Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Sometimes... ❯ Down a Broken Road to You ( Chapter 4 )

DISCLAIMER: Thankfully no, not mine. I'd hate to get the hate mail…

 

 

 

 

* 4 *

Down a Broken Road to You

 

 

“Ahh…this is refreshing, ne Kagura?”

 

“Hmm…hai, Kaa-san. I'm so glad we took up Ri-chan's mother's offer! She's so kind.” Deeply breathing in, Kagura leaned against a flat rock while the hot spring waters soothed away the aching muscles. `I've got to get her a thank-you gift for this great trip…'

 

Summer was waning down and the busiest time of the hot spring resort was coming to a close. Ritsu's parents were extremely delighted when they heard that Kagura and her mother accepted their invitation to the resort. They rarely got to see one another aside from the New Year's celebrations, and so the invitation was sent out a month ago. Although the parents were anxious to catch up with one another with their personal lives, there was also an underlying reason to meet.

 

`My, how the simplest of things can become so complicated in this family,' mused Kagura's mother while also feeling the worrisome knots in her shoulders ebb away with the heat of the springs. Staring listlessly at the steam rising from the heated waters, she contemplated further on the developments that have occurred over the months.

 

She never voiced her observations out loud…she just didn't have the heart to trouble her daughter over matters that were rightfully a private matter. Yet, in this family, with this particular curse over them, with this particular `God'-slash-Head-of-Family looking over them, privacy was a luxury that was not necessarily afforded to them. It was due to these very reasons that she worried so, afraid that the bliss her daughter was enjoying would end all too soon with consequences that would leave her cherished daughter scarred even more than she already was.

 

And what bliss her daughter lived these past months. Over the spring and into the summer, Kagura was constantly in Ritsu's company, both at school and at home. They did everything together…they worked on their school projects together, they went to festivals together, they often ate out together…always together. Granted these were mundane activities for the normal couple, but that's just it…'normal' should never be allowed to the Jyuunishi, least of all the word `couple'.

 

It was no secret to those with knowledge of the curse to have an idea of what happened within the dark walls of the Sohma estate whenever one of the Jyuunishi found themselves involved with someone in particular. Plenty of evidence was left behind…a physically scarred family doctor, an introvert girl that had lost her voice for a certain time, a spirited teenager that defied authority whenever it was imposed on her...even hospital stays were remanded for the last two. Knowing all this, it was little wonder that she had gotten any sleep at all over the course of the year.

 

`Why must it always be denied to them? This little token of life…' Shaking herself mentally from her dire thoughts, Kagura's mother dipped herself into the waters, willing away all these musings from her mind. She had promised to relax on this night with her daughter…there would be plenty of time to discuss this with Ritsu's parents later on. With that resolve, she came back up and heaved a deep breath to clear her mind.

 

“Kaa-san, want me to braid your hair?” asked Kagura kindly. “It came loose as you went down into the water.”

 

“Oh my! Please, be a dear,” consented her mother as she turned her head for Kagura to braid. Relaxing under the deft fingers of her daughter's, she sighed with contentment. “Kagura, what do you plan to do tonight?”

 

“Hm?” Kagura had been engrossed in her task, clearing her mind from anything distracting. Quite honestly, she was thinking about what she was going to do that evening after her hot bath. “Oh, um, Ri-chan wanted to show me something. We were going to have tea, too, so…”

 

“Ah well, that's fine sweetie, I was just curious. I was going to spend some time with his parents which reminds me…” Her mother got up from the waters and made her way out. Slipping her robe on, she turned to her daughter. “I was supposed to get their gift wrapped tonight before I meet up with them. How are you coming along with your thank you gift?”

 

“Eh…uh…well, I sort of…forgot…um…” stammered Kagura abashed.

 

Giving her daughter a well deserved disapproving stare, she retrieved the leftover towels they had used while advising Kagura, “Well, let's not `sort of forget'; I expect a very nice letter to them ready by tomorrow morning. It's only proper.”

 

“Hai, Kaa-san.” Getting out as well, she slipped her robe on and followed her mother inside. Her curiosity then peaked. Embracing her mother from behind, she asked mischievously, “Ne, Kaa-san, tell me…what did you get them?”

 

“A portrait of a landscape that your father made years ago. They always admired it whenever they came to the estate, so I thought what better gift.” She then went into her room and pulled out the 16x20 picture and showed it to her daughter. She sighed wistfully as she gazed into it. “It's a perfect picture of serenity…just like this hot springs. What do you think?”

 

Green forests surrounding high peaks and crystal clear lakes…all in a mist of early morning dew. Kagura replied with awe, “It's beautiful, Kaa-san.”

 

Smiling with pride in her husband's work, Kagura's mother quickly slipped into her causal wear to settle down and wrap her gift. She gave her daughter a wink. “Better get a head start, Kagura. I'm sure by now Ritsu is done with his errands and is just waiting on you.”

 

“Yipes, you're right!” cried Kagura in a panic as she rushed back to her room. Taking out her summer yukata that had all the nice water lilies against an emerald green color with a simple green obi, she left her hair up in its customary braid…it was still warm outside, even up here in the mountains.

 

`I wonder if Ri-chan is waiting on me? Baka…I can't believe I almost forgot about that! What's wrong with me?' She suddenly stared at the large shopping bag she brought with her. The contents in this bag were very dear to her… `That's why. I've been so worried about whether or not I should—'

 

“Kagura, Ritsu is here!” called out her mother from the living/dining area.

 

`GAH! I'm really late now!' Practically tripping over her own feet, Kagura lightly powdered her face and slapped some light-pink lip-gloss on. Combing the stray hairs in place and running it through her bangs once, she stared at herself in the mirror to be sure all was in order with her apparel.

 

`For what its worth,' she shrugged to her mirror image. She then glanced at the bag in the corner and biting her lip in consternation, she quickly went to it and picked it up. With a grin on her face, she walked out of her room and saw that Ritsu was kneeling at the table calmly sipping the tea her mother poured for him.

 

“Ah, there she is! I was hoping those thumps in her room didn't mean she was dawdling,” remarked her mother to Ritsu as she gazed at Kagura with a knowing look.

 

Smiling sheepishly, Kagura turned to Ritsu with a small bow. “Gomen, I didn't mean to make you wait.”

 

Dressed in a summer yukata of plain white with green leaves, he brightly smiled up at her. “It's all right. Is that the yukata that Aya-niisan was working last month on? You look…very beautiful…in it.”

 

Blushing a good shade of red, she twirled around in her spot with bag in hand. “Heh, arigatou! Aya-chan was so excited when he saw it on me!”

 

“It's very lovely, Kagura. But what's in that bag?” asked her mother curiously.

 

“Eh? Oh, uh, well, that's for later,” Kagura replied while clutching her large bag to her chest as if it were going to be taken from her. Grasping at Ritsu's arm, she pulled him up and away from the table, quickly making her way to the door. “C'mon, Ri-chan, the night isn't getting any younger! I'll be back, Kaa-san!”

 

Ritsu was surprised but smiled regardless. He called out to Kagura's mother over his shoulder, “Thank you for the wonderful tea. I'll be sure to get Kagura-san back early..!”

 

Shaking her head in wonder at those two Jyuunishi, she wryly grinned and set down to work on her gift wrap. Giving the portrait a once look-over, she recollected with a sigh the memory it evoked. Her husband was stubborn to a fault (Kagura was blessed with his genes as well, besides the curse of the Boar Zodiac) and was adamant to capture the peaceful moment during a morning spring mist. Oh, how she missed him…

 

His determination…his heartfelt devotion…his sincerity…

 

`His love…' She stilled the hands that were busy wrapping the gift, too stunned when she realized what she has overlooked over these past few months.

 

`How could I have been so blind? Here I am worried that their relationship could be becoming something more than it should, and it's already happened! How could I have been so ignorant of what was already there…? His parents were counting on me, too, to inform them the moment I believed it was getting too serious. I…I have to let them know. This cannot be put off any longer.'

 

Wrapping the gift securely, she briskly stood up and walked off in search of her hosts. Much needed to be discussed…it was their children's happiness that was involved.

 

As anxious as she was, Kagura was even more anxious, every so often glancing at her gift bag that sat innocently on the floor. She had accompanied Ritsu to the outdoor patio that overlooked the lush landscape that surrounded the resort. Thankfully this spot was closed off to the general public since it was more for the family's use.

 

`Well, should I or shouldn't I? Argh, decisions, decisions…' Irritated at her clashing thoughts, she sipped her tea as calmly as she could while her mind raged within with making the final decision.

 

“Kagura-san, is there something wrong with your tea?” asked Ritsu worriedly. He had seen her distant and constantly making faces into her cup. `Aya-niichan had given me the right ingredients and directions on how to prepare it! It must be my fault! Perhaps it's too bitter!'

 

“I'M SO SORRY!” he yelped in horror as he abruptly stood up from the low table. Upsetting the dishes on the table as he banged his knee against it, he gasped in shock as the tea pot fell on its side and its contents poured out to the floor below. “WHAT HAVE I DONE? I'M SOR—”

 

“CAREFUL, RI-CHAN, YOU'RE STEPPING ON THE HOT TEA!” cried out Kagura in alarm while the frantic young man found himself hopping on one foot then the other. Without a moment's thought, she grasped his arm as she tried to pull him away from the table and the hot tea on the floor. However, as is usually the case, their limbs became entangled and so they promptly met the floor with a good thud.

 

“OOMPH!” blurted out Ritsu as he had his panic mode quite literally knocked out of him. Dizzily trying to sit up, he saw Kagura struggling to lift herself off of him. Afraid that she may be injured, he jerked his head up when he suddenly felt the world spin rather well. “Oooh…the room…make it stop…”

 

“Hehehe,” she chuckled lowly. Looking down on him, she couldn't help but laugh a little harder. “Please…oh I'm sorry…heheh…let me take a look. Hehe…”

 

“Ouch.” Rubbing the back of his head, he deeply breathed in and found it to be rather difficult to do so with Kagura on top of him. Blinking away the fuzzy image of her face, he shyly smiled. “Gomen nasai. I think this is my fault again, ne?”

 

“Hehe, looks like you'll live. Come on, let me get you up.” Taking a hold of his arm, she pulled herself up along with him with little trouble…he wasn't very heavy. She ran her hands down his yukata, pulling here and there to straighten out the wrinkles in his attire. “There…that's better. Let's get your hair smoothed out.”

 

He couldn't help but feel a tad ashamed at her having to look after his clumsy self. He was pretty regular about doing this sort of thing, but she never once complained about it. She merely looked on and sometimes even held on until the moment passed. Then she'd laugh good-naturedly and always inspect his person to be sure he hadn't hurt himself.

 

“Now, that's better. Back to your ravishing self,” she commented slyly while tucking one last stray hair back into place. Exhaling softly, she beamed up at him and asked, “Why were you sorry about anyway?”

 

“Eh?” he asked confusedly. Realizing that she was asking about what had set him off, he looked away, mentally berating himself for losing his control once again. “I had thought…the tea…it must have been bad. You had struggled to sip it…I'm sorry you had to drink it.”

 

“What? The tea's fine. Oh…” She smiled sheepishly, rubbing her arms in comfort as she realized that she must have been making faces when she was thinking earlier. “Hehe, well, it's…uh…not the tea. I was actually…well, it was something else I was thinking about. Now I feel bad about making you feel bad.”

 

“No, please don't! It was my fault for getting out of hand anyway, as always,” he replied with dismay while walking to the table and cleaning up the mess. Sighing, he turned to her with a small smile and empty teapot in hand, “Perhaps you want to go back to your room. I'd understand.”

 

“Don't be silly,” she remarked with a wide smile. Taking dry napkins from the table, she hurriedly mopped up the tea on the floor. Humming lightly, she turned to him with a gleam to her eye. “Ne, Ri-chan, what is it you were going to show me? You have to show me!”

 

Smiling as well, he turned to her and extended his hand to her. Drying her hands on a clean napkin, she took his hand and both walked out to the patio outside. The warm yet cool breeze coming down from the mountains felt wonderful to them. Both took deep breaths of the clean, crisp air and marveled at the starry night.

 

“Well?” she asked curiously while poking a finger into his side, which made him jump unexpectedly.

 

He shyly smile once more to her, debating on whether or not it was even worth pointing out to her what he liked to see so much out here. He found it fascinating and always made it a point to see this whenever he spent time during the summer at the hot spring resort.

 

“Out there. You have to keep looking. It's very remarkable…to me anyway,” he softly replied while gazing intently into the forest below them.

 

“Hmmm.” She was never one to have patience unlike her companion, but she would try to see what he sees. After what seemed like many moons had passed, she was about to voice her impatience when something suddenly caught her eye. There.

 

“Wow! Did you see that, Ri-chan?! Oh, there's another…there's more over there, too! They look like little green dots dancing in the wind. I love fireflies in the summer!” She gazed up at her silent companion, slightly wondering if he had heard her. Yet the words remained unsaid as she saw him stare at her with a fondness she had never thought she would ever see aimed her way.

 

Her smiles always lit up whatever dark corners remained in his mind. Tonight was no different…her smile to him as she commented on the fireflies gave his whole world a glow he'd thought he'd never have a chance to experience. It was precisely these creatures that had always struck him as mesmerizing to see in the dark hills that surround this temporary home of his. And he was very happy to see that he wasn't alone in his beliefs.

 

“Yes…me, too.” Hardly aware of his actions, he gently tugged an errant hair that was being blown in the cool breeze back into her braided hair. Noticing then that she slightly shivered with the cool breeze, he became concerned and asked, “Is it too cool out here for you? We should get you inside then.”

 

“NO! I mean…heh, um, no I'm okay. Oh…wait right here.” She briskly walked away and retrieved her bag. Coming back to his side, she said to him, “Come on, this'll work better if we sit.”

 

Curious to see what she was thinking, he kneeled down and set himself next to her. She pulled out the item from her bag and wrapped it around them both. “There…that's more like it. What do you think?”

 

“This is fine, Kagura-san, but…why did you bring your quilt with you?” he asked, knowing that this very quilt was the one she had worked on at school for her term grade. She had gotten such excellent marks for it, and he was certain that it was very special to her. Which led him to his question…the quilt was too valuable to be taken out here on the floor.

 

“Well…it's actually not mine anymore.” With her still beating heart, she looked out between the rail slats to the fireflies still out there dancing away in the breeze. She calmly continued, “I want you to have it.”

 

“Kagura-san…” Looking down on the hand-stitched work of art, he quietly remarked, “This is too valuable to give to me…”

 

“It is important to me…but that's why I want you to have it.” Staring intently at him, she reached up to his chin and turned it so that he was looking at her. “I worked patch by patch on this, and the whole time I did it, I was…well, I was in a way patching up old wounds. And the whole time I worked on it, you were with me. So…please…take it.”

 

Looking back down at her, er, his quilt, he fingered the different patch patterns she had used. It was true…he had been with her while she passed away the hours sewing with him doing his studying and schoolwork at her house. She constantly asked for advice on what patterns to stick with, and then other times, she would have the wistful glaze in her eyes as she seemed to automatically stitch the patch in place. All those times, he knew she was mentally very far away and she only came closer back to reality when the last stitches were being put in.

 

To see her hard work wrapped around him like this…it felt like being wrapped in her soul's essence as it was mended away as well. It was truly very, very warm…

 

“Thank you, Kagura-san.” Regarding her fondly, he once again tucked a stray hair of hers back into place. Then he allowed himself to deeply breathe in the brisk mountain air while gazing back out into the forest below, watching the fireflies as they danced in perfect to the beating his own contented heart.

 

She wordlessly stared at him for a minute more before wrapping the blanket around them more securely. Snuggling closer to his arm, she softly sighed and quietly remarked, “Ri-chan.”

 

He couldn't help but widely smile at down at her. She seemed intent on staring down any firefly that looked her way. He brought his arm around her and carefully caressed her hair. “Yes…Kagura.”

 

Leaning into his shoulder, she closed her eyes to the dark night and only focused on the soothing rub on her hair and one fleeting thought in her mind…

 

`A moment…it all happens in a moment.'

 

—ooo—

 

Tip…toe…tip…toe. Tip…tip…toe.

 

A floorboard creaked, seeming like loud thunder in the dead silence of the night.

 

`Damn.'

 

Sneaking into her room was proving difficult down the old floorboards of the darkened hallways. She needed to improve her stealth techniques…Kazuma had always been on her case about that whenever she visited him for private lessons. Of course her preferences were to always charge into the situation and take control, but that doesn't always work out…case in point, trying to get back to her room without her mother finding out. This could turn ugly…

 

`I can't believe I fell asleep against Ri-chan. And he was way too considerate to wake me up. Ah well, I can't really blame him. It was just so…right…being next to him.' Smiling goofily at the images these thoughts evoked, she giggled quietly as she shut the door to her room quietly only to turn abruptly to her right.

 

“Kagura…I need to speak with you.”

 

“Kaa-san!” she gasped in shock while clutching her heaving chest with her right hand. “You scared me to half to death!”

 

“I didn't want to have this conversation this late, but you were late getting in…” trailed off her mother with an arch to her brow.

 

“Gomen nasai, Kaa-san,” apologized the young lady with a low bow. She sheepishly grinned as she straightened herself and made her way to her small closet chest. As she changed out of her garments to her sleeping yukata, she called out over her shoulder, “Ne, Kaa-san, what did you need to speak with me about that couldn't wait `til…well, not tomorrow since today is tomorrow. Sort of…”

 

“Kagura, please turn around and face me.” Her mother then went to kneel next to the futon that was already laid out for Kagura. She barely lifted her gaze to her daughter the whole time she had been there, not daring to take the chance that her perceptive child sees the anxiety behind her eyes.

 

“Oh, okay.” Finished with her change of clothes, she turned to face her mother with a wide grin. Figuring that her mother's bowed form was because Kagura was careless with her curfew, Kagura quickly blurted out, “Really, Kaa-san, I had just fallen asleep while star-gazing with Ri-chan. He didn't have the heart to wake me…please don't be mad.”

 

Sighing heavily, her mother stared listlessly at her folded hands on her lap. `I must be firm. For her sake…for his sake…'

 

“Kagura, it's not proper for you to continue your close association with Ritsu any longer. It…must end,” wavered her voice towards the end. `I'm so sorry.'

 

Is it conceivably possible that your heartbeat ceases for just a moment? Or for even longer than that when you're conscious to the world around you? Then again, even that is not completely true…all thoughts cease, all sense of smell and sound and taste seem to halt. And only the vise-like pressure in your chest is any clue that you're truly alive…but slowly dying. Is that possible when the only weapons that were thrown at your person were just mere words from the one person you confided in the most?

 

`No…what…but…no…' Okay, that thought was clear. And so everything else came rushing back to her, suffocating her with their overwhelming presence in her world. She starting smelling stale air that was given no freshness from the mountain air; hearing hard heartbeats in her chest, the wind rushing through her passages as if she were running a marathon like back in her high school days; tasting the bitter air in the room, making her mouth dry and her throat sore.

 

Feeling…very profound…feeling. So intense was this she felt her limbs shaking…no, her whole body was. And so she recognized the feeling coursing through her and coupled with her last thought, she was certain of what to finally say.

 

“Hell no.”

 

She knew…Kagura knew exactly what her mother was inferring to. So she bit out in an eerily quiet manner her response, never once raising her voice above the breath of a whisper. If the room wasn't already quiet like the tomb, it was highly unlikely her mother would have heard.

 

`That wasn't what I had expected. I was all prepared for screaming and shouting…she's normally so vocal.' Lifting her worried and now pleading gaze to her daughter, she implored, “Kagura, please…this is hard, I know, but it's for the best—”

 

“No.” Kagura's gaze turned hard while facing her mother, not giving her mother one moment to believe that her pleas would sway her decision. She stood tall and proud with her head held high, looking down at her mother's kneeled position.

 

Her legs were weak, but she slowly stood up. Kagura's mother held her gaze level with Kagura's all the way. Licking her dry lips, she softly remarked, “Sweetheart…”

 

“NO.” Swallowing back the dry saliva in her mouth, Kagura's chin trembled as well as her fists that were clenched tightly on either side of her small body. Taking a deep breath, she finally formed a coherent sentence from her incoherent thoughts.

 

“He likes my quilt.”

 

“Kagura, please,” begged her mother.

 

“HE LIKES MY QUILT.” Willing her unshed tears to retreat back into their recesses, she clenched her teeth tightly and started anew. “All my retched tears, my damn heartache, my barely-there sanity…that quilt represents every stitch he made on my pathetic soul. (Sniffling) He really did patch me together, Kaa-san. And you want me to let go of that? Let go of him?”

 

“You'll have Akito's ire upon you both, Kagura!” shouted her mother tearfully.

 

“WE ALREADY HAVE IT!” lashed back Kagura. A few tears managed to escape her eyes unnoticed, but she was much too far-gone in her anger to care. And as the sudden storms that plague the summer seasons, she suddenly felt her rage snuffed out by the cold reality that is her Jyuunishi life.

 

“Kaa-san, is this why we came here? So that you would talk to Ri-chan's parents about…this?” Turning her back on her mother, Kagura heaved a heavy sigh as she rubbed her face and massaged her temples, sniffling quietly.

 

Her daughter's voice was at such high crescendo just moments before that now the hollow sound of it caught her off-guard. The weary mother couldn't hold herself up any longer as she fell to her knees once more. She vaguely recollected her earlier discussion with Ritsu's parents. It was…very distressing, to put it extremely mildly, however, both parties knew that no matter what they desired, the Jyuunishi's lives were always ruled by their `God', whether they liked it or not. Akito's iron-clad grip on their own lives was overwhelming in and of itself as their Family Head, however their children's lives was another matter entirely.

 

`Kagura's not even considered my child…she's `God's' special property. I was just fortunate enough to still be considered a Sohma after my husband died so that I could raise her with relatively little interference from Akito. But now…that's not possible anymore. This…this relationship between them can bring their lives to ruin.'

 

“I understand how terrified you must be, Kaa-san.” Turning back to face her mother, Kagura kneeled next to her mother as she reached out and held her mother in her own embrace. She leaned her head onto her mother's shoulder, quietly continuing, “We've been so…lucky…not to have to put up with Akito or any other from the family. Just the possibility that our little safe haven from them could disappear…I'm scared, too.”

 

She leaned back to face her mother directly, her watery gaze never once strayed from her mother's own tearful gaze. “But if I were to let fear get the best of me, I would never have taken the chance to move forward with Ri-chan. And then I would never have known how happy I can still be, no matter how hard the ball is thrown at me.”

 

“I just want you to stop this yourself rather than have it all ripped away from you by someone else…” tearfully remarked her mother. “It will happen…you know that.”

 

“Yes. I do.” Giving her mother another affectionate hug, she stood up and opened the small window in her room. Deeply breathing in the cool night air, her head immediately cleared up and her sniffles tapered off.

 

She stared out into the dark forest, noting how calm all seemed to be, every so often the wind rustling the leaves of the trees. An owl would make its call into the night while the stars and moon hung high above to shed their light to the darkness below. And yet, not all was dark down below.

 

Fireflies…thousands of them flying freely amongst the dense wood. Free to dance to the whims of a breeze…

 

`We're not free. Here's a breeze called hope brushing past me, and I can't even take a chance to follow it! To risk it all or not to risk it? Should I even put Ri-chan at risk for just being with me? To put him through all the hell that Haa-chan and Hiro-chan went through…that Haru-chan is still going through…how selfish that would be. So…what can I do?'

 

She gripped the windowsill tightly with her clammy hands, her arms slightly shaking with the surge of hopelessness going through her small frame…her eyes clenched shut to keep the torrent of tears at bay…her lips trembling with the force of silent heart-wrenching cries. The mere thought that she would once again be left alone with another broken heart and remnants of a dream that would have been so beautiful if it were allowed to exist…she couldn't help but choke on her quiet sobs, holding all her hopelessness back as best she could.

 

“When it does happen, you'll understand then. Trust me.”

 

`Trust.' Snapping her wide teary eyes open to the moon above, she shakily reached up with her hand to clamp her gaping mouth. It was so sudden…the memory from months ago…before so muddled and irrelevant that she paid it no further mind other than that moment when it was last uttered. Now, it was clear, crisp, and ever so blatant in its meaning. How strange that it all comes together now of all times, as if her Jyuunishi knew to look for this last shred of hope in the most unlikely of places…

 

`Still…I do…I do understand now. And I do…I trust him. I trust him so much.' Had the situation not been so dire and she not so desperate to look for the possibility of hope in her predicament, she would have asked herself why she did trust him. Yet, the fact was that she did and that was all she needed to latch onto to follow through on this chance…

 

It was then that she made her decision. She will push forward…fear and doubt heavy in her mind, but implicit trust in her heart.

 

“Kaa-san, please let Ri-chan's parents know that I'll be the one to tell Ri-chan of what we've talked. I will need…two weeks,” she murmured quietly from her perch at the window.

 

“Of course,” replied her mother while standing back up once more on wobbly legs. Walking unsteadily to her daughter, she hugged her fiercely from behind. With her voice wavering, she sobbed very quietly into her daughter's hair. “I'm so sorry.”

 

“I know. Please, may I go to bed now? I'm…rather tired,” stated Kagura thickly.

 

Wordlessly her mother stepped back and with one final look of pity to her daughter's still back, she turned around and quickly walked out of the stifling room. She couldn't bear to see her daughter break down once again from having to let go of a blossoming relationship. A relationship that she personally allowed to blossom…and so the fault lay with her.

 

`I'm sorry, Kaa-san, for the tears you shed for me. For once, I can't trust you on this…you're just not a Jyuunishi. And I can only trust one other on this…'

 

—ooo—

 

“Come along, Tohru-kun. I had promised to get you to your grandfather's doctor's appointment on time. Time grows short,” called out Shigure from the genkan where he was putting on his sandals over his tobi socks. He turned to see that his other charge was very entertained at the low table watching an action film on TV. “Kyo-kun, why don't you tidy up the place while we're gone? I'm sure Tohru-kun would never mention it, but I'm sure she'd appreciate a little help around the house.”

 

“Like you're one to talk, baka inu. Your study is a pigsty! Not even she would dare step one foot in that dump,” grumbled Kyo lowly as he concentrated on watching his program.

 

“DUMP? Mind you that works of art are created in that `dump' as you call it, Mister!” replied Shigure haughtily.

 

“Pft, works of crap you mean.” Kyo then turned from the TV suddenly to see Tohru dashing through the living area with shoes in hand. “Oi, careful! You'll fall over your own feet like that!”

 

“Oh, I'm sorry, Kyo-kun,” replied Tohru hurriedly while at the genkan putting her shoes on. “I'm so late! My Ojii-chan could be waiting on me by now!”

 

“Hey…uh…” stammered Kyo, “…you know…your Grandpa will be…just fine. At his checkup, I mean.”

 

“Aw, is that a cherry blush on our kitty's face?” asked Shigure slyly. “How kawaii!”

 

“Why you damn mutt…” seethed Kyo as he stood up from the table, teeth clenched.

 

“Eh…um, thank you, Kyo-kun. I'm sure Ojii-chan will be well.” With purse in hand, she smiled brightly at the still-blushing teenager. “If you or Yuki-kun get hungry for any snacks, I made some seaweed cucumber rice rolls. Have as many as you like…I'll be gone for only a couple of hours.”

 

“Don't worry about me, and you can forget about the kuso nezumi. Just get going before you're really late,” remarked Kyo as he waved her off.

 

“OH NO! I AM LATE!” panicked the young lady as she dashed off into the path in front of the house.

 

“HEY, WAIT FOR ME!!” cried out Shigure, silently weeping that he had been all but forgotten by his precious little `flower'.

 

Shaking his head at his two housemates, Kyo shut the door. Turning back to the TV, he sighed heavily and turned it off. “Well, I guess I can start cleaning this place.”

 

He was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door.

 

“What the…did that fool forget something?” Groaning loudly, he went to open the front door. “Geez, can't you open the damn door yourse—”

 

No one. `Weird…I could've sworn—'

 

The knocking sounded again.

 

`What the hell? Is that from the back?' Shutting the front door, he made his way to the back of the house. `What idiot would be coming from the back?'

 

“Oi, ya know, this isn't the front—” He stopped abruptly with his response as he stared in shock at the fidgeting individual before him. “Kagura…”

 

“Please, don't be mad and don't shut the door on me,” pleaded Kagura quietly. `Of all people to answer the door…'

 

“Uh…okay,” remarked Kyo uneasily. “I wasn't going to…I mean, geesh…it's just…well, it's been a while.”

 

“Yes, well…I've been rather busy,” she mumbled with her gaze down to her sandals. “Besides, I'm sure I wasn't missed.”

 

He looked away to the side. “Kagura…”

 

“Is Yun-chan around? I really need to see him.” Twiddling her fingers together in front of her, she finally looked up to the red-headed youth.

 

“Yuki? What for?” asked the boy bewildered. `What could she possibly want with the baka nezumi? And what's with the grim face?'

 

Looking away from him, she looked around behind him. “I would really appreciate it if you don't mention this to the others, okay? Could you just tell me where he is? I'll be out of your hair that much sooner…”

 

“Hey, are you in some trouble? Is someone on your case at school or something?” asked Kyo with rising anger evident in his voice.

 

Sighing heavily, she glanced back at him with an air of defeat. “Kyo-kun, please. I'm fine. Please call—”

 

“Kagura…what are you doing standing by the doorway in the back? Baka neko, why don't you invite her in?” asked Yuki irritably as he dried his damp hair with a towel.

 

Kyo lashed back, “I'm no baka, kuso ne—”

 

“Sumimasen, Yun-chan,” remarked Kagura in apology. “I didn't know you were busy with your bath.”

 

Smiling softly, he shoved the angry neko to the side (ignoring the glares and colorful metaphors aimed his way from said cat). “I'm done. Please come in. Would you like a drink?”

 

“Oh, no. Thank you. I actually…well, I need some time alone with you, if that's alright,” she requested with trepidation laced in her speech.

 

“Sure. Let's go outside and take a walk. Clean up this place, baka neko…might as well do something useful besides yelling pointless remarks that no one listens to.” Joining Kagura outside, he shut the door on Kyo's ranting and took some slippers that were by the doorway.

 

Walking away quietly alongside Yuki, she whirled around when she heard the fusuma slide open again. “Yes, Kyo-kun?”

 

“Um…well…” Fidgeting nervously himself, he called out to her with more conviction than before, having already thought of something appropriate to say. “Take care of yourself. It'll work out…whatever it is that's buggin' you.”

 

Finally gracing him with a sincere smile, she replied, “Thank you. That's very sweet of you to say.”

 

“Yeah, well,” grumbled Kyo as he hid his second blush of the day, “anyway… Don't be such a stranger, okay? We miss having you around…and stuff... Shishou really misses you and Kunimitsu, too.”

 

Giggling lightly, she was content to see that Kyo was still the boy she had admired for so long. She knew well how sorry he had felt that day back at the dojo, and in all honesty, she had forgiven him long ago. She couldn't possibly stay mad at such an adorable kitty that was blushing like mad now. And in his own way, he was showing how much he really missed having her around as his friend.

 

“Same here. Maybe I will come by again…here and at the dojo. Someone has to put you in your place besides Yun-chan and the guys at the dojo,” she remarked wryly while turning back around to join Yuki at the edge of the forest.

 

“Pft…as if. Anytime, anywhere, woman,” remarked the teen with a smirk. Turning his smirk into a soft grin, he quietly called out, “Just come when you can.”

 

With a lighter step to her pace, she happily waved good-bye to him and entered the quiet forest, following Yuki's quickly retreating back.

 

“Yun-chan!” Calling out to him, she hurried her pace to reach him. “Ne, where are we going?”

 

“We're just taking a walk…” replied the Sohma youth as he made his way through the endless throng of trees. Coming to a clearing of sorts where there were rocks to lean on, he turned to her while sitting atop of these rocks. “Go ahead…have a seat anywhere.”

 

“Arigatou.” Leaning against one of the tall boulders, she glanced around her at the dense forest. All was peaceful as any normal summer day would be. Nothing out of the ordinary took place out here; she could even sense her Zodiac sign calling out to her corresponding animal. `Hm, I hope they don't come any closer. Last thing I need is a bunch of wild boars all around us out here.'

 

“Kagura…you needed to talk with me, right?” His abrupt response pulled her out of her musings.

 

She immediately started fumbling with the fringes of her soft cotton cardigan she had on. The pale blue garment went well with her simple white linen dress which she had chosen with care this morning. With very light makeup and hair left down, held to the side by a pale blue hairclip, she personified the true lady that she was. She had wanted to be taken seriously for what she was about to do, so it was only natural that she chose just the right garments to look mature. That was rather difficult given that she looked much younger than her actual age.

 

“Uh…yes, I do! Um, well…eh…how have you been? Okay?” Smiling sheepishly, she hung her head low in defeat. `That was brilliantly said…I'm sure that was very mature.'

 

“Fine…” Tilting his head to stare at the towering trees, he heaved a heavy sigh. “You seem…preoccupied.”

 

“Hm…well, yes, I suppose you could say that.” Taking a deep breath, she stepped over to him and mentally braced herself with the decision she was about to make. `It's now or never…'

 

She bowed low with her hands clasped firmly in front. Licking her dry lips, she softly remarked, “Yun-chan, please…if there was any other way, I would never burden you with my problems, however… (Whispers) I can't lose him. Please…help me.”

 

Yuki looked down on her, a blank expression gracing his delicate features. “Lose who, Kagura?”

 

`Hm…has he forgotten? Maybe I read too much into his remark from that time…how stupid of me.' Not about to let up her efforts after coming this far, she continued softly, “Ri-chan. I…we…(sigh)…I honestly never thought this would happen. But he's…very dear…to me.”

 

“How can I possibly help you when it's not a problem of my own?” was Yuki's relentless questioning.

 

She was about to straighten herself and give him a good glare for being such a callous jerk. Doesn't he see how serious she is…how willing she is to humble herself to ask for help…how innately desperate she is to hope for the impossible.

 

`No, I will keep trying. I'm not going to blow this by losing my temper. That's not the way to go with this problem.' Inhaling deeply the fresh breeze blowing through the forest, she calmed herself enough to remain in her humble position. Giving his remarks more thought, she quietly replied, “You're right, of course…this isn't your problem. It's my problem, my mess. And I can't find a way out of it. Not without giving him up…and I can't do that.”

 

He looked away from her then, once again staring back up at the tall trees. “You gave up on Kyo…one more shouldn't matter.”

 

Clenching her eyes shut at the cruel remark, she steeled herself from reacting outwardly. Instead she focused her efforts at picturing herself next to Ritsu on that starlit night a week and a half ago, fireflies dancing freely in the dark. `Yes…that's what I'm aiming for. To be free to feel it all…with no regrets.'

 

“I did give him up…and it did hurt. But Ri-chan…I know I don't deserve him, but I can't help but be selfish and hope for more. If I can I have just a little more…” Sniffling back her unshed tears, she smiled tremulously. “This isn't your problem, Yun-chan. But I trust you. And that's all that I can hope for now.”

 

Silence met her pleas. The forest itself seemed to be holding its breath along with her. Moments passed by agonizingly slow to the point that she realized she had received her answer. Opening her weary eyes, she smoothed her dress and somewhat straightened herself when she abruptly felt a hand on her shoulder. She jerked her head up.

 

“Yun-chan…” Shocked that he'd be so close to her with his hand on her shoulder, she cleared her raspy throat and wiped away stray tears. “I'll be leaving now…I'm sorry for bothering you.”

 

“How far are you willing to trust me?” Yuki abruptly whispered. Pinning her with his hard gaze, he went on, “How far you willing to believe in me?”

 

Chills went down her back, her instincts screaming that now was the time to turn back if she wanted to. That whatever she said next would seal her fate as she knew it…

 

She replied with conviction, “All the way.”

 

Arching his brow at this, he turned around and headed into a different direction without a word. Bracing herself for whatever lay ahead, she followed silently, confusion reigning heavily on her mind. They walked for a while through the forest, then down the streets. Neither one spoke, the quiet between them fairly palpable. Had Kagura not been so preoccupied with the unknown future just then, she'd have been stifled by the silence. She was so lost in thought with this that she hardly realized where they had finally stopped.

 

“Kagura…we're here,” spoke out Yuki suddenly.

 

She looked up startled. And her eyes grew even wider to see where they had arrived. “We're at the…Main House…at…Akito's.”

 

“Do you want to leave?” asked Yuki softly.

 

`Yes, dammit! What the hell am I doing here of all places? The one person that can take it all away and…' Closing her eyes to the torrential wave of panic, she breathed in calmly and looked back up at the massive grounds. It would be so, so easy to just walk away. But then…wouldn't that make her a liar after what she had declared just a while ago?

 

“No…I trust you. Let's go,” replied Kagura resolutely.

 

Nodding his head, he opened the door quietly and allowed her entrance before going in himself and shutting it behind him. He led her quietly down the darkened hallways until they came to a room with one window open, the view from it overseeing a garden.

 

“Stay here. I'll be back.” He quickly made his way out of the room, his footsteps soundlessly walking away. He paused just at the doorway of the room, his back still to her. “Kagura?”

 

“Hai?” she asked.

 

“Remember to trust me…don't doubt. Just trust me.” With that said, he walked off into the darkened halls.

 

Running her hands up and down her arms, she felt the shivers from before expand throughout her body. Wringing her hands, then pacing back and forth, she very nearly wanted to pull her hair out in frustration. Finally settling to kneel on the tatami floor, she stared at her clammy palms, swallowing the lump in her throat as she tried to remain calm.

 

`Trust Yuki…believe in him…to hope for more…Ri-chan…fireflies…free…Ri-chan…' Random thoughts ran rampant in her mind which was good…she honestly didn't want to think why she was here. But trust Yuki she did, and if it brought her some semblance of hope, she'll take whatever repercussions will come her way…even those dealt by `God' personally.

 

“Well, I must say I'm rather surprised with this visit. It's so rare that the Boar of the Zodiac would deign to visit me, ne Yuki?” was the languid response heard suddenly in the stillness of the room.

 

`Akito…should I reply? I'm not…I don't know what to do! Please, Yun-chan…please help me!' She bowed elegantly to Akito's presence, still kneeling but with a low bow of her head and her arms stretched out.

 

“Her studies must keep her very busy, Akito. She will be entering her final year after her fall term is over,” replied Yuki reasonably.

 

“Hm…so it would seem that way.” Sighing heavily, Akito made her way to the open window, pleased to see that it was left open. Taking a deep breath, she calmly replied, “Do you smell that…the fresh smell of death. What do you think, Yuki?”

 

`Death? What the hell kind of remark is that?! What—' She was silenced in her musings when she felt another body brush past her, probably Yuki.

 

“Hm…the leaves are starting to turn colors. And the breezes are turning cooler in the evening. Summer is close to its end,” remarked the teen as he stood next to Akito observing the garden from his vantage point.

 

`How could he make sense of what Akito had said? That description Akito gave was so…horrid.' Biting her tongue wisely, she remained knelt on the floor, not wishing to draw anymore attention to herself than she had to.

 

Such a precautionary attitude did surprise her to some level. It is true that all the Jyuunishi instinctively feel the deference in their souls to obey their `God'. She felt this truth all too well at the moment…whereas if she were with anyone else, she would have been more vocal (and likely far more aggressive) in her outbursts. So far she had done none of this…and if her instincts were anything to go by, she would continue in this manner. Thus far, it's helped…Akito didn't seem angry just yet.

 

“Well, since it's been an age, I do suppose I have time for a small audience with you, Kagura.” Leaning against the windowsill, Akito stared at her and tilted her head to the side, contemplating from the looks of it.

 

As she heard her name mentioned again, Kagura ceased bowing, and straightened herself, yet not fully looking into Akito's eyes but her eyes kept respectively lowered. Is it not considered a challenge in the animal kingdom to lock gazes? Her more primal instincts thought so and she was rather obedient in following those instincts carefully.

 

“Thank you, Akito, for seeing me today…on such short notice,” quietly replied the Boar of the Jyuunishi to her `God'. Remembering her manners, she quickly added, “I hope you are doing well.”

 

“Why, yes, today is a most…agreeable day,” stated Akito amiably. Narrowing her gaze on the girl kneeled before her, she arched a brow and asked, “Curious…”

 

Not understanding that trailing comment, Kagura tentatively asked, “What is, Akito?”

 

Shaking her head, Akito sighed heavily as she ran her fingers through her hair. Staring at Kagura, she grinned slyly. “Well, I just fail to see how one of my Jyuunishi managed to get herself rejected by the bake-mono of the family. That's…quite a feat, not to mention it must have been rather humiliating for you.”

 

Silence. The silence in a tomb was nothing compared to the suffocating and very dry silence that permeated the air just then. If it were conceivable, the silence reached into the very veins, stilling all voluntary and involuntary processes of the human body.

 

At least, that's how Kagura felt. Surely her heart had stopped beating and her lungs stopped breathing when she heard that cutting statement. Besides the fact that it astonished her to find that Akito knew well what had happened between herself and Kyo, it was severe, cruel…and ultimately it called forth her bitter anger. She had long ago shed her old coat of bitter self-pity on the matter, but that one statement brought it out of the deep attic of her memories.

 

Still, as the rage came forth, so did the calming sense of reason. That is, her reason for being there in the first place, humbling herself before someone she barely knew because of this very special reason…this special person. And she once again recalled Yuki's advice…trust him.

 

`How does me trusting him help me now? I don't understand…like déjà vu, what with the `death' remarks just a few moments ago. I just don't…' She stopped in her musings, willing herself to recall what Yuki did just then when he was confronted with Akito's bizarre way of thinking. She had shrugged off the moment since it barely concerned her, but now she desperately tried making sense of it. Somehow, someway, she just knew that here lies the way. The small shell of hope…

 

`He answered Akito…honestly. Come to think of it, he didn't contradict what was said…he just worded his reply pretty carefully. To the point, too. So…what of me?' She mentally called forth the very brutal remarks of `God' and tried to find the same idea here. It was then that she realized…Kyo did dump her; she was humiliated at times because of it; and most of all, and with reluctance she admitted this, she was one of the Jyuunishi, and Jyuunishi rightfully belonged to `God'. This was all very much…

 

“…true,” quietly responded Kagura, flushing out all her anger and sadness from her tone. She kept it neutral, just like she had heard Yuki a moment before, and still kept her eyes lowered. “He didn't wish for that sort of relationship with me. It was…difficult to accept, but I did and was able to put it behind me.”

 

“Does it still hurt?” pressed on Akito, seemingly oblivious to the poor girl's growing discomfort with the continued questioning. “I mean, really…for so long, years even, you held onto the little monster of the family, even going so far as to include him in your daily life unlike most members of the inner family. To put all those years of pining after someone behind you…my, my…”

 

Kagura couldn't help caressing her fingers just a bit. It took sheer strength to keep herself together, to keep her hands from wringing around `God's' slim neck. When she felt that even that was about to fail her, she mentally recalled Ritsu's face against a backdrop of a starry night and a quilt blanket.

 

`No…I won't cave in. Not now…there's that shred of a chance. I know it.' She licked her dry lips and replied, “It was…very hard…to move forward. It hurts to remember, so I don't. I focus on being in the here and now. It helps.”

 

Nothing else was said after that remark. There was a pregnant pause amongst the small group, one standing by the window while quietly observing the exchange, another leaning against the windowsill in silent contemplation, while the last person knelt on the floor with her gaze still submissively lowered to the floor. Suddenly one of the three moved.

 

“Tell me…Kagura,” began Akito as she knelt in front of the young lady, her voice dropping to a low octave. “What do you hope to gain by being here? My sympathy…my condolences…?”

 

Closing her eyes, Kagura softly shook her head, her fingers still caressing one another. “Iie…I don't deserve such. I had known the risks…the result is just the outcome of losing.”

 

“Poor thing…such a pathetic end to years of devotion,” remarked Akito languidly while patting Kagura's head like she would to a domesticated animal, which didn't go unnoticed by the Boar. “Tell me one last thing, Kagura…”

 

She inwardly gasped. `Last thing? But I've not gotten a chance to—!'

 

“Why did you go to Yuki? I have to say that you're the only one who has ever come to me by ways of my little Nezumi,” pointed out Akito softly while gazing over her shoulder at the silent Jyuunishi by the window. “This has me…intrigued. And I rarely find so very few things in life…intriguing.”

 

He blinked back at her, staying silent since the question wasn't directed at him. He merely glanced back at the other Jyuunishi who was also staying silent.

 

`My chance is slipping away…I've got to ask now!' She knew she was panicking—it couldn't be helped. Here was her only chance to make her intentions known, and Akito was practically sending her on her way. Yet…it wasn't too surprising. The fact that she still remained intact with no physical ailments to her person was a huge step forward for any female dealing with Akito.

 

`If this is how it ends…' Her shoulders slouching slightly, she sadly smiled at the finality of her situation. Ritsu's face came across her mind's eye, always sincere and kind. `How can I dare to put him through any pain, just because of my selfishness? Love is selfless, right? To give it away is enough, even if I'm not allowed to receive it in return. Akito's right…my end is pathetic. We're all rather…pathetic.'

 

“I didn't know who else to go to. I just knew that I could trust him.” Looking up finally, she looked to the teen behind Akito. With her gaze poignant, she softly replied, “And I still do. That…won't ever change.”

 

As the two Jyuunishi stared at one another, their `God' inwardly smiled widely, knowing now that this particular Jyuunishi, a female at that, would perform well in her future arrangements involving the Nezumi of the Jyuunishi.

 

`Yes…this would work fine.' Allowing a smirk to grace her features, Akito leaned in on Kagura's face and whispered with veiled vehemence, “I will hold you to that.”

 

Once…just one glance into `God's' eyes was enough for Kagura to see why many dared not cross the petite individual. It took just one look from the individual to know that disobedience was never an option. Neither was lying…a rebellious attitude…a remark to defy the will of `God'…

 

Epiphanies tended to happen out of the blue. It was certainly the case here…Kagura was about to ponder on this further when Akito suddenly stood up and started to walk off to the doorway. Panicking, Kagura was about to stand up when Akito turning around to face them stopped her.

 

“I'm not one to give out anything…but I will allow for certain things, particularly if they're of no importance to me.” Giving Yuki a pointed gaze, Akito walked out, her last comment echoing down the hallway, “Do visit more, Kagura. Your presence was…satisfactory.”

 

Unsure of what to say or think, Kagura remained knelt on the floor, her hands trembling in her lap. Feeling the reassuring squeeze of a hand on her shoulder, she looked up to the eyes of her fellow Zodiac. Nodding slightly to her, Yuki went silently down the hallway after Akito.

 

Days went by…weeks…months…years. In the figurative sense, of course, but Kagura felt it to be accurate. It all became so automatic…her breathing, her heartbeat, her silence. Feeling incapable of thinking clearly amidst the stifling silence, she waited for Yuki to come back…he did. They walked out…they kept silent. They arrived at her home. He started to leave. And she stopped him with a tug on his elbow.

 

“Yun-chan…” called out Kagura softly while tightening her hold on his elbow. “Did you know all along?”

 

“Mm…” remarked Yuki noncommittally. Turning his head slightly to view her from a side angle, he quietly continued, “Why do you trust me, Kagura?”

 

`You told me to, baka! But still…why do I trust you without a second thought?' Her frantic eyes conveying her unspoken thoughts, she let him go. She softly tugged her lower lip with her teeth, hoping that her feelings phrased her scattered thoughts coherently. “I trust you…because…I knew I could. I knew that if I did, I could still have some hope. A…hope…a hope to hope for more. Does…that make…any sense to you?”

 

He gently gazed back at her, giving her no reply at the moment. He turned in the direction of the main gate, apparently ready to leave the premises. As he took a few steps, he looked back at her with a solemn gaze.

 

“Thank you…for believing in me. It must have been so difficult for you to understand…us…even just a little. The relationship…if you could call it that…is not meant to be understood by others. And that's fine, I accept that.” Fidgeting with his cool hands, Yuki tore his gaze from Kagura's own and stared at the ground. Looking lost in his world, he faintly whispered, “I…can't…the others…(sigh). There are some…in the family…that would not care to understand and will draw their own conclusions. It's of no importance to me, but…I can't…no…it's better if they don't ever find out. My business with Akito is private. I would be very grateful if you kept what just happened back there to yourself, and if you must, with your mother. That's…all I ask.”

 

It was Kagura's turn to turn her gaze to the ground beneath her. “Yun-chan. Back there…at Akito's place…how slim were my chances? Honestly…”

 

“Next to zero, actually.” Lifting his eyes to meet her startled pair, he smiled kindly. “It was a good shot as any…at least it was better than `next to null'. Null is absolute…zero is still possible since it holds value.”

 

Breaking out in laughter of relief, she rushed to Yuki. Laughing and crying at the same time (personally thanking herself for thinking of waterproof makeup that morning), she hugged the lithe youth fiercely. “Baka. You and your math. But…thank you…for giving me the chance to at least try.”

 

“Kagura, I am sorry to put you in a bad spot with Akito. Apparently the conversation went better than I had thought, so Akito will want more later on.” Patting her back in a friendly manner, he pulled back and looked down at her with a gentle gaze. “At least you have someone to be with you through it all. I'm sure he'd be happy to support you.”

 

“What…I mean, WHAT? But…Akito…I didn't even say…” stammered Kagura in confusion.

 

“Akito stated that `certain' things would be allowed. Like…your relationship with Ritsu, for example. I would advise that you be discreet with what was discussed between yourself and Akito. It's no one's business, after all…Akito would see it that way,” advised Yuki anxiously.

 

Crying now, she could do nothing else but nod in understanding and hug him once more, wordlessly conveying all her frustration, hopes, despair, and gratitude in her embrace. Receiving the unspoken words, Yuki held her as well, personally happy that his gamble paid off. It was a big gamble, but the only way for it to work out between Kagura and Ritsu. Although he couldn't ever change what happened with the other Zodiac members and their personal lives in the past, he was determined to see the others succeed in having a chance at the very least.

 

`A chance for something better. They both deserve that much. I'm just glad that Kagura was sincere when she told Akito that she trusted me. I can't understand why, but that, more than anything, helped with Akito's final decision. Why that's so important to Akito…I'll probably never know.'

 

Kagura couldn't help but smile with utter joy in her heart and soul. “Thank you, Yun-chan…thank you so much. And don't worry…I promise to keep all this to myself.”

 

“Good.” Standing back, he patted her head and gently, and with a smile he walked away to the main gate and left the premises.

 

Not able to resist, she jumped up and down underneath the porch, much too happy to hide it. `Okay, maybe I will now need to visit Akito more, but…oh, it's worth it! He's worth it…all of it…' She shouted with glee while bursting into the house, “KAA-SAN!!! KAA-SAN…!!!”

 

— o —

 

“Yes, I'll let her know you called, Sawamura-san. (Pause) Yes, I'll pass the message on to Ritsu when he returns from his trip. (Pause) Yes…good day to you as well.” (CLICK)

 

“Kaa-san! Was that Sawamura?” called out Kagura from her room.

 

Placing the phone in it's stand, Kagura's mother replied, “Hai…he said that he'll be waiting for you and Ritsu in the front lobby of the theatre. He told me to let Ritsu know that he already purchased the tickets…a horror flick of some sort.”

 

“Ugh…that guy's been wanting to see that flick for weeks! Well, it was nice of him anyway…I'll call him back later.” Bursting into the room with a shine in her eyes, she pranced before her mother, showing off her new outfit. “Ne, it fits pretty nice! I decided to go with the Chinese-style dress today. What do you think?”

 

“You're beautiful, sweetheart. But your nap did a number on your hair,” pointed out her mother with a wide smile of her own, gently tugging the dress here and there.

 

Kagura gasped as she hurried back to her room. “Kaa-san, I think that's Ri-chan coming up the walkway. I see him through my window…”

 

“Of course.” Turning to the front door, Kagura's mother went to open it. She had long ago put Kagura's scrapbook away, busily washing the last of the dishes she had used earlier. Her memories of that time when Kagura explained to her what had happened with Akito were still fresh. Kagura did keep certain aspects of the confrontation to herself, this much she knew, but overall she was pleased to find out that Kagura could remain seeing Ritsu.

 

`To think that Yuki of all people helped my precious daughter…' Shaking her head, she recalled that no long after that fated confrontation, she herself went to see Yuki privately. She made certain that he was alone when walking home (way too many eyes and ears at the Main House and possibly in his own home), and it was then that she met up with him.

 

It was a very short `conversation'…she smiled gratefully, bowed low in thanks, and he smiled and patted her shoulder as he walked by. Short, but significant. She still smiled at that memory. `I'll always remember your kindness, Yuki. However small it was, it has made a world of difference with my daughter. I can never thank you enough…'

 

A knock sounded softly.

 

Opening the door, she replied to the young man at her door, “Ritsu, how many times must I remind you that you are free to just come right in without having to knock?”

 

“Oh, please forgive me, I don't wish to be rude, and I don't wish to disrespect your home and…” prattled Ritsu anxiously while clutching a small bag to his chest.

 

“Ritsu, it's fine, really,” quickly assuaged Kagura's mother to the worried Jyuunishi male. “Kagura…”

 

“I'm here!” She burst into the room once more, with her hair in style in a high bun and twirled around to show her new dress off to the man that matters most to her. Quickly launching herself into his embrace, she hugged him fiercely, but not too badly…hearing the crack of ribs the first few times really scared her.

 

“You look lovely today, Kagura,” replied Ritsu softy while holding onto her. Stepping back, he gave her the bag he had brought with him. “This is for you. I managed to have time to go by this store. I had to have someone with me, but the crowds weren't too bad if you go at the right time of day.”

 

“WOW! You actually got around to go to the Wako Department Store! You have to take me there one of these days!” The store was known for having high quality (not to mention high priced) and unique valuables. And the gift she now held was one such item. A beautiful snow-globe with a blossoming sakura tree in it with sakura `petals' floating all around the heart-shaped glass, the base of the globe encrusted with tiny crystal and pink sapphires.

 

“Go ahead and play the tune,” suggested Ritsu with a shy smile.

 

“Okay…” Too stunned with her gift, she turned the chime from the bottom and bent her ear down to hear the melody. Kimura Yumi's song from the popular film was perfectly imitated. “Always with me…it fits so well.”

 

Seeing the two of them stare at each other tenderly, her mother discreetly went over and picked up the scrapbook at the table. She went back to the silent (and blushing) couple, and placed the book into Ritsu's hands. She whispered, “I believe this is yours.”

 

Brightening at seeing her gift to Ritsu, Kagura smiled gratefully to her mother. “I hope you like it!”

 

Opening the book, Ritsu's face did brighten as well. He smiled widely at certain pictures, memories of those moments coming back to him. Looking up at Kagura, he asked, “Would you mind if we added one more picture?”

 

“No, of course not! Which would it be?” she asked curiously.

 

He walked over to the table where he kneeled and opened the book to the last page. Taking a picture from his shirt pocket, he inserted the picture into the punch holes of the thick paper. It was then that Kagura sat next to him and leaned over to see what it was.

 

“Oh my gosh, where did you get that?” she asked incredulously.

 

“I always had it…I just didn't know where to put it exactly. I didn't want to just leave it by itself somewhere, so I carried it with me.” He fingered the weathered photo, remembering that fine day at the festival their two schools held over a year ago. Their picture came out fine…the backdrop of the fountain caught just right and her smile…it's what he stared at the most.

 

“I like your last inscription, Kagura…it fits, too,” murmured Ritsu softly in implied understanding.

 

Blushing now, Kagura gently nudged him (she was getting better at it) while she carefully placed her gift on the table. “Well, the beauty of the book is that we can still add more.”

 

“That would be great,” agreed Ritsu with a wide smile. `To add more to our memories of being together…I would very much like to have many more…'

 

Kagura's mother eyed the couple knowingly, thinking how truly blessed Kagura's broken road of life as a Jyuunishi has become, if only a little.

 

`Kagura's inscription really does fit after all. Thankfully…'

 

~~~*~~~

 

`Sometimes the true curse in one's life is the heartfelt prayer that is left unanswered…

 

...but sometimes, just sometimes, an unanswered prayer can be the best blessing in one's life.'

 

~~~*~~~

 

~*~

 

Edited by: Seiren-no-Kaze 05-08-06, HelloKat 09-28-06

~*~

 

 

Author's final notes (01-30-06):

 

Finally! YES, FINALLY!!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!! I have done it!!!!

 

Now please shoot me out of my misery. This is much too painful to bear…oh, the agony of pushing the little brain to exhaustion!

 

Well, it wasn't easy, but I did it. I finished this side-fic that took me forever to put out. Well, maybe not that long, but it really did feel like it. I'm not even too sure of the grammar on this one release, but hey, it's done, it's over, I'm releasing. Sorry, Miya-chan, I think the grammar in this one will really work you out!

 

Still, the story ended pretty much like I had planned. I hope you caught on what the inscription (thus the title of the fic) meant all along. This was actually inspired by Garth Brook's song, “Unanswered Prayers”, and it fit well with Kagura's situation. She had prayed hard to have a relationship with Kyo for so long. To have to let it go, she eventually found another and now is extremely grateful that her prayer didn't come true after all. It happens to us all at one point or another. I hope I worked it out well in this fic despite the obvious rush work I did on this.

 

Now that scene with Ritsu and Kagura in the beginning was hard, hell, the whole thing was hard! Especially the Akito/Yuki/Kagura scene…my word, that was TOUGH! For all my SOS readers, consider yourselves treated with crucial details here for the main fic. Trust…believing…all this with no real basis for it. There is a reason why I point this out again in this fic. Something to keep an eye out for in the main fic.

 

Oh, the Wako Dept. Store is an actual store in Tokyo. Yep, rather near impossible for a Jyuunishi to run around in that congestion, so I had him escorted. It's more believable that way. Anyway, the store is crème de la-crème, as in lots of yen are needed to even look at their merchandise. They can afford it…

 

The song I recommend in this chapter release is Rascal Flatt's song, “Bless The Broken Road”. I love this song—it fits so well for the two lovebirds. I highly recommend the song to be heard!

 

Thank you…thank you all so much for your patience and understanding while I pushed to have this done. I said I would, and I don't go back on what I said. I know some would have preferred that I drop this, but I wanted to keep my word. It was tough, but hopefully the fic wasn't the worst out there in Furuba fandom!

 

Yes, I will return to SOS…YIPPEE! Give me a little time for it, though, a couple of weeks at most. It'll be regular updates for the SOS epic novel from now on. Boy, what I have in store for you guys…

 

TTFN and take care! Read, review, and THANK YOU! Ja ne!