Epidemic (Of Darkness)

Chapter 8

A/N: Thanks to you all im able to carry on with my stories! Thank you your comments are greatly appreciated so don't stop! I don't have much to say except my thanks. Um…I didn't have much homework to do this weekend so I can write this. Hope you enjoy this next chapter of Epidemic.

DISCRETION: there will be very disturbing "scenes" expect something like the holocaust. You've been warned, if you cant handle it please leave now.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or its characters. P.S I LOVE KYO!

Kyo's shoulders slumped as he rode his horse at the back of the line behind all his men. His heart ached and burned inside his chest. To just leave Tohru there in that field was the worst thing he had ever done. But what bewildered him even more than his cruelty towards her was, why she liked him? How could someone like her, show so much love for him? Someone who claimed her mother's life. And burnt down her home. She was forgiving that was for sure.

Tears stabbed at his dry eyes. He watched as they tied her and Shia to that wooden post and couldn't stand to look back. He wondered if they were okay. What if they were hungry? What if something had attacked them! He had to go back, his shoulders tensed then relaxed once more. He couldn't go back. He had a mission to complete and had to erase her from his mind.

Erase her smile. Erase her dark chocolate hair and matching eyes. Erase her laugh and clumsiness. Erase how cute she was and how much he wanted to love her. Kyo sighed dejectedly.

"You ordered them to tie those girls to the post. don't beat yourself up now. It's too late." Garnet flames blazed against his cousin's own burning amethysts. "Stupid cat." and he kicked the horse in its side, commanding it to trot to the front of the line.

Sadly, Yuki was right. Why was he acting like this? His men were thinking him weak now, probably saying things about him. They once looked to him for courage and now as he acted in such a manner they wished Yuki was their leader. Kyo snorted and scowled.

"Listen up men!" Kyo shouted and they did as told. "We're going to that demon camp and destroying every single one! Ridding this planet of the foul beasts!" They cheered and raised their weapons in agreement. "Let's kick some demon ass!" Their cheers roared even louder and they all galloped the rest of the way to their destination. Tohru flashed through Kyo's mind once more and then disappeared.

"Huff huff" Shia's breath was coming short and sweat dabbled on her brow even though the air was cold. "HELP!" she screamed for the hundredth time. And for the hundredth time no answered her plea. There was no way she was going to find the camp. It took them four days to get out to the field they had camped in not even a day ago. She worried about Tohru, wondered if she was okay. "If there was a way I could track Sohma-sama down." wait, he is a rat right? don't they have some kind of super hearing? Its worth a try. Shia sucked in a huge breath of air, "YUUUUUKI!" she screamed louder than she ever had. It hurt her head and her throat burned as she belted out his name. She breathed in once more and screamed a second time, "YUUUKI!"

Shia collapsed to her knees, her chest heaving. "Please find me, help me please. For Tohru's sake!" Again, she sucked in air her mouth opened and was ready to scream when a hand clamped over her face. "Mmmm!" Her emerald eyes glanced back to her captor.

His silver hair blew very lightly in the chilled breeze. Behind him was his fiery cousin and a dark haired girl. Yuki released his grip. "I'm so happy you heard me Sohma-" her voice faded as her eyes noticed their clothes were covered in dark red blood. Some splattered over their faces. Soon the soldiers marched over the hill and halted to a stop. All of them, every single one of the men were drenched in the deep red color. It made Shia sick to her stomach.

"What's wrong Shia-san?" Yuki asked concerned.

"Where's Tohru?" Kyo demanded, concern laced in his features.

"She was taken inside-inside some weird vehicle. There were others inside it too." The Sohmas glanced at each other.

"Which direction did they head?" Yuki asked. Shia pointed a shaky finger to the south. The rat peered over his shoulder, Kyo and Rin's shoulders tensed at the same time.

"We have to find her. And quick." Rin jumped onto the back of her horse. Kyo followed suit.

Yuki's fingers laced with Shia's. "I'm sorry you have to see us like this. But your sister is in danger."

"I'm scared." Yuki picked her up and placed her on his horse's saddle. He jumped up in front of her.

"You can hold onto me if you like." His warm smile relaxed her.

Tohru shivered, the cold air blew right through her skin and chilled her bones. The people that sat around her in the small wagon were silent and looked as if death hovered over them. It scared her but she knew she had to stay strong. 'Shia, I hope you're okay' Tohru thought to herself. Tohru could see white flakes from the grey sky through a small hole in the wood of the wagon and she smiled. Snow was beautiful, it seemed to make things silent and peaceful.

"You have no clue where we are heading do you?" Tohru's head turned to meet the groggy voice that spoke. It was an older woman, her blonde hair was long and beautifully shaped her fine bone structures in her face. Her green eyes were sad and they seemed to stare far off. Next to her sat a small girl, with the same blonde hair but only reached the top of her dainty shoulders and was wavier.

She was scared and held the woman's hand tightly. "Actually, no I don't. I've never even ridden in one of these vehicles before. I mean I've heard of them but to ride in one…"

"I thought so, people who know what is at the end of this ride never smile at the snow. Nor do they talk so much. I can tell you seem hopeful." as the woman droned on Tohru's heart began to sank.

"Is that your daughter?" Tohru asked, changing the subject. The woman nodded.

"I'm Momo." the child answered softly. She stood up and patted her dress that had collected dirt and shook Tohru's hand. Tohru gasped at how cold Momo was.

"My goodness Momo-san you're freezing!" Unfortunately Tohru didn't have anything on her to warm the small girl.

"I don't have any of our traveling supplies with me and the guards took her jacket from us." The mother replied mournfully. "I cant even keep my baby warm, I don't know how she'll even make the ride. Im too afraid to let her sleep because she might-" Tohru picked up the small girl and wrapped her velvet covered arms around her. Momo snuggled into them, the color in her cheeks returning.

The other passengers looked on and watching Tohru made them want to smile, almost yearned for it but none of them did. They knew what was coming, they all heard the stories of the camps that citizens were being taken to. "I'm Tohru Honda by the way."

"Honda-san, it is a great pleasure to meet my dear." The woman never gave Tohru her name and she didn't ask it either. Tohru held Momo for hours and soon the sun was shining through the wooden cracks of the wagon when it came to a stop. The passengers started crying and some prayed. The woman with no name was asleep and hadn't stirred for most of the night.

Momo leapt from Tohru's lap and shook her mom on the arm, "Momma it's time to go." But the woman didn't reply. Momo shook her again, "Momma wake up." Another shake and the woman's head lolled to the side. Tohru grabbed Momo and picked her up in her arms.

"Momo-san, I don't think mommy is waking up. She was very tired and was worn out. Let's let mommy rest okay?"

"We'll she wake up to meet us inside?" Tohru looked into Momo's deep emeralds and her tears stabbed her eyes.

"I don't think so sweety. But if you stay with me I'll keep you safe." Momo wrapped her tiny arms around Tohru's neck when the back doors to the wagon opened. Snow blew into the space and Momo shivered, making Tohru tighten her grip on the small child. "Sh…it's okay."

A man with light blonde hair and a blonde stubble to match, stepped in front of the doors. He wore a dark green hat and matching uniform, like a soldier. "Listen up you filthy pieces of shit, don't you say a word and do as I say. All of you are step out of the cattle car and walk into two separate lines, one for men and one the women. The doctors you see stationed at the front of the lines will check your vitals and will let you into the camp. If any of you try to run I'll shoot you myself." He had a very thick accent, one that Tohru had never heard before but she could understand him fairly well. "Alright get off!" Two other soldiers stepped to each side of the so called "cattle car", their guns made a clicking sound.

Tohru was the first to step off, Momo in arms. And she heard the man yell the command again and the rest of the passengers followed. Men stepped to the right, women to the left. Tohru glanced back to see the guards pick up Momo's mother and toss her to the side as if she were trash. After a few moments she reached the doctor where they took Momo from her grip and the girl screeched in protest, Her little hands clawed the air to be back in Tohru's arms and Tohru herself reached as well.

"Onee-chan!!" She shrieked horrifically making many people stare. Tohru saw that the blonde haired guard glared at her, he whispered something to a soldier and he started towards the line.

"Momo-san please stop! That man is coming." Momo kicked and slapped the woman that held her. "Momo-sa--" The man's hand slapped Tohru's frozen cheek. She held her burning face and looked up at the man.

"Is this your child?" He asked, his glare frightened her and made her heart skip a beat.

"y-yes. She's just frightened that's all if you can just give her ba-" Another hand hit her other cheek and his grip found her arm.

"How dare you speak to me like that you dirty Wej?"

"I'm not a Wej I'm-"

"Either way! If you talk again I'll shoot this woman." His gun was instantly in his hand and placed on a woman's forehead that stood behind Tohru. She winced and shivered as she held her baby.

"Please no! if you give Momo back she'll stop all this raucous." The guard stared at Tohru for a moment, his black eyes looked her up and down and then he glanced to the weeping girl.

"They need to check her and then check you and that is when you get her back." he released Tohru from the death grip was sure to leave a bruise and then he walked back to the wagons.

The doctor stripped Momo of her clothes and listened to her breathing, her heart and looked in her ears and nose and mouth. They did the same to Tohru and they were both pushed inside the tall walls. Tohru quickly dressed Momo and herself when she caught a whiff of something rancid. The smell was overbearing and it made her eyes tear. "Momo cover your nose." and she did as told.

"What's that smell?" Momo's stomach gurgled from the stench.

"I don't know." Suddenly men with uniforms grabbed Tohru and Momo and shoved them into a huge crowd of women. Old and young. Tohru also saw other people that had stripped clothes on and they were pale as a ghost. Some so thin they looked like bones with flesh. She picked up Momo in her arms. "What's going on?" Tohru asked a girl that looked to be about her own age who stood next to her.

"You don't know?" Tohru shook her head. "We're in what they call a camp port. Look lively and seem young so that the doctors will pass us."

"Pass us?" Tohru questioned.

"If you look too old or disabled you either go into the long building over there," She pointed to a long warehouse looking building with a tin roof that guards were escorting some of the men and women into. "Or you go in that." Her finger shook a little as she pointed, Tohru saw a huge flume of smoke and ash pour from the top of a chimney and down below, people were walking in. There were even little children.

"What's in those?" Tohru asked curiously. "And why if they want young people, would they send small children in there?"

"You have to work if you want to live my friend. Your little girl there, how old is she?

"I'm four and a half." answered Momo. The girl looked at her then looked away.

"I'm not sure what's in those buildings, but I have to tell you that the people that go in them, don't come back out. And they aren't sleeping in there or eating I can tell you that because a lot of the passengers that get off those cars and into those buildings, there's no way all of them just sit in there."

The sharp cry of a whistle blew loudly and everyone's head turned to where a tall man in a black suit stood at the very front of the crowd. A woman and a man on either sides of him. "I am general Albrecht." He had the same thick accent as the blonde guard. "I am not your friend and I am not your ally. I am your worst nightmare. You all are here to work and as long as you do as you are told you will live to see the next sunrise. Here to my right is my head doctor, Bastian, he will tell you what your next job right now is to do." Bastian was a little taller than the general with dark black hair and deep blue eyes. He wore a white coat and he stepped up to where Albrecht stood.

Tohru couldn't look at Bastian for long. He scared her more than the blonde guard had. He made her hold Momo tighter.

"Listen carefully to what I am about to say. Your life depends on it. Up here are twenty posts with nurses sitting behind a desk. You are going to give them your name and they will strip you of any items you possess, including your clothes. You all will then run in a big circle while staying in a line. One woman after the other. After four laps around in the circle you will meet up with the nurse who you gave your name to and they will either give you your new uniforms or send you into that line over there." he pointed to the line that led to the tin roof building.

"And now I'll pass word off to Elsa." Bastian stepped off to the side to stand at his post with another nurse. The woman names Elsa began talking but her accent wasn't like theirs'. She had an American accent just like Tohru.

"After I am finished you will do as Bastian has said. If you have demon decent line up in a line near the front wall." Tohru watched as half of the crowd walked to the place Elsa had spoken of. All of them with their ears and tails shaking with fear. Tohru felt sympathy for them, how could they just get locked up like this. Not that anything too bad has happened, a few threats but demons were people of the land.

"Look!" The girl next to Tohru nudged her in the side and they both watched a demon woman run to a tall fence where there was a hole at the bottom. The crowd watched in horror as they heard a sizzling sound and the woman's body flinching and twitching uncontrollably. Her flesh started to burn and Tohru recognized the foul scent from when they first walked in. Two guards walked over to the charred body, picked it up, and flung it like a rag doll into a large ditch. Tohru wondered what was in that giant hole that was dug into the ground, but she dared not walk out of the crowd.

"If any of you try to escape as she did 500 volts of electricity will course through your body." Elsa walked over to the line where the demons were and gave them orders. Tohru and the crowd around her watched as they walked out of the gates and disappeared. That's when Tohru noticed the barbed wire on top of the gates surrounding the area.

"Alright!" Bastian called. "Get in lines in front of the nurses." Tohru swallowed the clump in her throat as she waited for her and Momo's turn to meet their fate.

"Where are we going Sohma-san?" Shia asked as she held onto Yuki's middle half. It had been a whole day they had been riding. Her butt was sore and she was starving. None of the soldiers had showered and they stunk of death.

"We're going to where Honda-san is. I just hope she's still there." His eyes stung and his heart pained. Shia could tell Kyo and Rin were feeling the same thing.

"Where was onee-chan taken?" Neither of them answered. "Tell me, where is she?"

"She was taken in a cattle car to a camping port. From there if she passes through their so called tests, she will gain be hauled back into the cattle car and taken farther south to what they call a concentration camp." Shia looked at Rin puzzled, the name scared her even though she didn't know what it meant to go there. "I've only seen a camp once before, visiting the head general. I don't ever want to see it again." Rin was harsh and rigid most of the time but here, as she spoke about the camp her face showed saddness and despair.

"Wh-what did you see?" Shia asked curiously. Rin shot a death glare and kicked her horse into a faster pace than Yuki's was going. "Sohma-san…what if something bad happens to Tohru there?"

"We'll get to her before anyone even breathes near her." Kyo answered forcefully.

"You better keep that promise Kyo." Yuki stared at his cousin with sorrow.

"I'll bring her back to us no matter what." Kyo added and it relieved Shia to hear it. She knew Kyo would make sure of it because he took so good care of Tohru in the first place.

"You hear that Tohru? We're coming for you." Shia sighed and rested her head on Yuki's warm back. Slowly she began to fall asleep at the sound of his heartbeat…

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A Wej is a Jew but backwards, it's a religion and Tohru is not one of them. I scared to see what happens in the next chapter