Pet Shop Of Horrors Fan Fiction / Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Long Denied ❯ Let Me Have Him ( Chapter 11 )

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

Petshop of Horrors X-over Fruits Basket

Long Denied
Chapter 11: Let Me Have Him

Akito: 22

Shigure: 27
Yuki: 15



Shigure-


After making sure that Yoko and Tashei had really left, driving off in their car, Shigure took off, too. Shigure ran though the fading daylight, as fast as he could. His robes whipped behind him, catching on branches and shrubs, getting caught up so often that he soon shed the dark grey robe. His feet were bare, as he hadn't bothered to put any on after that nice little visit from Yuki's charming foster family. There was no time. As heartwarming as Ayame's little intervention had been, it also made it very likely that Yoko and Tashei were both driving back to the estate to complain to Akito. If Akito were convinced that they were in the right and that Yuki should be returned to the estate, nothing could prevent it.

It wouldn't be hard to have Akito decide that Shigure had kidnapped Yuki. Shigure had kidnapped Yuki, technically.

'I have to get to Akito first.' Shigure knew all the hidden paths between his house and the estate, he'd run them many times. Why on Earth should he chose to walk along the roads and streets just to make a quick visit to the estate when he could just go through the forest? The problem was that Shigure absolutely had to get to Akito first and no matter how many short cuts he knew, it would be hard to beat a car. 'I should have broken Tashei's leg. That would have slowed them down a bit.'

As he ran, Shigure began to be aware of others around him. There was a familiar scent and Shigure heard a low panting. There was the almost nonexistent sound of paws pounding against the leaves on the forest floor. He didn't have to even look to know the wolves were with him again and Shigure felt reassured. They understood his urgency and, though they couldn't do anything to actually help, they did offer support. Just knowing they were near and that they understood how important his pack was to him, Shigure ran faster, dropping down onto his hands and feet as he ran.

Shigure arrived at the wall that surrounded the estate and, before he started to climb the wall, he knelt amid the wolves that waited for him and rubbed his face against the muzzle of the alpha male and that of the female he'd always been closest to. They were both getting old and Shigure knew that any time the male would be displaced by one of the younger ones. It was the way of wolves. "Thanks for the support." Shigure whispered, knowing that they really couldn't understand his words, but that they would know his meaning. He was apart of their pack, in their eye, so they would support when he needed it.

It was dark and quiet when Shigure climbed over the high wall and jumped down, looking around at the dark houses of the Souma family. He saw few people as he made his way through the estate, heading towards Akito's large house. He didn't bother to knock, it wasn't necessary or expected that he knock before going into Akito's house. It was understood that he, and the rest of the cursed, had free rein of Akito's house. Shigure didn't have to show the same kind of respect as the rest of the Souma family did.

There was no sign of Tashei's car, he would have doubtless parked right outside Akito's house, and Shigure felt a surge of relief. 'At least I won't have to argue with them in front of Akito.' That would turn messy and Shigure knew Akito hated hearing his family fighting. 'I need Akito's approval. This just won't work without him.' Shigure was all to aware of how much of a risk he was taking. It all depended on how rational Akito was tonight. What with the whole Hatori and Kana tragedy, Akito probably wasn't exactly stable at the moment.

In the halls of Akito's house Shigure passed several servants, quietly going about their jobs, but he didn't have time to even smile at them as he made his way to Akito's bedroom. He had no time. He knew that, by now, he was sweaty and breathing hard, he probably even had leaves or twigs in his hair. Hardly the appearance he liked people to see him in, but there was no time to straighten up.

Shigure was surprised to find two scents in Akito's dark bedroom when he slid open the door. Both were recognizable and Shigure briefly wondered if Akito and Kureno had become lovers. The painful thought passed quickly enough. There was no scent of sex in the air and Shigure knew that Akito liked to be close to his Junikyu. It was probably entirely innocent.

"Kureno, wake up." Shigure whispered, slowly making his way towards the bed. The blankets on the bed shifted as someone woke. Shigure had learned not to get to close until Kureno had seen him. He'd made the mistake of sneaking up on the rooster and still had the scar to prove it. Kureno was very protective of Akito.

"Shigure." Kureno slid out of the bed carefully, so as to no wake Akito and stood. He was dressed only in a pair of boxer shorts and, standing in the moonlight, Shigure couldn't help but leer. Kureno had grown into a fine figure of a young man. He had what most people would call a perfect body, muscular but not overdeveloped. There were faded scars from the days before he'd come to live at the estate, but they only seemed to add to his beauty, not take away from it.

"You look like something out of a wet dream, Kureno."

Kureno's expression didn't change and he made no move to cover himself as so many people would have. Hatori, for instance, would have died before he let anyone see him so undressed. Still, the long dagger Kureno held in his left hand must have done a lot to relieve any sense of vulnerability. "What do you want?"

"I want to talk to Akito. Can you give us a few minutes alone?"

Kureno nodded. "Akito said you were always allowed in. I'll be outside the door if he needs me."

"Do me a favor, won't you?"

Kureno cocked his head to the side, looking at Shigure curiously, but saying nothing.

"Your mother and father will be here soon. They'll want to talk to Akito about Yuki. Don't let them in."

"Why not?"

"Oh," Shigure laughed carelessly. "It's nothing for you to be worried about. They're a little upset about something I've done. I just want to tell my side of the story before they start telling lies to Akito. You don't have to kill them or anything, just don't let them in till I've finished with Akito." Shigure went to Kureno and put both arms around his younger cousin's neck, pulling them closer together. Shigure had never gotten to know Kureno well, but he often wished he had. He took a deep breath, inhaling Kureno's scent of peppermint mouthwash and Ivory soap. It was a very clean smell. "Why were you in his bed, Kureno?" He wasn't jealous, it was nothing like that. Shigure didn't even have to ask if Kureno was Akito's lover, it wasn't possible. If they were lovers, Shigure would be able to smell it. The smell of sex lingered in a room and the lovers would reek of each other and, though Akito and Kureno did spend enough time together to smell of each other, they definitely were not lovers. Still, it did seem odd for two people to sleep in the same bed and NOT be lovers. 'I wish...'

If he was at all upset by Shigure's close contact, Kureno didn't let it show. He just stood there and let Shigure hold him. Of course, Kureno was probably used to it from Akito, by now. "He likes to be able to touch me when he wants to. He likes to see that one of 'his people' is close. He said he doesn't like to be alone. It frightens him. So I stay with him."

"I see." Shigure didn't let go of Kureno, but gazed into those cool eyes. There was so much potential in Kureno, so much possibility. How sad if he were to stay forever at Akito's side and do nothing else with his life. "Remember, whatever happens, don't let them in. Can you do that?"

Kureno looked as if he might argue, but Akito spoke up softly. "Yes, he will. You may go, Kureno, but don't go far."

Kureno walked away as soon as Shigure let his arms drop to his sides and made his way to Akito, who was still in bed. Shigure slid onto the bed, next to Akito and taking Kureno's still warm spot on the bed. It was a very comfortable place to be and Shigure wondered if he'd have Kureno's place at Akito's side if he hadn't chosen to leave the estate. "I was hoping you'd be awake. I need to talk to you."

It was very dark in the room, but Shigure didn't bother turning on any lights. Akito would do better in a comfortable, intimate atmosphere.

"Talk? About what? You said something about Yuki, didn't you?" Akito blinked his dark eyes open slowly as he rolled over and leaned his head closer until his head was on Shigure's arm. One of Akito's hands traced its way up Shigure's arm until it ended on his chest. Shigure fought the urge to shiver and stayed as calm as he could. This was hardly the time to be worrying about anything except Yuki. "Why don't you want Yoko and Tashei to talk to me?"

"It's Yuki. He's been hurt."

That got Akito's attention very quickly and he snapped awake, his eyes hardening. "Hurt? How? Where is he?"

"He's at my house, and he'll stay there." Shigure kept his voice soft; he knew loud noises upset Akito. "Hatori thinks Yuki will be fine, but we need to talk about him. It's getting serious."

"What are you talking about?" Akito looked confused for a moment. "I want Yuki here. He's to far away at your house." Akito inched closer, putting himself close enough that almost his entire body was pressed against Shigure. "You're to far away, too. You should come home. This is where you belong." It was the same thing Akito always said when Shigure came to visit.

"Yuki can't stay here anymore, Akito. He's not safe." Shigure kept his voice firm. Akito was like this with every one of his Junikyu. He enjoyed being touched and touching more than anything. There was absolutely nothing sexual in his intent when he practically draped himself over Shigure. "I'm going to keep him at my house where I can take care of him."

"Bring him back and you can protect him here."

"No. I'm not going to do that."

Akito grew angry and pulled away from Shigure almost violently, though he still didn't get out of the bed or even sit up. "I am head of the family! You can't defy me!"

"Yes, I can." Shigure moved closer to Akito, making sure that he had his God's attention. "I've defied you before and I'll do it again. Yuki has to be protected and that's what I'll do. He's part of my family and I won't let my family be hurt if I can help it." Shigure wanted to tell Akito that it was him who was hurting Yuki, and the rest of the family, but that would be a mistake. It would only get Akito upset and Shigure needed Akito as sensible as possible.

Needless to say, Akito wasn't pleased. He pulled away from Shigure again and sat up for the first time since Shigure had come into the room. His eyes flashed ominously, even in the darkness, and when he sat up, Shigure was given a very clear view of Akito's naked chest. He was still to thin and far to pale, almost transparent. "I won't let you keep Yuki away from me." He began to breathe very quickly. "They told me you'd try to take Yuki away from me! They warned me you wouldn't let me see him!"

"They?" Shigure asked, keeping calm and hoping that Akito wouldn't fly into another rage. "They who? Who's been telling you lies?"

"They aren't lies!" Akito moved as if he would leave the bed, but his long arms and legs got tangled in the bed clothes and he struggled for a moment to free himself. "They said you'd take Yuki away from me and you are!" Akito's breathing got faster. "You're trying to punish me for Hatori! I know you are! It wasn't my fault, I didn't mean to hurt him and you have to right to punish me. I didn't want to hurt Hatori. I didn't." He was starting to degenerate into tears. "Stop talking to me! I told you I didn't mean to do it. It was her...that empty-headed woman. She was going to hurt him. I had to protect Hatori. She was going to hurt him, wasn't strong enough. He would have cried. I can't bear to see Hatori crying."

"Akito..." Shigure wasn't sure how much to risk saying. Sometimes Akito went on like this, like he were talking to someone else. Someone who wasn't there.

"No! I won't hurt them. I love them." He paused and his fighting with the bed clothes stopped suddenly. "Shigure? Are you here?"

"Yes, Akito. I'm right here." Shigure put his hands on Akito's narrow shoulders and pulled him back until they were leaning against each other. The physical contact seemed to soothe Akito. "I'm not trying to punish you for anything. Hatori's not angry with you, he still loves you. I have to do this for Yuki. He's sick."

"They've warned me. They've been warning me for a long time that you'd take Yuki away if I didn't stop you."

"Lies, that's all it is. We're family, Akito. You know I wouldn't hurt Yuki and I'd never hurt you. Besides, how could I take him away? I only live a short distance away. My house is closer than the hot springs where Ritsu lives. You can walk the distance in less than twenty minutes." When he was angry, Akito could become very strong very unexpectedly, but right now he wasn't angry enough to do anything unexpected and Shigure's soft spoken words were only calming Akito. "Come, lay down and rest. There's no reason to get upset, no reason at all. I'm not stealing Yuki away from you. He just needs a little quite time away from the family. He needs time to think and time to get well."

Akito slowly allowed Shigure to pull him back down onto the bed, looking more doubtful with each word that Shigure spoke. "Just a little time to think? He's sick?"

"Yes, just a little. He's depressed and that's a very dangerous kind of sickness. Besides, you can't really trust Yoko and Tashei. They aren't like us. Yoko's Ren's sister and neither of them understand the curse, even though they knew about it. Yoko's trying to use Yuki just like Ren used you. You don't want that, do you?" Shigure hugged Akito's to him. "Ren hurt you so badly, you don't want Yoko to hurt Yuki."

"No." Akito agreed softly. "She hurt him?"

"Oh, yes. Yoko and Tashei both hurt Yuki. Do you know what they did? They made him think the only reason you want to see him is because he's so pretty. He thinks you don't love him."

Akito gasped at Shigure's blatant lie. "I DO love him! He's mine!"

"I know, but that's not what they taught Yuki. That's why Yuki never wanted to see you, he thought you just liked the way he looks." It was such an obvious lie, that Shigure hoped he wasn't right. Yuki was very pretty, in an immature sort of way. Once he grew up a bit, Yuki was sure to be breathtaking, but right now he was still a child in Shigure's eyes. There would be so many people in Yuki's life who would love him for nothing more than that pretty face of his, Shigure wanted to know that at least Yuki's own family could see a little deeper.

Akito's love ran deeper than Yuki's appearance. Shigure was absolutely certain that Akito loved every one of his Junikyu, just as he said he did. Even when he hurt someone, like Hatori, Akito loved them and was trying to do what he thought was best. It was a painful love, but it was the only kind Akito seemed to be capable of. Akito loved Yuki because he was the rat, because he reminded Akito of the closed thing he ever had to a mother, Junko. He also loved Yuki for other reasons, which he'd once confessed to Shigure. He liked Yuki's violet eyes. Not because they were the same color as Junko's eyes, but because they were Yuki's. Akito couldn't explain it any further, he just adored Yuki's lovely eyes. He loved Yuki's determined nature and the way Yuki always crossed his arms when he got upset. He loved Yuki simply because he was cursed.

It was probably a lie that Yoko and Tashei had told Yuki that Akito didn't really care for him. Probably. Knowing them, it was hard to tell, though. Shigure couldn't know for certain, but it was a useful lie to use. He knew that Akito had hurt Yuki and he had to get Yuki away long enough for the boy to heal, even if it took a couple of years.

It would be counterproductive to tell Akito that it was Akito himself that Yuki needed to get away from. Akito would simply think that he needed to prove Shigure wrong and he'd hold Yuki even closer.

"Yoko and Tashei are the ones who've been hurting Yuki. It's gotten so bad that now Yuki want's to hurt himself." Shigure reached over and put a hand on Akito's hair. After Ren had left, the first thing Akito had done was to cut his hair short. It looked better on him than the long hair had. "I have to protect him, Akito. I won't let him be hurt."

Akito's eyes narrowed. "I didn't hurt him. I'd never hurt Yuki."

That was a lie, also, but Shigure couldn't be sure that Akito even knew he was lying. "Then why did he try to kill himself?" Shigure petted Akito's hair. "He's so lost, Akito. If you could have seen him today...he isn't happy here. You do want Yuki to be happy, don't you? Do you want Yuki to die, like Junko?" It was a dirty way to play, but Shigure had learned that cheating made life easier.

Akito stopped his struggling, but didn't look at Shigure. "That was unkind."

"I never said I was a kind person, Akito-chan." Maybe it was use of the affectionate childhood name, but Akito calmed almost at once and lay back on his pillows. "In the whole world I want only one thing. I want my family to be happy. Even if it's only for a moment, I want my family happy. Yuki isn't happy here. He'll die if he's kept caged up." It was blunt and cruel to say that to Akito who'd designed his whole life to revolve around his Junikyu, and double cruel because Akito was caged and doomed to die in his cage, but Shigure knew it would get the desired result.

"You'll let him come home?"

"When he's ready. He can't live with his foster family any more, though." Shigure was careful to avoid mentioning that Yuki might chose to never return. That wasn't really a possibility with the Junikyu, there was an inborn desire to be close to their God. Still, many had tried to get away from their family in the past and Yuki might try, also. "When he comes back he should go straight to living in his own house. He's fifteen, an adult."

Akito paused and Shigure could hear his God breathing in the semi-darkness. "The voice tells me to let Yuki go."

"Voice?"

"Sometimes, when I get upset, I can hear a voice talking to me, Shigure." Akito turned and wrapped both arms around Shigure's neck, holding him as close as he could and Shigure willingly held onto his master. "Am I mad? Ren always said I'd lose my mind in the end." There was a terrible fear in Akito's voice and Shigure was speechless. "I don't want to go mad. I don't want to hurt anyone." He sniffed and, when Akito pressed his face into Shigure's neck, Shigure could feel the warm, wetness of tears. "I'm so afraid. I don't know what to do. I want Yuki to love me. I don't want to hurt him, but when he looks at me, he's so afraid. I think he hates me. What have I done? Have I hurt him? Have I hurt my rat?"

Shigure couldn't speak for a moment. He couldn't tell Akito the truth without hurting him and he couldn't lie to his God. Hearing voices talk to him? "Let him go." Shigure whispered gently. "I read in a book, once, 'If it is yours, let it go. If it returns to you, then it is truly yours.' Please, let Yuki go. He needs to heal."

"I don't want to let him go, he might not come back to me. This is his home. He should be safe here."

"Should be, but he isn't. He'll die here, Akito. He'll die alone and sad. You don't want that, do you? You don't want to hurt anyone."

"No. No, I don't want to hurt him. I want to protect Yuki. I want to protect you all. I'm God. I should protect and take care of my people, that's what a God does." He choked a little. "I want to be strong. I'm so tired, how can I do anything to help anyone when I'm so tired all the time? I don't feel very strong."

"Let me be strong for you. Let me have him. You know I can protect him. I'll put him in a school and I'll see that he doesn't hurt himself anymore. Please," Shigure hated sounding like he was begging. "Please, let him go."

"For only a little while." Akito granted sleepily as his body went a little limp in Shigure's arms. Shigure lay Akito down on the pillows and covered him up with the blankets. "Only a little while. When he's better, then he comes back to me."

Shigure held Akito until he was sure his master was asleep. When he lay Akito down and covered him up in the warm blankets, Shigure sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at Akito's face. He looked at peace when he was sleeping and Shigure wondered what Akito dreamed of. Did he have a dream he wanted to make real?

'I am truly the most cursed of us all. No one else would be stupid enough to...he's dying. I've known that since the day he was born.' Shigure wanted to cry when he turned away from Akito and stood up. 'Stupid...sitting here thinking useless thoughts when I have so much to do.'


Kureno-


It wasn't hard for Kureno to follow Shigure's request. Truthfully, he hadn't really viewed his parents as parents for a very long time. They'd abandoned him that day he'd been sold at the Pit. Now, only the cursed were his family.

It was an awkward meeting, from the looks on their faces when they found him standing outside the front door of Akito's house. Their car pulled up and both of them jumped out very quickly. They didn't even notice it was him until they'd reached the top of the steps leading up to the door and both of them looked up at the same time.

No one said a word for a moment as they stood together in the moonlight and Kureno wondered idly what they were thinking about. Both looked a bit horrified to find him there, but it really shouldn't be all that much of a surprise, should it? All the Souma's knew that Akito had bought Kureno. They'd seen him in Akito's company and when they'd brought Yuki over to visit with Akito.

When Tashei tried to walk passed him, Kureno barred the door with his arm, giving the man a flat look. "You are not invited into the house of God."

"Move, Kureno. I need to talk to Akito." Tashei put a hand on Kureno's arm, but Kureno didn't budge. "This is important!"

"Akito is in an audience at the moment. When he's free, I'll ask him if he'd like to speak with you. You might want to go home. This could take some time." He felt a stupidly wasteful flare of pleasure at the looks of near panic on their faces and he couldn't help but add, "Why, Tashei, what has happened to your face?" He looked at a large spreading bruise blossoming on the right side of Tashei's face and raised a curious eyebrow.

"Show more respect to your father!" Yoko snapped.

"My father? My father is my God." Kureno had long since given up on his birth parents and, from the rumors he'd heard and what little evidence he saw with his own eyes, they were doing Yuki about as much good as they'd done for him. At least they hadn't sold the child. Yet.

"Don't be stupid, Kureno." Tashei growled. "This is about Yuki and you know very well that..."

Shigure burst out the front door with a broad smile and twinkling eyes. "Thanks for everything, Kureno. I had a lovely visit, it was very productive." His eyes fell on Tashei and Yoko and he feigned surprise. "Oh, my dear, dear cousins! How nice to see you. And what, may I ask, are you doing here at this late hour?" There was a smugly pleased quality to his voice that almost made Kureno smile. It was good to see that Shigure hadn't lost his talent for irritating people.

"You know damned well what we're doing here." Yoko hissed, turning her attention away from Kureno. "You already talked to him, didn't you?"

"About what?" Shigure stepped forward a bit until he was only a step behind Kureno and put both arms around Kureno's neck before resting the side of his face on the side of Kureno's face. Kureno really didn't mind. Shigure was like him, after all. "I just came for a chat with my master. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to talk with you now. Although," Shigure put a finger to his lips, as if he were thinking. "He DID seem a trifle upset when I told him that Yuki was at my house, resting from his suicide attempt. Seemed more than a little sad that his darling Yuki had to have Hatori rescue him from a nearly fatal asthma attack. Hmmm...now I wonder who he's going to blame for that? Especially since poor Hatori still isn't well, himself."

"You're to arrogant for your own safety, Shigure." Yoko's voice and face were filled with hatred and Kureno knew she could see her good fortune slipping through her fingers.

No far away, a single howl of a wolf pierced the night and everyone but Shigure looked at where the sound had come from, startled.

"I don't think threats are a good idea, Yoko. You have a pet dog, don't you? What's his name? Pochi? Wouldn't it be terrible if Pochi were to turn vicious very suddenly?" There was a terrible seriousness behind Shigure's smile. "He's a mastiff, I believe. One of those big, lovely English Mastiffs. You know...dogs are carnivores at heart. No matter how domestic you make one, they've always got this powerful urge to sink their teeth into some good, warm meat."

"You wouldn't." Yoko's face had gone very pale.

"Wouldn't I?"

It was a general rule that there were no cats allowed within the Souma estate for fear that the Cat would become angry and control them, making them attack people. Dogs, no one had considered a threat before.

Shigure smirked at Yoko and Tashei. "You're just a bit to late. Our beloved Akito had just fallen asleep. It would be terribly bad manners to wake him, don't you think?"

"I'll get you for this, Shigure." Tashei threatened.

"No, you won't." Shigure took his arms off Kureno's neck and turned to address Kureno instead of the irate parents. "Akito's sleeping now. I don't suppose he'll want to talk to anyone till morning. I really should be going now. Ta ta." He winked at Yoko and Tashei as he strolled easily away.

Kureno had a powerful urge to laugh at the expressions on Yoko and Tashei's faces, but he fought it. "Come back in the morning, after ten o'clock, and I'll ask Akito if he would like an audience with you." He couldn't stop the malicious smirk. "After everything that Shigure told him, I'd be surprised if he didn't call for you first thing in the morning."

Both of them paled and walked numbly away as they faced the prospect of an interview with an angry Akito.



Several months later-
Tohru-


Very early one morning, Honda Tohru woke with a jolt.

She sat up abruptly, her hand clutching desperately on her blanket. Her grip was so tight that her knuckles were white and, for just a moment, she sat perfectly still.

Without warning, Tohru burst into tears.

'Something terrible...' She didn't know why but there wasn't an unbearable despair deep inside that felt as if it might devour her, but something had happened. She put her face in her hands and sobbed uncontrollably, crying so loudly that she was surprised her mom didn't come to see what was wrong, before she remembered this was her mom's early shift at the factory. She'd already left for work.

'Stop it!' Tohru berated herself, rubbing at her eyes in hopes of waking herself. 'It was just a nightmare, nothing to get so upset about.' But Tohru couldn't remember having a nightmare.

Tohru cried like that for what seemed like a very long time and she dimly knew that she had to get up, because she saw the sun rising out her window. One look at her alarm clock told her it was six-thirty in the morning.

She felt so cold and couldn't stop shaking. Finally, Tohru shakily stood up and made her way out to the kitchen. Her eyes were bleary from tears, but she found the kitchen sink easily enough and washed her hands and face with cold water.

'Foolish, this is just foolish! I'm to old to be acting like this.' Tohru sternly told herself as she dried her face on a towel. Unfortunately, when Tohru had finally stopped crying, she looked up only to see her own reflection in the kitchen mirror. Her eyes were red and puffy, her skin was blotchy and her hair was a terrible mess. For some reason, this set her off crying hysterically. She almost collapsed, but managed to catch herself on the kitchen sink. 'What's wrong with me? There's nothing to be upset about, I shouldn't be crying.' It just wasn't like Tohru to be crying so long or so hard for no reason.

In the end, Tohru exhausted herself and ran out of tears. She settled herself down on the kitchen floor, to exhausted to even make her way back to bed. She panted for breath and was glad when the sun had rise to chase away the shadows. It would be time for school soon and Tohru was thankful no one was here to see her like this. She didn't want her mom or friends to see how weak she was. She didn't want anyone to see how the terrible blackness inside was eating away at her. It was foolish, there was no great blackness inside, it was just the nightmare. It must have been a nightmare. Right?



At school-


"Tohru?" Uo-chan was the first of Tohru's two friends to speak when she finally reached school. Arisa Uotoni was a very beautiful girl, Tohru reflected as she smiled and made her way to her dearest friends. She was taller than any other girl at school and had bleached her hair blonde. That blonde hair fell over one of Uo-chan's eyes and she had an attitude that showed everyone that she was very proud of herself and had nothing to prove to anyone. Tohru had always admired Uo-chan, she was so self-assured and confident. Right now, though, she looked worried. "You look terrible. What happened?"

"It's nothing." Tohru lied, smiling to make Uo-chan feel better. The last thing she wanted was for either of her friends to worry about her, especially when it was something so silly as a nightmare. "I had a bad dream and couldn't get back to sleep afterwards. I'm just a bit tired."

By now, standing in the full sunlight with a warm breeze and looking at her two dearest friends, Tohru could laugh at herself for having such a terrible break down. Everything was perfectly fine.

"Dreams are very important. Can you remember any of it?" Saki Hanajima said, not moving from where she stood next to Uo-chan. Hana-chan was just as beautiful as Uo-chan, but in a very different way. Hana-chan had fairer skin than anyone Tohru had ever seen with thick waves of black hair and very dark eyes. So graceful and elegant, Tohru wished that she could have that kind of poise instead of being so clumsy. Hana-chan was thin, but there was a sense of power that surrounded her, just like the sense of strength surrounded Uo-chan.

"No." Tohru told her as they all turned and started walking into the school. "Not a bit of it, I'm afraid. I just...It felt as if something terrible had just happened. Like the world was ending." Embarrassed when she realized how melodramatic she sounded, Tohru laughed at herself and blushed slightly. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. So, what's going on today?"

Neither of her friends, especially Hana-chan, looked convinced that Tohru was all right, but they let her change the subject.

"Well, I hear we've got a new student in our class." Uo-chan said, looking up slightly as she often did when she was thinking. "Not sure what the name is, but I hear its some rich kid from the other side of town. Why a rich kids going to our dumpy little school, I have no clue." She raised a hand and ran her fingers through her hair, brushing it away from her face.


Yuki-
Yuki's dream-


"Aren't you happy, Akito?" Ren asked with a strangely gentle voice. She sat down next to Akito and smiled nastily as she watched Akito and little Yuki. "Aren't you pleased to have your rat back with you?"

"Yes." Akito whispered. He pulled little Yuki closer to him and rested his chin on Yuki's head. "Very pleased."

Sadly, Yuki was an average three-year-old and he tried to pull away from Akito. Yuki pushed away, whining, until Ren snapped. She lashed out at him and struck Yuki across the face, sending him reeling backwards. The little boy looked up at her with tears in his eyes.

"Don't touch him!" Akito flared, turning his glare on Ren. "He's mine, you said so, yourself! They all belong to me!" Akito went to Yuki, but Yuki was still frightened and burst into tears when Akito tried to hug him again. "Stop it!" Akito ordered the child. "Stop crying, I'm only trying to help. I didn't hurt you, she did!" Every attempt Akito made to hug little Yuki was met by another wail and Yuki trying to get away.

Kureno only watched as Akito grew frustrated and then angry at Yuki and he watched as Ren simply watched and waited.

"You're mine!" Akito shouted at the toddler who sat on the ground crying as hard as he could. "Don't cry, you're my favorite, I won't let anyone hurt you." Akito pleaded as hard as he could, but none of it had any meaning for Yuki, he was simply to young to understand and Akito was to young to know how to deal with crying children. "Stop it! Stop crying!" Akito's voice hovered between anger and fear, no doubt afraid that Yuki wouldn't stop crying. "Stop! I don't like it! I hate your crying! Stop it!" Akito raised his hand over his head and he reared back to strike Yuki, just as Ren had done only moments ago.

Ren was suddenly standing behind Akito, holding Akito's still raised hand in place. "Doesn't it feel good?" Ren purred into Akito's ear. "You belong to me, I can do anything I like to you. Yuki belongs to you, you can do anything you like to him. Do you like that power? Do you want to hit him? Go ahead." She released Akito's hand. "You're his god, you can do whatever you please to him and he'll still worship you. You want him to stop crying? Then make him. Make him stop."


End of dream-


Yuki hated that dream. He had it all the time, but at least it wasn't so horrifying as it once had been. Now, Ren was gone and Yuki had found her almost as frightening as he found Akito. He wasn't sure why Ren had vanished from the estate so suddenly, only that it had something to do with Shigure's sudden leaving and that Yuki was glad she was gone.

No one else had ever been able to give Yuki a good enough answer about Ren's disappearance, not even his own foster mother, Ren's sister. She hadn't died, Yuki was sure of that because he'd once heard his foster mother talking on the phone to Ren.

None that of that really worried Yuki, though. Ren, his foster parents, and Akito all seemed very far away. 'Shigure said I could stay as long as I liked, so I won't go back.' Yuki didn't quite believe himself, but he would try to make it reality. Even if part of him were itching to go back home, back to the estate and into the suffocating arms of Akito, Yuki wouldn't give in. Shigure and Hatori had given Yuki his freedom on a silver platter, a priceless gift. Yuki wasn't about to give up what he'd wanted for so long.

Later, Yuki stared at his reflection in the mirror for a long time, still not quite believing what was happening. His first day of high school and he was being allowed to go to a coed school. It was unheard of, within the Souma family, for one of the cursed to be allowed so frequently in the company of someone of the opposite sex who wasn't family.

Yuki ran a comb through his grey hair again and wondered if he'd be teased for it here like he had been at that last school he'd gone to. Not that it really mattered. He put the comb down and continued to stare at himself in the mirror that hung over his desk. Shigure had bought him the desk after enrolling him in the high school, saying it was to much work to move the desk at his other house.

"Why should I move something that heavy when I can have the people from the store put a new one in your room?" Shigure had asked with a lazy wave of his fan when Yuki had asked him. "Unless you're suddenly going to become social and do your homework at the table with me around, then you'll have to have a desk. If you don't do well in your schoolwork, then Akito will have you go home. I promised him I'd take care of you, didn't I? That includes making sure you do your homework."

The thought of going back, facing that tiny dark room again, made Yuki shiver for a moment. He couldn't do it. Not after months of relative freedom with Shigure. What if Akito gave him back to his foster parents?

For the third time in the past twenty minutes, Yuki straightened his new school uniform and wondered how he was supposed to get his tie on right. Before, one of the kind maids at the estate had always helped him with it and now he couldn't get the darned thing straight. Well, there was no two ways about it. He would have to ask Shigure for help.

With an empty school bag in one hand, Yuki slowly made his way down stairs. As he did, Yuki reflected on how lucky he was. He finally had a home where he wasn't stared at all day, where he didn't feel any pressure to be anything. Shigure was so easy going it was easy to make the mistake that he was lazy and had a relaxing atmosphere around the house. Shigure didn't believe in formality and had told Yuki outright that Yuki could do pretty much what he pleased. If he wanted to go into town to watch a movie, he didn't have to ask permission. If he wanted to go to the coed high school, as Yuki had been asking to do for ages, he could. Shigure didn't care so long as Yuki always made sure to be careful. The best part, Yuki had discovered, was that Shigure let him have a garden. It wasn't a big garden by any means, but it was Yuki's. All in all, it was a good life.

"I wanted to see him off on his first day, 'Gure! The first day of high school is so important for a young man."

Yuki froze when he heard the enthusiastic voice of his older brother. He scowled and started back up the stairs. The last thing he wanted was to see his brother. Ayame was always so happy. He was an idiot. 'Can't he see how horrible things are?' Yuki hated his brother's eternal good mood. Ever since he'd come to live with Shigure, Ayame always seemed to be around and he always wanted to talk to Yuki. 'He says he wants us to be closer, but I can't stand him! Every time he's in the room, he's yelling about something and he's always touching. I hate it when he touches me.' Yuki went to through the house and then back downstairs to the back door. He'd skip breakfast if that meant he could leave without seeing Ayame. 'It's not as if he REALLY wants to know me, anyway. He wants to make himself feel better because he ignored me for so long. He only cares about himself. That and he wants to flirt with Shigure.'

Yuki left the house, hoping that no one would see him. If Ayame saw him, he might try to walk to school with Yuki and that would really ruin the start of his first day.


Ayame-


Ayame watched Yuki walk away, walking faster than normal. "How's his asthma? No attacks?"

"None lately." Shigure answered, pouring more tea for himself and Ayame. "Hatori says the long walks into town are good for Yuki, so I haven't bothered to get a car. Hatori also says he told Tashei and Yoko to let Yuki get more exercise when he was younger, but apparently they didn't listen. It wasn't until he appealed to Kazuma that Kazuma went to Akito and offered lessons for Yuki. That's when the asthma started getting better."

"Good." Ayame's normally cheery voice was more than a little subdued as he kept his eyes on Yuki until the boy turned a corner in the path and disappeared.

"It was good of you to warn him that you were here." Shigure commented. "Raising your voice like that when you heard him coming down the stairs."

"Like I said, it's an important day for him. I didn't want to upset him to much." Ayame knew that Yuki practically hated him and really couldn't blame his little brother. Ignored for all those years, practically forgotten, it was easy to hate. Ayame wouldn't stop trying, though. Better late than never, after all, and Yuki really did seem to be getting better as he continued to live with Shigure. At least now he spoke and, when Ayame visited, Yuki would yell at the top of his lungs. Ayame couldn't find it in himself to get downhearted about Yuki yelling at him. 'He gives me more of a reaction than anyone else.' That was something, wasn't it? Even if it wasn't a good reaction, it was a reaction. "You're sure he doesn't need anything? Something I can get him or give him?"

Shigure shook his head. "Not really. He's pretty content with that little garden of his. Oh, I did as you asked. I didn't tell him you were the one who gave me those seeds, he thinks I bought them for him."

"I'm glad. If he knew they were from me, he might not have used them." Ayame smiled. He knew Shigure thought he was wrong about doing it, but at least he knew Yuki was happy. He'd go into the city later and buy some more seeds for his brother.


Tohru-


It all happened after the new boy had been introduced. Sitting at the back of the class, between Uo-chan and Hana-chan, Tohru could barely see the short boy. She did hear a murmur of appreciation from half the class when he walked in, escorted by the headmaster, and stood silently at the front of the class with his head slightly bowed.

"Class, this is Souma Yuki, he's a new transfer student. I hope you'll all show him the kindness of helping him out until he adjusts. Yuki," The teacher reached out to put a hand on Yuki's shoulder, but Yuki turned abruptly so he was facing her. "You can have any free seat. I hope you enjoy your time with us."

While he walked down the aisle to a seat a few rows away from Tohru, Tohru got a good look at him. Yuki was as pale as Hana-chan, not something that Tohru saw often, but his hair was the strangest color. It was sort of silver, but it also looked a bit purple, so that in the changing light, Tohru couldn't be sure what color it was. He walked as he had stood, with his head bowed slightly, staring at his shoes, and slid into his desk without making a sound. Once there, he studiously ignored everyone and kept his hands folded neatly on his desk.

It was hard to miss the fact that nearly every girl and a few of the boys in class were all starry eyed as they stared at Souma Yuki. Tohru even saw a few of them drooling and it wasn't hard to tell why. Souma-kun was very good looking, though she thought he must be a bit scared, as he was new in school and everything.

The day went on pretty quietly, but still, Tohru was having a hard time shaking the feeling that something horrible had happened. She couldn't concentrate and even when Hana-chan or Uo-chan would speak to her, Tohru couldn't seem to focus on their words. 'I'm just over tired. I should take a nap at lunch. Hana-chan and Uo-chan will wake me up before class starts.' Tohru hated the fact that she couldn't seem to do anything on the first day of high school. How was she supposed to make her mom happy if she couldn't even do simple schoolwork. As much as she loved Hana-chan and Uo-chan, the most important thing in Tohru's life was making her mom happy.

"Honda-san."

The voice broke Tohru out of her thoughts and she looked up to see the headmaster standing in the doorway.

"Yes?" Tohru stood politely, but worried. She didn't think she'd done anything wrong.

The headmaster looked pale and nervous and he looked at Tohru's teacher. "I need to speak with Honda-san for a moment. If you'll excuse her."

"Of course." The teacher nodded and motioned for Tohru to go with the headmaster.

As she walked out, Tohru heard Hana-chan's ominous voice whisper in her mind, "Be strong, dear Tohru. We'll help you through this."

Tohru glanced over her shoulder to find Hana-chan nearly in tears, hunched over her desk. Uo-chan had a hand on Hana-chan's shoulder, trying to quietly comfort her and Tohru had a growing feeling of dread. Hana-chan had a talent of knowing things before everyone else did and if she was almost in tears because of it...

"Honda-san," The headmaster closed the classroom door behind Tohru, giving them the privacy of speaking in the hallway. "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but I have a police officer in my office who needs to speak with you. I'm afraid it isn't good news. Your mother's been in a car accident at about six thirty this morning. It was on her way to work this morning, a drunk driver hit her."

Tohru swayed at his words and the headmaster had to catch her arm so she wouldn't fall.

"Please, come with me, Honda-san." His voice was filled with pity, but that was the last thing Tohru wanted. "The police need to speak with you. You're excused from classes for the rest of the day."

Tohru didn't wait a moment before she took off running. Her mind was nearly blank with panic. 'This can't be happening. What am I going to do? Maybe it was a mistake. Yeah...a mistake.' But it wasn't a mistake. There was a uniformed police officer waiting in the Headmaster's office and he was holding her mom's purse. Tohru knew it was her mom's, it had to be. It had a key chain that Tohru had bought for her mom last Christmas hanging off the zipper pull.

"No." Tohru's voice came out as painful moan and the world went dark as she fainted.


America, San Francisco
Count D-


D knew something was wrong almost as soon as it had happened. One of the pets he'd sold was suddenly without an owner, orphaned. That, D knew, was a potentially fatal situation depending on what animal had been orphaned. Most animals were capable of looking after themselves, but some of them were more vulnerable than others.

Without hesitation, D went to one of the back rooms of his petshop, the room where all the contracts were carefully stored. It was one of the most highly guarded rooms for without those documents there would be nothing to bind the pets to their owners and vice versa. Outside the only door that led into that room were two of the best guard dogs D had ever had the luck to acquire. Both with fine, handsome specimens and rarely moved from their posts. Even food was brought to them so they wouldn't have to leave the door for any reason.

"Good morning, Count." One of the twin dogs smiled down at D, showing off his sharp teeth.

"Good morning." D replied with a smile. Both males had served him well with unfailing loyalty and D was grateful to have them. As D passed the guards, who lounged on either side of the door as if they were nothing but lazy lap dogs, D was proud to know that anyone who tried to get in but himself and his family would have been ripped to pieces by the two dogs. They were savage creatures; a breed never tamed by humans.

Inside the dark room, there was a lantern that gave off just enough light to read by. D didn't have to light the lantern, it was always lit. How this happened really wasn't important. D went through the contracts one at a time until he found the right one. It was a more difficult task than anyone would probably imagine, but to D it really wasn't all that demanding. He had to file through the contracts that had been broken and the ones that were still active. It took hours until he found the right one.

HONDA KYOKO CONTRACT FOR ONE NIGHTINGALE EGG

He knew instinctively, when his long fingers touched the contract that the human woman, Kyoko, had died. That meant his poor little Nightingale was alone somewhere in the world. She had followed the contract precisely and it was just ill fortune that had led to her death.

'It is of little concern.' D thought, placing the contract in one of the deep pockets of his robe. 'The nightingale will come back to me when she realizes her purpose is gone. She was born to give love to the person she was sold to. With that person gone, she will be lost. She will find her way back to me, they always do.'

So D let himself stop worrying about the nightingale, confident that she would return soon enough.

He prepared to leave the records room when something caught his attention. Strangely enough, it was Q-chan who made D notice it. Q-chan always followed D everywhere and this was no exception.

"Q-chan!" D scolded when he saw Q-chan digging through stacks of papers, spilling most of them onto the floor. "What are you doing? It will take me ages to straighten this up!" The horned, winged rabbit took flight when D came over to where it had been digging and stooped to start cleaning up the mess. On the floor, on the very bottom of the whole mess D had found a single sheet of paper, turned yellow and brittle with age. Even the words had started to fade, telling D that this was probably one of the oldest papers in the whole room and it could have been centuries old. Strangely, it wasn't written in D's handwriting. It also wasn't a contract.

It had been written by Papa D.

~I've found them. The Zodiac, the Junikyu. I want them. Even more than I want the Tou-Tetsu, I want these animals. I can't begin to describe their utter beauty. Every one of them is as beautiful than a god, but more than anything, I want the cat. How could I describe him? Like a glorious sunrise, this one is not only powerful and beautiful, but has the power to...~

The words faded away into nothing, leaving D more curious than anything. The ink hadn't faded with time, some of these contracts were thousands of years old, but the ink never faded and the paper never disintegrated. Papa D had just stopped writing, as if something had caught his attention and drawn him away from his writing, making for forget it. This paper had probably laid under the piles of contracts, forgotten for centuries.

'Zodiac? Junikyu? What is all this?' He'd honestly never heard of anything like this. 'That was papa's handwriting. Now I wonder what he wanted more than my dear Tet-chan? He certainly never mentioned anything to me. I'll have to ask Sofu when I see him next.'






To be continued...

A/N: To answer some questions.

Muchacha: I'm glad you like the Petshop parts. They're going to start increasing in the next chapter, I hope. Yes, I do have a tendency to babble on as I write. Sigh...

Kireina: Jill is Leon's best friend/big sister type/ and the person he's closed to besides D and Chris. I like her, I think she's a bit underrated. Yes, she was the one making fun of Leon. Actually, for D and Leon's first meeting, I got that from the anime, word for word. I just changed a tiny little bit about what I think they were thinking at the time. Sadly, no they don't show off D's lighter side in the anime, but at least we see it in the manga. I love that bit about crushing the bird bones for Leon.

Grrl N: I always thought that as depressed as Yuki seems to be when he thinks no one is watching him, he probably was suicidal before Shigure took him away from the estate. I figure if Yuki is such a fantastic fighter and he's got the disadvantage of having asthma, then Ayame, with no such disadvantage could be fantastic. Maybe in their family, fighting talent is hereditary. As for Tohru's true nature...that is yet to come.

Mei-rei chan: Yup, Jill was the woman with Leon when Tet-chan came into the story. Don't worry about Tohru, I wouldn't ignore the cute little ongiri.

Ayako: Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it. Yes :) I am evil and very proud of it.

E-san: Yes, my poor darling Akito. I just adore him, even if I am making him as nuts as possible. Poor communication is a tiny bit of a problem with the Souma's, isn't it?

Dragonic Ice: I'm glad you like the background for the Fruits Basket family. I was afraid people wouldn't like it, but it's so much fun to write. One day, I hope we'll see a detailed history for all the family instead of just a hint here and there.

Tri: Don't worry, I'll take good care of our darling Yuki. I won't let him get hurt...much.

Ssjgoddesschico: Don't worry about not reviewing every chapter, I'm pleased you wrote even once to say you liked it. Yuki had deliberately upset his foster parents and got them to attack him, thus bringing on an asthma attack. When it wasn't strong enough to do any damage, he smoked a cigarette to try and kill himself. As for pairings...well, you'll just have to read and find out.

Aori-Tsuki: You'll make me blush if you go on like that, but I am rather pleased with the way this fic is turning out. I've tried to give all the Souma's a place in this fic, but it's hard to give them enough time, they're all so wonderful. Hmmm...so, you're guessing Shigure and Akito, huh? Well, keep reading and you'll find out. This chapter might have given you a pretty strong clue about Shigure's feelings, though.

Silverdrake: (blush) I love you, too, sweetie. Thanks for reviewing. Hmmm...Leon leading D and Ayame around? I'm not sure. I rather think D wouldn't stand for anyone else having Leon's attention.

Zeynel: Hi, nice to hear from you again. Hee, hee. I can't tell you what comes next. That's cheating. Well, you got to see a bit of Hana-chan and Uo-chan in this chapter. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the Akito and Kisa incident, but I have his little 'falling out' (Hee, hee. Sorry, bad pun) with Rin all planned out.

YYHfreak: I hope you liked Haru's part. I know it wasn't a lot, but if I'm trying to give each character at least a little time in the spotlight. I'll try to give Haru more time later. I'm glad this isn't to depressing, but, let's face it, you can't write about the Souma's without being at least a little depressing.

Kay the Cricketed: (Story purrs happily while being petted) My head swells at your praise, thank you so much. I'll try to keep up the quality and keep the story interesting. Now, don't be so hard on Ren. I need her later. (Giggles evilly). I can't wait to find out, in the manga, who Ren really is, but I have plans for her in this story. She's necessary. Shigure, I think, has more serious moments in the manga, and they're pretty heavy moments, at that. Can't wait to hear from you again and good luck on the school reports.

Sarlina: I actually thought about poisoning Kyou, but, since I'd already poisoned poor Yahiko, it seemed redundant. I guess seeing his mom blow her brains out was traumatic enough. Yep, dear Kazuma will always take good care of his kitty cat.


Again, to all you reviewers, thanks again for taking the time to write, I really do appreciate it. Sometimes, your comments help me add to the story and give me great ideas for up coming chapters.

Till next time,

Cousin D