Shattered Dreams
Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or the strange travelers.
Chapter 12:
Akito Sohma watched the birds disinterestedly as he walked down the porch, ignoring the worried calls of his servants. Reaching out an arm to let a bird gracefully fly down and land on his hand, he gazed at the backyard.
…and froze.
The bird gave a tiny tweet and flew away. An image of 12 of the 13 Juunishi fleeted across Akito's eyes as he watched a yellow bunny dance in front of his eyes, as if trying to cheer him up. The bunny gave a small smile before his eyes filled with tears and slowly disappeared.
Without warning, Akito's eyes started to fill with salty drops of liquid.
"Akito-sama?!" a worried servant's voice called after the head.
Akito quickly wiped the tears away and growled, "Get me Momiji Sohma! NOW!"
The servant nodded, scared of what the head of the family might do and scurried off to find the ex-cursed rabbit.
The bond was breaking.
Akito stared up at the sky with tear-filled eyes.
--
"S-Syaoran-kun?" a fragile yet musical voice called. A brown haired boy with amber eyes turned to look at the princess.
"AH! Sakura-hime! What is it?" he asked as he walked over to the brown haired girl with emerald eyes.
She smiled wryly and shook her head. "Never mind… Where are Moko-chan, Kurogane-san and Fai-san?" she asked, looking around for her other three companions.
The boy called Syaoran only smiled in return and explained, "They went to explore the area."
"Do you know where we are?" asked Sakura faintly as she sat down beneath a tree with the boy.
Syaoran shook his head, "but the language seems familiar to Kurogane-san's and ours…"
Sakura smiled, "Thank you…" She moved closer to the boy.
"Eh? For what?!"
When Sakura didn't answer, Syaoran looked over at the princess and almost laughed.
She had fallen asleep.
--
The door to the cell in which Kyo Sohma resided creaked open for the first time that day. Kyo glanced disinterestedly at the newcomer and went back to staring out the barred windows.
"Oi stupid cat…" Kyo's greatest rival, Yuki called as he set down a tray of food. "Your lunch's here…"
"Shut up…" Kyo answered. He didn't move. He didn't feel like it. Besides, he hadn't wanted to eat until the damn rat was gone.
"I'm ordered to wait until you've eaten," Yuki said, dissolving Kyo's thoughts of eating in peace.
Kyo rolled over from the spot on the cool ground where he'd laid, "Fine, fine…" he muttered as he got up and walked over to the tray.
Yuki was now sitting in a corner, looking very bored.
He picked up the pair of chopsticks that had been laid there for him and snapped it in half. Che, figures it would be the cheap-assed bamboo type… Shaking out of his thoughts, he started to eat, self-conscious of the fact that he was eating in front of his rival.
Soon the lunch was finished with and the pair of bamboo chopsticks laid messily on the bento. "Finished, happy?" Kyo asked, snarling at his rival.
Yuki stood up and nodded. He then walked over to the door as Kyo stared incredulously at him.
"You make me finish it and you don't even take the tray?" Kyo shouted as he pushed the tray towards the cursed rat.
Raising an eyebrow, the silver-haired male picked up the tray and left.
A single piece of paper fluttered from the tray and landed in front of Kyo. By the time the red-head noticed it and was about the call his rival back, Yuki hadn't heard.
Kyo stared at the piece of paper for a while before reaching and picking it up. It wasn't that big nor was it that small. About half a size of paper, not counting the fact that it was folded up. So it must be a regular size.
He quietly applauded himself. Gently and slowly, almost as if he was afraid, he lifted the pages up and glanced at it.
It was a note…
Addressed to him…
From… - he glanced at the bottom –
That damn rat.
He would have crushed the paper and thrown it out the window except for the fact that Yuki even bothered to send a note… He frowned and read its contents.
A few seconds later, Kyo stared shell-shocked at the note.
Yuki… He wouldn't…? They wouldn't dare would they?!
--
"Uwah! So cute! Brother and sister, together like that!" Satsuki, Hiro's mother proclaimed as she ran off to get a camera.
Hiro stared worriedly at his mother, prancing down the stairs like that…was well, dangerous… "Careful!" he shouted after her. In reply, she only gave a careless wave and Hiro glanced back at his sister.
The baby, Hinata was resting beside a couch. Since he could very well get close to her… He sighed, wishing to hold his little sister… Maybe… Just this once… He thought as his arms reached out for his little sister.
They wrapped around the small bundle and he carefully held her tightly, as if she was precious gold.
It was only when he was caressing her cheek when it finally hit him.
It was as if the spirit of the sheep that resided with him was finally giving him a last hug and lifting. He felt it… He had lived with the spirit so long that… It was getting to be comfortable with spirit that he had felt it immediately.
Only, it hadn't registered in his mind at the point. His sister was smiling at him and he was smiling through tears.
At long last, he had been freed from the curse.
But, his mind flashed back to Kisa and her curse, it wasn't fair… The one he loved was still cursed and he wasn't – he couldn't hug her…
"Hiiiirrrooooo!! Hiro-ch—Eh? What's wrong?" Satsuki stopped suddenly in front of the doorway, noticing that Hiro was now crying. She walked over to him and noticed a bundle in his arms.
She gasped and hugged both her children.
"M-Mom…"
"It's alright…"
Hiro cried.
--
Akito looked up at the ceiling. He had been pacing, waiting for Momiji to arrive from wherever he had been. But… It was just like that time… He had awakened to find Kureno crying – eyes spilling out tears of happiness.
And now Momiji and Hiro had gone to join him.
Three of the 13 Juunishi were now free from the curse. He smiled bitterly and wondered what would happen if all the Juunishi were freed.
Where would he be?
What would be left of him?
Shaking his head, he turned around to face the door just as Momiji Sohma came in.
"Akito, you asked for me?" the half-German boy asked, tilting his head to the side as if he didn't know what he was in for. Like a child who had been caught doing something naughty and didn't know what it was.
Akito gazed at him apathetically and in a soft broken whisper, he spoke, "Momiji… Your curse…"
Momiji's eyes widened and he looked surprised. "Y-You know Akito?"
"I felt it." Was Akito's simple reply.
The blonde looked away from the head of the family and instead, cast his gaze at a nearby vase. "I'm sorry Akito but… I don't want to stay… Not like Kureno… I want to leave freely."
Akito knew this would happen. There was nothing to stop this from happening. He crouched into a sitting position and pulled his knees to his chest on the windowsill, head laying against his knees.
"Fine."
Again, the blonde looked surprised. "W-What? Really? I'm free? Just like that?" he asked, smiling cheerfully. Now he could hug Tohru and not get in trouble!
"You heard me." Akito replied, not daring to repeat. He was afraid to loosing more, "But on one condition…"
Momiji's shoulders drooped a bit. "What?"
"Visit me every now and then."
Momiji's smile brightened and replied, "Of course – you are the head! And besides, I was planning to do that anyways!" he cheerfully added as he bowed respectfully to Akito.
"Danke schon!!! Thank you very much!" he gratefully thanked him and left the room in a hurry.
Alone in the darkened chambers of his room, Akito cried himself to sleep.
Author's Note: Yet another short chapter. I'm surprised I even finished this. XD Ah wells, hope you enjoyed it! And in the next chapter, another zodiac member will be released! ((wink)) Oh and Momiji said just that. "Danke schon" is "Thank you very much". Since he's German and all… ((is taking German))
So thoughts, comments, advice?