Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Midnight Phantom ❯ The World Ain't all Light ( Chapter 9 )

Hi!! Finally finished my exams (so happy!) and excited that holidays start soon. Well here's chapter 9 so don't hesitate to read (as if) LOL

 

Chapter 9: The world ain't all light

 

“This-this doesn't make sense…it's- it's…” Tohru said quietly.

 

“Tohru, I'm afraid it is true and according to Naoko, it's the only way that we can save them. Either way we have to make a decision between Akito and the others.” Shigure told her sternly.

 

“I'm not trying to be rude but did Akito really want to trade his life in for the jyuniishi? Sorry but it just doesn't sound like something that he would do; I mean it's so strange.”

 

“I agree but people are capable of almost anything nowadays and right now I don't have any idea how we can solve this problem, it leaves me no choice but to…”

 

“I don't trust Akito.” Ritsu cut in as the others looked at him surprisingly as Ritsu was normally the shy and timid one; but right now he looked as serious and confident as ever which was definitely not normal.

 

“Why Ri, you're…” Shigure paused as Ritsu interrupted him again.

 

“Akito has been doing harm to us all these years and I apologise for saying this but he is self-centred and well, I think that he would do anything, or wish for anything just to live.” Ritsu explained.

 

“Ritsu, that isn't very polite but I guess you do make your point quite clear, I think we should pay Akito a visit and clear things up.” Kureno said as Ritsu walked out of the door instead of doing one of his normal panics which would usually involve a huge bunch of apologies.

 

“Kureno, why don't you get Shigure and Ayame to go with you, I'll stay here with Tohru and look after the patients.” Hatori suggested.

 

“Sure thing Hari, come on Shigure, Kureno, let's go say hi to Akito.” Ayame said with a little less confidence than usual.

 

“Hatori, if Akito is really willing to trade his life for all of the jyuniishi then does that include…you or Shigure, or Ayame?” Tohru questioned hoping that she was wrong.

 

“There's a possibility but I won't count on it we'll get this done before the sickness can reach somebody else, besides the sickness only happens once a day right?” Hatori said making his way into his office.

 

Tohru didn't reply, she wasn't sure yet as Rin had fell sick just a few hours after Kagura but on average it was once a day. Tohru looked around the ward; it was such a cold and deserted place even though it was full of eight people all sick in bed. They seemed to be in a coma, a deep sleep while others were just unable to move a lot since they were so sick.

 

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As Kureno, Ayame and Shigure entered Akito's room, he was nowhere to be found. They looked around and heard him talking to somebody; they took a peek behind the corner and noticed Akito talking to the ghost.

 

“Well since the other's already know of your stupidity why don't you give in, tell me would you prefer to live longer with all the jyuniishi dead or would you choose to follow the footsteps of others and die for the animals of the zodiac?” They heard Ryoichi say as Akito's face turned into what looked like rage.

 

“Will you quit it? I never said…”

“You don't have much time Akito now make your decision!” said Ryoichi.

 

“Well even if the jyuniishi die, don't I deserve to live? I have had the role of god and head of the Sohma family so they should die for me, what do I care?” Akito burst out soon spotting Shigure's distorted face behind the door. He gasped, knowing that Shigure had overheard him and Ryoichi's discussion.

 

“Very well, you have made your choice clear, the zodiac animals will die one by one because of you. I hope you are ashamed of yourself.” Ryoichi declared slowing fading.

 

“Wait…Ryoichi, come back, there's still something…!”

 

As Ryoichi disappeared, Kureno came out of the corner and looked at Akito with disappointment. Ayame and Shigure followed with their heads hanging low, they never expected that Akito would ever do such a thing but they had just witnessed a series of selfishness and drama.

 

“Kureno, Shigure, Ayame, forgive me, I didn't mean what I had just said.” Akito protested as they started to turn away from Akito. It was no use, they had heard everything and now the jyuniishi was going to die. Kureno, Shigure and Ayame had just seen and heard the true Akito, what the real Akito would say from the heart was just so self-centred they couldn't help but agree with Ritsu.

 

They walked separate ways as Shigure walked towards the exit of the main house, Ayame took the route to the lake and Kureno decided to tell Tohru and Hatori what had happened. Without a word, they felt as if the world had turned on them, they were going to die without a doubt and all because of the head of the Sohma family whom they thought would've been far nobler than that. They trusted Akito and he had partly betrayed them, not because he wanted to live but because he couldn't care less about the zodiac animals who were meant to be family. Kureno opened the creaking door to the ward and sat down without making eye contact with neither Hatori nor Tohru.

 

“Kureno…what's wrong, how did the discussion with Akito go?” Tohru asked looking at Kureno concerned about his grave expression.

 

“Tohru, I'm sorry, Akito…he has chosen himself over us, we're all going to die, I am so sorry…Kyo, Yuki, everyone is going to die because… well because Akito wants to live.” Kureno had his head in his hands as he confessed Akito's discussion with Ryoichi the ghost.

 

“How could, are you sure…oh dear, this can't be happening, all of the zodiac animals are going to die, why that's not fair.” Tohru jumped up all of a sudden. She had only known them for a year, she wanted to know the Sohma's more, get to be friends with each and every one of them and now she wouldn't even get the chance.

 

“So are you saying Akito is leaving us here to die?” Hatori asked half stunned yet not fully convinced that Akito would do such a thing.

 

“Well…I wouldn't put it in that phrase but basically it's true, ask Shigure or Ayame if you don't believe me.” Kureno replied.

 

“Oh, trust me I'd rather ask you than those two hooligans, by the way where are they, aren't we supposed to be doing something about this, I mean, I know we're going to die but…”

 

“Shigure, I'm not so sure and Ayame has gone off to the lake for a walk I guess he just needs some time to himself, I mean he loves himself so I don't think he likes the idea of dying.” Kureno cut in.

 

“Frankly, I believe you there.” Hatori tried to laugh although he was feeling a little depressed.

 

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Tohru had to do something, she just had to. She would never let all of them die just like that, without trying at least. Her head hurt from thinking too much, her brain felt like it was about to burst. She had to convince Akito to do something.

 

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Two hours passed as Tohru had made a visit to Akito's building, she had tried to persuade him to help but he only replied with cold brutal words, it seemed that Akito hated her so much, Tohru couldn't help but feel that she had done something wrong. It made Tohru discover a new emotion inside of her, rage, anger and fury.

 

The night passed slowly, Tohru's nightmares started to come back as she dreamt of Ritsu falling ill and Kyo…with a heart attack and Yuki bleeding heavily! Tohru woke up with sweat and tears down her face, she wanted to stop it so badly, she couldn't fall asleep, this nightmare had to be the worst, it just had to. Her heart was pumping so loud she could even hear it in the silent room. Ayame, Kureno and Hatori were in the room next to her and they still had no clue where Shigure had gone. It was kind of scary, everyone was going mad, having dramatic mood changes and hearts were being torn apart with definite sorrow. She also wondered where Ritsu had gone; she had to find him, what if he had already gotten the sickness? What if the heart attack had reached Kyo seconds after her dream? She got dressed quickly and ran to wake up the others.

 

“Tohru, did you have a nightmare again? Is everything okay?” Ayame asked barely awake stretching his arms out and yawning.

 

“Ritsu's going to catch the sickness, Kyo's going to have a heart attack and Yuki's going to bleed to death.” Tohru answered.

 

“Oh…no, so it's true, we are going to die…” Ayame held his head low while Kureno and Hatori got up and grabbed Ayame as they all went outside. Hatori and Ayame went to the ward while Kureno took Tohru to look for Ritsu and Shigure. Ayame was going to look for Shigure; his best friend but decided against it when he remembered Tohru had said Yuki was going to die soon by unstoppable bleeding. The thought went through Ayame like a thousand knives. It was unbearable; his little brother was soon going to lose his life just like Ayame.

 

He reached the ward with Hatori as they noticed Yuki, he looked fine apart from his arm, and it had started to bleed as they saw numerous cuts on Yuki's arm. Ayame made a loud yell as Hatori went to his office to search for bandages. The nurses had disappeared when they were meant to be watching over the patients, Hatori knew he could no longer rely on anyone but himself. He tied the bandages around Yuki's arm when Ayame gave another sound of fear. Hatori looked in his direction, Yuki's leg had started to bleed, somehow, it was unexplainable, it was amazing, it was……frightening. Hatori ran back and grabbed another handful of bandages but when he came back, Yuki's hand was scratched badly. Ayame looked like he was going to faint, this was too much, way too much. Hatori could only hope for the best, do what he could and try to save the others.

 

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Kureno and Tohru took out their torches and searched the gardens, the lake and the graveyard but there was no sign of Ritsu.

 

“Kureno, I'm afraid…this…is beyond my control, I don't want anybody to die, I'm sick of having to see people suffer, it's painful, I hate it and how can we prevent this from happening?” Tohru asked cheeks burning with despair.

 

“Tohru, I can't answer that question but I can tell you, I'm afraid too, never in my life has anything like this happened to me.” Kureno replied his voice shallow as can be.

 

When they found him, it was too late; his body was sprawled on Akito's porch outside of his room. Tohru and Kureno ran to Ritsu and felt his heartbeat, it was slow, a sign of bad health and a sign of close death. It was way too much for her to bear. Tohru's heart felt twisted as it was no longer the warm, beating, happy heart as normal but it had changed to a cold as ice, hard as rock heart. She had felt an urge, a deep and powerful urge coming to her. The urge was to get rid of a certain person, of course you may have guessed but Tohru wanted to get rid of Akito, the faster, the better.

 

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Yay, it's a great feeling to finish chapter 9.
I might be able to update in Australia but we'll have to see.

Once again, thanks for reading, please review.