Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Musouka ~ Dare to Dream ❯ I’ll Be There; Till the End ( Chapter 14 )

Chapter Fourteen

 

Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not.

 

Samuel Sanotomono - Year 1867

 

The Fox

 

I'll Be There; Till the End

 

“Damn it all! I'm not waiting till you call Hatori to pick us up! I'm going now!” Kyo shouted at Shigure as he grabbed his jacket and put his shoes on than ran out the door. Shigure had explained what had happened a few minutes ago and Kyo - un-surprisingly - went berserk. “I AM NOT WAITING ON MY ASS FOR SOMEONE TO PICK ME UP! I'M NOT GOING TO WAIT!”

 

“Stupid Cat, he'll get a cold.” Yuki said as Kyo vanished out into the rain.

 

“Now now Yuki, you can't get a cold from the weather,” Shigure stated.

 

“Than why is it called a cold?” Tohru asked.

 

“Never mind,” Shigure said, suddenly his voice went serious and his face darkened. “We better call Dikatou back and tell him Kyo is on his way.”

 

“Does Kyo even know where he's going?” Yuki asked.

 

“I said that they were at the Yuukata High School,” Shigure answered.

 

“How far is that from here?” Tohru asked, Shigure wrapped his arms inside his kimono, letting his sleeves hang and went into thought.

 

“I would say about a good thirty miles,” Shigure answered, Tohru and Yuki sweat-dropped.

 

“Darn't all Eriko!” Kyo growled into the night's rain as he ran down the road, he only made a good three miles and he was already tired. Why didn't I just wait for Hatori! Man I can't think straight! Kyo ran on faster, why in the world did she run? Where was she? Was she all right?

 

All this for you Eriko! Better make the rescue worth it and be alive when I find you! Kyo mentally hissed as he ran on faster through the rain. Oblivious to the aches in his legs, each step another inspiration to finding Eriko before anything else does.

 

“Please hurry!” Kyo's eyes widened, what was that? Where did it come from? It was feminine, but within the outburst was worry and anxiously. He didn't think twice before jumping into the bushes on the side of the road, whether he was following pure instinct or the invisible body of the owner he did not know. But he certainly felt like he was going the right way.

 

“She's near! Please hurry!” the voice demanded, losing its softness.

 

Eriko lay on the ground, her shallow cuts beginning to heal, but larger cuts made from scrapes when she passed large trees with peeling bark bled on.

 

“Come on, you can do it!” it was the woman again, but this time she was on her knees, urging on a child to walk. “I'm right here, don't worry I'll catch you if you fall.” The toddler was hesitant, but wobbled to its first step, than another and finally made it into its mother's outstretched arms.

 

“See! You did it!”

 

The voice was so familiar; the name of that woman was at the tip of her tongue yet she couldn't recognize it. Who was it? Even in her slumber, Eriko hissed in frustration. Nothing, except the burden of the curse bothered her so much.

 

“Come on it's your birthday! Blow out the candles!” The woman came to her again, this time the toddler was about four and this time recognized as a girl since she had her hair up in pigtails. The girl was confused, but she went for a candle anyway and blew it out. A man was next to her clapping along with the woman.

 

Her tail began to shorten, as well as her ears and fangs. The claws went back down to normal length and her hair cut back. Eriko's eyes opened slightly, her mind was blank except for those familiar faces she didn't know.

 

“Eriko!” her eyes slowly looked up, it was a figure running towards her, someone with orange hair and wide eyes and demonic red orbs. She noticed a small orange cat run in front of him, with the same strained expression and angered-looking worry etched onto his eyes. For some reason, the boy behind it was blurry while the cat in front of him was clear. Than a flash of light magenta flashed in front of her, a larger creature was running behind the cat, but it was nearly transparent. It had thick arms and a small head, a thin middle and small torso.

 

“Eriko!” the voice sounded familiar, but it seemed so close yet distant. When the boy was close, the creature behind him vanished, and the cat's paw, joined with the boy's hand began to shake her slightly after he bent down to her level.

 

The Cat…? She thought, was it from what she was reading that gave her these visions? Or what the familiar visions were telling her? She didn't know, except the fact that the Cat was right in front of her.

 

“Eriko damnit!” the boy growled as the Cat vanished and the boy lifted her up bridal-style. She felt his body runs, but it seemed like he was walking. How did he know her name? But was that her name?

 

“The…Cat…” she mumbled, the boy didn't seem to be listening as the sound of barking and people speaking into walkie-talkies came to her sensitive ears. She felt her vision go black after she passed out.

 

“Will she be all right Doctor?” Sarah asked the doctor that came out of Eriko's room. They were at the hospital, along with Kyo, whom was drenched to the bone. Yuri had called Shigure and found that no one was home. Dikatou told her that he had called him as soon as the police found Eriko and they were on their way to see how she was doing and pick up Kyo.

 

“She's quite stable at the moment, but from her condition I think she'll do physically well, but however for emotionally, I'm unsure.” The doctor answered before walking away. Sarah sighed, Dikatou began comfort her. Yuri though, found Kyo on a chair in the hallway near Eriko's room and had his elbows propped up against his knees and his head down so his forehead would be on his hands.

 

“You all right Kyo?” she asked, he didn't move.

 

“Yeah, I suppose…” he lied, he heard her, but was it out of the effects she had from seeing the tattered woman? “The…Cat…” How would she know though? When she and Yuri were at their house they didn't slip up, or he didn't think. Except for the incident that Shigure said something about the Year of the Cat that did not exist.

 

“I know you are the Cat,” his eyes closed for a moment, there was the voice again, what did she want?

 

“Hey Kyo, maybe you should visit Eriko first.” Kyo looked up at Yuri and her parents. They nodded tiredly; knowing if she did wake up she would like to see him first. But, emotionally how would she remember them after that tragic event.

 

“Fine,” Kyo said as he than got up and went into Eriko's room, just as Shigure, Tohru, Yuki, and Hatori arrived.

 

“Is she going to be all right?” Tohru asked, “And where is Kyo?”

 

“Kyo is in there, but we're not entirely sure what to say about Eriko,” Yuri answered, pointing at her sister's room.

 

“Are you awake?” Kyo asked as he pulled back the curtains around Eriko's bed, his answer was no. Her eyes were closed and an oxygen mask was over her mouth and nose. She had an IV in her right arm and she was dressed in a white gown. The bed's sheets were up to her chest, but both arms laid on top of it.

 

“I suppose not,” he grimaced as he took a seat next to her. “Why were out there?” No reply, “Why did you run away?” Again, no reply. He wished he could get some answers, any answer whether it would be to why he had to be the outcast of the Chinese Zodiac or an answer to a surprise quiz question. He was tired of being answer-less, he wanted to know why things were, how they were.

 

“I guess you can't help it as much as I can eh?” he said.

 

“No, not really…” his eyes shot wide open as he stared up at Eriko. Her eyes were half-lidded, but even though there was a slight smile planted on her face, her eyes were soulless…

 

“Hey! You all right?” Kyo asked, Eriko's eyes closed and her smile vanished. “Hey…Eriko?”

 

“Oh Honey! You're awake already?” The same woman came into a room and smiled at the toddler in the crib as she lifted her up into her arms. “You only slept for about two hours!”

 

Who are you?

 

“All well, come on, Daddy's home with your uncle!” the woman said as she walked out of the room and down some stairs, the house was Japanese no doubt, not a thread of Western in it. “Here she is!”

 

Where am I?

 

“There's my big girl!” a man with wavy black hair in strands over his censored eyes and the back was cut to make the top longer. He took the girl and sat her on his side with his arms around her. “This is your uncle,” he showed her to a man with light gray hair back in a low ponytail. From her perspective, Eriko liked him, but his eyes were censored just like everyone else's.

 

“Hello, nice to meet you,” the girl's uncle greeted, the girl was taken by him and was greeted by a family hug.

 

Flashes of demonic red again flashed through her thoughts, where was she? Who were they? Why was she having all of these visions that didn't belong to her? And why were those images flashing in front of her?

 

The vision in front of her with the family began to blur away, than a brunette with blue ribbons in her hair and aquatic eyes walked towards her with a tray of fresh riceballs that smelled of oranges.

 

“Really? Well come on!” she said with a kind smile before she vanished. Than a boy with gray-silver hair long towards the front and short during the back and lovely violet eyes passed by.

 

“I'm right here, hearing a different voice shouting instead of that baka-neko my curiosity overwhelmed me.” He said with a smirk before vanishing. Than this time a man came towards her with a mischievous glint in his eyes and blue-black hair and brown eyes in a tan kimono.

 

“They'll get it out of their systems in a minute,” He vanished and a man with brown hair flowing over his left eye, the other was a dark green and he wore professional clothing.

 

“I pay for everything if I come along with someone.” He stated as he too vanished, than a boy with blond hair and large brown eyes, he wore a pink sweater and a long light yellow shorts.

 

“I think it's neat!” he cried in a German accent before he too vanished. A boy with white hair, but black roots and a bored expression on his face with different accessories around his neck appeared.

 

“No, I didn't say anything of the sort.” He said before drifting away. Than three people this time appeared.

 

“This will look perfect on your sister, it represents the elephant after all!” The woman said with a wink.

 

“Get it out of their systems? Who's fighting?” The man sighed with a baffled expression.

 

“Ah, so there is something to him than, you like him,” the teen girl giggled before a flash of white blurred them away.

 

“Ya know, you can tell other people you're scared. I don't really follow my own advice much really I'll admit…” no body came with this boy, as if her mind was testing her on this one. Eriko's mind strained and began to ache somewhat.

 

“Hey Eriko…”

 

Why couldn't she think of his name?

 

“…wake up already! It's too darn quiet! Even Tohru's all silent because of you!”

 

Who was he? Something snapped in her mind, but it still wasn't clear to her.

 

“Please Eriko,”

 

A slight feeling ran up her body, most of the sensation crossed past her lips…

 

The room was empty and Kyo knew her family and his family was outside waiting till he came out to greet their loved one. Kyo than looked at Eriko, his eyes softened and lay on her face. It seemed so pale, but it was cleaner from her adventure in the woods. She sprained her ankle running, and for some reason, it seemed she sprained her ankle when she began running, the doctor had no idea how she ran so far (about 15 miles) without noticing the pain scorching up from her foot.

 

“Eriko, please wake up,” he begged slightly, if anyone heard how sympathetic he was being, he would probably have to give them amnesia. Kyo bent down low to her, his lips than lay on her.

 

I know! Eriko thought as the sensation traveled from her lips to her heart. Her eyes opened slowly, their steely blue color was now visible and seemed livable. …Kyo Sohma…

 

“Eriko…” Kyo mumbled as he lifted his head and stared into her eyes. Concern filled his eyes, wings the size of basketballs fluttered in her stomach and she felt her face heat up slightly. He smiled, “You're blushing,”

 

“So are you,” she pointed out weakly with a grin as his cheeks tinged pink.

 

“Only from relief…” Kyo lied, “…glad you're back,”

 

“So am I,” she agreed, before he pulled his head back up to stand up straighter, she placed her lips on his than laid back down. Kyo's face turned from pink to red.

 

“Now you're blushing,” she laughed lightly as he put his head to the side in a jerk.

 

“She's awake!” Eriko looked over at the door to see Yuri, Sarah, and Dikatou rush in. Kyo was about to leave, but Eriko stopped him.

 

“Come back all right?” she told him, he nodded than left for her the questions from her family came to her ears.

 

“Are you all right Eriko?” Sarah asked.

 

“Does anything hurt?” Yuri asked next.

 

“I'm all right,” Eriko answered nicely, her face calm and relaxed, for the time being anyway.

 

“You're going to have to stay off that foot for a while Eriko, you sprained it,” Dikatou told her, “But I know you're cursed and all, but how did you manage over fifteen miles on a sprained ankle?”

 

“Dad, who was the Fox before me?” Eriko suddenly asked, her face shadowed. Dikatou looked grim, Sarah looked shocked, and Yuri appeared sad.

 

“His name was Saniiro Sanotomono, he was the Fox before you and died only three years after you were born.” Dikatou answered.

 

“I thought the Fox claimed females to be cursed,” Eriko pointed out.

 

“I suppose he was a different case, but he was indeed curse, his father couldn't hold him that was for sure, and neither could his elder brother.” Dikaotu explained.

 

“Was he married?” she asked, she felt so curious about this man, why?

 

“Yes, he was married to a woman named Mina Sohma. A loving woman may I add, a good head on her shoulders.” Sarah jumped in.

 

“She had four kids, two boys and two girls.” Yuri added.

 

“Who were they?” Eriko asked Sarah suddenly grabbed Dikatou's hand behind their backs, Dikatou squeezed her hand back.

 

“There was Ken'ichi, the eldest, I think he's in his first year of college at the moment. Than there was Ruubii, the second eldest, as well as their first daughter, in her junior years I think. Hoshiki was the second son in sixth grade at the moment. Than there was…well,” Dikatou began naming them off; a sudden squeeze from Sarah made him trail off.

 

“Well?” Eriko pressed on.

 

“You see Eriko,” Yuri began; her hands were clenched into fists, shaking at her side. “We're not really sisters…”

 

“What? I don't understand…” Eriko said.

 

“Eriko! You're the second daughter of the former Fox Saniiro and Mina Sanotomono!” Dikatou finally answered. And awkward silence passed between them, letting the truth sink into the Fox.

 

“…how can that be…” she mumbled.

 

“We're sorry Eriko, but that was just how it turned out,” Sarah said as tears rolled down her face.