God's Menagerie

Chapter 6: Eternal Repetition

Kazuma looked up suddenly as he heard his front door open and close with a bang. Setting his book aside, he cautiously rose, his senses alert—he wasn't expecting any visitors.

"Shishou!"

Kazuma automatically dropped his defensive stance at the recognition of his adoptive son's voice. A smile spread across his face as a chuckle escaped his lips. Kyo was home.

Entering the hallway, he met the Cat halfway. "Kyo!" Kazuma greeted him warmly, scooping his son into a hug. Embarrassed, Kyo struggled a little to break free. Only when Tohru's giggle was heard over Kyo's complaints did Kazuma let go. Still grinning, he said, "And I see you brought Tohru-san with you. How are you?" Then remembering his manners, he asked, "Would you want any tea?"

Clasping her hands in front of her, Tohru kindly declined his offer. "Oh, no thank you." Then bowing her head, she apologized, "I'm so sorry to stop over without notice."

Kazuma waved her off, "There is nothing to apologize for." Noticing Kyo's dropped duffle bag, he asked, concerned, "Is everything okay?"

"Ah," Kyo shrugged, not really knowing what to say. Exchanging a look with Tohru, he turned back to his adoptive father. "It's actually a long story..."

As Hatori's car pulled up to his house, Yuki rested his forehead against the glass, troubled thoughts plaguing his mind. He hadn't expected to be back so soon. Once the car was in park, he climbed out with everyone else and gazed ahead at the rows of houses with a blank stare, an unsettled feeling churning in the pit of his stomach. He could feel the heat of the sun bearing down on him, mixing with the humidity, intensifying his sick feeling. Raising a hand, he tugged at his shirt to create air flow, his collar damp with sweat. Pressing his lips firmly together, Yuki subconsciously clenched his jaw, trying to push the stressful thoughts away, but no matter what he just couldn't help but wonder how long it would take for Akito to get involved.

Walking up beside Yuki, Haru slung an arm around his shoulders, sensing Yuki's unease. "So, we should go get everyone, right?" The Ox asked, following Yuki's line of vision towards the houses. Getting no response, Haru paused, tilting his head and absently muttered to himself, "But how will we find them all...?"

Pushing Haru off, Yuki sighed in exasperation, though a small smile found its way to his face. Looking at the Ox, he said, "Sometimes I can't tell if you're serious or not." Crossing his arms, Yuki bit back a smirk. "You know, not everyone gets lost as easily as you do."

Haru casually rested his hands in his pockets. "Maybe. But maybe you should let us find them while you sit this one out." Then raising his voice so the Dragon could hear, he continued, "I'm sure there will be a place for Yuki to stay, right Hatori?"

The Dragon turned, hearing his name. Grunting a noncommittal response, Hatori cupped his hands in front of his mouth to block the breeze as he lit a cigarette. Exhaling the smoke, he picked up his medical bag from the car and started walking towards the entrance to his house.

Knowing he had a temporary place to stay helped quell the unease, but Yuki still felt worried. "Thanks, Haru."

"Anytime," Haru smiled lazily.

Momiji and Kagura walked over to join the conversation as Yuki turned his attention to Shigure. "Where are you going to go?"

The Dog shrugged, crossing his arms into the sleeves of his kimono. "I'll probably see if I can stay here with Haa-san...or maybe Aya. It has been a while since I've seen him." Then breaking into a grin, Shigure barked a laugh, "Ah, hah hah! The Mabudachi Trio will reunite!"

Being so worked up over Akito, Yuki had completely forgotten about his brother. He was filled with an all new sort of dread at the thought. Anger flashed in Yuki's eyes and he scoffed, "Don't you dare bring that idiot to come play."

"Ahh, but Yuki-kun," Shigure pouted, "Didn't Tohru-kun say everyone has to participate?" he reminded him with a wink.

Sighing, Yuki glared at the ground. "You could at least delay the disaster," he muttered, irritably.

"Now, now," Shigure chided, "Aya would be so happy to see you!" And with that, the Dog started to wander off. Yuki watched him go with slumped shoulders.

"Don't worry, Yun-chan," Kagura tried to sound comforting. "At least the faster we do this, the faster it'll all be over." She gave him a smile before patting him on the back. "Rin-chan's still staying with me, so I guess I should go get her."

"I'll go with you," Haru volunteered.

Kagura wrung her hands together in a nervous manner and seemed to hesitate. "Are you sure...that's a good idea?" She cast her eyes to the ground. "I heard how she broke up with you..."

Haru shrugged, trying to ignore the heaviness that he felt in his heart. "She'll have to face me sooner or later."

Momiji stood by Yuki as their cousins walked away towards the Boar's house. Looking up he smiled at the Rat. "I'll get Hiro and Kisa!" Momiji chimed. "Yuki, you can stay here and set up the game for everyone."

The Rabbit scampered off, leaving Yuki alone. After standing for a moment in thought, he walked inside.

The sun streamed in from the window at just the right angle, highlighting the tiny dust particles floating in the air. The mattress creaked slightly as Rin shifted her position to lean against the headboard, watching the little flakes circle around each other, her book temporarily forgotten as she stared. Letting out a sigh, her gaze shifted to the window itself, and bringing a hand to her face, she gently traced where one of the shards had cut her when she was violently pushed out. Dropping her gaze back down, she tried to read a few lines, but she was only looking at the text and not bothering to process the words.

There was a gentle knock on her bedroom door. Glancing up from her book, Rin's eyes widened slightly in surprise. She expected maybe Kagura, but not him. A smile started to spread across her face but then just as quickly it disappeared, and she snapped her head to the side, refusing to look towards the doorway. "You shouldn't be here," she muttered angrily. "Leave." She pressed her lips together in a hard line, trying to ignore his presence. She heard his footsteps, and then the mattress sunk suddenly with his added weight as he sat down next to her.

Frustrated, she whipped her head back around to face him, eyes flashing with her anger. "Dammit, Haru, I told you to leave!"

Not even flinching at her words, Hatsuharu raised a hand slowly before gently running it through her long hair. He felt her shake at his touch, and quietly he asked, "Why are you always so angry? You don't have to be so angry..."

Smacking his hand away, she shoved him off the bed. "Go away. I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to see you. I hate you!"

Backing up some, Haru shook his head. "Don't say things you don't mean. Something happened, I know. Something changed and you're saying these things, but you can't mean them. But I'm not here to discuss that, Isuzu."

She brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "There's nothing to discuss."

"Well maybe you don't want to talk, but I'm going to, and you'll just have to listen," Haru said. He began pacing across the floor. "We need you, Rin. All of us need you. Yesterday, Momiji found something that deals with the curse. It's a game and it's telling the story of the zodiac race." He stopped pacing and looked to the Horse. "But we can't finish it without you, and who knows," he gave a shrug, "maybe it could be a key to breaking it?"

Something stirred within Rin at the mention of possibly breaking the curse. But she couldn't get her hopes up, not just yet. Still avoiding eye contact, she murmured, "I don't believe you."

"You should," Haru took a step towards her. "There are animal pieces for everyone, even Kyo. So that means there's a horse for you, Rin. We need you to play with us."

She shook her head and glared out the window. "No. If it is what you say it is, you shouldn't play either. All it sounds is like something for Akito to get mad about. He'll just try to hurt everyone..." Then softly, just above a whisper, "He'll try to hurt you."

Haru held his hand out towards her. "We still need to try. Come on," he urged gently. "Kagura is downstairs waiting for us. We have everything set up at Hatori's house, so there's no reason for Akito to see anything."

She was silent a moment, then, "You're going to follow through with this no matter what, aren't you?" It was more of a statement than a question, and Rin's voice no longer held her fury. She knew Akito would find out. She knew Akito would hurt them. But she unfolded her legs and stood anyway. Ignoring Haru's outstretched hand, Rin started walking for the door.

Inside the Dragon's house, Yuki diligently set the game back up onto the doctor's table. Fishing into his pockets, he pulled out the tiny animals. Uncurling his fingers, he examined the small figurines. Focusing on the rooster, Yuki frowned. "...Just how are we going to get in contact with you?"

He only ever saw his older cousin at the New Year's gathering, and even then it was for just a short amount of time. Akito kept him close, and while the Rat was supposed to be the favorite, Yuki was by no means jealous. He remembered his childhood with his God, being mocked and then forced to sit alone in that painted black room...

The door suddenly opened with a bang. Startled, Yuki jumped, dropping the animal pieces onto the floor. He spun around to face the entrance, chest heaving in panic. But instead...

"Would you slow down? You still never really told us what this is about!"

Letting out a sigh of relief, Yuki watched as Momiji bounded into Hatori's house with Kisa and Hiro on his heels. The Ram looked grumpy as he chased after the blonde.

"Hey!" Hiro shouted, "I'm talking to you, don't ignore people when they talk to you. You are so annoying," he scoffed, trying to reprimand the Rabbit.

"I diiiid," Momiji drawled as he slunk closer to Yuki. "You just weren't listening because you were too busy complaining!" Spying the animals on the floor, the Rabbit immediately crouched down to pick them up. "Yu~kiii!" he popped up, extending his hand out. "Here, you must have dropped these!"

"I wasn't complaining," Hiro said matter-of-factly while setting his hands on his hips. Realizing the Rabbit wasn't listening, he shook an angry arm. "I said don't ignore people when they are talking to you! And I'm trying to find out more information. You can't just tell us to come with you and expect us to do what you say. I don't take orders from just anyone, that's stupid."

"Hiro-chan," Kisa's small voice broke through the argument. "Please don't yell."

Yuki watched, amused, as the Ram suddenly seem to deflate at the young Tiger's words. He took the figurines from Momiji's hands and set them on the table. "Hey you two, come over here."

Kisa trotted over, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Is this the game?"

Hiro looked over her shoulder with apprehension. "This is what ruined Shigure's house? This silly thing?"

Momiji nodded and pointed at the figurines. "See look, there are animals for you," and as Hiro started to reach for one, Momiji quickly blurted a warning, "but don't touch them yet!" Casting his eyes to the side, he looked away with shame. "Bad things come out of there..."

Hiro instantly recoiled his hand before crossing his arms and glaring at Yuki. "If it's so dangerous, then why should we play this with you? You shouldn't make Kisa play dangerous games. That's irresponsible of you. Aren't you supposed to be an adult?"

Saving Yuki from having to answer, Hatori chose that moment to reenter the room. Talking through another cigarette, he grumbled at the Ram. "Calm down, Hiro. This is just something we are all going to have to do." Reaching down, he plucked the dragon from the table. Holding it up to his good eye, he examined it before placing it onto the starting town.

Mimicking him, Kisa picked up her tiger and placed it on the game, too. Hiro's mouth dropped in shock. "Kisa! You shouldn't have done that! You heard what Momiji said!" Grabbing the small tiger, Hiro tried to lift it, but found it stuck in place. "What the..." His eyes went round with confusion. "Why won't it come off?"

Sitting down into one of his chairs, Hatori crossed one leg over the other. "Okay Yuki, once everyone gets here, you're going to fill us in on everything. Shigure started to tell me some if it, but I still don't know all of the details." Then looking to Hiro, he said, "And you are going to be quiet and not fuss until we hear what happened."

The Ram looked as if he was going to talk back when he saw Kisa shake her head gently, causing him to instantly pause, close his mouth, and silently nod.

Kisa shuffled her feet awkwardly before reaching for Yuki's hand. "Uhm..where is Onee-chan? Is she okay?"

"She's okay," Yuki assured her. "She went with Kyo to Shihan's. They are going to get Ritsu, and I guess bring him here..." he trailed off, unsure. "But even if they do get in unnoticed, we will still be missing Kureno."

Hatori reclined back and closed his eyes, exhaling smoke. "Akito is due for a check up soon. I can try to contact Kureno then."

Kisa plopped down onto the floor and crossed her legs. As Hiro sat down next to her, she thought out loud, "I wonder what Onee-chan is doing now...?"

Kyo sat on the back porch and in the distance he could see the street lights blink on as the sun slowly sank behind the surrounding trees. The air temperature dropped since this afternoon, making it comfortable in the light breeze. While appearing to be relaxed and simply enjoying the quiet evening, Kyo actually was deep in thought. Earlier, he and Tohru explained as much as they could about the previous day's events. Kazuma had listened intently, not interrupting once. As they recited their adventures from this morning, however, Kyo purposefully left out the note he found. For some reason he couldn't place, he wasn't ready to show it to anyone yet.

His hand brushed against the outside of his thigh, the note crinkling slightly in his pocket. He actually had forgotten about it temporarily while dealing with the insect mess at Shigure's, but once they started discussing the Main House, it had done nothing but weigh on his mind. His fingers slid into his pocket, pulling out the folded slip of paper. He stared at it for a minute, before slowly opening it up to reread the contents.

Spirit of the Cat,

So it starts again. The Juunishi have all gathered, and our Emperor has called. Forgiveness has been granted, for you as the Cat have another chance to arrive before Him. And as He forgave you, you must forgive yourself and the Rat. Put aside your anger; you must understand that the Cat was not always the one shunned. During the race before last, it was the Rat who was pushed into the river, left almost to drown. If you can surpass the resentment embedded in you and help instead of hinder, then there will be hope.

As the previous Spirit of the Cat, I could not partake in this event, as not all of the Juunishi were born yet. For a chance to repent, the ability to reenact the race is passed to the animal who lost, and I had called the Rabbit to me, granting you this opportunity before it became too late.

Do what the Rat could not, and break us from this curse.

Sohma Kaname

It made just as little sense to him as the first time he read it. Racking his memory, he couldn't ever recall a zodiac story where the cat wasn't punished. And really, the Rat was supposedly left out? It felt like some sick joke. Leaning back on his hands, Kyo sighed, knowing he'd need to show his shishou, not only for advice, but because he recognized the name Sohma Kaname immediately. There could be no possible way that Kaname wrote the letter, though—Shishou's grandfather died long before Kyo was even born.

He heard the door's latch before it slid open, and he quickly stuffed the note back into his pocket. Tohru stepped out, and gently slid the door back shut. Without a word, she crouched down, arranging herself in a seated position next to him. She sat quietly, listening to the chirps of the crickets as she gazed into the trees, not really focused on anything in particular.

The silence between them was comfortable, and as a gentle breeze stirred the air around them, Kyo detected the faint scent of the lemon dish soap. "You didn't have to clean up after us." He kept his eyes ahead.

"I know."

The silence stretched on, and Kyo chewed at his lip, wondering if he should bother saying anything. The letter said there would be hope in breaking the curse...but what if it was a fake? Maybe Akito planted it there for his own sick pleasure...

Then Kyo's face brightened with a thought. Or maybe...!

"Oi..." he spoke, startling Tohru out of her reverie. "That story you told me yesterday, about Vietnam, is that true?" He turned his head, looking her in the eyes.

She faced him and blinked, trying to recall their earlier conversation. "You mean about the cat's acceptance into the zodiac?"

"Yeah. The rabbit is left out, right? Have you heard any others, where maybe, I don't know..." He was grasping for words. "Where say...the rat is left out?"

Tohru looked to him curiously. "I don't think so..." she trailed off. "The rat always arrives first, by riding on the ox's back." Tilting her head slightly, she asked, "What are you thinking, Kyo-kun?"

Kyo dropped his gaze to the ground and he brushed a hand against his pocket, feeling the paper inside. "Ah," he made a face, unsure how to start. "What if the race could change. Like, maybe after so long, it was ran again, you know?"

Interested in what he had to say, Tohru sat patiently, waiting to see if he would continue. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, internally debating what to say. After a minute, she prompted, "So the myth from Vietnam, you think that's from a previous race?"

"Yeah!" Kyo's eyes lit up, excited that she was following along. "See, Shishou told me that not all the zodiac are born at the same time, so when it does happen, it's special. So that myth from Vietnam could be tales from a race from a long time ago. Why else would it be so different from the one everyone else knows?" He smiled, "Maybe the cat wasn't always left out." Looking to her for assurance, he ventured, "Maybe it can change?"

Tohru wasn't sure what to say. She didn't know where Kyo got the idea from, and was afraid to show any uncertainty. Wanting to support him, she thought hard for a solution. "Maybe..." she started, "but how would everyone race again?"

Kyo shifted, glancing away. "Maybe...maybe we already are."

She was quiet for a second, trying to process the possibility. Kyo waited for an answer and took her silence as rejection. Fearful of being wrong, he quickly retracted his idea. "Or maybe I'm just talking to talk." He stood suddenly and reached for the door. The note was probably a fraud, anyway. He was only filling himself with false hope. He didn't need to pull Tohru into that, not with her being so adamant on saving the cat and all.

Surprised, Tohru called, "K-Kyo-kun!" But the doubt already started to eat into him, and the brunette watched as Kyo slowly slid open the door before stepping inside.

Tohru frowned to herself, feeling like she let him down. She could tell he was afraid of his idea, of having no hope of escaping his curse. Thinking back to what he said, she wondered...

Did he think that game was rerunning the race?

A.N: Ahh, Kureno, you throw a wrench in my plans. For the sake of this story, his curse never broke. Also, now we finally know what Kyo's note says! Do you think it's true? Or was it just planted there, like Kyo fears?

Everyone is starting to gather, and things are going to get interesting...

See you next chapter!