Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ The Ceremony of Innocence ❯ Whatever You Say, Say Nothing ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

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The Ceremony of Innocence
a Fruits Basket novel by Ysabet MacFarlane <ba087@chebucto.ns.ca>

Chapter One: Whatever You Say, Say Nothing [1/10]

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"You gave him your blood
and your warm little diamond
he likes killing you after you're dead . . .

now you've cut out the flute
from the throat of the loon
at least when you cry now
he can't even hear you
when chickens get a taste of your meat
when he sucks you deep
sometimes you're nothing but meat."
--Tori Amos, "Blood Roses" (Boys For Pele)
********

Kyo stared out the classroom window, wishing the school day would hurry up and
end. Everywhere he looked there seemed to be a sunny patch calling out for him
to come lie in it and nap. He was glad that the sunlight wasn't streaming
directly into the classroom; if it was all he could do to keep himself from
simply leaping out the window--he winced, remembering the earful he'd gotten
from Yuki the one time he'd done so--then how much harder would it be to keep
from dozing if a tempting pool of golden warmth appeared on his desk? He sighed
and tried to focus on what the teacher was saying. It would probably be on the
final exam; this close to the end of the year, every word was probably vital.
It would be nice to leave school with decent grades, even if they wouldn't
measure up to Yuki's. They never did.

The sound of the door abruptly sliding open interrupted the teacher's lecture
and drew all of the students' eyes toward what they hoped would be a welcome
distraction. Almost all of them stared in confusion at the figure who leaned on
the door frame: dark hair slightly disheveled, the kimono wrapping the slight
body threatening to slide off one narrow shoulder. A gaze at once piercing and
vague swept the room, oblivious to most of the faces looking back.

"Akito," Kyo whispered in horror as his god's eyes rested on him with a flash of
contempt. He felt his hands clench into claws on his desk as Akito dismissed
him, eyed Tohru with a look of irritation, and then focused on Yuki. Kyo felt
his stomach twisting as he watched the inevitable power struggle that always
played out when conflicting members of the family encountered each other.
Yuki's face was expressionless and pale; he didn't drop his eyes from Akito's,
but Kyo clearly saw the moment when he yielded.

Without looking away from Yuki, Akito stepped into the classroom. "Sohma Yuki
will be leaving your class today," he said, gesturing at the teacher as if to
connect his words to someone.

The teacher's face was creased with bewilderment. Kyo saw him trying to grasp
the situation--there was, after all, very little time left before this class
graduated--as he stood up from his desk. "This seems very irregular--you are .
. ?"

Akito still didn't turn away from Yuki. "I am Sohma Akito. Yuki is in my
charge. He will be leaving with me." His tone changed as he addressed Yuki.
"I called earlier to have Shigure keep you from leaving the house, but you had
already left."

The gentle menace in that voice sickened Kyo more than the baffled glances his
classmates were exchanging. He had a sudden panicked flash of premonition. He
looked at Tohru, who was sitting by her other friends. Akito's dislike of her
was liable to turn to malice if she interfered; Kyo leaned toward them and
pitched his voice as loudly as he dared. "Yankee, Hanajima, keep her out of
this." Students seated between them stared at him, but Kyo ignored them. All
three girls gave him puzzled looks as he added, "Sit on her if you have to, but
keep her out of the way!"

Akito was beckoning to Yuki. "Perhaps this is more convenient, though; you can
come straight home with me and Shigure can bring your belongings along later."
Yuki had begun to stand, but he froze at Akito's words. "It's time for the
family to come together again." Akito's gaze wandered over Yuki's blank face.
"Yuki, you've been away from home for far too long. I've indulged your whims,
but your family should be more important than an adolescent bid for
independence." His eyes hardened. "Come here."

Yuki obeyed, moving gracelessly. His classmates sat motionless, watching the
halting progress of their 'prince' in stunned silence. Kyo saw a flurry of
movement from the corner of his eye as Tohru started to get up and Arisa grabbed
her arm and held her down. He took a deep breath and stood up himself.

"Akito." He had to speak quickly, before he lost his nerve. "Akito, you've
told us that family business belongs only in the Main House. This is family
business."

Akito smiled slowly in response, voice darkening with disgust. "The family's
business is what I decide it is. And _you_ have no part in it."

Kyo gritted his teeth at the familiar rejection and addressed Yuki instead,
knowing as he spoke that his words were untrue. "Yuki, this is stupid. You
don't have to leave school because he says so!" Yuki murmured something in
reply, but his voice was too faint for even Kyo's superb hearing to make out.
Behind them, Tohru's anguish was almost palpable. Arisa probably had her wrists
in a death grip to keep her still.

Akito's mouth quirked unpleasantly. "As always, the outsider can't understand.
Yuki, you will do as I tell you, won't you?" Kyo saw Yuki's hand reach blindly
for the desk closest to him and grasp its edge, as if he was unable to keep his
balance unaided. His knuckles were visibly white as he held on in silence. The
tension in the room spiked; the air was almost crackling with it. Kyo blinked
and glanced back at Tohru and her friends. Saki had risen from her desk and
stood staring pointedly at the teacher. The unearthly aura that was capable of
sending her classmates running was almost palpable.

"Perhaps the class should leave the room," she suggested softly. "I am sure
that this sort of discussion should be carried on in privacy." At once, the
shuffling of books being gathered and students scrambling out of their desks
broke the silence. In moments, the room was almost empty. Even the teacher had
left without protest, leaving Kyo and his kin alone with Tohru and her
friends--and, at the back of the room, two of the girls from Yuki's fan club.

Akito glanced from one group of girls to the other. "I see . . . Kyo, I
understand your motivation. I wondered for a moment if you might be worrying
unnecessarily about Yuki, but I realize that you are, as always, thinking only
of yourself. You don't want your little domestic circle to be broken." He
stared at Tohru. "No need to concern yourself; Honda-san's involvement with our
family will cease soon enough whether you intervene or not. As for the rest of
you, this does not involve you in the slightest. Leave."

Yuki actually laughed, a flat and humorless sound. "Let them stay, Akito. Let
them see what they've been chasing. You'll make sure they forget it anyway."

"What they've been chasing . . ? Chasing you?" Akito was losing his composure,
his strong resemblance to Yuki lessening as his face twisted with anger. "Your
arrogance is tiring me; I'll hold you responsible if I fall ill again! I am the
head of the family, and you will show proper respect! What do you imagine those
children would want you for?" He reached out and grabbed Yuki's shoulders,
shoving him to the floor. Yuki made no effort to resist, and his knees struck
the ground so hard that Kyo winced. He heard Tohru choke back a sob as Akito
slid his hands up to cradle Yuki's face, fingers biting deep into flesh.
"Answer me! Why would they want you?" Akito pulled one hand away, leaving red
lines behind. "You're lucky I still want you, despite your disobedience." Yuki
didn't reply. Akito turned to stare at the two girls. "Why would you want him?
Even if you could have him . . . Sullen, disobedient boy!" He drew back one
hand threateningly.


Kyo suddenly found his voice again. "Akito! Leave him alone." He fumbled for
a way to convince him. "If you get worked up, you'll get sick and Hatori will
be worried."

"Hatori won't worry," Akito spat back. "None of you ever really worry, you
sickening thing." He struck Yuki without looking, with a dull cracking sound.
Yuki dangled limply from his hands, offering no resistance. Kyo turned and
looked at his cousin's two fans, who were staring stupidly at the spectacle
playing out in front of them. Fury welled up in him and he gestured violently
at the door. They looked from their 'prince', with his face blank and swelling,
back to Kyo. They fled.

For a moment the only sounds in the room were Tohru's gasping sobs and the
harshness of Akito's breathing. Kyo's footsteps sounded unnaturally loud in his
ears as he moved toward his relatives, steadfastly not looking back at the three
remaining girls. He had to draw Akito's attention, keep him from focusing on
them, try to get Yuki loose; his stomach knotted with frustration. He'd never
made any secret of his dislike for Yuki, even above and beyond the roles their
curses had cast them in, but that dislike was a familiar one with its own
rituals and even comfort. What was being done to the other boy fell far outside
of anything Kyo would ever honestly wish on him. He held his hand out,
tentatively. "Akito . . . Akito, how are you going to get home? Why did you
come?" He tried to make his voice gentle, but it quavered without the strength
of anger to support it. Another step closer to Akito's hate and Yuki's silent
submission; Yuki looked almost unconscious, lying still and looking up at the
ceiling through half-closed eyes.

"I came to take Yuki back. He's mine, and I wanted him back." Akito paused for
breath. "I told Hatori to pick us up."

"Hatori agreed to this?" Startled, Kyo forgot his supplicating tone. Akito had
never been predictable or rational, but what was happening was far worse than
his usual impulses.

"Hatori does as I tell him!" Akito shook Yuki violently, as if for emphasis.
His eyes narrowed. "I rule Hatori, as I rule Yuki and all of them--all of
you--" He shook his head abruptly. Kyo suspected he was trying to decide
whether he actually wanted to include the outcast cat in his domain. "I do as I
please."

"I know, Akito, I--" Kyo tried to sound appropriately humble, but Akito seemed
not to hear him at all. Instead, he stared down at Yuki, running a finger over
his throat. He pressed a fingertip onto the dark vein that was clearly visible
through Yuki's translucent skin and traced it. Yuki's face remained motionless
as Akito pulled his head up. For an instant they were face to face, liquid
blank eyes confronted by manic ones. In the time it took Kyo to blink, Akito
shoved Yuki's head sideways and dug his nails into the soft flesh between Yuki's
jaw and throat. He raked downward, leaving bloody scratches that ran down
Yuki's neck and collarbone onto his chest, tearing his shirt in the process.

Tohru screamed, drowning out Yuki's involuntary whimper. Yuki rolled his eyes
in her direction as Kyo closed the remaining distance between himself and them.
"Akito, STOP IT!" He didn't, couldn't, look at Tohru; the dawning horror on
Yuki's battered face told him enough about how she was reacting.

Yuki finally tried to sit up, to pull away, but Akito's hand was still clutching
the fabric of his shirt. Kyo reached over and ripped the shirt the rest of the
way, pulling Yuki free. Akito gaped for a moment before recovering his aplomb;
Kyo took advantage of his bewilderment to half-lift, half-drag Yuki a few feet
away.

"Since when do you care?" Akito hissed. "You've always hated him, and he
certainly hates you."

"He's still my family, Akito. He's still my cousin."

"You are _not_ part of our family." Akito clearly felt that his pronouncement
was unquestionable.

Yuki stirred slightly against Kyo, a look of defiance flickering on his face.
"Yes, he is . . . Akito . . . " His head sagged again, and Kyo felt a wet
trickle on his own arm. His cat-sharp nose reminded him that Yuki was bleeding.
"He's . . . my family."

Akito was barely in control of himself. "Give him to me, Kyo."

"You'll only hurt him." Odd, that even without the deep conditioning that kept
the other Jyuunishi submissive, the curse still compelled him to obey Akito's
command.

"Why would I hurt him?" Akito sounded genuinely outraged at the suggestion.

Kyo almost choked on his own angry response. "Why would you hurt him? Why did
you hurt him today? Why do you ever hurt any of us?" He could actually feel
the shock radiating from the three girls: white-hot from Arisa, tension from
Saki, and from Tohru a desperate horror. He plunged on, no longer fully in
control of himself. "Why do you constantly remind us all of how we're
'supposed' to relate to each other and get angry when we don't?" He wrapped his
right hand around his bracelet, stroking the beads in the gesture he had used to
take comfort from them as a child. He had broken himself of the habit years
ago, but he was once again reminded of his mother's touch. He could almost feel
the ghost of her fingers pressing the beads into his skin, an echo of the only
touches she had ever given him. He swallowed hard. "Leave him alone--leave
both of us alone--or I'll take it off."

Akito stared at him. "You'll . . . what?"

"I'll take the bracelet off. Let him go, or I'll make a bigger scene than you
want to deal with." Kyo gripped the beads between his fingers, rolling them
back and forth, preparing to strip their protection away.

Akito suddenly laughed. "You will do no such thing. You know what the
consequences would be." Kyo froze; Akito stood slowly and stared at them, his
dark eyes demanding obedience. The bond between them made it difficult to even
think of disobeying. He felt his lips peel back to bare his teeth, weak human
teeth that they were; his fingers clawed instinctively. He dimly heard Yuki's
faint protest at the pain of his nails digging in, but the sound was drowned out
by the roaring in his ears; his pulse was painfully swift with panic and the
eternal rage of the vengeful cat. He wondered if Akito could see his terrified
bloodlust.

Saki's voice broke through the fog wrapping his mind. "I see." Kyo shook his
head violently, trying to clear his thoughts.

Akito swiveled his head around. "What do you imagine you see?" he hissed.

Saki remained perfectly calm. "You are the darkness in their minds, and you
hurt them when they turn away from you. Do you even see that they hate you
enough to kill you?"

Akito was clearly debating whether to answer her or not when he was distracted
by the door opening for the first time since the class' mass exodus. Hatori
came in quickly, followed by Kagura, who closed the door behind her. Relief at
seeing them drowned out Kyo's lingering impulse to run whenever Kagura got
close.

********

Hatori made a swift assessment of the situation and immediately attempted damage
control. "Akito, you are speaking very freely in front of outsiders. It is
your decision, of course, but I fear you will regret it later." He stepped into
the room and quietly knelt beside Akito, checking his pulse as matter-of-factly
as if Yuki and Kyo were not a few steps beyond, one pale and bleeding and the
other shaking with fury. As he made solicitous sounds, Hatori lifted his head
and stared pointedly at Kyo. His single working eye expressed sympathy and an
obvious request for patience. "What do you want to do, Akito?"

"To bring Yuki home." Akito was tired and sullen, but his anger had died down,
making him more susceptible to guidance.


"You wanted to remove him from the school, Akito; having him move back home at
the same time may be too much of a change for him." Hatori's voice was steady
and reasonable. "Let me take a look at him, and then I'll take you home."

"You're going to leave me alone to look at Yuki?" Akito murmured.

"Of course not. Look, Kagura came along with me. She'll stay with you."
Kagura looked unusually docile as she reached for Akito's arm. She barely
spared Kyo a glance as she led Akito out, but the look was one of understanding.
Hatori closed the door firmly behind them, his placating expression gone.

He surveyed the scene calmly, only a slight furrowing of his forehead showing
his worry. Kyo was still supporting Yuki, whose eyes had become extremely
glassy. Some of the scratches on Yuki's chest were beginning to scab over, but
his neck was still bleeding. Hatori sighed and looked at the girls. He nodded
to Arisa. "You can let go of Honda-kun now." As she obliged, he flicked his
gaze to Saki. "I heard what you said just before I came in. What did you mean
by that?"

Saki returned his look calmly. "I have been in class with these two for a long
time, and wondering about the patterns I saw in their minds. When that person
was here, some of it became clearer." She tilted her head slightly. "I see a
similar pattern in you, but there is also an odd undercurrent. Are you a
psychic?"

Hatori blinked. "In a very limited way, perhaps." His lips quirked. "If Akito
has his way, you'll probably be given a firsthand look."

"It would be interesting to see you try," she replied. There wasn't a trace of
threat in her voice, but Tohru glanced nervously between them.

"Hatori-san, these are my friends Uotani Arisa and Hanajima Saki. They are, um,
I think they're trustworthy."

"And perceptive," he said mildly. He knelt beside Yuki and Kyo, taking Yuki's
pulse as he added, "I am Sohma Hatori, the family physician. Why were you
holding onto Honda-kun so tightly, Uotani-san?"

"Kyo-kun told her to," Tohru told him.

"A good idea. Did Akito say anything to you?"

"Ah . . . no . . . "

"He stared at her, though," Kyo muttered.


"Hmmm. Well, there's nothing to be done about it." Hatori finished checking
Yuki over, carefully running his hands along the boy's bones and pressing at his
face. "Nothing seems to be broken. Kyo, you and Honda-kun should take him home
before Akito gets impatient."

"Home . . ?"

"Back to Shigure's house, I mean. Don't come back here unless Akito or I tells
you to. If he wins on that front, he may not try to take Yuki back again."

"For a while, you mean." Kyo gritted his teeth. "He can't bear to see any of
us happy, can he?"

"For a while," Hatori confirmed. "Hanajima-san's assessment was correct, I
think. Akito wants us to love him, and he doesn't understand why . . . some of
us . . . don't do so without reservation."

Yuki tried to sit up again, leaning painfully on Kyo's shoulder. "Do you love
him, Hatori?"

There was a long silence. "As with so much else in the world, yes and no."
Hatori looked at Tohru, who was staying close to her friends, white-faced with
the effort of not breaking down in tears. "Honda-kun, you're so far away."

"I don't want to . . . ah . . . get in your way, Hatori-san." She rubbed at one
eye.

"Or give away any secrets, am I right?" She hesitated and nodded. "How sure
are you of your friends, Honda-kun?" Her eyes widened, but he didn't wait for a
response. "Yuki? Kyo? Do you trust these girls?"

Yuki glanced at Kyo. "Why do you ask?" His words were slurred from the
bruising and swelling around his mouth, but intelligible.

"Because I think it might be better to take you out without anyone seeing you; I
think a smaller but more serious revelation might be better than causing more
speculation among the student body than has already begun."

"Do you think Akito will make you . . ?"

"I sincerely hope not, but if it comes to that it would be easier to only have
to deal with a few people." Hatori looked pointedly at Arisa and Saki.

Yuki followed his gaze. "I trust them," he said quietly. "Honda-san trusts
them. Kyo?"

Kyo grimaced. "Does that mean I won't have to carry him home myself? Sure."

"All right," Hatori said evenly. "Honda-kun, will you take Yuki home? I'll go
downstairs with you and Kyo will meet you outside."

Tohru walked carefully over to them, holding onto desks as she approached as if
afraid she would jostle one of the Sohmas. Arisa cleared her throat. "Now,
what exactly is going on here?"

"Watch and see," Saki murmured, watching with the fascination of someone about
to be handed the answer to a puzzle. Tohru eased herself down beside Kyo and
Yuki, her face intent with concentration.

"Hana-chan, Uo-chan, you won't tell anyone, will you?"

********

"Tell anyone _what_?", Arisa started to ask, but the words stuck in her throat.
Kyo, moving with a stiff precision, eased Yuki up and supported him with an arm
under his shoulders. Yuki winced but stared at Tohru with an intensity that
Arisa found almost disturbing. She glanced at Kyo and started at the jealousy
on his face as Tohru gently reached out and wrapped her arms around Yuki. The
two boys had been competing subtly for Tohru's attention for months, but the
fierceness of Kyo's expression seemed a bit excessive.

An instant later Kyo had lost her attention, as Tohru gathered Yuki close and
the bleeding boy flung his arms around her with a desperate sobbing sound. He
held on so tightly that his back muscles stood out visibly. Tohru gasped, and
Arisa hackled protectively, before there was an odd sound and Yuki literally
vanished in a puff of smoke. She gawked as the air cleared and she saw Tohru
gently gathering up the gray rat that lay on her lap. The rat looked distinctly
the worse for wear, eyes and fur both dull, and offering no resistance to the
girl's touch.

"What the HELL--" Arisa started to demand, but Saki touched her arm.

"We promise not to tell."

"Thank you," Hatori said solemnly. Kyo echoed the thanks absently, still gazing
unhappily at Tohru and the rat. And--

"Thank you," said the rat, sounding as if the words hurt it. Keenly intelligent
animal eyes looked up at her and Saki, and then the rat nestled against Tohru
and looked for all the world as if it had fallen asleep.

"That's--but that's--"

"Sohma-kun," Saki confirmed.

Tohru spoke up. "This is why Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun don't let girls get close to
them."

"Because they turn into rats?" Arisa refrained from commenting on the fact that
Yuki was presently very close indeed to a girl. Kyo's jealousy suddenly made
some sense. "Kyon-kyon, you're a rat?"

"Not exactly," Kyo grumbled. He grabbed Yuki's empty clothes from the floor,
including the ruined shirt, and shoved them into his schoolbag as he stood. "I
can take all of our bags, Hatori."

The doctor nodded. "We're not too high off the ground for you?"

Kyo looked distinctly insulted. "Who do you think you're talking to?" He
stalked to the window, three bags slung across his back. "I'll meet you by the
trees. Thanks, Hatori." With no hesitation he leaped out over the sill. No
sounds of pain or even of impact drifted back up.

"He's like a--" Arisa blinked and fell silent.

*******

"Cat, yes," Hatori confirmed wearily, as suspicion crept across Arisa's face.
"Honda-kun, can you hide Yuki somehow?"

"It was too warm to bring a jacket," Tohru said, watching Yuki. "If Uo-chan and
Hana-chan walk downstairs with me, no one will come too close." She shifted an
arm so that Yuki was mostly hidden behind it.

"All right." Hatori was anxious not to leave Akito alone with Kagura for too
long. "Keep a grip on him so he doesn't change back, and settle him into bed
when you get him home. Between the three of you, you should be able to get
those scratches clean; I'll be by as soon as I can to take another look."

Tohru nodded and stood up, heading for the door. Her friends and Hatori
followed, but she stopped suddenly. Without turning, she asked, "Hatori-san,
why does Akito-san hurt Yuki-kun and the rest of you?"

"Because he doesn't know what else to do with us."

"I . . . " Tohru shook her head. She tightened her arms around Yuki. "I don't
want any of you to be hurt."

"Honda-kun." Hatori touched her shoulder and turned her around to face them.
"I once told Ayame and Shigure that I would try to protect you and the boys.
Akito listens to me sometimes."

She managed a small smile. "Thank you, Hatori-san." She straightened her
shoulders and covered Yuki as well as possible.

Hatori looked at the three girls. "Shall we go?"

Saki and Arisa flanked Tohru as they headed into the hall. There were students
milling all around them, giving them curious looks, but no one came very close.
Arisa's scowl and Saki's placid expression seemed to fend them off very well
indeed, Hatori decided. Only a teacher stepped up to them, looking very
nervous.

"Excuse me, sir . . ? May I ask your name?"

"Sohma Hatori." They kept walking, and the teacher followed. "Sohma Yuki and
Sohma Kyo have left already."

"Will they be . . . um . . . returning to school?"

"That is up to their guardian," Hatori replied shortly. "The school will be
contacted. Good day."

If the teacher realized that no explanation had been offered for the girls'
departure, he said nothing about it. They reached the exit with no
difficulties, where Hatori took his leave of them. "Go home quickly, Honda-kun.
Shigure probably knows the situation, but he'll feel better when you're all
there safely. Hanajima-san, Uotani-san, a pleasure." He nodded and rounded
the corner to the parking lot, leaving them alone.

********

Tohru started for home in silence, unsure what to say to her friends. Yuki's
rat body was so still that she found herself tightening her fingers on him to
feel the rise and fall of his tiny ribcage. Out of sight of the school, she
cradled him against her own ribs, where his slight weight felt like an addition
to the heaviness of her heart, which was pounding as if about to make its own
bid for freedom. Akito _hadn't_ said anything to her, but she was constantly
reminded of the hanging threat of having her memory erased. She appreciated
Hatori's kindness, but they both knew that if Akito told him to do it, he would.
She sneaked a glance at Saki and wondered if her friend's powers really were
strong enough to challenge Hatori's. She really had no idea how either of them
did . . . whatever it was they did.

She stumbled a little over a crack on the sidewalk and heard a faint sound of
protest from Yuki. "I'm sorry, Yuki-kun," she said instantly, tightening her
grip a bit.

"Don't crush him," Kyo's voice grumbled unexpectedly at her side. Only long
familiarity with his silent appearances and disappearances kept her from
startling and tripping again. On her other side, she saw Arisa twitch in
surprise. "Did anyone give you any trouble? Anyone see the rat?"

Tohru shook her head. "We left quickly, and Hatori-san talked to the teacher."

"What'd he say?"

"He said it was 'up to your guardian' if you went back to school."

Kyo scowled in thought. "Wonder what he meant by that?" He shrugged. "I
didn't want to go back to school in the first place. If the others don't go
back, they probably won't make me either."

"Maybe you won't have to write finals," Arisa said, trying to sound cheerful.
Kyo glanced at her.

"Maybe not. The rat doesn't mind exams, though. No big deal for him." He
looked down at Yuki, whose eyes were tightly closed. His own nose twitched and
he stopped walking. He sniffed the air, nostrils flaring at the increasing
scent of rats. "Great."

"What?" Arisa asked. "We should keep going."

"You can keep going all you like. Why are you coming with us, anyway?"

Saki pierced him with a look. "We're keeping Tohru-kun company. What is it?"

Kyo grimaced. "Rats." He gestured at the grass along the roadside. The girls
blinked and peered into it. Now that they were paying attention, they all heard
it rustling and saw it moving. Here and there a tiny eye or set of whiskers
became visible and then vanished again. "They're keeping an eye on him," Kyo
explained flatly. He sighed and rubbed at his nose as if to block a smell none
of the girls could detect. "I _hate_ rats." He started walking again, making
no further attempt at conversation. Tohru and Saki followed without much
response, but Arisa spent the rest of the walk aware of their entourage.

********

Shigure met them at the door, almost clucking with his peculiar blend of concern
and disapproval. "Ha-san called and told me you were coming--Saki-chan,
Arisa-chan, nice to see you--Tohru-kun, take Yuki-kun upstairs and then come
back down, I'll patch him up until Ha-san gets here . . . " He hustled them
along quickly. "Kyo-kun, answer the phone if it rings, will you? If you girls
would like to make yourselves comfortable in the living room, Tohru-kun will be
right back--" this over Tohru's protest "--Tohru-kun, don't worry about him so
much." Yuki was bustled away almost instantly, and Tohru found herself back in
the living room with her friends.

"Well . . . ah, should I make some tea?" She was almost wringing her hands with
nerves and the need to be doing something, so they accepted the offer and found
smiles for her. She smiled back, a genuine bright flash from under the worry
surrounding her. "I'll be right back."

After her footsteps had receded to the kitchen, Saki looked at Arisa solemnly.
"I see a lot of tea in our immediate future." Arisa nodded. They settled in
for a long day.

********

Tohru felt useless. It was getting late; Hatori had finally arrived over an
hour ago, with Momiji and Hatsuharu in tow, and they had all vanished upstairs.
No one had suggested that Saki and Arisa should leave the house, although there
were curious glances from the younger boys as they went to see Yuki. Still, it
was clearly a Family Situation. Knowing that they were probably trying to keep
her uninvolved to keep Akito's attention off her didn't keep her from feeling
anxious. None of the Sohmas had even asked for tea. The seriousness of the
situation was imprinted on all of their faces; even Momiji was subdued, although
nothing could have kept him from the instinctive longing glance he cast at Saki
and Arisa as he realized that they too now knew the secret. Tohru smiled a
little to herself at the memory of her first introduction to him: a blur of
blond hair, a strong grip around her waist, and then an armful of excited,
squirming bunny.

Yuki's room was probably overcrowded without her, she told herself sternly.
Yuki himself, Hatori, Shigure, Haru, Momiji, Kyo . . . no, Kyo was outside
somewhere. Tohru winced. None of the visiting Jyuunishi were family members
who mistreated the cat, but his exclusion from some things still seemed natural
to all of them--including Kyo himself, who had simply wandered off. Tohru was
glad that Saki and Arisa were still there, and even more glad that they didn't
seem to be expecting conversation from her. Arisa kept looking as if she wanted
to ask questions, but she clearly knew that Tohru wasn't the person to ask. So
the three girls sat together in the living room as time passed, a silent
feminine presence in a house overflowing with male Jyuunishi. At any other
time, it would have amused Tohru a bit.

Shigure materialized in the doorway, peering in at them. Tohru started to get
up at once.

"Shigure-san, do you need--"

He waved her back, his expressive face showing only concern. "None of us need
anything, Tohru-kun. I came to tell you that Ha-san says Yuki-kun will be fine.
He and the others will be leaving in a moment." He hesitated, then continued.
"They say they'll try to come visit us again soon, but they have to go right
away so that Akito doesn't . . . get worried about them." Tohru nodded.

"Can I go upstairs and see Yuki-kun?"

In the moment before Shigure replied, they heard the door sliding open and shut
as the visitors left. "Ha-san wants Yuki-kun to rest." His eyes darkened as
Tohru's face fell. "You can see him tomorrow, Tohru-kun. He knows you're
thinking about him." He spread his hands helplessly. "Ah, Tohru-kun, what can
we do? Tomorrow will come soon. And Kyo-kun will be back soon, I think. The
sky's overcast."

Arisa spoke up for the first time. "I thought it was just getting dark."

"Well--" Shigure blinked. "That too. But it smells like rain to me." He
shrugged. Arisa stared at him. "We--that is, the Jyuunishi, the cursed Sohmas,
share some traits with our animals."

"How did you come to be cursed?" Saki asked quietly.

"I was born this way," he answered with an obvious effort at lightening the
mood. Saki gazed at him expectantly and he sighed. "I don't exactly know,
Saki-chan. And to be honest, we're not in the habit of discussing the situation
with outsiders. Even Tohru-kun--well, she doesn't ask many questions."

"No, she finds everything out the hard way," Kyo said from behind him.
"Shigure, if you're not going in, get out of the way. This is the warmest
room."

"Did you get rained on, Kyon?" Arisa asked.

"It hasn't started yet," he muttered, shouldering Shigure aside and coming in.
"I was waiting until the others left." Shigure continued to hover, and Kyo
glared up at him. "What are you _doing_?"

"Going to bed," Shigure said loftily. "I assume I can trust you with the young
ladies?"

"Better than they could trust YOU," Kyo snarled back.

"Good night, Shigure-san," Tohru said quietly.
"Good night," he replied to the room at large. He walked out and closed the
door behind him.

Arisa blinked at the door. "It's not that late yet, is it?" She checked her
watch. "No, it's not," she answered herself. "Why is he going to bed?"

"Because he doesn't want to watch Tohru being miserable when he can't do
anything about it," Kyo said flatly, sprawling on the floor. He reached out and
touched Tohru's ankle in silence. Saki and Arisa watched as she reached down
and took his hand in hers, twining their fingers tightly. Kyo looked at them,
every inch of him radiating defiance as he examined their faces. "Look, I don't
mind you two being here, ok? But are you actually helping? Have you just been
sitting here watching her?" His eyes were glittering with something like fury.

"What should we have done?" Saki asked softly.

His free hand clenched. "Talked to her. Hugged her! Everybody wants to be
hugged." His voice caught suddenly and he fell silent, turning away from them.
Tohru touched his head with her other hand.

"Kyo-kun."

"Listen, Tangerine," Arisa said. "She knows we would if she wanted us to. She
knows damn well we love her. But that doesn't mean we can make her feel
better."

Tohru's head jerked up. "Uo-chan!"

Her friend smiled ruefully. "Fact is, we don't understand what's going on here
well enough to be any real comfort to anyone."

Kyo twitched. "Then why are you still here?"

Saki fielded the question. "Because Tohru-kun hasn't asked us to leave, and she
still shouldn't be by herself."

"Oh." Kyo was shivering. "It's raining now." He straightened up a bit and
turned back towards them. He took a deep breath and looked up at Tohru. "Um.
Tohru. Do you . . . " His voice trailed off uncertainly; he glanced at Arisa
and Saki, swallowed, and tried again. "Do you want me to . . . "

She looked down at him, at her own fingers in his hair, and her eyes cleared.
Her expression told him that she saw his offer for what it was--his own longing
for contact tangled up with his reluctance to reveal himself in front of Saki
and Arisa, and his willingness to do it if it would comfort her. She opened her
mouth, closed it, and nodded. The room suddenly felt very warm. He let go of
her hand and sat back on his heels, stripping his shirt off and dropping it on
the floor beside himself.

"Kyon, we can go if you don't want us," Arisa said. She looked suddenly
disconcerted, and Kyo found himself savoring the rarity of seeing her uncertain.
He also wanted very badly to take her up on the offer, but Tohru might still
feel better with them there . . . he shook his head.

"You already know, don't you? It doesn't matter." His voice was harsher than
he'd intended, but he turned back to Tohru. His eyes had a peculiar gleam that
the other Jyuunishi would have recognized at once: anticipation of the intimacy
that other people took so for granted, that no one else's presence could
diminish. For only the second time, he reached out to hold her. He felt her
arms go around him and tighten. He closed his eyes and seared the moment into
his memory, intact: his own ragged breathing, her heart beating against him, her
spine under his hands, her skin under his lips as he spontaneously pressed a
kiss onto her cheek. And then he changed.

Arisa and Saki stared unabashedly as the transformation took place. Tohru
suddenly had a double armful of very orange cat, who gracefully freed himself
from his remaining clothing and stood on his hind legs on Tohru's thighs,
pressing his head under her chin. Tohru drew her legs up onto the chair and
curled around Kyo, burying her face in the soft fur of his flank. She shook as
if she was crying, soundless, and he in turn snuggled into her and purred in a
reassuring rumble.

Arisa watched them in silence for several minutes. Tohru stopped trembling and
lay still, wrapped around the cat, her hair fanning out over his fur. There was
a choked-off sob, but it took Arisa a moment to realize that it came from Saki.
When Arisa looked at her in concern, the other girl's face was almost
expressionless, but tears were trickling down her cheeks. Arisa touched her
arm. "Hanajima, you ok?"

"I wonder if Kyoko-san would have felt this way," Saki said softly. "She
doesn't need us anymore, Arisa. She still loves us, but her world wouldn't
collapse without us." She said nothing more. Around them, the house was very
quiet. Arisa tried to find it peaceful, but couldn't; something like a
lingering tension hung in the air. She told herself it was nothing but her own
nerves reacting to the events of the day, but she still felt off-balance. It
was almost a relief when the orange cat abruptly sat up on Tohru's lap and
assumed an intent listening pose, his ears swiveling to catch a sound too faint
for human ears. Saki straightened up as well, turning her head in the same
direction. Despite everything she had seen and been told, Arisa was still
startled when Kyo's voice came from the cat. It should _not_ have been possible
for the feline mouth to shape the words, but Kyo spoke clearly.

"What the hell is he doing now?" His irritation didn't quite conceal his
concern. A distant shattering sound punctuated his question. Animal eyes
narrowed into a strikingly human expression. He turned away from the sound and
placed a front paw on each of Tohru's shoulders, staring intently into her eyes.
Something silent passed between them, and then he rubbed his cheek hard against
hers and leaped from her lap to the floor. His tail lashed anxiously. "Where's
Shigure? He's not _that_ sound a sleeper." Sharp teeth gritted. "Now is
probably a good time for you two to leave." There was a crashing sound from
above them. Saki stared at the ceiling as if she might be able to see through
it.

She nodded. "Yes. We should." She stood and went to bend over Tohru.
"Tohru-kun, take care." Tohru hugged her and nodded.

"I will. You too, Hana-chan, Uo-chan."

Kyo growled softly. "I'm not waiting to change back. Someone get the door."
Arisa obliged, and the three girls followed him out into the hallway. The
orange cat flowed around their ankles and headed for the stairs. Halfway up
there was a puff of smoke. Kyo kept running in his own form, not even breaking
stride. There wasn't even time for them to avert their eyes from his bare skin.
They heard a fist pounding on a door--"Shigure, get out here!"--and then on a
second one. "Yuki, I'm coming in. What're you _doing_ in there?"

Tohru stared up the stairs after him. Arisa touched her arm. "Are you sure
you'll be all right alone?" Tohru nodded distractedly. Arisa and Saki
exchanged glances, feeling like deserters. "We'll call you tomorrow, ok?"

She turned and looked at them, finding a smile from somewhere. "Thank you."

As they reluctantly opened the door, they heard her footsteps behind them as she
followed Kyo upstairs.



*********
Fruits Basket is the creation of Takaya Natsuki, and is licensed in North
America by FUNimation (anime) and Tokyopop (manga). Used without permission or
the intention of making a profit. Please support the original work!

"The Ceremony of Innocence" © 2004 by Ysabet MacFarlane <ba087@chebucto.ns.ca>.
Edited by Alishya Lane.

Comments and criticism welcomed at the above address.

Full author's notes available at <http://bounce.to/ysabet>

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