Tohru's Demons

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Moonlight Sonata


Kyo stretched himself straight up, his arms over his head, and stood on the tip of his toes. Relaxing, he glanced around to make sure no one had seen him. Concluding that the coast was clear, he continued to make his silent way down the darkened hall towards his room.

Just moments ago he had said good night to Tohru and the others after spending the majority of the afternoon browsing the library, without any significant finds.

Significant in regards to the Curse, anyway. He had found several books on ancient martial arts and its origins, which he now had tucked under his arm for future reading on his bed that evening.

As Kyo walked past a painting of a stately, blindfolded woman holding a torch, casting shadows over her face and eyes, the woman suddenly reached out a clawed hand and grabbed his wrist.

"YAAAAAAA!!!!" Kyo yelled, jumping about a foot in the air and whirling around, ready to tear the painting to pieces—

And came face to face with none other than Malacoda, who had materialized in front of the painting while Kyo had passed. Malacoda held up his hands, indicating peace, and grinned in cheerful amusement.

"Whoa there, easy on, friend," Malacoda said amiably.

"What the hell are you doing coming out of thin air and giving me a heart attack?!" Kyo roared furiously. "Jeez, at least give me some sort of warning before you go and do things like that."

"Oh, come now, don't be like that," Malacoda whined coaxingly. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to talk, is all."

"About what?" Kyo asked warily.

"Just thought you may be interested in something that will happen at midnight tonight down by the lake, is all." Malacoda said casually with a small, sly smile. And then he faded back into the shadows, his merciless, piercing black eyes glittering in the dark.

Kyo stood still next to the, almost ominous, painting trying to figure out what the hell that was all about.

It was about 11:46 P.M. when Kyo's curiosity finally out bested his better judgment, or the little he had at any rate, so ten minutes till twelve he was making his way down the beaten dirt path that led him towards the lake. There was a huge, full moon out that night, and the sky was spectacularly clear, much clearer than it was in Japan in his universe, so he could easily see where he was going.

Kyo stopped near a crop of bushes and gazed out for a moment over the still water. He might as well have been staring into a piece of sky that had dropped out of the atmosphere and now lay pooling at his feet, riddled with bright, burning white bullet holes.

She was standing waist deep in the fallen piece of Heaven, illuminated, not from the moon alone it seemed, but light refracted softly from the moons of a thousand other worlds. In Her hands She held two silver, shining axes, Her arms out stretched above and slightly to the front, as if to embrace the whole world.

And then She began to dance. Slowly at first, She bent and twisted, the axes gliding through the air like the deliberate rotation of a chaotic galaxy, shimmering through the air in fluid motion as She weaved and swirled in a mesmerizing slow spinning sonata, Her blades intertwining and parting again, winding in, and winding out on paths of incandescent luminosity.

Her dance became faster, then, and the blades sang through the night, flowing across the lake in all directions in resonating, reverberating waves. It was a deadly song without words, a keening cry towards the empty Heavens, filled only with untouchable, unreachable stars and the distant moon, from the depths of Hell in all its Glory.

And then the cry stopped and She stood perfectly still, as if to allow the disturbed waters to calm and once again mirror the sky. For one brief moment between seconds, Kyo thought he saw pale feathers of soft light floating and twirling about Her being before they disintegrated with no more than a gentle sigh into the dark.

She turned Her head to gaze at him over Her shoulder, Her hair and clothes settling about Her body, through tranquil, brilliant blue eyes.

"Kyo-kun...?"

Kyo started and shook his head vigorously, and when he looked again, all he saw was Tohru up to her waist in the muddy waters of the lake.

"Tohru?" he asked shakily.

"Kyo-kun, what are you doing here?" Tohru asked curiously, wading to shore to stand dripping before him.

"I could ask the same thing," he replied, taking a hold of himself. "What were you doing?"

"Oh, you were watching, huh? I was training with my axes, Lapis Lazuli. What you saw was my pattern dance."

"Oh... Why in the middle of the lake at twelve in the morning?" Kyo asked, a little exasperatedly. Tohru did not answer at first.

"I was listening..." she finally replied quietly, her voice distant, and raised her head to gaze up at the brilliant sky and into a far away world.

"Listening?"

"Yeah..." Tohru said disconnectedly. "You know how I can understand all living things? The stars are living entities as well. They are born, they live their lives, and then they die."

Tohru paused to close her eyes, smiling softly in serene joy, and said, "The stars are singing tonight."

Kyo looked up at the sky and for a moment they just stood there, side by side.

"Do they sing like the trees?" Kyo asked after a moment, grinning lopsidedly at the absurdity of his statement.

"No," Tohru said laughingly, her mouth, for a second, also quirking. "The trees sound like an orchestra, and each has their own instrument—brass, woodwinds, strings, etcetera. But the stars... they are a choir. They have voices. And on nights like this, it's the easiest to hear them." She turned to look at Kyo, her eyes focusing again. "Especially in the water. That's why I was in the lake. And it helps me concentrate."

"What do they sound like?" Kyo asked in a hushed voice.

"...Beyond beautiful. I wish you could hear it. It invokes breathtaking ecstasy... and the most profound sadness. It's the single language I don't understand a word of, I guess because it takes all my power just to hear it, but it's poetry unlike anything any person has ever known of, or will ever know...

"It makes you want to live your life to the fullest for all eternity, and at the same time causes you to long for death to come... I'm sorry I'm probably making no sense. It's... hard to explain."

"Hm." Kyo said, unable to come up with anything more eloquent. Just hearing her describe it took his breath away. He couldn't even imagine what it would be like to actually hear it.

"What are you doing out here anyway?" Tohru asked suddenly.

"Huh? Oh. Malacoda told me to come out here."

"...Did he." Tohru murmured flatly, turning away, her hands linked behind her back, to look out in to the dark horizon. Kyo eyed her curiously.

"Did he mention why?" Tohru asked, turning back to look at him.

"He said I'd see something interesting. I guess he meant you."

"Naturally." Tohru agreed. "He couldn't have sent you out here, though, just to watch me. There has to be a reason..." she trailed off contemplatively. "Oh, well," she said after a few seconds of intense thought, and smiled cheerfully at him.

"Um, Tohru?"

"Yeah?"

"What you did... I thought it was... it was... beautiful." Kyo muttered, his cheeks and nose flushing red. Tohru glanced at him in surprise, and smiled joyfully.

"Really?" she breathed. "Thank you! I'm happy you liked it."

"And I didn't mean anything weird by that!" Kyo burst out. Tohru smiled to herself, ducking her head to hide it from Kyo.

"I know," she replied. They were silent for a moment; Tohru standing comfortably while Kyo fidgeted and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Finally he took a breath.

"Tohru..."

"Yes?"

"I..." Kyo stopped, then sighed in annoyance and ran a restless hand through his orange hair. "Look. I was watching you during that fight with Artemis, and... you're really... you fight good."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." Kyo grinned. "Heh, I'll bet you could even beat Yuki."

"Oh, I couldn't! Plus, I think we'd be too afraid we'd hurt each other to actually do anything," Tohru laughed, which made Kyo grin even more.

"No, seriously, you could! He always pauses just before he strikes you like a fraction of a second. I think it's to make you believe that you still have some hope in winning before he delivers your impending doom."

Tohru stared at him for a moment before they both burst out laughing. Once they got a handle on themselves Tohru said, "You've really studied Yuki-kun, haven't you?"

"Yeah..." Kyo sighed. "But every time we fight, I get so damn angry I forget it all."

"That's a problem. If it weren't for that, you could defeat him, easy."

Kyo snapped his head around so fast to look at Tohru his neck hurt. His eyes were wide with surprise, and confusion. "W-what?" he spluttered.

"What? You're a much better fighter than he is, no offense to Yuki-kun," Tohru replied nonchalantly. Now Kyo was really staggered.

"But he always wins!" he protested.

"Because you always get angry," Tohru pointed out.

Kyo opened his mouth to object, and found that he had no reply to that. She was right.

"Also," Tohru went on. "I think your style is wrong."

"What about it?" Kyo demanded defensively.

"You have all the skills, but you don't utilize them correctly," Tohru explained. "I see Yuki-kun like water. He flows with the movements, waits for his chance, and then strikes. His energy is focused. You are like fire. You rage out of control, burning up all your strength, and your energy goes everywhere. When it's scattered all over like that, then it's easy for you to be defeated, no matter how skilled you are."

Kyo stared at her with a look of 'what the hell are you talking about?' writ all over his face.

"Uhhh... Let me put it this way. Your body is built for speed, stealth, and precision. But you fight like a berserker, instead choosing to rely on raw power—when you fight Yuki-kun, anyways. But you're not a berserker. Maybe if you were bigger, with more bulk, but you're lean, so it doesn't work. You're not Superman, more like Batman."

"Or Catman..." Kyo muttered. Tohru giggled and he grinned askance at her.

"Yeah," she said. "But do you sort of get it now?"

"Mm-hmm. I just can't believe it's you giving me lessons on the style of fighting."

They both grinned at that.

"Hey," said Tohru suddenly. "Do you want to have a go?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Kyo.

"I mean, do you want to fight?"

"What?!" Kyo cried. "With... with you?"

"Sure!" Tohru replied. "It'll be fun, just a little duel among friends. What do you say?"

"Uhhh, I don't know..." Kyo said uncertainly. "What if I hurt you...?"

"Kyo, I've fought way worse than you," Tohru laughed. "I doubt it'll happen anyway, I'm probably too fast for you..." she added slyly.

"You are not!" Kyo objected at once without thinking.

"You want to test that assertion?" Tohru asked before he could regret raising his voice. Kyo hesitated a fraction of a second before he nodded, a grin forming on his features.

"You're on!"

Kyo and Tohru stepped back several paces, facing one another, and sank in the ready position.

"I'm not gonna go easy on you, just 'cause you're a girl," Kyo warned.

"Okay," Tohru answered, smiling, and shot forward. Kyo just barely threw up his defense in time as she lunged, dancing back a few paces before twirling into a circle kick. Tohru ducked out of the way, seized his foot, and threw him, with his own momentum, into the lake.

"Oh! Kyo-kun, I'm sorry! I'm sooo sorry! Are you okay?!" Tohru cried, running over to him as he struggled to his feet, spitting water. To her surprise, he grinned.

"I landed in the lake, so I'm fine," he said. "I... underestimated you. Didn't expect you to be so quick."

"So you're okay? You want to try again?"

"Pah! Of course! I'm not gonna make that mistake again. This time, I'll be more careful."

Standing ankle deep in the lake, they sank into their fighting stances.

"Ready?"

"GO!"

Once again, they flew at each other, punching, kicking, dodging, weaving, twisting—

And Kyo, once again, found himself flat on his back.

"Ky-yoo!" Tohru cried, too exasperated to be unduly upset that she had just hurled him into the mud. "What on earth did you think you were doing?! You could have had me just then!"

"Well, excuse me," Kyo retorted as he pushed himself up on his elbows. "I... was afraid I'd hurt you or something..." he added in an undertone. Tohru laughed.

"I'm not fragile or anything, it's not like I'll break if you play a little rough."

"I know, but... it's you."

"Look, if you don't stop going easy on me, you're going to get very muddy."

"Look at the pot call the kettle black! You could've hit me about twenty times by now."

"That is beside the point, sir!" Tohru mock-barked as if she were a commanding officer. An image of Tohru in uniform, shouting out orders to a bunch of testosterone-pumped adolescent boys with M-16s strapped to their shoulders gave Kyo fits.

"What's so funny...?" Tohru asked.

"Just trying to imagine you as an army commander," Kyo explained once he gained a hold of himself.

"Huh…?"

"Uh, never mind."

"…So, do you want to try again?"

"Alright."

"And no holding back this time, okay, Kyo-kun?"

"Right."

Again, Kyo got to his feet and rushed to meet her, intertwining in and out, dancing on their toes through the shallows, their feet kicking up water and sand. Kyo found himself being swept away in the flow of battle and his body fell into its rhythmic pattern. His mind went blissfully blank, without reserve or anger, and without his noticing, he shifted and struck faster, with fluid grace of motion.

So when he saw an opening, he took it without hesitation. His hand seizing her wrist, he pirouetted and released, flinging Tohru back over his shoulder into the lake. It was only after she landed with a splash and a wet yell that he realized what he'd done.

"Tohru!!! Are you okay!?!" He cried frantically, wading out towards her. Tohru's head broke the surface, sputtering and coughing. She thrashed about a bit, and then swam back to shore, where she sat shaking.

"Tohru?" he asked worriedly.

Tohru had her hands over her mouth, her eyes clenched shut, and her shoulders trembling. Finally, when she could no longer hold it in, she exploded into fits of hysterical laughter. Kyo stood next to her uncertainly, a confused grin on his face. Obviously, she was fine.

"You-you sh-should see your face!" Tohru gasped between peals of hilarity. After several minutes, she finally pulled herself together, and stood and smiled brilliantly at Kyo.

"So did you feel it?" she asked eagerly.

"Feel what...?"

"It was the pattern dance. I saw it in your face, just before you threw me."

"I... felt something," Kyo said slowly. "I got really calm and sort of... stopped thinking, I guess."

"Yeah, I thought so," Tohru said, nodding. "I'm sorry, I held back a little on you, though. Not because I was being nice!" she explained quickly when Kyo scowled. "I wanted to test something. See, if I threw you, I'd break to pattern. So just sort of... danced, to see if you would fall into it. And you did! I knew you could do it! You read what I was doing and responded, and then you won! Not many people can do that."

"Oh... really?" Kyo said in bemusement.

"Yeah, but you need to keep your wits about you, as well. Let everything go, but stay on the alert."

"Okay..." said Kyo. He didn't quite understand, but he got the gist of it.

Tohru yawned widely and looked at the sky. "I'll bet it's about three in the morning. We'd better go to bed."

"Fine. Uh... could we... do this again, sometime?" he asked.

"Sure! I'd love to. How about tomorrow night? Around nine?"

"Okay." Kyo replied.

"Great!" Tohru said, and they walked back to the castle, side by side, in exhausted, yet content and companionable, silence. It was then that Kyo felt her hand slid into his. He was glad it was dark out, or she would have seen the soft smile that played across his lips.

But there was someone that did see it. Someone currently seated in a tree not ten feet away, and his burning golden eyes watching the two as they walked hand-in-hand back to the castle.

Artemis jumped down from his tree limb once Tohru and Kyo were out of sight. His ears were flat against his skull, and his eyes glittered behind his bangs. His heart was writhing.

"Damn them..." he whispered. "Damn them to hell..."

"Now, now, watch your mouth," said a voice. Artemis didn't move.

"What do you want, Val?" he growled. Valery stepped from behind a tree and leaned against it.

"Nothing, I'm just out here for a nighttime stroll. Making your rounds, Arty?"

"I was, but..."

"But then you came upon the lovebirds, is that it?"

"They are not lovebirds!" Artemis cried angrily, whirling on her.

"They sure seemed like it, what with the way they were holding hands."

Artemis slammed a fist into the tree, and then slumped against it with a sigh, staring up at the moon. Valery did not miss the look of pain that shadowed his features.

"Oh god, Artemis, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be cruel." Valery said, stepping forward with concern.

"It doesn't matter anymore…" Artemis replied flatly.

"But you're still hurting." Valery said quietly.

"It's just... seeing her again. But once she leaves, it'll pass."

"No it won't and we both know it! Artemis, you loved each other. That's not something anyone can just walk away from."

"Valery!"

"Well, it's true! Goddammit, I can't stand to see you like this! I don't see why you're torturing yourself like this!"

"Just drop it, okay?!" Artemis snapped furiously.

"No!" Valery cried. "It was never right! It was never fair, to either of you, that she had to forget!"

"It wasn't just me that she forgot! It was you, and Millie, and Malacoda, and—"

"But she remembers us now! But she doesn't remember what you felt for her, what she felt for you. Why won't you give that back to her?! You have the key to unlock those memories! Why won't you do it?!"

"Valery!" Artemis roared, bringing her tirade to a screaming halt. "Don't you remember what it felt like," he asked in a strained, hurried voice. "To see those memories taken away? Don't you remember how painful it was? And having those memories of us erased, it was unbearable. I felt like I'd died. When she leaves, this time, after it's all over, she'll have to have her memories erased again, to protect her when the Angels come back. If I unlocked those memories now, sooner or later, I'd have to take them back. I... I don't think I could handle it... not a second time."

"So... you're going to let one of those boys have her?" Valery asked quietly.

"Those damn animals... But there's not much I can do about them."

"Except make their lives a living hell while they're here."

"Right." Artemis sighed, then straightened. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to turn in. Good night," he said, with a polite nod to Valery, then turned and made his silent way down the dirt path, feet padding softly over the waste of the canopies.

To be continued...


Disclaimer: (Yoda voice, which I don't own either!) The claiming of Fruits Basket I have not, mmm, nooo. And nothing else do I own, excepting the plot, mmmm.

It was really fun writing this one. Rather poetic, wasn't it? Anyway, referring to Nytingale's question about Tohru's memories, I believe I mentioned that Raha was guarding them. The only way to tamper with Tohru's memories is to get Raha's permission first, and of course Tohru's. I know you're all dying to know about Tohru's past as Ren, so in the next chapter I'll begin explaining, 'kay? And that's also where Kisa and Hiro will come in, so two birds killed with one stone. Yay.

Also, to swtjemz, I suppose it's possible for things to get through the portals Angels open, but there's a very small chance. They'd have to go through after the blast had passed, and before the portal closes, which is almost immediately. That gives them about a quarter of a second. So no, not many things, besides maybe a mosquito, could pull it off. Also, the universes sort of... exist within each other. Whenever the Angels open a portal with their holy bolt attack thingy, all the universes that particular Angel has been in will open. I hope that clarifies things for you a bit.

And FBC... I like Furbaca, personally. It sounds like Chubaca, but I'll still do it FBC cause I'm just lazy. And, uh, what flavor was the cake...? (starts drooling) I wish I had cake... mmmmm, caaaake....

(Notices the HUGE army of bunnies...) Sooooo scaaarrry.... Sooo horrrrrible... (Hides in a corner and rocks back and forth, mumbling incoherently)

Oh god, oh god, oh god...

(Begins to type feverishly, glancing every now and then at the very intimidating bunnies)

-Raha-