Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Between the Sohmas or Life as Someone Else ❯ Cursed Family ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimers: Bubble gum, bubble gum, in a dish, how many wishes do I wish? One; that whoever owns Fruits Basket no sue me! Two: That whoever does own Fruits Basket will realize I really don't own it! Three; That Kyo really was my man!

Chapter Four:

Cursed Family

"What's an empathic?" Kyo asked, watching as Tohru carried Akai behind Yuki and Haru who listened in on the conversation.

"An empathic is someone who can feel emotions of another person as if it were their own." Tohru explained, her face had taken on a grave, serious look of anguish as she stared down at her sister. "You know what empathy is right?" At Kyo's nod, she continued. "Well, an empathic is kind of like that. But. . .instead of placing herself in someone else's shoes in her mind, she really feels the pain they feel. But, because it's not her emotion, she feels it at a multiplied rate. Also, she can make whatever she feels 'echo' off of herself, and into others. Which is why when Hatsuharu-san as in the room, you felt that unknown fear so greatly."

Haru nodded.

The four dropped into silence again, and Tohru just stared down at Akai as her head rested in the crook of her arm. Akai was all she had left in this world, and all she ever will have. Neither can have husbands, to do so would mean losing the Hot Onigiri. And, they needed to be thought of as boys, or else other services would be forced upon them. The only ones to know about the tow daughters were the ones who birthed them, and the Sohmas. To everyone else, they were Tohru and Akai, both with soft looks, and yet a hard personality to be servicing as the only tavern in the town.

And now, they had to help the Sohmas. Tohru wondered how they would manage after the Sohmas dumped them off. There was no question as to what would happen to her and Akai after this, they would be left off at the tavern, and return to their normal lives.

Tohru sighed. She would have to leave them, this family didn't deserve the curse she and Akai were. Didn't their mother tell them that all the time? If you care about someone so much, you'll have to put yourself before them. Even if you get hurt in the end, you are strong. You will live. As long as there are two of you, neither can stray into the path I traveled.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Akai was in a dark place. She could see nothing in front of her, and nothing behind her as she floated in the place between life and death.

She pushed herself forward, and roamed the darkness, knowing there was nothing but her, and whoever's world this was. But, judging by the pain she felt, the person was as sick as she had ever 'seen'. The darkness was sign to that.

As she flit this way and that, her hair floated behind her as the clothes she wore before her knock out followed her, she saw a light. It was faint, merely a glow, but it was there.

The glow illuminated a young man. His hair was pitch black, his eyes the same color as he stared out at the darkness around him. He wasn't afraid of it, like most of the others that were struck will illness. He just stared out at it, a gray yukata wrapping his frail body that was as pale as the faint glow around him.

She pushed herself towards him, and landed in the darkness before him.

"Who are you?" He asked her, a taint of bitterness in his voice.

She stepped into te he circle of his glow, and stood before him, a great contrast to what he was used to obviously as his eyes widened, and his eyes seemed to drink her in.

"I am Akai." She told him. "Who are you?"

"I am Akito." He told her, his voice was empty this time. "Head of the Sohma Clan. Are you here to remind me of who I am?"

"I'm here to help you." She told him. "My sister is here to heal you, but only I can tell her what's wrong."

Akito looked away. "You can't help me." He told her, the bitterness returned. "I am cursed with an early death so my family can live."

Akai kept her walls up- the reason she survived this long in this dark place. "Why are you alone sacrificed?"

He laughed dryly. "Sacrifice. That's a good name for it." He said "I am a sacrifice to my family because thirteen are cursed with forms from the Chinese zodiac when they are hugged by a member of the opposite sex."

Akai nodded. "My sister and I have a curse too."

Akito returned his gaze to her. "What is it?"

Akai's lavender eyes pierced his coal black ones, they were as dark as the shadows around him.

"We are-"

Akai felt a sickening jerk, and a pain that felt like someone had reached in, and pulled her heart out of her body as they beat her to an extent of death.

"WAIT!" She told the hand that was pulling her out. "Akito!" She reached out to him, and he leaned up, his eyes filled with a sudden fear, reaching for her. Her hand barely touched his ice cold fingers before she felt herself vanish.

"AKITO!"

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

Tohru held Akai down before her sister could jerk up.

Hatori had ordered that Tohru prove she could heal someone and named her sister as candidate. They were in the Master's room, the man lay on the bed, his black hair soaked with sweat, his eyes closed, his skin pale as a blanket was on him. The window was open, and fresh air poured in as someone wiped the masters crinkled brow.

Hatori noticed his brothers reaction suddenly. His face was contorted in pain, and a single tear fell down his face, just as Akai screamed his name when Tohru's hand touched her forehead and emitted a blinding light of white, that briefly clashed with red.

Kyo, Yuki, and Haru had turned their heads earlier, knowing what to expect. Ayame, Shigure, Momiji, Hiro, and Kisa now stood heir blinking furiously.

Akai felt a wash of sickness envelope her, and she sensed Akito's need of her again. Tohru's eyes were on hers, turquoise pools of worry which brightened when she reassured her that she was alright. Her eye caught with Hatori's before she ran to Akito and leapt beside him on the bed.

Akai lay herself beside Akito. She placed an arm over his chest, and held his hand. She leaned into his ear, and whispered something. Akito's face slowly, and weakly smiled, much to everyone's surprise. She continued to whisper, and Akito continued to smile. She stroked his hair, and held his hand when she told her sister, "His sickness branches from a curse."

The Sohmas stiffened. "The curse must break if you are to heal him fully, but you are able to bring him to consciousness. He is not so far gone."

Tohru nodded, and patted her sisters head. "You've done a good job Akai."

Akai smiled, worry marred her joy, and she turned back to Akito.

He knows about our curse.

Tohru frowned. We leave after I heal him.

We can break the curse.

Tohru looked around her. Are you willing to?

Let's observe theirs first. It should be interesting.

Tohru touched Akito's forehead. I'll need your help.

Akai didn't hesitate in combining her power with her sisters.

Hatori was amazed to find Akito's mouth move, and his voice-raspy and dry- ask for water almost immediately. He went to fetch it before Tohru placed a hand in front of him, stopping him.

"His body is acting on instinct, you must wait a few hours before it is truly ready for it." Was her way of explaining why she stopped him. "If you give him water now, you could shock his deprived system, which is only used to breathing, and can result in drowning him." She looked up at him, her eyes moist, dark smudges were beneath them, the only sign of her fatigue as she smiled. "I'm sorry."

Akai leapt off the bed, and grabbed Tohru. "Neesan, let's go to bed."

The two sisters left the room of shocked on lookers, unaware of the stir they caused in the house.

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

Elsewhere in time

The glowing figment paused before it witnessed the scene any further. A feeling of success radiated from the warm ball of light it was. Happiness, and a sense of sorrow as well. It floated silently as it watched it's two companions escape from the room where the cursed one lay helpless.

The Honda's. . . The voice was filled with an unnamable emotion. They believed themselves cursed? What tales has their mother told them about their father? Did they not know? Kyoko was deeply in love with her husband, no doubt, which could have been the reason she believed it was a curse. But those Honda siblings, what would they think of their heritage?

The glowing ball of light materialized, and became a beautiful man. Slight in frame, with long glowing gold hair and tawny skin, his blue eyes were the color of a summer sky. He stood, looking down at his looking glass, and sighed as he saw the two holding hands, walking in a hall down the Sohma mansion, towards their room they were given.

The man looked up, and saw a red haired man, equally beautiful, with long locks of deep auburn, and eyes of green. He seemed a little torn, his muscular, pale body drooped with confusion. He looked up at the golden Adonis.

"What should I do with my brothers children?" He asked sadly. "They can't come here, to us- at least not yet. But, I have to watch over them. And as you can see, I haven't been doing a good job at that. The Sohmas were the only people I could trust to protect them, while I give them a way to come here."

The golden haired man sighed. "You know I have grown as fond of them, as you Inferius." He waved his hand before the glass, and Akito's sick body appeared within. "But alas, twas you who decided their fate would be to come here."

"Tis true enough, Levarian." Inferius, the red headed man said. "But I love them as if they were my own. My brothers soul is no where to be found here, and neither is their mother's."

Levarian gave Inferius a look. "Their mother's soul was not allowed within this realm because of Zahra."

"Damn Zahra." Inferius snapped. "Damn her to where she should be! If it were not forbidden, I pray someone blows a whistle her way!"

"Don't say such blasphemy!" Levarian shouted. "Tis forbidden because-"

"Think you I know naught why!?" Inferius snarled, a dark aura surrounding him. "She took the mother from the children, next she will take them for her own! She is due to be amongst the mortals."

"She will not harm them-"

"She will steal them, and pass them as hers here!" Inferius snapped. "I loved Kyoko, she was pure of heart, and did what she had to in order to make her children's lives better for them. My brother loved her, and perhaps Kyoko's soul is why he is missing. They were soul mates!"

Levarian sighed. "You are not worth soothing."

Inferius smirked. "You know you love 'soothing' me, Lev."

"Not as much as I love you."

~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Who is this mysterious Levarian and Inferius? I love their names, don't you? And wouldn't you want to know what the hell everyone's talking about? Heh, heh, heh. I love being an author. Drag on the suspense. Just for you, whoever's reading this. But I do wish you people might. . .you know, review? Please review. If you don't, I might send an evil, flying lizard after you. Or worse- a flying toad!! Anyway, please review.