Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Every Single One ❯ You Only Have Me ( Chapter 18 )

Chapter Sixteen: You Only Have Me

 

A/N: Hello everyone. : D I don't have that much to say, I want to get this up before school, so enjoy!

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Akito's pupils dilated because of Shigure's words. Her body shook and then collapsed to the ground-his grip stayed. The footsteps of the other's-as they left the two alone-were distant in her ears. But, all around her, the sound of her heart as it thumped against her chest could be heard so clearly. She wanted to run, but couldn't, not when Shigure was there. Not when he manipulated her body like so.

 

His arms encased her fragile frame and she longed to break free. Resentment began to boil inside of her; crept through her veins and had started to overtake her soul. The need to scream, due to the close contact, also made itself known, as Akito violently tried to release the hold Shigure had on her. She kicked and tossed her body flimsily in his strong arms, until, the struggle became too much for even him to contain; her petite frame fell forward. A gasp of pain emitted from her lips as her face hit hard unto the ground, her cheek bled from a small slice caused by a rock, which stuck up from the earth.

 

Clumsily her feeble legs gained balance and lifted the rest of her weight from the world below, forced against gravity. And, she ran away, but Shigure made no attempt to go after her-at first-it was almost like…He had given her a head start. Akito's eyes narrowed at such a thought. Did he truly think her to be that pitiful?

 

Ever onward she carried her body, alas, her legs finally gave out beneath her and her limbs crashed downward. The contact of the fall made her muscles go limp. Eyes glazed over, as the familiarity of the land that surround her came into focus, of a time so very far away. A time-that now-seemed to only be a dream…

 

-Flashback-

 

“Momma, today's so nice! The sun is so bright!” the sound of a small child-so innocent and carefree-and the echo of a girlish giggle, due to the rhyme that the little girl had uttered from her lively lips.

 

“Yes, today is as pretty as you.” The mother smiled down at her child; for she stood and watched her only offspring play among the grass and flowers. “Now, where did you get such a beautiful kimono as that, Akito-chan?” The smile was still in place as the question was asked.

 

The small female ran up to the woman, who had long black hair and dark tinted eyes, flowers clasped tightly in immature hands. Yet, the child continued to draw ever nearer, until she brought her arms around the older woman, in a hug. The mother leaned downward, so the small child could whisper the answer into her ear, “Shigure-kun got it for me! He said that he got it for me because he loved me!”

 

Warm arms wrapped themselves around the child, “I see. So, do you love Shigure-kun?” The inquiry was asked as the two females-one mother the other daughter-looked in each other's black colored eyes.

 

“Yes.”

 

That day had been the last day that the females had ever truly smiled to each again. The next day, the man whom they had both cared so much for, had died. And neither could find love in the other-neither could find comfort-only hate…and jealousy.

 

-End Flashback-

 

Her body desired so desperately to get up; to rid herself of the sight of such a place. An area that had once been such a content haven, to which, her father and mother and she could laugh and make memories; pain was all that she could find in each strand of grass now. How she wished she could tear the green lush grass from the earth; destroy this glorious spot of the park (secluded from all others) and turn it into a ruin. A scream was forced glaringly from her throat. Why couldn't all the things that were around her-just die?

 

“I thought you would come here. Though, I highly doubt it was a conscious decision that brought you to this spot. Your mind couldn't help, but to bring you to a place that had once given you comfort, and now only buries you with grief.” Ren's voice made itself known behind Akito. Whether Shigure was behind her as well, Akito was unable to tell.

 

“What are you doing here?” The disgust leaked out of Akito's poised lips like deadly poison. Her fingers dug into the semi-softened dirt and grass under her; fingers curled as the abhorrence manifested.

 

An evil smile curled upon Ren's lips, and Akito could easily tell its presence, even without the sight of it in her brain. “Why, Shigure had informed me before he left today, about this little “field trip” of sorts. He told me of how you would fall-how the bond would forever be broken-and that you would see that it never actually existed to begin with…How could I miss such a wonderful thing as that?” Ren's finger twisted themselves around the cleaned knife (the very same one Akito had tried to use on her) as she stepped slowly closer to her daughter; the thought of such a blood bond forgotten by both over the elongated years.

 

Each intake of breath that Akito took was unstable and not nearly enough to maintain proper thought. Thus, the world around her, almost like magic, found itself unknown to her; as she slipped away into unpleasant fits of intangible irate and hostility. Why? Why could the others gain some form of freedom while she still remained locked up in a cage? Why…

 

Why?

 

By now Akito could hear her mothers heavy footsteps as the walked up cautiously behind her. The sound of crazily inhaled air was made known and the presence of danger prickled the small hairs on Akito's skin. The instinct to turn around overwhelmed all other senses and the muse was processed and then acted upon. And so, as Akito's body flung to the side, the lung her mother had made towards her, with the knife pointed so intensely in her hands, she missed.

 

Yet, the young goddess just looked-fright etched so deeply into her sharp features-at the mother who had tried to kill her. Nevertheless, such a thing had happened before-mother had tried to kill daughter-daughter had tried to kill mother, on a multitude of occasions. But, somehow, this time was unusual, and both could interpret the difference in the air around them.

 

Mother charged, once again, at daughter. Though, this time, it was head on and in plain site. In the end, Ren only missed again, and the impact to the ground knocked the strength from her delicate body. Ren struggled to lift herself and attack, but was powerless to do so, too wiped out and disarrayed to do much damage to her daughter. Then, she let go of any restraint, and her body went limp to the ground. The knife dropped, as well, and merely out of her arms reach.

 

As Akito observed the act in front of her, a small animalistic instinct roared inside her very soul. It told her that the moment of her freedom was at hand, all she had to do, was…kill the pitiful woman on the ground not to far away from her. A single swipe of the fallen knife and her mother would be gone-her cage would be opened-no lock would be held in place. Freedom came at the price of death.

 

Akito's legs pushed her up- “Mama look at the wonderful flower Shigure gave me”- Step by step she came closer to the pathetic figure of her mother-“I asked him if he loved me…and he said yes and gave me this flower and this lovely kimono”-now she stood next to the knife-“can I wear it tomorrow? Can, I, mamma?”-She bent down and picked up the knife-“Of course you can wear that beautiful kimono tomorrow, but after, you must never call me mamma again, call me Ren.”-Closer and closer she drew-“Will daddy be coming?”-Tighter her hand gripped the harmful object-“No.”-Now, she stood over her mother's body, ready to bring the knife down-“I want daddy! Daddy and no one else! He never plays with us anymore! I want my daddy!”-One stunning stroke of her arm downward-Akito walked away, tears in her eyes, Ren watched her small body as it retreated away, “And I want your Shigure.”-Death was a magnificent thing; the way the world became drenched in red.

 

The possession that had fueled Akito's body to due the sin, vanished, as her mother crashed to the green grass. Eyes, once so lively, started to loose their light and deep crimson began to encircle her. Terror racked Akito's lithe form as her mother spoke her last words, “I loved…how m-much…you…became like…m-me; that I…envied you and…despised…every…p-part of…your…s-soul. You've…grown…so much-my…A-Akito-chan…” Each word left her lips, with difficulty, and blood poured swiftly from her mouth and stomach wound. Her words echoed in Akito's ears, as death encased her.

 

“Mamma…”

 

All that had held Akito to the curse was shattered and her soul felt freedom; as she looked at the dead form of her mother. A corpse that both taunted and aided her; tears began to outline her black eyes and gradually seeped out of her eyelashes and onto her cheeks. The tears were not of sadness, but of relief, it was all over, the pressure and the curse. Akito knew she was no longer special, she knew that she had no special bond, with the zodiac members, but she did know that her mother had been her own despair. The corpse just beyond her was what had kept her tied and bound and what had restrained the other zodiac members just so. But, now Akito had herself, she had Shigure, and she had Honda Tohru-now, Akito had hope.

 

Quiet footsteps resounded behind Akito, and the voice of Shigure made itself known, “I see, so, it's all over. Hope has overcome despair once again. This seems straight out of a novel.” In that moment Shigure stood directly behind her and her curled up form, which had let the knife fall at one time or another, and her arms flung themselves around Shigure's legs. They needed something-anything-to hold onto; they needed to feel the warmth of life under their cold tips.

 

Shigure knelt down beside Akito, so that her arms moved from his legs to his waist, and he held her tenderly and sweetly. There was no lust, but also, there was no love; Shigure didn't believe in such a thing anymore. Nevertheless, he held her close and tightly in his grasp. Her tears soaked through his suit, yet, the wetness did not bother him; his eyes were shadowed and their emotions unknown as he glanced downwards at the broken woman, in his arms, whom clung so desperately to him. Tears rolled down his own cheeks. Yet, they were not out of pity, sympathy, empathy, or guilt; they were, just as they were for Akito, out of relief.

 

Hours seemed to have flown by, as the two lost themselves in the embrace, and by then Akito's tears stopped their movement (Shigure's had ended long before). “Never leave me, Shigure. Promise me, that you'll never leave me, like daddy had…and like mamma just did…Promise.” He didn't say a word, but sealed the promise, with an innocent kiss on the lips, and a swipe of his thumb as he wiped away any tears that remained. “Tell me that you love me, like you did so many years ago, tell me.”

 

“No, I can't say that. I can't tell you something that I no longer believe in, but I can tell you this, you'll always be safe in my arms.” Akito settled for this and nestled herself deeper in Shigure's hug. She could finally feel the heat on her skin and the ice around her heart and soul, in that second, began to drip and melt.

 

The previous day, Kyo and Tohru had thought that everything was right in the world, and though it may not fully seem to be true. It was.

 

As Shigure held on to Akito, who had instantly fallen asleep after his vow to keep her safe, he took out his cell phone; he wasn't quite sure who he should call first, but he did known one thing-it was a good thing they were rich, or else, they would be stuck in a situation far worse than some old family curse.

 

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A/N: Okay, so that is the end of the chapter. I hope you all liked it and I can tell you this-there are only three more chapters and an epilogue and then this story shall be over. Though, I'm going to do five bonus chapters, all of which will be of the humorous genre. Please tell me what you think in a review and thanks to all my readers and reviews out there. : )

 

-LilyGinnyBlack-