A/N: Alright, here's the third chapter! I hope you all enjoy! Please review! And please excuse any mistakes.
Anywho...
Read, Review and Enjoy!
Chapter 3
Something Amazing!
"Alright! The food is officially ready!" Ivory says triumphantly as Tohru sets up the last dish on the table which is finely decorated.
"Wow this looks wonderful!" Momiji says as he serves himself a plate.
"Yes, and the decorations make it almost too good to eat," Shigure says as he also serves himself a plate. Everyone looks at him like he's crazy, which is neither here nor there. "I said 'almost'," Shigure says with a small smile.
"Well eat up cause I made all of your guys' favorite food!" Ivory says happily. They all do as they say and everyone's faces break in a smile.
"You two have outdone yourselves!" Yuki says happily.
"I forgot how much I loved your food Ivory," Shigure says with a lazy smile.
"Tohru your meet is so tender!" Momiji compliments and Tohru turns red.
"Oh no! It's not that good," she says in a panicky voice. "I did everything I usually do!" Ivory looks around the table and frowns.
"What happened to the cat?" Ivory wonders turning her head to the side a little.
"Up there," Shigure says simply. "Trying to control his emotions," Ivory immediately knows where her good friend is hiding. Where all cats hide. Tohru begins to get up but Ivory gives her a sign that she can stay sitting.
"Don't worry, I've got this one," Ivory says standing up and quickly finding her way to the roof with a plate of food with fish that she and Tohru made in two different ways. "Hey, I brought you your food," she says as she expertly climbs onto the roof and sits down next to Kyo ignoring his shocked his expression. "You scare so easily! Scaredy cat!" Ivory teases and his orange ears poke out.
"Shut up!" Kyo shouts as he takes his food.
"So…what's up?"
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Kyo wonders as he begins to eat his fish. Ivory looks out at all of the things below her and smiles. She is, after all, a cat. Then she turns to Kyo her smile still on her face.
"I told you, it was a surprise," Ivory says
"I hate surprises," the cat mutters trying to be annoyed, but he's still very happy to see his old friend. No matter how annoying and eccentric she can be and he was very happy that she was here with him in his favorite place in the house. Or on the house.
"Yes, that you do," Ivory says simply and Kyo stops eating to look up at Ivory.
"Why are you here…I mean really here?" Ivory searches his red eyes for a little then looks up at the sky.
"My cousin had a child not too long ago. The child came out with no curse. This is the first in our history. The baby also has no strange colored hair, or eyes. She's a normal infant, she doesn't change into a cat every few hours and she's completely…regular. As you know, our DNA is stronger than any other human DNA, so…either our genetics are getting weaker, or it was a fluke. Or maybe humans are getting stronger and they don't even realize. Ah who knows…it doesn't matter, because my grandmother ordered for the poor baby girl to be 'dealt with' or given up at the very least. She called her an 'abomination'. You know how she wants us to continue on…to become stronger. But when I confronted her about all of this in a family meeting, she got angry. I know that if Bass was there she would have gotten in trouble too, but I was a representative for all of my family. So I got the worst of it. Who knows what punishment they got? Anyways, so she banished me, but not before I could give a heads up to my cousin, no one deserves the death sentence," Ivory finishes pulling her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She leans her head in her arms and turns it towards Kyo.
"We've always known you're grandmother was evil," Kyo says simply looking out into the open sky. Ivory laughs because there's nothing else to do.
"Well of course…I just didn't know she was that evil. I can't believe I'm related to her,"
"Hey, we don't get to chose our family…cause if I could, I sure as hell wouldn't be in this one," he says.
"What about your family? Anything new?" Ivory wonders hoping that something beyond them is happening and she's not just being crazy.
"Just the same ol' same ol'. Hatori can only transform into a seahorse and that's it," Kyo says with a shrug.
"Something's happening, changing. Can you smell it? Can you feel it?" Ivory says looking out towards the distance.
"Nothing's changing Ivory," Kyo says slightly exasperated. He forgot how much Ivory's imagination or hunches ran away with her. But then again, Kyo couldn't think of a serious time when Ivory's hunches were ever really wrong. "Me and you, we'll be cursed forever," Ivory looks at the side of Kyo's face.
"You don't believe that," She states, and though her words come out as a confident statement, she doesn't know how true they are. Kyo doesn't say anything so Ivory moves on. "Does she know about your other form yet?" she wonders.
"No," Kyo says pulling his feet to his chest as well.
"She's changed you, I've never seen you so calm," Ivory says with a smile, bringer their conversation into a lighter subject.
"What! That's not true!" Kyo shouts his ears popping out of his head. Ivory laughs.
"Careful Kyo! You're ears are showing!"
"What! They are not! And I haven't changed a bit!"
"Alright! Alright, but…you have grown. I can see the man you'll become in you boyish eyes," Ivory says dramatically.
"Why the hell do you always talk like that!?" Kyo shouts gaining and curious face and his ears popping out.
"Shut up and eat your fish!" Ivory shouts and laughs as she plops down on the roof spreading her arms and legs out.
"Hey, don't tell me what to do!" Kyo shouts.
"You miss me?" Ivory says as she brings her arms under her head and looks up at the stars. Kyo picks up his plate and finishes his fish like Ivory told him to do, then lies down next to her.
"No," Kyo says quickly and firmly. "Maybe." Kyo gets more and more irritated at the fact that he can't just say what he feels. "Well yeah! But that's only because you were gone for so damn long!" he says getting out his feelings in a purely Kyo fashion. Ivory laughs.
"Missed you too little cat!"
"Oh shut up," Kyo says calming back down. "Are you sisters coming anytime soon?"
"I'm sure Bass'll be here within the week or so, and I haven't heard from the littles," Ivory says casually. "What about Master? Will he be here anytime soon?"
"Don't know," Kyo says getting quiet with the mention of the person he cares for most in this world. "We haven't been in contact," I wonder if Master Kazuma has something up his sleeve…Ivory wonders.
"He'll show his face sooner or later," Ivory reassures in a carefree tone.
"I hope so, I hate this place," Kyo mutters sitting back up and bringing his knees to his chest once again. He leans his head on his knees and looks away from Ivory, while Ivory looks at Kyo deeply.
"You don't mean that," she says simply.
"I do," Kyo says.
"Don't mistake fear for hate," Ivory says quietly not sure how touchy this subject is.
"And don't pretend to be wise when you're just as confused as the rest of us!" Kyo retorts and Ivory bursts out laughing.
"I'll give you that one," Ivory then stands and stretches and walks towards the edge. "Stop being a punk and come out of hiding, I think Momiji and Haru are leaving soon," Before she can hear Kyo's—no doubt rude—retort she jumps and lands perfectly on her feet and reenters the house.
"Ahh! I thought you were on the roof!" Tohru shouts as Ivory enters the dinning room.
"I was, but I took a short cut down here," Ivory says with a wink and she sits to see everyone's plate's cleared.
"You mean you jumped," Haru says in his monotone voice.
"Some would say that," Ivory says with a laugh.
"Where's the cat?" Yuki asks as Kyo enters the room. Awkward silence.
"Why the hell do you care?!" Kyo shouts as he sits down.
"I'm leaving," Yuki says simply standing up and well…leaving. "Stupid cat,"
"Damn rat,"
"I guess we should be leaving now too," Haru says standing up. He bows towards Ivory and Tohru. "Thank you for the delicious meal,"
"Aw! Haru, I don't wanna go just yet,"
"It's getting late now, we have school tomorrow," Haru says.
"Alright," Momiji reluctantly agrees. "Bye Ivory!" Momiji says throwing himself on Ivory to 'hug' her.
"Bye Momiji!" Ivory laughs.
"Bye Tohru! Bye Shigure! Bye Kyo!" Momiji says standing up and walking towards the door.
"Goodbye everyone,"
"Goodbye you two; be safe," Shigure says with a smile.
"I'll walk you guys out," Tohru says with a smile and getting up. Ivory yawns.
"You know Ivory you should probably change pretty soon; you don't want an accident do you?" Shigure says looking at the clock hanging on a wall.
"Right." Ivory says with a nod. "I do feel kind of antsy," Ivory start unbuttoning her shirt—
"Don't take off your clothes right here!" Kyo yells loudly at her. Ivory sticks her tongue out at him.
"Just seeing if you were paying attention." Ivory laughs. "I'll be back by midnight, keep the door open," Ivory says walking out the door. "Tell Tohru not to worry 'kay?"
~Midnight~
Ivory walks into the house the time being right at midnight. She walks into the dining room but stops. Someone's here…she thinks her animal instincts still sharp.
"Who's there? I have a bat!" The voice of Tohru says from the corner. Before Ivory can say anything, Tohru's figure runs towards here her bat held high over her head. Tohru brings it down hard but Ivory catches it quickly and takes it from Tohru easily.
"Tohru, relax, it's me. Ivory," Tohru lets out a squeak of relief.
"Oh, thank goodness!" Tohru relaxes.
"Sorry, I told Shigure to tell you I'd be out," Ivory says.
"He did, but…he didn't tell me for how long," Tohru says happily.
"Why are you up then? You weren't waiting for me were you? And what's with the bat?" Ivory wonders.
"Oh, I was doing homework, I had forgotten about it, so I was up pretty late doing it, I guess I must have fallen asleep so Shigure turned off the lights, but then I woke up when I heard something outside. We usually have a bat by the main entrance, so I ran over there to get it for protection," Tohru explains.
"Well that's good, but next time, get Kyo or Yuki Kay?" Ivory says with a smile.
"Right," Tohru says her voice determined. "Um, Ivory, is it normal for your eyes to glow in the dark?"
"Oh yeah, my cats, and dogs, have this extra layer thingy in their eye so they can see in the dark. It acts as a mirror or something, but real cats when the lights go off, it works right away, mines takes awhile. But work it does!" Ivory looks around, she can now see everything perfectly, it's a little dark, but nothing she can't handle. It's like turning the lights off at like three in the afternoon, it's kind of grey, but you can still see. Ivory walks towards the light and turns it on and waits for her eyes to adjust once more. "Do you want to have a midnight snack?" Ivory wonders with a fanged smile.
"That sounds great!" Tohru says with a bright smile. The two midnight dwellers, walk into the kitchen, Tohru pulls out the leftovers and quickly warms up two plates. Then the two go back into the dining room and have themselves and small feast.
"This is fun. I think living here is going to be a lot of fun!" Ivory says happily. Though she's known the Sohma clan for a long time, she's never actually stayed at their house or anything. Not even a sleep over with one of the girls.
"It is! It's so much fun! It's always exciting, and something amazing happening…and then there are times like tonight…where everything is calm and peaceful," Tohru says while closing her eyes and wrapping the silence around her like a blanket. "I'm sorry! I got a little carried away!" She says snapping out of it.
"Don't worry about it! I'm glad it's like this…it wasn't so long ago…when Kyo and Yuki had this terrible emerging seeping from their pores," Ivory says thinking back to a few years ago. "I met the Sohma's when I was six or seven, I was staying with my mom since my step mom and I don't necessarily see eye to eye. My mom's a major landscape photographer, and my Dad's a big time business man who goes and tries to get other business to work with his business. So we're out of the states pretty much all of the time. Up until we were five we would go with our mom all the time, but then we had a choice. We usually would still stay with our mom. Anyways, we had just came here, and I was going to an elementary school down the street, and all of the kids would make fun of my skin color, my hair, and my eyes. 'Miss Mitch-Match,' they'd call me. So one day, during recess, I ran away and I transformed in a wooded area. I didn't know it then, but I had wondered all the way to the Sohma property, and my human form was starting to get antsy, so I transformed. When I looked up, there was Hatori in his high school uniform looking at me with a really shocked expression. I didn't know what to do, I was going to run but he caught me before I could. He told me his name, and put his uniform jacket on my body, since I was naked. He then brought me to his house, and asked me for my Mom's number. I didn't understand why he was being so nice to me. I was told that if anyone were to find out, they'd be scared of our superiority, they'd want to get rid of us. I was terrified. When my mom got to the Sohma's she was in a panic, she wasn't paying attention to where she was going and it was the beginning of winter, so there was frost on the ground. Both me and Hatori were waiting outside for her and she tripped on a stepping stone and into Hatori's arms. Then he turned into a sea horse!" Ivory laughs at the memory. "Once Hatori changed, he explained everything and I went outside with some clothes that Hatori found me. That's when I met Haru. After that, my Grandmother was called over, and she met Akito, It was strange having them in the same room. Both of them wanting all of the power in the room, but at the same time, they both admired their hold on their…subordinates."
"Oh wow! So it was Hatori who saw you change first?!" Tohru says happily as she puts the mental puzzle pieces together.
"Yeah, then it was Kyo, he was so sweet when he was younger. He still is…it's just locked in a box deep inside his chest. I don't even think that he has the key anymore," Ivory says with sad eyes. "And then it was Yuki…he was so quiet, but if you could manage to get a smile out of him, it would make your heart flutter!" Ivory says with a painful smile. "But I left two years later…I had become good friends with most of the zodiac members, I would sneak in the compound to see all of them. It was especially hard with Yuki, but I managed. When I left, I felt like I had done some good, or I liked to believe that. I came back when I was twelve, or maybe thirteen, everything was so different. Kyo was so angry…and Yuki never smiled anymore. I realized that they day that I left all those years ago, that I didn't leave anyone in my place. No one to take care of my new found family. There was no one to protect them. Especially Yuki. At least Kyo had Master, Yuki had no one, it wasn't until I had left that Ayame had expressed that he wanted a part in Yuki's life. I stayed until I was fourteen, things were somewhat better, but…there was still so much hurt. But now, Tohru…everything is calm. Better than I could ever hope! The fact that the cat and the rat can be in the same house, let alone room, together, is a miracle in itself. And even Yuki and Ayame are getting closer. I am please…so very pleased," Ivory says with a smile.
"I'm glad…they've grown so much. I'm glad…you're happy," Tohru says. Ivory smiles at Tohru—
"Ladies," Both Tohru and Ivory stiffen with shock. "It's getting really late, you guys do have school tomorrow," Shigure says from his study that opens up to the dining room.
"Right, sorry Shigure," Tohru says getting up and putting the dishes away.
"Now, do you believe me?" Shigure asks looking at Ivory. She nods.
"She's an amazing character. And I believe that she has the power to break the curse…but know this Shigure…if you hurt Tohru, causing a domino effect with Kyo and Yuki, and even the others…then I will never forgive you," Ivory says standing.
"Understood!" Shigure says with a dog's smile. "Goodnight Ivory,"
"Goodnight Shigure," Ivory walks out of the living room and meets Tohru in the hallway.
"Ready for bed?"
"Yup!" and together, the midnight betters, go to their room and go to sleep, with the moon rays falling on their angelic faces.