I'm back…finally! Okay, sorry to all of you obsessed Kyo fan girls (like me) and bear with my version of Kyo's confinement…note: those with weak stomachs may not want to bear to image poor Kyo in their mind. i'm sorry about what happens to him but...well...Akito's a jerk! and...dont worry...this isnt the last chapter. i'm gonna havta write one more. Well enjoy the chapter and beware much much much Out Of Character-ness (OOC-ness for short in case u don't kno) plz review! And I need your help, my loyal reviewers, to finish this story! Enjoy!
Kyo couldn't stand it anymore. The pain inside him was just too great. He lifted a bruised hand up to his face, to wipe away the tears from his black eye. He winced in pain as he touched the tender, yet bruised softness of his eyelids. The whip marks on his chest and arms stung from the cold air, and not to mention the dirt in his cell. Some of the marks were so deep, they bled almost every hour. But Kyo had nothing to wipe them with, so his arms were covered with stained blood. Sometimes, Kyo felt lightheaded and he would put pressure on the wounds, but he didn't care if they stopped or not. After 2 weeks in his prison, he didn't feel like caring anymore. He didn't feel like living anymore. Everyday Akito visited him, and if Kyo didn't answer, which was most often, Akito gave him a good mark that would last at least a few days. The food was terrible, and even if it was edible, Kyo wouldn't eat it all anyway. He was just basically wasting away to nothing. The only thing that was ever on his mind was Tohru. He couldn't give up…not after all they had been through. Akito said she'd be nice and give him his bracelet back. Kyo didn't want it, especially since Akito pulled it from Tohru's grasp to get it, but Akito made him wear it anyway. Kyo looked at the beads on his wrist and sighed. These were the only things he could give Tohru to remember him by, and Akito took them away. She separated them…forever. That witch! Kyo would have done anything to see Tohru just one more time. It was his fault he was like this. If he had just used the wishes on himself too, he wouldn't be here. But he would be free, and guilty, for having love and a life, when he didn't deserve it.
Kyo closed his eyes in exhaustion, but opened them quickly when he heard soft footsteps approaching the door. "Not…Akito…again…" he whispered to himself. Akito had already visited once today, and left two blood shedding gashes on Kyo's chest. The big, heavy, metal door opened slowly and a small figure stood in the doorway.
"T-Tohru?" Kyo couldn't believe it.
"Yes, Kyo, it's me! I'm here!" She ran over to him and knelt by his side. She had a bag with her, wrapped around her shoulder. She opened it and he saw she had a bottle of some liquid stuff, some gauze and some cloth to wrap things up in. "oh, Kyo. Look at what she's done to you." She opened the bottle and poured some of the liquid stuff on his deep gashes.
"Aaah…" Kyo moaned in pain. "Why?" Kyo gasped through clenched teeth, "Why…did you come back?"
She looked up at him with sad eyes. She put pressure on one of the wounds and said, "I…I couldn't live. I felt as if I were wasting away. I couldn't smile anymore. I was all alone."
"Wha-What about Kyoko?" Kyo asked weakly.
Tohru didn't answer. She just hung her head, letting her tears fall. Kyo realized something was wrong.
"Hey, hey, hey…what's wrong? I'm sorry. I didn't wanna make you cry! What happened?" Kyo sat up little, took her chin in his hands and lifted it up towards him.
Tohru sniffled. "A-Akito called her over last week. I told her not to go…b-because I didn't know what was going to happen. She told me…whatever happens…she'll always b-be with me…right in here!" She placed her hand over her heart. "She told me to say goodbye to you, too, Kyo."
Kyo's eyes broadened. "T-that was the s-scream…" he said after a silent moment.
"Huh?"
Kyo gulped. "I-I heard a scream a c-couple of days ago…but I didn't know what to think of it. I was in a daze."
Tohru shook her head. "She never came back. Kyo, I thought we were going to live happily! Just me and Mom." She saw the look on Kyo's face. "And you! All together!" she added. "I've lost Mom again…and now…I can't afford to lose you! If I do…if your gone…I'd…I'd…I think I'd kill myself!" she sobbed into his chest. Kyo let his fingers run through her hair.
"Do say such things! You're mom wouldn't like it and neither do I. I won't give up on you Tohru…it's just…"
"Akito, I know! Why is it always Akito?" Tohru sobbed harder.
"It's cuz she enjoys torturing people. All the proof you need is me." Kyo joked, trying to make her happy, or at least to cheer her up. Neither happened, and she lie there, on his chest, silently crying.
Strong loud footsteps approached from behind the door and they both looked up, horrified. "It's Akito!" Kyo stated the obvious in his weak voice. "Go hide!"
"Kyo, pretend you're dead!"
"What?"
"Trust me! Hatori will come and he can help you more than I can! With this little kit," Tohru looked over to her bag, "I'm not giving you anything beneficial."
"But, Tohru…"
There was a click of a keyhole and a screech of the knob turning. Tohru jumped up and ran to a dark corner, facing Kyo, close to the door. Kyo hung his head, letting his dirty, orange bangs cover his eyes.
The door opened and Akito stood in the doorway, smirking. She put her hands on her hips, whip in hands. "Well, how's my monster now? Those cuts still aren't bleeding, are they?" Akito was rubbing salt into Kyo's deep wounds. After a short moment of silence, her grip on the whip tightened and she let out a small growl. She cracked the whip and gave Kyo a new gash on the side of his head. "When I'm talking to you, you look up at me!" when Kyo didn't respond, she slashed him again. Another hit to the head, and blood started to trickle down his face.
"Kyo!"
No response.
"Kyo!"
No response.
"Kyo! Answer me!"
'Wow! Kyo's a real good actor,' Tohru thought to herself. Every crack of the whip rung like a firecracker in her ears, and Tohru couldn't believe what Kyo had gone through those past two weeks. No wonder he was in such a critical condition. Her heart ached so much; she wanted to close her eyes. But if she turned away, she felt…disconnected…like she wasn't with him anymore…she wasn't by his side…especially now when he needed it. The only thing she could do now though was watch him. She feared that if she closed her eyes, and then opened them again, Kyo would be gone. 'Just like Mom.'
"Kyo!" Akito bent down to his level, temper infuriating. She shook his shoulders, and watched his head sag to one side. Akito looked at her hands, and stared at them, dripping with blood from Kyo's shoulders. "HATORI!" Akito ran out of the room.
Tohru ran from her hiding spot to Kyo's side. "Kyo, that was wonderful! Now Hatori is going to come and everything will be okay! Then, we'll have to think of how to set you free too! But, Kyo, you were so great, a real great actor! If I didn't know better, I'd say you were……"she stopped rambling and touched Kyo's cheek. It was cold and blood-stained. "Kyo?" Tears started to form in her eyes. "Kyo?" she whispered desperately, hoping he would answer her.
She heard more footsteps and she got up and ran to her hiding place. She knelt on the ground in the darkness.
"Akito, I don't think this is something to get so upset about. I thought you wanted him dead," Tohru heard Hatori's emotionless voice.
"I don't want him dead! I just wanted him to suffer! It's his fate!"
The door opened and Hatori stepped in. based on the silence, Tohru knew this was the first time Hatori had seen Kyo since the banquet, and it wasn't a nice sight to see. Hatori walked over to the motionless body. From Hatori's view, you couldn't even tell if Kyo was breathing. Sitting on his knees, Hatori gently lifted Kyo's head. Hatori's face paled even more when he saw Kyo's face. Dirt and blood smudged his forehead and cheeks and his eyes were closed. He looked exhausted, and there was some scars on his face.
"Well? What's wrong with him?" Akito asked, impatiently.
Hatori turned to her, his face sad, but his eyes filled with resentment. He held out his hand to Akito.
"What?" she snapped.
"I need the keys to the brace around his neck," Hatori held out his hand even closer to her.
"Wha? Are you insane? That monster might attack any minute!"
"Akito, he's not going to attack," Hatori told her calmly. "He's not an animal! But right now, he's very sick and I don't know exactly what's wrong with him. But I do know that he's not breathing properly. We have to get him to a hospital quickly."
"I can't give him up! He took everyone away from me and decided not to free himself. You're only here because of my health and your own enjoyment!" Akito folded her arms, pouting. "You can't just…"
"AKITO! DON'T YOU EVEN CARE ABOUT ANYONE BUT YOURSELF? KYO IS GOING TO DIE IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING, ANF I NEEDS THE KEYS TO HIS CHAIN TO HELP HIM! HE GAVE UP HIS FREEDOM FOR YOU…AND EVEN IF HE FREED HIMSELF, YOU WOULD HAVE FOUND HIM AGAIN AND MADE HIM SUFFER…EITHER WAY…WE'RE STILL IN THIS SITUATION, SO STOP POUTING AND GIVE ME THE DAMM KEYS!" (A/N: yea! Go Hatori! I wanted Hatori to call her a bitch, but I didn't want anymore OOCness. And if u don't think there's any OOCness…there's still a lot more of this story!)
They were all silent for a moment. "Akito…I'm sorry," Hatori said softly and stood up. Akito held up the key with her quivering hand and dropped it into Hatori's open palm. Only Tohru noticed hat Akito too, had tears in her eyes. Tohru didn't know whose sake they were for; hers or Kyo's.
Behind Hatori, Kyo stirred. They all turned around to look at him. When he didn't move again, Hatori sensed something. He turned his head to the dark corner of the room. With his good eye, he could see Tohru backing away against the wall in the shadows. Her hands were covering her mouth and tears were streaming down her faced. Hatori tightened his grip on the small key, opened the brace, and took it off Kyo's neck. He revealed a red mark circling his neck.
Kyo coughed, and whispered, "Tohru…" Hatori placed one hand on Kyo's back, and the other underneath his legs, and began to lift him. Kyo drew in a sharp breath, and moaned in pain. Hatori put Kyo down quickly.
"I'll be right back," Hatori ran out of the room.
Akito's snapped and gave Kyo another good slap to the head. He didn't feel it, he just fell over. "NOW ALL OF MY JUUNISHI ARE LEAVING ME! NO ONE LOVES ME! THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO! AND NOW…IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU! YOU DESERVE TO DIE!"
"Don't yell at him!" Tohru emerged from the shadows and skidded on the hard floor next to Kyo, blocking Akito's next blow. Tears falling from her eyes, she held her hands up above her head, vulnerably, "Akito! Please! Don't hurt him anymore! He doesn't deserve it! Not anything like this! He has already been hurt…he's has already gotten what he has deserved. Now, he's given up everything…for all of us…! Even you! He's given you his body…and his life to play with…to make everyone else happy. Now, he's on the brink of death! I can't stand to see him like this…and you don't care? Don't you care at all…that you've caused a poor, obscure soul to endure so much pain…physically and emotionally? Now he blames himself for everything unfortunate that has ever happened in his life…because of this stupid curse! Why…did you put him in confinement…and torture him so…when he's the only one who still bears the curse? You're not the god anymore! You're just…Akito! The curse is no more…and yet…you still torment Kyo like he deserves to be punished for no reason! Now, he's sick and hurt…inside! Just because he turned into a monster on the inside, doesn't mean he's a monster on the inside. The real Kyo is caring…and protective…and he…he can be loved!" Tohru's eye narrowed. "But…people who don't care…and people who throw those inferior to them aside just for themselves…and people who kill people for their own sick enjoyment…" Tohru remembered her mother as she talked to the former god. "People like that…can't be loved!"
Akito's eyes closed. Everything…all of Tohru's words and meanings…were sinking in. she collapsed to her knees and leaned on her hands. What could she say now, to make everything better? She knew…the answer was nothing. So, she spoke the only words that would escape her mouth, "I…I'm sorry!"
Tohru wrapped her arms around the fallen, crying god. "But, people like that…can be forgiven!" Akito looked up with sorrowful eyes, and Tohru smiled. Akito felt a soft tug on her sleeve. She looked up, as did Tohru.
Kyo was slumped against the wall, breathing slow, heavy breaths. His crimson eyes were opened slightly, but their normal brightness and liveliness had faded. Now they were dull and full of hurt. Kyo mustered up all of his remaining strength to say these words, "I…forgive…you…"
With that, he released her sleeve and his bloodied hand fell to his side. His eyelids drooped and his mouth held a grim, straight line.
"Kyo…" Tohru leaned towards him and took one of his hands, covering it with her warm ones. "You can't…! You can't leave me!"
Kyo's eye averted, and gazed into hers. He smiled, pulling her hand closer to him. She understood and leaned in closer and placed her lips amiably on his. The moment lasted forever, and even though it felt so right, with the whole world stopping and everything, Tohru pulled away regretfully.
"You can't go…" she touched his lips with her fingertips, motioning him not to talk and not to waste the last bit of his strength on moving. Kyo closed his eyes to relax, let out a small cough, and continued to struggle with his breathing. "You're going to…be okay…" Tohru said through tears, reassuringly. Kyo smiled as if he was going to say, 'yea…right!'
"Why?" Akito's muffled voice spoke up. The two looked over to her. "Why…did you come back to him?"
"Because…I cared about him so much…I love him so much…that I couldn't bear to be without him. He let me spend a few more days with my Mom. He set all the juunishi…except for himself…free! He doesn't think he deserves to be with me…but from what kind of person he is and what he's done to make things right…I think it's me who doesn't deserve to be with someone like him. I can't live…when I'm not by his side. I just had to see him again… but…I guess…this is the last time…" Tohru started crying again, leaning on Kyo's shoulder.
Akito stood up, fist clenched and held high. "No! This isn't going to be the end! It won't!" she looked down at them, giving them a real smile. "I won't allow it!" (OOC ALERT! I'M SOOOOORRRRRRYYYYY!) The moment ended as quickly, when Kyo fell into a coughing fit. The color drained from his face and he struggled to stop, but it was no use.
"Kyo! Kyo!" Tohru panicked.
Kyo's hand flew to his chest and his eyes were wide with fear.
"Hatori!" Akito beckoned, loudly. Hatori came into the room, looking flustered.
"The ambulance is on its way. I told them that Kyo was abused…" when he saw the horrified look on Akito's face he quickly added, "I told them we didn't know who hurt him and we found him like this." He then, noticed Tohru, supporting an unconscious Kyo, letting one of his arms drape around her. To the left of them, a tear-faced Akito stood and the triumphant smile that had once had its place on her face, had faded.
"Uh… did I… interrupt…something…I'm sor…"Hatori stated.
"Hatori!" Tohru screamed, butted in. "His pulse! It's…"
MUHAHAHA! I kno…I just got to finishing this chappie and I end with a cliffie! Sorry folks, but it must be done… cuz I cant think of wat to do next…if you don't want this story to be discontinued…plz review and tell me wat u think I should write…cuz this was an idea that I didn't kno how to finish! Aaagh!