Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Revelations ❯ Awakening ( Chapter 10 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

DISCLAIMER--Don't own `em, just borrowing the Sohma family's cursed kids for a little while. ::sad sniffle:: I'm sure they really wish I'd never heard of them by now! <VEG!>

Well, at least I undo what Akito did to Kyo... I always like to fix my toys before putting them away--especially the borrowed ones. >=]

Chapter 10 - Awakening

One of the first things Yuki had done, once they had gently placed the horribly injured neko onto his own futon and Hatori started properly seeing to the worst of his wounds, was to run and get the bracelet-seal Kyo had entrusted to him. It was supposed to rain in the early morning hours just before dawn, and Hatori was very worried about what the transformation into his `true form' would do to the worst of Kyo's injuries. It was miracle enough he hadn't transformed into his neko form; his body certainly should be depleted enough!

Kyo had apparently been aware enough, and able to focus his thoughts enough past his pain, to notice the beads when they were gently slipped back onto his wrist; even through the bandages. His other hand had weakly, shakily risen to feel at the beads, as if confirming their presence with his two un-splinted fingers. Yuki had desperately hoped that Kyo would take that, as well as their gentle handling, as reassurance that he was no longer in the Neko's House; that he'd been rescued from Akito's torture.

There was nothing else to call it. Kyo had done nothing to earn such wounds! Ever!

When Kyo's whole body had started to shiver, Yuki had grabbed his hand, holding it carefully, patting gently at the neko's shoulder in an effort to calm him. He cast a frantic glance at Hatori, who spared an approving nod from his work of stitching a particularly nasty laceration on Kyo's leg. The shivers tapered off a bit as Kyo's throat worked at swallowing, though he didn't seem to be trying to speak.

After a few minutes, Kyo's hand had weakly returned the nezumi's grip, though his head had turned away as he tried to choke back tears it was no longer possible for him to shed. Yuki reached to gently brush the carrot-red hair off Kyo's sweating forehead, desperately trying not to stare at the reddening bandage just below, wincing at the quite noticeable heat rising from the neko's skin. He looked worriedly at Hatori again, who eventually glanced up and nodded his acknowledgement of the high fever, then resumed his work.

Yuki had been afraid at first that Kyo had taken the presence of the bracelet to mean that Akito had taken him, too, and therefore found the beads. There was no way they could show Kyo where he was, without his eyes.

There was no way to tell him, either--Hatori had quickly discovered that both of the neko's eardrums had been burst. A transparent, pinkish liquid still seeped sluggishly from each ear.Kyo couldn't see at all, or really hear anything. Hopefully, at least his hearing would come back, in time.

Yuki had nearly broken down, at that. He couldn't imagine losing two such vital senses! He did not want to imagine how they'd been taken from Kyo, either; he could hardly bear to even glance at the neko's face, after that first good look he'd had through the door slot at the half-clotted, empty sockets from which expressive red eyes once looked--

And that wasn't even beginning to catalog the injuries. Hatori had been shocked, after his first sketchy examination, that Kyo was still alive. The emotion had shown clearly on the dragon's face, sending Yuki into several kinds of panic. The dragon had nearly had to sedate the nezumi to calm him down, after the boy noticed that Hatori's hands were shaking.

Yuki had no idea how to explain to Hatori about the link between Kyo and himself. How could he tell the dragon that Kyo would not be able to die, unless he did? He didn't understand it himself! Things had been too rushed after he found out about the link, he'd never gotten a real explanation of how it actually worked.

He still didn't even know how it had been formed!

Several wild and domestic neighborhood nekos had slunk into Shigure's house and up the stairs to Kyo's room while Hatori worked, to settle on and about Kyo's bed. They snuggled tightly to his body, obviously trying to convey a sense of comfort with their purring presence. Hatori was repeatedly forced to move them out of the way of his ministrations, though they were good about it once they seemed to realize they were interfering with Kyo's healing.

The creatures changed about every couple hours after that, almost like work shift-changes. They refused to leave the room after their turn pressed up against the Neko-cursed young man, though--they'd just find empty spots on the floor or furniture, in the closet, wherever they would fit, patiently waiting their next turn in actual contact with Kyo.

Yuki doubted any true nekos had been able to make their way into the Neko's House; Akito had always put his guards to chasing the creatures out of the Honke whenever they were seen. The Clan Head didn't like nekos of any kind near him.

Yuki hoped their presence would also help Kyo understand his rescue. They were certainly purring loudly enough in an apparent effort to reassure him, the vibrations against his body must surely feel like a small earthquake! Yuki just prayed Kyo understood, as the sick feeling churned in his stomach, making him want to throw up.

Hatori probably allowed the nekos to stay in the room for that very reason--well, that, and the fact that they'd all accumulated in the hall, scratching incessantly at the door to the room, when Hatori had at first tried to keep them out. Their clamor had been more disruptive than their presence.

Besides, their claws had started shredding the paper of the door; they wouldn't have stayed out long.

After Hatori had finished, and the Jyuunishi-cursed had been gathered and had--seen--Kyo, they all settled about Shigure's living room. Hatori had to be quite firm with Yuki in order to pry him from Kyo's side, insisting that the medication he'd administered would keep the neko sleeping peacefully for some hours yet; and Yuki was the one who needed to address the others. Tohru could sit with Kyo for a while--she needed to be near him, too, just as much as Yuki did.

Yuki didn't even think to protest Hatori's assessment of his feelings towards Kyo. He just showed a great reluctance to be out of sight of the neko. There were no thoughts of jealousy in his head at all.

Hatori remembered, with a feeling of deep sadness, the day he'd erased child-Yuki's memories of his best friend. It looked like at least that one mistake of Akito's had been corrected, with time. It was obvious that the two were once again friends, even if he had despaired of it ever happening.

Hatori wanted Yuki to once more tell his strange story of Kyo's hidden self, and the cure for the family's curse. It was much more believable in light of what the neko had survived; Hatori could still hardly believe the boy was alive.

There had to be magic involved, somehow!

***

`...what...? Where...'

Kyo's drug-hazed thoughts slowly pulled themselves together, allowing his mind to gradually drag itself back to consciousness. He was somewhat surprised to wake up resting on what felt like his old futon at Shigure's, that one annoying thin spot under his hip and all.

What's more, the ever-present pain he'd almost gotten used to feeling, was--gone. In its place was a hazy kind of lassitude, wrapping his thoughts in soft cotton. It felt like he was under some kind of medication.

How could that be?! He couldn't focus his hazy thoughts enough yet to guess.

He cautiously tried to reach up to feel his face, for a moment wondering if he'd maybe transformed in his sleep; was it raining...? He'd never slept through the pain of the transformation before...then again, he'd never been--hurt--quite so badly before, either.

He was startled when he noticed that his hand couldn't move; and downright shocked when he realized it was because someone was hanging on to it. Once he focused his sluggish thoughts and paid attention, he could clearly feel someone's hair on the back of that hand and arm, and what felt like a cheek along his two unbroken fingers. He could tell that the hand under his was fine-boned and long-fingered; he could feel some moderate calluses, which at least meant it wasn't Akito. That realization stilled the horrified shudder that had been ready to ripple through his body.

He cursed the darkness and near-total silence that Akito had `gifted' him with, being careful to keep the words silent and only in his head. A chill insisted on chasing up and down his spine--he didn't know what had happened! Who the hell was with him? Where was he?!

`Damnit!! What's happened?!!'

A peculiar sense of dread kept him from moving. He suddenly didn't want whoever it was to wake--didn't want to know who it was. Akito could have thrown someone else in with him, after all; someone who'd seriously annoyed the Clan Head. Something that wasn't all that hard to do; usually you just had to let him see you being anything close to happy. Kyo did not want to share his captivity; especially not with--with--

His breath caught painfully for a moment, until he buried the half-formed thought. Another shiver traced its way through him. He tried to keep his hand steady, to not wake--whoever it was.

He didn't want to dare hope that someone had brought him out of the Neko's House. It would hurt too much, to find out it wasn't true. He truly didn't think he could stand that.

But--hadn't someone put his bracelet-seal back on? He swore he could feel the cool beads back on his left wrist. That meant--that meant, it might be Yuki, with him. `No!! Kuso, kuso!! I-if he's with me--and I'm not free--!Hell, even if I amfree--'

That was when all the furry bodies pressing against him began to register in his drug-mazed mind. Feeling tentatively with his free left hand, he quickly confirmed that he was surrounded by nekos. As his touch woke them, he began to feel the vibrations of their throaty purring right through their bodies, wherever they touched him; especially the small one who'd claimed his chest for a bed. Its purr felt like it was echoing through his whole torso!

In all, he thought there were about ten nekos snugged right up to him, from head to feet. His hand absently glided through the fur of those he could reach, petting and rubbing in appreciation. The sense of contentment they radiated soothed him, somewhat; if only because he seriously doubted Akito would ever have allowed him even that comfort.

The Clan Head hated nekos in general, not just his Neko-cursed kinsman.

Then the human head resting on his hand was raised; possibly the person was waking. Kyo couldn't tell if the person tried to talk to him--if it wasn't for the intense ringing in his head, that wasn't really a sound, he'd not have any sense of hearing at all. A hand patted at his shoulder as his hand was carefully and gently squeezed, in an obvious effort to comfort.

Kyo swallowed hard, and shivered. He waved his free hand weakly towards the unknown person, who quickly caught it, releasing Kyo's other hand. Kyo reached his freed hand up to touch the bracelet that was indeed about his wrist, gradually realizing the dulled feeling on the three outside fingers as being caused by splints.

He cleared his throat, a dull stab of pain deep inside it reminding him of just how much he'd been screaming, recently. He tried to softly call out, “Y-yuki? That--you...?” He wasn't sure what his voice sounded like, not being able to hear it--he knew he was actually making sound only by the vibration in his chest. He had no idea how loud or soft his voice was, though.

The person squeezed his hand tighter for a moment, then lightly pressed the bracelet to Kyo's wrist. It was Yuki, then; it had to be.

The desperate question most on Kyo's mind was, “How--?!!” He bit his lip, bitterly frustrated for a brief moment by the loss of his hearing and sight.

He knew what had to happen now--whether he was free or not, he was going to have to heal the damage done to his body. The only way to do that--was going to be extremely painful, and he wasn't sure he was going to be able to handle it this time. He'd never taken so much damage at once, before. With even half as many injuries, the pain of the transformation that incidentally healed his body had nearly driven him out of his mind.

Then there was the problem of convincing Yuki to actually let him remove that bracelet. Among the Jyuunishi-cursed, injuries were normally aggravated by transforming into their animal forms. He'd have to convince Yuki that the transformation into his `true form' would actually heal him.

If he could stand the pain. That transformation, even when his body was perfectly healthy, always hurt like hell. When he started screaming, which he had no doubt whatsoever he'd do, Yuki would likely panic and slap the bracelet back on his wrist, before any real healing was done.

Kyo sighed, gritting his teeth. Unfortunately, this caused--an extremely unpleasant sensation, all along his bruised and abused jaw; he winced and let up, trying hard not to remember the cause for that ache. It was time to start talking.

“Yuki...you--better be listenin', you k'so nezumi...” Another squeeze of his hand reassured him that he had the nezumi's attention. He took a deep breath, wincing slightly as several cracked and bruised ribs twinged protest through his now quickly receding drugged haze, and plowed ahead, “You've gotta--take my bracelet off--”

A sudden convulsive squeeze on his hand brought a startled yelp out of Kyo. Yuki quickly let up, letting go with one hand to pat Kyo's shoulder in apology.

“Geez, watch it, will ya?!” Kyo grumbled, and summoned up the effort for a brief smirk to flicker across his face, so hopefully Yuki could realize he wasn't serious. It was just--the way the words came out of his mouth, sometimes. The harder he tried, the worse they sounded...

Kyo went on, a bit breathily he was sure and probably without much volume because of the pain in his ribs every time he inhaled too much, “The--the transformation t' my `true form,' it's--it's different, from the regular one. If I'm--hurt when I transform, the process...it heals me. It's happened `nough times, now...” Kyo knew he wasn't speaking too softly to be heard by the reactions he could feel through the nezumi's grip, as he spoke--especially when he mentioned he'd been injured before, and transformed to heal it.

The nezumi would likely have a full-fledged snit-fit if he ever found out just how often Kyo had been worked over similarly to this, by Akito. Though never quite so badly, before. Except--for that last time, when the rest of the family thought he'd run away, off up into the mountains to...what had Shigure said? Oh, yeah--“fight bears.”

He hadn't been fighting; that would only have made it worse. And the only “bear” he'd seen had been Akito's temper. He drew a shaky breath before continuing.

“It--it kind of--hurts, though, when I transform into--that; even--even when I'm healthy.” It was Kyo's turn to tighten his grip, involuntarily. He shivered again. “You've--gotta keep that bracelet off `til--until I'm human again. No matter what you hear. It's gotta run its course. Y-you...you'll likely want to just leave, and--c-come back in a few hours, t' check on me.”

Kyo knew full well what his `true form' looked--and smelled--like. Akito was right; it was a horrible, despicable, stinking form, a thing that no one in their right minds wanted to be around. He certainly didn't want to be around it, and it was him! He wouldn't inflict that on Yuki, if he could help it.

Hell, the nezumi had only seen it once, the same time Tohru had seen it! Besides, Kyo had never found anyone who wasn't scared witless by it--including Akito, who masked his fear in extra cruelty. Though only Tohru had ever been truthful in actually coming out and admitting that fear to him, instead of pretending the feeling didn't exist, as Kagura did.

Kyo could feel the rain in the air. If it wasn't raining that moment, it would be, very soon. He could feel the Monster running claws of horror across his soul, with the familiar drowsy blanket of the bracelet's seal wrapping the both of them together.

Yuki dropped his hand and grabbed Kyo's shoulders tightly, causing the neko to wince involuntarily as bandaged bruises and lacerations took pressure and complained of it. The painkillers were definitely wearing off; that's why Kyo had even been able to wake, after all.

The pressure lightened immediately; Yuki must have seen that wince. Kyo cursed softly, wishing he could see! It was obvious Yuki had something to say, but there was no way Kyo could figure it out, like this.

Then he felt the nezumi settle right next to him; Kyo was sure that was Yuki's hip against his thigh, the length of one thigh tracing along his side, knee against the bottom of Kyo's ribs. Yuki then reached across Kyo and gently picked up his left hand, carefully sliding the bracelet off--then keeping the hand in a firm grip, one that refused to release even as that most dreaded transformation took the neko.

That grip was soon the only thing Kyo could concentrate on--the only thing holding him to sanity.

***

Yuki paled as Kyo started to scream. It was obvious the neko was desperately trying to hold back the sound, at first; but then...then the pain apparently became so great, he couldn't scream; the hair-raising sound was backed up in his throat. Yuki was suddenly afraid Kyo wouldn't be able to breathe, from the intensity of it.

The nezumi refused to let go of the neko's hand, even as it enlarged and--altered. The proportions of Kyo's so-called `true form' were--different; unsettling to see. The claws, alone were enough to inspire a sense of fear. The skin took on a pebbly, thick-leather texture, and became the color of swamp mud. There was something vaguely lizard-like about that form.

He hadn't let go on that night, even when Kyo had clawed his shoulder in an effort to make him let go. He wasn't about to let go now!

Kyo somehow managed to not crush Yuki's hand as he thrashed and writhed. Considering the amount of pain he had to be in, that must have been the only thing he could concentrate on; that thought helped Yuki hold to his resolve to not let go. He knew Kyo's `true form' was insanely strong...the claw marks from the night he and Tohru first saw it were still in the trees leading away from Shigure's house--still in that stone.

And then there was the smell. Yuki scrunched his face up as the disgusting, rotting aroma of a thousand dead and decaying bodies of various ages hit him in the nose, crawling up into his sinuses and down into his lungs. He gagged a bit before getting his body under control, starting to breathe shallowly through his mouth.

Unfortunately, this meant he started tasting the stink.

He tightly shut his eyes, desperately thinking about his algebra homework in an effort to distract himself until he became accustomed to it. Or until his sense of smell died; he didn't care which just then, as long as he didn't have to deal with it any more! This was worse than that first time--because of Kyo's injuries, perhaps. His stomach heaved in protest, and he swallowed convulsively in an effort to control the nausea.

He would not leave, though. Not if he passed out. He stubbornly refused to leave Kyo to suffer--this--all alone. Just watching that level of suffering had Yuki's breath catching painfully in his throat, an asthma attack dangerously close to happening. The urge to put that bracelet back on Kyo's wrist, to end his agony immediately, was very strong; but he remembered what Kyo had said--it had to run its course. The horrible fear that putting the bracelet back on now would only mean Kyo had to go through that much more pain later on, was very nearly the only thing keeping him from doing it.

He kept his grip on Kyo's disturbingly altered hand, just shifting it enough to accommodate the larger size. And he prayed, to any kami that would listen, for it to be over.

The door was abruptly slammed open, jarred off its track from the force of the movement and ripping through the paper of the wall with one corner. Hatori, Shigure, and Tohru jammed the entry, staring anxiously in.

Yuki threw an anguished look their way, calling out, “Stay back! He said--he said he had to transform, that it would heal him.” Yuki was unaware of the tears that had started pouring down his cheeks. “He said--it's happened before--”

Hatori and Shigure blanched, the dragon's fingers abruptly shattering the door's thin wooden frame where he still held to it. Tohru dropped to her knees, tears rolling down her cheeks as she clasped her hands in front of her mouth to stifle full-blown sobs. Behind them, Ayame and Momiji clung to either side of Hatsuharu, who was too freaked out by the horrible sounds of extreme agony to even notice their grips cutting off the circulation in his arms.

The others were still downstairs, huddled together, staring with frozen apprehension at the stairway. Haru had almost gone Black on them when the young ones had tried to follow upstairs; he'd pointed at Ritsu and Rin, and barked, “Keep them here!!”

Momiji had been the only one to brave his wrath to follow. Haru was so used to the usagi trailing after him that he never noticed.

***