Fruits Basket Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Neko's Healing ❯ Healing ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Fruits Basket. Darn it!

 

This chapter's in Yuki's POV. The boys have very firmly decided I am going to alternate between him and Kyo. I think they do appreciate getting to be brotherly-close instead of...ahem!...otherwise-close, for a change, too. ,'=} Hopefully enough to forgive me for what I'm putting them through...heh!

 

Oh--and I plain forgot to put a couple words in my glossary, in Chapter 1. ::Thwapping self over the head:: A “yukata” is a type of clothing--like that robe Shigure is always wearing; and “bakemono” means “ghost; phantom; monster”. Akito's nasty `pet name' for Kyo.

 

Thanks to everybody on FF.net who's posting reviews! ::beaming with happiness:: I'm glad others are enjoying this; that's why I'm posting it! ::pausing to eyeball MediaMiner account...:: Oh, well; they're being the silent types again...WAAAaaa(aaah)!!!! ::sound of disappointed whiney-wailing, fading off into the distance::

 

(1-14-06 MM.org--reposting to fix that nasty formatting...no other changes)

 

2- Healing

 

“You're not gonna die. I promise. I know what I have to do... The tatsu's not the only one of the Dobutsu no Jyuunishi with a special gift, you know.” Kyo's face suddenly had an almost peaceful, serene expression. Yuki, eyes slitted open to stare at his cousin for his amazingly calm and gentle tone, could only stare in surprise, speechless; wondering which of them was going crazy--Kyo, for what he was saying; or himself, for hearing it?! His wound must be even worse than he thought, he was hallucinating!

 

As Kyo's right hand slowly slid his beads down over their joined hands and onto Yuki's wrist, the neko whispered hoarsely, “Watch over these for me. When the next neko is born, you'll need to pass them on. And tell Shisho--” Here, Kyo's voice hitched for a moment, as Yuki tried to think past the fiery agony in his middle; to understand why it sounded like the neko was talking like he was the one going to die! “Tell Shisho...his grandfather never held it against him, that he didn't accept the candy...”

 

Confused, the pain in his body eating away at his consciousness, Yuki could only gape at the neko as he felt Kyo's beads settle about his own wrist. What was Kyo doing?!

 

Then the transformation started.

 

Yuki couldn't tear his eyes away from Kyo's face as it--melted--into something...else... Something hideous. Yuki had only seen it happen the once before, and that at a distance--not mere feet away, with one of Kyo's hands holding his! He could feel the skin of Kyo's hand go pebbly and leather-like, even as the size and shape--altered, queasily. Thankfully it was too dark for him to make out many details; other than the creature's disturbing purple eyes, that seemed to glow with a light from within. The nezumi hardly noticed as Kyo's thin sweater tore and fell from him in shreds, the bottoms of his pant legs ripping open to accommodate the neko's now differently shaped lower legs. His shoes hadn't stood a chance when the neko's feet lengthened and deformed, thick claws bursting from the toes.

 

Then the stench hit--the sickening, evil odor of the creature; thick and foul as it seeped into the nezumi's lungs by way of his sinuses. He tried desperately not to cough, the pain in his gut was already nearly unbearable! He clenched his eyes shut, concentrating on breathing in through his mouth, desperately wishing for the sweet blackness to surround him in painless oblivion once more.

 

Yuki's eyes shot back open when Kyo placed a horrendously ill-formed hand on his stomach, just over the hole though his body. He was about to muster his last dregs of strength to struggle, even though there had been no new pain with the touch, when a peculiar warmth flowed out of that alien hand; chasing the pain away as the sensation slowly seeped into him. The nezumi stared wide-eyed at the monstrous face above him as the warmth slowly spread all through his body, bringing an intense sense of relief from his agony. The feeling was amazingly soothing, relaxing him completely.

 

The bakemono's--no; Kyo's! That's still Kyo, in that form! Kyo's eyes were now shut, weirdly stretched and broadened face scrunching up; sharp, jagged white teeth bared as the lips of that too-wide mouth pulled away in a snarl that seemed more like a whine. The hand that still held Yuki's started to shake, tiny tremors at first, then full shivers; until it was abruptly pulled away.

 

The beads remained on Yuki's wrist, cool spots against his skin. His other hand reached over on its own to cover them, warm them, as Kyo fell back, away from Yuki, to sprawl on his back. An eternal-seeming flash of sheet lighting from the still-worsening storm clearly showed a hole in his bakemono-form's gut, the same as Yuki's--

 

Yuki shoved himself abruptly upright, eyes wide and mouth gaping in pure shock. The--the pain--!! The pain is gone!! One hand went to his middle, pressing against whole skin, as he stared at the now-moaning bakemono form of the neko. His other hand went to his back, searching. He looked down, frantically pulling his torn and blood-stained shirt up and out of his way, to see the unblemished skin under his ribs.

 

He--he was healed!! How--? How had Kyo done that?!! He'd--taken Yuki's wound onto himself! How?!!!

 

Why had Kyo done that?! They were enemies! Why had the baka neko saved him?! Yuki knew how much Kyo hated his `true' form; why would he voluntarily transform into it--just to save the hated nezumi?!

 

Yuki checked himself all over, finding himself as physically fit as he'd been when he woke up that morning; his half-crushed leg was healed, too! Along with all of the smaller scratches and abrasions he'd gotten when the tree fell on him. He was too shocked to move for a few moments, just staring at the monstrous form that was his cousin as it writhed slightly on the ground in front of him, moaning softly in that odd, many-toned deep voice.

 

He violently shook his head and brought his wandering wits back. Kyo had saved him--now he had to return the favor, somehow. He all but threw himself over to kneel at Kyo's left side, reaching for his hand, in order to return the bracelet.

 

Kyo stopped him, catching both his hands in his deformed grip. Eerie purple eyes cracked open, pain-clouded, staring into surprised violet-gray.

 

“N--No. Keep--them.”

 

Yuki started to get angry. “You have to change back! I've got to get you back to Shigure's house; Hatori will come--”

 

“N-n-no!” The rough, many-toned voice that was just barely recognizable as Kyo's overrode Yuki's protest with a deep growl. “Won't...work, now. S'why--gave `em--t'you.” A resigned sigh gusted out through the bakemono's nearly lipless mouth. “I'll...heal--in a bit. Just...it just takes time.” A low, mirthless chuckled came from deep in the vaguely human chest, quickly bitten back as it obviously caused him pain in the transferred wound. “I've...had worse. Those four months--when I disappeared...before Tohru came...

 

“I wasn't off training. I was healing.”

 

Yuki stared intently at his cousin's nightmare-inspiring face, realizing absently that the odd voice had gotten a bit stronger; the malformed body had stopped writhing. Looking down, Yuki was barely able to make out a faint glow, like foxfire, about the wound--which he suddenly realized was slowly shrinking in size, even as he watched.

 

Too many questions swirled about in his mind as Yuki looked back at Kyo's face. Questions about the neko's abilities; about why Kyo had done this, for his supposed most-hated enemy. About why the beads wouldn't work now--was that just until Kyo was healed? Judging by what Kyo had said, right before he transformed--that had sounded like he was entrusting them to Yuki for the sake of the next person to be born under the Neko's curse! Did that mean the beads would never work for Kyo again?!

 

Yuki also had questions about that worse Kyo said he'd had. An icy chill deep in Yuki's guts told him that somehow, someway, Akito had to have been involved. It would be like their demented Clan Head...

 

Purple eyes stared tiredly at the trees above, only blinking when drops of rain filtered through the leaves to strike them. The rain was slacking, again; the wind was dying down. “Just--go. Tohru's...worried about you. Tohru...shouldn't worry...” The odd voice faded, as the vaguely lizard-like head turned away from Yuki.

 

Concerned, Yuki leaned forward enough to see that Kyo merely didn't want to meet his eyes; he hadn't passed out, or...anything else. The nezumi settled back on his heels, still kneeling at Kyo's side, staring at him.

 

Wondering suddenly why he was no longer at all afraid of the `bakemono'. The smell wasn't even particularly bothering him, any more; had he simply gotten used to it? He drew a tentative breath in through his nose, instead of his mouth--

 

Oh, it was still there, all right. Yuki swallowed hard against sudden nausea. The thought of Kyo's reaction if he threw up all over him might once have amused the nezumi...but not now.

 

Not since the neko had basically thrown away his own humanity, to save the cousin he so frequently proclaimed he hated.

 

A shiver settled into Yuki's hands, as his sight went blurry with unshed tears. He couldn't wrap his mind around the idea of Kyo--the baka neko, for the kamis' sakes!!--doing something like that...and for him, no less! If it had been Honda-san, injured and dying; or Kazuma-sensei, yes--he could see Kyo sacrificing himself for either of those two. Kazuma was the only father Kyo had ever really known; and Honda-san--

 

Any baka could see that the neko was in love with Honda-san. Any baka but for the baka neko, that is...and Honda-san, of course; who was too naïve and innocent for her own good, sometimes. It was a good thing she had such steadfast protectors as Uotani-san and Hanajima-san, as well as himself--

 

And Kyo. Much as the nezumi hated to admit it, he'd seen the neko effectively defend Honda-san from Yuki's own rabid fan-girls too many times, as well as other kinds of bullies, to doubt his effectiveness. That fiery temper of Kyo's was very good for discouraging annoying males of all ages; one look into those fierce red eyes was usually enough to send them packing for good, never to bother Honda-san again. Yuki knew himself to be much too polite to be that effective; his cutting words just didn't have that implied level of pure physical intimidation. Kyo's baleful glare said in no uncertain terms that there would be bloody mayhem, if the offender didn't run away very, very quickly!

 

Yuki sighed, trying to pull his thoughts together. They were scattering like field mice with a hawk on the hunt in the sky above them. His mouth became a thin, tense line as he stared down at Kyo's bakemono form, eyes narrowing as he decided what he was going to do.

 

“I'm not leaving you out here all alone.” He waited for the argument he knew would come, though it was pretty much the exact opposite of their usual verbal fights.

 

A low growl ghosted through the air, quickly suppressed. Kyo's left arm twitched. His voice was mostly quiet when he spoke; stronger that before. “You have to. It's--dangerous for you to stay, once I'm done healing.”

 

Yuki frowned. “Dangerous?” He carefully kept any other remarks behind his teeth--he didn't need to set off the neko's touchy temper with reminders of how he'd yet to beat the nezumi in a fight. He brought to mind the memory of the deep claw-marks in some of the trees surrounding Shigure's house...and in certain rocks, off by the lake. Marks from the last time Kyo's beads left his wrist when it was raining; the time when Yuki helped Tohru bring him back.

 

This bakemono-form was obviously a great deal stronger than Kyo's human body; it was likely also faster. So Yuki's winning was no longer a guaranteed end, if they fought.

 

Purple eyes sought his face, sidewise. A reluctant answer slowly came. “...It's...hard...to control--the bakemono, at the best of times. With all the energy I used up healing you--I won't last long.”

 

“What do you mean, `it's hard to control the bakemono'? Isn't it just--another body, like the regular animal transformations?” A confused Yuki saw the neko's flinch, as Kyo's eyes went back off to stare out into the forest. The nezumi had never wondered much about Kyo's second curse, even after seeing it for the first time. He'd just--assumed it was a physical transformation, like their regular animal curses.

 

“This curse--is nothing like the other one.” The neko seemed unwilling to say more, those few words ghosting out with barely any sound to them at all. Purple eyes refused to meet violet-gray.

 

Yuki sighed in frustration, clenching his hands where they rested on his thighs. “Then tell me about it. I'm not going anywhere until you give me a very good reason.” His voice showed he had every intention of doing as he said.

 

Kyo closed his eyes, his breathing speeding up a bit. The hole in his gut now had a thin, clearish membrane over it; it was halfway healed already. “When I'm--like this--there are...urges. Things this body wants to do, that--I'd never do, normally. It--it's like my mind is covered by a fog, and all that's me goes to sleep; and--it--takes control.

 

“It wants to--to hunt. To kill. Just like a--a wild animal.” The neko shuddered, malformed hands clenching tightly by his sides.

 

Yuki's skin crawled at the unaccustomed note of vulnerability he could hear in Kyo's half-stuttered words, even through the odd, multiple tones. Hearing the neko as anything but brash and self-confident was--just--not right. Like the sun coming up at midnight; or the stars coming out clearly at noon.

 

“I--I don't think I'll be able to stay in control, for very long. If there's no one around me, and I keep my emotions under control, I'll probably last...about...maybe three days. After that, I wouldn't--recommend anybody coming out too deep into the forest, anymore...”

 

Yuki didn't chuckle along with Kyo at the neko's suddenly morbid sense of humor. “There has to be something we can do, so the bracelet works again! Where did you learn that it would stop working? And are you certain it won't work?”

 

Kyo sighed, and slowly raised his left arm, holding the misshapen limb out to Yuki. “Go ahead. See for yourself.” His voice was tired, and quiet; not quite a whisper. “But it stopped raining a few minutes ago...and I'm not changed back.”

 

Yuki's eyes flew up, looking around them. It was true--he hadn't even noticed when the droplets quit spattering down onto the leaves, especially drenched as his chill-numbed skin already was after nearly four hours spent pinned under that tree; with the rain coming down steadily for most of that time. It had become like white noise, easily ignored.

 

He looked back at Kyo, uncertainty creeping into his heart. He carefully pulled off the precious beads, wondering how he was going to slip the bracelet over a hand that was nearly three times the size of Kyo's human hand. He gingerly tried to slip it over the clawed fingers.

 

Kyo fisted his hand about the beads, fingers through the loop. He sighed, eyes closing. “See? No change. This usually does it...”

 

Even with the oddness of his bakemono voice, which was rapidly becoming familiar, Yuki could hear the despair laced through the tone. It matched the feeling trying to wrap about his own heart. “There must be something we can do!” He wrapped both of his hands about Kyo's, over the beads, leaning forward and staring intently at the neko.

 

Startled, Kyo jerked his head over to stare straight at his cousin. Yuki met and held his eyes, his determination clear. The purple eyes widened as Kyo realized, there was no fear in Yuki's gaze.

 

“You...!” The word was whispered, a thin thread of sound; incredulous. Kyo blinked, shaking his head slightly as if to clear it. His breathing got heavier; the hand Yuki held trembled.

 

Suddenly the neko had practically convulsed his torso upright, bending over pulled-up legs, jagged teeth gritted and eyes clenched tight shut. Shudders wracked his whole body as his free arm gripped tightly at his knees.

 

Yuki watched, worried. He had no idea what he could do! The urge to help Kyo was overpowering, all the old animosity forgotten. It didn't matter, anymore. Not after what Kyo had done for him--! Yuki kept his hands where they were, on Kyo's, grip tightening slightly in his concern. He could feel the muscles in that hand ripple and tighten, as Kyo fought to not clench that hand. He could very well crush Yuki's much more fragile human bones.

 

The fit passed quickly, leaving Kyo panting and exhausted as he hunched into himself, elbows resting on drawn-up knees. He stared at his hand, still in Yuki's grip. He grimaced--a truly scary sight on the bakemono's face--and briefly covered his bowed head with his free hand. Then he looked up, straight at Yuki. His oddly purple eyes were intense, hope visibly fighting with pure fear in them.

 

“The beads have to be--re-energized. They were originally made from the--the bones--of the first neko, on the day he died; his bones, carved, then bathed in his blood.” Yuki got a sick look on his face. If Kyo had been human, his expression would have looked the same. “The healing--drew the power out of them; only two things will power them back up now. One, is the birth of a new person under the neko's curse; it's kinda like an auto-reset, or something. The other--”

 

Kyo took a deep breath, obviously trying not to hope too much. “The other way, is for the person who was healed--to bathe the beads in their blood, returning enough of the power for the seal to work again. It will only work if it's voluntary.” Purple eyes dropped to their joined hands, scared of seeing the expected rejection; yet desperately clinging to a small, forlorn spark of hope. Yuki hadn't let go, yet, after all.

 

Yuki frowned. Was that all? “How much--b-blood--is needed?”

 

What was he thinking, `was that all?!' This was blood they were talking about! If it wasn't dark out, the sight of all the blood on his shirt--and splattered under that tree!--would have scared him more than Kyo's bakemono form ever had. Especially his own blood! He tried very hard to keep his growing anxiety out of his voice and expression.

 

Kyo noticed anyway. Maybe because of his stutter on that word...Yuki's aversion was hardly something new, the whole family had long known about it. He bit his lip as the neko's whole body drooped in despair.

 

“I didn't say I wasn't going to do it!!” That came out sharper than Yuki intended, but he didn't regret the words. He might be scared silly by the very idea; but he would do it. It was the very least he could do--in return for what Kyo had done for him.

 

He couldn't imagine a situation where he'd do something like--that!--for someone. Maybe he was just too selfish. Hopefully, if he was ever faced with a choice anything like that--he'd be able to do as Kyo had done...but he just couldn't imagine it, just then.

 

It was--more than annoying, to realize that the baka neko had more courage than the nezumi. It went all the way beyond aggravating to just plain disturbing to Yuki's peace of mind.

 

“We don't have anything like a bowl around here to--to hold it in, unless I'm supposed to just--hold the beads in my hand, and b-b-bleed over them.” Violet-gray eyes unfocused for a second on that word, then snapped back to Kyo's face. “And I certainly don't have any surgical-sharp knives out here; or bandages, for that matter. I suppose I'll have to grab them from the house--”

 

-.-.-.-

 

Hmmm; this fanfic is tending to be kind of abrupt in its chapter endings, ain't it? ::best Cookie Monster snicker:: Whee, lookie all that fruit headed my way--<gdr!>

 

It's Kyo's turn again, next chapter.