Fruits Basket Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Neko's Healing ❯ Friendship ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: Still don't own Fruits Basket. If I did, I'd be getting paid for this! <g!>

And Thanks for all the encouragement to continue! It's up beyond chapter fifteen, so far--and I keep getting Ideas...

 

4 - Friendship

 

The pitiful mewling suddenly turned into a full-throated scream of denial, as Kyo threw himself to his feet in one abrupt upwards movement. Yuki, who'd been hovering at his shoulder and wondering frantically what he could do to help, fell away and landed on his back, staring in growing trepidation at the tense and struggling form before him. The bakemono's head was shaking in odd fits; clawed fists clenching and unclenching, rising and lowering as the neko fought--whatever he was fighting. The oddly jointed legs shifted uneasily, the huge claws on the horribly deformed feet leaving furrows in the earth.

 

Kyo's eyes had a tinge of red to them--but not his normal red; each entire eye was glowing, faintly. The hairs on the back of Yuki's neck were starting to rise, as fear crept back into his heart.

 

But not fear of Kyo. Fear for Kyo. If the neko lost--would they ever get him back?! Even if Yuki managed to correctly re-energize the beads, and get them back on Kyo's wrist--would Kyo's mind come back, with his human body? Annoying as the neko could be, he'd never done anything that really harmed Yuki--never anything even close to what Akito had done to him. Embarrassed him, yes; at least by association...they were cousins, after all. Annoyed him beyond reason at times; gave him the occasional bruise. But--there'd been no true, lasting harm.

 

Yuki couldn't say the same on his own part. He'd rarely held back when he hit Kyo, casually pitching him through doors and into walls and across rooms without a thought--it was a wonder he hadn't ever seriously injured the neko!

 

Knowing they'd been friends, once--that Kyo had tried to help him with his asthma, even in the awkward situation the neko found himself in, playing at being enemies...it made a difference, for Yuki. He couldn't...he just--couldn't say he hated the neko; not anymore. He wasn't entirely certain what he did feel, just then; but if he didn't do something, quickly, he'd likely never get the chance to explore his feelings!

 

Yuki's eyes were caught by a cluster of tiny bits of white, showing through the grass and fallen leaves at Kyo's feet. The bracelet! He dove forward and snatched it up, holding it in his cupped hand. He looked up at the straining form above him, nerves making his hands shake. His fingers curled tightly around the beads as he quickly stood, right in front of his cousin.

 

Violet-gray eyes clearly showed his determination as Yuki set his jaw and reached with deliberation for Kyo's clawed left hand, trying to ignore how much taller than he this form was when it stood mostly upright. The neko hardly seemed to notice his touch, until the nezumi started trying to pry a clawed finger loose from the huge, tightly clenched fist.

 

The hoarse neko's voice was more growl than anything, now; the multiple parts slowly merging into one hair-raisingly deep and grinding tone. “What...are you doing...?!” Red light swirled about in the purple of the neko's bakemono-eyes as Yuki looked straight into them. Kyo was panting heavily now, his hold on his own mind obviously tenuous.

 

“You said I needed to bathe this bracelet in my b-blood.” He held the precious beads up so Kyo could see them, before deliberately moving that hand below his grip on Kyo's fist. He released Kyo, holding his wrist upright just above the cupped beads, staring intently into Kyo's wavering eyes. “I don't have a knife. Your claws will have to do; I know they're sharp enough.” Yuki knew his eyes must be wider than usual, with the sense of panic clawing at the underside of his skin. He just hoped he didn't look too horribly panicked.

 

Kyo hunched slightly and grimaced as if in great pain, breath coming even harder, body shaking like a leaf; sharp, jagged teeth actually chattering. He stared deep into Yuki's eyes for a precious moment, the dangerous red glow receding ever so slightly. Then he hesitantly relaxed his fist, the shaking forefinger coming out to hover tentatively over Yuki's exposed wrist.

 

Yuki nodded, keeping his eyes locked onto Kyo's face. As long as he didn't look--he should be fine. It would only be pain, after all; he'd endured worse than a mere cut to the wrist, before.

 

Akito had seen to that.

 

The slice was quick, the claws razor-sharp; it didn't start to hurt for nearly a minute. It wasn't a particularly large cut; just over an inch long, and barely deep enough to bleed. Obviously the very least damage that would do the job. Yuki swallowed hard as Kyo carefully, with a shaking, yet delicate touch, tipped Yuki's wrist to the side, aiming the thin dribble of blood squarely over the beads so as not to waste a drop. The neko's eyes were fixed feverishly on what he was doing.

 

The nezumi squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, grimacing slightly, when he felt the first drops of wetness in his palm; the skin across his shoulders feeling like it was crawling. He quickly opened his eyes again to frantically look back to Kyo's face, trying with a deep sense of desperation to keep his imagination from kicking in, even as he swallowed convulsively against nausea.

 

He very nearly wasn't seeing the hideous features at all, any more. This was Kyo--his mind was insisting on seeing the familiar red eyes set in a scowling, yet still Sohma-handsome face; soft orange hair messed by the faint breeze. Even with his normal less-than-pleasant expression, Kyo was beautiful; like a work of art...or a thunderstorm; violent and dangerous, but still a stunning sight. His odd coloring drew attention, the difference not unpleasing; while the emotions the neko showed so easily, that freeness that Yuki had always envied him for, added a vigorous dimension of fiercely energetic life, completing the spell that irresistibly drew people to the Sohmas' outcast.

 

Kyo obviously fought off another--attack, or whatever it should be called, as the beads slowly disappeared in a pool of thick, clinging red. The neko's breathing was getting very ragged, his jaw corded tightly; it looked like he was gritting his sharp-jagged teeth so hard they should start breaking at any moment. Kyo had hunched even more into himself, muscles looking tight enough to bring on convulsions; but the heavily clawed fingers kept a gentle, yet shivering touch against the skin of the nezumi's hand, making sure not one drop of Yuki's precious blood was wasted.

 

Yuki couldn't force himself to look down, to see how much longer he would have to stand like that. There was that peculiar blackness about the edges of his sight that meant his body was seriously considering fainting; if he looked, it would happen. It had nothing to do with the small amount of blood he'd lost--it was purely psychological. His wrist didn't even hurt all that much.

 

He swallowed hard against a sudden increase in nausea. It wouldn't be much longer--it couldn't be much longer--! His eyes on the neko's face were wide, and more than slightly panicky. He could almost swear he felt the precious red fluid draining out of his body--

 

Then Kyo released his hand. Yuki almost lost it, thinking the neko was losing his inner battle, until Kyo's red-clouded purple eyes met his. “Put--put it on me. Hurry!!” Kyo's voice was a nearly unrecognizable growl, the words difficult to make out. The note of desperate pleading was almost the only human thing left about it.

 

Yuki clenched his hand around the beads, desperately trying to pretend the thick, warm liquid spilling through his fingers was merely syrup. He shifted his eyes just barely enough to see where Kyo's left hand was, then quickly locked them back on Kyo's face, still swallowing hard against nausea with every couple breaths. He blindly moved his shaking hand until it bumped Kyo's, then carefully brought his other hand over, to straighten out the bracelet. It would absolutely not do to drop it now!

 

It took an eternal moment, but Yuki managed to slip the opening over the huge, heavily-clawed fingers, in spite of the fact they were both shaking badly by then. He pushed the bracelet as far up Kyo's hand as he could, then covered it with both of his own hands, gripping tightly.

 

He wasn't sure what to expect. The first and last time he'd seen Kyo transformed like this, the rain had stopped; and he'd just--sort of melted back into his human self. Yuki had never seen what happened when the bracelet was returned before Kyo had changed back.

 

Five minutes later, he was certain he never, ever wanted to even think about Kyo going through that, ever again. Yuki watched, stunned, from the spot on the ground where Kyo had shoved him when the change began. His eyes grew impossibly large as the shape of the Bakemono writhed before him, skin rippling in waves over muscle and bone that wasn't staying still. Kyo was clutching at his head, back arching; he'd fallen heavily to his knees, after shoving the nezumi safely away.

 

Yuki felt the sharp bite of terror. The Bakemono--it must be fighting the seal! Had he been too late?!

 

The sharp-fanged mouth was wide in a scream so high-pitched, it was almost silent to human ears. Inus for miles about started an unholy yowling; Yuki distractedly thought that Shigure must surely know something was happening, by that clamor!

 

He suddenly noticed the yellowish gleam of eyes that showed all about them from the black shadows ringing the clearing, more and more winking into sight as the transformation fought on. A slinking shadow flitting through a patch of moonlight had a distinctly feline outline. A deep, rumbling sound--the combined purrs of hundreds of nekos--started to thrum through Yuki's bones, the eerie sound causing his hair to stand on end. He could only assume the nekos were trying to support Kyo in his desperate battle.

 

He couldn't tear his eyes from his cousin, who seemed to be in more pain than any sane mind could stand. Yuki found he couldn't shut his eyes--couldn't tear them away from the thrashing shape before him. He just barely managed to scuttle back a couple feet when Kyo suddenly threw himself face-first at the ground, nearly landing on the completely unnerved nezumi.

 

`Why...did I have to be so stupid, as to ignore the danger of the coming storm?! If I'd gone back to Shigure's house when I first noticed it approaching, I'd never have been pinned by that tree; Kyo would never have come after me...never have had to go though--this--!' Tears leaked, unnoticed, from the corners of Yuki's eyes as his thoughts turned on himself. He was trembling all over from the strength of his chaotic emotions.

 

He hardly noticed the first furry body rub across the small of his back. The second time it happened, mere moments later, another also shoved at the arm that was supporting his weight. Startled enough to look, Yuki's jaw dropped when he found a half dozen nekos gathered behind him. The one at his arm looked him dead in the eyes and meowed softly, before again shoving its pale head hard against his arm.

 

Incredulous, Yuki leaned forward and raised that arm; sure enough, the neko happily drew its pale, striped length under his bloody, dirt-covered palm. “You want me to pet you--now?! Don't you see what's happening here!?”

 

The neko looked solemnly up at him, then turned and promptly began to clean his hand, sandpaper-rough tongue rasping busily against his palm. A nudge at his other arm as he lowered it, just above the still-oozing cut on his wrist, drew his attention. Another neko, this one black as the night about them and twice as large as any neko Yuki had ever seen in his life, stared him in the eyes for a moment also, then delicately sniffed at the wound. Before Yuki knew what it was about, it had thrown a paw over his arm as if to hold him still and started to carefully clean around the small cut.

 

The nezumi hissed and tried to raise his arm at the slight sting, but the cat used both paws to hang on then, it's not inconsiderable weight dragging his arm back down. Another neko's paws landed on his shoulders, startling him to stillness; this one started nuzzling and grooming at his hair.

 

What in the name of the kamis were they doing?! This wasn't the time to be grooming--!!

 

A sudden image of an extremely upset Kyo, all but buried in purring and grooming nekos, crossed his mind's eye. They had obviously been trying to make the Neko-cursed Sohma feel better. Yuki blinked, staring in shock at the now dozen nekos ringing him, all of them purring loudly. Were the creatures trying to reassure him?

 

It was certain none of the forest's rodents were about to venture anywhere close to him for that purpose; not with all the feline eyes reflecting light back from the shadows!

 

Yuki suddenly realized that there was no more movement in front of him. His eyes jerked back to Kyo. Seeing the completely still figure sprawled bonelessly on the ground before him, he suddenly feared the worst. He couldn't even tell if his cousin was breathing!

 

What would he do--if Kyo died?! An unexpected surge of grief choked his throat, putting a hitch in his breathing. Kyo couldn't die--he couldn't! Not now; not when there was a chance, a distinct chance, that they could be friends again--real friends--!

 

The misshapen, tangled form before the nezumi suddenly--shifted, melting completely back into the human shape Yuki knew so well. He held his breath, ignoring the nekos that were still cleaning his hand and wounded wrist; as well as any other parts of him they could easily reach. His fear for Kyo's welfare blotted out anything so minor as mere physical stings.

 

When the transformation was complete, Yuki tentatively edged forward, pulling his arms away from the feline ministrations. His palm was now completely scoured clean of blood and dirt--and likely a couple layers of skin. His cut had stopped bleeding, though Yuki had paid that scant attention. He ignored the several annoyed feline yowls and slowly, carefully reached a hand out towards Kyo's bare shoulder, eyes desperately searching for any smallest sign of movement in the too-still, pale body.

 

Kyo's skin was chill to his touch. Yuki placed his whole hand flat on the once more human-smooth shoulder, pressing firmly. His voice was hoarse when he almost desperately called his cousin's name.

 

There was no answer; no movement at all. Not even breathing.

 

Panicking now, Yuki shook at the neko's shoulder, a tear escaping his eye all unnoticed. “Kyo! Kyo!! Answer me, you baka neko!!” He shook harder, now with both hands on Kyo's shoulders, his sight blurring until he could barely make out a pale blob in front of him.

 

Sudden grief bowed him over Kyo's head, his forehead pressing against moon-washed orange hair. His eyes squeezed shut on tears that refused to stop, as he choked back a sob.

 

“...o-oi...y'r...d-drownin' me, here...”

 

Yuki shot upright, eyes wide, at the hoarse, nearly inaudible ghost of a voice. He stared down through blurred vision at the pale orange on Kyo's head as the neko slowly pulled first one, then the other hand under himself. Kyo laid on his stomach like that for a moment, panting slightly; apparently gathering his energy for the effort to push himself upright.

 

Yuki let out a low growl of mixed frustration and relief and moved to the neko's side, grabbing him by the armpits and hauling his nearly dead weight over, before straightening the neko's tangled legs and sitting him upright. Kyo didn't seem to have any muscle control to speak of; Yuki had to keep an arm firmly about the neko's shoulders, so he didn't just drop bonelessly back to the ground.

 

After a few minutes of quiet panting, the exhausted Kyo made an effort to lift his head from his cousin's supporting shoulder and look Yuki in the eyes. The familiar red was watery with tears that started to fall even as the neko struggled to form words.

 

Irritated with life in general as a result of his several quite serious scares that night, Yuki hushed Kyo with what sounded almost like a hiss, violet-gray eyes fierce if watery as his arms tightened about the neko. Tearing red eyes blinked in surprise as Yuki then buried his head in Kyo's shoulder, shaking and near-sobbing with relief--his cousin was alive! Alive, and still himself!

 

Kyo managed to get his far arm up so he could grip Yuki's shoulder, pulling him in tighter, resting his chin on Yuki's head. He was shaking in relief, too. They stayed like that for several long minutes, soaking up the human contact that both had been shorted on life-long because of their curses, even as Yuki's tears drenched the bare skin of Kyo's shoulder. A couple of Kyo's tears dripped down into the nezumi's hair, too.

 

Finally, Yuki sucked in a deep breath, getting control over himself. Kyo moved his chin and released the nezumi's shoulder, letting him sit up and away if he wanted to. The neko's strength had returned enough for him to at least sit on his own, though Yuki refused to remove his supporting arm just yet.

 

Yuki sniffed, once and long, using the crook of an elbow to strip the tears off his face. Looking at his cousin, he found Kyo staring at the beads once more properly on his wrist, tear-tracks glistening in the moonlight on his face.

 

“Arigato.” Kyo's voice was soft, nearly breaking. His eyes were glued to his beads--his seal; his salvation.

 

“I'm the one who should be saying that. You--” Yuki breathed deep for a second. “What you risked, just to save my life--!“

 

Kyo shook his head, hard. “That was my choice; you didn't ask me to do it, you didn't even know I could. And I wasn't really risking all that much. This is my last year free, after all.” He didn't look up as he spoke, bitterness in his still-soft tone.

 

Yuki grimaced, before his features hardened with determination. “We'll just have to see about that.”

 

Kyo looked up at him, startled. “Wha--?”

 

Yuki held his eyes, clearly quite ready to fight with anyone in the family who wanted to enforce Akito's mad decree. His voice was fierce. “I'm not going to let Akito lock you up.”

 

-.-.-.-

 

Okay, Kyo's turn next!

 

I thought I was almost done with this one when I got to chapter ten, but I'm considering taking it all the way to a confrontation with Akito...that could be fun! It just depends on how much angst I've got left in me. I figure I'll soak up a good bit at work (we're revving up for contract negotiations, and I'm firmly stuck on the team that'll be haggling it out for our side, oh joy... <ble-e-e-ep!!> Why'd I let `em talk me into running for our union's Secretary?!)...

 

`Sides, I'd kinda like to get into Akito's head, just a little bit. Maybe see if I can turn the sadistic little--ahem!--Clan Head into a character I can at least relate to, if not agree with. In the anime, Akito's never portrayed as anything but male; I've heard in the manga we find out he's a she, but I haven't gotten that far in the little manga graphic novels yet. ::waiting impatiently!!::

 

Right now, I just do not like Akito, and have a tendency to want to write the character as e-e-e-evil. Kind of like Freddy Kruger!

 

Wait; I liked “A Nightmare on Elm Street!”

 

Oh dear. I've just added an idea to my list to write--a little piece from Akito's P.O.V.... Hmmmm! ::wanders off glaze-eyed, newly-bred ideas spinning through the first elimination cycle::