A/N: Heh, guess the answer to the mystery was blatantly obvious to me because I knew the answer. Well, here you go the long awaited solution.

Disclaimer: NO! OWN! FRUITS! BASKET!

Chapter 6: Free?

Kyo's red eyes widened fearfully as he watched his beads hit the floor. They clanked loudly upon contact, and he could only stare stiffly as the fragile string that held them together ripped effortlessly apart and the beads scattered sporadically across the floor. And there Kyo waited, his breath ragged, for the transformation to begin. He waited for the gut wrenching pain that felt as though his insides were being twisted and mangled. He waited for the pulsating migraine that accompanied that horrible distortion of his face. His jaw and nose forcibly pushed out, his ears stretched and ripped back, high behind his head. He waited, fingers clenched, for the searing pain of his sharp thick fingernails slicing through the tips of his fingers. He waited, but none of it came.

Slowly Kyo unclenched his hands and forcibly opened his eyes. Nothing had happened. He looked around, his mind clouded with confusion. Tohru was staring at him, her expression full of shock. "Kyo-kun?" her voice echoed hesitantly. She reached for Kyo's human arm, the one that usually held the beads. Kyo's head was spinning. Nothing happened? Is the curse gone? He looked at Akito hesitantly, searching for an explanation.

Akito stood languidly, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Do you understand now?"

Kyo looked down at his hands, still trembling from anxiety. He was still human, and there was Tohru at his side, holding his bracelet free arm. "Is the curse broken?" he asked quietly almost afraid of what the answer to his question could entail.

Akito bent down and picked up single black bead. Rolling it in-between his fingers, his eyes strayed towards Kyo and Tohru's expectant faces. "No," he sighed.

Kyo's stomach dropped. "B-but…"

Akito looked impatient and quickly cut Kyo from his rambling with a single hand motion. "Your true cat form has been released, Kyo."

"What?"

"It's separated from you," he reiterated coldly.

Kyo swallowed hard, he wanted to ask how but decided to keep his mouth shut. It was in his best interest not to anger Akito.

Akito stooped over and picked up another bead, a white one, stark opposite to the dark. He held the two beads next to each other and in front of him, one in each hand. "You were born with the vengeful spirit of the cat, Kyo. The cat was deceived, and since then it seeks its revenge."

Kyo watched confused as Akito pulled the two beads apart. "Rarely does this happen, Kyo, but it seems your true form got tired of your dawdling."

"Dawdling?" Kyo said slowly feeling very lost.

Akito laughed sharply, unemotionally. "To take your revenge."

"On the rat?" Kyo asked, and Yuki suddenly looked uncomfortable seeing as he was dragged into the conversation.

Akito shook his head, the smirk never leaving his lips. "On the family." With that he tossed the white bead across the room, it hit the ground loudly and rolled out of sight.

"You mean my true form separated from me so it could kill off the rest of the junnishi?"

There was a pause and Akito seemed to consider the weight of the question. "Yes," he said finally.

"Well then, what are we supposed to do?" It was Yuki, he looked anxious, frightened even, and the fear was evident in his voice.

"You are all safe for the moment, the monster doesn't like the rain," Akito answered.

That was true, Yuki remembered. They probably would all be dead if had not the cat demon been at its normal strength. Nor did it, at the moment, follow them when the escaped in the car.

"But other than that," Akito continued, "It is up to you to figure out how to defeat the monster."

Kyo moved closer to Tohru. "Aren't you afraid?"

"I am god, the cat has no quarrel with me. If anything it should show its reverence towards me. Really, Kyo you shouldn't be fearful either, it's the actual junnishi who are in danger."

"Wha…?"

"It targets them in order of their arrival to the banquet." Akito craned his neck to one side his dark beaded eyes sliding over in Yuki's direction. "Starting with the rat."

More to himself he said, "That's probably why Shigure isn't dead…it's not his turn."

Tohru gasped and tightened her grip on Kyo's arm; Yuki hesitantly took a step closer towards them, his eyes staring at the round window across the room. Akito smirked following Yuki's gaze. "Better figure out something my Yuki, it looks like the rain is letting up."

Haru was whispering to Momiji the details of what had happened in the house, when Kyo, Tohru, and a very pale Yuki came walking back.

"Yuki, what happened?" he asked noting the whiteness of the teen. Yuki couldn't find the words to answer he just kind of stood still with a vacant expression on his face.

"Hatsuharu-san, that creature…it was Kyo's true form," Tohru answered quietly.

Haru's stoic eyes widened, Momiji asked, "Kyo's true form?"

Feeling strangely guilty for what his curse had bestowed upon the others, Kyo began to explain what Akito had informed them. He said it bluntly knowing the pointlessness of trying to soften the truth. Momiji and Haru listened, their eyes fearful. It was like listening to your execution date. When Kyo finished, Haru looked back up at Yuki. "Yuki," he said, "Are you okay?"

Yuki smiled faintly. "Of course, I am." He didn't sound as certain as his words had intended. Without warning, he moved to the doctor's door and wrenched it open. A very white Shigure lay on the examination table, his body unearthly still and stiff like that of a dead man. Hatori looked up from his clip board. "Yuki! What are you--?" he stopped suddenly, as he saw Yuki's appearance. The color looked as though it had been sucked out of him, and he stood leaning uncertainly against the edge of the door. His face was expressionless, but it was his eyes that betrayed him. They looked terrified, as if he were staring at death itself. "What happened?"

It was Hatori's turn to hear the details of Akito's word. "He can't be serious," Hatori muttered, "there's no way."

"He was serious," Kyo confirmed uneasily.

Hatori ran a shaky hand through his partially damp hair. Giving Shigure a short glance, he turned to the group of teens. "Then let's get started on a plan. Kyo, you have a good sense of the creature, you scout out and gather as many of the junnishi members as possible. Everyone must be aware of the situation. Haru I want you and Momiji to keep a close watch on Yuki for now. We will all meet in the library, Akito had mentioned that this had happened before, perhaps it is documented." Hatori spoke monotonously as he gave the rest of the group their orders. No one stirred as he spoke, but rather, listened intently, recognizing his ease of leadership.

When Hatori had finished, Tohru hesitantly voiced out her single concern about the plan. "But what about Shigure-san?"

"He'll be alright, Tohru. Remember it isn't his turn. I'm sure he will eventually come back around," Hatori informed, "it seems that he is under some sort of temporary paralyzed condition. Don't worry." He added quickly, "We can get through this. Now let's get go."

Chapter End.

A/N: Yay, an update. Forgive faithful readers, for I am a slow storyteller. I think I found the determination to complete this story though, with the help of the generous reviews I have received I feel like I can finish this baby. Hoorah!

Till next time

zone-out