Fruits Basket:

Consumed By Darkness

Chapter Five:

Fruits Basket
©
Originally By: Natsuki Takaya
(Hakusensha)
"Hana to Yume"
Planning Of The Anime By: TV Tokyo, ASATSU – DK STUDIO DEEN, Fruba Project
Reversioned By: FUNimation Productions

Mayura Sohma, Kaori Sohma, Atlas Sohma:
©
By: Debbie-Elizabeth Cochrane
aka: KyouXKagura


It was such a distressed day for Kaori and her family, Mayura was gone and no one could do anything about it – the police said that they had to wait twenty-four hours to mark it a missing person deal, this caused Kagura to become even more distressed.
"Where did I go wrong, I thought I was a good sister to Onee-chan?" Kaori sobbed as she lay back down on her bed, her long hair still in plaits which seemed to have been the ones she wore the day before as they seemed to be rather greasy and they were starting to unravel. Kaori hadn't asked anyone up to the bedroom which she had shared with Mayura, she just wanted to be alone - the one thing that she kept holding onto was that green grasshopper toy that her mother had given Mayura, it was called Hoppy. She was given a ladybug which was also her mother's but obviously less precious to her mother than Hoppy was. Kaori held her arms more tightly around the object as she closed her eyes, maybe now she could get some sleep – she probably wouldn't but it was worth a try.

Just where was Mayura? That was the question on everyone's lips.

"You see that, Mayura-san. She's lying on her bed, sleeping holding your toy as if it was her own." That female was showing her on a portal-like substance what Kaori was doing. "She obviously has taken the chance to become the object of your parent's eyes." Mayura shrugged as she turned towards the second object in the darkness – a dressing table with a mirror which was what she was looking into – she was brushing her glorious curls, which seemed to be perfect.
"I don't see why she envies me so much." She sighed as she played the wide spread brush onto the table then laughed such an evil-laugh it would even make Akito curl… probably not. "Yeah I do." Mayura's make-up was perfect once more and her outfit had also changed from what it was. She suddenly was wearing a pair of diamond shaped black fancy tights which stretched up her legs and had a couple of holes made forcefully into them – adorning her feet where white boots with diamond studs. Her black top which had white lace through it covered slightly a two-frilled black miniskirt and she draped a black shrug over her. Around her neck, she wore a black chocker and hanging loose from it was an onyx and diamond crucifix.

"What should I do now?" Mayura asked the female who said she had a few tasks to do before she could finally feel at peace.
"You have to pay a visit to Atlas." She was told. "You have to make him love you." Yet he would be at his house, with his dad… suddenly, a picture of Atlas appeared on the mirror, yeah, but how long would it take…
"Fine then… that shouldn't be that hard." What was up with her? She wondered as she pierced ear-rings through her ears, not feeling the pain… she could sense something was wrong but didn't seem to think too much on it.

Atlas was of course at home and he wasn't with his dad, he was at his 'aunts'. Kagura seemed to be in such a state that Haru wanted to be with her and Kyou who didn't seem as bothered – it was as if he knew how Mayura felt and would be back soon enough. Atlas though, didn't seem to think of it that way. He knew Mayura quite well and could always tell when something was eating her up, but this time it seemed quite hard for him to notice it and that was what made him uneasy.
"What did Kaori mean, it wasn't right to Mayura?" He wondered aloud as he fought inside for the answer. Yep, even now he couldn't see that Mayura had taken a fancy to him – she did lay it on so thickly. "I hate seeing them this way… they shouldn't be fighting – they are sisters for goodness sake." Atlas didn't even hear the gate open as he went to sit down on the coach. Atlas had a black night robe hugging closely to his body, as he was just about to go to bed. He didn't know if it was right – but he was so tired… he couldn't just stay up when he said he'd help find her in the morning… he had to be full of energy.

Kaori awoke with a start, what had happened – she had seen a vision of something – of course it just could have been a dream – though it was so vivid and dark, blood everywhere and thorns. She didn't know what it meant, all she saw was a rose held by more thorns which dug into the steams and its roots – killing it, except it oozed blood… since when did a rose bleed? She couldn't help but find it disturbing. Kaori stood up from the bed, she was wearing a yellow nightdress which fell to her feet as she completely stood up and walked across to the door and slid it open, she couldn't just lay there asleep – her dad was, but he said he knew Mayura and she'd be back. Kagura though was another question… she was down the stairs in tears, and it wasn't her dad but Haru that was comforting her, holding her – something that Kyou was angry with but for some reason he wasn't ready to fight him – he just wasn't in the mood. Although Kaori didn't understand what that meant, she hadn't really seen the way that they acted together – the way they fought. Maybe it meant he really did miss Mayura and was concerned…

Kyou though, was a little annoyed; no more than a little, he hated the thought of Kagura with Haru down the stairs pouring her heart out to him when she was his wife. Kaori walked down the stairs and to the living room where her mother was asleep in Haru's arms. Haru made a gesture to Kaori to ask her to keep quiet. Kaori's hands undone her orange plaits without even thinking about it, her hair fell down her back in a crimped fashion which was what usually happened if she slept that way – she did realise though… She really did need to go in the shower…

Atlas reached the door only then, half asleep – his doorbell had just rung. He didn't know who'd be out this late – and in that weather – it had just started to pour down raining and there seemed to be thunderclouds in the sky. As he opened the door, Atlas's eyes widened as he saw who was there in front of him as the one word escaped his lips in a whisper:
"Mayura."