Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Between the Sohmas or Life as Someone Else ❯ A Glimpse of Power ( Chapter 2 )

Oh what cruel world makes me say that I do not own Fruits Basket and the marvelous, exotic, gorgeous, and sexy men the Sohma's are?

Not this world, because I am happy to say that I do not own them! They are too much of a handful! Much like my little friend, Akai. Although I have to say, she is just an original character, a figment of my imagination. And my real best friend. Heh, heh, heh.

Chapter Two:

A Glimpse of Power

Tohru moaned as her head pounded and ached. She heard talking, and the darkness began to recede from within her head. Oh, Akai. . . Shizukani kudasai! Tohru knew her little sister obliged no one, even her, unless it was her own welfare. Akai was causing quite a ruckus, pounding on her head- wait a minute. That wasn't Akai pounding on her head! That was her head pounding in her head!

Tohru moaned again as the realization seemed to make the pain double in feel. Stupid headache. . . She heard the sound of voices, soft baritones, and deep octaves filled her head, none of them made sense until she heard an outraged shriek of pain. She recognized it, she heard it on that day seven years ago when rain pelted the earth mercilessly, and washed her body with sorrow, but this time, it cried a different name.

ONEESAN!!!

The screech woke her faster than anything else would have, she felt her sisters pain rolling off of her in waves before she dared a glance at the other occupants in the room. She knew instinctively that Akai was not here, she was somewhere near her. . . She could feel it. . .

But where!?

A man with a golden eye and a white coat looked over at her from the table. His eye widened in surprise. "You're awake."

Tohru felt her head spin, and willed herself to heal. "Where am I?"

"In the Sohma main house." The man said. His hair was dark brown, and was longer on one side as if to cover his wound. One that left him with one blind eye, but both were intact. "My name is Hatori Sohma."

The man smiled, but it was a frozen smile. One that didn't reach the cold in his eyes.

"I'm-"

"Tohru Honda!" A happy voice sang from somewhere else.

Tohru turned her head, and saw a black haired man in a brown suit, his gray eyes staring deep into hers. She pulled the sheets in the bed up instinctively, and only then did she realize where she was.

She was in a bed, a giant one, in a room that had to be bigger than her tavern, and upper rooms combined. There was a large window to the right of the bed where moonlight filtered in. A bright lamp on the ceiling, and in various corners of the room lit the room brightly. She saw the room was rather. . .feminine, with pink walls, and carpet. Her sheets were white, and she had a fore poster bed, with soft white curtains falling from the top. A desk in the corner, where the man- Hatori- sat, giving the new arrival looks of annoyance.

The newcomer appeared to have been sitting on a couch of some sort, and rose when he heard the two exchange words.

The man was grinning wildly, and called greeting to Hatori. "Ha-san! How is your patient?"

Hatori rolled his eyes. "You can see she's doing fine, can't you?"

The man flinched in mock hurt. "Oh! You wound me so by saying such callous things, Ha-san!"

Hatori ignored him returned to whatever work was at hand.

Tohru watched the man come up to the side of her bed, and bow gallantly, and raise her hand to his lips in a knightly gesture. "I am Sir Shigure Sohma. Black Knight of the Sohma House!"

Tohru nodded. "I- I'm honored greatly!" She said nervously.

Shigure rested a hand to his heart. "Ah!" Shigure said with great dramatics, that Tohru made her classical Tohru face 0 . 0``. "The beautiful flower has given me the gift that will never fade from my heart! What is this gift, you ask? It is the gift of-"

"Tohru-san!" Another man with long white hair flowed into the room, leaping to the other side of the bed. "Gure-chan, what has our teddy bear been bestowing upon you?"

The man with silver hair held a captivating beauty, dressed in a red suit that made his golden eyes sparkle.

"Well, Aya-chan," Shigure said, his voice dreamy as his eyes went faraway. "She has claimed it an honor to meet me!"

Aya gasped. "Uso!"

"Nn." Shigure said with a nod. "It's true! She has claimed it as such, right my little flower?"

Tohru, completely confused could only agree. O////O;;;

"See!" Shigure said. "Ah! I am so happy. . ."

Hatori had suddenly come up with a fit of coughs, that didn't worry the two men, only Tohru.

"Well, my little teddy bear," Aya said suddenly distracting her. "What if I were to tell you I am Sir Ayame Sohma, White Knight of the Sohma Clan!" (Insert trumpet music here please!)

"Oh. . ." >_< White knight of the Sohma Clan. . .Ayame? And the Black Knight is Shigure, and the doctor is Hatori. Got it! ^_^

Ayame and Shigure began to playfully argue about something or other when Tohru heard the sound again.

ONEESAN! IIADA! IIADA, IIADA! USO! Tohru saw her sister, she was in a fetal position, in the dark. She was covering her head with her arms. ONEESAN! TASUKETE! ONEGAI O TASUKETE!!! Her sisters thoughts were weak and fragmented. Tohru became worried. . .

The men beside her shivered, their talk ceased.

Tohru looked up, with worried tears in her eyes. "Where is my sister?"

~~~~~~~~~~

Tohru saw the little blonde boy, the dark haired boy and the little blonde girl who hid in the arms of the dark haired one. In the corner, she saw another boy, one of the ones who had come to pock her up. The black and white haired one. . . What was his name? Something with an H. . .

The room was the same as hers, nearly identical, but the color scheme was a pale lavender.

Her sister was on the bed, thrashing about and screaming incoherent things, but every once in a while, she would say CURSE, and it was that word that seemed to scare the four away from Akai.

The doctor attempted to get close to her, but was suddenly thrown away by an invisible force, and threw him up against a nearby wall.

"AKAI!" Tohru cried out. "Akai!"

Akai's movements stopped. Tohru? Is that you? She sounded weary, and weak.

Tohru smiled through tears that threatened to spill. It's me.

Akai was afraid, and that feeling was being echoed into those closest to her. The reason why the four kids were afraid. The reason Tohru was afraid.

Come here, Akai. Tohru said, holding her hand to her sister.

I can't. Akai said pitifully. It's so dark. . . I can't see! Akai relayed the darkness that surrounded her to her sister, it was black. . .squeezing. . .constricting. . .terrifying.

Tohru walked to Akai, the wall that had thrown the doctor back wasn't there. She sat on the bed beside her, and felt Akai roll closer to her. She touched a hand to her brow, and pulled back with a cry of fear, hurt, loss, and confusion.

Akai rolled away again, pulling away with her body and her mind.

"AKAI!" Tohru shouted.

ONEESAN! Tasukete! Tohru could barely hear her sister, she was wounded beyond help. An illness was in her, one from being in this house where a curse reigned, no doubt. Ultra sensitive by nature, Akai would be easy pickings for the dark feelings in here.

"Akai," Tohru leaned down, and embraced her sister. "Come here Akai. Don't leave me alone. If you leave me, I'll be so sad."

I won't! Akai promised. I'll protect you! I'll protect you neesan! I love you, now and always! I won't leave you. Her thoughts became stronger, bent on protecting her sister. She was fighting the illness tooth and nail. Her mother and Saki taught her how to build 'walls' to protect themselves, and now she was rebuilding them.

"Akai, I won't leave either, so come back now!" Tohru demanded. She knew her sister was weakening, she could feel it. She was so close The walls in her heart were nearly complete! "Don't you dare leave me!"

It's so dark . . . Akai shivered, Tohru pressed a hand to her again. I can feel you. . . I can hear you. . . Where are you?

"Follow my voice, you hear me?" Tohru said, pulling her sister to her body, protecting her like shield. "Follow my voice, and come to my warmth."

The other occupants in the room watched as a white light swirled around the two, and a red light enclosed them into a ball. Tohru was stroking her sisters body, which seemed lifeless in her arms, giving both a fragile look.

Shigure and Ayame had entered the room, and fear washed over them, followed by content and determination. The rest of the children had the same glint in their eyes.

The two sisters would make it through this.

Hatori was still unconcious, and saw bits and pieces of a memory. There was no sight, just sound, and these were silent compared to the heart shattering cry of denial that woke him to a room of silence.

The red and white glow faded, and Tohru held Akai closely.

Ayame leaned over to Shigure and murmured, "So Hatori was right. These two may be able to save him."

"Of course." Shigure whispered. "He is his brother, he would make no mistake.

The adults had taken the frightened kids out of the room, and into the other wings of the house, leaving the sisters together.

Tohru fell asleep holding her sweet sister, but dreamt of a tormented man, a man who had begun to haunt Akai's dreams.

We need to help him, Tohru-neesan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Morning light fell upon the two sleeping forms that burrowed under the warm covers to avoid the sunlight, and the sound of female voices.

"Miine will you be quite!" A voice hushed. "They're trying to get sleep!"

"Oooh, but Sir Aya has asked me to give them clothes! And you know how I love to do that Kana!"

"A little too well. . ."

One of the forms stirred from the voices, and a little red head popped up. Unruly red curls fell all over the place, as weary lavender eyes watered with a yawn. "What's going on so early in the morning?"

Akai saw two girls. Both looked shocked, and could only stare with wide eyes at the red headed little girl.

One had short brown hair, and warm brown eyes. The other had darker brown hair in two braided pig tails with wide, round eyes and glasses. Both wore frilly maid outfits of black covered with white.

"You're alive." The short haired one said.

Akai looked at her. "Yes, I'm Akai. Who are you?

The short haired one blushed. "Sorry, I'm Kana, this is my sister, Miine."

Miine smiled at her. "How are you? Care to come over hear and try on some clothes?"

That was when Akai noticed the pile of clothes at hand. There were all sorts of dresses, in pink, white, beige, blue, all the different colors in bold, pale, bright, plain. . . Akai began to get a little dizzy staring at all those colors on the floor. . .

Akai panicked for a second, then calmed down. She could take the two girls if they threatened her or her sister. No need, she could try on clothes.

Akai got out of bed, then realized how the two were looking at her.

Miine looked a little dismayed, and Kana looked baffled. "Um. . . Sir Aya said you were a girl." Miine said shyly.

Akai looked down, and realized, she hadn't bathed, and that she still wore nasty clothes, and boy clothes on a twiggy girl would look like boy clothes on a twiggy boy. Akai sighed. "I am a girl. But, do you have any baths I could use? I feel a little grungy from yesterday. . ."

Miine gasped. "I heard Kyo leapt on you to catch you!"

Kana made a sound of disbelief. "No! He leapt on this poor little girl? How dreadful!" A gleam lit her eye. "We must tell sir, Ayame."

Miine smiled wickedly. "I already have!"

The two girls erupted into gales of laughter, and turned back to Akai. "Of course we can give you a bath Miss Akai." Kana said. "Come, I will take you- believe me, you're safer with me than with that nutcase of a sister."

As if on cue, Miine cackled, and was sneaking towards the bed. She wasn't even five feet to it before Akai growled. "She can come with me then."

Miine turned around, and smiled warmly. Akai could feel her feelings were real, and that the words didn't count. But, she knew what she would mean, and Akai suddenly felt guilty.

Miine meant no harm. They had only been playing around. And she had ruined it.

Akai bit her lip, and built the wall again. But not before her feeling of guilt bounced off of her.

Miine looked surprised for a moment, then shook her head. "It's okay you know." Miine said. "I won't hurt her. Everyone in this house would die before they hurt her. She is too precious to us, and we intend to protect her, and you, if it makes both of you happy."

Lie. The feeling of deceit feathered her spirit. Miine looked honest. She had changed the wording somehow to make it so it was a lie. . .yet it was truth.

Akai only nodded, her lavender eyes lit closer to silver.

"Now come," Kana said, lightly pulling her arm. "I will get you bath for you."

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