A/N - I was feeling productive today, so here's the next chapter. We're drawing to an end, now...
Chapter 9 – Out
I was fully healed now – breathing no longer caused me any pain, nor did I feel it necessary to sleep every two hours, either. Hatori entered my room.
"I declare you cured," he said, but in a low voice. He didn't want any of Akito's many ears to hear.
"I am sorry to say, Koro-kun, that I cannot keep Akito away from you any longer. You're going to have to see her."
I nodded, swallowing my own fear. "I understand… Thank-you so much, Hatori-san."
He shook his head. "I will only be deserving of your thanks if I find a way to get you out of here before Akito sees you. But that, I fear, is impossible." He turned to leave. "She is coming tomorrow." The door closed behind him.
I understood that he was only being brusque with me because he was worried, if I could be so presumptuous as to think that Hatori would be worried about me. I shook my head, smiling in spite of the situation. Even after more than two weeks in this world, I couldn't get myself to believe that I was really here.
"I suppose that when I do get back, it will all seem like a dream," I said, refusing to think of the fact that I might never get back. I had promised myself that I would only think of that if everything had been tried – and nothing had been tried yet.
Soon, however, my thoughts were wrenched back to Akito. She was coming tomorrow, and I was more scared than I wanted to let on to anyone. I still had no defence. What if she injured me again, and I had to spend more time healing? If I stayed in here I would never escape.
I wracked my brains until night fell, but I could come up with no plausible solution. I supposed I would just have to see Akito and hope for the best… or the worst.
Night brought another, deeper dimension to the darkness of the room. I curled myself up in the shadows and tried to sleep, tried not to think about tomorrow. Tomorrow was going to come, whether I worried or not, so what was the point in worrying?
That was what I tried to tell myself, and I could make my body believe it. But the truth was, I was worried out of my mind. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep.
Suddenly, I heard the swoosh of air as the door opened. I looked up, startled. Had Akito come early to gloat over me? The figure moved quickly across the floor. It was too small to be Akito. A flash of blonde caught in the single ray of moonlight that penetrated the dark walls.
"Momiji-kun?" I remembered just in time to keep my voice quiet, but it was a near thing. Momiji was the last person that I had expected to see.
"Yup! I'm here to get you, Kari-chan!" It amazed me that Momiji could still be his cheerful self in this dark pit, but that was the Rabbit for you. A hand was held out to me, and I took it. We moved swiftly out of the room.
"Yuki's waiting for you. He came to rescue you, but he told me that he couldn't come here. He hopes you'll understand."
"I do. I understand completely." I would have been worried if he had.
"I'm glad." Yuki's soft voice came out of the darkness in front of me. I would have halted in surprise, if it hadn't been for Momiji.
"Come on, Kari-chan, there isn't much time," Momiji whispered. Yuki fell into step beside me.
"Hatori's got the gate open," he told me, "but he can't keep people away forever. Eventually, someone's going to see. We have to get you out of here. You can stay at Shigure's house for a while, but not long. Once Akito knows you've gone it's the first place he'll look."
I nodded my understanding. "Thank-you. I've been thinking about a way to get home… I have come up with something, but I'm not sure it'll work…" my voice trailed off uncertainly.
A calm hand slipped around my waist. "I have confidence in you, Kokoro," Yuki said. "I know you'll figure it out."
We reached the outer yard. Hatori stood there, looking nonchalant. He nodded as soon as he saw us.
"You'll have a safe journey to Shigure's house," he said. "After that, I cannot guarantee anything." I smiled and nodded. "That's more than enough. Thank-you for everything." I wasn't sure if I was going to see him again, so I gave him a hug. He stiffened, surprised, then patted my head.
"You're very welcome. It was nothing. Now, go!"
Momiji waved as we departed.
"Thank-you, Kari-chan," he called softly, "I won't forget it!" I smiled and waved, showing him it was nothing. Yuki took my hand and led me through the night to Shigure's house.
When we got there, Tohru and Shigure were waiting for us.
"Kokoro-kun! Yuki-kun!" Tohru cried, and ran out to meet us. I winced, her voice sounding deafening after the quiet of my escape, but then remembered that we were far away from the main house.
"Are you all right?" she asked. "I'm fine, thanks to Hatori-kun and Sohma-kun," I said. "How's Kyo-kun?" I inquired, remembering the plight of the Cat when I had left.
"He's fine. He said he didn't need to go to the hospital, but that's Kyo-kun for you." Tohru smiled. Shigure came up to us.
"I'm sorry to interrupt this meeting," Shigure said, "but I hope you have a plan, Koro-kun," he said. "When Akito realises you're gone…" I nodded. "I have something I want to try."
When we entered the house, Kyo stood there. He looked as though he had just been trying to hide. I stepped forward from the others and bowed.
"I'm very sorry, Kyo-kun," I said. "I sincerely hope that I will cause you no further trouble." The Cat looked away awkwardly. "It's fine," he said. "Just go home already." I smiled. "That is what I plan to do," I said. I turned to Shigure.
"Do you have a guide book or a research book, anything showing Canada?" The writer thought for a moment.
"You know, I just might," he said. "Follow me."
"I wrote a special request book set in Canada for a client of mine – an international company that wanted more of a consumer base. I had to read up on it, of course, because I knew nothing about the country," he said as we walked. "I think I might still have a guide book or two lying around." Hope began to grow in my heart – Shigure certainly had enough things "lying around" that a guide book would certainly be one of them.
We entered the disaster zone that was Shigure's study and the author began rummaging. I looked at the others.
"I got here with a book, right?" I reasoned. "So it should follow that I would get home using a book." Tohru clapped her hands and grinned.
"Amazing! Just amazing Koro-kun," she said, "you're a genius!" I looked down, embarrassed.
"Not really," I said, "we still have to see if it works."
"Aha! Got it!" Shigure exclaimed. He held out a book to me. I took it, looking with growing excitement at the title.
See Canada in 14 Days
If it's two weeks, I thought, that isn't nearly time to see everything there is to see. Which means that they must only cover the basics. And the most basic of all is…
I opened the book to see the contents. There it was, almost at the top. CN Tower. I quickly turned to page 5.
The tallest free-standing structure in the world, the caption read under its familiar silhouette, the CN Tower is a must-see for any tourist. You can't miss it!
I looked up at the rest of them excitedly. 'This will take me home," I said.
"Do you live near this tower?" Yuki asked.
"Well, not really," I said, "but I can take the transit home easily enough. I have enough money in my… pockets!" I had reached down out of habit and discovered that I was still wearing the Main House standard-issue kimono.
"Your clothes!" Tohru exclaimed. "They're ready for you. I washed them about a week ago, and I found some strange coins in the pockets. I thought they might be important to you, so I kept them. Hang on a second, and I'll go get them!" She rushed out. I looked at Yuki dryly.
"You know, if this doesn't work, I'm going to feel very silly."
"Don't worry, Kokoro," Yuki said," I have faith in you." I smiled, but didn't reply. If only I had faith in myself.
Tohru brought my clothes to me, and I went into another room to change, happy that I had chosen to fall asleep fully dressed (abnormal for me) on the night I left, instead of changing into my pyjamas. I wondered if I hadn't then subconsciously known that I would need them, but pushed the thought out of my mind. How could I possibly have known? I had just been rushed and tired.
Tohru had put my money back in my pockets. I had $2.50 – more than enough to get me home. I wondered what my parents would say when I arrived after a two-week absence. But there would be time enough to worry about that later – I had to get home first.
When I went back into Shigure's study, everyone was standing there waiting for me. Tohru was holding a bag, and Yuki seemed slightly nervous.
Tohru stepped forward first.
"Um… Koro-kun," she said, "I want you to have this." She held the bag out to me. Looking inside, I could see that it held the clothes she had lent me when I first arrived. It seemed so long ago, now. I looked up at her, surprised.
"Are you sure?" I asked. I knew Tohru didn't have many clothes. She nodded vigorously. "Please accept it, Koro-kun," she said, "in memory of this world. But," she said with a smile, "I do kind of expect them back." I returned the smile, taking her meaning.
"I have a lot of people that I still want to meet," I said. "If I find a way to do it, I will definitely return." Tohru nodded, satisfied. She hugged me. "Goodbye, Koro-kun," she said, "it was nice to meet you."
"You too," I said, "Thank-you so much." Shigure came next.
"Well, bye-bye, Koko-kun," he said, and I raised an eyebrow at the change of name. Shigure pretended not to notice. "I must say I'm happy with what you edited," he continued, "and I'm sure Micchan is too. This has been very exciting. Be sure to "drop in" again, won't you?" I smiled. "I will." Then I leaned in closer and said something for his ears alone.
"I'm aware of what you're doing," I said. "Just be sure you're ready for how it turns out." Then I smiled again and shook his hand. "Goodbye."
"Goodbye," he said, but his voice wasn't as cheerful as before.
To my surprise, Kyo stepped forward.
"This'd better work," he said, looking at me darkly. I nodded. "I hope it does too, Kyo-kun," I said. "I'm sorry again."
"Look, it was the damn rat who beat me up," he said, growling vaguely in the direction of Yuki. I smiled. "I know." And so we parted.
Yuki still looked a little nervous.
"I'm sure it'll be fine," I said. "If it doesn't work, I'm still here. If it works, I'm home." He nodded, but the look on his face did not disappear.
"Goodbye, Kokoro," he said, and I looked at him in surprise for calling me by my first name when there were people around. He gave a little half smile at the expression.
"I may never be able to call you that again – I wanted to get it in."
"Goodbye, Yuki," I said. "Remember what I told you." He nodded, but didn't look happy. "Arigato," I said, discovering that I could still speak in Japanese, even though, presumably, this was all in Japanese. He nodded. That was all that was needed between us.
I turned away to look at the book again. As I did, I caught something in the corner of my eye, outside the window. A winged figure with long hair. The outline was glowing white.
"What-" I started to turn, but the figure was gone.
"What is it, Koro-kun?" Tohru asked, but I didn't answer. I had just remembered what had been in the unnoticed background of my dream of Yuki and Kyo – the same white glow. Seeing it somehow put aside all doubts in my mind that this would work.
Holding the bag from Tohru in one hand, I waved a final goodbye with the other, and put a hand to the picture.
Please, let me go there, I begged silently, please let me go home.
There was silence for a while, and then suddenly a wind picked up, which was odd because we were indoors. Yuki darted to my side and slipped something in the bag that I was holding. I looked at him questioningly, but I was suddenly unable to speak. There was a brief flash of light, and suddenly…
A/N - There you have it. The worst cliffhanger of all. I won't leave you hanging too long... I hope.