-Chapter 4-
-Home-
"Enjeru-sama...? Enjeru-sama!" Momiji nearly whined, which sounded more like a shocked yell, as he ran up to her.
Everyone's heads turned towards Enjeru, who had doubled over in her chair, clutching her heart and was panting. Momiji knelt in front of her and Yuki took her hand, whispering to her that everything could be fine. With every exhale she whined. Momiji moved out of the way for Hatori, who turned to Hatsuharu and barked for him to go and get Hatori's dark blue medical bag from his home that stood about ten yards away. Hatsuharu obeyed and ran off, while Hatori took Enjeru's face in his hands, stroking away her pained tears with his thumbs. Enjeru shook with sobs and her strong yet speeding heartbeat, she was still shining with every exhale.
"H-Hatori...-kun... I don't... want to ... go to sleep... again!" Enjeru whined as Hatsuharu came back with the bag, opening it and setting it next to Hatori.
"Enjeru-sama... It's the only was we know to slow your heart rate." Hatori said calmly as he pulled a hand away from her face to start a syringe with light lavender liquid in it.
Enjeru suddenly grasped Yuki's hand as her body began to shake more, "I'm scared... I'm so scared," she rasped out, her voice growing weaker by the moment.
"Enjeru-...chan," Hatori whispered into her ear, "I'm right here; I won't let anything happen to you."
"P-promise?"
Hatori's hand traveled down to Enjeru's chin as he smiled lightly, "of course I promise."
He then pulled her forward slightly, placing his lips firmly yet gently on hers as he injected the liquid into her jugular vein. Everyone's eyes grew wide as well as Enjeru's, a dark red blush showing up on her cheeks. Hatori pulled back and put away the syringe then turned around just in time to catch Enjeru as she passed out. Enjeru's eyes closed, her hand slipping from Yuki's as she fell forward from her chair. Hatori caught her and held her until she completely fell asleep.
"What did you do to her?" Yuki nearly yelled.
"I gave her the only thing that would help her heart calm down. However, because of the rapid slowdown she falls unconscious for a while. There was one time with the last family doctor where he gave her too much of that fluid..." Hatori trailed off, an almost pained look on his normally near emotionless face.
Ayame picked up from where Hatori left off, "she was unconscious for a week...suddenly she stopped breathing... Hari-kun and I were in class at that time. The principal came in and called Shigure-kun and us out and told us what happened. When I went to the main house, she was gone... Akitou-sama said that he was going to the hospital to visit his 'angel'. 'Enjeru' means 'angel' and Akitou-sama always thought of her as his.
"So we went to the hospital, mom and dad always loved or cared about imoto more and Yuki-ototo was kept at the main house... when we saw her... she was hooked up to about 5 machines, one for her heart, one for her breathing, and some others... Surrounded by all of those machines, she looked so fragile... Since then, imoto always hated that medicine, hated hospitals, and hated the family doctor.
"Akitou-sama thought to protect her and made her live at the main house. She tried to pretend nothing ever happened, but we all knew she was terrified... right after high school I offered for her to live with me... But Akitou-sama decided that it'd be better if she stayed here." Ayame finished with a small sigh, looking towards his little sister.
"How many times has she had an attack since she's been here?" Ritsu asked, his voice sounding very feminine and quiet.
"In the past ten years she's had 428 attacks... Three fourths of them, Akitou-sama never knew about... Over the years however, her heart has become weaker from all of the strain Akitou-sama places on her. The attacks are more violent and she tends to transform during an attack." Hatori explained.
"But if her heart is getting weaker, then if she has more attacks..." Kagura trailed off.
"She'll die within two years if she stays here." Hatori said calmly.
"Then we have to get her out of here." Yuki said.
Hatori and most of them nodded.
"She can stay with me. Akitou-sama hates going near my home, and I'm sure that she'll be comfortable, and I'll make it so she can move around easily... Shigure-kun has no more room in his home, besides, after what he did to her, I'm not about to let imoto stay with him... and she'd still be in danger if she lived with Hari-kun, because he lives here at the main house where Akitou-sama can get to her easily." Ayame said, placing a finger to his chin, an arm wrapped around his waist to support his elbow on.
Enjeru made a small whine as her eye brows came together, her right hand shakily moving around her, to touch a part of her back before she curled up a little and bright white feathered wings grew from her back, causing a few more whines and slowly she opened her eyes, soft, calm, caring, merciful green eyes. The wings folded to a closed position as Enjeru fought to keep her eyes opened. Kisa and Hiro nearly tip toed over, almost as if they were both afraid of what had just happened. Enjeru smiled at them, still cradled in Hatori's arms. Enjeru then looked up at Hatori with a light smile on her face before it turned to worry, as she reached up to his face to brush away the hair that hid his left eye.
"Hatori-chan… Where did this scar come from?" Enjeru asked her voice much lighter than before, as she traced her finger down a scar by his left eye.
"Akitou-sama gave me that a while ago… Why?" Hatori asked, but was answered soon enough.
Enjeru's hand glowed a little at the fingertips where she touched Hatori's scar. The light from her fingertips was warm, and healed the scar, making it fade and disappear quickly. She smiled up at him, and he gave a light smile back. Ayame sat next to them, while Hatsuharu leaned against a pole, Kagura sat against the house while Kisa and Hiro sat down near Yuki. Enjeru sat up in Hatori's lap and slowly stood up.
"Enjeru-chan…! What are you doing?" Hatori asked, almost in a panic as he stood up behind her.
Enjeru turned around and smiled up at him, "I'm going to tell Akitou-sama that I'm moving out."
Though once she tried to take a step towards the door, she nearly toppled over, or at least she would have fallen on her face, if Hatori did not catch her.
"Are you alright?" Hatori asked.
Suddenly Enjeru began to laugh. At first, it was a small chuckle before it grew into an amused laughter that seemed to infect everyone. Hatori helped Enjeru back into her wheelchair while everyone calmed down. Enjeru's smile stayed on her face as Hatori gained a look of dread. Yuki and Ayame did not look too amused either.
"Now, let's go tell Akitou-kun the news." Enjeru said with a smile.
"Enjeru-chan, if you want to see Akitou-sama, you have to change, remember?" Hatori asked.
"Akitou-kun doesn't deserve to see me in a kimono right now, please Hatori-chan, we must tell him that I'm going to leave the main house or I'll die living here."
About an hour later, Hatori was blocking Akitou from hurting Enjeru while Yuki and Ayame held Akitou back. Akitou looked a little red in the face from anger. Enjeru stood, placing an arm on Hatori's as she passed him and stood before Akitou. Her eyes were determined and stern.
"Akitou-kun, I'm going to live with Ayame-nii for a while until I finally get my own home. You're supposed to be the head of this family and yet you act like a spoiled child." Enjeru said with calm anger.
"Why do you demount me? Why betray me Enjeru-sama?" Akitou yelled angrily.
"Akitou-kun, you are no better than us. If it were not for you, not able to hold the entire curse by yourself, I would not be dying now. If I stay here, I will die quicker Akitou-kun. If it would be easier on you, I will stay with Hatori-chan for a week before moving in with Ayame-nii."
Akitou called her several obscenities at the mention of "Hatori-chan" then something clicked in his mind as he somehow pulled away from Yuki and grabbed Enjeru's throat. She tried to use her other ability, but Akitou only laughed. Enjeru gasped for air, practically clawing at Akitou's hand.
"Akitou-sama let her go!" Hatori yelled and pleaded.
"Do you think you're better than I? Do you really think I'll let you go? I'll let you live your I 'Hatori-chan' /I but you will never leave there! I won't let you leave!" Akitou said, throwing her back with enough force to make Hatori stumble back as he caught her.
I 'It's been two days since that happened..' /I Enjeru thought as she sat on the deck of Hatori's home. She remembered that she had transformed back from her winged form and barely remembered what happened. Currently the sun was shining brightly, a few clouds passing over the light blue sky. A like warm breeze blew through her long silver hair and ruffled the sleeves of the shirt she wore. Hatori had given her one of his shirts to wear, at least until Ayame and his employee had made or bought suitable clothes for her to wear. She also wore a long black skirt, of which was one of the only things Ayame let her keep from the clothes she had.
A few butterflies flew by her, one resting on her hand. Upon seeing it, Enjeru smiled, but it soon fell as she felt a shadow loom over her. The butterfly fled as Enjeru looked up to see none other than Akitou. He smiled maliciously at Enjeru as he saw the rising fear in her eyes. She swallowed as hard as he walked around her and knelt behind her. His arms circled her shoulders as he held her close.
"Akitou-sama… why are you here?" Enjeru asked.
"I apologize for reacting the way I did. I was not feeling well, and the shock put me overboard. But… If you want to leave, you only have to do one thing for me while you live elsewhere," Akitou whispered by her ear, a tinge of darkness in his calm voice.
"Akitou-sama, I don't want to hurt anyone," Enjeru said quietly.
"Enjeru-sama, I'll give you something you've always wanted … I'll give you your power back," Akitou said with a persuasive smooth tone, pulling his right hand back and lightly touching her back.
Enjeru gasped, her eyes growing wide.
"All you have to do, is destroy Tohru Honda mentally. I have a great confidence that you won't let me down." Akitou said before Enjeru winced and gave out a small cry of pain, falling forward before catching herself with her hands, a small amount of sweat beaded on her skin, burning pain on her back.
Akitou stood, smiling at her lightly, knowing she would do what she was told. Hearing rustling, he turned to his left and saw Hatori there. Akitou smiled at him as Hatori walked forward but before Hatori reached this home, Akitou had turned and left. Hatori went and knelt in front of Enjeru, holding her face in his hands. He looked worriedly at her, pulling out a handkerchief and wiping away the sweat from her face.
"Enjeru-chan," He said softly, "what happened?"
"My back… it's burning… Hatori-chan… my back is burning," she said softly.
"I'll take you inside," Hatori said before picking her up.
Hatori cradled her in his arms and brought her inside, setting her down softly on a rug. He went over and closed the door before he went back to her. He asked if she would let him look at her back and she nodded. Hatori knelt next to her and slowly unbuttoned the shirt she wore and slipped it off her shoulders, her beige bra keeping Hatori from seeing too much.
"H-Hatori-chan? Is the seal still there?" Enjeru asked.
"Enjeru-chan… it's fading," Hatori said quietly, touching the small intricate circle on her back.
Enjeru shivered and whined when Hatori touched the spot and he quickly pulled his hand away. Knowing he could do nothing for her, made him frustrated thinking that they would just have to wait until the pain subsided. Within Hatori's half lit home, Enjeru nearly fell against him, hugging him around the middle, pained tears running down her face as she buried her face in the vest he wore. Hatori took his suit jacket, placed it on her shoulders and held her close, trying to figure out how he would protect her from Akitou.