Disclaimer: Me no own Fruits Basket.
Authors Note: This chapter refers to the Martial Arts in a certain spot. I'm not sure exactly what form of the Martial Arts Kyo learns, but I have been doing Moo Duk Kwan Tang Soo Doo (A form of Tang Soo Doo) for 10 years. My Martial Arts is Korean, and I'm sure it's probably different from what Kyo knows, however, I mentioned some very general, standard moves that I think he might have learned. Remember, I'm only talking from my experience!
Book of the Cat
Chapter 18
Sohma Estate, Wednesday, 5:00 a.m.
Kyo rejoiced in the fact that he could finally wake up at his regular time, even though he woke up "here," in this dark, creepy room. Between being sedated and injured, Kyo was just happy that he could finally get back to his normal morning routine. Which means, the first thing that Kyo does in the morning at Shigure's home is, training! Kyo nearly grinned at the prospect of working out again. Then maybe, he'll have a little breakfast.
'No, no breakfast.' Kyo berated himself, trying to convince his stomach that he really didn't need to eat. His stomach protested loudly, and Kyo recalled Kazuma's words from the time where he was little, and first learning the Martial Arts.
"Never practice on an empty stomach."
'Alright… maybe I'll eat an apple or something later… At least I can get Hatori off my case then…"
Kyo stood up and began to stretch, careful not to reopen any cuts. After a few minutes of warming up, he began his routine. He started off with some punches…slow than gathering up speed. Singles, doubles, triples, head-chest-stomach. The usual. After his punches, Kyo moved on to blocks. Down-blocks, mid-blocks, high-blocks, inside-to-outside.
After his upper body was stretched, Kyo moved on to his legs. He started out with the basic straight leg kicks, going for height and speed. After a few set of those on each side, he started with front kicks, than side kicks, round kicks, hook kicks, step behind side, wheel kick, and crescent kick. He watched his foot position and pivots on each kick, making sure to perfect each technique.
Now on to the more complicated techniques: jump front, jump side, flying side, spinning back kick, jump spinning back kick, jump spinning wheel, double jump front kick, jump spinning crescent. By this point, Kyo was slightly out of breath, but the routine felt too good to stop. It was such an escape the he didn't even notice someone standing in the shadows of his room.
Kyo continued: now on to the forms. He started with the most basic, first year forms. Then slowly, he worked his way up, going over every form he knew from the time he first started to the newest forms he learned with Shishou recently. He finally ended with the most difficult, black belt form that he remembered Shishou teaching him. Once that was finished, his routine was complete. Kyo checked his watch. 6:30 a.m.
'The means breakfast will be served soon.' Kyo thought. 'I think I will try to eat today… I am kind of hungry.'
Kyo was about to start his cool down stretches when a cold voice revealed itself.
"Bravo." Kyo spun around as Akito emerged from a shadowy corner of the room. "Really… that was wonderful… But I don't remember giving you permission to practice."
Kyo was sweating and tired from his workout. The lack of food caused a deficit of energy, and Kyo already felt like he was going to pass out right after breakfast. The adrenaline rush he had gotten from practicing was already starting to wear off. He wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"I… I didn't know I needed permission… I just wanted to practice." Kyo said between breaths.
"Well… you always need permission, Kyo. You need permission to eat…to move… to live. So far, I've granted you all of this, yet you want to take advantage of my hospitality now?"
Kyo shook his head. "No…I honestly…had no idea. I just wanted to practice."
Akito smiled. "Well, if you want to practice, I'll let you."
Kyo nodded, "Thank you." He started to sit down to relax.
"What are you doing?" Akito asked quickly.
"…I'm sitting?" Kyo answered hesitantly, unsure of the response Akito wanted.
Akito smirked. "I thought you said you wanted to practice…"
Kyo shook his head. "No, I already did for today."
Akito's lips stretched into a wicked smile. "Do it again."
Kyo stared at Akito, than stepped back and preformed the last black belt form, the last move he would normally do in his routine. When he finished, he looked at Akito. Akito's eyes sparkled.
"I told you to do it again." He said coldly.
"I did." Kyo answered, panting a bit.
"No… I want you to do the whole thing again. Go from the punches…to the blocks…to the kicks… to the forms. I order you to."
Kyo stared in amazement. Although Kyo loved the Martial Arts, he did not think he should be overexerting himself this much. Anything that Akito wanted him to do must be harmful. While Kyo was debating, Akito grew angry.
"Do it again!" He shrieked, lashing out and smacking Kyo across the face. Kyo stumbled back, but he stood up straight after a second. Slowly, he began to work each move again. Starting from one punch, and ending one hour and fifteen minutes later with the final form. He gracefully landed on his feet with each move. He looked up after the final action.
Akito wasn't even watching. He had just done that whole routine for nothing.
Kyo stopped and got ready to sit down. It was 7:45. He had been practicing for almost three hours. Akito suddenly turned back to Kyo. He saw he was stopped and he growled.
"Did I say you could stop!" He screamed. Kyo panted.
"I…can't…need…rest." The door slid open and a servant came in carrying a tray of food for Kyo. She did not seem bothered by Kyo's inability to stand straight, or Akito's evil grin. She just set the tray down on the floor near Akito and walked out. Once the door was shut, Akito spoke again.
"I told you to practice…so practice! Or, would you rather be locked up in that tiny room where you don't even have enough space to walk around?"
Kyo's already pale face turned whiter, and he instantly stood up and started his punches for the third time that day.
"That's a good boy." Akito teased.
About halfway through Kyo's kicking, Akito picked up the food tray and moved it closer to him. He placed the tray in front of him and picked up the chopsticks. He grabbed a piece of food and shoved it greedily into his mouth. It took Kyo a minute to realize what Akito was doing. He stopped mid-kick.
'Hey, that's my food!' Kyo thought angrily, but did not dare to say it out loud. It was a shame, too; he really was planning on eating today. Everything smelled so great.
"Why did you stop?" Akito asked between mouthfuls. "Perhaps threatening to put you in the cage is not enough to motivate you to keep practicing. Maybe I should put Kazuma in the cage instead…"
Kyo didn't need a second notice, he quickly moved back to kicking. Akito sat back and chewed more of Kyo's breakfast.
For the third time that day, Kyo finished his routine. It was 9:15. He stared at Akito. Akito shoved more food in his mouth. He didn't even look up, but he spoke to Kyo nonetheless.
"That was sloppy. You were rushing… do it again."
Kyo stared at the near empty plate, but his thoughts were on Kazuma. He was tired… he needed to stop… but he also needed to keep Akito as far from his Shishou as possible. He snapped back to the routine. Akito placed the last bit of food in his mouth.
Kyo finished the form an hour and a half later, but he just went right back to the punches. He started from the beginning and did it all again. He didn't even wait for Akito to tell him to. Akito smiled at this. He had Kyo now. He was almost completely his.
Kyo continued to move, slower and slower and slower. Each move was getting progressively sloppier and he lost more and more control over the moves as he preformed each successive move. Not like he could really tell, Kyo was so dizzy that he couldn't even tell if he was standing up straight anymore. He was nauseous, dizzy, tired and hungry. He couldn't even remember what he was supposed to be doing.
Suddenly Kyo collapsed. His body slammed down to the floor and wouldn't more. He didn't even have the energy to push it. Akito stood up calmly at this point and took a few steps towards Kyo. He bent down and softly whispered over Kyo's labored breathing, "My little monster." All of a sudden, he pulled back and started to kick Kyo repeatedly in the ribs. Kyo couldn't protect himself because he was too tired. But, something else saved him. The door opened. Hatori stepped in and stared at Akito's frail figure besides Kyo.
"What's going on?" He asked quickly. Akito stepped back from Kyo and pointed at the food tray.
"Look Hatori, he ate." Akito smiled, than walked towards the door. He pushed past Hatori and disappeared down the corridor. Hatori walked besides Kyo and bent down.
"Kyo…" Hatori shook him. His fingers brushed against Kyo's skin, and he felt the warmth radiating. He had a fever. "Oh great…" Hatori mumbled.
Hana's room, Wednesday 4:00 p.m.
"Arisa, can you read the last paragraph again." Hana's monotonous voice reached her best friend's frustrated ears. She sat on the bed in her room and stared at her friend, who sat next to the table, a large, old book spread out in front of her.
"Yea, alright… For the tenth time: The….damn, I don't know this word….Cat's… something… will not… rest?… until it can get the… something… from the… Rat?… This will be done when the next Cat of the… Wait, does that say, Sohma?… family… can… something… the rat?" Uo stopped reading and pounded the table. "Ugh, this doesn't make any sense! I have no idea what I'm reading. Stupid Carrot-top didn't teach me enough!"
Hana, who had been taking notes on a notepad, looked up. "Arisa, calm down. We've already learned a lot… more than we should know. Let's just go over what we've learned again."
Uo nodded and took Hana's notepad and began to read from Hana's neat handwriting. "Ok… so there's this Cat… and it's mad at the Rat… It's from the story of the Zodiac. I guess that makes sense because the Rat tricked the Cat. Anyway, supposedly… there is a family that's… cursed? They turn into the zodiac animals… and the Cat. And the Cat is… more cursed? He wants revenge on the Rat from what he did. I think."
Hana looked pensive for a minute. "Arisa, did you say that the name Sohma was in that last paragraph?"
Uo looked back at the books mysterious symbols. "Yea… it looks like it… Grrr… I can't tell!"
Hana didn't seem bothered by Uo's angry outbursts. Instead, Hana calmly said, "Do you think… that this book is a book on… the Sohma family? Could it be possible that they are cursed by the Zodiac?"
Uo stopped screaming for one minute to laugh. "Hana… I've heard some weird stuff before… I mean, this book is top ten on my weird-meter, but… what you just said takes the cake. Kyo? Cursed by the Zodiac? Don't you think Tohru would have told us if he was?"
Hana thought pensively for a minute. "Yes, I guess you're right."
Uo sat back and thought about the night after the dance. The night were Kyo and her sat on the roof and she first read from this book.
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Kyo turned back to Uo. "There is an… old legend about this family who changes into members of the zodiac…"
Uo had a humorous look on her face. She smiled, "Okay…"
Kyo continued, "Do you know the story of the cat from the zodiac?"
Uo nodded. "Yea, Tohru told Hana and I about a billion times."
Kyo looked at the book. "Well, this… book is the Cat's book."
"So…it's like a point-of-view story?"
"Well… not really, but we'll go with that…"
Uo nodded again, but furrowed her brows a minute later. "Then why is it in this weird language and why do you have it?"
Kyo felt his heart rate speed up. "I don't know…"
"Well, can you read it?"
Kyo was silent. He debated all his decisions. Then softly:
"Yes."
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"I was just thinking about what we read. Do you see how much the Cat hated the Rat? It's unnatural. Over one hundred pages dedicated to that. No one should hate someone that much."
"I hate Yuki that much."
"No, you don't. I know you fight with him and compete with him, but deep down in there, somewhere in that black hole of a heart, you care about him. You wouldn't want him to die or something…not like the feelings the Cat in this book has towards the Rat."
Kyo turned away. "I'd want him to."
Uo smiled. "Whatever you say; lets go back inside."
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Uo sat up straight. Kyo hated Yuki that much? Just… like the Rat and the Cat. And what about the legend of the family? And, how did Kyo get that book? How did he know how to read it?
Hana interrupted her thoughts. "Arisa, is something the matter? Are you okay? You're as white as a sheet."
Uo turned her head to Hana. "Hana… you're right. You're right. Kyo… Kyo's… Kyo's different. I think you're right… about everything."
Authors Note: Despite the shortness of it, I'm proud of my chapter here. I thought it was good. I'm biased though… cause I'm the author. By the way, the flashback between Uo and Kyo is from chapter 8. Just in case any of you were wondering.
Fallen from the sky: Ha, yes, angst. I try not to make it to angsty… but… well, it's going to have a little angst I guess.
Kaydon: Wow? My story is awesome? That's great! I'm glad you're enjoying it!
Kyo'slittlekittenkisa: I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Much more to come soon!
Lexis: I'm glad you think I did a good job with Akito. I'm trying to follow the manga as much as possible…but it's hard sometimes. And by the way, volume 13 is coming out in April! I'm excited… I can't wait to order it.
Shadow7272: Yes, the "evil cat spirit dude" (by the way, I love that name you gave it) is freaky. Ha, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, too!
Fullma8712: Ah, questions are perfectly fine. A sedative is something that puts someone to sleep. By the way, if you ever need any other help with words or stuff and you don't want to ask me, you can always use my favorite site: Inu Fan: Haha… Okay! And Yes, Akito definitely should get what he deserves… but I have a feeling that day is far from here.
Bouncing Shii-chan: Momiji/Hatori? That's awesome… I wanna be like… Kyo. Mhmm, yup… But, I can't cause I'm a girl…
ShadoWalker: Ha, ok, I get it… longer chapters… No more "prologues"… maybe… Ha, okay.
Starship Gazer: Yes, Kyo's falling into a slight depression… but he's kinda wavering in and out of it… Like, he's depressed one minute… than just pissed the next. But yea, not good for Kyo.
The Cheshire Katt: It's okay that you didn't review! As long as you review now! I hope you liked this chapter!
Narutofreak22: I'm glad you're enjoying my story still… I was worried that I'm losing my touch as I go along, but as long as you still thinks it's good, I'm happy.