Epidemic (Of Darkness)

Chapter 9

A/N: thank you all for reviewing chapter 8. It was very exciting and with a huge turn of events. WOOOW it has been so long since I've even looked at this story and I must say I am so sorry. What caught my eye was this absolutely amazing endearing review from joeiwhaley 17. No one has ever written me something so sweet like that and it is great you wrote that at that time because I just had to deal with a mean reviewer who didn't critisize my work in a mature way, hurting my feelings and pride a little. So thank you I of course also want to thank everyone else for reviewing! Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket *whispers in dejection*

The humility and embarrassment stabbed Tohru in the heart. Her whole body was blushed red and she tried to cover her naked skin as much as she could with her hands. Little Momo stood behind Tohru, shivering and crying. Tohru no longer could keep Momo warm due to the fact that she herself was losing body heat and the men had stripped them of their clothes.

"Run." the man named Bastian demanded. His eyes were dark and cold, his expression even colder. The women began to do as told and jogged lightly in a big circle. Their breaths could been seen in the cold air, and white little snow flakes fell from the grey sky. Tohru took Momo's hand in hers and they ran. And they ran, and they ran.

Momo was having a hard time catching her breath, her chest heaved and her she tumbled to her knees. Tohru stopped immediately and hunched to the ground, patting Momo on the back.

"What do you think you're doing!" a nurse yelled. She then blew a small whistle which signaled two large guards to come over from their posts. Tohru watched in concern as the little girl caught her breath.

"You okay Momo-chan?" her little blonde curls bounced as she nodded her head and wiped the few tears that remained on her cheeks. Suddenly her eyes went wide with fear and Tohru heard the snap of a whip, and that's when she felt the pain. It seared through her back and up into her head. Tohru turned around and standing over her was the blonde guard. His eyes fierce and his hand was gripping a long whip.

"who said you could stop running?" He cracked the whip in the air and the women and children around them gasped, but continued to jog.

"I- Momo needed to catch her breath-I was- I was just making sure she was alright." Tohru answered honestly. The pain in her back was unbearable and she wanted to cry but she knew she had to be strong.

"Oh is that right? Momo needed to catch her breath?" He said in a mocking tone before grabbing Tohru by her hair and pushing her face into the frozen dirt. "Well it seems to me that Momo here should be punished for making you step out of line. Since you were only seeing if she was okay." he walked over to the shivering Momo, "Turn your back to me!"

Momo slowly did as told and she began to cry, bracing herself for the pain she was about to experience. The man rose his arm and was about to strike, "No!" Tohru ran in front of Momo, blocking her from the whip. "It was my fault, I'll take the punishment. Just-don't hurt her."

The man looked to Bastian and then back to Tohru. Momo was now hugging Tohru's leg, still shivering. "I've seen enough from this child. Dress her and move her to my quarters. I shall deal with her later." Bastian ordered one of the nurses. Tohru and Momo exchanged saddened glances and then she was taken out of sight. "Now, if you please. Hand me that whip." The blonde guard did exactly that and stepped away.

"What is your name again?" Bastian asked in his thick accent.

"T-Tohru Honda." she answered with chattering teeth. She watched him tentatively as he looked her up and down.

"Turn around and get down on all fours." Tohru closed her eyes and did as he commanded. Her body tensed, bracing itself. And then she heard the crack of the whip, and then she heard it again. The sound echoed in the air and pain surged. It created wave after wave of pain and it made her head float. After the sixth crack Bastian was breathing heavy and tossed the whip away.

By now all the other women and children were standing in their lines; watching Tohru bleed and cry. "We're finished." He walked away to stand in his line and began splitting the women up. Tohru sat there, hugging her knees to her chest. The blood dripped from her back to the ground and even though her body was numb from the cold, the pain stung. Tears ran down her cheeks one after the other, she couldn't stop. But she wasn't crying for herself, she couldn't stop thinking about where they had taken Momo.

Afraid that they were hurting her…or worse. Tohru stood up and winced at the slight burn in her back. "Where did you take Momo?" She asked with a steady, and eager voice. Bastian took his eyes off his clipboard and glared at her. "Where is she?" Tohru asked again. he sighed.

"Doesn't matter now. You wont be seeing her." His nonchalant voice made something rise inside Tohru. Anger? Yes, she was mad that he acted so casual about what he and his men were doing to these poor innocent people. "Now get dressed and step into that line over there. Or do you need another lesson?" his eyes bore into Tohru's soul it felt like. She bit her lip and redressed herself. After standing in the back of line for more than half the day it started moving. Tohru watched as the other line of women still had no clothes on and were being escorted to the building with the tin roof.

She never saw anyone of them come out. Slowly the women and herself were packed into another one of those vehicles. But this time there wasn't any room. The women were smashed together and Tohru could barely move let alone breathe. The only one good thing about being squished in there was that she wasn't cold anymore. Tohru sighed sadly and peeked through a small hole in the door. Bastian blew a small whistle and then walked away, the gates of the camp closed and the train moved slowly. Women were crying and complaining they were hungry. Tohru just stood there, quiet and silent. Tears ran down her cheek as she knew she would never see Momo again.

Shia sighed impatiently as she sat next to Yuki on the small couch. The room she was sitting in was inside of a huge brick mansion. It was cozy and very wealthy looking. The only bad thing about it was the smell that had enveloped the whole outside of the building. "Relax. Try to be patient." Yuki said softly with a small smile. She smiled back and turned her attention to Kyo. He was pacing back and forth, back and forth and hadn't stopped moving for a second since they had arrived.

Rin was leaning against the big open window on the opposite side of the room. She quietly glared outside into the snow, grey skies. "Um Rin-san what are you looking at?" Shia asked as she stood up to walk over to the dark haired girl.

"Shia maybe you shouldn't-" Yuki grabbed her hand. It made her even more curious. He released her and she continued to the window. Shia gasped at what her eyes were seeing. Men, women, and children. They were all naked. Some marched this way some marched that way. In lines leading to two buildings. One of those buildings had a plume of smoke and ash spewing from it's chimney. The other was smaller and had a tin roof. Next to the barbed wire fence of the weird place was a train track which stretched over the horizon for miles.

"I see you're enjoying the view." Shia flinched at the man's voice. He was tall and had jet black hair. His eyes were a deep, piercing blue. She watched him take a seat in front of Yuki and he poured himself a cup of tea. "The last shipment was half an hour ago. On it's way to a camp." he smiled politely at Yuki and Kyo.

"You think this is okay? That it's right? Locking people out there in the cold doing god knows what with them?" as Shia ranted, the man sat there in silence, a small smirk on his lips. Yuki grabbed Shia gently and sat her down.

"Bastian, we're sorry to interrupt your busy schedule but we need to know if a Tohru Honda entered the camp port today?" Yuki asked politely. Everyone listened with concern and hope. He sipped his tea and then locked eyes with Shia.

"a Tohru Honda you say?" shia started to feel uncomfortable and snuggled closer to Yuki.

"Yes. She has brown hair and brown eyes. Maybe about this tall." Yuki stood up and placed his hand a few inches below his chin. Bastian stood up and snapped his fingers. A man in a black suit walked in with a clipboard.

"This is the camp list from today. We record all of the names. If she was here she was either transported to a mother camp or she was escorted into the furnace."

Kyo grabbed Bastian by his collar. "You fucker! Does she look like a fucking demon to you?" Bastian sighed.

"Kyo I assure you, I have no clue who this woman was. If she didn't pass then she didn't pass. She wasn't worthy of living." Kyo raised his fist. "But, I said I don't know who she is. She could be on the car making her way to Auschwitz."

"What's that?" Shia asked.

"It's one of our mother camps. The car will arrive there in a week." Kyo released him and Bastian dusted off his suit. "I see you and your men are all covered in blood. Please, make yourselves at home. There are plenty of showers down stairs."

"Bastian. Do you record who goes into the furnace?" Yuki asked.

"we put there names on the list when we check them. But we don't write who went where. We have another list that has the names for the people being transferred to what camps. The Auschwitz file is with one of my nurses now. She can help you."

"Thank you for your cooperation Bastion." Yuki bowed and Bastian returned it.

"Please stay as long as you would like. If you'll excuse me." His icy blue eyes locked with Shia's one more time before he left the room.

"Sohma-sama, we have to find that nurse and get to Tohru." Shia was filled with hope. Tohru was strong, there was no way she would have been killed here.

"I'll find her." Kyo was taking his armor off. "I'm fast and the sooner the better." Rin took her armor off as well.

"You may be fast. But I'm faster. I'll find the nurse and get the list. You all relax and try to clean up." after she gave the order she ran and disappeared.

Short I know, but I'll have the next one up much faster I promise!