Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Revelations ❯ Birth of Hope ( Chapter 11 )

[ 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::

Chapter 11 - Birth of Hope

Kagura, eyes huge and face shocked to stillness, couldn't seem to force her body up. She sat in her place by the table, eyes fixed on the stairs, hands wringing her kitty-cat backpack until it was in danger of ripping apart. The change in his voice had been obvious, even to those that didn't understand what that strange, echoing deepness meant.

Of all of them, she had seen Kyo's monstrous `true form' the most--three times. Actually, when she thought about it, she didn't think that the youngest had ever seen it at all...she wasn't entirely sure they knew that the neko had a second transforming curse.

She didn't know why he had changed, now--the Jyuunishi-cursed were always careful of transforming when they were sick, or especially when they were injured, because it could seriously aggravate their condition. Kyo's monster-form should have similar effects, shouldn't it?

She'd known Yuki had Kyo's precious bracelet-seal, he'd said Kyo left it with him; hadn't they put it on Kyo before the rain started?!

She just--couldn't bring her body to move; to go up there--with it--and demand answers. She just couldn't move...

The first time Kagura had seen Kyo's Monster form had been when she was a child, while Kyo's mother was still alive; during that horrible New Year's celebration, the one when Akito had ripped the bracelet from Kyo in front of the whole of the gathered clan. Kisa, Hiro, Momiji, and Hatsuharu had not yet been old enough to stay for the whole ceremony, and so had already been taken home after formally presenting themselves to Akito. She was only a couple years older than Kyo; and Yuki, who was supposed to stay for the first time.

She remembered the incident only too well--Akito had been in a truly foul mood, because Yuki had suddenly taken sick and been unable to attend the Zodiac Banquet at all. Akito hadn't even waited until the private Jyuunishi Banquet before taking Kyo's bracelet--granted, in all the written history of the family's curse the neko never had been allowed to attend that “celebration”.

Kagura realized, with some regret, that Kyo never had seen any of the Jyuunishi dance...

Much as she wished otherwise, Kagura couldn't deny in her own heart that Kyo's--other form--scared her. That first time, she'd screamed and run away from him in a panic, just like everyone else.

Just like Kyo's mother had.

Everyone--had run from him; when it was still Kyo, just a six-year-old boy, trapped inside that hideous body.

Everyone but his birth father, that is. That--that `man;' her mind sneered the word--had picked up a chair, and violently tried to hit his transformed child with it. There was no doubt he'd intended to do serious harm, maybe even kill Kyo. The panicked child had turned and run from the building, in his haste lashing out and shoving slow-moving kin out of his way. He'd run out into the downpour outside, where he'd found a spot to hide, alone, until the end of the rain allowed him to be human again.

Kazuma-sensei had been the only one of them who even thought of going after the child, once he'd laid out Kyo's father with one well-placed blow, that is. His expression had been colder, and more furious, than Kagura ever wanted to see on anyone's face ever again. Everyone had sighed with relief when Hatori found a pulse in the downed man; many people had wondered if Kazuma-sensei had killed him.

Kazuma-sensei had then tried to get Kyo's mother to go after her son, but she'd been a tear-soaked heap of awkwardly sprawled limbs off in a corner, unwilling and unable to even stand, let alone go to her only child. Kazuma-sensei had given all who remained in the room a precise summary of his scathing opinion of them, then picked up the discarded bracelet and left to find the child himself.

Akito had been--amused at Kazuma-sensei's...`performance,' and ordered the festivities to resume, calmly leading his remaining Jyuunishi-cursed off to their private celebration.

When Kazuma-sensei had brought a rain-soaked Kyo back to the woman who had birthed him, the boy had been completely limp, red eyes dead. Seeing her son was human once more, the woman tearfully accepted him into her arms, babbling almost hysterically to her child that she loved him, really she did, more than anything else; and he'd never do that again, she'd keep him with her always...all the while her hand was closed about his wrist, directly over the returned bracelet; making absolutely sure it would not come off while she held him...

Later that month, Kyo's mother was dead.

Kagura never told anyone that she'd seen Kyo's mother enter Akito's house the morning of the day she died, and hadn't seen her come out until afternoon. Kagura had been sick with a bad case of the flu, and because her parents couldn't stay home to watch over her, she'd been settled at the doctor's house. Hatori hadn't quite finished medical school yet, but he had been interning with the old doctor at the time...she wasn't sure whether the dragon had seen the woman at all.

As far as Kagura knew, that New Year's was the last time Kyo ever saw his father. The man refused to come near Kyo, or even to honor his own wife's grave, so long as “that Monster” was alive; he refused to acknowledge that Kyo was his son at all. He had moved out of the Honke, and never returned--not even for his wife's funeral.

The second time she saw the transformation, the bracelet had again been ripped off Kyo's wrist by Akito; but this time, it had been mostly in private, right in front of Akito's house. Again, Kagura had been staying with the old doctor, in that same room; this time with full-blown pneumonia. She'd been too sick, and scared, to make a noise when she'd seen Akito confronting a ten-year-old Kyo.

More than confronting--a snarling Akito had been hitting him in the face, obviously as hard as he could, nearly knocking him down; while Kyo just stood and took it. Kagura had never seen anyone looking so wild as Akito did that day--she'd never seen him in one of his “moods” before, and hoped to never see it again. Kyo's back had been towards her, so she didn't know what expression had been on his face that had apparently infuriated Akito so.

When he finally managed to knock Kyo to his knees, Akito had darted forward and grabbed the bracelet, quickly jerking it off. Kyo had started to reach for it in panic, before catching himself and instead simply rising to his feet. He had yet to make a single sound that Kagura could hear.

Akito had pointed off somewhere, glaring at Kyo, while snarling some words Kagura couldn't make out; the precious bracelet dangling carelessly from his outstretched hand. Kyo had lowered his head, and started walking--even as the rain started. This time, as he staggered through the transformation, Kagura's shocked mind actually noticed that it seemed to cause him a great deal of pain.

The transformation had wrung a strangled cry from him; where Akito's beating had not.

Her third time to see the Monster, had been the night Yuki and Tohru first saw it. Kagura's face burned with shame when she remembered what she'd told Yuki--that it didn't matter if she went after Kyo, because she was herself Jyuunishi-cursed; that he knew she accepted him, anyway...

She'd been lying to herself, as well as Yuki. There was a part of Kyo that she didn't--couldn't--accept. Every time she thought about the Monster, Kagura had to consciously control her panicky reaction. Much as she loved Kyo--much as she tried to bury her fear in wholehearted adoration, loosing herself in the feelings of the moment; trying to forget about that...that other form--Kagura knew, deep in her heart, that she could never fully accept--it. She couldn't bring herself to believe that it was a part of her Kyo, as much as the orange tabby neko form was. As much as the boar was a part of her.

She'd only been briefly jealous of Tohru, and even Yuki, for being able to go after him and succeed in bringing Kyo back to them. She'd been too ashamed of herself to hold her own failure against them.

And she really did love Kyo--just not as much as she wished; not as much as she tried to pretend she did. Not as much as he needed.

It was--very good, for Kyo's sake, that someone could--tolerate--the Monster. Tears poured unnoticed down her face as she stared, unseeing, up the stairs; as the horrible sounds of his agony continued, seemingly without end. She hardly looked away as she moved to block Ritsu from going up the stairs, knowing there was nothing any of them could do.

That--was the worst thing for her. There was nothing they could do--

-.-.-.-.-.-

Yuki turned from the shocked group packed in the doorway back to the writhing, now-monstrous form by him, biting his lip bloody in distress. The misshapen, clawed hand he held to was shaking like a leaf, but was actually the only vaguely still portion of the neko's thrashing body.

Yuki didn't want to think about the level of determined concentration it must take from Kyo, to not crush his delicate, merely-human hand. He remembered the deep gashes in the trees, and in that rock, when he and Tohru had gone after Kyo.

The sounds Kyo was making now more closely resembled muffled roaring. Fresh, oddly greenish-red ichors dribbled down the side of his broadened jaw; the jagged, apparently razor-sharp teeth had bitten through something--possibly his tongue, as it didn't appear the Monster had much in the way of actual lips.

The neko's voice had changed with this body, to a weirdly echoing, deeper, and rougher pitch; it was the one thing that was even vaguely recognizable about his `true form'. Yuki wasn't certain, but he thought maybe the pain was lessening; either that, or Kyo was about to lose consciousness. He desperately hoped it was the former; he wanted this to be over with! He couldn't stand seeing Kyo suffering so much. He wouldn't even wish this on Akito, after all the Clan Head had done to them all over the years!

Hatori's careful bandaging had all come undone with the transformation, revealing the horrible wounds for all to see. Yuki tried to avoid looking at them at first, until Kyo's thrashing about had noticeably lessened. Then the nezumi instinctively looked towards the neko's face--

To be met by the pain-shrouded, oddly purple eyes of the Monster.

Yuki gasped in shock, his hold on Kyo's huge, deformed hand tightening for a second. He started shaking in reaction.

It was true; Kyo was healing! He had his eyes back!!

A hasty look confirmed that the major wounds on his body appeared to be healing, as well. Bruises weren't visible on that mud-color hide, but Yuki assumed they, as well as cracked bones and other internal injuries, were also healing.

He looked at his cousins and Tohru, still packed together at the door, a relieved smile breaking through still-flowing tears; exclaiming, “He's healing! He's healing!!”

-.-.-.-.-.-

Hatori gasped and threw himself to Kyo's side, staring in shock at the wounds clearly mending right before their eyes. Stitches looked like they were being pushed out, the spider-fine threads falling to the futon; the odd-colored ichors that the beast had for blood seemed to be reabsorbed into its hide wherever they touched.

Shigure hesitantly stepped forward also, eyes glued to Kyo's, though the inu couldn't help but raise a hand to pinch shut his extra-sensitive nose against the incredible stench. The others stayed where they were--there was no room for more people in the room with Kyo, especially not with the possibility that he might start thrashing about again.

Kyo's strangled cries of agony had finally muted to soft moans as his body stilled, laying limp on the futon. There was an air of utter exhaustion about the hideous-looking form. Fine tremors could be seen rippling across its pebbled, leathery hide.

Startled gasps greeted the sudden melting of the monstrous form back to the human boy they knew best. Hatori had the presence of mind to twitch the sheet over their cousin before Tohru saw more than she should; Kyo didn't have a stitch of clothing on, after all.

The dragon quickly ran his hands over the places on the boy's body that had been, just moments before, the sites of grievous wounds, while Yuki hurriedly placed the bracelet safely back where it belonged, on Kyo's left wrist. He didn't know if the rain had stopped, or if the transformation had been undone because the healing was completed; but Yuki wasn't taking any chances.

Hatori waited until last to examine Kyo's eyes and ears, gently tapping his cheek to rouse the exhausted neko enough to look at a still rather stunned doctor. Kyo stared dazedly at him for a moment, new-healed red eyes not quite focusing, then abruptly clenched them shut with a grimace as his body tensed with a sudden effort to sit up.

Hatori and Yuki both tried to press down on his shoulders, to keep him from exerting himself. He struggled against them so determinedly, though, that Hatori shook his head at Yuki in exasperation, and instead wrapped an arm about the boy's shoulders, helping him up.

Kyo leaned forward, wearily pulling his knees up to wrap his arms about them. He opened exhausted looking red eyes and stared straight at Hatori, this time focusing properly on the dragon, his cheek resting on his arms. His breath came in short gasps; his skin ran with rivulets of sweat, matting his hair, even dripping off his nose. He was still shaking hard with reaction, and remembered agony.

Hatori spoke soothingly to him for a couple moments, rubbing gently at his back in an effort to stop the shivers. Once Kyo's body had stilled enough, the dragon gently bracketed one red eye with the fingers of one hand, carefully pulling the lids back a bit, shining a pen-light into the eye to check its reactions.

Kyo--twitched, a bit, as the hand came near his eye, knuckles going white as his hands fisted; but he made an obvious effort to not slug Hatori across the room. For which restraint the dragon was thankful; he had no doubt Kyo could do some serious damage to him, if the boy's reactions got the better of his reasoning mind.

The neko certainly had plenty of cause recently to be--twitchy--about someone touching him. Especially about the eyes.

Hatori did a quick check of Kyo's hearing, first looking into his ears with a lighted probe from his bag, then speaking softly and asking the boy to repeat what he'd said. Kyo had no trouble--though Hatori had spoken softly enough that Yuki, right next to Kyo, couldn't make it out. Then again, nekos did tend to better hearing than the other animals of the Jyuunishi curse; though their eyesight was among the worst.

It was--downright miraculous. It looked like there wasn't even a scar left to mark any of the terrible wounds! Hatori wiped at the back of his neck in an effort to soothe the feeling of the fine hairs there standing straight out. He settled himself on the floor by Kyo, feeling dazed.

Then a thought occurred to him, one that threatened to empty his stomach and set him to shivering almost as much as Kyo. He didn't really want to know, but felt he had to ask the boy. He owed it to Kyo to at the very least do something, if his suspicion was correct.

“Kyo.”

Red eyes roused from the doze they'd fallen into after Hatori finished shining lights into them, once more focusing on the dragon.

“How--often--has Akito done this?”

There was dead silence in the room at this soft-voiced question. The others hadn't gotten around to wondering about that, not yet. They all fixed their undivided, wide-eyed attention on Kyo, most dreading his answer. Yuki had gone pale enough to concern Hatori.

Kyo--had flinched at the question. He quickly buried his head in his arms, trying to pretend he hadn't heard it; but the dragon had seen the flinch, as had the rest of them. With a sinking feeling of dread, he started to voice his own conclusion.

“This isn't the first time; is it. I'm sure we all realize that by now. There have been times--when you've disappeared, for days or more at a time. Returning only after it had been raining. If I compare notes with Kazuma, I presume I will find you were not always with him, as everyone has always assumed. Am I right?”

Kyo's hands were fisted. Stronger tremors could be seen flickering across his face, his muscles shivering harder as the neko curled tighter into himself, refusing to look at anyone.

Bodies slipped mostly quietly to their knees as those still standing reeled with horrified shock. Hatsuharu was the exception--the loud thud! as the ox's knees slammed into the wood floor drew a hard flinch and a startled glance from Kyo.

The neko quickly reburied his head when his eyes accidentally caught Shigure's. He'd never seen such an expression on the inu's face; a mix of shock, horror, and a startling self-loathing. A frail whisper of the anger he usually hid his true emotions behind breezed through Kyo's mind, in the tail of the thought that the whole family was going to pity him, now; kuso! He didn't want their pity; certainly didn't need it!

Aaah, who was he trying to fool?! If it took an overwhelming sense of pity for them to accept him, even partially, even just for a day or two--hell, he'd find himself feeling grateful for the kinder-than-usual attention, he just knew it.

Kuso!!

Tohru's chocolate-brown eyes were impossibly wide, tears flowing freely down her dazed and anguished face. She crawled on her hands and knees to Kyo's side, worming her way past Hatori, to grab Kyo's hand with both of hers. It was all she could do to keep from grabbing him in a tight hug, curse or no curse! Only the thought of how Kyo hated to transform into either of his forms held her back.

Hatori abruptly stood, startling everyone. He started shooing everyone but Tohru out of the room, saying that Kyo needed to rest. Tohru could watch over him, to be there if he needed anything. It took a good deal more persuading to pry Yuki away, but Tohru's pleading look and assurance that she'd call immediately if Kyo needed anything finally convinced him to leave, however reluctantly.

It was obvious they'd have to watch Yuki closely, or he'd either sneak back in later, or camp out in the hallway right outside Kyo's room. If the circumstances had been different, it would have been quite amusing; as it was, even Shigure failed to so much as smirk at the nezumi's unusual show of concern.

Shigure was too busy remembering how he'd teased Kyo, when the boy first showed up at his house, for having been supposedly training up in the mountains to beat Yuki--by fighting bears. The inu winced with an acute feeling of shame. Kamis, but now he'd never be able to tell another bear joke... He owed his young cousin a profound apology, it seemed.

Hatori made sure Kyo was lying back down, covers pulled up tight, and Tohru settled at his side--still holding his hand--before he turned to set the door back on its track. He winced at seeing the part of the frame he'd crushed, then sighed. He made sure the door would close and open properly, before closing it and quietly heading down the stairs.

-.-.-.-.-.-