• 1 Year Ago. Villain: Akito.
"I admire your nerve..." Akito was laying on the porch. Annoyed his plan failed. Revolted this outsider hadn't reacted the way he wanted. He wanted to hurt Kyo, hurt Yuki, to get them both back in line. Remind them... Sohmas only had each other. So when Kyo's Master came to him, asking for permission to show this girl Kyo's true form... he didn't have any real belief she could get through to him.
But she had, she reached out to a demon of rage, and soothed it... Akito could feel it, as the core, the curse was lighter. Not gone, but... calmer. And it terrified him. For if the curse was ever lifted... he'd die all the sooner.
Akito tried his best to keep his voice calm. Thankful Harry wasn't here. "What have you come here for? Go on, tell me. I won't be angry." He spoke pleasant lies. "What have you come here for?"
The girl, kneeling respectfully, while facing towards the front of the building... never looking at him. She dared lie in turn, "I don't know."
Weakly getting to his feet... everything about him was weak. He walked with false calm over to the girl. Standing before her, he grabbed a fist full of her hair, and jerked her about with what little strength he had.
However, the dog, and that damn rat, were quickly on him, attempting to hold him in place.
Regardless, he didn't let go of the girl's hair, as he raged, "It's not that you don't know, is it?! You just can't say it, can you?! Well, let me say it for you! 'You want to keep living together with everyone in that house' right? Well I won't allow it! I will make you regret, having anything to do with the Sohmas! I will make you Suffer! Suffer as we suffer!"
Akito turned to those holding him "You all will realize this as well. You cannot ever leave the Sohmas! That you cannot ever go against me!"
He paused in his rant. A dark smile coming to his black heart... as he heard her begin to cry. "Now, then. I wanna hear you beg. Swear to have nothing more to do, with the Sohmas."
She stayed quiet a moment, but when she began to speak... "It must have been very painful... To be told on the very day you were born... that you were going to die..."
He froze, no one had ever actually acknowledged that... no one had given it a second thought.
"How very painful... that must have been..." She wept. HOW DARE SHE!!!
"What was?!" He demanded. Akito tightened his grip on her hair. "What do you know about it?!"
"Yes... I can't imagine something so horrible." She continued to weep. "Shigure, and Yuki, and Kyo, are surely dreading it. Hatori, to. And when you're gone, we will all be sad...very sad, I believe. And so..."
Akito actually chuckled, a dark, humorless chuckle. Full of so much pain. "Who's going to be sad? Everyone else is able to be alive, thanks to me. They all hope that I'll be gone quickly. I was born in order to die. That's what was decided."
The girl started sobbing harder. "Why? Who decided such a thing?"
And that's when Akito realized... she wasn't crying because of him... she was crying FOR him. That thought sent him into full blown panic.
"Akito-san, you're alive, aren't you?"
"Alive?" Akito raged at her tears... its all he knew what to do. It was the only way he could hope to hope. To rage at the dying of the light. He wouldn't go quietly into the night! "You call this being alive?"
She cried harder... for him...
He panicked, " It has been decided. It has been decided! And they never even asked me...!"
His fellow Sohmas gasped. Shocked to hear him say that. While he was shocked he said it. Akito started shaking, his panic intensifying.
"...didn't know my mom was going to die-" She weeped... for him...
"Stop talking!" He ordered. Then called for his most faithful. "Hatori! Erase this girl's memory! Do it now!"
But he didn't move.
"Hatori!" His panic only raised at being ignored.
"I wanted her to live a long time." The girl muttered. "I wanted her... to stay with me."
"Stop crying." Akito begged. "Stop it! Stop crying!" feeling his own eyes burn.
"I don't know what this curse is, but..." She looked up at him. Eyes so full of understanding... of compassion. "...I am happy that I met you, Akito. I do not regret it, not at all... So please, tell me how you feel. Even if you're angry, or bitter, or frustrated. Whatever it is you're feeling... Right now, Akito... you're alive..."
Akito felt his world shatter.
You're Alive.
Slowly, he let her go.
You're Alive.
Her hair slid from his fingers.
You're Alive.
His clanmen hesitantly released him.
You're Alive.
He suddenly slammed his fist into the dog's stomach. Then threw the rat to the ground.
You're Alive.
he weakly stumbled back, everyone staring at him... Torho waiting patiently for an answer.
You're Alive.
She wanted to know how he felt. This girl, openly crying for a monster as black as he.
"I don't know..." Oh he knew... he just couldn't bring himself to say it...
• Present Day. Villain: British Ministry of Magic.
"This is all my fault," Harry wept. Sitting in the audience, with the Zodiac members. Akito sitting next to Remus. Near the front of the court room. "If I hadn't been such a martyr. Hadn't let the temple turn me. Hadn't begged to go to a magical university! None of this would be happening!!!"
Kyo put his arm around his closest friend, and that was quite an accomplishment, given all Torho did for him. "It's going to be okay. You'll see. You're worrying about nothing."
The Wizengamot members, slowly wandered back into the courtroom, not a care in the world. With each of them promised a million galleons. they had to decide if they hated werewolves, more then they loved money.
"Remus Lupin," The newest Minister for Magic, glared down at the werewolf. As Remus stood. "On near 30 counts of turning minors," They really like to round up. The ministry seemed far less concerned with exact numbers, then the Japanese own court system. "We find you... guilty. but due too mitigating circumstances, we won't assign any time in Azkaban. Merely a fine of 30% of your holdings." So that's why they rounded up.
The Minister banged his gavel. Then carelessly dismissed them, calling in the next case.
Akito was fuming, they just had to squeeze more money out of them. But a gentle touch from Torhu eased his temper.
Looking at Remus, Akito decided. "To help you recover. The Sohma will be paying for your school's expenses, until the beginning of next term."
Remus visibly sagged, but from relief. "Thank you, Akito."
Akito waved off, "The Somha clan is responsible for your pack. The temples wouldn't expect anything less." That was a lie. An excuse to do something charitable. And they all knew it. But none commented, allowing Akito to retain his dignity.
Remus got his nerve up, and asked. "Akito-Sama, I would... request permission, to ask Hatori to marry me."
Akito hid a smirk, but forced himself to project a considering aura. For a long few silent moments, he just let Remus stew. After all, just because he was 'reformed' didn't mean he didn't still enjoy making his charges Squirm. In particular Harry, whom visibly gulped, when Akito glanced at him
"It would give me greater authority, if our allied werewolf pack, was established as a branch family of the Sohma Clan." He said, to momentarily cause feelings of dread. Leaving out, that it would also give him greater responsibility. Harry actually swallowed, paling significantly.
Akito might no longer plan to act openly, against the boy... that would hurt Torhu too much. But he didn't mind playing his mind games.
Looking back to Remus, Akito properly began negotiations. "I'd be willing, if any child you may have," given male wizards could get pregnant. "Would one day become head of your pack. Not Harry-Chan."
Remus stiffened, as if that was so high a price. But really. It would merely be cementing the whole pack as a branch family, if a Sohma was in charge. It wasn't asking so much.
Harry glared, before assuring his father. "It's fine, dad, I don't wanna be in charge, anyway."
Remus gulped. Before nodding his acceptance to Akito.
"I would appreciate it. If you formally established yourselves, as a branch family. Renaming the pack 'Sohma', and taking the name yourself."
Harry's eyes buggered out of his head. To be accepted as a branch family, was one thing, but to actually take the name 'Sohma' was a great honor. Just what was Akito playing at?
• Meanwhile: Yoshimasa Temple.
The Hanyou, had no name. For he came from a time, where "Half Breeds" were often treated with disgust and violence. He had been left to die in the wilds. Surviving as a feral beast... until the original Yoshimasa, sealed him. Binding him to her temple, to be used as her weapon... he was treated a little worse then an animal...
Until Chitose was born. She treated him with nothing but kindness, even taught him how to read. This tiny child, an orphan given to the temple, was his first friend.
The temple had already began to change, when she was born. But no one dared think of him as anything but a weapon... until her.
And When she became high priestess of the temple... it had been the happiest day of the Hanyou's life.
And now she was dead. She had been old, and passed peacefully in her sleep... leaving a hole in his heart... his little Chitose-chan... However, in death, she did one final kindness for him... she named him high priest of the Yoshimasa Temple.
Not even she, as high priestess, could remove his seal. But now, as leader of the temple, he was finally his own master. Even if it came with the responsibility of organizing the priestess.
"Damn you, imouto-chan!!!" The hanyou playfully shook his fist at the sky. "Dumping all your responsibilities on me, AGAIN!!!"
"It's what I do,"
The Hanyou froze. Hesitantly looking behind him, a silver phantom floating there.
He gulped at the ghost, but certainly not from fear. "Chitose-chan," he breathed.
The tiny ghost pouted. "How many times do I have to tell you!" she more demanded then asked. "Stop calling me 'chan', I'm nearly 250 years old!!!"
"Still young enough to be rounding up your age," The Hanyou smirked.
"Gah!!!" the ghost exclaimed. "I knew I should have crossed over!!!"
The Hanyou just smiled. Hesitantly walking over to the spirit. Then pulled her into a hug. His demonic heritage, allowing him to touch her. "I'm glad... you decided to stay." He whispered.
Chitose stiffened, not expecting to still be able to hug people. Then, just as hesitantly, hugged him back... neither of them were very big huggers, given what time period they were born into. "I couldn't very well abandon my oniisan."