Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Half Jack ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

“…I'm halfway home now

Half hoping for a showdown

`Cause I'm not big enough to house this crowd

It might destroy me

But I'd sacrifice my body

If it meant I'd get the Jack part out…”

-Half Jack by the Dresden Dolls

 

 

The house was silent, still, as Kyo sat on the floor of his room, preparing himself for what was about to happen. He'd purposely waited for a time when the house was empty, when there'd be no distractions. It was after school, after weeks of planning. Tohru had work, Yuki had a student council meeting, and Shigure was out somewhere.

 

He sat with his back straight, eyes closed, willing his body to relax, his mind to expand, to open. He needed to be totally relaxed, disconnected with his body for this to work.

 

He was going to kick the cat out, once and for all.

 

The Cat was always present in his actions, in his thoughts. Kyo assumed it was the same way with the other cursed members of the family; that they felt their spirit counterparts presence. It never spoke to him, it was just there, always there, a lingering presence.

 

If that was all the Cat was, Kyo could handle it. He could stand sharing his body with this spirit. But that was not all it was; the cat was the most vengeful of all the spirits, and that was why he was the most cursed of the fourteen. If he did not wear those special beads, those precious beads that sealed the Cat away, then Kyo's body would transform into the cat's. But, the part that Kyo could not stand to live with was the constant ridicule, the torment that was brought on because of the spirit that possessed him. The other family members hated the Cat, and Kyo was included. He hated that spirit, hated it for all it put him through. He had to prove to the family that he was not the Cat, that they were wrong about him, that he was just as good as everyone else. It was time for his body to be his, and only his.

 

Kyo found, during his training in the mountains, that when he meditated, he would become more aware of the Cat's presence. At times, if he meditated long enough, he could feel himself being pulled away from his body, and then he could see the Cat. Its form was exactly the same as the one he turned into without his beads. It wasn't long after he realized that he was on the same spiritual plane as the Cat when he meditated that he began to form a plan to force the Cat out.

 

He felt himself drifting away, felt the Cat more and more. And then, he saw the Cat, crouching in pristine white spiritual world, glaring at him. Kyo stared back; they were on the same plane now, and he wasn't sure if the Cat knew why he was here.

 

Kyo Sohma.

That voice, it was loud and quiet at the same time, powerful and yet as soft as a whisper, and it seemed to echo around him. The Cat had not moved, had not opened his mouth, but Kyo knew it had spoken to him.

 

“Hello Cat.”

 

You are a foolish boy. I know why you came, and you will fail.

 

“Like hell I will,” Kyo said through gritted teeth. “That's my body you're in, not yours. I want it back, and I want you out.”

 

I chose you to house me. I will not leave that body until you do, or until you beat Rat.

 

“That's your battle; you fight it!”

 

I am, Kyo Sohma. I am fighting it through you. Do you not want to gain revenge for what that Rat has done to us, to you? You are the strongest body yet; you may defeat him.

 

“I ain't fighting him for you! You go find that damn rat, and you fight him. Just get the hell out of my body!”

 

Foolish boy. I will never leave.

 

“I'll fight you, I'll force you out-”

 

And you will fail, and only hurt yourself. Whatever hurts your spirit also hurts your body. You will die, Kyo Sohma; I guarantee it.

 

“And I'll be free from you.”

 

You really are a fool.

 

He lunged at the Cat.

 

 

XxXxXxXx

 

Tohru walked happily home from the building she worked at. There had been a mistake in the schedule; too many people were at work today, and she was told she could go home. It'd just be her and Kyo at home; Shigure told her not to make him dinner for he was going to be at Aaya's all night and Yuki had said something about a meeting. Maybe she could make something fresh for dinner, instead of the leftovers she had planned out for them, and surprise them. And Kyo seemed to like to cook; maybe they could make something together!

 

The house was unnaturally silent when she stepped inside. Not that Kyo was always loud; he was actually pretty quiet when he was by himself. But the lack of noise puzzled her. She had expected to hear the soft sounds of the television, or maybe Kyo's grunts and yells as he trained.

 

“Kyo?” Tohru called up the stairs. Had he gone out? After waiting a moment for a response, Tohru turned to go into the kitchen. Suddenly, there was a bang, as though something had been slammed against the floor, and she heard a moan.

 

Immediately, Tohru ran upstairs to Kyo's room. What had happened? Was Kyo hurt?

 

XxXxXxX

 

“Get the hell out of my body!” Kyo yelled as he ran to attack the Cat again. His first move had been weak; the Cat had sent him flying away. He had landed hard, but strangely, it didn't hurt.

 

You are only hurting yourself, Kyo Sohma.

 

“I don't give a flying fuck!”

 

He kept kicking at the spirit, punching it, attacking in any way he could. Sometimes he'd miss, but mostly, he'd hit his mark. Not that the Cat wouldn't hit him. More than once, he'd been struck in the stomach, had been thrown off, was scratched. But, he never felt any pain.

 

The girl is out there. She is worried about you, Kyo Sohma.

 

The Cat had spoken during a slight pause between their fighting. Kyo, despite never getting hurt, was growing increasingly tired. The Cat didn't look much better; it was panting. At least it had bruises forming, and several cuts; Kyo, as far as he could see, had none.

 

“Like hell she is,” Kyo responded, panting just as hard as the Cat. “She's at work.”

 

She is not. You can't sense her? She is beside you, Kyo Sohma. She is worried. Your body is breaking.

 

“Huh?”

 

Every hit you take from me shows on your body. It is breaking, Kyo Sohma. Go back to your body, before any more damage is done.

 

“When I go back, it's going to be without you.”

 

 

XxXxXxX

 

When Tohru opened the door to Kyo's room, she found Kyo sprawled on his back on the floor, his eyes closed.

 

“Kyo!” she cried, rushing to him. “Kyo, are you okay?”

 

He didn't respond as she knelt beside him; he was unconscious. Tohru bit her lip. Should she call Hatori? Would Kyo be all right if she left him alone?

 

Then, as she stared down at him in uncertainty, a thin red line appeared under one eye. It grew thicker and thicker until it started to drip down his cheek; and Tohru realized it was a cut. A cut that had formed out of no where. What was going on?

 

And then, a bruise formed on his other cheek, right before her very eyes.

 

“Kyo….” She whispered, lost for what to do. This couldn't be real; wounds didn't appear out of no where.

 

Well, whatever was happening, Kyo was hurt, and Hatori had to be called.

 

“Kyo, I'll be right back,” Tohru said softly as she stood up, though she knew Kyo couldn't hear her. She was nearly at the door when there was a loud crack and Kyo cried out, gasping for air.

 

Tohru turned around, and gasped in shock. Out of his chest, something white was poking out of his the thin cotton of his shirt, and blood was spreading around it; it was a bone. Without another thought, Tohru ran downstairs to the phone.

 

XXxXxXx

 

You're getting tired.

 

Kyo grinned, wiping the sweat off his brow. “So are you.”

 

You will never defeat me.

 

“That's what you think.”

 

He ran at the Cat, aiming for its legs. If he could just wound its legs, its hands, it would barely be able to fight. And then, he'd win, and the Cat would be gone. But, the Cat saw right through his attack, and charged at him, butting him in the stomach with its head. Kyo landed a few yards away on his back, gasping for air. It was then that the Cat chose to attack him, leaping at him. Kyo rolled to the side, quickly getting to his feet.

 

The Cat was tired, moving slowly now, far too slowly. It would be easy now, so easy. Kyo took aim and swung his leg up to kick it in the face-

 

And then, he felt himself being pulled away, the Cat was growing fainter; someone was waking him up.

 

“No! No!” he yelled, struggling to get back to the Cat. “No!”

 

There was the soft feeling of being settled back into his body, and then there was pain, incredible, intense pain. Kyo gasped, opening his eyes wide, a scream caught in his throat.

 

Hatori was bending over him, Tohru staring over his shoulder, tears in her eyes.

 

“Kyo,” Hatori said, “what happened?”

 

Kyo couldn't answer; his chest, it hurt so much. Was this what the Cat meant, when it had said his body was breaking?

 

I told you I'd never leave.

 

That whisper was so soft, Kyo almost didn't catch it as Hatori repeated his question. Cat was still there; he hadn't defeated him. He had been so close, so very close, and that chance had slipped away.

 

`Don't worry, Cat,' he replied. `I'll try again. I won't stop until you're gone.'