I… Have returned. ;D
I want to personally thank OuranKarate for the kind worded review that was sent to me! It means a lot because I honestly didn't think anyone would like my story that much! =)
I would also like to hopefully embarrass my good friend MoonDragonLove, or as I call her, HiTKao-chan, by putting her review on this chapters AN:
'That is deep! Poor Ichi! Rotten Fusei! *brings out random herd of evil unicorns* KIILL HIM MY PETS!
...But then... Where would the story go...?
...JUST MAIM HIM THEM! *Unicorns run off and maim him*
...I loved this chapter though! Can't wait for 12~'
Personally, I think it's a bit bipolar… XD That's why I love her like an older sister though! Because she can be evil and sweet at the same time! ^^'
Screw the disclaimer~ We all know that I don't own this! If I did, Mori would be the main character!
WARNING: Um… the usual I suppose! ^^' Also this takes place two days after last chapter and Cho will not be in these very much until Fusei…. erm…. disappears? ;D Also, I will NOT be using, "I'm just a kid." I changed my mind…
Ch.12 The Branded Fox
Normal P.O.V
It had been two days and Ichi still hadn't came to school again. The three hosts that knew all, were starting to worry. Especially Haruhi….
Hikaru was still furious and no matter how many times Haruhi tried to convince them, he'd make Kaoru take his side.
Hani didn't know what to think and wouldn't listen when Haruhi tried to tell him and Mori was to focused on making Hani feel better to pay attention.
Today however, Ichi did come to school….
No one was paying attention to the door at the moment seeing as today's lesson had already been started, but right then, Ichi cracked the door open until she could walk through.
"Sorry I'm late Ma'am…" Said a quiet voice. Heads turned and the teacher stopped speaking.
There Ichi was… Dark circles under her eyes, she looked somehow thinner, when she walked it was with a large limp, and there were bandages going up her back under an outfit that clearly wasn't the boy's uniform.
She wore black "painter" pants, a large red dress shirt that actually stopped just below her navel, all black converse, and a black hat that hid her eyes except for the underneath area that was dark. It seemed as though only the teacher could see her eyes, and when she did, they widened and shook slightly with worry.
Ichi just smiled a 'warm' smile at the teacher and kept her head down as she walked to her desk by Tamaki. She didn't touch her work all class period though… She just sat there with her eyes hidden and a smile plastered on her face.
At the end of the class, Tamaki attempted to speak to her.
"Hello M-"
"Hello Suoh-sama. I apologize for everything and I know that everyone hates me, but I understand and will leave you alone now. Goodbye." She stated swiftly before walking out of the door. Tamaki and Kyouya now knew why the teacher had that expression on her face.
Ichi looked broken… Her smile large and almost crooked, her eyes dark, lifeless, and showing no sign of life on her face other than that eerie smile.
When it was lunch time the whole gang watched as Ichi brought out her bento box. She sat alone in a darker part of the cafeteria and she still had her eyes hid with only that smile visible now.
She sat there holding the box in her hands before standing up with it. She walked over to the trash and looked around. She didn't see the hosts watch as she dropped the food in the garbage as her smile faltered into a grimace. She then limped out of the cafeteria while holding her stomach.
"What, now she thinks she's too good for commoner food?" Hikaru spat. Kaoru just frowned and looked upset but Hani stood up.
"Do you see the way she looks? I'm going to go talk to her…. Are you guys coming or not?" He said. Mori, Haruhi, and Tamaki stood while Kyouya nodded at Haruhi. She understood and they all walked out of the cafeteria.
"Why should they care? It's not like she's doing it to herself…" Hikaru grumbled. Kaoru's eyes widened as it struck him.
"You're right Hikaru… She isn't hurting herself, but did you even think that someone else might be?" Kyouya chimed in. He had a disappointed glare focused on the meaner twin and was frowning slightly. "Did you ever think that she had a reason not to tell us the truth?" He asked again.
Kaoru's mouth went dry as he stood up and ran out of the room to catch up with the others. Hikaru just sat there thinking.
"Yeah right… She probably just fell down some stairs. Plus she was just hiding the fact that she wasn't really a sad girl and that she's actually tough and mouthy." He said angrily while standing from his seat. "I'm going to the gardens…" He growled and went out the door. Instead of to the gardens though, he saw a glimpse of a black hat going down another hall and followed it.
When he saw bandages and red go through a door he knew it was Ichi and stood outside the door peeking through a crack. She had a guitar and was sitting in the window sill as he realized that this was the first music room. Her smile was now replaced with a grimace and tears poured freely from her eyes as she breathed in pained breaths.
Hikaru's breath hitched and he tried to walk away. When she started singing he stopped in his tracks but didn't go back.
"I open my eyes
I try to see but I'm blinded by the white light
I can't remember how
I can't remember why
I'm lying here tonight
And I can't stand the pain
And I can't make it go away
No I can't stand the pain
How could this happen to me
I made my mistakes
I've got no where to run
The night goes on
As I'm fading away
I'm sick of this life
I just wanna scream
How could this happen to me
Everybody's screaming
I try to make a sound but no one hears me
I'm slipping off the edge
I'm hanging by a thread
I wanna start this over again
So I try to hold onto a time when nothing mattered
And I can't explain what happened
And I can't erase the things that I've done
No I can't
How could this happen to me
I made my mistakes
I've got no where to run
The night goes on
As I'm fading away
I'm sick of this life
I just wanna scream
How could this happen to me
I made my mistakes
I've got no where to run
The night goes on
As I'm fading away
I'm sick of this life
I just wanna scream
How could this happen to me?"
He could hear her gasps of pain but he didn't want to believe anything she said. 'Yeah right… Pathetic…' He thought while walking away. Kaoru rounded the corner he was hiding in and shook his head at his brother before slipping into the room Ichi was in.
"Hey Ichi…?" He said softly. The smile was instantly back but the tears kept falling.
"Hello Mr. Hitachiin-sama. Why have you come, shouldn't you be with your friends?" She asked. A stab of pain went through his heart at her calm tone and words and he shook his head.
"I am with one right now Ichi…" She cocked her head to the side in confusion but it didn't show.
"Is Mr. Hitachiin Hikaru with you? I don't see him…" She said while looking around. He frowned at her.
"No Ichi… You're still one of my friends… Haruhi tried telling Hikaru but he wouldn't listen… I know why you didn't tell us and I understand… You didn't want us to think badly of you. I understand ok? So come on, let's go see the others!" He said while grabbing her hand and starting to walk. She got out of his grasp though.
"No, you don't understand… No one truly understands what it's like to be me… but it's alright Kaoru… If you hate me too, I'll understand! Being alone is nothing knew to me so don't worry! Please, go have fun! I'll be alright!" She closed her eyes and smiled brightly as she turned and walked outside towards the maze once more.
'Being alone is nothing new to me!' 'I'll be alright!' Her words hung in the air and stung like poison. Kaoru almost jumped out of his skin when a hand tugged on his. He looked down and saw Hani.
"No she won't." He said with a serious tone. Mori and the others came next but they didn't come in time. Hikaru had found them as well and when he saw his brother a look of guilt crossed over his face.
"I know. She thinks we all hate her…. You heard her singing Hikaru, so you have to trust Haruhi when she tells you what's wrong this time…" Kaoru said. Hikaru looked ashamed and upset but nodded silently.
"Takashi you have to listen as well… You shouldn't be mad at her just because I was confused… It isn't fair…" Hani said with a frown. He was looking out of the window and into the area behind the school.
Hani kept looking out the window while Haruhi told everyone what was going on until he interrupted her.
"She's sitting under a tree with that guitar... I wonder if she knows that we can still hear her from here…" He pondered aloud. The hosts all came to the window and sure enough, there Ichi was. Strumming the guitar strings before singing once more.
"Do you ever feel like breaking down?
Do you ever feel out of place,
Like somehow you just don't belong
And no one understands you?
Do you ever wanna run away?
Do you lock yourself in your room
With the radio on turned up so loud
That no one hears you're screaming?
No, you don't know what it's like
When nothing feels all right
You don't know what it's like
To be like me
To be hurt
To feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one's there to save you
No, you don't know what it's like
Welcome to my life
Do you wanna be somebody else?
Are you sick of feeling so left out?
Are you desperate to find something more
Before your life is over?
Are you stuck inside a world you hate?
Are you sick of everyone around?
With their big fake smiles and stupid lies
While deep inside you're bleeding
No, you don't know what it's like
When nothing feels all right
You don't know what it's like
To be like me
To be hurt
To feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one's there to save you
No you don't know what it's like
Welcome to my life
No one ever lied straight to your face
And no one ever stabbed you in the back
You might think I'm happy but I'm not gonna be okay
Everybody always gave you what you wanted
You never had to work it was always there
You don't know what it's like, what it's like~"
She got really quiet during this next part but they could still hear through her broken voice.
"To be hurt
To feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one's there to save you
No, you don't know what it's like
To be hurt
To feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one's there to save you
No, you don't know what it's like
Welcome to my life
Welcome to my life
Welcome to my life…"
Everyone felt terrible now. Even Kyouya. They watched her run off with fear obvious in her eyes two days ago when three of them knew what was going on and they couldn't do a thing to help her…
The hosts went outside when Ichi started to get up from her spot under the tree. She looked like she was in pain as she slowly got up. There was a gasp escaping her lips before she clenched her eyes shut and fell to her knees again.
They ran over to her just as she fainted on the ground. Mori lifted her up and noticed that she had gotten thinner… 'She isn't eating right…' He thought. They then took her to the front of the school and Mori laid her on a bench.
While Kyouya called an ambulance, the other hosts looked down at Ichi with similar frowns on their faces.
"So she didn't tell us because she thought that we wouldn't want to be friends with her if we knew that she wasn't really a perfect person?" Hikaru said in little over a whisper.
"Yeah…. It looks like we only made it worse though…" Kaoru replied. The hosts all frowned.
"I want to see her face…" Hani said. He reached over and pulled her hat away. There laid a fragile looking girl with short spiky hair, sunken in eyes, tear stains across her pale face, and above her left eye there were stitches for a deep looking gash.
"What happened to her?" Hani asked. His eyes starting to tear as he held her hand tightly. One thing flashed across Haruhi's mind.
"Was it Fusei that did this to you Ichi?" She asked while wiping tears from Ichi's pale face. Tamaki and Kyouya stiffened at the name, but the others just looked on in confusion.
"Why would her boyfriend~"
"Hurt her this much?" Hikaru and Kaoru asked. Haruhi was about to tell them the rest of the painful truth when the ambulance showed up. They got in a limo and followed it to the nearest hospital.
"Are you going to tell us Haru-chan?" Hani asked as they got out of the car.
"I think you should let Ichi tell you…. Ok?" She replied. They all nodded their heads and walked up to the main desk.
"Hello Ma'am. I'm Kyouya Ootori and we need to know which room a miss Ichi Kitsune is in." Kyouya said in more of a demanding tone. The lady at the desk rolled her eyes as she looked up the information.
"This is the second time she's been in here this week…" She said in a sadder tone. She handed Kyouya what he requested and they began to walk towards her room.
"It looks like she has been in here another time this week…" Kyouya actually frowned while reading the rest of what it said.
"What's wrong?" Kaoru and Hikaru asked in unison.
"When she was here that day…. They put her in the E.R…." Everyone's eyes widened and Kyouya's glasses flashed before he continued.
"Apparently, she has a twisted ankle, that scar above her left eye, and several cuts across her stomach. It won't reveal anymore about those scars though…" He read as they walked into her room.
The doctors were holding her down as she violently shook under them. Then one carefully injected an anesthetic into her arm and she slowly fell into the bed.
"What was that all about?" Kyouya demanded. The doctors and nurses jumped at the seriousness in his voice.
"We were looking over her injuries and she went into some kind of shock. I gave her a small anesthetic so that she could calm down…" He stated. Kyouya nodded at him before speaking.
"I'll pay for her medical bills if that's alright with you." He said. The doctor held his hand up.
"No need. A Mr. Fusei Bushi has told me that he would pay any medical bills that she has. He's also the one who brought her here the other day." Haruhi, Tamaki, and Kyouya tensed.
"How exactly did she get those injuries that day?" Tamaki piped in.
"Fusei carried her in here and she was bleeding pretty badly… He said that they were mugged but after he gave them the money they slashed her with a broken beer bottle because she was trying to call out for help. They got away though…" He replied. The other four hosts took the answer but the two second years and one first year weren't convinced.
'How come he escaped without injury then?' They thought. The doctor left the room and they all sat around the bed while Hani climbed up on it and sat at her feet.
"Should we tell Anna-chan and Cho-chan?" Hani asked. Haruhi shook her head no and they all stared back down at her.
After a half hour of no response, the hosts decided to leave. Just as they reached the door, a small, weak, and rather feminine voice was heard from the bed.
"I-I'm s-so sorry…." Ichi spoke in an incredibly sad tone. "P-please…. D-don't leave…" They all whipped around at the voice and frowned.
Ichi was sitting up in bed with an arm latched around her stomach. Her eyes shut in a painful wince as she clenched her teeth and reached her hand out with longing. She was quickly surrounded in a group hug while Kyouya sat at the end of the bed and Mori patted her head.
"We're sorry Foxy!" The twins bellowed.
"Gomen Kit-chan!" Hani wailed next.
"Je tres regrette Mon Ami!" (I'm very sorry) Tamaki cried.
"I deeply apologize Miss Ichi." Kyouya chimed.
"I'm sorry." Mori stated boldly.
"Baka! You should have known that I'd always be your friend…" Haruhi said while "play" punching Ichi in the arm.
"Y-you're not mad at me?" She asked. They all shook their heads 'no' and her eyes brimmed with tears as she bowed her head.
"M-merci beaucoup…. Merci beaucoup…. Merci beacoup!" (Thank you so/very much) She sobbed as she covered her face with her hands. The hosts looked down at the broken girl and all of their eyes softened. She looked so sad yet so relieved…..
"Ichi… I want you to tell me what he's done to you." Haruhi said in a demanding tone. Ichi quickly raised her head and her eyes shook with fear. Haruhi raised a hand to wipe away a stray bang and Ichi quickly blocked her face and cringed.
"P-please… I-I'll tell you…" Ichi's voice shook as she pleaded for what she thought was an upcoming punishment. Instead, warm arms wrapped around her and she was pulled into a hug by Haruhi.
"Ichi I would never hurt you like he does… I told you that… Just tell me what's happened…" She said. Ichi slowly got out of the hold and nodded her head slowly.
After Haruhi told the four hosts that knew little about Fusei, it was Ichi's turn. Kaoru and Hikaru looked seriously angry, Tamaki, Kyouya, and Hani were all frowning, and a wave of something came over Mori to where he almost broke his chair. It was most likely rage…
"W-when he showed up at the Restaurant I wasn't scared of him so much as I was scared of falling in love with him again… I never wanted him to leave. All I wanted was for him to be his old, caring self, once more…" Another feeling washed over the hosts. One of sadness and understanding.
"He used to be so nice, but he's a monster now… I got these wounds from him… not any muggers…" She frowned and winced while holding her stomach. Rage now filled the others as Kyouya tried to calm himself while Mori silently steamed.
"My twisted ankle was from him 'accidentally' pushing me off of the stage… The cut on my head is from him striking me with one of his metal rings on… He was a little drunk when he broke the beer bottle and hit me across the stomach… and… The scar on my back was from the longs word Haruhi told you about. B-b-but h-he…. he also…" She choked on a sob and buried her face into Haruhi's shoulder again. Haruhi bent down so that no one could her them.
"It's alright Ichi, you can tell me…." She said while rubbing her back. Ichi choked on a sob again before slowly whispering in her ear. Haruhi stood up suddenly.
"HE WHAT?" She yelled. She dragged Ichi's legs over to the side and pulled her pant's leg up until it was to the thigh. There, in bold red scars, were two words.
'Forever lost.'
"He branded me…." Ichi whispered. The hosts held back their gasps as they all thought and felt the same.
Murderous intent was what some felt, but they all felt anger. They all thought the exact same thing though.
Their Fox had been branded.
Ok! So I'm ending the chapter here because I really need to get some sleep! I love all of you who have reviewed, favorited, and/or alerted this story or my being an author! I truly appreciate all of you who have awaited my return, and I am happy to say that I have an open Summer! =)
Also, if you think any of the characters are to OOC, tell me and I'll try my best to fix it in the next chapter!
Ichi's theme song for this chapter: "Perfect," by Hedley. Go check it out and please review!