Pet Shop Of Horrors Fan Fiction / Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Long Denied ❯ Nightingale ( Chapter 3 )

Petshop of Horrors X-over Fruits Basket

Long Denied

Chapter 3: Birds

Shigure-

In the early morning light, the house was dark and filled with shadows that seemed to move of their own accord around the narrow boy seated in the corner of the house. He still hadn't closed the closet door, it seeming far less important than the treasure that lay on the floor in front of him. Shigure sat cross-legged on the floor of the cat's house with his eyes fixated on the book that rested on the floor before him and he read the words that he know understood had been written for him to read, so many years ago.

~I am Inu and I speak for our family, the Souma family. I speak for the ones who are no longer allowed voice. This is the record of our family and how we became what you are. When you have finished reading this record, write your story. Write the story of what your family is like, then hide this book. Do not allow anyone to find it. Should this book be found, you and your loved ones would be in great danger from the one who doomed our family.

Read, and discover the truth. We were happy once, before the cat was taken from us...~

A scream pierced the air and tore Shigure from the almost hypnotic words on the page and he looked up sharply, recognizing the cry. "Akito..." Shigure jumped to his feet without hesitation and ran out of the cat's house, leaving the book behind, forgotten on the floor. It was a long run from the cat's house to Akito's house, dodging through Junko's meticulous garden and then on passed many other houses. In fact, the cat's house was the furthest one from Akito's house. By the time Shigure arrived at Akito's house, he found he wasn't the first person there. The front door of the house was wide open and Shigure saw the steady stream of people going in and out of the house, all of them family. Their whispered voices were easily picked up by Shigure's sensitive ears.

"The boy saw her first..."

"It must have been a terrible shock, and with his weak health, too."

"If you ask me, the boy needs to get out more." A less sympathetic adult groused. "He's just spoiled, probably does nothing all day but watch television, anyway."

"That's not called for! She was practically his mother! Anyone would have screamed, you can't blame him for that."

'Practically his mother?' Shigure went cold at those words. 'Junko must have died.'

Inside the house, just inside the door, Shigure caught Yahiko's eye. Yahiko didn't correct anything that was being said, he simply stood there, watching people. They would have a private ceremony later that night for Junko, just for the Zodiac members of the family, but it would be a far more elaborate affair. She was the rat, after all, and considered blessed. She would be given a grand party as a send off.

As he stepped up the stairs that led into the house, Shigure paused and sniffed at the air. He could smell all the distinctive scents of the normal members of the family and the more familiar scents of the Zodiac members, but the one that attracted his attention most was Junko's. Death was heavy in the air and it bore the peculiar scent of the rat.

A sudden stab of guilt that he hadn't been able to help her hit Shigure hard, but he wasn't sure why. He was only a kid, there was no way he could have helped her.

Yahiko, unaware of what Shigure had all ready realized, came to him. "Go out back. Hatori and Ayame are with him, but I think Akito would like to see you."

Shigure couldn't hear Akito screaming anymore, that had lasted only a moment, but he knew Akito would still be upset and very strong emotional out bursts like this could be just as dangerous for Akito as getting sick. So Shigure avoided all the gossiping adults and turned the corner of the largest house on the estate, Akito's house.

"Hari's with him." The voice spoke almost before Shigure had noticed that Ayame stood at the corner of the house. In the recent years, Ayame had developed his own distinct sense of style and today was no different. He and Hatori must have been all ready awake and out of bed when they'd been alerted by Akito's scream, just as Shigure had been. Today, with his shoulder length hair hanging loosely and dressed in a bright pink robe, Ayame looked almost as solemn as he had at Toma's funeral the previous night, except that now he was afraid, too. Ayame didn't bite his nails, he was to vain to ruin any part of his body, but he did have a habit of tapping his left foot when he was worried and was hugging himself. "'Gure?"

"Yes?" Shigure looked beyond Ayame and saw Hatori was sitting on the back porch that over looked the garden with Akito sobbing on his lap.

"I'm scared." It was a rare, blunt admission. Despite Ayame's bold personality, he didn't like to admit when he was afraid. He didn't like it when he wasn't in control. "Have you noticed?" Ayame turned his golden eyes to Shigure. "First Toma and now Junko. Is everyone going to die?"

Shigure managed a smile to reassure Ayame. "Don't be silly. They were old, and old people die. Toma was almost ninety-six years old and Junko was nearly as old, people can't live forever."

"But," Ayame apparently wasn't assured by Shigure's smile or words. "But I just noticed it. Everyone's old, everyone except Yahiko and us. What happens when the other old Zodiac members die?" Ayame's voice trembled slightly. "We'll have to take care of everyone, won't we? We'll have to make sure Akito stays healthy and we'll have to make sure Kagura, Rin, and Ritsu stay safe and out of trouble. What about when the babies are born? Mom said Toma, and now Junko, will be reborn in just a few months. We'll have to look after the babies and I don't know if I can do that, 'Gure." Ayame looked close to tears, he was so upset. "I don't like all this dying, 'Gure. I...I'm just scared."

Shigure wasn't sure what he should tell Ayame, after all, Shigure was scared, too. Babies? What were they supposed to do when the cat was reborn? Would it look like a monster or a person? Did it have to have the magic bracelet or did that just work for Toma? There was so much to think about, but there was no time right now. "Don't worry so much." Shigure said as lightly as he could. "It'll all work out in the end. I promise." With that, Shigure walked towards Hatori, determined to help his friend and Akito any way he could.

Hatori sat on the back porch with his legs hanging over the edge, gently rocking Akito on his lap. Hatori whispered something comforting to the crying child who just kept repeating between sobs, "She lied...she lied..."

It was at that moment that Shigure paused and saw how terribly weak Akito was. He'd known, of course, that Akito was sick, he'd always known. From the moment Akito was born and had been rushed to the hospital because his heart had stopped to the daily ritual of taking pills. There was constant fear that he'd catch a cold or a sudden fever, both of which could be fatal. Simple things like the flu were terrifying for Akito. Akito's skin was so fair, Shigure could see the spider web designs of blood veins under it and even the slightest pressure would bruise Akito's delicate skin. Even Akito's size wasn't quite right; four-year-olds should be bigger than Akito's diminutive body. Akito could have easily passed for a three-year-old or maybe even younger. This was the first time, though, that Shigure had fully taken in the reality of Akito's health. It wasn't good.

'He's sick. So sick, he's really going to die.' It hurt Shigure to think about Akito's death, but part of him, the canine part of his mentality, spoke strongly. 'The sick must be removed to make way for the healthy. A pack can't thrive with a sick Alpha.' That was the way of canines. Wolves wouldn't let the unhealthy to stay in the pack. If Shigure were a canine, he would kill Akito and make way for a stronger Alpha. However much he might act like one, though, Shigure wasn't a wolf. He was human.

Hatori, more sensitive than most people gave him credit for, looked up slightly and locked eyes with Shigure. Hatori was a very kind and gentle soul, a miracle considering his home life. He didn't like anyone being hurt and his instincts to protect Akito, like everyone else in the Zodiac, was strong. It was in their best interests to make sure Akito stayed alive and healthy, their own lives depended on it, after all.

It took a moment for Shigure to realize that Akito had stopped crying and was just clinging to Hatori. Half laying on his stomach on the porch and half laying on Hatori's lap, Akito stared into space with his fingers curled around Hatori's shirt tightly and bloodshot eyes.

'Why? All of a sudden, two deaths? I wonder why?' But Shigure hadn't been as close to Junko as he had been to Toma and he could control his sadness. For Akito's sake, if for nothing else, Shigure could control himself. "Hari?" Shigure went to kneel next to Hatori and looked at Akito. "Akito-chan? What happened?"

Akito's voice was small and weak, barely a whisper, as he spoke. "She lied."

"About what?" Shigure asked, brushing Akito's hair out of his eyes with a casual hand.

"She promised me. She promised she wouldn't leave me and she did. Junko promised she'd always love me no matter what happened." He sniffled and buried his face in Hatori's lap again.

Hatori petted Akito's hair gently and told Shigure. "Akito found Junko when he woke up and...it was a bit of a shock." Hatori's talent for understatement would never be equaled. Finding a dead body would traumatize any four-year-old, let alone frail little Akito. "I don't want to leave him alone now." Hatori's nurturing nature shone through. Whether or not he liked a person, Hatori would never allow them to be in pain.

Not that the adults had forgotten Akito. If Akito were to die...it would be a disaster. Death for all of the Zodiac. Akito was far to important, it was he who gave his life's energy so that the Zodiac and the cat would live. Shigure wasn't quite sure of how that worked, no one was, but it was the truth, nonetheless.

"I...I don't like this." Akito said, his voice a muffled whisper from Hatori's lap until he lifted his face to look at Shigure and he winced at the sun. "I hurt. My chest hurts and my eyes hurt and my head hurts. Did you feel like this when Toma died?"

Shigure nodded. In all honestly, no words could justify how much it had hurt to lose the only father figure he'd ever had.

"Even if Toma was a monster?" Akito asked.

"Toma was never a monster to me."

Akito raise one tiny hand and wiped the tears off his face. "Toma's going to be reborn, right? I heard someone say the cat will be reborn. That means Junko's going to be reborn, too."

"No." Shigure wasn't sure how to say this without breaking Akito's faint hope. "The cat will be reborn and the rat will be reborn, but they won't be Toma and Junko. They've gone to heaven, I think." Shigure wasn't sure what God thought about the cursed Zodiac members.

But Akito scowled bleakly. "NO!" He snapped. "Junko promised she'd always be with me, so when she gets reborn, she's coming to be with me. She'll love me more than anyone." His voice softened slightly. "I still love you, Shigure, but I want Junko. I love her, too, and I want her back. She said she loved me best of all, so when she gets reborn, she'll love me and stay with me forever."

Hatori looked at Shigure, worried, but said nothing.

"You're not going to believe me, are you?" Shigure asked, sadly. It was going to hurt Akito so much when the new Zodiac members were born and the rat wasn't Junko.

"No, I'm not." Akito said belligerently. "Take me to the park, Shigure." Akito said, a demanding tone in his voice. "You promised. Don't break your promise."

It was another voice that interrupted them, the voice of one of the adults. "I'm afraid you can't go today, Akito-sama."

Shigure, Hatori, and Akito all looked up to find a member of the family who wasn't cursed, a distant aunt or something, standing in the doorway just behind them. Akito held tighter to Hatori's shirt and scowled. "I want to go to the park. Shigure promised he'd take me."

"I don't mind." Shigure spoke up. "A promise is a promise, after all." How could he explain to her how important this was after Akito had suffered so terribly? A simple trip to the park, after all...

But the woman shook her head. "I'm sorry, but you're to upset, Akito, and it would be to easy for you to get sick again. It's best that you stay home." She stepped forward and bent to take Akito from Hatori. "Now that you've lost Junko, I'll be staying with you and I'll take care of you. You'll have to listen to what I say."

Akito had other ideas.

"I wanna stay with Hatori!" Akito screamed at the top of his lungs, wrapping his arms around Hatori's neck and holding on as fiercely as he could. The woman grabbed Akito under the arms and tried to drag him off Hatori, but Akito had somewhere gotten a burst of strength and held onto Hatori as if his life depended on it. "Shigure! Hatori! Don't let me go! Don't make me go with her!" Akito screamed when it seemed that the woman would be able to pry him off Hatori.

Obediently, Hatori put his arms around Akito and held him tightly. The woman, not being a member of the Zodiac, didn't feel the compulsion to obey Akito that the Zodiac members felt. While the rest of the family would do their best to obey Akito, they could disobey, if they wished. Zodiac members, though, found it almost impossible to go against the wishes of the head of the family.

Shigure growled menacingly at the woman, baring his teeth at her, but she didn't seem to notice him until he grabbed her leg with both hands and bit her. It wasn't something he normally did, but Shigure was Zodiac and it had been ingrained into him from a very young age that he had to obey the head of the family. No matter what, he had to obey.

"Arrrr!" She cried. "Shigure! You little brat!" She kicked him away, but her fight wasn't done, yet.

Once Hatori had a secure hold on him, Akito loosened one arm and swung his fist backwards, hitting the woman in the mouth the moment she reached down to grab him. She staggered back with a cry of pain and put her hand to her bleeding mouth. She tried again to get Akito, but before she even got one hand on him, he twisted enough to kick her in the knee and she stumbled.

"Akito!" She cried out, angrily. "I know you're upset, but that's enough of a temper tantrum, you're to old for this!" Then she looked at Shigure and Hatori. "And you two! What do you think you're doing?!"

Akito put both arms around Hatori's neck again and pressed his cheek against Hatori's. "If you try to take me away from Hatori, I'll kill you." He snarled viciously. There was something dreadfully cold in the way Akito said that, something that said he'd have no qualms about carrying through the threat. The fact that he was only four made it all the more chilling.

Shigure's mouth fell open and he broke out in a cold sweat at the sound of Akito's voice, all of a sudden. He'd never once been afraid of Akito, in all of Akito's life. But just then, for a short moment, Akito had sounded so much like Akira that Shigure couldn't help but be afraid. Toma had said that all the heads of the family were always sick. Junko had said that Akito would turn out just like Akira. 'He...he's going to get a sick mind, just like Akira.' But the thought of little Akito being like the nightmare who'd haunted Shigure's early childhood, the man who'd put Shigure though so much pain, hurt. He didn't want Akito to be like Akira.

Shaking his head to rid himself of the thoughts, Shigure concentrated not on how Akito would likely be one day, but on who he was now. A hurt, frightened child who was having a temper tantrum. He had to make sure Akito was all right.

"Why don't you let us put Akito to bed?" Shigure spoke up suddenly. He smiled charmingly, in just the way he'd learned could get him almost anything he wanted, from the female members of his family, anyway. "Don't worry, you should really put some ice on your mouth, you know. You'll start to swell up."

"Not to mention my leg." The woman said bitterly, glaring at Shigure. Still, she did think about the suggestion and seemed to realize she couldn't do anything about Akito. He was determined to stay with Hatori. "All right. I don't want him getting even more upset, but make sure goes right to bed." She winced at the pain of speaking and started to walk away. Out of the corner of his eye, Shigure caught Ayame's eye and nodded in the direction of the woman. Ayame, not as stupid as everyone thought he was, took the hint and went after the limping woman, to make sure she was all right.

Even with the woman gone, Akito wasn't quite content to go to bed. "You promised!" He turned his glare on Shigure. "It's your birthday and you promised you'd take me to the park today!" His rapid breathing and flushed face showed that he was still to upset from the confrontation with the woman and being so upset wasn't good for Akito.

Hatori, patting Akito's back again to calm him, said, "He feels warm, I think he's got a fever, Shigure. He needs to stay in bed." Hatori must have known that he could have gotten hurt from saying that, just as the woman had been for suggesting that Akito go back to bed, but he didn't show any fear as he held Akito. His faith paid off and Akito did nothing.

"Well," Shigure smiled brightly. "You heard him, Akito-chan. Back to bed, doctor Hatori's orders and you can't disobey your doctor."

For a moment, Shigure waited for Akito to fly into another tantrum. The little boy's eyes squeezed shut and his arms narrow squeezed around Hatori. Then his whole body relaxed and he sagged limply into Hatori's lap again. "You lied, too." Akito accused, lifelessly. "You didn't want to go to the park with me in the first place."

Shigure jumped to his feet and put his hands under Hatori's arms, to help him to his feet so Hatori wouldn't have to put Akito down. Together, they walked back into the house and ignored the sudden silence their appearance caused. It was strange to see a whole house full of people that were dead quiet. It was quite unnatural, really. Shigure led the way to Akito's room, opening the door for Hatori and closing it firmly behind them. He helped to tuck Akito in and waited until Hatori was sitting on the edge of Akito's bed before he said,

"How about a deal, Akito-chan? If I can't take you to the park, I'll bring the park to you."

Akito cocked his head at Shigure and looked puzzled. "Huh?"

Shigure patted Akito's hand. "You stay here with Hari and I'll be right back. All right?"

Shigure arrived at the City Park panting for breath and he looked around hurriedly. He'd run all the way from the Souma estate, trying to get this done with as quickly as possible. This was the best he could do for Akito so he had to find something that could hold Akito's attention for at least a little while, something that would cheer him up. Even though Shigure did believe getting out into the sunshine would be good for Akito's health in the long-run, he couldn't deny that doing that today would be a very bad idea.

After a short search, Shigure found what he was looking and smiled. 'Now, I just have to catch one.'

Later, Shigure returned to Akito's bedroom to find Hatori in the same place. Akito seemed to be asleep, at first, but his eyes cracked open when he heard Shigure come in. Shigure held his hands cupped together in front of him and he had a very pleased looking smile on his face. "Hari, would you open the doors." Shigure nodded with his head to the large double doors that looked out onto the garden from Akito's room. When Hatori did as Shigure asked, Shigure took Hatori's spot next to Akito.

"What have you got?" Akito asked, trying to sit up a little better when he saw Shigure was obviously holding something very carefully. It wasn't until Hatori put his hands under Akito's armpits and pulled him up, though, that Akito could manage it. The fever was starting to take a toll on him and he all ready looked weaker than he had just an hour ago. Shigure also noticed the orange plastic pill bottles on the table next to Akito's bed and a half-drunk glass of water, so he knew Hatori had already taken care of the medicine.

"I promised to bring you the park, well, I couldn't bring it all, so I brought the best part. You have to be quiet, though, or you'll scare him." Shigure very slowly and very carefully opened his hands, revealing the treasure inside.

"A bird!" Akito gasped, his eyes going wide with amazement as he saw the tiny brown and grey bird nestled in Shigure's hands. His amazement was almost funny, but Akito had never seen a bird this close before. He wearily stretched out a finger and gingerly touched its feathered back. "Soft." Akito whispered half to himself. The bird jumped at the touch and flapped its wings in frantic little movements before it leapt from Shigure's hands, into the air. Akito's brief look of disappointment was erased by joy when he watched the bird dart around his room, searching for a way out before it found the doors left open by Hatori. The bird flew out and perched in one of the small cherry trees in the garden.

Akito smiled. "Wow." He breathed. Then he turned his shining eyes to Shigure. "Thanks."

"No problem."

A few days later-

Ayame-

Ayame returned home after school when his mother met him at the door. Ayame was spoiled, almost rotten, and he knew it. His mother was one of the few who not only knew about the Zodiac, but she was very proud her son was one of them. So proud, in fact, that she gave Ayame almost anything he wanted.

"Ayame-chan!" Her happy voice rang through the house the moment he stepped in the door. "Ayame-chan, I have wonderful news!" She was beaming at him joyfully. "You're going to be a big brother!"

"A what?" Ayame asked, shocked. "How…how do you know?"

"I just got back from the doctor's. Do you know what this means? Since it's so soon after Junko died, your little brother or sister will probably be the next rat!" Her happiness was almost tangible. "We'll be so blessed and if Akito-sama is fond of this rat, too, then we'll be favored, even in the family. We'll get to move into one of the bigger houses and Akito-sama might even give us a servant or two!"

Ayame didn't smile at the happy news. "But…I'm going to inherit the snake's house in a couple of days." Had she forgotten his birthday all ready? They'd made plans that she could live with him in the snake's house, far larger than the one she had now. They'd been planning the move for months and Ayame had been so proud that he'd be the one to take care of his mother now. Now with his allowance granted to him from the family simply for being the snake, he'd be able to buy her whatever she needed.

"Yes, dear." His mother said absently. "I'm sure you'll be very happy there. Don't worry, you can come and visit us at the rat's house any time you want."

"Thank you." Ayame replied, at a loss. How could this be happening? She was just going to forget him? Didn't it mean anything to her to be near him? "But…" Ayame couldn't help but ask the question. "But Toma just died, too. What if my new brother or sister is the next cat?"

His mother glared at him. "Don't even suggest that! The shame of having the cat for a child? I'd rather die! Your second cousin, Hiroko, is pregnant, too. I just hope it's her who has the cat, not me. We're the only two pregnant at the moment, so one of us has the cat and one has the rat. The rat, I'll just keep praying we have the rat in our family. After all, Hiroko is the slut of the family. She's not even married and she goes and gets knocked up? She deserves the cat, not me."

"But, Hiroko doesn't know about the Zodiac curse, does she?"

"No. I suppose it'll be a rather rude awakening if she has the cat, now won't it?" She smiled mirthlessly.

Ayame left the room without another word to his mother. He wasn't sure how he felt about this new brother or sister, but he was sure he didn't like seeing his mother like he just had. He'd never seen her so…vicious and he was sure he didn't like this side of his mother.

He packed a small bag of clothes and left the house without a word to his mother. 'I think I don't want to be here tonight. I think I'll go stay with Shigure for a while. He won't mind if I sleep at his house.' Ayame didn't want to admit that the sudden understanding that his mother had only been using him for position in the family made him want to break down in tears. Had she ever really loved him or had she simply loved that having the snake for a son raised her position? 'I don't think I want to know the answer.'

Not far away-

Count D-

In the streets of Japan, a country Count D had lived in for nearly twenty years, he crossed paths with a woman who made him stop and consider her. She was a typical human female with nothing out of the ordinary about her, except her eyes. Her eyes were lifeless. Dead.

In a fit of pity, Count D stopped in his tracks and watched her. In one hand she held a small bouquet of wild flowers, but even they hung at her side, as if she couldn't bring herself to care about them. Her steps, as she made her way to the city graveyard, were slow and halting. Occasionally, she would stumbled on an uneven bit of the sidewalk, but she would pull herself up without making a noise of complain. It seemed that life had finally dealt a deadly blow to this young woman who was really little more than a child, she couldn't have been more than seventeen at the most.

He followed her into the graveyard, but kept silent when she knelt at a small headstone and placed the flower bouquet on the grave. For a very long time, she was silent. Then,

"Katsuya? Can you hear me? I read once that sometimes people talk to spirits and it helps them feel better." She paused. "I don't feel better. I still want to die. I can't do this without you, Kat. What do I do now? I'm going to lose the apartment. My job doesn't pay enough for it. I think I'll go back to my first apartment. You remember, that one you didn't like. It was cheaper, anyway. Not like I have anyone to take care of now, anyway." She paused again and slid herself down, so she was sitting on the earth that covered the grave. "I'm not pregnant. I went to the doctor's the other day, but I didn't have a chance to tell you. You were dead when I came back. Remember we were so happy when we thought I was…well, I'm not. Now, I don't even have that left of you. That horrible sister of yours came and took just about everything except the shirt of my back." She paused again and her head drooped pathetically. "I'm so lonely, Kat. I can't sleep at night without you. I feel like I can't breath without you." She burst into tears and buried her face in her hands.

Count D, never known for taking pity on humans before this moment, did something he'd never done. With his slow, graceful steps, Count D stepped closer to the crying girl and put a hand on her shoulder. "May I offer you a cup of tea, miss?"

"No. Go away." Her muffled voice replied and she shook her shoulder to get his hand off her.

Count D wasn't so easy to dissuade. "I can not do that. I fear you will do yourself harm if I leave you here alone."

"It's not your business, just leave me alone."

"Ah," Count D smiled down at her. "But you're wrong. You are my business. I have a gift to offer you. Katsuya left you something and I will give it to you." It was a lie, of course. He'd never met this man the young woman cried so bitterly for, but he did have a gift that would do her nothing but good. He had the feeling that if he simply offered it out of good will, though, that she wouldn't accept.

This caught her attention and she looked up sharply, strands of her long hair clinging to her face because of her tears. "Katsuya? He left something?" Then she looked Count D up and down with intelligent, if still grieved, eyes. "Who are you? He never mentioned anyone like you as a friend before."

"That doesn't surprise me. May I help you up?" He offered a long nailed hand, but the young woman refused it.

"I'm strong enough to do that, anyway." Once on her feet, the young woman offered a slight bow. "You can call me Kyoko. Honda Kyoko."

"And I am known as Count D. Please, follow me."

"You own a petshop?" Kyoko asked when she saw where Count D had led her. "Somehow, I hadn't guessed a petshop. So Kat bought me a pet?" She gave a soft laugh, a sweet sound, so much nicer than her cries. "That sounds like him. He's been thinking of getting a cat or a dog for a while now."

Count D had all ready decided the pet this young woman was to have. He had the perfect thing that would suit her life perfectly. "Yes, a very special pet. Would you like to meet her?"

Kyoko nodded, still looking curious and suspicious, which Count D thought was better than the despair she'd felt before. At least now she wasn't so closing to ending her own life. That would truly be a shame.

"You two will to nicely together." Count D commented as he held the door open for her and let Kyoko into the petshop. "Please, follow me into the back." He took her though the halls of petshop, knowing that she was probably confused at how such a small shop could have an endless amount of halls and rooms, but he didn't bother to explain and she didn't bother to ask. He took her to one of the rooms, one of his more pleasant rooms, the nursery. In this large room, all the females expecting young were kept in complete safety and comfort, their every need carefully taken care of. Also, the young and newborn animals lived in this room. It was a place of great joy for Count D.

Kyoko paused when she entered, no doubt surprised at the amount and variety of animals all living together in one room. If it wasn't the animals, she was probably surprised to find trees growing inside a building.

Count D went to one of the trees with a low hanging branch. On that branch was a small nest and in that nest was a single, dull colored egg. He carefully lifted the egg and held it out to Kyoko.

She blinked at him in surprise. "An egg? I can't take care of an egg, I have no clue where to even start. I'll probably break the poor thing before I even get home."

"I think you will surprise yourself." Count D allowed himself a smile as he watched her worried face. Yes, he knew she would perfectly with this child. "She is a nightingale, a dull, grey and brown bird, but the voice of a nightingale is said to be the most beautiful sound in the world."

Kyoko did as she was told and took the small egg from Count D's hand. It was very like most any other egg in the world and nothing to show it was anything but a bird's egg. The fact that this egg had no parent in Count D's petshop, wasn't uncommon, many of his pets were orphans. This was a very rare egg, a species of bird that was both treasured and overlooked, depending on one's point of view. For this young woman, Count D had no doubt that this egg would be the answer to her dreams.

"You must take great care of this egg, from it will hatch what you wish for the most. Your husband wished he could have given you this." Count D took the young woman's arm and took her out of the nursery and back to the front room of the petshop, but he didn't touch the egg. It was important for it to imprint on this woman and not him. "It will take nine months for this egg to hatch, and you must guard it as if you are guarding your own child while it grows. There is, of course, a contract to be signed."

"Contract?" Kyoko looked up from the egg she was cradling carefully in her hands. "Why? I'm still not sure about this. Isn't there an age or something you have to leave birds with their mothers, like cats and dogs?"

"Alas, this poor child is an orphan. Her family has abandoned her. I fear she will die without a proper, loving home."

That seemed to strike a chord in the Kyoko and her face hardened. "Abandoned, huh? Well, I know what that feels like. I'll do my best for her. Tell me what to do."

"It's all in the contract." Count D produced the single paged contract and lay it down on the table before the young woman. "There are three rules you must follow. 1. You must not show the egg to anyone, until after it has hatched. 2. Treat this egg as your own child. 3. You must carry this egg with you at all times until she hatches."

She started at that last rule. "But...I'll crush it! The poor thing will be dead before the day's out! I work in construction, heavy lifting all the time, there's no way it would be safe. Maybe you should take it back. I don't want it if I'm just going to kill it."

"No, you underestimate the strength of this child. She is strong. Far stronger than she looks. Having you near will help her develop into the creature she is meant to be, the creature you wish her to be. It is very important that you always keep her close to your heart."

"How do you know it's going to be a girl?"

"I've been dealing with animals for a very long time, miss. This will be a female. Just sign here and you may take her home."

Kyoko shook her head, still reluctant. "No deal. You haven't said a word about money and I'm not rich enough to afford just signing something..."

"There is no payment required, your husband has all ready paid for it." Count D smiled kindly, giving her another, harmless lie. "I think, perhaps, you are the right person for her. She would not do so well with anyone else, other than you." Count D couldn't tell why he thought this, but he knew enough to trust his instincts about animals and his instincts were telling him to put this egg with this woman. They belonged together.

Finally, after a lot of reassuring, Kyoko took the offered pen and signed her name where Count D indicated.

Kyoko-

Kyoko felt like an idiot as she left the petshop, hiding the small egg in her pocket. 'I must be mad, this is as bad as taking candy from strangers and you couldn't get much stranger than that guy. Why did I even go in there? Oh, yeah. Kat wanted me to have this.' She almost managed a smile with that thought. If Katsuya had wanted her to have it, there was no way that Kyoko would refuse the gift. Still, it was a mystery as to how that Count D guy had found her out in the graveyard.

'What am I going to do without you, Katsuya?' Kyoko's steps slowed. The apartment they'd shared was small, but comfortable. It had been a dream home, really, considering what Kyoko had come from. She'd had a life on the streets and a tiny, dingy apartment infested with cockroaches before Katsuya had just sort of dropped into her life. He was the one who'd pulled her out if it all. Rather, he'd helped her to pull herself out.

For Katsuya's sake, Kyoko did as Count D had instructed. She always carried the fragile egg in the pocket of her shirt just over her heart. Even at night, she carefully put it in bed with her. At least, if nothing else, a pet bird would always remind her of Katsuya.

The days and night passed and Kyoko grew more and more fond of the egg that filled her lonely life. She had no family and no friends to comfort her in her grief, so she focused all her attention and love on the egg from Katsuya. She even found herself talking to the little egg when they got home late at night from work. The little egg became so important to Kyoko that sometimes, in off moments, she would wonder if she was like one of those little old women who keep two dozen cats to talk to after they've been widowed. But those thoughts would vanish when Kyoko would hold the egg. It really was precious. The only thing in her life she could love without fear of rejection.

One night, many months after her strange visit to the petshop, after carefully laying the egg beside her in bed, to keep it warm, she fell asleep and had a dream.

Dream-

"Do you love her?" A bodiless voice asked, coming to Kyoko from the darkness.

"What?" Kyoko asked. "Love who?"

"Do you love your child?"

For a moment, Kyoko had no idea what the voice was talking about. The it hit her. The egg. "You mean the egg? She's not...well...she's not my child." But Kyoko regretted it the moment she'd said it. It hurt to acknowledge that fact.

"As all mothers do, you have guarded her, you have kept her warm and safe. If you are not this child's mother, then who is? Do you love her?"

That question was easy. "Yes, of course I do." Kyoko had come to love the little egg long ago. She wasn't sure why, but she did. It was a simple fact.

End Dream-

Then Kyoko woke up.

She sat straight up in bed and blinked at the darkness. "What was that all about?" She asked herself out loud.

CRACK

Kyoko blinked at the odd sound.

CRACK

She looked around, only half-awake, and it took her a moment to realize where the cracking was coming from. Now wide-awake, Kyoko threw back the blankets on her bed and stared down at the small, dull colored egg. A small, very small, crack had formed in the top of it.

It had been nine months since she'd brought the egg home, nine months of carrying it around and loving it.

"Hatching...hatching..." Kyoko's mind went dumb, then snapped back to life. "He never told me what to do when it hatched!" She cried, not caring if she woke the neighbors. "What do I do? What do I feed it?" But her worries only grew as the crack in the egg grew bigger and bigger until it very suddenly fell into two pieces, leaving a wet, messy looking, bird chick on Kyoko's bed. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of such a tiny, helpless thing. "Oh…my baby."

While she was staring at it in wonder and fear, Kyoko's amazement grew when the baby bird started to change. Kyoko, frightened, fell off the bed and landed on the floor hard. 'That can't be a bird! It just can't be!' But Kyoko cautiously peered over the edge of her bed to find the chick still growing and changing. Like something off a movie, it's body stretched and its head changed shape until the bird chick was gone and, in its place, was a baby. A real, naked human baby, looking as if she'd just been born. It took the baby's wail of hunger to bring Kyoko to her senses. Her hands were shaking and she felt completely overwhelmed, but she managed to dry the baby off with one blanket and then wrap it in another.

"Warm...we have to keep you warm. Oh, God, you're going to need food! What do babies need? Errrr...milk! Yes, that's right...no. Not milk. Formula. Yeah, they sell that at the corner store!" With the howling baby in her arms, Kyoko ran out of her apartment, still in her nightdress and carrying her purse, determined to buy something for her baby to eat. She worried that baby birds don't drink formula, but other than that, she didn't have the slightest idea what to do for it. It looked like a human baby, therefore she'd treat it like one.

It wasn't until a while later when they were back in Kyoko's apartment that she had a chance to think about what had happened. "I don't know who he really was, but Count D knew what he was talking about, I guess." Kyoko whispered to the baby who was now falling asleep in her arms after having devoured an entire bottle of formula. "You are the answer to my dreams. You look just like Katsuya, too. His eyes and I'll bet you'll have his brown hair when you get bigger. If you don't turn back into a bird, that is. I wonder if you will? How long will I have you before you fly away?" She held the baby closer and resolved to go back to the petshop in the morning and get some answers out of Count D. "It doesn't matter. For now, you're all I need. What shall I call you? Ahh...I remember. Katsuya wanted to name our first daughter Tohru. Honda Tohru."

She did try to go back to the petshop, carrying baby Tohru, carefully as if she were afraid the baby would break, but the petshop was gone. Count D had been telling the truth when he said he was leaving.

"Well," Kyoko looked down at Tohru. "We're on our own, I guess. Just you and me, kid. You're going to have to trust me." To Kyoko's delight, Tohru looked up at her and smiled sweetly. "I love you so much, Tohru." Kyoko whispered. 'We can do this. I'm not alone anymore, so I know we can survive.'

To be continued...

To those who have reviewed:

A word of thanks. Your comments and questions and praise have encouraged me to write in every free moment I've had.