Pet Shop Of Horrors Fan Fiction / Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Long Denied ❯ New Years: the Year of the Snake ( Chapter 6 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Petshop of Horrors X-over Fruits Basket
I'll bet all you Petshop of Horrors fans are wondering where the heck Count D and Leon are, by now. Trust me...there is method to my madness. The D and Leon will come, be patient. Right now, I'm having to much fun torturing Akito.




Long Denied


Chapter 6: New Year's
Year: 1989-the year of the Snake

Akito- 6

Shigure- 12
Hatori-11
Ayame- 11
Yuki-1
Kureno-12
Kagura-3
Rin-3
Ritsu-3

Kyou-1



Akito-


"You really must get up, Akito-sama." Ren said as she went around the bedroom, cleaning up this or that. "You can't just stay in bed all day."

Akito didn't open his eyes while Ren spoke. He just felt so tired lately, all he wanted to do was sleep. There was a terrible weariness deep inside his bones, but no matter how much he slept, it never seemed to get better. "Tired." Akito whispered, rolling over onto his side, away from Ren. He hoped that she would leave soon. "Open the window, Ren."

"No." She answered bluntly. "We can't risk your health, after all, and it's the middle of the winter. A chill wind wouldn't be good for you."

Akito pulled the thick blankets up over his head, burying himself in the darkness and blocking out the noise Ren was making around him. He'd told her before that he didn't like the noise, he wanted quiet. In all the noise, Akito was sure that he heard...things. He couldn't say why, but the noise made him uneasy. He started to get nervous and frightened for no reason. Under the covers of the thick blanket, the noise dulled and Akito was left in darkness.

The blanket was yanked down from Akito's head and he blinked his tired eyes to find Ren looking down at him, disapprovingly. "Don't cover yourself up! You'll suffocate under there!" Then her expression softened and an unpleasant look came into her eyes. "Of course, maybe that's what you want. Maybe you want to die."

Akito curled up into a ball and closed his eyes. 'She's just trying to hurt me. I don't care what she thinks. I don't want to die.' He squinted his eyes tighter closed. As he thought about that. To die. To be buried in the ground or burned up like a piece of paper. 'I have to die. I'm going to fade away and they'll all be happy I died. Everyone was so happy Akira died, even Shigure told me that. They'll be happy when I die, too.'

Ren wasn't going to let the subject go so easily though. She went on happily, "I wonder who you'll chose as your replacement?"

"Replacement?" Akito reluctantly opened his eyes and looked at Ren. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh? Didn't I tell you?" She looked at him with a shark's smile. "You're going to have to chose a baby to take your place before you die. A sweet little baby who will step into your shoes and take over when you die and that little baby will go crazy, too. Akira chose you even before you were born. I remember it like it was yesterday. Akira went to you mother and paid her quite a good deal of money to have you. I wonder whatever happened to her. No matter, I guess. She left the day you were born."

Of course Akito already knew that. It wasn't a horrible surprise, but he did get a heavy feeling in his stomach every time it was mentioned. He was disturbed by the idea of choosing someone to 'be just like him' and thought how cruel it would be to make someone else always be sick and tired.

'But someone did that to me.' Akito thought bitterly. 'Ren said they didn't even really want me. All I was for was to carry the curse; they never even loved me. I don't want to do that to anyone else.' He yawned and put his head back on his pillow. 'I just want to sleep.' So, instead of yelling at Ren, like he wanted to, Akito rolled back over and pulled the blanket up to his chin. 'I'm so tired. I just want to fall asleep.'

Ren had always been like this, but Akito didn't know why. What had he done to her that made her hate him so badly? No. Akito shook his head at that thought. Ren wasn't being mean, she was trying to help him. Ren was a Souma and Souma's always helped each other, she wouldn't hurt him.

(Ren doesn't like you.)

Akito rolled over, hoping to get away from the voice that whispered from inside his own head.

(How could she? You're not a real person. She said it herself. You were born just so everyone else could live. Anyone could have taken your place.)

Akito squeezed his eyes tightly shut and put his hands over his ears.

(It's true and you know it. You're nothing. Worthless. They don't care about you. You're just a...)

"Shut up." Akito whispered as softly as he could. "I don't have to listen to you."

Thankfully, the voice went silent and Akito found his eyes drawn outside, passed the garden outside his house and to the great wall that surrounded the entire estate. Akito knew the wall went all around the estate, because Shigure had told him so. Shigure told Akito that the wall went all around the huge estate and told Akito about all the different houses, the river, the family temple, and the beautiful forests on the estate. Shigure also told Akito about the outside. Shigure spoke about the street market where he went to buy books from a second-hand bookstall and about the school he went to and about what it felt like to ride a train packed with people. Shigure often did that, even after Ren had yelled at Shigure for telling Akito tales.

"You'll only upset him!" Ren had yelled when she caught Shigure in Akito's bedroom. "He can't go out, so why make him think about it anymore than he has to?! He'll never leave the estate, you don't need to be filling his head with things he can't possibly understand!"

Shigure, as usual for him, had only smiled back, as if it didn't matter. Then, he'd winked at Akito over his shoulder. "How will he ever understand anything if you keep him locked up like a canary in a cage?" Shigure asked with a cheeky grin. Then Shigure had left, saying he had to go to school, but he would be back to read to Akito, later.

Akito watched as the gates of the estate opened, yet again, to let in another car as more family arrived for the New Year's celebration and he sighed. 'I'll have to get up again.' He thought, thinking of how many people he'd had to meet and speak politely with over the past day or so.

The phone rang and Ren left the room for the first time that morning. Akito looked at the still closed window, longingly. He wanted to get up and open the window, his bedroom felt so hot and stuffy, but...he was still so tired. It was such an effort just to sit up, Akito wasn't sure he'd be able to make it to the window and back to his bed.

As he was looking at the window, Akito was pleasantly surprised to see a hand reach up and give the window a push, inwards. The window swung easily in and the hand waved at Akito before disappearing back down, letting a crisp winter breeze into the room.

"Thanks, Shigure." Akito called softly.

The hand popped back up and gave Akito a thumb's up, then went back down. Akito smiled. Shigure was always there when Akito needed him, even if Akito couldn't see him. 'He must have been sitting under the window the whole time.' Akito thought happily. It always made him feel safer to have one of 'his people' around. Not just a Souma, but one of the Junikyu. They were his, all his.

Ren came back, holding the telephone in one hand with a very unhappy expression. "Akito-sama, it's for you." She held out the phone to him. She was so unhappy, it seemed, that she didn't even notice the now open window.

Akito just stared at it for a moment. He had a call? No one ever called him. In fact, Akito had never even held the phone before as he had no one to call. "Hello?" Akito took the phone and spoke hesitantly.

~Good morning, Akito-sama.~ Yahiko's voice came through the phone and Akito smiled. ~How are you today?~

"Yahiko! How's Yuki? Can I talk to Hatori?" He hadn't been allowed to visit Yuki at the hospital, Ren had said it was to dangerous for his health. There were to many germs in a hospital and if Akito caught something, he'd get really sick, or so Ren told him. Almost a year had passed since Akito had seen his three missing family members and it just didn't seem right. Akito always felt much better when he knew everyone was at the estate and close enough that he could call them. It was bad enough that Sho, the hare, had just died and that little Ritsu lived so far away, at the hot springs. Even Ayame wasn't at the Main House, he'd been visiting the hot springs where Ritsu's family lived for a couple of months. Akito didn't like his family being so spread out.

~Yuki's doing much better, Akito-sama. The doctor's say he's finally ready to come home. I just wanted to let you know that we're on our way. We should be home in a couple of hours.~

"You're coming home? Really?!"

As Akito was talking to Yahiko, Ren's expression was becoming more and more irritated until she snatched the phone from Akito. "You've been so tired, Akito-sama. Why don't you get some rest if Yahiko's going to be home soon." She looked at the phone darkly. "I'll talk to Yahiko for you."

"But..."

"No, buts!" She snapped before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.

"I hate you." Akito whispered at the closed door, clenching his fingers around the blankets. "I hate you more than anything. Stupid woman!" Still, he was surprised when he started crying and hastily wiped the tears away. 'I'm not afraid and I won't cry. Someday, I'll be stronger. I don't care what everyone says, I'll get better and I'll make Ren go away.'

The voice whispered to Akito, again, (You are afraid. You will cry. You'll never be strong enough to rule this family. Weak. You're sick and weak and you'll never be strong enough to make them love you.)


Shigure-


Shigure didn't feel a bit guilty for opening the window that Ren had explicitly ordered was to remain closed. Since he'd been sitting under Akito's window all morning, reading, he had managed to hear every word that Ren had spoken. Unlike Akito, Shigure did know why Ren was so awful to Akito and why she said such cruel things to hurt him.

It was simple.

Ren was stupid and she was a bully.

Perhaps that wasn't a very technical analysis, but Shigure was puzzled why a woman who seemed pretty smart wasn't bright enough to treat Akito with respect instead of pushing him around. Surely, she must have known that if she treated Akito with more respect and compassion, she'd have gotten what she wanted without so much effort. The entire family, and even the Junikyu, would have done anything she wished. If Ren had used kind words and loving embraces, even if she didn't mean it, Akito would be more likely to do anything she wanted. As it was, Shigure knew that sooner or later Ren's cruel mouth would come back to haunt her. She would one day make Akito very, very angry and that, Shigure was sure, would be a bad thing not only for Ren, but possibly for everyone.

Ren always told everyone that Akito's dedicate health had to be protected and for that reason he was usually confined to the house and to his bed. For the most part, Akito was rarely let out of his bedroom. It seemed like such a lonely life Ren was giving Akito.

Shigure had gleefully, when Ren's back was turned, pushed the window open. It gave Shigure wicked delight to disobey the harsh Ren. Ren wasn't, no matter what she wanted everyone to think, the head of the family. Akito was the head, Akito was the master. Akito wanted the window opened, so the window would be opened.

Despite the crisp air, Shigure was sitting outside, under one of the open windows of Akito's house, while reading when he'd heard the wonderful news. Akito obviously sounded delighted when he heard that Yahiko was bringing Yuki and Hatori home. Shigure almost dropped his book when he heard the news. 'Hari's coming home! Ayame's going to be so happy!'

The whole family had been worried that Yahiko, Hatori, and little Yuki would miss the New Years celebration and, the Junikyu in particular, worried that they'd miss the banquet. That would be disaster, though Shigure wasn't entirely sure why. After all, no one had ever, ever missed the banquet. No matter where they were in the world, the Junikyu would always return to the Main House for the Banquet. Even Shigure, who thought many of the traditions concerning the Junikyu were stupid and senseless, respected that one. He would never miss the banquet. It would somehow just felt...wrong to miss such an important day.

As much as Shigure wanted to jump and yell for happiness at the thought of Hatori coming home, he kept wisely silent. If Ren should find out he was near, she'd try to chase him away. If she noticed the open window, she'd order that he stayed away from Akito. Not that Shigure would listen, but she could make it hard for Shigure. Ren didn't like Shigure, she seemed to think that he talked to much and gave Akito to many ideas.

Akito's happiness died when Ren rudely took the phone from him and ended the conversation. Ren's voice floated out the open window and met his ears, only making Shigure cringe a little. Shigure had long since stopped disliking Ren and started hating her. It had gotten to the point that the sound of her voice made his ears hurt.

The door of Akito's room slid closed and Shigure realized that Ren must have left the room. Her voice came from the living room of Akito's house, floating out another open window and Shigure listened carefully to half the conversation.

"You should have spoken to me first, Yahiko! You've managed to over-excite Akito-sama. What do you mean today? Are you sure? It's so cold out, won't he get sick... No! Don't be absurd! Of course I'm not trying to keep him or you away from the estate, I'm only thinking of Yuki's well being. Besides I don't want to get Akito-sama overly excited and he's just gotten settled down after Shigure's visit."

There was a pause and Shigure thought about his last visit to Akito. He hadn't stopped by to actually talk to Akito since yesterday and Akito certainly hadn't been overly excited. In fact, he fell asleep in the middle of the story Shigure had been reading to him. Actually, Shigure had been trying to get Akito to come outside and play for a little while, just to get some fresh air, but Ren had forbidden it. Said the cold air wasn't good for Akito. She might have been right, but Shigure knew that Akito wanted to go out very badly. When he told Akito stories of what happened at school or a trip to the library, he could see the envy in Akito's eyes. It wouldn't hurt to let Akito take a ride in the car, once in a while. As far as Shigure knew, Akito had never even seen beyond the wall that surrounded the estate. He didn't know what a streetlight was or how to buy a carton of milk.

Inside the house, Shigure heard Ren speak again. "Of course I like Akito-sama to be close to Shigure, but that dog always gets him so excited and wound up. You know I have only his best interests at heart. Now, don't you dare...! You have no right to say that, Yahiko!" Shigure heard Ren's breathing become harsher, as she struggled to keep her voice low. "I won't have it! I don't care a bloody...You know why I'm not yelling, you damned cow! No! No, there is no...don't you dare! There's no reason for Yuki to come home on a day like today; it's freezing outside and...no...no, don't...The New Year's celebration can't be so important as all that, I don't even know what you people do in that house!" Her voice faded away, but Shigure was to excited to even bother listening to the rest.

Shigure dropped his book and leapt to his feet, bolting to the main gates as fast as he could. He was determined to be the first one to welcome them home. With use from an old tree that was nearly falling down, Shigure climbed to the top of the wall that surrounded the Souma estate where he sat and waited for his coming cousins.

It had been almost a full year before Yuki had been allowed to come home from the hospital, a year in which Shigure barely ever got to see Hatori except for brief visits to the hospital after school. Thanks to Akito's order that Hatori stay with Yuki to guard against any...accidents, Hatori had missed almost a full year of school and was going to have to be tutored. 'It's a shame.' Shigure thought as he swung his legs over the edge of the wall and watched the road where he knew they'd be coming. ''Hari's the only one of us who really likes school and he's the one who had to miss it.' The bigger shame, and worry, was that they might be separated if 'Hari was forced to repeat his missed year.

Shigure waited and waited, until he grew tired of simply watching the road and started to watch the people as they passed. Shigure had always liked watching people and he often found himself wondering what they were thinking and what they were doing. Housewives with their hair up in curlers as they did the daily shopping and thin women who had the vague appearance of sharks as they made their way to whatever business they had. Men in sharply cut suits or worn, faded jeans. Shigure liked watching them all. He even found himself wondering if there were any more families like his.

'Stupid thoughts. Stupid curiosity.' Shigure knew he'd never know the answers to those sort of questions. So, he let his thoughts drift away as he lay back and looked up at the grey, overcast sky. Besides, today was no day for wondering about normal people; today the whole family would be together again.

Ayame had already come home with Ritsu and his mother and had taken to spending quite a lot of time with the little monkey. A couple of months after his mother's death and Hatori had left to basically live at the hospital with Yuki, Ayame had abruptly announced he was leaving and was going to stay at the hot springs. Ayame was eleven now and an adult, according to Souma tradition, he could do anything he pleased. He didn't have to ask anyone's permission to do anything, except Akito.

'He could have stayed with me, though.' Shigure thought, a little hurt. 'It wasn't like I wouldn't have let him stay at my house.' But Shigure did understand. Ayame had a lot of painful memories to deal with and he needed time away from the estate. It hurt that Ayame didn't think that Shigure could help him, but it hurt even more that Shigure knew he couldn't help Ayame. Ayame needed something Shigure just couldn't give him and Shigure didn't know what it was.

As he waited, Shigure heard voice and he turned his head to see one of his cousins, Hiroko, walking with a friend of hers. It wasn't a strange scene, anymore, but one that made Shigure feel sick every time. It wasn't the fact that Hiroko was walking with a friend of hers, it was that she had left Kyou at home again. Shigure could understand it, in a logical sort of way. Hiroko had never even told anyone why she'd dropped out of school, shamed that she'd gotten pregnant. Now, she lived her entire life almost entirely confined to the estate and only ever got to talk to her friends when they came to visit.

Little Kyou was slightly less than a year old and yet he continually got left at home alone like this. It wouldn't be so bad if Shigure thought Hiroko had left little Kyou with a baby-sitter, or something, but he knew she didn't. She was still frightened of her son, after all this time. She tried not to show it and she tried very hard to be the best mother she could be, but it was hard. Shigure knew for a fact that little Kyou had been outside his house only a handful of times in his life. Shigure knew it wasn't...unexpected for Kyou's mother to act like this, but it was disappointing. He'd hoped that little Kyou would have a better life than Toma.

Shigure had heard that Kyou had lost the magic bracelet several times, trapping him in the monster form of the cat for more than an hour until his frantic mother had found the missing bracelet and gotten Kyou to put it on again. It shouldn't have surprised anyone who'd ever spent time with a baby. Kyou had often used the bracelet as a chew toy and he liked playing with the beads as if the bracelet were a little rattle. Those times when the bracelet had gotten lost, Hiroko had almost had a nervous breakdown and her screams had upset the entire family.

Eventually, Hiroko and her friend came to the main gates and Hiroko stopped walking. Apparently, neither of them noticed Shigure sitting almost right above them, he was so well hidden by the tree he'd climbed to get to the top of the wall.

"Hiroko, I'm going out for the day, do you want to come? We haven't had much time together lately." Her friend asked, with a bright smile.

Hiroko looked back towards her house, biting her lip as she thought. "No." Hiroko turned back to her friend with a bright smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I think I'll spend the day with my brother, instead. I hope you don't mind, but we haven't had much quite time together, lately. He's been in Europe for months."

Hiroko's friend laughed. "Yeah, your family's always been real big on the New Years celebration, hasn't it?" She looked around at the very crowded Souma Estate. "I've been here a dozen times, but I've never seen it this crowded before. I swear, you must have two hundred people here!"

"Two hundred and fifty nine, to be exact." Hiroko forced a laugh that almost seemed real. "We've got family this year that I've never even met before! This is the one time during the whole year that everyone is home at the same time. During the year, we've got cousins and aunts and uncles who live in the city in their own apartments, but now they've all come back." She rolled her eyes. "No wonder little Akito-sama is so tired, he's got to talk to them all!"

"Don't you find it strange that such a little kid is the head of your whole family?" Hiroko's friend glanced at the house where Akito lived. "Do you really take orders from him? I mean, isn't it normal for the oldest member of the family to be the head?"

Hiroko's eyes got a little wild at the question, but she pulled herself together before her friend noticed. "It's just another of the weird traditions in the family. You know, we have so many of them. Akito was chosen at birth by the old head of the family."

Her friend let it drop and Hiroko bid her friend farewell with a warm hug. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

"No, I don't think so." Hiroko gave no reason for her declining and just waved good-bye before her friend walked out of the front gate and disappeared down the street. Hiroko watched her friend walk away before closing the gates and starting off at a slow plod back to her house where little Kyou was waiting for her.

Shigure turned just in time to see Hatori and Yahiko walking down the sidewalk with Yahiko holding something in his arms, wrapped in blankets and he forgot about. Shigure jumped down from the wall, ready to meet everyone and Kyou taking a back seat in his mind.

The front gate swung open and in walked Yahiko, holding a bundle wrapped tightly in a few layers of blankets, with Hatori at his side. While Hatori had his usual somber expression, Shigure could see something different in his eyes. 'I...am I seeing things?' Shigure watched Hatori even as he ran to greet his new cousin. 'I can't believe my eyes! Hatori...he's happy!' Few people would be able to see it, but Shigure was so close to Hatori that he could see the faint glimmer in Hatori's eyes and he knew something had happened to make Hatori very happy.

Yuki was sleeping in Yahiko's arms and the moment Shigure ran to meet them, Yahiko shushed him. "Yuki just fell asleep, he's been crying since we left the hospital." Yahiko whispered. "I think he's afraid, this is the first time he's been out of the hospital." Yahiko knelt down on one knee to give Shigure a better look. "He's still pretty sick, so you'll have to be careful around him and as quiet as you can be..."

"HARI!!!!" The screamed voice made Yahiko and Shigure look up, surprised, only to see a silver blur rush passed them and tackle Hatori. "I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!" Tears were running down Ayame's cheeks as he sat on Hatori and hugged him tightly. In his excitement, Ayame had knocked Hatori to the ground and was now rubbing his cheek against Hatori's. "It feels like I haven't seen you in years!"

"You came for a visit only two nights ago." Hatori gently reminded him as he pushed on Ayame's shoulders to make him sit up.

Ayame sniffed. "Well...it feels like years." Then he looked closer at Hatori and rubbed the tears off his face. "'Hari? What are you so happy about?"

"I'm just glad to be home." Then, as if he couldn't stop it, a small smile curled the edges of Hatori's lips. "I...I think I know what I want to be when I grow up."

"Oh?" Shigure asked, curiously.

Hatori blushed a little. "I...I want to be an artist. A painter."

"A painter?" Shigure was puzzled; he'd never even though Hatori liked art in school.

Hatori's eyes lit up. "There was a painting they'd hung up in the hospital corridor, outside the room where they kept Yuki. It was a picture of a field of flowers. There was every color you could image all dotted on an endless field of green. The sky was the brightest blue and there were fluffy white clouds around the sun. In the middle of the field of flowers, there was a girl, a little girl with a yellow dress and a big red flower in her hair and she was looking up at the sun, just smiling. I don't think I've ever seen anyone look so happy." Hatori's smile was something that was rarely seen and Shigure felt a pang in his heart. For the first time in his life, Hatori found something he wanted, something that made him truly happy. "That's what I want to do. I want to paint happiness and bright spring mornings. I want sunshine and open skies."

While Shigure was very happy Hatori had finally found something in life that made him so happy, Ayame was looking at Hatori with a mix of hurt and confusion in his eyes. 'I'll have to talk to Aya later.' Shigure's eyes focused on someone behind Ayame and he smiled. "Aya, you seem to have grown a new shadow."
With a puzzled expression, Ayame turned around and smiled when he saw what Shigure saw. "Ah! Rit-chan! Come here and meet 'Hari! You'll like him." Ayame held out his hand for Ritsu, but Ritsu just shook his head and kept his feet planted where they were, looking at them, almost frightened.

Ritsu was one of his cousins that Shigure didn't get to see very often, in fact Ritsu was only three and lived at the hot springs with his mother and father and, normally, Shigure only saw Ritsu on New Years.

Ayame smiled at the little boy. "He's very shy, but I like him." Ayame smiled fondly at little Ritsu. "I stayed at his home for a while, when you were gone. It got kind of lonely on my own. You know, his parents are really weird." Ayame jumped off Hatori for a moment and ran to little Ritsu. "Come on, Rit-chan!" Despite Ritsu trying to get away, Ayame picked the child up in a tight hug and carried him over to Hatori. "He doesn't know anyone. Say hello, Rit-chan."

Hatori looked solemnly at little Ritsu. "Hello."

Ritsu's only reply was to throw his arms around Ayame's neck and bury his face in Ayame's hair.

Shigure still wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that Ayame had packed a bag and left home the day his mother had died. Of course, Shigure knew how upset Ayame was, but he had barely waited for the funeral before he'd gone to the hot springs and asked it he could stay a while. Shigure couldn't help but feel a little hurt that Ayame would rather go live with their more distant family than him.

Yahiko shot Ayame a hard look, clearly telling him to be silent. "Ayame, do you want to meet your brother? You two haven't had much time together, yet." He held out the little boy in his arms and Shigure heard a pitiful, weak whimpering from Yuki. It seemed that Yuki really didn't like the cold.

Ayame's pleasant face turned cold and he looked away. "Maybe another time. I have to get ready for the banquet now. 'Hari, you come with me." Holding Hatori and little Ritsu by the hand, Ayame pulled his friend away as quickly as he could and Shigure found himself alone with Yahiko and Yuki.

"He doesn't mean it." Shigure told Yahiko defensively. "Aya's still hurt. He doesn't mean to be mean."

"Yeah. I know. I hope he gets over it soon. For Yuki's sake and his own." Yuki was nearly a year old, but, to Shigure, he still looked so small and pale. Colorless might have been a good word to describe Yuki, all grey and white with pale purple eyes when he blinked up weakly at Shigure, but didn't make a sound. Shigure remembered Kyou who was so chubby and pink cheeked. "He doesn't look anything like Kyou." Shigure commented and he noticed Yahiko wince. "They're the same age, shouldn't they look more alike?"

"Yuki can't help it. He's still very sick and he'll probably be sick for a long time. Kyou was luckier, he's much stronger. You'd best keep comments like that to yourself, Shigure." Yahiko held little Yuki tightly to his chest and wrapped his coat around the baby. "There are a lot of people who'd be upset to hear you comparing the rat to the cat."

Shigure nodded his understanding. Strange, most of the people who were upset and hated the cat were the family who were NOT apart of the Junikyu, the people who didn't really know why some of the family were elevated about the others. Shigure wondered what the mundane members of the Souma family thought of the Junikyu and he wondered if they were curious about how the Junikyu were chosen.

'They don't know anything.' Shigure decided, remembering little Kyou and knowing how lonely Kyou's life was likely to be. 'None of them know anything. I suppose I know more than anyone, even the other Junikyu, 'cause of that book. I wonder...what would I do if I ever met that D guy?'

"Let's take him in, shall we?" Yahiko said, standing up a little straighter as he looked at Akito's house. "I think our little lord would like to see Yuki."

Indeed, Akito came running out of the house in little more than his lightweight kimono and his feet completely bare. "Yahiko! Is he here? Let me see him!" Akito's breath came out in smoky puffs as he nearly shouted and Shigure had to smile. He'd never seen Akito look quite so happy before and he looked more awake than he had in days. Akito's strange tiredness was wiped away by the arrival of his long awaited rat.

Sadly, Akito wasn't alone and Ren came following him quickly. "Akito-sama! Get back inside! You'll catch your death out here!" She shot a smirk at Yahiko even as she wrapped her possessive fingers over Akito's shoulders as she came to stand behind him. "Not that the cow cares!"

"Shut up, Ren. I've had enough of you in the last two seconds to last a lifetime." Yahiko scowled blackly at Ren, but he put his hand out to Akito and pulled him in close, away from Ren, so Akito could get a good look at baby Yuki. "He's going to be sick for a long time, so we're going to have to be easy with him, all right, Akito-sama?"

Akito looked at Yahiko with wide eyes. "But, his mother's dead. Where's he going to live? Will he live with Ayame? Can he live with me?"

Yahiko opened his mouth to answer, but whatever he was going to say was never heard as Ren spoke up sharply.

"My sister will raise Yuki." Ren told Yahiko coldly. "There's no one I trust more and with her as his guardian Akito-sama will be able to see little Yuki as much as he likes. We all want Akito-sama to be happy, don't we?"

"Your sister?" Yahiko scowled, holding Yuki closely. "Yoko already has her own child and she ships poor Kureno off to some boarding school in Europe every year! Yuki should be raised by one of us, one of the Junikyu."

"Who better to raise Yuki than someone who already understands the Junikyu curse and accepts it? I can trust her to do what I want her to do with him. Besides all that, she's married and will have someone to give Yuki a well rounded up bringing. He'll have a mother and a father with Yoko, that's something you can't give him, Yahiko."

"What has THAT got to do with anything?!" Yahiko demanded, raising his voice angrily. "Since when have we cared about people being married?" Yahiko was right about that. It wasn't uncommon, even in the past, for many members of the Souma family to have children without being married. It just didn't matter so much, since the family could easily suppose all its members.

Ren stepped up, nose to nose with Yahiko, and smiled. "You don't understand, I've already appointed Yoko as Yuki's guardian, as the head of the Souma family. It's already done, in fact. The papers are all signed and legal. There's no point in protesting, cow." She sneered when she said his animal side, showing her dislike for him. "There's nothing you can do about it." She reached forward to take Yuki, but Yahiko stepped backwards, away from her.

"You are NOT the head of our family!" Yahiko snarled.

"According to the law, I am." Ren smirked at him. "Until Akito-sama turns of age, I am the head of the family and I can do what I like with this family."

"Don't think you're being clever, Ren." Yahiko glared. "I know what you're trying to do and you're on very thin ice with the Junikyu. You've got Akito, legally, and now you want Yuki under your control. It's not going to work. I won't let you have our family. The Junikyu control this family, not you."

"Strange how I always seem to get what I want, though, isn't it?" Ren replied.

"Remember, you're only Akito's guardian so long as you live." Still holding onto Yuki, Yahiko offered Akito his hand. "Let's go inside, shall we? You really shouldn't go out without a coat on." Together, they started walking away, around Ren, and back to Akito's house.

Ren, after fuming silent for a moment, set off on a fierce march after them, determined not to let Akito out of her sight.

Left behind, Shigure thought about what he'd heard. 'You're only Akito's guardian so long as you live.' Shigure wasn't so stupid that he didn't know a threat when he heard one. Of course Shigure didn't like her, but, as far as he knew, Ren hadn't really done anything bad. She hadn't hurt anyone and she was trying to take care of Akito, even if she didn't do a very good job at it. Wasn't she?

Shigure stood alone at the still open front gate and watched Akito happily walk away, talking to Yahiko about Yuki with Ren trailing closely behind, keeping her watchful eyes on Akito. His eyes, though, weren't on the adults and he wasn't thinking about little Yuki.

Shigure was watching Akito. 'I had a dream...of the one I love most of all.'



That night-
Shigure-


On the third day of New Year's, the Junikyu made their way to their house. Of course, they all had their own separate houses where they lived for most of the year. Their house, the Junikyu house, was different, though. There was no furniture in the house, just a single, huge room. The house stood empty for all but twenty-four hours of the year. This night. From midnight until midnight, all of the Junikyu would spend their time together in their house.

Shigure had, like everyone else in the Junikyu, worn his best clothes for the banquet. It wasn't as if he put on a suit and tie, that just wouldn't be right. No, Shigure was dressed in an elaborate robe of dark green silk. It was different from last year's robe that he'd worn to the banquet, not because he'd grown, but because it was tradition that every year be different. It wasn't just Shigure, though. Ayame had designed his own outfit, and was very proud to say that he'd done most of the sewing himself, too. Even Hatori was dressed up in pale yellow silk and flowing robes. It didn't seem at all strange to see Hatori so dressed up, either. Shigure had heard comments from many of the family members who weren't cursed, and therefore had no idea what they were talking about, that Ayame looked so cute dressed up in bright colors, but that Hatori looked simply odd.

All of the Junikyu filed down the pathway that led to the Junikyu House with blank faces and completely ignored the crowds of people staring at them from both sides of the path, as if they were a parade or freak show. That was tradition, too. Ritsu, always so silent and frightened, walked practically on Ayame's heels. Hatori was just in front of Ayame and, at the front of the line, the rat went first. Of course, Yuki didn't walk. He was still to weak to walk, but Yahiko carried him.

As was custom, Akito was waiting for them at the door of the house of the Junikyu, dressed in his finest robes of silver and black. Really, he was dressed befitting a king. Gold, silver, and precious gems of all kinds adorned the tiny head of the Souma family in an ornate headdress that decorated his. It was all the family treasure, inherited jewelry that had been passed down throughout the centuries. He looked more like a decoration than anything else and Shigure doubted that anyone on Earth could look so magnificent as Akito did just then. He looked proud of them as he watched the Junikyu proceed towards him. For once, Shigure was happy to see, Ren was nowhere near Akito. Most likely, she was in the crowd of family, waiting to snatch Akito away the moment she could, but in this, she had no place.

Still, as they made traditional procession to the lonely house at the very heart of the estate, Shigure watched, from the corners of his eyes, the rest of the family, surrounding them. All the many, many family who had all come for New Years were crowded around the pathway that led from Akito's house to the ornate house just behind Akito's. It was always told to outsiders that Akito's house was the center of the estate, but the truth was that the center of the estate was this richly decorated little house where the Junikyu always spent the New Years.

Shigure saw, sadly, behind all the rest of the family, little Kyou following his mother away from the crowd of family. Little Kyou was looking over his shoulder at them, curious, but he didn't try to stay. As for Kyou's mother, she had her head bowed as she took hurried her son away. Hiroko didn't touch Kyou, she rarely did. Instead, she just walked away from the rest of the family and little Kyou trailed after her, struggling to keep up with his awkward gait.

New Years was a special treat for little Kyou, Shigure knew. Like Akito, little Kyou was rarely seen outside his house, though it wasn't for his health. She never came out and admitted it, never even let anyone speak badly about little Kyou in her hearing without flying into a defensive rage, but Hiroko didn't like people to look at Kyou. She was defensive when the rest of the family would put little Kyou down, insulting him just because he'd been declared to be 'the cat'.

Strange.

Most of the family didn't even know why little Kyou was the cat. As they didn't understand why any of the Junikyu were declared at birth to be one of the honored zodiac animals. It as widely thought to be a whim of the head of the family that made one of the Junikyu, just chance. They only knew that Akito had released an announcement that the newborn Souma Kyou was the cat. Everyone knew that the cat was traditionally hated and ostracized, but they didn't know why anymore than they knew why the rat was practically revered. Akito didn't openly hate little Kyou, in fact, Akito ignored him for the most part.

Still, to gain Akito's good favor, everyone in the family was willing to make little Kyou and Hiroko's lives miserable. They snubbed not only little Kyou, who didn't understand what was going on, but also his mother. It was harder on Hiroko who'd given up high school and almost all of her friends to raise little Kyou and now, to make it all harder, her own family wanted nothing to do with her.

No doubt, Hiroko had stayed at the family's celebration as long as she could stand the snide comments from her family before she escaped with her son. While the rest of the cursed family was put on display and dressed up as if they were nobles out of a fairy court, honored, little Kyou was left in the dust. Deliberately forgotten.

'What would everyone do if they knew how important Kyou is? He's the cat and the book said the cat was very important. That D guy worked very hard to get the cat away from the family. Kyou must be important, but I wonder...exactly WHY is he important? What was he to the family back then?'

Akito opened the doors of the Junikyu's house, which were locked the rest of the year. In fact, only Akito held the key to open the lock on this house. Without a word, Akito pushed with all his might against the large wooden doors until they swung open and the interior of the house was revealed. It was a simple room, wooden walls and floor, with no furniture, decorations, or windows. There were brightly colored cushions that lined the room and several large candelabras with long white candles stood, waiting to be lit.

Turning to the line of Junikyu who stood waiting patiently in line outside the little house, still in plain sight of the rest of the Souma family, and said, "I invite you all in." Akito said formally, giving a slight bow to the parade of the Junikyu.

The Junikyu filed in slowly, no one seeming rushed or in any kind of a hurry. The family around them, who really had no idea what this was all about, except that it was tradition, were talking loudly and laughing happily at the yearly display, some of them were even cheering. Most of the family was drunk now, but that didn't stop them from trying to cheer. The Junikyu didn't acknowledge or react to anything their family did or said. Instead, they all proceeded in almost deathly silence.

Akito was the last one to enter the house and he closed the doors behind him with a soft 'clink' of the key as it turned in the lock. Shigure only knew this because he heard the lock, not because he was watching Akito. At this time, he, like all of the Junikyu, kept his eyes straight ahead. They all walked to about ten feet in front of a large pile of pillows and cushions where Akito would sit for the entire banquet. They lined up, shoulder-to-shoulder, and stared at the spot that was Akito's place of honor.

Akito walked, his footsteps soft on the floor, around the line of people until he came to stand at his spot. In all his finery, Akito turned his eyes on the Junikyu and, in unison, they all dropped to their knees and pressed their foreheads to the still cold wooden floor. They were safe, away from the prying eyes of outsiders. It was time for them to show their love and devotion to their god.

They were almost groveling on the floor, they were all bent down so low. Everyone from Kagura, Rin, and Ritsu, up to the oldest of the family, the elderly Tiger, bowed at Akito's feet. Shigure was glad to do it. Unlike most of the year, when they all felt like freaks, this night made them feel different. This night made them feel special. They would stay like this, with their foreheads pressed to the floor, until Akito gave them leave to rise.

Akito waited a moment before he said, "Rise, my beloved children. For this night, this single night, we are away from prying eyes. We are reunited, once more." Akito sighed tiredly, before he continued with the last part of the set speech. "This eagerly awaited night will not last long. Dance and show me your joy."

At that, chaos broke loose. There was no music, no specific dance, but everyone jumped to their feet at that single and started dancing. Any rhythm they wanted, any dance was acceptable. There were no rules.

Shigure leapt to his feet and began spinning wildly, howling as loudly as he could with his face raised to the ceiling. Ayame seized Hatori by the hands and together, the two started to spin around the room wildly until even Hatori was giggling helplessly. The littler children ran here and there, screaming at the top of their lungs in a game that was something like tag. Even Ritsu, now without the security he seemed to find in Ayame, became bolder now that he was alone with people who accepted him. Ritsu danced lightly over to where Yahiko was swaying gently with Yuki in his arms. Ritsu stood on his toes and asked Yahiko something, but Shigure was to far away to hear it. Yahiko smiled at the little monkey and knelt down on one knee to give Ritsu a better look at little Yuki. Ritsu smiled shyly at the little boy.

Shigure became lost in the music in his own head. There was no music, really, but Shigure was so happy it seemed like the room was filled with the most beautiful music. Everyone was laughing and smiling and even Akito, still seated comfortably on his soft cushions and pillows, was smiling at his family with true happiness. Today, for this one night and day, no one could touch them. The outside world couldn't interfere and hurt them. As he made his way around the room, Shigure danced with everyone. He took little Rin up in his arms and swung her around a few times, then gave Kagura a chance to stand on his feet while he danced for her. He even let Ritsu climb on his back and gave the shy little boy a piggyback ride around the room as he ran at top speed.

At times, the party would slow down as people stopped the wild dancing to rest on the soft cushions and to just talk. Sometimes, this would be a time for holding one another and even more...intimate comforts. Shigure was almost laying down on the pillows, exhausted already by all the dancing he'd done and the it wasn't even dawn yet, when his eyes fell on Ayame and Hatori.

The two were still on their feet, though Hatori moved much slower than Ayame. They had their arms around each other and were talking softly as they swayed gently to whatever inner music suited them. Then, much to Hatori's surprise, Ayame leaned forward and kissed him. Hatori didn't move away or try to stop Ayame, he just stood there. It seemed to last for a very long time until Ayame broke the kiss and laughed. From what Shigure saw, it looked like Ayame was trying to make a joke of the kiss he'd stole before he pranced away from Hatori and sat next to Shigure.

"That was brave." Shigure whispered, cuddling into Ayame's side.

Ayame said nothing.

"You kind of surprised me."

Still, Ayame was silent and sat still as a statue. They both watched while Hatori stared after Ayame for a moment before another family member swept him away into another dance.

"Aya," Shigure put a hand on Ayame's knee and looked at his friend. "Are you..." There were tears in Ayame's eyes, but he refused to let them fall and kept a smile on his face.

"Hari's never going to love me, is he?" Ayame said softly.

"He loves you." Shigure reassured Ayame.

"No." Ayame shook his head, then he turned and put his arms around Shigure, leaning in to put his head on Shigure's shoulder. "He loves me like a brother, but not how I want him to love me. He never will."

"Aya..." Shigure let Ayame rest on him and began petting his friend's hair. He wanted to tell Ayame that they were still only kids. Ayame and Hatori hadn't even had their twelfth birthdays, yet. It seemed like such an unfair thing to say, though, especially coming from Shigure. Shigure was only a few months older than his two friends, yet he'd already decided who he was going to love. How could he tell Ayame that his infatuation with Hatori was nothing to get so worked up about? He simply couldn't tell Ayame that he was still a child and couldn't really know what he wanted. No. That would be to cruel and demeaning. "People change with time, Aya." Shigure ended up saying. "You and Hatori are both still young."

"He likes girls." Ayame continued as if Shigure hadn't spoken at all. "He never once looked at me the way I wanted him to. I don't know why. I'm prettier than any girl he's ever met. I'd do anything for him. It's not like he can ever marry a girl. Why...why aren't I good enough?"

"It's not that." Shigure tried to explain. "You can't help who you love. It just happens. Hari loves you as much as he can, but, well, he just likes girls more than boys." Shigure felt miserable as he tried to comfort Ayame, but knew there was nothing he could really say to make this any easier on Ayame. Shigure felt Ayame's hands tighten on the back of his robes and Ayame started to shake. "Did you tell Hari? Did you tell him how you felt when you kissed him?"

"No. I wanted to know before...well, he didn't kiss me back. He just stood there and I could tell he didn't feel a thing." Ayame sniffed. "So I told him I was joking. Just teasing him. I won't tell him, now. You can't tell my secret, either, 'Gure. If he knew, I think Hari would feel guilty. I don't want him to feel bad. He might get sick again and have to start taking those pills."

Shigure could understand Ayame's reasoning, even if he didn't quite agree with it. Hatori had, when he was younger, been suicidal and had been on drugs that kept him from hurting himself. Both Shigure and Ayame had, since then, kept a close eye on Hatori to make sure he didn't go back to being so depressed.

"All right." Shigure agreed. "So long as you want me to, I'll keep your secret."

"Good." Ayame looked up and wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his robe. "I want Hari to be happy. More than anything else." He struggled to give Shigure a smile. "Do you know when I think I realized I had no chance? It was just this morning, when he told us about that painting at the hospital he saw. I don't know why, but the way he described that girl in the painting...he sounded so happy." Ayame began crying at that and he put his face on Shigure's shoulder.

Hatori was there before Shigure could say a word to Ayame and he sat on Ayame's other side. "Aya? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Hatori asked anxiously. He looked carefully at Ayame, as if he expected to find some kind of injury. He said nothing about the stolen kiss and Shigure wondered if Hatori would ever think to mention it again.

"Hari," Ayame said, not lifting his face from the folds of Shigure's robes. "I want you to erase my memory."

Hatori's eyes went wide and he looked at Shigure over Ayame's head. "You...you what?"

"I want to forget." The despair in his voice was heartbreaking and Shigure wished he could tell Hatori about it, but he'd already promised Ayame that he wouldn't.

Hatori thought for a moment, obviously trying to figure out what was so awful that would make Ayame want to forget everything. "You want to forget Yuki?"

Of course Hatori would think that Yuki was the problem, he didn't seem to think himself of any importance.

"I want to forget all of you." Ayame replied, his voice muffled by the cloth of Shigure's robes.

"No." Hatori's answer was so abrupt and cold that Ayame looked up at him with eyes red from crying. It was rare to get Hatori angry. He had, perhaps, the best nature of any person Shigure had ever met. It really took something earthshaking to make Hatori mad. Apparently, Ayame's request had done it. "How can you be so cruel?" Hatori demanded. "I know you don't like little Yuki, but what about me and Shigure? Why do you want to forget us? What would we do without you?! Why...that's just...that's just selfish!"

Ayame stared at Hatori for a moment, speechless. Then, without warning, Ayame flung himself away from Shigure and into Hatori's arms. He cried again for a moment, but when he sat up straight, Ayame was smiling again. "Thanks, Hari. Will you dance with me again?"

"Sure." Hand-in-hand, they walked back out onto the floor and started dancing together, as if nothing had happened. Ayame didn't kiss Hatori again, but Shigure was happy that at least Ayame seemed content. Hatori wasn't really insensitive, Shigure knew, he simply didn't think anyone could love him as much as Ayame did, so he couldn't understand Ayame's feelings.

It was then that Shigure noticed someone he somehow had failed to see earlier. Near the back of the room, standing right beside the door, was Kureno.

'I haven't seen him for months!' Shigure realized all of a sudden. 'His mom said he was away at boarding school, didn't she?'

Kureno didn't dance, he simply stood by the locked door and watched everyone around him. As custom demanded, Kureno was dressed just as marvelously as all the other Junikyu, but he didn't take any joy in the banquet. Kureno was very handsome, for all that he was still so young, younger than Shigure. The rooster of the Junikyu was only nine years old and there was something about him that put Shigure on edge, even as he sat with Ayame huddled against him. There was a hardness in Kureno's eyes, as he carelessly scanned the room, something that distanced himself from everyone else.

Kureno stood with his back to a wall and his arms hanging at his sides, the bright red and gold of his robes complimenting his striking face and fair hair. His eyes were black as ink and Shigure felt a definite...something...when those black eyes fell on him. It wasn't fear, exactly, but just at that moment, Shigure knew that Kureno was dangerous. He knew that Kureno was capable of very bad things.

Shigure wasn't used to being this worried about another member of the Junikyu and it made him nervous. Still, Shigure did nothing but watch Kureno was the evening wore on and into the day. Occasionally, people fell asleep on the soft cushions, but it never lasted long before someone would jump to their feet and start dancing again. Ayame came back to sit beside Shigure where he began to fall asleep just before Yahiko came over.

Yahiko smiled at Ayame. "It's almost time, Ayame."

Ayame looked up from the half-doze he'd fallen into on Shigure's shoulder and rubbed his eyes. "Time?" He asked drowsily.

Yahiko chuckled. "Time for your dance. You hadn't forgotten, had you? It's your year."

"Forgotten, of course not!" Ayame stretched to wake himself up. Then he stopped and stared at Yahiko who had thrust Yuki onto Ayame's lap. "What...?"

"I haven't had much of a chance for dancing, since I've been taking care of Yuki-chan. Why don't you keep an eye on him for a while, so I can relax a bit?" Yahiko was away before Ayame could even open his mouth to protest and when Ayame looked to Shigure for help, Shigure hopped to his feet.

"I think I'll go see how Akito's doing. Have fun with Yuki." Shigure didn't feel a bit guilty as he left Ayame alone with Yuki for the first time. He was quite aware of what he and Yahiko had just done and how helpless Ayame was probably feeling. Still, it was what Ayame needed. True to what he'd said, Shigure went to sit by Akito, though Akito surely didn't know it. The small boy had long since fallen asleep and curled up comfortably on the cushions.

Shigure sat as close to Akito as he could without waking him, but kept his eyes alternately on Ayame, who was holding Yuki as if the boy would bite, and Kureno who still looked very uncomfortable and out of place. At one point, Akito woke up long enough to shift his position so he could put his head in Shigure's lap.

"What are you staring at?" Akito asked.

"Kureno. I haven't seen him all year, so it's kind of weird seeing him again. He looks different." Shigure replied, putting a hand on top of Akito's head.

Akito's eyes went to where Shigure had indicated. "He doesn't look very happy." There was disapproval in Akito's voice. "Doesn't he like being with us?"

"Don't know." Shigure said with a shrug. "I haven't spoken with him, yet. Do you..." Shigure didn't have time to finish his sentence, because when he looked back down at Akito, the child had fallen asleep again. Shigure smiled and brushed his hand though Akito's dark grey hair and smiled. "I guess it can wait till later." Shigure looked back at Ayame and his smile grew.

Ayame still sat where Shigure had left him and was staring down at Yuki in his arms. What was going through his head, Shigure would never know, but there was a tiny smile trying to break out on Ayame's lips and that tiny smile told Shigure that all was not lost between the two brothers.

Sadly, that moment of closeness ended for the two when Ayame was told that it was time for him to dance the year out. The rest of the family retreated to the boarder of the room, sitting on the cushions and pillows with everyone's eyes on Ayame, waiting. Ayame gave Yuki back to Yahiko, who seemed to have declared himself the little rat's protector, before he made his way to the middle of the room and began his dance.


Ritsu-


Ritsu really didn't know what was going on. He knew what he was supposed to do, Ayame had taught him that he should bow as soon as they all lined up in the room, but he really wasn't sure why he was in the house full of all these happy people. Ayame had helped Ritsu to dress earlier, and Ritsu was so happy that he could make Ayame happy. It felt good to finally do something right.

The words of his father and his mommy's tears were still to fresh in his mind. Mommy was always crying, but Ritsu couldn't understand why. Father said it was Ritsu's fault, but Ayame said it was father's fault.

Ritsu loved Ayame.

He watched Ayame walk to the middle of the room and start dancing in the dead silence of the room. Ayame was so graceful and there was so much energy in his dance that Ritsu couldn't take his eyes off the older boy.

Ayame always seemed so perfect, with his beauty and his always-happy demeanor. Ayame had breezed into life at Ritsu's home like a whirlwind and there was no stopping him when he decided what he wanted. His arguments with Ritsu's father were breathtaking and Ritsu, even as he watched Ayame dance, remembered the first argument between the two when Ayame had first come to the hot springs.


Flashback-


"He's got no right to be here!" Ritsu's father had thundered, slamming his fist on the dining room table. "That spoiled brat has plenty of people he can stay with at the estate, there's no reason for him to come here and..."

"But, dear," Ritsu's mommy said with her normal, demure voice. "He's a Souma. Not only is he a Souma, but he's one of the Inner Circle, like our darling Ritsu. It's Ayame's right to be here whenever he pleases." She was pointing out what every Souma knew and accepted. All except Ritsu's father.

"Did I ask?!"

Ritsu, from where he'd been peering around the corner of the dining room door, ducked away, afraid that his angry father would see him.

"All those Inner Circle freaks think the world revolves around them. I hate how they're always given everything. Those children. For God's sakes, the family gives them houses before they even hit puberty! They've done nothing to earn it! All those special privileges they get, the fancy schools, allowances that mean they'd never have to work...damn it! All for what? Nothing! They've done nothing while I slave away at this God forsaken hole working for tips from ugly old woman who think a day in a bath will turn back time!"

Ritsu shivered at his father's voice and wrapped his arms around his knees. He didn't like this, didn't like it at all.

"Dear," Ritsu's mother spoke again, her voice trembling and smaller than it had been before. It was always like this. Father would get angry, then mommy would get scared. She's start crying and apologizing. "Please, don't call the Inner Circle freaks. Our Ritsu..."

"Is one of them. Don't remind me of that shame!"

"I'm sorry." Ritsu's mommy sobbed. "I'm sorry, please, don't get upset. Don't yell."

Ritsu felt tears spring to his eyes. He wasn't entirely sure what 'shame' meant, but he knew he was one. From the way his father spoke, it certainly wasn't a good thing.

"They get the privileges because of the curse. We're lucky we don't suffer from it."

"Curse my ass! So they change into animals? Big deal!" By now, Ritsu's father was shouting and Ritsu, though he didn't dare look around the corner at his parents, knew his father was pacing from the sound of heavy footsteps. "They're treated like royalty! Your darling Ritsu will be taken to the Main House, soon enough. They'll want to give him his own house, too. My own damned son will have a better life than me before he's even in high school. That's just not fair!"

From where he was listening, Ritsu wanted to break down in tears He knew he shouldn't, knew he should go back to his room before he had a break down, but he just couldn't help the choked sob that escaped his lips.

Almost instantly, Ritsu felt someone seize him by the collar and lift him up off the floor. "What the Hell do you think you're doing!?" Ritsu's father glared at his son, furiously.

"I'm sorry!" Ritsu wailed, but not really sure what he was sorry about. It was what mommy did when father yelled at her, so Ritsu knew it was the right thing to say. "I'm sorry! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!" He repeated this over and over, his voice getting louder and more frantic with each moment as his father carried him to the middle of the dining room, but it didn't appease his father at all.

"This sorry excuse for son will have more than I'll ever have and it'll all be given to him on a silver platter by the leader of the freaks, Akito!" He gave Ritsu a final shake before dropping him.

Ritsu closed his eyes and waited to hit the floor, but he didn't. Something warm and soft caught him. There was a puff of smoke and Ritsu found himself as a small monkey. When Ritsu opened his eyes, his mommy was holding him. She must have dove off her chair to catch him. "My little one? Are you all right?" She asked, giving him a weak smile. When Ritsu saw her smile, though, he noticed her chin was bleeding from a small cut. She must have hit her chin when she hit the floor to catch Ritsu.

"Mommy...I'm sorry." Ritsu whimpered.

"You see!" Ritsu's father was there again, now pacing around them. "You see how it is! Damned little coward! Were you eavesdropping? Trying to get something juicy to tell Akito when you see him? Don't even think about it! I'm your father and you'll do as I say, not that pampered whelp!"

Ritsu didn't dare to look up at his father, but he kept his mouth closed, trying not to cry. Ritsu wanted nothing more than to please his family, but he knew, somewhere deep inside, that if Akito asked him, Ritsu would tell him anything. He would obey Akito before his father.

All this time, Ritsu was aware of his mommy curling herself slowly around him, tucking him almost underneath herself. She said nothing, but there was a determined look on her face. Ritsu knew what was coming. He tightened his fingers around his mommy's arms and waited for his father to hurt him. Father always did that when he was angry, even though Ritsu's mommy tried to stop him. She just wasn't strong enough.

Just when Ritsu's father seemed to reach his breaking point, the man stopped pacing and pulled back a leg, as if he would kick them. Ritsu closed his eyes and waited, but, again, there was no pain.

"Good morning."

Everything stopped and Ritsu looked out from the protective cage of his mother's arms to see Ayame, still in his pink, flowery dressing gown, smiling at the scene in the dining room. It wasn't a very nice smile.

Ritsu's father lowered his leg and said nothing. Ritsu's mommy seemed to relax the moment Ayame had spoken and Ritsu stared in awe at Ayame. There was no one more beautiful as Ayame, Ritsu had been convinced of that the moment Ayame had arrived the day before, but now, he looked so...strong.

Ayame's smile was cold and his eyes with like flint as he slowly padded into the room on bare feet.

"Ayame-san," Ritsu's father spoke with respect in his words, if not his tone. "What can I do for you?" It was very clear that he was still angry.

"Ayame-san?" Ayame echoed in a mocking tone. "How very strange. Just now I thought you'd referred to me as a spoiled brat. Was I mistaken? Did I hear wrong?" Ayame was still a child, he was only about half the size of Ritsu's father and had to look up at the large man. Despite all that, Ayame didn't flinch. "Perhaps my hearing's going bad? What do you think?" By now, he was standing toe to toe with Ritsu's father and looked up at him with those hard, golden eyes. His hands were clasped behind his back, giving him an air of helplessness.

"I would never call you a spoiled brat, Ayame-san." Ritsu's father said through clenched teeth. It was a lie that Ayame didn't seem to believe.

"You also didn't just call Akito-sama a pampered whelp, then, did you?" Ayame's thin smile tightened at the insult he must have heard. "You wouldn't call the head of our family pampered."

"No, Ayame-san. I wouldn't."

"Ah. Then I suppose I also didn't see you about to hurt your family, did I? My family? Akito won't be pleased if I report to him how you're treating our family. He'd be most displeased, in fact. You were bemoaning your lovely home and the horrible fact that you have to open your home to freaks like me, were you?" Ayame's eyes narrowed and Ritsu saw Ayame's tongue dart out of his mouth, licking his lips. "Would you like this home taken away? I promise you, there are many Souma's who would love to have this for a home and they'd probably do a far better job at upkeep than you do."

Ayame slid passed Ritsu's father and came to stand by Ritsu's mommy. He smiled down, now his smile much warmer. "What are you doing on the floor, auntie? You'll get your lovely dress all dirty down there." He offered a pale hand to her and Ritsu's mommy took it gratefully, though she kept her hand firmly on Ritsu's. Ayame's smile only grew brighter when he looked at Ritsu. "Would you like to go for a walk with me, Rit-chan? I thought it would be nice to spend the day in the garden. How about you, auntie? Won't you come with us?"

Ritsu's mommy nodded and she pulled Ritsu up into her arms where he promptly turned into a small monkey and clutched onto her eagerly. As they were walking out, Ayame paused and smirked at Ritsu's father.

"Remember, you married into this family. It would be just as easy to have you removed from the family."

Ritsu's father spluttered. "You can't!"

"Me? You're right, I can't. Akito, however, can and he will." His smirk turned into a hissed threat. "Don't you ever, EVER, dare to threaten one of us again! I'll make sure you're permanently out of our family." Ayame opened his mouth a little wider, just enough for Ritsu to see a pair of tiny fangs in Ayame's mouth. "You'll wish Akito forced you into a divorce when I've finished with you!"

Ayame stared at Ayame for the longest time. Ayame seemed, forever after, to be the strongest, bravest person in the whole world.


End flashback-


It was no surprise to Ritsu that Ayame was so popular at the banquet. He'd arrived with Ayame and his mommy on the first day of New Year's, but not with father. Ayame said something to mommy about making father take a taxi instead of one of the family's cars.

In all the time he'd been at the estate, though, Ritsu hadn't seen his father. Of course, he'd been with Ayame almost the entire time and, by now, Ristu was convinced that his father was afraid of Ayame for some reason. Maybe his father wouldn't come around if Ayame were near. Ayame had even spoken to some other boy his own age about talking to Akito about Ritsu's father, but Ritsu wasn't sure that would do any good. He'd seen Akito before and Akito didn't look very strong. How could Akito do anything to protect Ritsu?

Still, for now, Ritsu just watched Ayame as he danced and spun around the room. His eyes were closed, for the most part, and he seemed to hear his own music. Sometimes his dancing would speed up and then, very suddenly, it would slow down. He never once tripped himself on the long folds of his robes. Ritsu was sure that if he were the one dancing, he'd have tripped himself and ruined the whole night for everyone.


Shigure-


When the banquet ended, everyone was exhausted and sweating. Shigure had never been able to figure out why it was called a banquet. They never had any food, though no one noticed until after it was all over and then they were all starved. Shigure had woken Akito just before the end of the banquet, so he could open the doors for them. It was unthinkable to take the key from Akito and just open the door themselves, it just wasn't done.

So Akito, leaning on Shigure heavily after a full twenty-four hours of no food and less sleep than he was used to, unlocked the doors and let the Junikyu out. There was no great ceremony now and no crowds of family as they left the little house. This late at night, everyone was fast asleep. As he stood at the door and unlocked it, Akito's eyes went to the one figure who hadn't danced all night.

"You?" Akito paused and just looked at Kureno. "What's your name? You don't live with us?" Akito sounded shocked that any of his Junikyu would live away from the family.

"I live at boarding school." Kureno's voice was softer than Shigure would have thought it. He still stood with his hands together in front of him and he hadn't moved all night, except to speak with Akito just now.

Akito frowned. "You're...Kureno? Yoko and Akio are your parents?"

"Yes."

"Then Yuki's your new brother? Your parents adopted him."

Kureno never changed expression and he looked at Akito as if he simply didn't care. "I suppose so."

"Aren't you pleased?" Akito seemed to be getting irritated now, even though he did unlock the door and push it open. Most of the Junikyu left, squeezing passed Akito and Shigure where they stood with Kureno. The festivities were done for another year and now everyone had to return to their normal lives, whether they wanted to or not. Yahiko left lastly, reluctant that now he had to give little Yuki to his 'new' parents, but he did as he had to.

Kureno didn't answer at all this time, just cocked his head slightly to the side, as if to get a better look at Akito.

"When do you go back to this school of yours?" Akito demanded and Shigure felt Akito's grip of his arm tighten. Akito would often get irritable when people didn't react the way he expected them to.

"I leave as soon as possible." Kureno answered blandly. "I will say good-bye to my parents, I suppose, first. There's no reason for me to stay."

"No!" Akito burst out. "I want you to stay. It's late, so you should stay another day or so."

"Mother doesn't wish me to stay." Kureno objected.

Akito bristled. "I am head of this family, not your mother! You'll do as I say and you'll stay till tomorrow! After that, you can go."

Kureno tensed at Akito's words, but merely nodded before he turned and walked out, too.

"How strange." Shigure muttered when he and Akito were the last ones in the house. "You know he didn't dance at all? I don't know how he could restrain himself." Shigure knew for him that it was almost impossible to stop his feet from moving at that one time of the year.



The next day-
Akito-


Yahiko and Akito sat down to have tea together, the day after the banquet, when it happened. Both of them were still tired from the night before and Akito was so tired he felt that he could just lay down and die if only he could stop himself from being so tired. Even Yahiko had dark circles under his eyes and his smile was a little weaker than it normally was.

"Did they tell you that Kenji died?" Akito asked when Yahiko started drinking his tea.

"Yes. I was at the funeral, and I managed to sneak Yuki out of the hospital, but we couldn't stay long enough to talk." Yahiko sighed sadly at the lose of his dear friend. "It was so sudden. It's hard to believe Kenji would kill himself." Kenji had been the hare and his death had been more than surprising, it had taken the family completely by storm. Kenji had always seemed to be very happy and yet he had been found dead only a few weeks ago from an overdose of sleeping drugs. "Tell me, Akito-sama, how do you like living with Ren?"

The question surprised Akito and he had to think about it. No one had ever asked him before. "Not much. She yells at me one moment and then she acts like she loves me. I don't understand her and I don't know when she's telling the truth."

"Does she hurt you at all?"

Akito didn't answer. He didn't want to lie to Yahiko, but Ren had always told him not to tell. If he told, she was going to hurt his family.

"I see." Yahiko looked angry all of a sudden. "Don't worry, I'll..." Yahiko stopped all of a sudden and his eyes went very wide.

"Yahiko?" Akito frowned at him. "What's wrong?"

Yahiko dropped his teacup and it shattered on the tabletop as Yahiko put a hand up to his throat. His face was turning a funny color and he gasped for air, sucking it in greedily.

"Yahiko? What's wrong?" Akito was becoming more and more frightened when Yahiko didn't answer and his face started to turn blue, then purple. Yahiko tried to stand, but he fell to his knees and put both hands to his throat even as he tried desperately to suck in air.

Then, with what seemed like terribly finality, Yahiko stopped struggling. The light in Yahiko's eyes began to dim as he slumped to the floor, holding himself up with one hand. "A-Akito..." Yahiko's voice was breathy and strained as he focused his pain filled eyes on Akito. He reached out to Akito with a shaking hand, as if he expected some kind of help. Then Yahiko collapsed, falling heavily onto the table, his eyes still staring straight ahead.

For a long moment, Akito stared at the corpse on his table, unable to move. No one had ever died right in front of him. 'He died? Like...just like Junko and Sho. Why? Shigure said old people died and sick people died. Everyone was afraid Yuki was going to die 'cause he was sick. Yuki and Ayame's mother died because she lost blood and was hurt when Yuki was born, that's what Shigure said.' Akito leaned forward, over the table and reached out slowly to Yahiko. Yahiko's hair had fallen over his face. 'He wanted help.' Akito poked at Yahiko's head, hoping that Yahiko would move, but the older man stayed still. 'He's really dead.' Akito pulled his hand away from Yahiko and swallowed hard. What was he supposed to do?

"Ren!" Akito yelled as loud as he could for the only person he knew was in the house. "Ren! Help me!"

Ren looked around for a moment and rolled her eye and Akito was thankful, for once, that Ren had probably been waiting outside the door. The moment Ren laid eyes on the dead Yahiko, she rolled her eyes and threw up her arms in disgust. "Oh, Akito-sama! How could you!" She sighed and shook her head. "Can't I leave you alone for a moment without you breaking your toys?"

Akito blinked passed his tears and looked up at Ren. "W-what? I...I didn't hurt him."

"Of course you did." Ren strode up to the table Akito and Yahiko had been sitting at. She raised the hem of her skirt slightly and nudged Ren's body with her toe, causing him to fall over and hit the floor with a thud. "Honestly!" Ren rolled her eyes again, but paid the corpse little attention. "Akito-sama, you must be more careful. Why did you kill him?"

A cold feeling of horror spread over Akito. "I didn't! We were just drinking and he...he started to choke, I think."

"Choke?" Ren gave a rueful laugh. "No one can choke on tea, Akito-sama. You must have killed him. If you didn't, then who did? You were alone in here, weren't you?"

"Y-yes." But Akito was sure he didn't kill Yahiko. Why would he? He liked Yahiko. "But I didn't do anything! He just died."

"No one just dies. There's always a reason. Why did you do it? Were you angry with him?" When Akito couldn't answer, Ren just shrugged. "Oh, well. Next time, be more careful. It'll take ages for the cow to be reborn and now I'll have to listen to your other pets mope and complain." She turned and started to walk out of the room, leaving Akito alone with Yahiko's cooling body. "You're grounded until you can learn to play nice with your pets. You'll stay here until I think you've learned your lesson." Ren turned to leave the room, leaving Akito alone with Yahiko's body.

As much as he hated to do it, Akito looked up at Ren desperately. "Don't leave me!" He cried. "Don't leave me alone!"

Ren didn't reply as she slid closed the door and Akito heard an audible click as she locked the door behind her. Akito wanted to scream and cry, but he'd still be alone with Yahiko's body. With trembling legs, Akito stood and walked as far away from Yahiko's body as he could, until he backed into a wall. 'What if I did do it? What if Ren's right?' Akito wrapped his arms around himself. 'I didn't mean it. I love them all, I'd never hurt my family, never. But, what if...?' Akito turned, just then, and he saw Shigure walking with Ayame and Hatori, with little Ritsu trailing behind Ayame. Akito ran to the window. With his hands clenched on the window sill, Akito opened his mouth to shout to Shigure for help.

Not a sound came out of his mouth.

Akito watched silently as Shigure continued walking, laughing and chatting with Ayame and Hatori about something. He watched until they all turned a corner and vanished from his sight. 'What if Ren was right about Shigure, too? If I call Shigure to help me and Ren tells him I killed Yahiko...Shigure's going to break his promise. He'll leave me. He promised he'd always come if I need him, but he really liked Yahiko.' Akito let his frightened eyes drift over to the corpse, still laying on the floor of his bedroom. 'Shigure will hate me. He'll run away and he'll never come back.'

Shaking at the terrifying thought of losing Shigure, Akito put his back to the wall and slowly slid down to the floor, wrapping his arms around his knees. 'What do I do?' He couldn't take his eyes off Yahiko. 'What...' Akito's head suddenly felt very strange, like it was filled with cotton, and his vision blurred. 'What do I do?' Akito's vision very suddenly went black and he felt a distant pain in his head as he hit the floor, suffering the first seizure of his life. 'I'm so afraid.'


Ren-


Ren walked out of Akito's room with a satisfied smile on her face and her hand in her pocket. She rubbed her thumb over the small, now empty, glass vial in her pocket and couldn't help but give a little chuckle. The cow wouldn't be bothering her plans anymore, a little poison slipped into his tea had assured that.

Locking little Akito in the room with Yahiko was a last minute thought, though. She hadn't planned on it, but it had seemed so perfect. At the rate she was going, Ren would be able to have Akito committed to an insane asylum in just a few years. After all, every head of the Souma family always went mad, so she was just hurrying things up a bit.

It would be only sensible for her to be the head of the family when Akito was gone. She had been in control of the family for years now and their wealth had only grown under her careful watch. Of course, she wasn't about to do anything so stupid as give up her life for the Junikyu. No...they could die. She just wanted the power of the family. 'Then, I'll have it all for myself. All the money, all the land, all the power. All mine.'


To be continued...


Isn't it fun to torture Akito? :)

By the way, I know I messed up Kureno's age a bit, but he needed to be this old. Trust me.

Someone told me that Ritsu was their favorite character so I thought I'd put a bit for him in.

As always, I hope you all enjoyed the fic.

Till next time.