Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Secrets only a Wolf Would Know ❯ The Pieces are in Place ( Chapter 2 )

DISCLAIMERS: Know that I do NOT own Furuba or it's characters, and I do not make any sort of profit from doing this fic. I only make myself happy. Thank you for not suing.

This is based on the Anime, not the Manga, so several people will be missing- Rin and Kureno of course. And so for those who love them, I apologize for making up characters in their place.

A/N: Last time we met Efaila. The sexy, insane, Sohma from the United States. She's only been in one chapter so far, but she's causing a lot of trouble for the Sohma's already! Now, we get deeper into the plot! What happens in this weeks chapter? Hmmm. . .

P.S: Bear with me, this is a longer chapter.

The Pieces are in Place

Akito stared coldly at the woman that bowed before him.

The two were in his personal meeting room, alone. The daylight was shut out by the sliding doors, and the hall on the other side of the inner door was empty. Akito knew this because it was a maze of halls and bedrooms in his home, and this room would be particularly hard to find, unless one knew where it was already.

Apparently, this old bird already knew of it because she immediately answered his summons and came here.

The woman had aged nicely. Her gray hair was in a neat bun, and she had warm eyes that reminded Akito of a mother's eyes. She had wrinkles that were more laugh lines, and she had ample fat and muscle around her body, but it was from childbirth, and days when she used to work hard for her money and her children.

Akito instantly realized this woman was no fool. There was a saying of a man living a whole life and learning nothing, only if he left his home. This woman had left her home- many times. She learned many things, and her aura was positively brimming with wisdom.

And kindness.

Akito wondered for a brief instant if Tohru would be like this woman. Laugh line wrinkles, warm eyes, and a feeling of safety, wisdom, and kindness.

Akito shook his head.

The old woman finally raised her head from the floor, and smiled at him.

Akito softened a little, for she was a Sohma, and he did respect his elders- despite what others have said.

"Bachan," He said with a tilt to his lips. "Your charge is one very important person. Does she know this?"

The older woman shook her head. "No. I was ordered by your father to not tell anyone of the woman's abilities. Even her. He believed that if she truly was one of the four Warriors, especially the one he believes she was, she will come to terms with it when the time comes."

Akito's eyes closed, then opened again. "I am my fathers son yet I bear none of his knowledge on this. Only recently have I gained an understanding of what is to come."

The woman nodded, and a mischievous glint entered her eyes. "But of course you understand that if the woman herself knows nothing of her birthright, then why must you? I am, after all, the girls mother."

Akito felt his darkness well within him. "You were given custody of the child because you were my nurse, and had already mothered several youths. One of which suffers the curse of the Zodiac." Akito pointed out. "I am not like my father as to allow you to keep the girl. She is at the age where she need no more coddling. I can take her from you as easily as she was given."

"You are right." The old woman said. "You are not your father for you have no heart."

"I am not my father because I have no weaknesses." He hissed.

The old woman was silent, but her stance remained one of rebellion.

"Leave my chambers."

The old woman got up, bowed deeply, and left the room.

Akito's breathing had changed. He wasp panting deeply, and sweat beaded his brow.

If the girl knows nothing why should you? That was what the old woman had said. But there was something in her eyes that suggested something else. . . Some secret she knew because of his father. . .

Efaila was over the next day, and felt the comforting presence of her three older cousins, Sugar, Songbird, and Love.

The four of them were in Shigure's study while he typed his latest story. Aya was pestering him about his characters and Hatori was watching the two with a smile tilting his lips. Efaila watched the three, and smiled as well. That was when she noticed a small picture on his desk. It was semi hidden, but a picture just the same. And it was a picture of. . .

"Sugar," She called out, three heads turning towards her as she spoke to only one. She walked over to Shigure's desk, and picks the picture up. Aya and Hatori give her a curious look, as a silly grin spreads across her face. "Who is this woman,. Sugar?"

Aya snatches the picture away and examines it himself, ignoring Shigure's blush. "Hmm. . . She actually does look familiar." He said, tilting it this way and that. Hatori leaned over his shoulder and gasped.

"Songbird," Efaila said tilting her head, and cocking an eyebrow. "Do you know this woman?"

"It's Kimi." Hatori said. "She used to go to school with us in high school."

Efaila always regretted not being able to go with them to high school, and for some reason felt a slight wound at hearing those words from Songbird's mouth. There was also something lighting up his eyes that said he envied Sugar.

Shigure grabbed for the picture as Aya held it limply, and threw it away in his drawer annoyed.

"Now you know my secret." Shigure snapped.

"You wanted to keep it on the down low, maybe you should have kept the picture of your high school sweet heart away." her voice was shaking with an unnamed emotion as her chin rested on her chest suddenly.

Shigure's head snapped up as he watched her. There was something about her now that reminded him that she was fragile. She may be tough, but she had a gentle heart. Aya and Hatori sent glares his way, knowing that even though they all loved each other, there was something about her that begged for them to protect her heart.

She needed them.

Efaila stood her ground, her eyes blazing with fire as she lifted her head to eye out Shigure. "How long has your relationship been going on?"
"Do you really need to know?" Shigure asked irritated, but not as angry as before.

Efaila snorted. "Yes I do. We're family."

"There are some things family need not know." Shigure pointed out, anger returning. "And as I recall, you're not here often anyway."

Efaila felt that blow go deep. She closed her eyes, and prayed she wouldn't cry. She loved her cousins. Loved them all dearly, and it could have been that she approached the subject wrong, but did he have to point it out that she could never be there for them?

"You're such an asshole Shigure." She said, her voice low and filled with hurt and anger.

Shigure paled. She never used their real names, ever. She must be really pissed.

She lifted her head and stared him right in the eyes. "You're an asshole Shigure!" She repeated before running out the door.

And she didn't stop.

Kyo was resting on the top of the house as he watched something racing out of the house, and through the trail in the forest. He watched as Shigure quickly followed, and there was something about the wa he held himself that suggested he was mad at himself. He cursed. Hatori was right there and handed him a cigarette as Aya stepped out and turned his back to Shigure, and said something.

The orange kitty tilted a brow and his eyes turned back to where the blur- now he realized it was Efaila- had headed.

Efaila didn't stop running, she didn't even tire out. But through her jealousy and anger, she didn't see the small figure at her feet that she tripped over, nor the thinner figure which had been her padding.

"Oomph!" Efaila tumbled over the youth that had been at her feet, and flumped on the one beneath her. She landed on her butt, and had left the teen she landed on behind her. "Great," She mumbled as she turned to see who her cushion was. "Now what did I do?"

"Efaila-san!" She heard a familiar voice call to her. "Are you alright?"

She turned around to see the concerned face of Tohru, she was obviously the one that had unfortunately been her cushioning. Efaila smiled at the younger woman. "I am fine, little one." She patted the girls head, and stood up.

She offered a hand to Tohru, who took it. "Where are you going in such a rush?" Tohru asked.

"Did Kyo say something?" Efaila turned to the new voice and recognized Neyuki. "Neyuki!" She said smiling.

Yuki slumped, and sweat dropped. "Why do you call me that?" Yuki asked.

"You are a nezumi, am I correct?"

Yuki's eyes widened. "You know?"

"Of course I know!" Efaila snapped. "How could I not! Anyway, you are nezumi, and you are Yuki. Put them together, you get NEYUKI!!!"

Yuki's eyes widened before he burst into laughter. Tohru had already gone into fits of giggles, and Efaila was already starting to feel a lot better.

Yuki smiled as he bowed to her and said, "Welcome to my Secret Base."

"This is where most of the vegetables I use are from, especially if I can't get them at the store." Tohru explained further.

Efaila looked at what long ago had been nothing but a patch of dirt and dying grass. She always knew rats were the quiet ones, but if this was what they did with their free time, no wonder the Sohma's always had the best food in the old days.

Fields of blooming fruits from rich soil. Skies of clear blue as rats ran to and fro eating bugs, and receiving gifts from their Nezumi-sama with lavender eyes as he watched the black haired Dog chase out larger pests. The Ox was plowing and smiling as the Rabbit spoke to him of the sky.

There. The small movement which startled all of them, the Dog barked and the Rabbit fled as the Rat followed suit. The Ox left the plow and ran from the fields as the Dog did. The ruffle of long grass, and out popped four animals of strength. The Four Warriors of the Sohma. . .

She shook her head and the vision blurred. She needed to stop that.

"What's wrong?" Tohru asked as she observed the quick look that had flashed through Efaila's eyes.

Efaila looked up at Tohru. "Nothing." She said smiling. "Nothing at all."

"Then why were you running?" Yuki questioned further. "Did one of them guys do something?"

Efaila's face took on the rare look of seriousness. Her usually warm brown eyes turned hard. Yuki felt a shiver of fear travel up his spine.

She had Akito's eyes.

"Do you really wanna know?" She asked the two. "I shouldn't tell you. After all, no one told me. I found out for myself."

Yuki's face paled. Suddenly, she became Akito. His hair, his eyes, his face- she was Akito in his minds eye. His breathing became deeper, like the breathing of a frightened mouse, and he stood stock still, waiting.

Efaila opened her mouth, but it was Yuki who cried out in fear.

Akito stared out the window of his personal room, a small bird perched on his finger. He stared at the pretty creature of golden brown color before reaching out another hand to stroke it's feathery head.

He was thinking about that old woman, and her charge.

He had met the girl once, long ago and it left an impression on him.

She was a rude, obnoxious, and stupid little girl. She had boy short hair, and brown eyes. She could have been Shigure's twin brother back in those days. She was only about ten or eleven, and was running around with the Sohma Three.

But she had that quality in her that made people want to be near her when she smiled. She was full of fun and life. She was laughter.

"Akito-sama," The voice of a maid shook him out of his thoughts. "It is one of our elders, Chikara."

Akito nodded, and the elder stepped in.

Chikara was no feeble old man. Never. If anything, Chikara was a strapping youth with golden hair braided down his back, and eyes that shamed the stars. He was bronze of skin, and was often called 'Elder of Stars' though never to his face. He was also one of the Sohma's that was cursed. He of course, was cursed under the sign of the Horse. (A/N: As before, I am sorry, but if I don't know Rin's personality, I can't add her in!)
Chikara settled himself down before Akito as both bowed.

"Well." Chikara said. "I hear that Efaila has finally returned to us."

Akito didn't bother to deny it, and this upset Chikara. "She was supposed to return on the eve of her twenty first birthday!" He growled. "She is early."

"Her day of birth is near." Akito said in a tone of calm. " Don't you remember?"

Chikara who was older than he appeared only sulked into himself. "Not well. None of us remember much, I only despise the-"

"Don't speak it!" Akito warned in a hiss. "The winds may be def, but the head has ears."

Chikara took this into mind. "And why not? Only one of the Warriors of Sohma has the knowledge we seek to break it, Akito."

"Who are we to say it is her?" Akito said. "There are three others as you know. Mind, Heart, Soul, and Body."

"North, south, east, and west." Chikara muttered. "I know. But your father believed she was the holder of knowledge, so she must be the Mind."

"You also know that this puzzle comes once every thousand years." Akito said. "Should we choose to mess it up, it will backfire, and we will be cursed times three."

"What more can the ancient gods do?" Chikara laughed.

"When I die, so can you." Akito said, his tone still.

The wind was silenced, as if Akito's breath had soothed it's rustling. The house was deadly quiet as the words sunk into Chikara, who nodded after awhile.

"So that's it then." Chikara said. "We must save ourselves."

"Survival is the main thing." Akito sighed. "And we only have one out of four Warriors."

"We must send her to search for them then." Chikara decided. "If not, we send ourselves to out own death."

Akito nodded. "I readily agree. Send her out, and return with four."

Efaila carried the feminine Yuki on her back as Tohru frantically rushed ahead of them to warn Aya.

Aya came running out with a look of pure worry on his face, Shigure and Hatori behind, but by this time, Yuki had roused and was moaning.

"Oh, Yuki!" Aya said with dramatics. "Awaken from your slumber and touch me with thine fist of furious love!"

Yuki barely heard his brother, but it was Kyo that glared at the dramatic snake. "Aya, please just shut up! We have an actual emergency with the damn rat!"

Shigure glared at Efaila who glared right back as she carried Yuki into the house and placed him on a futon that Hatori graciously laid out in Shigure's living room. Tohru was clenching her hands as she stood at the end of the futon with wet towels and a pot of warm tea.

"Place him here." Hatori instructed as Efaila laid Yuki down. Hatori pulled out his stethoscope and placed the cold metal here and there on Yuki's pale chest beneath his shirt.

Yuki seemed to be back to normal, and was lying down breathing as instructed by Hatori.

But it was Efaila who stood to the side with Aya's hand on her shoulder as she leaned into him. She rested her head on his shoulder as his arm wrapped around her back and pulled her as close as he dared. She whispered something, but her eyes were dark and downcast.

Aya patted her arm and assured her it would be alright.

Shigure watched the two, and felt something foreign well up within him. He watched her carefully and didn't miss the glow that was in her eyes as they changed. Then it was gone.

She looked up at him, and her eyes were dark and serious.

So. He thought. It has begun.