A/N: I know it's been a while since I last visited even my own story, so I would like to be honest here: I totally forgot what kind of ending I planned for this story, so it'll take a while for me to reach the conclusion. But this story would come to an end soon, maybe about ten more chapters? I don't know either.
This whole chapter is actually more of a filler chapter, for me to gather the scattered important details in the other chapters. Please let me know if I forgot anything important.
And about why Ruka knows about Shion and Azuma's promise/wish/etc, I just figured that androids have their own 'USB-cable' kind of thing to share information in their systems.
...And so, I was wondering if I should make a 'sort-of-prequel' to the past before 'Shion' officially started, which would contain more of Child!Ren and Child!Kyoko, and maybe about younger Azuma and Saena, up until Azuma disappeared from Shion and Ruka's sights... so that I can clear up the concepts behind Servant Beasts and some other things.
Let me know what all of you think about it.
Disclaimers: I do not own any of the Skip Beat! characters, but I do own my characters. Contain OOC elements and language (if any)
Chapter 22: Reasons
It was brave of Kyoko to have the determination to know about every conspiracy spun in the dark, but Ruka was still hesitant to speak about Shion's secrets.
Due to the high probability of Kyoko releasing her remaining few grudges, which can really turn nastier than when they had more comrades, the gang moved their location to Lory's castle-like mansion.
And then, Ruka made a request to leave Kyoko and herself alone in the living room, saying that she wanted to have a conversation only with the actress.
Of course, Ren wanted to refuse, but the fox girl shot him a dirty look and said, "Stop being a mother hen, aren't you a man? Or what, are you going to tell me that you're staying with her because you're her boyfriend? Stop trying to make other people's business your own, you nosy thing."
The part about him wanting to stay by her side because he's her boyfriend struck him close to the base and he was left openly smirked at by his irritating manager and the annoying messenger of love of a president.
Ruka enjoyed the delicious tea and snacks made by Sebastian, though she didn't show the joy on her face. Why was she even relaxing like a boss when she was supposed to be doing the talking?
Well, she's waiting for a certain orange head to stop fidgeting and hesitating.
Placing the fifth cup of Darjeeling on the coffee table, Ruka leaned against the fancy pink cushion of the sofa she was lounging on. It seems that Kyoko is done worrying about whatever was on her mind.
"Now then, what do you want to know first?" Ruka questioned.
Kyoko nodded, "Why… and how did Shion-kun know about my… mother…?" She was still uncomfortable talking about that woman.
Ruka seemed to be troubled over the explanation, "In order to talk about that, I will need to talk about your father, is that alright?"
"My… father?" Kyoko knitted her eyebrows together in puzzlement. Shion-kun even knew about Dad?
"Unless you're extremely stupid, you should realize that the moment your father comes up in this topic, he's involved in the manufacturing of Servant Beasts." Ruka started brushing her equally snow white fox tail with a brush Sebastian gave her.
Kyoko wasn't entirely clueless at that. Of course, she didn't know beforehand that her father was actually involved in such experiments, but now that all these things happened, somewhere in her mind she suspected that.
So she only nodded without any word.
"The main topic starts here." Ruka glances at her, "According to your father, he regretted greatly about leaving you alone with that witch you called mother. Yet, he didn't have the courage to show up before you because he thought he had no rights to."
Kyoko wanted to say that he didn't have to worry about such things, but as long as she doesn't understand the reason he did that…
"So that thing thought of creating Shion, with the appearance of your childhood friend as the blueprint." Ruka continued, "In which he did, 20 years ago."
The actress's heart skipped a beat when a bigger picture of how her father looked like started floating around the main part of her brain. Clenching her fists, she swallowed dryly, "You don't mean…"
"Exactly." The fox girl glared straight into her teary eyes, "Your father is the very genius scientist who created Servant Beasts out of imagination."
"P-Professor…" Kyoko somehow couldn't bring herself to say that name aloud now that she knew who made Shion suffer so much over the two decades of years.
"Hinamori Azuma." Ruka finished the sentence for her.
"For the sake of the daughter he left alone, that thing watched her from afar, observed the only son of the woman he once loved, which coincidentally was your friend, created Shion out of his blueprints, and experimented on him until he successfully completed a perfect friend for her."
"Hinamori Azuma is your father, Mogami Kyoko." Watching as tears started pouring from Kyoko's wide eyes of disbelief, Ruka sighed.
Kyoko covered her face with her palms to prevent herself from crying aloud, "D-Did President k-knew about my f-father?" Her voice was quivering, and Ruka knew she was close to breaking down now.
"Probably not." Ruka didn't understand how Shion could put up with such an emotional girl; again with the humans' emotions crap, maybe.
Willing herself to throw away the very idea of crying, Kyoko removed her palms from her face, sucking in a deep breath before looking at Ruka again, "You mean Dad used Shotaro's appearance—"
"I don't mean that piece of junk you always chased after like an idiot." Ruka interrupted rudely, driving a screw to Kyoko's old wound, "I mean the other one."
"The other—eh?" Kyoko was surprised, "Corn?"
"I don't know his name, but I reckon so." Ruka then shook her head irritably, "I don't understand how that stubborn fool can go along with that thing's wishes."
"W-What did Dad wish for?"
Ruka looked as if she was staring into her soul through her unearthly red eyes, "He wished for Shion to protect you from your mother if there's a time he can't be around."
Kyoko clenched her fists against her lap. Shion-kun was always protecting me… everywhere, every time… and yet, all I had in mind was myself! I—
"Just so you know; Shion didn't do it only because it was his master's wish." Ruka wanted to end her obvious self-beating, "That stubborn fool is a big softie when it comes to humans."
"B-But Corn is a fairy prince! Dad fell in love with the fairy queen?" Kyoko was more interested in that, actually.
For a split second, the actress thought she saw Ruka make a face of sympathy, but then again, it might be her imaginations.
"I don't know and don't care who or what that thing fell in love with." Ruka dismissed it mercilessly, "Anyway, after that thing (Azuma) disappeared from our sights, Shion went to see Ikumi Yoshiko immediately, keeping close watch of her so that she doesn't show up before you."
Kyoko felt dejected after having her excitement shot down instantly, but after hearing what Shion did to protect her peaceful life, she was again reminded that the wolf boy was gone for good.
"And recently that stubborn fool made a deal with that witch, apparently." Ruka stood up and walked towards the large door leading to the corridor, "In return for Mogami Kyoko's guardianship, he must pay an amount of 300 thousand US dollars."
The amount was so ridiculous that the actress thought she heard wrong. "3-300… 300 thousand?!"
She opened the door, facing a nervous bunch of people she purposely left outside, "Yes. Now, I must go to Shion."
"W-Wait, Ruka-chan! Do you know where Shion-kun is now?"
Ruka looked back expressionlessly, "What will you do after I tell you?"
"Eh…"
Lory moved to catch the fox girl's attention, "Ruka-kun, what do you think is the best choice for us?
"I think you should no longer poke your nose further into his business, Lory-sama." The way she said it irritated Ren.
"President is just worried about that guy—" The actor scowled.
The snow white girl looks at Ren, "Worried? I don't see why Hinamori Azuma's accomplice would worry about Shion."
Ren wanted to retort, but Lory stopped him with a shake of his head. "It's fine, Ren."
Ruka then stares up at the oldest gentleman before bowing gracefully, "I thank you for your hospitality."
Lory was caught off-guard by her noble-like manners that he answered a 'you're welcome' with a gentleman's bow, "Ruka-kun, I apologize for not being able to stop Azuma."
Ruka merely turned around and left, leaving confused, puzzled and shocked adults in her wake.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well! c(´∀`c)"