Pet Shop Of Horrors Fan Fiction / Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Neko no Yume - Cat of Dreams ❯ Epilogue ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: I own neither Natsuki Takaya's `Fruits Basket' nor Matsuri Akino's `Petshop of Horrors'.

Enjoy!

Epilogue

 

Yuki's jaw almost literally hit the ground as he gaped at his Cat-cursed cousin, his eyes bugging out as he watched Kyo walk up to the podium with that unconscious feline grace of his; Yume flirting her streaming black tail as she strolled elegantly along beside him. Everyone else from their class was also gaping, if not to the same extent as their so-called `Prince'. Even Tohru was looking stunned, though her expression was tempered with a great deal of pleased excitement on Kyo's behalf.

 

Obsidian feline eyes met thunderstruck violet in a look of undisguised satisfaction as Kyo's most constant companion almost strutted by. The black cat blinked and broke her gaze after a moment, with a little sniff and a toss of her head.

 

Kyo's speech was short and simple, generating a great deal of loud applause--and Yuki didn't catch a word of it. His brain was frozen with incredulity. He simply could not believe that the idiot cat--the brash, loud, rude, brazen; foul-mouthed; fiery-tempered cat--

 

--had beaten him.

 

And not in martial arts; oh, no. There hadn't been a single blow thrown in this fight; Yuki hadn't even realized they were competing at this!

 

Kyo had beaten him...at school work. Kyo Sohma had graduated at the top of their entire graduating year. The cat had finally beaten the rat--in Yuki's own area of expertise...with his brain!!!

 

Yuki would later have a very faint and muddled recollection of Kyo walking up to him with a relatively mild smirk on his Sohma-handsome face, crimson eyes glinting with amusement even as a shadow darkened his expression when he looked over Yuki's shoulder. The cat was as tense as Yuki had ever seen him. The rat was unable to find his voice, gaping like a fish out of water.

 

The surfacing memory of overhearing Kyo skillfully debating the human condition with Yume all those months ago made his wildly swirling and bubbling thoughts pause, allowing him enough presence of mind to close his jaw. Violet eyes stared sharply into nearly laughing red for a moment as Yuki realized just how many hints he'd willfully ignored, over the years; hints overshadowed by his annoyance at Kyo's constantly attacking him, both physically and verbally. All that time, he'd been blind to anything but their enmity...and when they'd started tentatively redefining their relationship, Yuki hadn't bothered to pay that close attention towards finding out much about Kyo. He'd focused more on `dealing with him'.

 

The sudden sense of pure, cold menace from behind raised Yuki's hackles, causing him to nervously step aside and turn. He paled, mouth going bone-dry and breath catching in his throat when he found Akito standing not ten feet behind him; giving Kyo a glare that was full of such black hatred, it was a wonder the cat didn't shrivel up and disappear on the spot. Yuki knew he certainly wanted to, and that look wasn't even directed at him! Akito definitely didn't need the force of the curse to terrify. Everyone else nearby edged away, giving the Sohmas and Tohru a good bit of privacy. Faces turned away towards the continuing ceremony, curiosity quelled by shivering fear of this slender, menacing figure in black.

 

Jerking his eyes away from Akito, Yuki saw that a proud Kyo was simply standing there, meeting the Clan Head's eyes without blinking, his face grimly determined. If Akito's venomous glare affected him, the orange-haired young man didn't let it show other than by the hands fisted at his sides, and looking understandably tense as a strung bow. Yume was sitting calmly at his feet, long, bushy tail wrapped primly about her paws, black eyes intensely watchful. If Akito dared try anything, he would be shredded.

 

Yuki wondered briefly if Akito saw her as a cat, or the black-haired human girl who had shown she'd have no qualms at all about injuring him to protect her chosen Master.

 

When Kyo spoke, his voice was low and rough, not carrying to the determinedly not-curious ears all about; almost a hiss. “So. I beat your precious rat. You gonna keep your word, now?”

 

Yuki glanced back towards Akito, nervous about the Clan Head's reaction. He hadn't thought Kyo would still feel that old bet hovering over his head. Between Yume and Count D, there wasn't much Akito should be able do to Kyo, other than to make it difficult for the cat to make his own way in the world...but then again, Akito wasn't known for his sanity. He might still try something, even if it ended up badly for the Clan Head.

 

It also wasn't certain that Akito would accept this redefinition of the bet. Yuki didn't know the exact wording; Kyo had never told him when Yuki finally found out about it, and the rat hadn't pressed since, thinking it no longer mattered. When he and Kyo spoke, it had been of other matters entirely, as they tentatively felt out the dimensions of their new almost-friendship. They were each careful to keep away from too-touchy subjects--which mainly meant anything Family-related...

 

Though...if Kyo had been working to beat Yuki at school work, all along--and he'd have had to have been working towards this day of graduation for several years, at the very least!--why, then, had he gone through the trouble of all that constant physical fighting, through the years? He'd admitted on that momentous day when Yuki discovered what Yume was, that he wasn't winning for fear of being instantly locked up; and that he'd never consciously realized that was why he couldn't seem to win their fights, until Yume forced him to really think about it. But--even if Kyo hadn't realized he was losing purposefully, why fight with Yuki at all, when he apparently wanted to beat the rat in this manner? Violet-gray eyes snapped back to his so-irritating cousin, as multiplying suspicions only bred more confusion.

 

The rat was distracted from his nervously circling thoughts when Akito let out a soft sound quite like a growl. The Clan Head's black eyes displayed all the malignant hatred in his soul as he tried to glare Kyo into submission through pure will-power. His teeth were painfully clenched, tendons standing out clearly all along his jaw and down his neck and arms. Count D's breaking of Kyo's direct link to their `god' was probably the only reason the cat was still standing, let alone glaring back at Akito. It was certainly the only reason that Yuki wasn't puddled on the ground in terror!

 

Yuki backed another step away, fear quieting his thoughts as he prayed Akito wouldn't turn to him. Old habits died hard; unquestioning fear and obedience to his `god' had been drilled bone-deep into the rat's reflexes from a very young age. Besides...Yume's and Count D's protection didn't likely extend to the rat, even if the god had been kind enough to also break his link to Akito. He wouldn't risk depending on it for himself.

 

“You...!” Akito's voice dripped menace. Kyo didn't flinch, though Yuki did. The Clan Head's black eyes drifted down to the still and silent feline at Kyo's feet, his voice dropping an octave with impotent fury. “You...”

 

Red eyes narrowed as Kyo gritted his teeth, drawing Akito's attention back to him by speaking. “Yeah. Me. And her. You gonna keep your word, and not try to lock me up? Or are you really the honorless bastard everybody knows you to be?”

 

A shaking Yuki backed yet another step away as the apparently insane cat purposely provoked a wild-eyed Akito, who was starting to shake with raw fury. Teeth bared and face contorted by rage, it looked like Akito was all but ready to start frothing at the mouth. A vein in his temple was visibly throbbing.

 

Hatori, who'd been standing quietly behind the Clan Head weathering the emotions pounding into him through his still-intact link to his `god', paled and started to raise one hand from his side before catching himself. Gray-green eyes sought out Shigure, who was riveted by the confrontation. The two exchanged a speaking look, then nodded slightly to each other, the dog moving quietly to stand by the dragon, the link-born strain showing in his stiff bearing. If Akito needed restraining, they were ready--as was Kazuma, Kyo's foster-father, who'd moved close by, charcoal eyes fixed on the furious Clan Head. Whether the karate master knew exactly what was going on or not, he knew without a doubt that his adopted son was threatened; and his choice of action was very clear. If Hatori and Shigure were unable to overcome their Clan Head's rage enough to hold him back, Kazuma would certainly be capable of physically stopping him, future consequences to himself be damned.

 

Suddenly Akito threw one slender, frail arm out and away from his body in a quick and violent throw-away motion. His voice was a low and poisonous hiss that carried better than any scream. “Stay out of my sight, you worthless monstrosity!! Don't ever let me set eyes on you again!!” With that he spun on his heel and stalked off, unnaturally thin frame shaking with rage; radiating more anger than Kyo ever had at his very worst, before Tohru came into their lives. The few people unlucky enough to be in the Sohma Clan Head's path hurriedly scrambled to move, trying to mask their fear even as wide eyes tracked sideways, to be certain of when he was safely gone.

 

Hatori and Shigure traded an amazed look, before all but scurrying to catch up with their Clan Head to be certain he did nothing rash that might cause harm to others--or to himself. His health was still delicate, his body ill able to accommodate his tempers at the best of times.

 

Yuki, Tohru and Kyo stared after them, in varying degrees of shock. Yume sniffed and haughtily turned her head from Akito's retreat, the very picture of feline arrogance. She was the only one who knew that Count D had paid Akito a personal visit the day after she clawed him, to be certain the insane Clan Head understood what would happen should he be...unwise...in his dealings with Yume, and Kyo. Everyone around them still left a little open space for privacy; most had undoubtedly heard Akito's parting insult, and wished to give the notoriously hot-tempered Kyo a chance to calm down before coming too close. The strained moment drew out for several minutes, everyone furtively trying to ignore the previous uncomfortable scene. The steady stream of graduates continued one by one up to the podium to receive their diplomas, say their piece, and bound off the stage back to their proudly watching family and friends.

 

Then Tohru's face lit up in an incandescent smile as she turned to Kyo, clasping her hands under her chin as she looked at him with teary, but happy eyes. “Oh, Kyo-kun--! Does this mean that Akito-sama...he's not...not going to...” Her hopeful voice dropped to a mere whisper as she finished her thought, “...l-lock you up...?”

 

Kyo's head whipped around and he stared at her, his face going queasy. She very obviously had heard about Akito's plan to lock him up before then; there was no way she'd have been so calm, otherwise. “How they hell did you find out?! When??” His fierce whisper was half-strangled by the force of his dismay. Yuki was staring at her in surprise as well, though he was more concerned with Kazuma-sensei's reaction. He didn't think Kyo's Master had known, though he'd probably had his suspicions; grandson of the previous Cat-cursed that he was.

 

The karate Master's charcoal eyes were fixed on Kyo at Tohru's words, as he kept himself from stepping closer with difficulty. Kazuma knew Kyo would likely run off if he remembered his foster father was close enough, if barely, to overhear this conversation. He anxiously held himself still as a statue as he prayed to all of the gods that Kyo wouldn't notice who was standing behind him until Kazuma had heard what he needed to hear.

 

Tohru hung her head, face burning with shame, sorry to have hurt Kyo's feelings. She knew he hadn't wanted her to know--hadn't wanted her to worry about him, more than likely. But once she'd found out what was supposed to happen to Kyo right after he graduated, she couldn't help but worry! She'd tried so hard to not let him know she'd found out this secret of his; hoping, praying that he'd tell her on his own...all the while, trying desperately to figure out a way to break the curse, to save him. And now, she'd just blurted out her knowledge--!

 

“I-I-I'm s-so sorry, Kyo-kun--but--but I--f-figured it out, from--from things I-I heard...” Tohru kept her face down, eyes firmly fixed on her toes. The rest of the words of apology that wanted to pour out tangled in her throat, lodging so firmly that nothing more could escape her lips. She didn't want to admit to him that Akito, himself had told her, more than a year ago. Kyo-kun would only become more concerned at the thought that he hadn't known every time she'd seen the Clan Head, and he'd start to worry more about her. She didn't want him to worry about her; he had enough problems of his own, even without being locked up!

 

Kyo sighed, letting his chin drop to his chest for a moment as he slumped with an air of defeat. He slowly shook his head as he raised it, staring at Tohru with a sad, yet whimsically amused expression. He tried not to shiver with the release of nervous tension as he wiped at his face with one hand, trying to smooth the stress away. “It's all right, I guess. I--” Red eyes went suspiciously watery for a moment, as he swallowed, hard. “I just...didn't...want you to worry.”

 

The dawning hope in those red eyes showed the moment when Kyo first started to realize, he'd done it--he'd won that damnable bet with Akito. He was free, at least as much as someone under such a powerful curse could ever be free; to have a career...a life--

 

He was free to love...

 

Tohru peeked hopefully up at his face. Seeing he really wasn't mad at her, she smiled at him, straightening somewhat. Kyo smiled back--his all too rare, shy, true smile; that always seemed to Tohru to be touched with sadness. Now there was a hint of anxiety in it, too--whether because he was afraid she'd be angry with him for not telling her himself, or from wondering at what Akito would think up to do to him now, she couldn't tell. The liquid sheen to those beautiful red eyes also confused her; it--didn't really look to be from sadness...?

 

Then Yuki finally found his wits, and his voice. A quick glance about showed them to still have a smidgeon of privacy; even Hanajima and Uotani were staying respectfully away, if only because Tohru obviously didn't need their help. He stepped closer to Kyo, glaring straight into his cousin's eyes in spite of Kyo's slightly greater height, keeping his voice low, if intense. “What just happened here?!”

 

Kyo--smirked. Broadly, with a great deal of honest humor in his crimson eyes, and one eyebrow raised in high amusement. “You never saw it coming, did you, you damn rat. Heh! And you're supposed to be the smart one!”

 

Not even Tohru could mistake the murderous intent in Yuki's eyes as he struggled to keep from pasting a fist right in his oh-so-annoying cousin's nose. The insult didn't bother him; `damn rat' and `idiot cat' had become something like eccentric, but almost fond nicknames between them, in the manner of boys who didn't want to admit to having `mushy feelings'. His breathing was a bit ragged as he forced himself to glance once more at all the potential witnesses about them, before grabbing both his temper and Kyo and dragging the surprised cat by the arm off and around the nearest corner; out of direct sight and hearing.

 

Tohru “eep”ed and quickly followed the boys even as Yume sauntered unconcernedly after them. The girl was suddenly very worried about bloodshed. Not that it would be all that unusual, but still...they had been doing so much better, recently! She had to at least try to mitigate the damage, such as she could. Hanajima's black eyes followed her with a knowing smile even as the psychic girl place a firm hand on Arisa's arm to keep her from storming after them. The pleased satisfaction in her expression make her Yankee friend pause, then reluctantly let Tohru go, with one more lingering glare after the boys.

 

As soon as they were out of sight of the crowd, Kyo did something else unexpected. He quite calmly--and easily--freed his arm from Yuki's hold, slipped around the rat, and had him immobilized with one arm pulled up behind his cousin's back and Kyo's arm about his throat--all before a startled Yuki could so much as blink.

 

Kyo's breath tickled Yuki's ear as he whispered, “You'd think somebody who's supposed to be the smartest of the Zodiac-cursed, would have bothered to learn a little something about cats--what with us being enemies, and all.” Yuki strained futilely against Kyo's hold for a moment, chagrin vying with anger in his heart; but he couldn't free himself. Kyo countered every move he tried, every twist and shift and kick--

 

Yuki stopped fighting Kyo's hold when it started to feel like his arm was going to be dislocated; his vision already graying a bit as his airway was closed off somewhat by Kyo's arm, that was slowly tightening about his throat. This wasn't how their fights went! Yume's words on the day he'd discovered she had a human form came back to him--she'd said the cat could beat the rat any time he chose; that he always chose not to. Memory of Kyo's later confession that Yume had made him realize that very truth dumped figurative ice-water into Yuki's veins. Kyo's displays of temper were what lost him their fights; and his temper was conspicuously missing, just then.

 

The rat tried very hard to ignore the sensation of pure danger at his back. His nerves insisted he was in his cursed form, being held in the jaws of a feline predator much larger than he was. A very, very hungry feline predator. He fiercely willed the Rat's spirit to go away; this was Kyo, not some dangerous wild predator about to eat him!! They weren't even really enemies any more. Rivals, yes; but neither truly wished to actually harm the other.

 

Kyo's voice stayed soft, lacking its usual force of anger, unnerving Yuki even more. “Cats aren't stupid, you damn rat. We're independent, and can be contrary when somebody tries to force us. We know how to stalk--and how to wait.” The arm disappeared from Yuki's throat, and the rat's arm was released as Kyo gave him an almost gentle shove away. Yuki staggered a step, rubbing at his slightly sore shoulder, as he coughed softly to clear his airway. He quickly turned to face Kyo, who was standing with unnatural calm while staring back at him. He gave his throat a quick rub, then dropped his arms to his sides in readiness for whatever the cat-cursed young man would do next.

 

“Cats also don't hold grudges; we avoid what we don't like, what hurts us.” Red eyes were unblinking, and more than a touch feral. They matched Yume's gaze perfectly, as the black cat settled herself once more at his feet. “Akito wanted us fighting; I obliged him...but only because it suited me. It just--took me a while to consciously realize everything I was doing.” Red eyes flicked towards Yume, then back to the rat.

 

Yuki glared at his oddly-behaving cousin. He did not like how Kyo was acting, so different from his usual brash, hot-tempered self. “Just what was going on between you and Akito? I thought Yume and Count D had taken care of Akito's threat to you.”

 

Kyo gave a humorless chuckle, twisting his face into an almost-sneer, but Yuki still noticed the unexpected sadness in the cat's eyes. “You know about the bet he made with me. All Yume could guarantee was that the bastard would leave me alone once he locked the door on me. They couldn't keep Akito from hurting others, to get me to obey him.” Kyo snorted, face twisting with bitterness. “Not that I really care that much about being a part of this screwed up family, and attending that stupid banquet; but being locked up just doesn't appeal to me, you know? Anyway, he forgot to specify how I had to beat you.”

 

Yuki frowned, events from the last several years flickering through his thoughts even as he wondered that the idiot cat had actually been planning on following through with that bet--win or lose. Thinking about it, he realized Kyo was right--if the cat hadn't gone quietly into his cage on Akito's winning, the Clan Head would have hurt someone else; like Kazuma...or more likely, Tohru. The rat shivered to think of Tohru stripped of every last one of her memories of the Sohmas, turned out to live with the family of that ungrateful aunt of hers. He shook his thoughts away from that distressing possibility.

 

“So...all the fights...those were--what? Distractions? To lull Akito into thinking he had you where he wanted you, that he was going to win...?” He stared at his cousin, feeling utterly confounded. “You've been acting the idiot...on purpose...?!”

 

Kyo sighed, looking off to the side, pride keeping his head up. Yume cocked her head at Yuki, almost seeming to smirk. She'd told the rat that Kyo loved his family...was that why he'd been going to allow himself to be locked up, if he lost? So Akito wouldn't take it out on the rest of them, as well as Tohru...? Had his fiery-tempered cousin really been willing to be locked up for the rest of his life, just so the rest of them would have someone to look at to reassure them that they could be worse off?

 

“Yeah.” Kyo looked back at Yuki, with a quick glance towards Tohru, who had her hands in front of her mouth as she watched them; worry written all over her face in clear, bold kanji. “I'd say I'm sorry for messing with your head, but I don't want to lie.” A small half-smile twitched at his lips, rarely-seen mischief flaring in those crimson eyes before he relented. “Hey; I thought I really was trying to beat you in those fights, until Yume came along. The school-work was my back-up plan.” The smile quickly burst into a full-blown smirk. “Heh. I've managed to pull one over on Shigure, the master manipulator, himself! Did you see his face, when they called my name? I thought he was gonna fall right over!” The smile went feral again, briefly.

 

Yuki grit his teeth to quell the anger surging up to battle with equal parts chagrin and amusement, tearing his eyes from Kyo to gaze straight at Yume. “This is what you were trying to tell me, wasn't it. And now you have that answer you wanted. Don't you, Yume-san.”

 

Kyo sucked in a startled breath as he glanced at Yuki, then Yume. His eyes then nervously went to Tohru, who was blinking in confusion at Yuki addressing Kyo's `pet' as if she were human.

 

Then Tohru was staring in outright wonder at the black-haired young woman suddenly standing where the long-haired black cat had been. Kyo, who always saw Yume as human, almost didn't notice the change in the others' perceptions. He kept silent, wondering what Yume wanted to say to them; knowing very well that anything he said about it wouldn't change a thing.

 

Kyo knew cats all too well, even if girls were still something of a mystery. Though come to think of it, there were a lot of major similarities...namely, doing what they wanted to do, not what you wanted them to do...! Yume knew how much this would mean to Tohru, knowing her `secret'; and would probably insist that all the special meals and treats Tohru cooked for her; and the daily-cleaned beds she made up wherever Yume seemed to want to lay; the immaculately clean litter box Tohru all but scrubbed down daily; and the way the girl always managed to drop what she was doing--sometimes literally--just to pay attention to the long-haired black cat when it came into a room with her...oh, no, all that had nothing to do with revealing herself to Tohru. Nope, absolutely nothing at all.

 

“Oh!” Tohru's hands rose to her mouth in astonishment while Kyo stared sardonically at his `pet'. “Y--Yume-chan...?” Wide chocolate eyes fixed on amused obsidian as the girl-cat smiled benevolently at her, nodding slightly. “OH!” Tohru bowed nervously, her face quickly changing from shock to delight as she started babbling about how nice it was to meet Yume-chan; and she was so glad she finally got to see Yume-chan's human form; and was it a curse, was she somehow part of the Zodiac--

 

Kyo dropped his head and sighed deeply in resignation, in unintended stereo effect with Yuki. The boys looked at each other, then back at the two girls as an amused Yume enfolded Tohru in a warm embrace, smiling an enigmatic smile at the boys that reminded Yuki a bit too much of Count D.

 

Akito never did lay eyes on Kyo again, or Yume. One year after Kyo's unexpected `defeat' of Yuki, while both boys and Tohru were in college, the Clan Head contracted his final case of pneumonia. By this time, Kyo had finally proposed to Tohru, who squealed and accepted immediately, unable to restrain herself from leaping right into the startled cat's arms.

 

They were both more than startled when Kyo didn't transform. His curse had been broken, even as Kureno and Momiji had broken their own before. As the proposal had come at Shigure's house, a rather teary-eyed but beaming dog was able to watch the joyous dancing and antics that followed, commenting that it was a good thing they could hold the wedding within a month. This earned him a remarkably light bop on the head from the rat at his side, who was also rather teary-eyed even while smiling.

 

Yuki was happy for Tohru, and Kyo; he'd been going steady with a certain girl for eight months, and discovered what he felt for Tohru was a pale shadow of what he now felt for his own girlfriend. He was still trying to work up the courage to tell her about his curse...but he was very, very close to doing it, Akito's orders be damned.

 

Akito died in the middle of the night following Kyo and Tohru's wedding, with his ever-faithful Kureno, Hatori and Shigure at his side. All of the Zodiac-cursed felt his passing...

 

...and the unexpected passing on of all of their animal spirits, as the Cat of the Zodiac finally expressed his love for an outsider--and was completely and unequivocally accepted and loved in return.

 

-.-.-.-

 

All done! Hope you liked it. And no, I'm not going to name the girl Yuki's dating; it's not important for this story...and I'm sure everyone reading this has their own favorite choice who's name you can now slide into the blank, whether it's Machi, Hanajima, Arisa, Motoko, a brand-new girl, etc.