Kita thought. Maybe he could explain some things about Akito to me. I'd really like some answers.

"You'll get that too, Rai." she said, offering him a weak smile.

Raidon smiled back at her. "I hope so. I'd really like to meet a girl who I could have an intelligent conversation with and want to make out with concurrently." he said, sounding pleased for the first time that night.

Akito.

"Oh no, what time is it?" Kita asked, grabbing his wrist to see his watch. The digital display flashed back at her, 8:00. "I have to go." she said, quickly standing up and grabbing her coat. "Bye Rai!"

"Okay, bye Kita." Raidon replied over his shoulder as she took off to find Hoshi.

Luckily, Hoshi's face wasn't attached to Taro's any more so she didn't feel bothersome for interrupting their dance.

"I'm going." she said to Hoshi. "Um, thank you for inviting me, Taro." she said awkwardly. She wasn't good with people. The shyness always came out.

Taro gave her a sterile nod.

"Oh no. Yo goin' Keets?" Hoshi asked surprised. Kita cringed. She had only seen Hoshi drunk once before and it made her feel very uncomfortable. They could always tell when she was drunk because she used her drunken nicknames for them.

"Yeah, I'm going. Bye Hoshi." she said, with a little wave.

Hoshi let go of Taro and wrapped her arms tightly around Kita, her shoulder-length black hair hitting Kita in the face as she gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I wahv oou, Keets!" she said like she was announcing it to the entire room. "Oou too, Rai Rai!"

Raidon turned around and waved at her, rolling his eyes.

"I love you too, Hoshi. Now, I have to go." Kita said uneasily.

"'Kay. Bye!" she said happily, letting go of her to drape herself over Taro again in an archetypal display of artificial happiness.

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Kita tiptoed through the main house, praying with every step that she would not get in trouble. She hadn't meant to stay so long but every time she had tried to leave Hoshi would insist that she wasn't feeling better and that she couldn't leave until she was cured of her lowly demeanor.

As long as I get to my room and change I'll be fine, she thought.

Kita was dressed in a black skirt with a white dot pattern on it that was not practical in the cold weather, and a square-necked, purple tank top that looked nice with her hair. She would have preferred going in jeans and a sweatshirt, something warm, but she wanted to avoid a lecture from Hoshi on how to dress for a party, so she dressed for a party. Unfortunately, her coat barely helped to keep her from freezing to death on the walk home, er, back to the main house.

As the door to her room came into sight, she let out a breath of relief. I'm going to make it.

But her hopes came to a crashing end as the door to Akito's room slid open and he stepped out into the hallway. Kita quickly wrapped her coat tightly around herself so he couldn't see what she was wearing.

"Kita, there you are." he stated, the words flowing smoothly from his mouth. "Your cell phone was off when I tried to call. Now where had you run off to?" he asked, closing the gap between them.

Lie, Kita's mind demanded. Make up a lie! Tell him you went out to dinner alone. Tell him you went to the cemetery. Tell him anything but that you went to a party.

"I...I." Kita stuttered as Akito glared down at her, his dark eyes seeing right through her. She couldn't bring herself to lie to him.

Akito leaned into her suspiciously.

"Oh, little Kita. Do I detect the acrid scent of alcohol on your breath?" he said as if the question should be followed by a tut-tut-tut, shame on you.

Kita's mouth hung open but no excuse would leave. She felt her eyes get heavy like she might cry from the pressure he was putting on her. What could she say?

Losing patience, Akito grabbed Kita's trembling hands that were holding her coat closed. The material fell away from her mid-section and her outfit was revealed to him proving where she had been. With an almost inhuman sound of wrath, he forcefully pushed her into his room and she fell to the floor, bruising her upper arm and both her legs in the process.

Akito slammed the door shut behind him as he entered the room and kicked Kita who was still lying on the floor. She yelped in pain.

"What made you think you could go to a party?" Akito asked rhetorically. Kita whimpered pathetically as he kicked her again. It felt like a long time since he had last hurt her like this but the pains felt the same. The distinctly remembered vertigo returned and Kita started to wish she was a drinker so she wouldn't have to be burdened with remembering this experience. She tucked her knees in towards her chest to try to weaken the ferocity of the blows but subconsciously she knew that nothing would help if he wanted to hurt her bad enough.

Akito knelt down on the floor, pulling her up into a kneeling position only to slap her to the floor again. Her shoulders were shaking but no tears were falling...yet.

He pulled her up into a kneeling position again and Kita kept her head down as low as it would go. She wanted to avoid his face more than anything, in particular his menacing glare. His bony hand slithered around her neck to wind its fingers in her glossy, purple-tinted hair. She shuddered as he drew her face towards his into an overwhelming kiss, laying down onto his futon with her on top of him. Kita let out a cry of protest. She didn't want him to do this again, taking out his anger in more than just violence.

He pushed his tongue into her mouth and she started to feel sick. Her stomach had been feeling queasy that morning and now combined with her nerves, her pseudo-illness had morphed into a volatile disease.

In what appeared to be a lucky gesture at first, Akito pulled on her hair so that her face was away from his mouth but then proceeded to shove her head downwards. She hadn't noticed but sometime during her punishment, Akito's yukata had come undone and she found herself within close proximity of a part of him that she had wanted to stay away from since the last time he had been infuriated.

She soon realized that she didn't have that option as he tugged on her hair again to pull her closer towards his body. She caught on to what he was hinting at and the thought made her already weak stomach flip. She glanced sadly up at him as if to ask if she really had to. He responded by giving her a warning tug and she sighed. Either she could do it voluntarily or he would do it for her. She chose the lesser of two evils.

She leaned forward and wrapped her mouth around him, noticing him smirking down at her as she did. She was such a good girl when she wanted to be. He let out a low groan as she moved her tongue across the tip of the shaft, knowing that was the most sensitive part. The thought of giving him pleasure after he had beaten her sickened Kita to the point where she felt faint. Don't pass out, she thought. And don't throw up either.

He coiled his long fingers though her hair so that he had an even tighter grasp. Kita shut her eyes, willing herself not to make a sound. Her head was under so much chronic abuse but she knew she had to stay quiet or else she would only anger him further.

She was not moving enough for him so Akito started to move her head up and down for her so she would get the motion. She picked up on it quickly and started to move without his force, the tension on her scalp loosening.

He moaned as he reached his climax, twisting and tugging Kita's hair roughly in his hands in a sudden convulsion that caused her to involuntarily clamp her teeth together.

Akito wailed in pain, forcing her off of him and slamming her head onto the floor. His fingers had gotten untangled from her hair in the process but not without many of them being ripped out.

Kita's eyes started to water from the pain on her scalp while Akito wobbly stood over her, strands of violet dangling from between his fingers.

He stood her up and pressed her against the back wall of the room with a nasty snarl covering his usually frighteningly calm expression.

"Do you have any idea how much that hurt!" He asked, his eyes burning holes through her. His face was positioned so close to her that as he talked, his lips brushed against hers. Kita couldn't breathe.

"No, I don't think you do." he said answering for her.

Kita wanted to cry. She wanted more than anything to cry a river to drown them both in but the tears still refused to fall. All she could do was look back at him and pray for the flagellation to end.

He took her bottom lip into his mouth and bit down in the exact same place he had bitten five days ago. Kita shrieked in pain, the attack hurting her even worse than it had the first time. Blood started to ooze and spurt down her chin, a few drops falling onto the floor.

Akito released his hold on her and she fell pitifully to the floor like a falling leaf at the start of winter.

"I hope you've learned something from this." he said, tying his clothes shut and exiting the room with a slam of the door.

On her frail, quivering legs, Kita stood up and pushed open the door to Akito's porch, stepping outside into the freezing rain that had just start to fall. She quietly shut the door behind her and took off running through the Sohma estate as fast as her legs would allow her to do so.

I need answers, Kita thought to herself as the raindrops coated her clothes and hair. What is really going on with him? There has to be something I don't know.

After a severe thirty seconds of sore running, she came to Hatori's house. She raced up the steps and opened his door without a knock or any thought to the fact that he may be busy.

Hatori had merely been sitting at the table drinking a late-night coffee but he instantly dropped the cup when he saw her feeble form in his doorway.

Her hair was tangled into a violet nest and was dripping wet with rain. Her clothes were wrinkled and almost equally as soaked. On her arms and legs, black, blue, and purple bruises were already starting to form and there was a flowing trail of blood going from just below her lip to halfway down her neck. She was shivering fiercely from the cold rain and could barely stand on her two feet. He didn't have to ask how she got that way.

"Tell me what you have been hiding from me." she declared weakly, slouching over, unable to hold herself up.

"Kita, you're bleeding." Hatori said, standing up to get some gauze.

"No, tell me." she said with a little more power, grabbing his wrist. "Tell me what you haven't been telling me about Akito. I have a right to know why." She said, shaking his wrist.

Kita was getting hysterical and Hatori knew that there was no way he could try to talk her down. He has to tell her regardless of how Akito will react to it.

"I'll tell you if you let me get you a bandage and a blanket." he promised, directing her over to a chair. She fell into it instantaneously, silently agreeing, and wrapped herself in her arms to try to stay warm.

Hatori returned speedily, draping a blanket over her shoulders and kneeling down in front of her to wipe up the blood.

"He takes out his anger on other people because he wasn't raised right. He never learned how to control it." Hatori told her. "I hope you know that."

Kita looked down at the ground, remembering last Monday when she had met Ren. She wasn't surprised by what Hatori said but that made her feel bad for him which she did not want right now.

When he had finished, Kita batted his hand away impatiently.

"Tell me more." she said calmly, her eyes growing big in the way of a curious juvenile.

Hatori stood up and walked over to the window. The rain was now in its pinnacle of severity, the drops fighting a losing battle with the frozen ground. Does that mean it can only get better? he wondered.

"Kita, as you know Akito is very important to the Zodiac members. We have to obey every command he gives us and do you know why that is?" he asked, knowing she had no clue. Otherwise, she wouldn't be there.

"Because he's the head of the family?" Kita offered.

"Yes and he is head of the family because he was born with a sort of curse also but a specific kind of curse."

Kita's eyes widened.

"At the time of Akito's birth it was decided that he would carry the full weight of the Zodiac curse. This makes him susceptible to frequent illnesses and also means that he is technically superior to all the cursed Zodiac members."

Kita's expression started to get a bit skeptical but somehow everything Hatori was telling her was easily believable.

Hatori turned around to look into Kita's tired green eyes.

"We are connected to him because he is our God and we live as he tells us."

Kita had never fainted before but she started to feel as if she might. She grabbed onto the edge of the table to steady herself. God. It was all making sense to her: how protective he is of the cursed ones, what Kureno said about no more 'ties,' how he doesn't want them to get married and leave him. He wants to keep his 'children' close.

"That's not all." Hatori warned. "Because of his curse, Akito is destined to die a premature death. The likelihood of him reaching the age of thirty is very slim."

Kita felt her jaw unhinge as a new wave of feeling light-headed flushed over her. He's dying? But...

"That's why he wants you around when he's sick. We don't know what will eventually kill him." he stated stoically. No matter what sort of news he delivers, he always does it completely expressionless. A true doctor as far as she was concerned.

Kita slowly let go of the table and rested both of her bruised elbows onto her knees, letting her buzzing head fall into her cold, scratched-up hands.

And for the first time, in a long time, she cried.