Pet Shop Of Horrors Fan Fiction / Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Long Denied ❯ Falling ( Chapter 14 )

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

Long Denied
Chapter 14 Falling

Japan-
Hatori-


'This is a bad idea.' Hatori couldn't help the feeling of dread as they waited in the airport. He stood with his black coat held tightly against him, as if by some impossibly miracle the fabric would protect him against accidental collisions with females. He stood absolutely still and kept his eyes focused on the airfield where planes came and went with clockwork precision. They were waiting for one plane in particular and it seemed, to Hatori, that it would never come.

"Where are they? You don't think anything happened to them, do you? Surely, someone would come and let us know if there had been some horrid accident." Ayame was also more than a little impatient, though he didn't seem at all worried about collisions as he bounced around, eagerly waiting for the arrival of his long-awaited penpal. "I mean, what if they were mugged again on their way to the airport?"

"Didn't you say your friend was a police officer? He isn't likely to get mugged."

"Even a police officer has bad luck, you know! Besides, maybe there was a car crash and they were killed before they even reached the airport. Maybe poor little Ritsu got sick and they were delayed, you know how upset he gets."

"He isn't as fragile as he thinks he is. Ritsu would be a lot happier if he'd have some confidence in himself."

"That's neither here nor there, Ritsu is who he is. The point is, it could be anything." From his demeanor, Hatori could tell that Ayame was starting to panic as his worry grew. He was starting to lick his lips as he spoke, making his words sound very odd as he spoke. "You're always hearing about plane crashes and hijackers in the news. What if...?"

"If you don't stop saying 'what if?' I might have to gag you, Ayame. For his faults, Ritsu does not lie and he would have told me on the phone if he were to badly injured to fly without family." If that had been the case, and Ritsu was afraid he would transform because of injuries, Akito would have been forced to send someone from the family to collect Ritsu. They wouldn't have been able to risk the airline, because of all the people, so the family's private jet would have had to be used.

Ayame stopped all of a sudden and his quick change in temperament caught Hatori's attention. Instead of his frantic jumping around and vocal guesses of what might have happened, Ayame put one hand against the cold glass of the window that overlooked the airfield. "No. I think he may have lied to you, 'Tori."

"Oh?" It was well known how close Ayame had grown to Ritsu and if there were anyone who knew Ritsu intimately, it was Ayame. "If Akito found out that Ritsu wandered the world, alone..."

Hatori's blinded eye twitched uncontrollably at the mention of Akito's name. "Yes, I see your point." Hatori's interruption stopped Ayame before he said anything that might have caused any suspicion that the Souma family was anything but normal, ordinary people. Akito had no idea that Ritsu loved to travel so far from the family. Ritsu was the only cursed Souma in living memory who'd traveled to other countries like Australia, Germany, and Hawaii. If Akito found out it would be the end of Ritsu's travels. Not only that, but Akito would likely decide to order Ritsu to live on the estate instead of with his mother at the hot springs and there would probably even be physical punishment for the transgression. Of course, everyone else in the family knew Ritsu traveled, for safety's sakes, but it was a secret carefully kept from Akito. Ayame was right. Ritsu would have lied about his health if it would keep Akito from finding out his secret.

For a boy who thought he had so little strength and courage, Ritsu took great risks. He traveled, though he knew it would displease Akito, and he gamboled with his own health to keep his freedom. Even more than that, at such a young age, Ritsu traveled all around the world, alone. He never asked anyone to go with him and, from what he said, being away from the family made Ritsu calmer and more confident. Hatori often thought that Kyou would benefit from being away from the family a little more, maybe that would help Kyou get away from the idea that he HAD to be included in the zodiac. He wondered if he should encourage Kyou to go on a vacation. Not with Ritsu, perhaps. Ritsu would infuriate Kyou and Ritsu wouldn't appreciate the company, anyway.

Hatori refocused on the black, cracking tar of the airstrip. He didn't want to let Ayame know that he, too, was worried. The plane was twenty-five minutes late and every minute that Ritsu was away, the more pain he was likely in. The boy hated himself so deeply that he wouldn't even allow himself to admit if he was hurt because he would just think that he wasn't worthy of any medical treatment. Not only that, but this friend of Ayame's, Leon Orcot, worried Hatori. He had known for a few years about Ayame's penpal; Ayame told him everything. What worried him was that Akito didn't know about Orcot-san. Granted, Ayame wasn't planning to invite his friend to the estate, but there was always a chance that Akito would find out Ayame had a friend outside the main family. It was hard enough to keep the fact that Ayame worked so closely with Mine-chan a secret from Akito and she worked with Ayame every day.

Hatori thanked any god that was listening that Orcot-san wasn't a woman. That could cause real havoc.

"'Tori, what are you thinking?" Ayame tugged on Hatori's jacket sleeve.

"About this friend of yours and Ritsu." Hatori felt a strong craving for nicotine and wished he could smoke. "He could be dangerous." Hatori's mind went easily from what Ayame told him about Orcot-san, a young energetic man, to one of the Souma family jewels, Rin. Rin was no longer a child. In fact, she'd turned into a rather devastatingly beautiful young woman. She was firmly attached to Hatsuharu, that was plain to see, but if some stranger happened to become smitten with her he might try to get a little to close.

"Ah. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll like Leon." Ayame's normal good humor returned and he put his arm around Hatori's shoulder. "He's a very good man."
"How can you say that for sure? You've never met him yourself."

"I just do." His arm tightened around Hatori's shoulders and Hatori was forced to debate with himself about how to react. Should he shrug off Ayame's arm and send a clear signal, ignore the gesture, or what? He knew Ayame loved him, but Hatori didn't feel the same way. He knew a rejection would hurt Ayame, possibly break him, and the thought of hurting Ayame made Hatori feel ill. He couldn't bring himself to tell Ayame that he felt something for him that just wasn't there, it would be a lie. For years this had been going on and Hatori was still unsure of how to handle the situation.

For a man who seemed so superficial, Ayame really did have a very big heart. He wasn't as sensitive as most other people, perhaps, but he really did care about people and he never wanted to hurt anyone. He really would be a gentle lover and Hatori was sure that anyone would be lucky to have Ayame as their 'special someone'. Strangely enough, with all of Ayame's good qualities, which far outweighed his negative quirks, Hatori was pretty sure that Ayame had never picked any lover other than Shigure.

Oh, yes, Hatori knew about that, too. Yuki and Kyou always passed off Shigure and Ayame's flirting as nothing more than the two adults being annoying, but they didn't do it just to tease the children. When Hatori, Ayame, and Shigure had all been teenagers, about sixteen or so, Hatori had walked in on the two of them in a...compromising situation. There had been a few minutes of embarrassed silence on everyone's behalf before Ayame pulled on his robe and Shigure secured a blanket around his waist, but he didn't rise from the bed. Hatori quietly left the room, stunned that he hadn't noticed anything in their behavior that would give away their relationship before that moment. Also...a pang deep in his heart that he couldn't explain.

Ayame wasn't in love with Shigure, though. No more than Shigure was in love with Ayame. Oh, they loved each other, as best friends and cousins, but they were not in love with each other. Hatori figured out quickly that Ayame used Shigure for a relief to his loneliness. A bed warmer, as it were. At first, Hatori had worried that Shigure would be hurt when he learned he was nothing more to Ayame than just someone to fill empty nights with, but that was before Hatori had learned Shigure for exactly the same reason. Shigure loved someone else, too.

How sad that both of them loved people they couldn't have. Shigure, even more than Ayame, was doomed to suffer if he persisted in his love. Ayame, at least, had a chance of one day winning over Hatori, though Hatori very seriously doubted that would happen. Shigure had no chance. It was no wonder Shigure had chosen someone he trusted, Ayame, to spend his nights with. Ayame and Shigure could be sure that neither one would have any expectations of the other after the night was over and there would be no pain for either.

Shigure had never told Hatori who he was in love with, but it wasn't hard to figure out once Hatori started paying more attention. Shigure had a certain fond smile and soft expression he wore for only one person.

Hatori couldn't see Ayame since Ayame was standing on Hatori's blind side, but he could see Ayame's reflection in the window they were both looking out of. What an odd image, to see the milling throngs of men and women, all in such a desperate hurry to be wherever they were headed, and then Ayame still as a stature. Ayame was hardly ever still and when he was, it was certain that he was thinking. 'What could he be thinking of? Probably Ritsu. He was always so concerned about the boy.' Hatori was well used to Ayame's good looks, he'd known Ayame since they were infants in diapers, but even he could understand why Ayame took the breath away from many people. He was very beautiful, even for the normally other-worldly Souma's. Family history said that there had never been an ugly Junikyu. Of course, the cat's original form didn't count. Ayame had to be the most beautiful of all Souma's though.

It hurt Hatori to know he was causing Ayame pain and he wished he could do something to stop that pain. Well, he COULD do something, but he wouldn't. It wouldn't be fair to Ayame for Hatori to pretend to love him.

'But I do love him. How could I not? He's always been at my side and he'd do anything for me. He's my dearest friend, even if he does drive me mad, sometimes. It would just be pretend, though. My heart froze when I lost Kana and it's not fair to Ayame that I pretend anything else. If I let myself love again, I might forget Kana. I couldn't bear that. Our dream was taken away from us, but I won't let go of our love.'

It was a stupid way to think and if it were anyone else, Hatori would have advised them to move on with their life and forget such a painful memory. Kana had married a short time ago and was now living a very happy life with a man who adored her, she would never remember him. He treated Kana like the treasure she was and Hatori could find no fault with him. It wasn't possible to remember memories that had been stolen and Hatori had no way to give them back to Kana. He wouldn't have, even if he'd been able to. What then? Would she have given up her husband for him? No. If her memories suddenly returned, not only would Hatori be in pain, but Kana would be put through Hell and that was something Hatori would not allow. She would never remember him and she would never love him again. Foolish, but though it was absurd to hold onto what wasn't there, one-sided love was still love. Right?

'What about Ayame's one sided loved? I hurt without Kana's love. Does he hurt without mine?' Hatori shook his head slightly. 'I must be truly heartless. Shouldn't I be willing to do anything for the people I love? I do love him, but I'm not sure I can love him the way he wants me to. Maybe...maybe I'm just being stubborn and selfish.'

In the reflection of the window, Hatori's eyes were suddenly drawn away from Ayame and to another figure, standing behind them. He was forced to reconsider his opinion that Ayame was the most beautiful man he'd ever seen. A person in Chinese styled clothing and his face half covered with dark hair. Hatori's heart began to beat faster when the face turned slightly and the person stared directly into Hatori's eyes reflected in the mirror. Such cool eyes.

"Oh! Look!" Ayame was back to his usual self and took his arm off Hatori before he started to hop up and down, pointing at a plane that was just landing. "That's the plane, I'm sure of it! Oh, finally! You just wait here, I'll go fetch them!" Ayame's hair bouned up and down with him, and whirled with him when he turned suddenly and started away from Hatori. Ayame ran off before Hatori could say a word about them staying together.

'He's going to get himself in serious trouble one day!' Just as Hatori turned to call after Ayame he found himself face to face with the stranger he'd seen in the glass.

"Greetings." The man, whose hair actually seemed to be a very dark shade of purple verging on black, was smiling and holding his hands with long, painted fingernails before him. He bowed slightly.

"Hello." Hatori offered a polite bow in return. He was glad the man had spoken, otherwise, he might not have been certain that this wasn't a woman. The voice was definitely a man's voice, though. He didn't like being so close to the stranger, only a few feet separating them. Hatori caught a whiff of some sweet perfume and he knew the man was to close. "If you'll excuse me?" Hatori stepped around the stranger, eager to be away from him.

"But of course." The stranger smiled, his painted lips curving at the corners. "I wouldn't want you to be late meeting your monkey."

Hatori's heart stopped and he felt his throat clench before he whirled around, shocked and puzzled. "What are you...?" He stopped himself short and schooled his expression to it's normal blank appearance. The man merely kept smiling and took a step closer to Hatori, closing the gap between them and it seemed, to Hatori, as if all the crowds around them vanished.

"I find you most interesting." The stranger reached out one hand and touched Hatori's cheek with his long nailed fingers. "You are unusual, if tainted. Still...you can be cleansed of your impurities." The stranger moved no closer as he was speaking, but his hand caressed Hatori's cheek in a frighteningly intimate way.

"Tainted?" Hatori heard his own voice as if it were coming from far away. He felt lightheaded and faint, like the first and only time he'd let Shigure talk him into getting drunk. He didn't like being so close to this man, but he didn't want to move away, either. There was something comforting in this man's touch, as if just by touching him, Hatori had become safe and loved. The touch also made Hatori feel the great power of this man and, for the first time in his life, Hatori feared someone other than the head of his family. He was so afraid, he couldn't move. It felt as if his suit had been starched with cement, he couldn't move a muscle, not even to turn his eyes away from the stranger's.

"Yes. Tainted. Didn't you know...?"

"D!" A furious voice yelled and the man jerked his fingers away from Hatori's face so suddenly that Hatori staggered away, panting and trying to get his heart to stop thudding so wildly, before he looked up and saw who yelled. It was a blonde man, most likely a foreigner, who walked with Ayame and a brown haired young woman. Ayame, as he often did, had linked arms with the blonde man. They had all stopped a short distance from where Hatori stood with the stranger. "What the Hell are you doing here?!" The blonde man demanded.


Ayame-


Leon looked just like Ayame had imagined him. He carried only a small bag, slung over one shoulder and ran a hand through his shaggy hair as he sauntered away down the passage, towards Ayame, but not seeing him. He walked side-by-side with a petite brown-haired girl and was talking almost loudly enough for Ayame to hear him, even at a distance and in the crowded airline terminal. Beside Leon, walking slowly with a barely noticeable limp, Ritsu walked.

'If I ever find who did that to him,' Ayame thought furiously as he took in Ritsu's battered face, 'I'm going to expose their vital organs to daylight. Then...then I'll really hurt them!' Ayame had protected Ritsu for a very long time, first from his father and then within the Souma family. He'd always worried when Ritsu went on one of his trips, but nothing like this had ever happened before. Ritsu was the most harmless of all the Souma's, with the exception of Hatori and Kisa. 'On the other hand, what splendid good luck that Leon was near to help Ritsu!' Ayame paused for a moment when his thoughts went to Leon. 'Look at his hair!' Ayame felt an urge to cry followed by a very strong desire to pull out the pair of scissors he kept in an inner pocket of his robe and give his friend a prompt and much needed hair cut. Leon looked as if he never even combed his lovely blonde hair. Ayame's second thought was that Leon was much bigger than he'd expected. Ayame was small, short and thin, so nearly everyone was bigger than he was, but this was almost ridiculous. Leon must have been nearly six and a half feet tall! Leon's blonde hair stood out in the crowd like a canary in a flock of crows.

Ayame just watched Leon for a moment, thrilled, despite Leon's awful hair, to finally be meeting his penpal after so long. He wondered if Leon would talk to him about Chris and maybe have some advice about what Ayame should do about Yuki. He wondered what Leon would think of the rest of the Souma's and if he could get Leon to model some outfits at the shop. 'He'd look adorable in that little lavender outfit.' Ayame instinctively began to envision Leon in the outfit in question.

Leon suddenly turned away from his lady friend and saw Ayame. He stopped walking and just stared, his blue eyes looking Ayame up and down for a moment. He seemed shocked and Ayame wondered if he should have send Leon a more recent photo of himself, so he wouldn't have been surprised by Ayame's amazing good looks. Then, a smile lit Leon's face and he threw his arms wide.

"Ayame!" Leon shouted at the top of his lungs and charged towards Ayame. He literally shoved his way through the crowds. When he reached Ayame, Leon impulsively threw his arms around him and gave him a quick hug. "Jeeze, you look just like I thought you would!"

Naturally, Ayame gracefully accepted the compliment with a pleased smile. "Of course I do!"

Leon's accent was stilted and heavy with an American accent, but he spoke very well considering he'd never actually been to Japan. "Ayame, this is Jill, my partner." Leon put a hand on the tiny girl's shoulder and she nodded politely.
Ayame was confused and, as usual, didn't know when to keep his mouth shut. "Partner? Your girlfriend?" He frowned, hoping that he'd heard wrong. With luck, Leon had mis-spoken. Ayame looked from Leon to Jill and then back to Leon. Leon did stand very close to Jill and his arm was resting on her shoulders. "But...I thought you were in love with that other person you wrote to me about? What did you call him? D?"

Jill burst out laughing. "Why, Leon! I'm so hurt you didn't tell me first!"

Leon's face went from pleasant to outraged with a delightful blush spreading across his cheeks and over his nose in just a second. "What the Hell do you mean by that!" Was the last intelligible thing Ayame could make out before Leon switched to English with vile spluttering and cursing. Of course, Ayame could speak and understand English perfectly well, but Leon was speaking so quickly that Ayame couldn't understand anything he was saying.

"Leon!" Jill grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to a halt with a scalding look. "Mind your language! Honestly, where do you think you are?" She turned to Ayame with a charming smile. "You'll have to forgive Leon, Souma-san. Leon was raised by a pack of rabid dogs, as you can see. He starts foaming at the mouth when the subject turns a little...uncomfortable." She gave a little laugh. "Leon isn't my boyfriend. We're police partners."

"Ah," Ayame said, pleased that his plans for Mine-chan wouldn't be disrupted. "And this D I've heard so much about?" He didn't want to seem like he was prying, but this was one of the big mysteries he'd wanted to uncover ever since D had starting popping up in the letters from Leon.

Jill gave Leon a strangely evil smile. "Oh, so Leon never told you?"

"Keep quiet!" Leon nearly shouted, though Jill didn't seem at all intimidated and just smiled at Leon.

"Whatever are you getting upset about, Orcot?" Jill asked sweetly, still hanging onto Leon's arm. Ayame knew they must be very close since they were so comfortable touching each other.

Leon growled, but addressed Ayame instead of Jill. "Look, D's a friend. That's it, nothing more. I don't know why everyone makes such a big deal about him! For God's sakes, just because I go see him a lot and he's looking after my brother, everyone gets these filthy ideas about me and him. There's nothing weird or freaky about us, he's just as normal as I am!"

There was a moment of silence after Leon's outburst, not only from Jill, who was stifling giggles, and Ayame, who thought the obvious denial was cute, but from many of the passers by who had heard the vehement denial. Leon suddenly realized exactly how many people were watching him and his face turned an even brighter red before he turned to the gawking crowds and shouted. "What'd ya think you're staring at?!"

Everyone moved on, muttering to each other about the crazy foreigner.

"So," Ayame went on. "He's your very close, intimate friend, but he's definitely not your boyfriend?"

"That's right." Leon paused. "You can leave that 'intimate' word out of it, too."

Ayame decided to let that particular subject drop and he moved in beside Leon, slipping his arm through Leon's. "Ritsu-chan, how are you feeling?" He hadn't forgotten Ritsu in all the excitement and he took Ritsu's arm affectionately. "I was so worried when I heard you'd been hurt. Now you can just stay home and let yourself be pampered for a while. That's why your mother has all those servants at the hot springs, after all." Ritsu tried to protest, but even he couldn't when Ayame was in the mood to talk, so Ayame just continued talking and ignoring Ritsu's insisting that he didn't need to be fussed over. "Wonderful to have you here, Leon, Jill-san. I have a lovely apartment above my shop you can stay in, so you won't have to worry about paying a hotel bill while you're here. Come on, I want you to meet my friend, Hatori."

Ayame made a mental note to let Mine-chan that the object of her affections was in town and he knew Mine-chan would be delighted. Mine-chan would probably see them first thing in the morning, since they'd be staying at the shop. Ever since Ayame had brought the photo of Leon to work to show her, Mine-chan had been fascinated by Jill-san. The photo was actually a clipping out of a newspaper of Leon and Jill at some crime scene. Jill-san wore wire rim glasses and had a sprinkling of freckles across her nose. She wore her curly brown hair up in a ponytail, though some stray strands escaped around her forehead and her ears. She wore a very practical outfit of worn jeans, sneakers, and a sleeveless white shirt. It had been a candid photo of Leon and Jill as they stood talking near a police car at the crime scene and had been cut out of a newspaper. To say the least, it wasn't the most flattering photograph for either Leon or Jill. Both looked tired and far overworked as Jill leaned with one hand on the hood of a car and Lean watched her with tired eyes, one hand rubbing at the back of his neck.

'Mine-chan got stars in her eyes when she saw that picture. I wonder what she'll think when she meets Jill-san.' Jill looked far more attractive now than she did in the photo Ayame had shown Mine-chan. True, she looked tired from the long plane trip, but not nearly so exhausted as she had in the photo.

With any luck, Leon's visit would be quiet and uneventful.

A quiet thought at the back of Ayame's mind whispered, 'Not a chance.'


Leon-


Leon was jealous. It felt like that first time he'd seen D with Wong, the psychotic Chinese chef, and realized there was something going on. When he and Jill had followed D and Wong to that outdoor restaurant and watched from the bushes while Wong put the moves on D. In short, Leon felt like he would either throw up or explode.

D was definitely standing far to close to that man. Some guy in an immaculately tailored dark suit and hair as black as a raven's wing was standing far to close for comfort to D and D touched the guy's face.

For once, Leon had no words to express the sickening, boiling rage that swelled within him except to call it jealousy. Leon's eyesight narrowed until he could see nothing but D whispering something to the tall, too good looking man. His eyesight narrowed even further, down to the face of the man D was talking to. He had a strong profile and Leon could tell, just from the way the man dressed, that he had money. A suit like that would have cost Leon a month's salary.

A man concerned with preserving his dignity would have kept his mouth shut and proudly act as if he'd seen nothing and just walk passed. Leon, however, shouted out, "D! What the Hell are you doing here?!" He stormed towards D, who turned to Leon and didn't look at all surprised to see him, momentarily forgetting Ayame, Jill, and Ritsu. All he could think of was that not only had D somehow made it to Japan ahead of him, found out what airport he'd be at, and where the Hell was Chris?!

Never losing his composure, D stepped only slightly away from the stranger. "Greetings, I am pleased that I was in time to meet you, Leon. I was afraid I would be to late."

Leon grabbed D by the arm and gave him a little shake. "Don't give me that crap! Where's Chris?" He noticed, out of the corner of his eye, that the man D had been speaking to had moved quickly away, but didn't leave. He stood near Ayame and the two shared a glance that Leon couldn't interpret.

D managed to look insulted and raise one elegant eyebrow. "Do you believe I left him in America and came on a pleasure trip?"

Leon snorted that away. "No, of course I don't, but where is he?" Leon looked around, but didn't see his little brother anywhere. D wouldn't have left Chris alone and helpless, Leon was certain of that, but he just liked to know Chris was.

"Be at ease." D patted Leon on the arm reassuringly as he extracted himself from Leon's grip. "Little Chris is with Tet-chan at the petshop."

"Petshop? Here? You moved the whole Petshop to Japan?" Leon gaped at D in disbelief. 'He couldn't have moved the whole petshop, not in just a few hours. Okay, maybe he got a couple of plane tickets, he's got the money. But to move the whole petshop? That's impossible.'

"In a manner of speaking." D's eyes shifted to look behind Leon and only then, when Ayame, Ritsu, and Jill caught up with them, did Leon take another look at the well dressed stranger. He was pale and looked shaken, as if he'd just received a terrible shock and now moved to stand by Ayame. Only one eye was visible, but that one eye was very wide and Leon wondered what D had said to this man.

"'Tori? What's the matter?" Ayame asked, frowning at his friend's pale face. "You look..." He stopped talking when his friend shook his head 'no' and kept his eyes firmly on his polished shoes.

Leon knew he wasn't the brightest of people, but even he could tell something was up. He wasn't surprised when Ayame suddenly changed the subject. Ayame continued speaking, this time to Leon, as if nothing were the matter.

"I see you've met 'Tori." Ayame's cheerful voice announced his presence. "Leon, this is my cousin, Souma Hatori. 'Tori, this is Leon, I've told you all about him. And you are...?" This last was addressed to D and Leon was suddenly at a loss as to what he should say. He just KNEW Jill would say something!

"I am known as Count D and you must be Souma Ayame." D stepped passed Leon and bowed slightly to Ayame. "I've heard so much about you, Souma-san. Your young cousin speaks highly of you." He gestured towards Ritsu.

Ayame's eyes widened dramatically. "Ah! How nice to meet you! I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting you to be here. Leon's told me so much about you."

"Really?" D turned to Leon and Leon hoped he wasn't blushing.

"Ah!" Hatori, now having regained his coloring and composure, turned his attention away from everyone else and looked at Ritsu. "You sit!" He barked, almost harshly and pointing with an imperious finger to one of the black plastic chairs that lined the waiting room of the airport. Hatori was obviously a man who was accustomed to being obeyed.

"It's really not all that bad, Hatori-sensei." Ritsu muttered, though he went to do as Hatori ordered.

Leon was pretty sure that he disliked Hatori. Not only was Hatori receiving undue attention from D, but now he was acting like the big man in town. Who the Hell did this guy think he was, ordering people around? Sure, he was a doctor, but that didn't give him the right to order people around.

'It doesn't give him the right to be touching D, either. Probably just leading D on, just like he does to Ayame.' Ayame had told Leon, in letters, exactly what his relationship with Hatori, and it didn't help Leon's opinion of Hatori. Hatori had obviously been leading Ayame on for years, playing with him and using him like a fool. 'I hate that kind of person. Dishonest. He probably doesn't even care how much he's hurting Ayame. I bet he does it for some kind of perverse kick.' Leon watched Hatori sit next to Ritsu and start looking him over, completely skipping over what he might possibly feel for D. It was entirely different, not at all like the situation between Ayame and Hatori. 'D just likes to tease, he's not serious.'

"Come on, Orcot." Jill took Leon's arm and gave him a tug, bringing him back to reality. "Time to get going. Are you even paying attention?"

"Huh?"

"That's what I thought." Jill rolled her eyes dramatically. "Hatori-sensei said he and Ritsu will head back to their homes later, Ayame's going to walk us to his shop where we're going to stay. He says it isn't far and the Count's new shop isn't to far, either." As Jill spoke she nodded to where Ayame was speaking quietly to Hatori and Ritsu, some distance away. Hatori glanced at D for a bare heartbeat before averting his eyes. "I guess Hatori-sensei wants to have time to make sure Ritsu isn't hurt without us all waiting around doing nothing."

"Yeah. Guess you're right." Leon said nothing when Ayame rejoined them and they all started away. His thoughts were still on D touching Hatori's face, Hatori's reaction to the touch, and the fact that D had successfully put himself in the middle of an incredibly dangerous situation. 'I left him and Chris in America for a reason! Now they might be in danger from those Black Scorpion people. What if I can't protect them?'



Ren-



'Where did I go wrong? How did that idiot child get the better of me?' In Ren's eyes, Akito would always been an idiot child to be manipulated and controlled. She simply couldn't understand why things had gone so suddenly wrong and Akito had thrown her off the estate. 'It had something to do with Shigure, I'm sure of that. Shigure and Kureno.' Strange, how it was so hard to remember exactly what had happened that day.

Ren lifted a hand to her face and felt the lumpy mass of scars that hadn't been able to heal after Akito's attack. She'd reported it to the police, but they weren't interested. Most likely, Akito had bought them off. She hadn't even been able to save enough money to pay for cosmetic surgery, so Ren was stuck looking like a reject from some third rate pirate movie. It was Akito's fault.

Ren sat in her apartment, her feet up on the couch as she thought about how much she'd lost. Not only had she lost the vast fortune of the Souma family, but her face...she'd lost her beauty. It almost seemed worse than the lost money.

After all these years, Ren had come to the conclusion that she'd gone the wrong way with Akito. When he was a child, her overpowering method of control had worked well enough, but she should have softened her approach when he started to grow up. As his mind had started slipping, Akito had grown more and more petulant, demanding his independence and his right to run the family as he saw fit.

There were some people in the family who didn't seem to like her control over Akito, though she didn't know why. Shigure, in particular, had subtly gone against her at every opportunity. Every time she'd told Akito to do something or not to do something, Shigure would be there and go directly against her orders. She didn't know why, though.

Akito had always seemed to favor certain members of the family, but Ren never could figure out why. She'd raised Akito since he was about four years old and had been intimately involved with every aspect of his life, but she didn't know why there were people in the family he favored above others. There was Shigure who very obviously had Akito's ear and could get nearly anything he wanted from the head of the family. Then Kureno, whom Akito valued so much that he would spend half the family's fortune to buy him back from those people his parents had sold him to. Ren had never seen the place her nephew had been living after her sister had sold the child until she'd gone to hand over the payment Akito had demanded for Kureno. She hadn't really liked it, a dirty, unsavory place. Still, it wasn't any of her concern if Yoko had chosen to sell the boy, he wasn't her son.

'But...didn't she have a reason for selling him? She said something about...there was reason to think he'd be a great fighter and that someone would be a lot of money for him. Something about his nature.' Ren had often been confused about little things like that. There seemed to be strange lapses in her memory. She couldn't remember Kureno's birth, which she was sure her sister would have wanted her to attended. She couldn't remember the births of some of the younger members of the family or why the old man, Toma, had been locked away in his house at the back of the estate. Had he been mad? Every now and again there was a blank spot in her memory or something that just didn't seem quite right. Like a puzzle piece that didn't seem to fit.

Still, her mind was probably just playing tricks on her. There were more important things to think about.

'I should have full control of the family, by now.' She thought. 'I worked so long...so hard. It all slipped through my fingers because I was trying to hard. I should have poisoned Akito right along with Yahiko. That would have been so much easier. Yahiko was special to Akito, too. He'd always listened to Yahiko before he listened to me. I'd have been given the next head the family to raise and I'd get years of service from that one, too. If only I'd killed Akito when I had the chance.' Her expression hardened. 'I'll find a way to get my power one way or the other. I'll be damned before I die a pauper because of Akito. Akito injured Hatori, for some reason. I can use that. If I tell the police that they need to investigate Akito, they'll surely find out that he's insane and have him locked away. If nothing else, that'll be lovely revenge for casting me out of the family.'

"Perhaps I can help you."

Ren's eyes widened at the voice and she turned her head to see who was in her apartment. There was a man, with very long dark hair and ornate robes. His skin was as white as porcelain and, to add to his exotic appearance, both of his eyes were dark purple. He smiled at her with dark painted lips and Ren felt a shiver of fear. "Who are you?" The door had been locked, she always locked the door!

A soft scent touched Ren's nose, the smell of cinnamon and the fear subsided.

"I am the one who can give you your dreams. I can give you the Souma family." He spoke softly and his voice was like honey seeping into Ren's mind at every word. "Or would you prefer to have your beauty returned? I can do that, also. All I need is for you to do one little thing." The stranger looked so wildly out of place in the middle of Ren's modern apartment. Like some fairy tale creature pulled out of a book, he seemed not quite real.

"How did you get in here?" She should have at least heard him coming in.

"That does not matter. Are you at all interested in my offer? I need such a small thing done."

"What do you need?" Ren did like the offer, though she had no idea how this bizarre looking man could help her gain control of her family or why he would want to. He didn't know her, so it couldn't be a personal reason, unless someone in the family had offended him somehow. That was very possible. No matter what the reason, she wasn't about to make him some kind of partner and split the family fortune. That was all hers!

"I need a child." His smile widened minutely. "A child you have within your reach, one of your kin. Will you give him up to me?"

Ren scowled. She didn't trust this beautiful man. "Who are you?"

"You may call me Doctor D." The cinnamon scent increased slightly and Ren's distrust dulled the tiniest bit.

"You don't look like any doctor I've ever seen."

"There is good reason for that." He moved closer and the smell of cinnamon intensified unpleasantly. "Shall I offer you a contract? I will give you the Souma family and you will help me to retrieve a child. He belongs to me, so it can not be rightly called theft. Your answer? The child I seek will be my payment for providing you with control of your family. A small price for the dream I offer you, surely."

"Which child do you want brought to you? What do you mean he belongs to you?" Perhaps he was the father of one of the children. He looked to young, but...it was hard to judge his age. It was possible. Ren thought of Yuki, the darling prince of the Souma family. Yuki was beautiful enough to be this man's son and he did have similar purple eyes. Even if this Doctor D wasn't Yuki's father, Yuki's good looks were more than enough to draw the attention of some less than scrupulous people. Yuki's mother hadn't been married when she'd become pregnant with Yuki and she'd never told anyone who the father was. It was possible.

The idea of handing one of the Souma children over to this man really didn't bother Ren much, whether he had some kind of relationship to the child or not. Ren's own sister had sold her son, so why shouldn't one more child be sold? There were so many brats in the Souma family, one less wouldn't make any difference.

A part of Ren's mind told her how stupid this was. The police would be called and she would be sent to prison for kidnapping if she were caught. She didn't even know this man, he couldn't be trusted. Even if she weren't sent to prison, when her part in this kidnapping were discovered Akito would order her death. Kureno had a fearsome reputation within the family.

Her reasoning seemed to be overpowered by the mere presence of this man, Doctor D. He made his request sound so simple and the cautious advice Ren gave herself was drowned out. "What child?"

"Souma Kyou."

That did surprise Ren. "Kyou? But...but...he's the cat!" She couldn't help the words that burst from her mouth, though a sick feel hit her in the stomach the moment she'd spoken. One didn't speak to outsiders about the cat. It was taboo and the training from her early childhood still held.

"Oh? You know of the Cat?"

Ren thought about it. She knew Kyou was the cat, all Souma's knew he was the cat. She wasn't sure WHY he had been declared the cat when he was born, though. "Forget I said that." No one liked Kyou anyway. He was the outcast of the family and, by tradition, he'd be imprisoned in a year or two anyway. Come to think of it, Kyou's mother had also been unmarried and never told who the father of her child was. He wasn't as lovely as Yuki, his features were more blunt and coarse than Yuki's. "That'll be easy. No one cares for Kyou, anyway. They won't even notice he's gone, unless things have radically changed in the past few years and I doubt that. He's a fighter, though. A very good one, from what I hear. I won't be able to force him to go anywhere."

"I never said anything about YOU forcing him to do anything. I will take care of that child. You will simply be providing me with a distraction."

"What kind of distraction?"

"There is someone in this city whom I do not wish to notice me. With this person is a young boy he cares for greatly. If you cause this boy to vanish for a few short hours, I will be able to gain hold of the Cat without this person becoming suspicious."

"Who are you afraid of?"

"Afraid of?" Doctor D laughed, a soft bell-like sound. "I fear no one. Should my son become involved, my task will become more difficult. He is young and easily confused. He does not understand the importance of what I seek." Doctor D ran a hand through his long hair and Ren was reminded of a woman posing, showing off her beauty. "There is something he will understand in just a few short years, but he hasn't learned that lesson, yet. He will. And when he does, he will know that I am right."

"Your son? Huh. Well, what's the name of the kid you need out of the way."

Doctor D's eyes seemed to take on an unearthly glow and Ren felt a chill run down her spine. "The boy's name is Christopher Orcot. With him gone, I will have Kyou. I will have my Cat."


Akito-


>You're getting sicker, you know.<

In his bedroom Akito sat on the edge of his bed and looked into the mirror that hung on his wall. It wasn't a terribly big mirror, but it was big enough to see his entire face from the shoulders up. Hatsuharu had given him the mirror for one of his birthdays, the one just after he'd sent Ren away and had Hatori steal her memories of the cursed Junikyu. Around the frame of the mirror Hatsuharu had painted little zodiac animals. Akito had always liked the mirror, but now he was having second thoughts about it. Akito looked closer at the mirror, almost hoping his eyes were playing tricks on him. Perhaps he should ask Hatori to examine his eyes.

>It's no good. Don't bother to look to closely, I'm not going away.<

Akito couldn't help but look over his shoulder before he looked at himself in the mirror again. He was alone in the room, but in the mirror, two faces stared back at him. The frightening thing was that they were both identical, they were his faces. Akito knew one of the reflections was him, because it blinked when he did and when he raised his hand, it raised its hand. The second reflection stayed still, as if it were an entirely different person. It was that second reflection that worried Akito. It was his face down to every detail, but it wasn't him. The second reflection was smiling and cocked its head slightly to the side.

"Who are you?" Akito asked. He knew the voice of the reflection, of course. It was the same voice that had plagued him for years upon years. It was the voice that whispered darkly to him in the night and reconfirmed his belief that he was worthless and unloved. It was the voice that had encouraged him to attack Ren and smash the mirror across her face.

The second reflection grinned, tilting its head just far enough forward to cast dark shadows under its eyes. >I'm you. I always have been, you know that.<

"Go away." Akito wrapped his arms around himself and suddenly felt very cold. He'd never seen the face of the voice in his mind before and now he didn't like it. He'd almost gotten used to the ugly, hateful voice telling him what to do. Now, he was seeing things, though. "Just leave."

>Oh, I couldn't do that.< The second reflection shook its head. >I told you, long ago. I'll never leave you. We're apart of each other.< Then, the second reflection did something that frightened Akito so badly that he let out a scream. It touched him, resting one hand on his shoulder, and Akito felt the touch as if it were any real, solid person laying their hands on him. Akito screamed at the top of his lungs, but he could hear the voice laughing at him even over his screams.

"Akito!" Kureno, who constantly stood guard close to Akito, burst into the room and threw the doors open. He rushed to Akito's side, but said nothing when he saw that Akito was unharmed. He didn't even say a word when Akito threw himself into Kureno's arms and clutched Kureno as if his life depended on it. Kureno was always so calm, so clear headed that nothing ever seemed to bother him.

"He's touched me. Make him stop, Kureno. Please...don't let him touch me. I hate his touch. He isn't real, I know he isn't." Akito couldn't stop his voice from trembling or his heart from beating so rapidly that it felt as if it would burst from his chest. Everyone said he would go insane and Akito knew it was true when he was a child and started hearing the voice no one else could hear. Was this it? He thought the voice would do nothing but talk to him, but maybe it was going to get worse. How bad was it going to be? Akito pointed a shaking finger at the mirror where his redundant reflection still laughed mockingly.
>Are you really so stupid? What am I saying? Of course you are. He can't see me. I'm not real for him, only you. Do you think he'll protect you from yourself? That's a bit silly, isn't it? You're God. You're the one who's supposed to protect him.<

The reflection seemed to be telling the truth as Kureno just looked blankly at Akito. "Touched you? Has someone been in here?" He looked around at the empty room. "I didn't hear any other voices..."

Akito knew it was hopeless. "I-I want to go outside, Kureno." Akito said shakily, desperate to go somewhere away from the mirror. "I need to go outside. Fresh air and my birds, that's what I need."

"Yes, Akito." Kureno, with his gentle touch, helped guide Akito into the garden and away from the hated mirror. There was a door that led directly out to Akito's magnificent garden. It was convenient because there were some days that Akito was to weak to even get out of bed, so the doors could be opened easily to let in fresh air.

The voice from the mirror called after Akito, with a laugh in its voice. >Running away? Go ahead, run away! Coward! You can't even face the demons of your own family, why should you face the one you keep locked within yourself! Do you remember that story Shigure read to you? I'm mad. You're mad. We're all mad here!< It laughed hysterically until Akito and Kureno stepped over the threshold of the door and onto the porch.

The garden was quiet and Akito was grateful. He let Kureno guide him to a large stone bench near the outer wall of his garden and eased him down. This was one big reason why Akito kept Kureno so close. He knew Kureno wouldn't ask questions and that he would stay as close as Akito needed him. He felt safer with Kureno around, especially now when everyone in the family seemed drawn to THAT girl, that Honda girl. They'd all gone to meet her at least once, all but Kureno who'd obediently stayed away from her.

Akito hated her. As much as he'd ever hated anyone, Akito hated Honda Tohru. She was so cheerful. As petty a reason as that might be, Akito hated her smile. For the simple reason that when Honda smiled, he couldn't tell if she was being honest or not. He was so used to knowing what his family was thinking and feeling, just from their expressions, that he disliked Honda's eternally happy smile. It made him nervous that she might do things that involved his family and he couldn't do anything about it. He could tell Hatori to steal her memory of the family, but that would do no good. The family would still care about her and they would see his fear of her as a weakness, a failing. The solution that had worked so well in the past wouldn't work in this case. He would have to think of something else.

"Kureno, hold me." Akito barely thought about the order and he turned to lean into Kureno's arms that were open and waiting for him. Akito relaxed almost as soon as Kureno wrapped his arms around him, but his mind was busy on other thoughts. He felt safe in Kureno's arms, safe enough to lower his guard. "I have to do something about her." Akito said, speaking out loud. "She's causing to much trouble."

Kureno said nothing. Akito didn't care. He knew Kureno would never betray his confidence. Ever since Akito had bought his older cousin, years ago, Kureno had shown himself to be unwaveringly loyal. He never questioned Akito's orders and never tried to leave him, not like the others. Lately, there were so many people who were trying to leave him. That stupid Kyou, being so insolent as to demand a request and trying to bargain for his freedom. Of course, Kyou would never win the bet, Yuki was far superior in everything. He was smarter, more graceful, more beautiful, and he was certainly a better fighter. Those lessons with Kazuma had been a good idea for Yuki, upon reflection. When Akito visited Yuki at school not long ago, he'd looked far healthier, just like Shigure had promised.

'I should tell him how grateful I am that he's taking care of Yuki. He took care of Kisa when she went to stay with him for those few days. Shigure's so clever.'

>Grateful? Grateful that he's encouraging your family to leave you? And you love him so well. How foolish. Shigure is clever, but you shouldn't trust him.<

Hearing the voice return, Akito cuddled into Kureno's chest, as if he would find safety within the arms of his protector. How could he find safety from his own mind? 'I do trust him, now shut up. I'm the head of the family, I'm God. You can't question my decisions and I decided to let Yuki live with Shigure.' Akito didn't speak out loud, not with Kureno around to hear.

>Ah, yes, and what a good choice that was.< The voice went on mockingly. >Not only did he let Yuki attend a public school, but now he's becoming so involved with that girl. Not only Yuki, but that girl.<

'You never said anything bad about Shigure before now.' Akito disliked change and anything that involved Shigure concerned him deeply. 'You were as upset as I was when he ran away from home. Why don't you like him now?'
>He's allowing that girl to live with him. He's letting her get to close to the family.<

'I don't like her.' Akito thought. 'She's...not right.' Akito turned his head slightly to follow the flight of a bird as it swooped over the high wall of his garden and vanished into the nearby forest. He waited. Waited. Waited. The bird flew back over the wall and Akito let out a breath that he didn't know he'd been holding. 'It came back. I was afraid...'

The voice in Akito's head, thankfully, didn't respond. It had been getting louder, of late. Akito was no longer hearing just a whisper in the darkness of his mind. The voice came in loud and clear. Sometimes, it felt as if the person speaking were sitting right next to him, but whenever Akito turned to look at the speaker, no one was there.

Akito let his hand rise up and brush against Kureno's chest. He wore no shirt, despite the cool air, and Akito ran his fingers over the now faint scar on Kureno's chest. "I'm glad Hatori took it off." Akito said, tracing the outer edge of the ugly scar on his rooster's chest where the tattoo had once been. "Ugly...ugly. I hate my family being marred. They nearly ruined you, Kureno. Ugly scorpion. They had no right to mark you." Laser surgery had been the only way to remove the ugly black tattoo that those barbarians had carved onto Kureno's chest.
"I belonged to them." Kureno spoke softly, for the first time in nearly an hour. "They could do what they liked to me. It was their right."

"Only I have that right." Akito's voice hardened. "Did it hurt? I imagine it must have. Hatori told me they do tattoos with needles and ink. That doesn't sound nice."

Kureno leaned his head down until his cheek rested against Akito's head. "It was a long time ago. It doesn't matter anymore." It was at times like this that Kureno reminded Akito of Shigure. That was one of the reasons Akito liked to have Kureno close to him. If he couldn't have Shigure, then he could at least have Kureno.

"You really don't care? I can destroy them, if you want me to." He had thought of doing it before, but had never really gotten around to it. It hurt his pride that someone had treated one of his family so badly and that they'd marked Kureno as if he belonged to them, but, since he'd gotten Kureno back, he had little interest in them. It was hard for Akito to care about anything that didn't directly affect his Junikyu. "I will destroy them, if it makes you happy."

"No." Kureno shook his head. "That's in the past. I don't care about them, anymore. I'm yours now."

Akito didn't smile. He knew Kureno belonged to him, but he didn't like the way Kureno said it. Kureno made it sound like he was a slave, as if he wouldn't be with Akito if Akito hadn't bought him. If Akito hadn't paid for Kureno, would Kureno even care about him? "Why did they mark you? It wasn't even a very nice picture."

Kureno looked down at his lap and looked uncomfortable. "I was being trained. The tattoo was a...brand. I was being trained for a purpose."

"I saw how well you fought."
"Not just that. You saw me kill. It's not hard, you know. Very easy, really. They were training me so they could sell me. Do you remember the auction? When so many people wanted to buy me?"

"Yes."

"One of them...he had an arrangement with the owners of the Pit. Any of the children who showed special promise in killing would be marked with a black scorpion tattoo. That's how they distinguished whom their agents should buy when they came to watch the fights. I'd taken my shirt off, remember? The auction was a spur of the moment idea. Usually, the children with the black scorpion tattoo were just taken away and never seen again. I was lucky."

"Use you? As a killer?" This disturbed Akito. He remembered the man he'd sat next to in the Pits and how eager the man had seemed to get his hands on Kureno. As a man, looking back on it all, Akito could see that the man had lusted after Kureno, but he'd also commented on his fighting and his willingness to kill. Akito hadn't liked that man.

"I suppose so."

"Who?"

"I don't know. I think you spoiled their plans, though." He gave Akito a rare smile. "They couldn't match your bid."

Much to Kureno's surprise, Akito told him, in an off handled manner, "You should go into town." Akito felt a warm happiness bubble up inside him when Kureno stared at him in disbelief. He so rarely go a day away from the estate that it must be something of a shock. Akito liked being able to please his family when he could and this small thing he could do for Kureno. "You would like a day in the city, wouldn't you? To get out of these walls?" Akito reached up a hand and touched the ancient walls. "Get out of this prison. I want you to find me a story, Kureno. Shigure always told me stories, but he hasn't been by for a long while. Find me a story of something happening in the city."

"Are you sure?" Kureno asked, still looking puzzled as he pulled a suit of clothes out for Akito. It was one of the little duties that Kureno seemed happy enough to preform, the role of a manservant. It wasn't necessary. There were more than enough servants who would have felt honored to wait hand and foot on the head of the Souma family. Yet Kureno happily set out Akito's clothes and poured his tea as if nothing more in his life mattered. "I won't leave you if you need me." No doubt Kureno's mind was still on Akito's screaming fit when the reflection's hand had touched his shoulder.

"I'm sure. I need some rest, so I'll just rest out here. Hatori says I need more sun, anyway. Go on." He waved at Kureno, encouraging him to get up. "I want a story, so find me something interesting."

Kureno swallowed hard before he bowed. "Yes, Akito."

"Be back before dark, though." Akito called after Kureno. "You know I can't sleep without you."


A short time later, Akito found himself wandering the estate. He really didn't know where he was going, but he liked walking around. He passed by many people who greeted him politely, but Akito paid them little attention. He wasn't interested in them. He stopped walking when he saw someone that did interest him. He saw Hatsuharu's duel colored hair and Akito smiled. He hadn't spoken with Hatsuharu for a while and it would be nice to...

'What's she doing with him?' Akito frowned at a slender figure of a girl with long, slinky hair walking very closely with Hatsuharu. In fact, they were holding hands. 'Ren? No...Ren's gone. That must be Rin.' Akito had never liked Rin, not since she'd let her hair grow long and she started to look more and more like Ren. Not only did Rin look like a very young Ren, undamaged by Akito's mirror, but their names were so similar. 'Maybe I should make her change her name.'
Akito had seen Rin and Hatsuharu together many times before, but he'd never seen them holding hands. He'd seen them dancing together at the banquet, but everyone danced with everyone at the banquet. This was different. They were going into the bathhouse...alone. The bathhouse was quite large, three stories, though the top two floors were nothing more than storage. Akito followed his people through the building and up to the topmost floor where they must have thought they would find privacy.

The first thing they did was to start kissing and Akito watched with more than a little discomfort. Normally, he had no problems with his family's relationships, but this was to odd. It looked like, from Akito's viewpoint, that Hatsuharu was kissing Ren. Worse, Akito was suddenly reminded of Yahiko who also had black and white hair and the image of him kissing Ren was almost enough to make Akito vomit.

"Shigure knows the secret." Rin whispered to Hatsuharu when they both broke the kiss to come up for air. They stood together on the upper floor on Akito's home, standing so closely together that there wasn't a bit of space between them. Rin kept her arms wrapped around Hatsuharu's narrow waist and practically breathed her words into Hatsuharu's neck. "I found this book he had a while ago. He SAID it was something he was writing, but he was lying. It wasn't his handwriting and the paper was centuries old. He's hiding the secret of the curse."

Akito felt a building fury within him. How dare Rin suggest such a thing? Shigure would never keep a secret like that without telling Akito and the rest of the family. If there was one person in the entire family that Akito trusted above everyone else, it was Shigure. Akito was absolutely certain that
Shigure would never hide any kind of secret from him, let alone a secret that could save their family.

"Why?" Hatsuharu asked. His arms were around her, holding her close as they stood together in an easy embrace. "Why would Shigure lie about the curse? He hates it as much as the rest of us. It doesn't make any sense, Rin. Maybe he's telling the truth. Maybe it is just for a book. Shigure usually has a reason for what he does, even if he won't tell us the reason. There would be no reason for him to hide this book."

"Shigure likes lying." Rin said bitterly, shifting herself to fit more comfortable into Hatsuharu's arms. "He's always lying about something, so why not this? He knows the secret to ending the curse. I'm sure he does. I'll get it out of him if it's the last thing I do."

"Rin," Hatsuharu's arms tightened a bit, making Rin look up at him. "Don't do anything stupid. You don't KNOW Shigure's doing anything, you only THINK he is."

"I'm right!"

"Maybe. Maybe not." Hatsuharu shrugged lazily, his eyes almost closed as he relaxed, sitting down on the windowsill and pulling Rin into his lap. "This might be a misunderstanding. Shigure's a...complex man. He wouldn't hurt the family, though."

"Have you ever thought that maybe Shigure is just as crazy as the rest of us?" Rin asked, sarcastically. "He certainly acts as like he hasn't got a brain in his head."

From where he watched and listened, Akito felt his anger at Rin growing. Rin...Ren. They were to alike. Ren had long, slinky hair like Rin. Now Rin was trying to convince Hatsuharu that Shigure was doing something wrong. Shigure would never hurt the family. Akito's hands balled into fists and his eyes narrowed. 'Why are women always trying to hurt my family? Ren, Momiji's mother, Yuki's foster mother, Kyou's mother, Kana, and now Rin.' They were all out to hurt the family, but this was even worse. This was a betrayal. Rin was one of them, after all. Woman or not, Rin was Junikyu. How could she be trying to turn the family against itself?

>She's just like the rest of them. Girls...women...they're all bad. All terrible people. None of the men ever try to hurt the family. Kyou's the monster, but he never tries to hurt us. He likes to fight with Yuki, but he never REALLY tries to hurt him. She should have been born a boy. It would be better if all Souma's were men, men never try to hurt our family.< The voice returned in full force and Akito felt as if someone were yelling in his ears.

Akito began to back away, trying to get away from Rin and Hatsuharu. He want to go somewhere quiet and think for a while. He wanted to talk to Shigure. The mysterious voice in his head had plagued him for years now, but he was never sure when the voice was lying to him or not. Sometimes the voice told him to do bad things, but sometimes it was right. 'Rin's part of my family.' Akito told himself. 'Even if she is a sneaky, deceptive girl. She's family.'

>So what? Even if she dies, the horse will be reborn. She doesn't matter. If you let her live, she'll hurt the others. Girls are nothing but trouble.<

'But boys can be trouble, too. What about Ristu's father and Yuki's foster father? I had to make them go away and Hatori had to steal their memories. They hurt my Junikyu, too.'

>That's only two. There are more women than men who want to hurt the family. You have to keep the family safe. Maybe Rin needs to be taught a lesson. You don't have to really hurt her, just scare her a little. Make her remember who God is.<

'I...I want to hurt her.' The realization came to Akito and he didn't like it. He'd never wanted to hurt one of his Junikyu, it just sort of happened. Now, seeing Rin lounging on Hatsuharu like she owned him. 'She doesn't own him, I do. She's telling lies and she's just going to confuse Hatsuharu. I want to make her hurt.'

>Then do it.< The voice whispered, seductively. >You don't have to really hurt her, just a little bit.<

Hatsuharu stood up and spoke. "Look, I'm going Rin. I've got some homework to finish, but promise me you won't do anything stupid." Hatsuharu eased Rin to her feet, though he still kept his arms around her as if he couldn't bear to be parted. "For us, don't make trouble. I couldn't take it if something happened to you."

"I'm a big girl." Rin gave Hatsuharu a soft smile as she reached up and put one of her long, graceful hands on Hatsuharu's cheek. "I can take care of myself."

Hatsuharu leaned his cheek into Rin's hand and smiled back and, for just an instant, he looked so peacefully happy. "I know you can. I just hope you will. I worry."

"You can be real sweet sometimes, know that?"

Hatsuharu left and Rin was left alone for a time. She stood there, silhouetted against the setting sun with her long, slinky black hair waving as the breeze blew against her and Shigure hated her for speaking badly about Shigure. He wanted to kill her.

Rin turned, after Hatsuharu had gone, and put both hands on the window as she gazed out.

>Just a little push.< The voice told Akito. >She's not even looking. She needs a scare and we both know it. You don't like the way she's treating family, so she must learn to be more respectful. What if she ends up like Ren and starts hurting people? You can't allow that.<

'No,' Akito agreed as he stepped from where he'd watched Hatsuharu and Rin and walked closer to Rin. 'Can't allow that. Can't let her hurt people. She's doing a terrible thing, saying those things about Shigure. Won't let anyone hurt Shigure. He always took care of me when I was little, so now I'll take care of him.'

Akito pushed.

One sudden shove and Rin gasped when she tumbled out of the window. Her dark hair billowed out around her, as if she were swimming underwater, and her arms and legs splayed out. Akito watched her fall, feeling numb, but pleased. She wouldn't hurt Shigure, now. She fell for what seemed like hours to Akito, but Rin never screamed. Rin hit the ground with a dull thud and her body bounced once before settling limply in the flowers of the garden below. Rin didn't move after one last twitch.

Akito smiled as tears ran down his face. "It had to be done." He said out loud to the now empty room. "I didn't want to do it." Had he killed her? Everyone would be so angry with him, they wouldn't understand.

Hatsuharu must have seen Rin fall and he came running over to her, screaming her name until he slid to a halt next to her and fell to his knees. He was crying and reached out for her several times, but didn't seem to know if he should move her or not. After a moment of panic, Hatsuharu promised Rin that he would be back and he took off running, supposedly for help.

"It had to be done."





To Be Continued...


Till next time,

Cousin D