The echoing giggle crawled over the prisoners' skin; Tohru strained her eyes to see the source of this nonsense. Luckily the person stepped forward to be bathed in what little light was in the dungeon.

"What's going on?" Yuki said with tint of anger in his voice. He stared upon the lovely, yet not angelic face of Kaori.

Kaori grinned, she seemed pleased, but why? "Oh my precious little Yuki…" she prolonged the words as she glided to him, her hand not touching but tracing an invisible line of warmth around his cheek.

Yuki jerked away from her, fear flooding over any anger he had. This just made the smile on her face widen. She curled a fingered in his hair let it fall limp against his face. She took a step away from him and turned to Tohru.

Kaori was in some type of leather dominatrix get-up. Her long hair wrapped into a slithering braid that fell over her left shoulder; her eyes gleamed brightly under the hood of dark makeup and her smile glistened against the rich color of her lipstick. Tohru questioned exactly what was going on; was the person she trusted not to long ago their enemy? If she wasn't a villain, she certainly could fool anyone dressed like that.

The little leather minx paced her steps as she grew near Tohru. In almost a seductive tone Kaori spoke, "You are such a foolish girl."

Tohru knew now that Kaori obviously couldn't be on her side if she was giving out insults while they laid there chained.

"Kaori what did you do?" Yuki asked, his chains clinking as he moved.

She never took her sight off of Tohru but spoke to the boy, "I did what anyone in my position would do. I made a deal. I traded you four so I could come back home."

Tohru spoke out of turn, "But you hate Akito. Couldn't you have waited it out till he died?"

A look of distaste overcame the beautiful woman. She spoke with a bitter tongue, "Yes I will not lie about that. I hate the sadistic bastard and I would pay to see him get what he deserves."

"I feel a but coming on…" Yuki said in a bored tone. How was he taking this betrayal?

Kaori sighed, "But the feeling of loneliness is too great to ignore. Only until you four came to stay with me had I realized how much I missed the warmth of the Sohma clan's embrace. I saw an opportunity and took it like a baby does for its mother's milk."

"Are you trying to get pity out of us Kaori?" Yuki looked at the she-devil.

Kaori flipped her braid so it dangled along her backside. "I don't want pity or any other emotion you might have to offer. I just thought that you should know exactly why I did what I did."

"How noble of you," he spat. He was punishing himself for ever putting trust in Kaori. He believed Kaori's little acting skill at the cottage; endangered Tohru, Kagura, and yes even Kyo. For that he hated himself, but he would die before he allowed anyone to harm Tohru.

Kaori let out a small growl. "He would have caught you eventually you know."

Yuki made a hateful laugh, "Yeah but at least we would have had a fighting chance."

"You think so? At least I control the terms of this little negotiation. If I wasn't a buffer between him and you do you think you'd still be breathing right now?" She folded her arms under her chest, the flesh on her arms rubbing against the leather.

"If you think you control anything, you must be sadly mistaken," Yuki gave a smile to this. "Does Akito think I will not try to transform into my zodiac form and be free from these chains?"

It was Kaori's turn to smile, "He plans on it. If you try to escape it only makes the game more fun."

Tohru just hanged on the sidelines, not sure what to say to anything of this. The talking party wasn't really much aware of her existence at the moment.

"He's going to chase me in my rat form and do what? Tempt me with cheese? I am quite slippery when I want to be; I'd escape before anyone caught me," he laughed as the vision of Akito baiting him with cheese played across his mind.

Kaori's grin never left, "Did you know that Julius is in town and has been informed of your rebellion? Akito says that Julius wants the girl as a new pet."

Tohru let a small gasp. She knew 'the girl' was her. She didn't know this Julius, but if he wanted her for a pet, she immediately didn't like him. Tohru didn't like how this was going but bit back from speaking. If she spoke the fear in her body would just burst through.

Yuki scowled, "And what if I don't escape? What will Julius do then?" Had Julius replaced the fear of Akito now?

"He will torture you, plus the sleeping kitten," she nodded towards Kyo then continued, "but Julius gets the girl either way."

"What about Kagura?" Tohru asked. Her voice was almost empty air from trying to hold back any tint of fear in it.

Kaori's lively eyes flashed onto Tohru. "Kagura will be punished for her actions. She hasn't evoked the wrath of Akito as much as the three of you. Her punishment will be swift."

"What exactly is her punishment?" Tohru said her voice consistent in tone.

"Sadly her punishment I don't approve of, but Julius didn't disbar it. Akito figured that since Kagura had been faithfully chaste for Kyo that he would break her. That's what's keeping him from being here right now, he's preparing for her," she frowned a bit.

Yuki's voice held anger, "He's going to rape her? He can't do that. Leader or not he can't do that to his own!" His eyes flicked to Kagura who lay peacefully in her chains.

Kaori nodded but ignored him. Could she have stopped Akito from his plans? Maybe, but she didn't even try to find out.

Tohru gulped, "I never thought Akito was capable of such things."

"You've seen Akito's physical side of abuse Tohru. You've managed somehow to keep him out of your mind, but Julius is much better in both departments. He will make you break, this I promise," Kaori went to the wall of knives observing them.

Yuki groaned in his chains, "I could transform out of these damn things. But it would be a while till I could transform back. I'd be vulnerable and I would be leaving you vulnerable as well."

Tohru realized that he was directing his words to her. "Please Yuki, save yourself. I don't know if I could stand by and watch you all be tortured."

Then another person came strolling down the stairs, heels clicking against the steps. It was a man.

Sure he was a man but he looked more like a young boy, fresh into adulthood. He wasn't wearing much, just leather pants so tight they could have been painted on. His skin glowed a silky tan color which almost seemed impossible in this light. His hair was a massacre of curls that dripped over his shoulders, creamy wheat color. His eyes, probably his best feature, shone a dark amethyst; they were sharp but gave off a gentle gesture. This had to be Julius.

"Did I miss anything?" His voice was out of place with his appearance. It was too rough to be this lovely vision of beauty's voice, yet it suited him. It drew you away from any fantasy you might have lingered in your mind; made you remember it was just a person, not a heavenly creature. Right?

Kaori wrapped her arms loosing around his shoulders, sighing into him. She lusted after him, heck Tohru did too. This guy was drop dead gorgeous, anyone, probably even a straight male would want to lay with him.

"I just told them a little bit of what they can look forward to," her voice was again in a seductive whispering tone. You could almost feel the heat of her body reaching for Julius. He took a step away from her. Was he turned off by her?

He took a look at Yuki and then at Tohru. A small grin played his face and walked, no floated, towards Tohru. The whole act seemed so surreal.

"You must be my new pet," his voice trailed over her body, as did his eyes. He seemed pleased. His fingers danced across Tohru's cheek playfully. She didn't resist, she seemed trapped into his gaze, almost enjoying it.

"Don't touch her!" growled Yuki across from them. Julius looked over his shoulders at the pissed rat and had an amused look.

"And what would you do to stop me? Must you mind that I am dominant to you? I can have whatever I wish, whenever I wish." He turned back to Tohru and knelt into her, taking in her scent. He nuzzled against her dark hair and moaned into her ear. Was he getting fresh with her?

Kaori tapped the heel of her boot against the stone floor, "Don't get to hasty Julius."

Julius did one last flick of Tohru's cheek and stepped away. Yuki's rage was filling the room giving off a very negative vibe. "You might be dominant over me Julius, but I won't stand by and let you touch her!"

Julius, standing by Kaori, trailed his finger along her back making her let out a pleasurable gasp. "You have no choice in the matter. I'm superior. You do know what I am boy, what I am capable of." It was not a question, just a reminder.

Kyo moved in him chains and looked at everyone with wide eyes. "What's going on?"

Yuki looked at him, "It seems our protector Kaori betrayed us. She turned us over to Akito willingly."

Kyo turned to Kaori with lost eyes, "But why?"

Yuki continued talking; maybe talking was the only way to stop thinking about what lay ahead of him, "So she could return to live here."

Kyo's eyes filled with sorrow of betrayal. He didn't like being betrayed, it happened almost too often for him. His eyes then fixed on Julius. He didn't notice him till now.

Kyo's eyes went wide and filled with terror and he started to shiver. "Julius".

Julius smiled, still standing with Kaori. "Oh my little kitten finally has awakened. You almost had me worried I would have to wait another day to have fun."

Kyo's face was stricken with some sort of painful memory. Tohru had never seen such fear rise so quickly in anyone.

"No, Julius…I won't let you touch me…not again…" Kyo's words were more of a plea then a demand.

Julius and his all mighty, muscular body walked to Kyo. "Oh but I've missed you so much my little one." He cupped Kyo's cheek in his hand making Kyo protest, tears crumbling from his eyes.

"Please leave him alone!" Tohru cried out. Julius removed himself from Kyo and faced Tohru. He had an arrogant expression claiming his face. It didn't seem at all out of the ordinary.

"You must care for him a lot if you're naïve enough to start asking things of me," he walked to her, making every step a certain point in his appearance.

"I care for him yes. I care for Yuki and Kagura as well. Please, don't hurt them," her innocent voice was found. She thought she had lost long ago, when all this Akito stuff began.

Julius rubbed his fingers against her chin, "You are as everyone says."

Tohru didn't know how, but Julius seemed to be touching Tohru's sensual senses. Was he playing with her mind? "And what does everyone say?"

He leaned close to her, close enough to kiss. "That you are ignorant beyond your years."

Certainly not a compliment and certainly not anything to be proud of, Tohru whipped her head, turning from him. She didn't want him near her, let alone touching her. Julius laughed; his laugh was like sharp nails on a chalk board. He thought it was a game.

He gripped her chin and roughly, bringing her eyes to his. "I don't do favors my pet. You must not have heard anything of me if you did not know something as simple as that."

She balled her fists; maybe she was ignorant if she knew nothing of this man. "It's true; I've never heard a mention of your name in my life. Up till now I though Akito was the head honcho of this place, but obviously I was wrong."

"You have no idea how wrong you were. So since you know nothing about me, I feel that I should inform you just what you're new master is all about," he pulled away from her and started to pace a small circle, reaching the edge of everyone that was chained.

Tohru wanted to argue the thought of him being her master, but she decided to relax a bit and hear what he had to say.

"I am what the Sohma family calls the Tsuyoi Sohma. I am the first of my kind. I am invincible and control all of the Sohma family. You said you thought Akito was the top leader, in a sense you were correct thinking that. Akito's position in the Sohma family is indeed one of the higher rankings, master of the zodiacs; but not the top. His job is to rule here but any of his punishments or uses of Sohma members must first come to me for a ruling; much like a judge.

"My Tsuyoi powers didn't kick in until I was 19. I was a normal Sohma, not even allowed to see the inner workings of the zodiac. I didn't truly care much about the whole zodiac thing since I wasn't included, I probably was just jealous though. Suddenly, however, I came into some hefty power. My parents thought I was an undiscovered zodiac, I almost wished I wasn't anything. I didn't want to have my life kept a secret as the members of the zodiac had to. They tried everything to get me to transform into an animal, but it didn't do anything but irritate me.

"I killed my mother one day; by accident of course. I couldn't control my power back then and emotions tended to trigger it. She had been disappointed that I was not a zodiac member and she feared me, which both of those things obviously caused me great pain and anger. So I managed to run her through a few walls one day. Since then people have been terrified saying 'If he could do that to his own mother and not feel regret, imagine what he would do to us.' Wrong though, I did feel regret about doing it, but that faded after the Sohma's granted me top seat of power. I controlled the zodiac's master and could twine everyone around my little finger. Power can do a great thing to someone's ego.

"Sadly though a few brave Sohma's decided to test my powers. They died rather quickly by my hand. I didn't want to be bothered by such pathetic threats and decided to live away from this place, only to be bothered by the zodiac master when they needed a green light to do something. I haven't made an appearance around here in ages. The place still looks the damn same, people really need to accept change more often."

His story ended and he looked at Tohru to see what she had to say; he considered she probably wouldn't speak at all, but she did.

"So you're saying that you have some kind of mystical power that no one but you posses?" Tohru's body was getting tiresome from being chained.

"That I know of, yes," he stepped closer once again to Tohru. "I never in all my years imagined that a young, little thing like you would be able to corrupt the Sohma family."

Tohru squirmed a bit, "What do you mean?"

"You've managed to get a handful of Sohmas to go against their superior," he meant Akito obviously. "It's impressive. You don't seem to possess any trace of power and you're not of any Sohma blood, yet they follow you. That is what drew me here to this place, not to punish a few stray animals, but to collect you. To figure out exactly what hold you have over them."

Tohru's heart leapt. This person had come from where ever the hell he was from to 'collect' her. It certainly made her feel special and also very scared. "Please, just let them go and I'll go with you."

He let his head fall back and laugh. He looked at Tohru, "You have not been listening my pet. I have come here to collect you. You have no say in it. As for letting the others go, I won't bargain for their safety. They have disobeyed Akito and shall see a fitful punishment."

Yuki and Kyo had long been silent. Tohru wondered if they knew what Julius was capable of by word of mouth or by experience.

Tohru looked down at her dangling feet. She was again helpless to do anything. She hated that.

Julius smiled; his new 'pet' really did entertain him.

A/N:

Well hope you guys enjoyed the little twist in the plot. Thanks for the reviews everyone and keep reading. Hehe, yeah well school's been a pain as usual (what else is new?). I've had such lack of sleep this week it's almost insane. Hmm…well I guess I'll leave it at that for now.