Author's Note: Juunishi mean members of the zodiac. Review Responses at the bottom.
Chapter Six: Plans
Akito groaned as he laid his head down on the table. Everything had gone as planned with the shots he had ordered to be given to Yuki and Kyo. Yuki was such an idiot. He's probably still crying his eyes out, he thought to himself, sniggering. That's so like him, but I wonder if he's thought about the fact that he's going to be easier to beat now that he's small? More importantly, has Kyo thought of this yet? I didn't tell him that our little wager was still in place. But Yuki is not talking, and would probably simply Kyo beat him so then it's not a fair fight, is it? That would be mean our little wager wouldn't count, and Kyo would come to me.
He'll come to me anyway. I said I wouldn't lock him up. I never said I'd let him live outside.
"Where is Hatori?" he spoke aloud to the woman who was waiting with him in the room. "He should've been here by now. We're past the eight hours for the side effects. Make sure he comes straight to me, understood?" he snapped, anger flaring. How he hated this warm weather. It made stupid and ugly people happy, over confidant. Kyo and Yuki had grown to confidant already, and had to be taught a lesson. It was genius that something like those shots had been created. He had crates of them ready to be used, if any of the Juunishi got to confidant. A little blast from the past would certainly cure that quickly. "Get Kureno," Akito yelled, getting increasingly mad. "If Hatori is going to insist on taking forever to get here, bring Kureno to me."
Who did Hatori think he was? It should not take this long to check the children over one more time and drive from Shigure's to the main house. He was the ruler, the lived for him and should serve him. They didn't have the right, or the capacity, to defy him. He was in sole control of them.
At least he had been until that blasted woman came along. What right did she have to interfere in their lives? What right did she have to make them happy? Prancing around like she was the ruler. She would never be the ruler. He wouldn't let her. She needs to be taught a lesson to. I've left her alone for to long. The head of the Sohma family looked up as he heard Kureno come in and sit down in front of him. "You wanted to see me?" he said politely, looking curiously at him.
"I may give you tomorrow off. I think I might have some things to take care of that do not require your attention."
Kyo sat cross-legged at the table, eating his dinner listening to the conversations around him, thinking. Yuki still hadn't said a word yet, not even when Kyo had accidentally hit him in the arm with a rock he had thrown casually over his shoulder. Ayame had tried to convince the child to go outside and play a little with him and Haru, but he had simply stood watching Kazuma teach Kyo some new things. Kyo really hadn't meant to hit the other child with the rock. Shishou-san had even made him apologize to the stupid rat. The child hadn't uttered a sound, but Kyo knew it had to hurt. He had thrown it rather hard and he had been able to see tears in the other boy's eyes. He hadn't stayed outside long. Just a few minutes after Kyo had hit him with the rock, he had burst into tears, and ran into the house, and back into his room. Hatsuharu and Ayame had only managed to get him out a few minutes ago, saying how he must be hungry after only haven eaten breakfast the day. He was now seated across from Kyo between his brother and Hatsuharu.
Would it be a fair fight if he decided to fight him now, in their small forms? Did his and Akito's wager still stand? If Yuki didn't fight back then it certainly wouldn't be fair and Akito probably wouldn't let it stand. But if he fought back and Kyo still won would it be fair then? Would it count? He had to make the fight count; it was his only hope. He certainly couldn't ask Akito though. He didn't even want to think of what the consequences would be if he bothered the head of the family. He didn't seem to be able to beat the child when they were teenagers, and graduation was so close now, he didn't have much time left. What were they going to do about school? They certainly couldn't go in their current condition, but how could they explain such a long absence?
"Shishou-san, what about school? We can't go like this." Shishou, not having heard the child, kept on talking to Shigure. Kyo sighed, figuring he'd wait until their conversation was over before asking again. His eyes were drawn back to the silent child across from him. Haru was having a, well you couldn't call it a conversation, but he seemed to be telling, or asking the child something while Yuki nodded every once in a while. He had to beat that rat, time was running out. There were so many things he wanted to do, but simply not enough time to do them.
He had to tell Tohru how he felt before graduation to. He couldn't bear it if he became imprisoned before he could even tell her how he felt. Before he could tell her that he loved her, but that would have to wait until he was his normal age again. She certainly wouldn't believe him when he was four. Thought it seemed almost pointless to tell her. He couldn't do anything about it. If he wasn't imprisoned he would most likely have to stay at the main house. If Akito found out how he felt he would hurt Tohru, or at least himself. Wasn't that how Hatori's eye had been hurt? He had told Akito that he had fallen in love? It would probably be better if he didn't tell her how he felt. What would be the point of her knowing? It could never be.
Yuki was stealing glances at Kyo, feeling the other child's eyes on him while he listened to Haru telling him a story that he was making up as he went along. It had started out about a normal man, but after this and that, that normal man was now pink with purple polka dots, for some odd reason, and had a green dog. The story ended with the man returning to his normal colors, his dog to, but the whole town had now been painted purple, pink, and green. Yuki simply looked at his friend, wondering where in the world he came up with those things. At least he wasn't outside anymore. He was never going to leave the house again.
His arm ached where Kyo's rock had hit him, though he knew the child hadn't really meant to hit him. He had even apologized, but he knew that was because Shishou had forced him to. If he hadn't seen the stick he would've been fine. Could Akito have put it there, or was it simply a stick from a tree that he had over reacted to? But sticks didn't normally have padding on the ends of them for someone to hold, just like a whip. Ayame and Haru had said it was only a stick, but he didn't believe them. Akito had to be nearby, or had ordered someone to plant the whip there. What if he ordered someone to break into the house in the middle of the night and beat him again? He couldn't cry out for anyone. He couldn't talk. How would they know he was in trouble? He shook his head slightly, dispelling the thoughts. One of them would hear someone breaking into the house before they got very far. All thoughts of Akito were erased from his mind as he heard something Kisa was saying to Tohru.
"Onee-chan, whose hat is that in your room? Is it yours?"
"Actually, it belonged to a little boy I met once when I was little. He helped me find my way home, but when I went back to thank him all I found was his hat. I don't even remember what he looked like. My memory is hazy."
I have to open that tightly closed lid. I have to open it soon, once I'm back to normal, before graduation. I have to open it, no matter what may lost, and I have to tell Honda-san. I can't tell her that I love her though. It wouldn't do any good to tell her that. Nothing can be done about it. Even if she returned my feelings, Akito would never allow the marriage to happen. Marriage, what in the world am I thinking about that for! I need to focus on the present and not the future. If I focus too much on the future I won't see today, and I'll loose the battle. I believe that there is happiness somewhere that there is light in all this darkness, and no matter how hard the rain pelts down on me, no matter how much it hurts, the sun will come out.
Haru frowned as he saw the sad look on the child's face, though in truth he should have been accustomed to it by now. He wore it most of the time in his normal size, and if it wasn't on his face, it was in his eyes. He hated seeing his friend sad even thought he knew there wasn't really anything he could do to make it better. He wanted to make it better though. He wanted Yuki to be happy so much sometimes that it broke his heart just thinking of him even being the least bit sad. He had done what he could though. He had gotten him out of his parents' place in the main house and into Shigure's house. What else could be done? At least his parents couldn't torture him anymore, and Akito had left the child alone for the most part until this whole de-aging thing. Hopefully, this would work to Yuki's advantage though. He now had a chance to relive his childhood, and hopefully heal some of the pain that he had.
Ayame was here for him now. If the man hadn't shown up Haru had planned on tracking him down, and beating him to a bloody pulp for abandoning Yuki again when Yuki hadn't done anything to deserve anything that had happened to him, but so far Ayame had done had an amazing job with the child. He was saying the things the child needed to hear to make him feel at least the tiniest bit safe and secure. He wasn't sure exactly what had happened outside, but it seemed like Yuki had saw a stick in the yard and had thought it to be the whip that Akito had used on him. Yuki didn't talk much about his confinement, but Haru knew Akito had used a whip on him. He had seen the cuts on the child's body while visiting him one time. He had snuck in of course. No one was supposed to see Yuki except his parents and Akito. He would've had a fit if he knew that Haru had snuck in countless time, even bringing Rin with him, to see his best friend. He had even visited him during the time when he hadn't talked. He had never stayed to long then, getting tired of being the only one to talk the whole time. He didn't know what had made the child decide to start talking back then. One day he wasn't talking, and then the next day when he came, he was talking again, chattering up a storm. They had been forced to whisper for fear of getting caught, but he still remembered how excitedly Yuki had talked that day. Hopefully, it wouldn't take very long for him to come around this time.
He had had no one back then, no adult he could rely on to take care of him. His own mother viewed him as only a tool, and Ayame had barely been aware that he had a younger brother. But he had people now; Ayame was here, Tohru, Kisa, and of course, himself. He was hoping having Kisa here a lot would help, having gone through her own lapse of silence, but he felt like Tohru may end up being a bigger help in getting the child to talk than Kisa would be. Yuki would probably never admit to him how he felt about her, but he saw the way he looked at her sometimes. Maybe even now, he would be able to call her Tohru. It had been years since that had happened anyway.
Tohru looked around the table at everyone. Shishou, Shigure, and Ayame were all engrossed in a conversation while Yuki, Kyo, and Haru were silent. Haru had obviously run out of stories to tell Yuki and had settled on simply eating. There has to be a way to end their pain, Tohru thought. They've all been through so much, the Juunishi, and Akito seems to be the source of their pain. Poor Yuki is so terrorized by him that he can't talk, and he was so afraid when I met Akito that one time in April. What else is in store for them simply because they are members of the zodiac? What other trials are they going to have to face just because they had the unfortunate luck to be possessed by the vengeful spirits of the zodiac?
"Hatori, where have you been? I've been waiting forever!" Akito screamed, barely containing himself from striking the doctor. If he wanted to feel any better Hatori's punishment would have to wait.
"I'm sorry. Yuki became afraid and it took a while for Ayame to get him out of his room so I could check him over again. Neither of them is being trusting, or cooperative, at the moment, especially when it comes to getting shots. Kazuma and I had to practically sit on top of Kyo so I could give him a shot," Hatori answered politely, sitting down in front of the head of the family. "Are you feeling alright, Akito-san?"
Akito lifted his head from his arms to glare at the man. "No, I am not feeling alright. I have a splitting headache that could have been dealt with much sooner if you had arrived on time. Give me the pills, not that stupid shot you always insist on giving." Hatori handed over two blue pills while Akito called for someone to bring him some water.
"The shot simply works faster. I will not give you anything if you tell me not to." Hatori repacked his bag. Akito swallowed the pills, still glaring.
"Good. At least someone knows their place."
Kyo sighed, head propped on his hand, wondering when Shishou would ever be done talking. He had tried several times to get the man's attention, but Shishou had only held up a finger telling him to wait a minute. He had been waiting fifteen minutes already and was getting increasingly impatient. Deciding to try once again, he tugged on his surrogate father's sleeve, trying to get his attention. Shishou finally turned to him, still laughing at something either Shigure or Ayame had said. "What?"
"What are we going to do about school? We can't go like this." Shigure and Ayame had stopped talking, and Kyo knew Yuki was listening for the answer.
"I called the school and told them that you and Yuki would be out for a while with this thing that only the members of the Sohma family got, and that you might not be there for a month. They said they would send your schoolwork home with Tohru, but it's not like you're going to be able to it. Your little brains can't understand any of it anymore." Kyo frowned at the man.
"I'm not stupid! Just because I can't understand high school work doesn't mean I'm stupid!" he exploded, making Yuki jump. Haru gently laid a hand on the child's back, attempting to calm him, and Ayame reached over to lay a hand on the child's head. Shigure grinned at the angry, five-year-old.
"I did not say you were stupid. I was merely stating that in your de-aged form your brain was also affected and can only understand the school that any five-year-old would understand." Kyo glared at him, sure that he was lying, but didn't say anything as the subject was changed. He pushed his plate away, stomach full, but not feeling like getting up and taking it into the kitchen. He doubted he could reach the sink anymore anyway. He looked across the table again at Yuki, and saw tears in his eyes. Was he really the scared just because he yelled at Shigure? There was certainly no way he could fight the child now. He wouldn't fight back, and that wouldn't solve anything.
Fifteen minutes later everyone decided dinner was over. Kyo offered to help Shishou and Tohru clear the table, but someone had to put the plates in the sink for him. He could only manage to put the plate on the counter. Once that was done, Shishou scooped the child up into his arms, and declared, "Bath time." Kyo groaned and tried to wiggle out of the man's arms.
"I don't want to take a bath. Baths are stupid." Shishou was barely listening to him, remembering how the child had always fussed about being made to take baths when he was little. He stopped as Shigure asked him something, forgetting to keep a tight grip on Kyo. He had almost made it, but Shishou caught him before he reached the floor. "I don't wanna take a bath," Kyo moaned again, struggling against Shishou's grip.
"Then it's a good thing I didn't ask if you wanted to take one. You got all sweaty earlier when playing and if you don't have a bath you're going to stink, and then no one will want to be around you because you smell." Shishou closed the door to the bathroom, and sat Kyo down on the ground. "And if you try to leave this room you'll go straight to bed after I'm done giving you a bath," he said sternly, smiling as Kyo dropped his hands from the doorknob, shoulders slumping. The only thing he hated more than baths was going to bed early while everyone else stayed up and had fun. Shishou let the tub fill while Kyo pouted. "Come here, you certainly can't take a bath in your clothes."
Kyo allowed the man to remove his clothes. It felt completely natural to him that Shishou would be removing his clothes. He knew if he was his teenage self, he would have been terribly embarrassed, but the five-year-old part of his brain had control and was telling him that this was fine, this was what Shishou was supposed to be doing. Kyo settled into the half full tub, still pouting. Shishou shook his head at the child, smiling. A lot of the times once he was already in the tub he would change his mind about hating it and end up staying in it for thirty minutes, or more. Shishou was hoping for this since it usually made the child a little sleepy, and it was much easier for him to get him to go bed. He doubted either child would fall asleep quickly after having slept for eight hours already that day.
Kyo did get over being made to take a bath and began to splash around in the tub, sloshing water over the edge, and onto Shishou that resulted into a splashing fight. Shishou was almost as wet as Kyo was when he finally said that was enough. Half the water was now on the floor. Shishou washed Kyo's hair and body before drying off the floor and then getting the child out of the tub to dry him off. Shishou wrapped a towel around the child and carried him to his room. What was he going to use for pajamas for the child? None of his clothes would fit anymore. Shishou sat the child on his bed while beginning to look through his drawers. He picked out several different shirts and brought them over to the bed. He finally found one that would stay on Kyo's body and not fall off his shoulders. Kyo laughed as Shishou pulled the shirt over his head. "What? What's so funny?" Kyo pointed down at the ground.
"You're dripping." Shishou looked down and smiled. There were water droplets falling to the floor, wetting the carpet. He looked behind to see a trail of darkened carpet.
"And whose fault is it that I'm wet?" Kyo smiled widely.
"Mine," he said proudly. Shishou rolled his eyes playfully at the child.
"Yes, it is. Go watch TV with Tohru and Yuki while I change." Kyo stood up, but paused, mouth open to say something, but closed it a second later, face forlorn. Shishou frowned wondering what had spurred this sudden mood change. "Kyo, what's wrong? Why are you so sad?" He picked the child up again, waiting for an answer. Kyo curled into Shishou's body, legs wrapping around his torso, his hands clutching the material of Shishou's clothes. Why did he almost say that? She wasn't here anymore. He began crying again for what felt like the millionth time that day. Why couldn't she be here? Why did he have to be possessed and cause her so much pain?
He began sobbing as Shishou rubbed his back. The man thought hard on what he had said. He mentally slapped himself. Kyo had told him that his mother had always got very mad when he had watched television, telling him he shouldn't see all those bad things. Of course telling him to watch TV with his mother's death seeming like it had only happened a few days ago would make him remember. He began to rock the child, waiting for him to calm down, apologizing. Kyo finally calmed down about ten minutes later, now very tired. "You're not going to get in trouble for watching TV. I'm not going to fuss at you for something like that, okay? You don't have to watch it if you don't want to though. Are you okay now?" Shishou pulled back a little to look at Kyo. His eyes were a little puffy and tired. Shishou put the child back on the bed, pulling the covers over him. Kyo settled into the bed, suddenly very tired, and the covers were so comfortable.
"Where are you going to sleep?" he asked tiredly, now fighting to stay awake against the warm covers, soft pillow, and Shishou's comforting presence beside him.
"I'm going to sleep in here. I just haven't got the bed in here yet. Go to sleep, okay?" He brushed away a few stray locks of hair out of the child's eyes as Kyo closed his eyes. It only took a few minutes for the child to fall asleep. Shishou made sure he was sound asleep before leaving the room to get his stuff that was stored in Shigure's room along with Ayame's stuff. Tohru, Yuki, and Ayame were all in the living room, but only Tohru and Ayame were watching the television set. Yuki was curled up on the couch, plainly asleep.
"I thought Kyo-kun was the one being given the bath. Isn't the adult supposed to bathe the child, not the other way around?" Ayame commented looking at Shishou's still wet clothes.
"We got into a splashing contest and he won. Yuki's asleep if you haven't noticed," he said as he passed the living room to get his things. Ayame turned to look at his little brother. He had been sitting beside him last time he had checked, but now he was curled up on the couch cushion, sound asleep. Ayame smiled, containing his energy at wanting to scream at the top of his lungs that he and Yuki, his dear beloved little brother, were finally closer and that he was beginning to become the older brother he should have been all along.
Author's Note: As I mentioned in the last chapter, I purchased a manga CD with volumes 1-13 on it, and I have read all of those, so obviously, I know a lot of stuff about the series that some of you may not. QUESTION: Do you care if there are like HUGE spoilers in this, like what Akito's true identity is, what the deal is with Kureno, stuff about Hiro, Yuki, Kyo, and everyone? If you'd prefer not to have the spoilers, I'll try not to put to many in, but I'm dying to. Lol. Anyway, onto review responses!
Phoenix-maker: I'm glad you love it so much!
Rubypearlz: I didn't really explain the game completely, I probably left some things out, but it's good. Haru will be in the story a lot, along with Kisa, and of course Ayame will be.
Animefreak: Was this soon enough?
Dragonjewel24: lol. I'm glad you love it. I'm pretty sure that's the first time someone has told me they practically live off one of my stories.
Different Child: I love making them little to, and I have sooooooooo much to work with it's almost overwhelming, and I hope you don't mind the spoilers in this too bad. Sorry if you do! Yes, they've both been through so much. I really hadn't intended to switch between the characters like I am, but after the first ended up being so Yuki centered I felt bad for Kyo, so I gave him a chapter, and it just ended up alternating between the two. I'll keep it several chapters for one day. I just kind of wanted to get this out of the way, this day anyway, so I can move onto cuter stuff. Lol. Thanks for the long review!
Tochi Kitsune Moga: Haru and Kisa will be in it lots, and I'm hoping I can eventually get them all in, but it will be eventually because Yuki and Kyo have to be okay with it. I'm glad you think I'm not rushing. I just didn't really know what else to do. Lol. I thought about making them friends, but…ummm…. Like I mentioned before, I've read up to the 13th volume, and umm… well they can't be friends. Lol. But they will be lots nicer, because they're beginning to be a little nicer in the most recent books with not as much fighting. Thanks for the review!
THANKS SO MUCH! Also, how reliable to you all think those hit counters are? It says I have 213 hits for this story… lol. Oh well, at least that many were interested enough in the summary even if they didn't read it. PLEASE ANSWER MY QUESTION!