Fruits Basket Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Neko's Healing ❯ Broken ( Chapter 22 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or Ranma.

 

Enjoy!

22 - Broken

 

Kyo was huddling tightly in on himself as Xian Pu watched, his huge claws ripping out of the tree's truck to clutch at his head as he desperately fought the insidious, whispering, evil thoughts that were not his. His breathing was ragged and uneven, his whole bakemono form trembling uncontrollably. The rumbling from the thousands of nekos gathered in the surrounding shadows increased, causing a sympathetic resonance in Xian Pu's own chest. She knew what it felt like to actually purr, when she was in her own, Jusenkyo-cursed neko form.

 

The Amazon ached to reach out to her Airen; to hold him close and comfort him, such as she could--but she dared not go any closer. Not until his beads had been re-energized and restored to him. For their baby's sake, she dared not risk injury she otherwise wouldn't even think worth the worry. She had come to know her Airen well enough to realize it would kill him, maybe literally, if he was responsible for any injury to their baby--let alone to her! It would not matter to him that it wouldn't be his fault; he would only focus on the fact it had been by his own hand.

 

So she set herself to stand, tension screaming through her body; and to watch. Kyo knew she was there--that would have to be enough. He would win through this; he'd beat this curse.

 

He would!!

 

She spared a quick glance at her Hiiba-chan as the old woman settled in to wait at her side, ancient eyes intent on the struggling form before them. “Have faith, Xian Pu. Your Airen is a true warrior; he will hold out until the beads arrive.”

 

Xian Pu nodded at the quiet words, firming her resolve, though her eyes still showed the wild anguish raging through her heart. She had to be strong, for her Airen. He was going to need her strength to help support him, not disgraceful tears!

 

She was Joketsuzoku; she would not cry!!

 

It wasn't long before the breaking of branches from behind warned them of someone else's arrival. Xian Pu kept her eyes strictly on her Airen while Kho Lon turned to greet the newcomers. The old woman frowned slightly at the extra noise, until she saw it was Tendo Akane, leading the Hibiki boy by the hand as the massed nekos parted to let them through, without a sound of their own but for their continuous purring.

 

All things considered, the youngest Tendo was doing much better than the Matriarch would have expected, untrained in woodcraft as she obviously was. Kho Lon nodded welcome, and turned back to watching Kyo.

 

The two newcomers stopped next to the Amazons, staring in concern at the shivering, obviously straining bakemono. They spared hardly a glance at the neko-laced shadows. Kho Lon asked softly, “Ranma is bringing the beads?”

 

Akane nodded. Her voice was equally quiet as she kept her eyes on Kyo, trying not to wrinkle her nose as that form's awful stench seemed to pool almost visibly in the air about them. “Yes. I promised not to try and fight Kyo, but I thought you might be able to use Ryoga's help.”

 

Kho Lon nodded, a smile flickering briefly across her withered face. “Wise. You are learning, young one.”

 

Flushing in surprise at the unexpected praise, Akane glanced at Kho Lon for a moment. The Matriarch's worried gaze was fixed on Kyo, though, so she also turned back to watch all they could see of the neko's internal struggle. Her eyes flicked worriedly at the mass of nekos surrounding them, wondering how on earth Ranma was ever going to be able to get close enough to give them the beads!

 

Especially if the creatures tried to escort him to Kyo, as they'd done with her and Ryoga! She'd been surprised at first, but she'd quickly been relieved when they made their intent to lead the two of them crystal clear. If only there weren't so many of them! It seemed like every neko in Tokyo had joined in the gathering.

 

If Ranma wasn't in the full throes of the Neko-ken by the time he got to them, Akane would be more than shocked!

 

-.-.-.-

 

Ranma arrived about ten minutes later, carrying a rather nervous-looking Sohma Shigure. The inu had the precious, blood-soaked beads clenched tightly in one hand, cradled against his chest. His eyes were wide and wild--Ranma hadn't spared normal mortal senses, and had poured on the speed whenever possible, pushing himself to the limit. The inu had quickly regretted his insistence on coming along, in spite of his knowledge of the woods surrounding his house...but Kyo needed those beads; and that was the most likely place he'd go. Yuki didn't know the forest nearly well enough; he hadn't ever bothered to explore it, if only because of his health problems. His garden--his “secret base”--was pretty much the limit of the nezumi's knowledge of Shigure's “little” slice of Sohma property.

 

Ranma had followed Shigure's directions, easily out-pacing the feline shadows that bounded about, carefully just off the edges of his vision. He'd thrown himself deep into the Soul of Ice, desperately trying to wall off the absolute terror that clawed at the edges of his soul with every glimpse of a feline shadow. He didn't know how much longer he'd be able to hold off the full effects of the Neko-ken...! He could feel his mind slipping sideways, right into a neko's mindset.

 

Shigure hadn't believed it was possible for a human being to go so fast, or leap so far! But Ranma had been intent on catching up as much time as he could, as well as out-running their feline escort. It had seemed to take so long to first snap Akito out of her daze, then get a knife; then to get enough blood to cover the beads--

 

Shigure was somewhat shaky when Ranma set him on his feet, staggering a couple feet over to grip the nearest tree for stability as he swallowed his stomach back down where it belonged. He held out a shaky hand to give the beads to Ranma, who had to help him pry his shock-stiffened fingers open. The inu dropped straight onto his butt as soon as Ranma turned away, his legs flatly refusing to bear him. He absently wiped his bloody hand on the loamy forest floor, slightly glazed eyes fixing on the straining bakemono in morbid fascination.

 

Ranma, more than a bit wild-eyed at the thousands of shifting presences slinking about them, almost desperately fixed his eyes only on his fiancée as he quickly slipped over to her. It helped that the nekos seemed to understand how they were affecting them, and continued to try and stay out of his direct line of sight.

 

Akane took one look at her fiancé's pale and sweating face and grabbed his shaking, icy hand in both of hers, holding it tightly to her, keeping eye contact. She murmured soft encouragement to him, knowing he was walking a knife-thin line between control and the madness of the Neko-ken.

 

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Cologne's concerned glance. The old woman sighed in resignation before speaking. “Akane. Keep Ranma calm for as long as you can. If he's needed, I will tell you.”

 

Ranma's eyes flickered, and he nodded, holding Kyo's bracelet out to the Matriarch without looking towards her. His hand trembled uncontrollably, bringing a soft clinking from the beads. Akane glanced briefly at Cologne as the old woman carefully took the bracelet, whispering softly, “Arigato.”

 

Now would come the difficult part...getting the beads back where they belonged. Xian Pu turned to her Hiiba-chan with a calm, determined look, holding her hand out for the beads. She wasn't able to stand by any longer, doing nothing! Kyo needed her. The Matriarch looked deeply into her great-granddaughter's eyes, searching, before nodding and handing them to her. This was something Xian Pu had to do; child or no child.

 

Stepping softly towards Kyo, the purple-haired Amazon held the beads tightly in her left hand, watching carefully for signs he was aware of the world outside of his own mind. It looked like he was too busy fighting an internal battle with the curse to notice if she walked right up and just slipped the beads over his fingers; but she wasn't about to rely on that. He could spring away in an instant--or attack.

 

Kho Lon slipped about to the other side of the bakemono, ready to dart in and hit one or more shiatsu points in an effort to slow or stop him. She wasn't sure they'd work properly on this form; it wasn't specifically like any other creature she'd ever studied, and might be just different enough that the strongest points could be useless.

 

Ryoga also edged his way closer, keeping his eyes fixed on Kyo so he wouldn't get lost. He readied himself to make a grab if necessary...

 

-.-.-.-

 

Shigure cowered under a tree as furious movement consumed the martial artists, the bakemono striking out lightning-fast at anything that got too close. Akane had grabbed the inu and shoved him away to this tree when Kyo's elongated, mutated head had suddenly whipped up, mad purple eyes glaring straight at Shampoo as an eerie red light swirled about in them. Akane had placed herself between the subsequent vicious fight and the non-martial artist, knowing Shigure didn't stand a chance on his own.

 

It quickly became obvious that though the curse had gained the upper hand in control of his body, Kyo was still in there; still able to influence his movements. There were hesitations and breaks in moves that were sometimes the only thing saving Xian Pu and the others from serious injury--or worse.

 

Ranma was just barely holding himself back from slipping into the Neko-ken, and only because the surrounding nekos were keeping strictly away from him. Their purring continued, though, keeping the pig-tailed martial artist on edge--but their support might have been the only thing helping Kyo keep any semblance of control, no matter how weak or short-lived. The air around Ranma crackled with cold, so deeply was he in the Soul of Ice.

 

In the very first moments of the fight, Ryoga had called out for the others to direct him. He blindly followed what any of them told him to do; even Ranma, much to the pig-tailed martial artist's surprise. Nabiki had done more good for the Lost Boy than Ranma had thought possible, for Ryoga to blindly trust him like that! His surprise helped him fight off some of the fear pushing him into the Neko-ken.

 

Between the four of them, Ranma, Ryoga, Kho Lon, and Xian Pu were barely able to keep ahead of the curse-controlled bakemono. If Kyo hadn't been fighting it from the inside with everything he had, they all knew they'd have been lost within seconds. As it was, after five minutes Ranma had a bloody mouth and two broken toes; Ryoga's left arm dangled near-uselessly, a deep set of claw-gashes splattering bright red blood when he moved; Kho Lon favored a bone-bruised leg; and Xian Pu had taken a hard strike to her collarbone, that nearly broke it. They all sported a multitude of minor bruises and scratches, as well.

 

Shigure and Akane watched anxiously as the martial artists harried the bakemono, darting in and out in turn as its back was to them, getting hit before they could duck away at least as many times as they landed blows on that pebbly, thick hide.

 

The turning point came with the second hard hit that Xian Pu took. Shigure could see the anguish that flashed in the mad, red-lit purple eyes of the bakemono; Kyo's intelligence briefly surfacing, proving he was aware. He had forced his body to throw itself back against a tree right after that strike, where he stood, clutching at his head; a strained, wheezing shriek rising from his throat. That odd, multi-toned voice broke through the scratchy, high-pitched sound.

 

“Get...away...! Keep...back...c-can't...I-I can't...control...!” Thick tears were leaking from the bakemono's eyes as they fastened on Xian Pu's, the desperation in them clear. When her pained expression went grim and she took a determined step towards him, Kyo tried to step back, forgetting the tree at his back.

 

A feline yowl split the night; the thrumming purring stopped. Sudden pain seemed to take Kyo at the sound, and he doubled over, wheezing. That one large, black neko stepped out of the shadows to stare intently at him, amber eyes glowing with inner light.

 

Xian Pu took that chance to dart forward and grip the huge fingers of the bakemono's left hand, splayed as is was on his hairless, elongated skull. Kho Lon shot forward and poked as many shiatsu points as she could, in the hopes that one of them might help. Ranma and Ryoga had also dashed in, each grabbing an arm and trying to hold them away, to protect Xian Pu as she struggled to force his fingers from his skull and through the bracelet. Kyo's head whipped back and forth between them, sharp teeth baring in a snarling growl as he began trying to shake them off, head darting to snap at their fingers. Luckily, Kho Lon's poking had managed to weaken him just a bit.

 

The huge black neko kept it's eerily glowing eyes fixed on the bakemono. Thousands of yellow and green feline eyes started glowing form their places surrounding the action, both on the ground and in the trees. Shigure was the only one with enough attention to spare to even notice them, let alone wonder what was happening.

 

When the first malformed finger poked through the opening of the bracelet, the monstrous head was thrown back--and Kyo screamed, in concert with every neko in the forest. Fully half of the glowing eyes winked out.

 

Shigure blanched, clearly remembering the scream he'd heard mixed in with the calling of inus that night when Kyo saved Yuki's life. His hands raised involuntarily to cover his sensitive ears, pain shooting through his skull at the shrill volume and disharmony.

 

Xian Pu, tears in her eyes from more than mere physical pain, managed to force two more fingers through the loop of beads. The bakemono dropped to its knees, the others still hanging on desperately, trying to keep it from striking at Xian Pu.

 

The chorus of screaming went beyond the threshold where human ears could hear it, more and more of the eerily glowing nekos' eyes closing. Shigure grimaced, falling to his own knees at the pain in his skull as the piercing, super high-pitched tone tore at his ears, even through the muffling of his hands. Akane dropped down by him and held his shoulders, keeping him from falling over.

 

Shigure squinted through pain-tearing eyes at Kyo as the bakemono fell completely to the ground, curling tightly into himself as he continued that horrible sound. His malformed hand had curled about the beads, gripping them like a life-line, clutching them to his chest. Xian Pu fell to her knees beside her Airen, tears pouring from her eyes as she desperately held on to his arm, calling out to him. In the distance, the howling of all the area's inus could be heard by the humans; Shigure was too close to the source of the sound paining them to even notice the additional noise.

 

It took an excruciating fifteen minutes before the bakemono and accompanying nekos went still, and quiet. The sudden near-silence rang louder than the largest bell. Nothing out in the forest moved; not even a breeze.

 

Xian Pu, tears streaming from her eyes, collapsed on top of Kyo's bakemono form, arms tightly embracing her Airen as she continuously called for him to come back to her. She refused to stop, in the hope her voice would help him find his way. Kho Lon hobbled close enough to set her hand on her great-granddaughter's shoulder in support, her old face worried as she stared at the too-still form.

 

Ranma wiped blood from his mouth, pausing to slam a dislocated shoulder back into place with the help of a nearby tree trunk. He then limped over to help Ryoga, sitting the Lost Boy down on a fallen tree in order to tend to his heavily bleeding arm.

 

Akane watched, worried about whatever had been paining Shigure; she was responsible for the man's well-being at the moment, as it didn't look like he could fend for himself at all. There wasn't really anything she could do to help Ryoga, though, that Ranma couldn't take care of on his own; and she had no clue how she could help the Amazons with Kyo.

 

Ranma was already tearing strips off his shirt to bind Ryoga's arm, in an effort to stop the bleeding, though proper care would have to wait a bit for medical supplies. His eyes were darting somewhat frantically about as he worked, searching for the nekos he just knew had to still be out there; waiting. There was no movement in the deep shadows of the early evening forest, though.

 

Shigure was panting shallowly and shivering, his hands still hovering about his ears in unconscious wariness that the terrible, piercing sound would resume. His slightly glazed eyes stared vaguely towards Kyo, worry pinching his brow. The inu barely noticed when Akane knelt beside him and absently flung an arm about his shoulders, to keep him from falling over. No one else noticed what she'd done, either.

 

His muscles felt like jelly; his mind was alarmingly muzzy, his thoughts more disjointed than they'd ever been. He wouldn't have thought simple loud noise, high pitched or not, could leave him with such symptoms! Especially that strange tingling, in his very bones--

 

All eyes were drawn back to the still form of the bakemono when Xian Pu gasped, rising off of him. They watched in concern as the hideous form slowly, so slowly, melted back into the familiar orange-haired young man. Everyone held their breath, waiting for some sign of movement...

 

...but most especially, they watched for Kyo to start breathing again...

 

-.-.-.-

 

The purring of the gathered nekos had not resumed. No one knew if the absence of that deep, rumbling sound was a good sign, or bad.

 

Akane let out a soft cry when Shigure's eyes turned up in his head and he slumped bonelessly to the ground, slipping right through her arms. Ranma practically teleported to her side at the sound in his concern that she'd somehow been hurt. She gave her fiancé a frightened look before he helped her straighten out the older man's tangled limbs, arranging him more comfortably on the ground. Calling his name and gently slapping his face failed to rouse him.

 

Ranma jumped back a few feet when one of the now-silent nekos wandered over, sniffed at Shigure's cheek, then promptly settled itself in a curled-up ball in the space between his neck and shoulder. It laid its chin over his collarbone and started purring again, closing its eyes in contentment.

 

Three more nekos sauntered over, causing Ranma's pigtail to stand straight out from fright as he desperately fought the urge to run screaming from the area. They also sniffed at the unconscious inu, before settling comfortably against him.

 

Akane watched the creatures, dumbfounded; was this a good sign? She looked over to Cologne, who was concentrating on Kyo's too-still form. She didn't really want to disturb the Matriarch from helping Kyo...

 

The orange-haired young man finally sucked down one spasmodic, deep breath, his back arching, heels and hands digging into the forest loam. Red eyes opened wide and unseeing, then slipped shut as his body relaxed and slumped back to the ground.

 

Everyone started breathing again when they noticed the steady rise and fall of his chest. Cologne gave him a quick examination, deciding her Son-In-Law was suffering from shock and exhaustion more than anything else.

 

They had no way to know how his mind had been affected by what he'd been through; not until he woke. If the core of the curse was now his...that's when they'd find out.

 

With the immediate threat of a curse-crazed Neko-ken master gone, Ranma's battle against his fear was finally lost. One moment, he'd relaxed, sighing in relief as he watched Shampoo shift about until her Airen's head was resting in her lap; the next, a gentle push against his leg made him glance down, to see the single largest black neko he'd ever seen in his life staring up at him with wise amber eyes. Luckily, they were no longer glowing...

 

Ranma froze stiff, mind and body, unable to move to save his life, as blackness jumped in from the edges of his vision to utterly consume his thoughts.

 

The creature gave a slow blink, then meowed softly. It looked rather startled when Ranma suddenly relaxed--and meowed back, dropping to all fours, all traces of the extreme fear in his eyes gone. The black neko hissed and jerked back onto its haunches in offense when Ranma tried to rub the side of his face along its side. Neko-Ranma sat back on his haunches, looking mildly hurt, before looking around.

 

Five seconds later, a surprised Akane had a decidedly feline fiancé rubbing about her legs, before he settled on his haunches at her side. He casually began to groom the blood from his face, as a neko would--licking the side of his hand, then brushing it along his cheek.

 

Akane gave him a flat-eyed look, then sighed in resignation. At least he'd managed to hold out against the Neko-ken until the danger was passed. A glance about at the literally thousands of nekos ringing them in, told her that was probably as close to a miracle as she'd ever see! She looked back at her grooming fiancé, a rueful grin on her face.

 

Her expression went to a pained grimace when he stopped grooming and brought his foot up, to sniff at his broken toes. Akane growled and bopped him lightly on the shoulder. “Ranma! Bad neko! Don't you dare put your foot in your mouth!”

 

Akane blinked, suddenly realizing what she'd just said--to a past master of the Saotome Foot-In-Mouth technique! She glanced about, and caught Ryoga looking at her, desperately suppressed laughter written all over his face. A half-strangled snort of a laugh escaped even as she stared at him. He tried an apologetic look, but an escaping snicker ruined it.

 

Her lips twitched a bit as the now-hysterically-laughing Lost Boy quickly turned his back, both hands over his mouth as he tried to muffle the sound. Akane shook her head slowly as she dropped her face, closing her eyes and smiling lop-sidedly. Then she gave an exasperated sigh and grabbed Ranma's injured foot from her startled neko of a fiancé, pulling off his slipper and examining the crooked, purpling, and rapidly swelling toes for herself.

 

Ranma gave her an innocent, trusting look, and allowed the somewhat painful examination.

 

-.-.-.-

 

It was decided the Amazons would take Kyo back to the Nekohanten to care for him. They would inform everyone else when he finally woke. Cologne's worried eyes told them she wasn't certain that he would, in spite of the hopeful words she used to reassure her great-granddaughter.

 

Ranma stayed in the Neko-ken, even after the last of the nekos slipped away into the shadows, following after the Amazons and the Neko-cursed Sohma. It wasn't likely Ranma was going to be able to visit Kyo until he woke, unless the nekos decided to leave him alone.

 

Akane worked her hand into the crook of Ryoga's arm after he picked up the still-unconscious Shigure, to lead the way back to inform Kyo's family of what had happened, but quickly pulled away at a rather evil-sounding hiss from Ranma. The pig-tailed martial artist forced his way bodily between Ryoga and his fiancé, “walking” on all fours, glaring mistrustfully up at the Lost Boy. Akane was about to bop him one, when Ryoga sighed and spoke.

 

“Akane-san--please don't. It's all right; I wouldn't trust me, either, in his place.”

 

“But--“

 

Ryoga sharply shook his head. “Really--it's all right.” A small, sad half-smile formed on his face. “I have to earn back his trust--especially as...I never really earned it, in the first place...” His face went bleak, for a moment, as he remembered most of his history with Ranma. Things Nabiki had been trying to drill into his thick skull were suddenly, and almost painfully hitting home in his mind.

 

Ranma in the throes of the Neko-ken displayed his emotions for all the world to see--and he so very obviously didn't trust Ryoga! Yet in spite of that, all he did was make sure the Lost Boy kept his distance from Akane. Ryoga was dismally aware that if it were him, stuck in the Neko-ken, he'd have likely shredded Ranma by now. His rival was much too forgiving...

 

While Akane stared at him in confusion, Ryoga looked around, searching for something. Spotting a long branch laying on the ground a few feet away, the Lost Boy moved to nudge it with his foot, being careful of the older man in his arms. “This will work, if we each hold one end, without getting Ranma too upset.” He figured ten feet ought to be enough space between Akane and himself.

 

“If you're sure...” Akane looked uncertainly at him as she slowly walked to pick up the long stick, still wondering about his comment about never having earned Ranma's trust. She helped Ryoga get one end firmly wedged under his arm, then took hold of the other end. She then glanced at Ranma to see if he'd take exception to this, too.

 

Blue eyes stared guilelessly back at her, blinking once, slowly. His head cocked curiously for a moment, before he stood to all fours and bounded a few feet back the way they'd all come. Then he paused, staring back at them, the look on his face quite clearly saying, “So what's keeping you?”

 

Ryoga sighed heavily as they started walking, staring at the ground as he followed the gentle pressures from the stick under his arm. “Nabiki's trying to figure out a way around--my...my family's curse.” His cheeks heated with embarrassment; he hated admitting that his sense of direction just pretty much didn't exist!

 

“She is? Good! I'm sure onee-san will find a way to help you!” Akane's bright smile made Ryoga blush even more, and brought a slight scowl to Ranma's face as he looked between the two. Ryoga chuckled nervously when he caught sight of both expressions, rubbing at the back of his neck with his free hand.

 

The way Ranma's hands were flexing on the ground in front of himself wasn't reassuring...especially considering how the dirt was being scored by invisible claws of ki.

 

Damn Saotome Genma and his stupid training ideas!!

 

The walk back seemed to take forever. Shigure didn't stir the whole time, hanging completely limp in Ryoga's arms. The Lost Boy paused a couple times just to be certain he was still breathing; he was just too still. Akane traded a worried look with Ryoga the second time he stopped. They didn't know why he'd passed out in the first place! Should they be heading for a hospital? Of would the Sohma doctor be all that the man needed? Cologne hadn't been concerned when she quickly checked him over, before the Amazons left...

 

There was a buzz of activity at the Sohma-ke when they reached the front gate. The couple of guards stationed there dithered for a moment, eyeing the unconscious inu in consternation, until Ryoga growled and informed them that he and Akane were returning Shigure at their Clan Head's request, so please move out of the way!

 

Ranma's stalking forward on all fours with a threatening growl when one of them blocked Akane's way didn't help matters any. The guards didn't know what to make of him! Akane huffed and bopped Ranma lightly on the head, telling him to sit down and behave himself. The two guards started to sweat-drop at these antics, trading anxious looks as they debated the wisdom of slamming the gate shut and calling the police.

 

Shigure chose that moment to finally wake up. He moaned softly, one hand coming up to run through his mussed hair as he raised peered blearily about. Realizing he was being held by someone, he looked up at Ryoga's face, raising one eyebrow in curiosity.

 

Ryoga quickly dropped Shigure to the ground on his butt at the lecherous look that spread across the inu's face, backing away while sweat-dropping. The Lost Boy carefully put Akane between him and the hentai, even as Shigure yelped on landing and went into a classic sulk, theatrically bemoaning the lack of respect he got.

 

The guards and Akane gave the inu flat-eyed looks. Then the senior guard glanced once at his partner before stepping up to Shigure, politely asking if he wished to enter. Knowing the inu like they did, his behavior was actually reassuring; it was normal. For Shigure, anyway!

 

Five minutes later, Shigure was leading the teenagers back to Akito's audience room. He was glancing about at all the unaccustomed activity with concern, dark eyes taking in every movement. His pace quickened as he realized most of it was concentrated about Akito's own house.

 

Shigure guided the three teenagers back to Akito's audience room, where most of the people running about seemed to be concentrating their attention. The inu felt a slight case of déjà vu as he slipped in through the open door, anxiety pricking at him.

 

Akito was hovering over Hatori and Yuki, who were sitting on mats laid out on the floor for them, blankets over their legs like they'd been laying down moments before. Hatori had a hand over one eye, looking like he was fighting a headache; Yuki was slumped forward, both hands covering his head, elbows resting on drawn-up knees.

 

To Shigure's added confusion, Hatsuharu and Momiji were also there on mats of their own, seeming in much the same shape as Hatori and Yuki--and Shigure himself, truth be told. There was a strange, not-quite-painful, almost-pressure about his head; along with an almost achy emptiness, that was fast fading...

 

Akito saw him then and rushed over, strain showing clearly on his--no; her face. That was certainly going to take a bit of getting used to! Shigure drew in a deep breath, trying not to stare at the unaccustomed concern, and pure relief, in his Clan Head's eyes. Akito grabbed him by the arms, visibly restraining herself from glomping him.

 

“Shigure! You're all right! Did you collapse too?! Yuki and Hatori just--passed out; Momiji and Hatsuharu too, I had them brought here. I sent people to check on the others, but they haven't called back yet! --What happened? Why did they collapse?!” She paused for breath, eyes going anguished, and teary. She barely managed to whisper, “How's--Kyo?”

 

Shigure blinked as he tried to follow what Akito was saying; she was talking faster than Momiji on a sugar-rush! He couldn't recall ever hearing his Clan Head babble like that. He shook his head and smiled reassuringly, bringing his hands up to rest them comfortingly on Akito's shoulders. “I'm fine, and I'm sure everyone else will be, too. I don't know why we passed out...”

 

The inu hesitated, staring into eyes that no longer held any tinge of insanity. The clear concern in that black gaze sent a shiver through him, and nearly brought tears to his eyes as he realized, suddenly and fully, for the first time since the healing--Akito was cured.

 

Akito's grip on his arms tightened as her gaze went apprehensive. “Shigure. Tell me. Were you in time? Is Kyo all right?!”

 

Shigure's eyes winced down and away before he could stop himself. He sucked in a breath, trying to calm his jumping nerves, and forced his worried eyes back to his Clan Head. “Kyo--is alive...” Akito's face started to crumple at the significantly less than cheerful tone of his voice, fearing the worst. Shigure hastily tried to reassure her, “The beads are back where they belong; he's human again! He's not stuck in his bakemono form. We just...don't know, yet, about--the curse. He's unconscious; Matriarch Cologne and Shampoo took him home, and they've promised to call us immediately when he wakes.”

 

Akito's eyes closed, her expression showing the guilt and pain she felt. Her hands slipped from his arms, and Shigure quickly wrapped his arms about her, pulling her close. He whispered what reassurances he could into her ear, rocking them gently back and forth as he held her tightly to him.

 

Yuki stared dully at the two, his mind slow to process what Shigure had said through the odd, not-quite-painful feeling in his head. His hands started to shake when the words finally registered, and his eyes grew watery as despair washed through him.

 

It wasn't fair! Akito was cured, the rest of them freed from the abuses the curse made her commit--but...Kyo--! He'd sacrificed so much for them, when none of them had ever done anything to earn it! His freedom; his chance at happiness; his new family; even his very sanity--if he ever woke up--! He might well have sacrificed his very life for them! Tears started down the nezumi's cheeks as he doubled over, though the only sound he made was one ragged-voiced word.

 

“Kyo...!”

 

-.-.-.-

 

One more full chapter coming. See ya then!