Sohma Kingdom History, Lesson 5-
One particular oddity concerning the curse Sohma family is a cult-like group that worships the 'Rat' of the Zodiac. It began in the early days of the curse when it was then widely believed that the curse would soon end because the Rat, who had defeated the evil Cat would heroically save them. A group of young women began to religiously follow the first Rat and do whatever he bid of them. Some became concubines, slaves, and shadow operatives, all willingly controlled by the Rat. After the first Rat's death the common notion that he would save them obviously ended, yet the 'Order of the Rat' as they had named themselves became even more strengthened in their vision.
Today the Order of the Rat would like to take on their subservient role for the new Rat, Yuki Sohma, and wait on him hand and foot on the Rat but he absolutely refuses their advances. So as of now the Order works from the shadows, snatching every opportunity that can somehow benefit Yuki. They do this because the Order of the Rat still views him as the only way to lift the curse. They are completely devoted to their cause and are the only people in the Sohma Kingdom who are not imprisoned for not worshipping the Living God Akito.
Chapter 5- Tomes and Chickens
Tohru lived in a small wooden cottage only one mile from where she had found Kyo and Yuki laying on the beach. When Kyo entered the cottage he took immediate notice of the small portrait of a young woman on the kitchen table. The portrait looked aged yet well taken care of. Kyo felt the women's smile in the picture was very soothing and maybe familiar.
He didn't realize he was staring until Tohru beamed at him and said, "Oh! You've met Mom?"
Kyo looked weakly back at her, "Eh?"
"That's my Mom, isn't that a good picture of her?" Tohru seemed very happy over having someone to talk to as they had slowly walked to her cottage.
Yuki gently lifted the portrait to get a better look at the women, he then gazed around the cottage and noticed two beds. "Oh so you live here with your mother Miss Honda?"
"Well…no…not exactly. You see, Mom's dead. She died about a year ago, at the capital." Tohru's smile faltered for a moment but she regained her composure. "She said she had something really important to do there so she left and never came back, a little while later I heard what happened there…"
Both Yuki and Kyo felt a pit grow in their stomach, the destruction of the Oni capitol, approved by Akito and carried out by Ayame, had killed this girls mother. Yuki knew that this situation would be harder than he had initially suspected.
"I'm sorry, I had no idea. I didn't mean to upset you." Yuki said as he set the picture back down, Kyo's gaze never left the women's smiling face.
"Oh, it's alright, I'm sure Mom would be happy to know that we hadn't forgotten her." Tohru gave the two boys another smile and went over to the stove to make tea.
Kyo made his way towards the table until Yuki quietly pulled him aside, "Have you given any thought as to how we are to handle this situation?"
Kyo shrugged and attempted to push past his relative, "Whatever, you figure it out."
Suddenly Tohru turned around and flatly addressed both of them, "You two aren't from around here, are you?"
Yuki searched for something to say but Kyo responded before he had fully collected his thoughts. "Nope, we're from the west."
Tohru's eyes lit up as Kyo spoke, "Oh wow! Sohma Kingdom?! That's amazing, I've always wanted to take a vacation there, is it true that the entire country looks like a giant haunted house? Oooh that's so cool!"
"Excuse me for asking, but how exactly did you know we weren't from Oni?" Yuki said as he took a seat.
"Oh well that's simple, when I was dressing your wounds I noticed you didn't have the Onigiri mark anywhere on your body." Her face quickly reddened. "Not that I saw you two…I mean you were really hurt and I…I swear I didn't really see anything!"
Yuki gave a slight chuckle, "Don't worry miss Honda, we trust you."
Tohru regained some of her senses and laughed herself, "Thank you, would either of you care for some properly made breakfast? I know coconut isn't always the best thing to go on."
"I'd love some." Yuki said as he began to further inspect his bandages.
"Yeah all right, just nothing to spicy." Kyo said in his typical picky eater tone.
"Ok, I'm just going to go run out to the henhouse for some eggs, you two stay right here, feel free to make yourselves at home!" She then headed out the door, carrying a large basket for eggs.
"Kyo." Yuki quickly darted to his relative. "Have you given any thought as to how we are going to get Miss Honda to go back to Sohma Kingdom with us?"
"It's easy we'll just ask her to go with us and if she doesn't want to we'll make her." The glare in his eye smirked ominously.
"Kyo, we need to put some serious thought into this, what is the best way for us to do this?" Yuki began wracking his brain, wishing he had a more sensible companion.
"Hey rat boy, have you forgotten one major important thing?"
"What's that now?" Yuki's frustration was building.
"We're just about as far into Oni country as you can get! Besides just getting her to go back to Sohma country how will we deal with just getting out of Oni?!"
Kyo was right, Yuki hadn't thought of that.
"We may as well just tell her the truth and see if she buys it, if she doesn't we'll have to do it the hard way."
Despite Kyo's brashness, Yuki knew he was right. "So what, you think we should just waltz up to her and say that we are part of the elite Sohma nobles?"
"You're from the Sohma family?! And you're nobles!?" Tohru exclaimed in shock from the doorway, Yuki cursed himself for not noticing. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry." Tohru immediately went down on her feet and went into a bowing position.
"No Miss Honda it's okay, please stand up." Yuki said as he went to her.
"No you're royalty, I'm being polite!" Tohru shouted into the floor.
"Oh! Get up you dumb girl!" Kyo yelled as he hauled her to her feet. "It's not like we ever asked to be, we just are. And we came all the way into this stupid country just to find you."
"Me?! Why me?" Tohru asked as her face reddened.
Yuki took her hands in his, "We don't know why Miss Honda. We were given a prophecy and it's come true, you're the one we have been searching for."
"Oh my…I don't know what to say. What is it you need me to do?" She asked politely.
"We don't even know yet, we were just told to find you. I know you may feel like you're betraying your country but would you please consider leaving for a short while and going with us back to Sohma, I know our 'King' is very much looking forward to meeting you." Yuki thought that maybe the truth is the best idea after all.
"The KING?! I don't know…I'm not important enough to meet with a king."
"Shut up! God, this is getting annoying. Just come with us back to Sohma, meet Akito, do whatever it is you're supposed to and then just come back here and live happily ever after with your hen house." Kyo was quite irritated by this point and just wanted things over, he ignored Yuki's outrage.
"…ok, I'll go. But who'll take care of my chickens while I'm gone?" Tohru said as a smile began appearing on her face.
"Just put enough food in their house to last a couple of days, I'm sure that's all they'll need Miss Honda."
"Okay."
Just then a fourth voice could be heard outside, followed by a wind, Kyo could smell paper magic residue from outside. "KYO! YUKI! HELLLO! WHERE ARE YOOUU!?" yell the all too familiar voice.
"Crap! What the hell is he doing all the way out here?!" Kyo shouted as he looked around the cottage for somewhere to hide.
Yuki's face gave a disgruntled look towards the noise, he then slowly walked over to the door just as a loud rapping came upon it. Yuki opened the door to reveal a robed man. He wore conservative glasses and his hair was stuck in a state of bed-head. Tohru immediately took notice of the large tome under his arm, reading 'Summer Paradise'.
"Hello my beloved cousins! How in blazes did you ever make it here, smack dab in the middle of Oni country none the less…. Oh well, it is a great relief to see you both again." Said Shigure Sohma as he pushed past Yuki and made himself comfortable at the dinner table.
"Isn't there some sort of rule against using teleportation scrolls so freely?" Yuki asked without any regard towards Shigure's friendliness.
"Of course there is! But there were certain circumstances…excuse me Miss, would you hop to and make me some tea? Teleporting always gives me a taste for it you see. You've been out of contact for days, and then news of Oni attacks on a small inlaid villages began to really worry everyone at the castle, especially Akito. He had been trying to use various communication spells but you never answered, so eventually he ordered me to come and find you. I am the only Script Mage in the country that has enough power to teleport nearly anywhere in the world, even Oni country apparently."
Tohru did as she was told as she and the boys listened to Shigure. Finally Yuki raised his hand to gain the old dogs attention.
"Well as you can see, we are perfectly fine. We ran into some trouble with a group of Oni, I cant remember much but I do know we both were thrown into the Elin and somehow managed to coast all the way down here."
"I found them laying on the beach, they looked so helpless…I just couldn't abandon them." Tohru interjected as she placed Shigure's tea in front of him.
"Then the country of Sohma owes you many thanks! Where would we be without two of our fine princes?" He took a sip of tea and looked back towards Tohru. "My lord! This tea, magnificent! How would you like to come back with us and work as my personal chef of sorts?!" Shigure exclaimed excitedly as he reached for her hands, which were quickly stomped on by Kyo's right foot.
"She's already going with us to Sohma country! She's the one that damn Akito sent us out to look for!" Kyo asserted.
Shigure recomposed himself as he adjusted his glasses for a better look at Tohru. "Ah…I see. Well I'm happy she's cute, an Oni, but cute. I'm not sure how Akito's going to feel about this…. Oh well, that's something to worry about later. All this blue sky and pleasant environment is strangely making me miss home! If everyone could please grab onto my robe as I prepare the spell."
"We're leaving now!?" Yuki steamed as Hatori read the magic scroll from his monstrous tome. Yuki knew he couldn't stop the incantation so he quickly hold of Shigures robe. "Miss Honda, quickly, grab something that you absolutely need! I'm afraid we are leaving rather abruptly!"
"Umm…Ok!" Tohru reached over and grabbed the picture on the table. "I need Mom, without her I don't know what I would do!"
Kyo too then grabbed onto Shigures robe, noticing the Tohru had yet to follow suit, he quickly yelled. "You dumb girl! Grab on or you'll be left behind!" He then reached out to her and grabbed her hand, his heart did a strange sort of bump, at the time he couldn't explain it.
Shortly after Kyo felt an unknown sensation in his soul, did the entire group disappear in a teleportation spell with a quiet, 'blip'.