[FB] The Same Shade of Yellow, chapters 8-9

The Same Shade of Yellow, a Fruits Basket fanfic by Raberba girl

Chapter 8 - Muddy Treasures

He smiled at her. He was as beautiful as ever. The sight of Akito in all his silken glory, sitting in the middle of the living room she saw every day, was so incongruous in Momo's mind that she almost forgot to reply when Akito greeted her.

"Oh! Hello, Akito-san. Hello, Yuki-san," she added, as the second man, accompanied by her father, returned to the living room from another part of the house.

"Momo, welcome home," her father said. He pulled her close in a hug, then stood back and looked carefully at her face. "Are you all right?" he asked softly.

"Yes. I'm sorry, Papa."

They sat down next to Momo's mother, across from Akito and Yuki. At first it was only friendly chit-chat, which Momo fell into easily. She had the feeling they might have been talking about her earlier, but her entrance had lightened the conversation back to pleasantries and casual news.

"You were right," Akito said to Momo's father. He looked at Momo as he spoke. "Your daughter is a very pretty girl. She takes after her mother."

"Thank you," Mrs. Sohma said.

Akito sighed softly. "It is a shame that you could not pass on your good looks to more children."

"We thought about having one or two after Momo," Mrs. Sohma said, just the tiniest bit stiffly, "but it never really worked out."

"Ah." Akito smiled disarmingly. "What a pity," he said again, in a soft, musing kind of way. He took a small sip of tea.

"Raising children can be difficult," Yuki said sympathetically. "Especially if a child is different from others."

"We find Momo to be quite well-adjusted, thank you."

Yuki chuckled quietly. "You misunderstand. I had someone else in mind when I said that. But as to that, Momo is a quiet girl. I think she has things to offer that she does not know about yet. She can be lonely, even with her friends, because she has not yet found the way to use her gifts for other people, and she is not sure how to connect to them." He smiled and rested his chin on his hand. "I was the same way when I was young."

"I-- " Momo started, and stopped. Then her face burned as she realized they were all looking at her and she had to go on. "I was going to say...I think a lot of people feel, sometimes, like they are different from everyone else. And, when you meet someone who seems strange at first, or has something wrong with them, you can't just discard them on first sight. Because everyone's like that. I know someone...someone who can accept people the way they are. She sees the good in them, and she takes their bad or scary parts together with their good parts. Because she knows that it's worth it. I wish.... I know it's silly to say, but I...I just wish that everyone could be like that." Momo stared into her lap and refused to look at her mother. She had tried not to sound accusing, but the part of her that ached for Momiji had wanted her to say it.

Momo finally raised her head, and saw that her parents had lost the thread of the conversation. Akito and Yuki looked calm and thoughtful. The steam from the cup of tea Akito held nestled in his hands drifted up lazily to caress his face. Momo watched it. When he spoke, his lips began moving so smoothly that Momo hardly connected them to the sound of his voice.

"It would be a very strange world, if everyone understood each other." He paused. "No one would ever need to work. To search their loved one so deeply that it hurts, and then to gather the ugly, dirty things they have found close in their arms, as if they were treasures." He closed his eyes and sipped his tea. His long, fine lashes lay across his skin like black feathers on snow. "How boring."

Momo breathed in, then out. "But it would be easier."

Akito carefully set his cup down. "Some people are weak. Have you ever thought of that? In your world, a weak person will accept themselves and others so well, that they will not be able to bear it. The muddy treasures that they try to take into their arms will cut them, and because they are weak, they will have no protection against being cut so deeply that they bleed to death." He smiled his meaningful, narrow-eyed smile. "I think it is best if these weak people did not have to dig at all. Someone else must do that. Someone else must find the treasure, and clean it, and polish away its sharp parts, so that when it is given to the weak person, it will not cause harm."

Momo smiled. 'You and your allegories, Akito-san. Don't worry. I understand. It's just the same thing Tohru-san was trying to tell me.' She looked at her mother, thoughtfully. Momo remembered the way her mother had welcomed her home, even after Momo had caused her such pain. 'Only, I do not think that Mama is weak. It is only that the sharp parts she can handle are different from the ones that Tohru-san can. Maybe Mama will never be able to accept Oniisan. But she has accepted me. And I know that I can sometimes be just as hurtful to her as Oniisan was.'

Akito suddenly coughed. It was a small, hiccuping kind of cough, but Yuki looked alarmed.

"Forgive me," Akito murmured. "I find the air in here somewhat heavy." He coughed again.

Yuki frowned and leaned toward Akito, peering at him intently. Momo looked, and now she saw that beads of sweat were standing out on Akito's skin. "Akito, you should have told me before now that you weren't feeling well," Yuki said, after he had put his hand to Akito's forehead and taken it away. He shook his head, and the frown on his face deepened.

"We were having such an intriguing conversation with Momo. I could not pull myself away," Akito said, trying to sound light and amused. Akito had to pause to gather himself before he accepted Yuki's hand to help him up, but even so, Akito did not look very steady. Yuki quietly took his arm, offering support.

"Thank you very much for having us," Yuki said to Momo's parents.

"We were honored by your visit," Momo's father said, without really thinking about it. He seemed to be more concerned about Akito. "Here, sir, let me take your other side." Akito looked annoyed, but did not protest when Momo's father took his other arm and helped him outside along with Yuki.

Momo's mother still sat, staring at her folded hands and not saying anything. Momo went to sit beside her. "Mama? Are you all right?"

"Mm-hm." She paused. "That was...a strange conversation we were having, though. It was confusing - Akito-san seemed so earnest, yet I couldn't understand him at all. Like he was saying two things at once, and I couldn't hear both parts."

"He is very mysterious," was all Momo could think to say. Fortunately, Mama only nodded and started to put the tea things away.

o.o.o.o.o

"Um, Ronnie-kun."

"Huh? Oh, hi, Momo-san." He smiled.

"Hello." Still, she could not think what to say. But she kept looking at his face, instead of dropping her gaze. She suddenly drew in a breath and then let it out with words. "I really like you, Ronnie-kun. Will you go out with me?"

He stared at her for a second, surprised. Then her heart sank, slowly and quietly, as she watched the look on his face change to discomfort and helplessness.

"Never mind. Don't worry about trying to not hurt my feelings. It's okay." She turned and walked away.

"I'm sorry, Momo-san!" he called after her. There was a pause, and then a second later he ran to catch up. "Wait, Momo-san. It's not that I don't like you, it's just...I don't really think of you in a - girlfriend kind of way." He tried to smile, but saw it was useless. "Um...I'll see you around, I guess."

Momo just nodded, imagining her expression to match what she remembered of Hana's. That was how she felt - blank and gloomy.

Ronnie awkwardly went away, and Momo trudged on, not bothering to think about where she was going. She did not feel like going home, she wanted to be somewhere where nobody knew her and she could relax into her misery.

Momo stopped when she saw the restaurant that Momiji had taken her to the first time they met. She stood looking at it for a minute, then shrugged. Why not? She went and pushed through the front door, looked around for an empty place, then did a double take when she spotted someone familiar in the corner. Kagura? Momo came up softly behind her. Kagura was alone, and she was crying.

"Kagura-san?"

Kagura froze, then whirled around. "YOU ARE SUCH A JERK! HOW COULD YOU JUST DUMP ME LIKE--" Kagura broke off when she saw who it was she was shaking by the neck. The furious blaze in her eyes died, and her body went limp. "Oh, Momo-chan...I'm-- I'm so sorry."

Momo winced and rubbed at her own neck, then sat down in the seat next to Kagura and put her arm around the other girl's shoulders. "Kagura-san, what happened?"

Kagura began to cry again. "Daisuke. He dumped me."

Momo's eyes filled with tears that didn't fall. She still felt as if she had been suspended on another planet, separated from her feelings, but now suddenly Kagura had been dumped on the same planet. It made Momo feel a little bit better, in a dumb, selfish kind of way.

"Tell me."

"He f-finally found out about the curse!" Kagura sobbed. "He was jealous...he started y-yelling at me about how I'm always all over everyone except him, and I- couldn't tell him it was only Kyo-kun and them I was allowed to hug, and it's hard to k-kiss and stuff when Daisuk-e doesn't know I can't put m-my arms around him," Kagura paused, trying to stay coherent enough to continue, "and I was ab-bout to beat him up 'cause he was j-jealous of me for no reason...but then he started crying, and h-he yelled at me some more, and th-then he grabbed me, and I turned into a boooaaarr!" The last word ended in a wail, and Kagura put her head down on the table and sobbed.

Momo stroked her back for a while, until Kagura started to calm down. After a long time, Kagura's sobs subsided into an occasional sniffle. She sat up, breathing hard and looking angry. "He completely flipped out. He shoved me away and stared at me like I was a sickening freak - and I am, I am! We all are! I HATE IT!"

"Ssh," Momo soothed. "That's not true, Kagura-san."

"Well, he sure thinks it is!" Kagura snarled, and it somehow turned back into a wail. "The look he gave me...it was horrible." Kagura suddenly froze. "Oh," she whispered. And then, "Oh, no no no...."

"What, Kagura-san? What is it?"

"That's what I did to Kyo-kun," Kagura whispered. She whimpered and seemed about to cry again, but then got ahold of herself. "I did the same thing to Kyo-kun. I gave him the same look. When I made him take off his bracelet that time. It was so long ago, and I tried so hard to make it up to him afterwards, but-- Oh, Kyo-kun, this is how he felt...." Kagura began crying again, but more softly this time. Again Momo held her for a while, until Kagura was calmer.

"Oh, what do I do, Momo-chan? Daisuke ran out before I had time to explain. And now he hates me, and he thinks I'm a freak, and I have to tell Akito-san and Hatori so that they can erase Daisuke's memories...but...I don't want them to...I HATE being a part of this stupid, stupid curse!"

"I hate it, too." Kagura looked at her in surprise. "I hate all the trouble it's caused. I hate that, because of the curse, I don't have a brother."

Kagura suddenly laughed. "I'm sorry, Momo-chan. Compared to your problems, mine must seem so dumb."

"I was going to say the same thing to you. I finally asked Ronnie-kun out. He wasn't interested."

"The jerk!"

And then somehow they were laughing and talking as if this was a normal dinner date. They chatted for nearly half an hour, pretending to make up elaborate plans of revenge on their respective men.

"Don't worry, Kagura-san," Momo said as she was finally getting up to leave. She caught Kagura's hand and smiled at her. "Daisuke-san is not the only man in the world. And I'm sure that someday, you'll find a person who can accept all your muddy treasures along with the rest of you."

"What are you talking about?"

Momo laughed. "Ask Akito-san."

To be continued....

The Same Shade of Yellow, a Fruits Basket fanfic by Raberba girl

Chapter 9 - Visiting Hours

A day or so later, Momo's mother called down the hallway to her. "Momo! Momiji-kun is on the phone for you."

Momo smiled and took the phone. "Momiji-kun?"

"Momo!"

"Hi! What's going on?"

"Momo, tomorrow's Saturday. Are you free? Can you come with me to the hospital?"

Momo was confused. "Huh? Why?"

"Akito. Hatori and Yuki took him to the hospital yesterday. He's been sick for days, but he didn't tell anyone at first and tried to hide it, and then it got real bad. Momo, I'm worried about him."

He did sound distressed. Momo found that she was upset, too. "Of course I can come. I'll come tonight."

"No, Akito's resting. He hasn't had any sleep for hours and hours, and they're trying to get him to take sedatives, but he won't."

"He doesn't like thinking of himself as an invalid."

"I know." Momiji sounded unhappy. "But where does it cross the line from being independent to being unhealthy? Momo, I'm so worried about him."

"He'll be okay, Momiji-kun. He's lasted this long." She meant it to be a lighthearted reassurance, so she was surprised when Momiji took her seriously.

"You're right. When he was little, the doctors all said he wouldn't live past age 22. He proved them wrong. Akito's strong."

That was the first time Momo had heard anything of the sort. Had they really given Akito such a death sentence? She felt a fierce surge of pride for Akito. 'Oniisan's right, you are strong, Akito-san. Hang in there. You'll get well again, I know it.'

"Will you be okay, Momiji-kun?"

She heard him breathe out in an unhappy puff. "I guess so. I--" He breathed out again, sounding determined. "I guess so. I'll see you tomorrow, Momo. Ten o'clock. Akito should be feeling better by then; he's worse in the early mornings and at night."

Momo glanced around the hall to make sure her parents were not around, then murmured, "Oniisan. I love you." It was all she could think of to comfort him.

Momiji laughed in a low, grateful voice. "Love you too, Momo."

He hung up.

o.o.o.o.o

Akito's room was just a few steps away from one of the waiting rooms. The place was filled with Sohmas, among them Ayame and his family, and Mayuko.

When Momo, Kagura, and Momiji came in, Aya jumped out of her mother's lap and ran to meet them. It was a girly version of a sailor outfit today. "Miss Kagura!" Kagura knelt down and hugged the little girl.

"Aya-chan! Hey, cutie!" Kagura and Aya rubbed noses, and then Kagura lightly pinched her cheeks.

Aya then looked up at Momiji and smiled shyly.

"Hey there, Aya-chan! You remember me?"

"No," Aya said, but she took Momiji's hand and swung it happily. "Do you turn into something, too?"

"Yes, a bunny."

Aya looked absolutely delighted. "Ooh, ooh! Can I hug you?!"

"Ah, Aya-chan!" Momiji chuckled, "Later, okay?"

"Okay!" Aya let go and ran back to her parents, one of whom was talking just as quickly and cheerfully, though perhaps not as loudly, as usual. Only Mine seemed to be paying any attention to what he was saying.

"...insisted on the sailor outfit, though I suppose it is cute; you know, she likes to watch Sailor Moon, now...cute short skirts...ha ha, Momiji-kun! I hope you are not getting any strange ideas, now; you should wait until Aya-chan is older before you try to seduce her...."

"Here, Momo, you haven't met everyone," Kagura said. "Ah, Ri-chan! Momo, this is Ritsu, we call him Ri-chan."

"Hi, um, Ri-chan-san," Momo said shyly. Ritsu, though he wore men's clothes, had a face that was so delicate and beautiful it could easily have been a woman's. His fair, shoulder-length hair was pulled back, though wisps of it had come loose and were trailing around his face.

He smiled at her almost as shyly. "Hello, Momo-san. It's good to finally be introduced. Where are your parents?"

"They said they would come later today."

"Oi, Rabbit. Who's that you got with you?" The man who had called out had spiky hair dyed white, though quite a bit of the black roots were showing.

At least, Momo thought his hair was dyed, until Momiji whispered to her, "That's Haru. He's the Ox." Out loud, Momiji said, "This is my sister Momo, Haru. Momo, that's Hatsuharu Sohma, and his wife Rin."

"Hello," Momo said. Haru lifted two fingers in greeting, though Rin simply gave Momo a piercing look.

"And this is Hiro and Kisa Sohma, the ones I told you about."

"Hi," the fair-haired young man said, with a reluctant smile at Momo. Then he turned and glared at Momiji. "Exactly what is it you've been saying about us, Rabbit?"

"It's a secret," Momiji said with a wink.

"Why you--"

The yellow-haired, very pregnant young woman beside him quickly put her hand over his. "Hello again, Momiji-kun," she said before her husband could go on. "It's very nice to meet you, Momo-san. Momiji-kun has told us so much about you over the past few days."

"More like babbled non-stop," Hiro muttered, "just like another moron I know who doesn't shut up."

"Aha ha ha ha! I hope you are not talking about me, Hii-chan!" Ayame laughed from where he was sitting.

"Don't call me Hii-chan!"

Momiji finished introducing Momo, and then they sat down and waited, talking occasionally and watching Aya work on a coloring book her parents had brought for her.

"Mister Bunny, Mister Bunny!" Aya jumped up and ran to him, holding her book out. "Look what I did!"

"It's beautiful, Aya-chan!" Momiji smiled. Yellow and green crayon streaks had been scrawled over a picture of three rabbits eating flowers.

"Look, see, this one is you, and this one is Miss Momo, and this one is Mommy and Daddy!"

"How can one rabbit be two people?" Hiro scoffed.

"Hiro," Kisa murmured.

Aya looked at Hiro for a minute, confused. Then she broke into a dazzling smile, jotted crude faces on each of the rabbit's ears, and held the picture up to Hiro. "See! This ear is Mommy, and this ear is Daddy!"

Hiro rolled his eyes in disgust, not bothering to argue.

Aya plopped down onto Momiji's feet, leaned back against his legs, and started scribbling colors over the next picture: four very cute dragons building a snowman.

After a few minutes, a very tired-looking Yuki came into the room. Almost everyone stopped talking and looked at him tensely. "Akito is feeling better now," Yuki said. "He says he wants to see you all, but Hatori and I think it would be best if you came just one or two at a time."

Haru and Rin went out, and Yuki sat down on the other side of Momo. He sighed and leaned his head back against the wall, and closed his eyes.

"Rough night?" Momiji asked sympathetically.

"He barely slept," Yuki murmured. "He refused to take drugs, but either the pain or the nausea would keep him awake. He finally fell asleep around four-thirty this morning, but then he woke up again just a few hours later." Yuki leaned forward again and shook his head. "Hatori's exhausted. He'll barely let anyone else touch Akito - he didn't want to bring him here, he just needed some of the equipment that we didn't have at home. But Hatori looks even more tired than I feel."

Aya crept carefully into Yuki's lap and looked up at him worriedly. "Uncle Yuki? Don't be sad. I love you."

Yuki's eyes softened. He leaned his head against his niece's. "Thank you, Aya-chan. I love you, too." After a minute, Aya crawled back off and went to sprawl on the floor in front of her parents so she could color again.

Angry, stomping footsteps sounded from down the hall, approached, and then came into sight as Kyo.

He looked upset about something. He stalked through the door and across the room without a word, threw himself into the empty chair next to Yuki, and sat silently for a minute. Yuki looked at him, waiting. Kyo drew in a sharp, sobbing breath, then started whispering heatedly to Yuki, but so quietly that Momo could only pick up a stray word here and there. Only once did a longer phrase rise out, charged with frustration and grief: "...won't touch me, they refuse to come near me...." After a while Kyo fell silent, and his eyes squeezed shut as if in pain. Yuki put his arm around Kyo, and Kyo leaned his head on Yuki's shoulder. It was such a different image than the one of them fighting, that Momo knew Akito had been right. That fight had been just the Cat and the Rat goofing around. Kyo must be really upset, to want to drop the pretense like this.

More footsteps were heard, a lot of them this time. It was Kazuma, Tohru, Hana, Kia, and Tohaku. All of them, even the kids, were strangely quiet as they came in.

Aya brightened when she saw them. "Kia! Haku!" She jumped up and ran to them, but Kia edged away and Tohaku pressed closer to his mother. "Hi, hi! Mommy and Daddy and me are here too! You wanna color?"

"No," Kia said sulkily. Tohaku glared at Aya and then pressed his face against Tohru. Neither of them so much as glanced in their father's direction.

"Brats," Kyo whispered heartbrokenly, but so softly that only Yuki and Momo could have heard. Tohru started to head in her husband's direction, but the kids squawked and yanked at her skirt. She sighed and ended up sitting across the room from Kyo, with the kids and Hana. Aya followed behind, slightly bewildered. Kazuma came and sat next to Kyo.

Everyone sat quietly for a while. Aya, not understanding what was happening, was beginning to look upset. She crawled into her mother's lap and whined under her breath for a while, until Mine finally picked her up and left the room. Ayame went with them, blathering something about kids being so cranky when they got hungry.

As time went by, people went in to make their visits and then left, until only Momo, Kagura, Momiji, Mayu, Yuki, Hana, and Kyo's family were left.

A man and a woman came in together, teasing each other and laughing. The woman had dyed her chopped-short hair an odd shade of red, and looked to be a few months pregnant. Her personality was so big that just by walking in, she seemed to fill the room. The man next to her, on the other hand, seemed shy, quiet, and friendly; he was like a shadow trailing in after her.

"Yo! What's up, everyone?" the woman tossed casually to the room in general. She caught sight of Kyo leaning against Yuki and winked. "Now here's something you don't see every day: the Cat cuddling up to the Rat. What's up, Orangey?"

"Shut up, Uo," Kyo grumbled.

She frowned. "Well, same to you." She turned her attention to Momo. "Ah, here's a new face. What's your name, sugar?"

"I'm Momo Sohma. Pleased to meet you." She smiled.

"Arisa Uotani Sohma. Call me Uo." Uo jerked a thumb at the man next to her. "This here's Kureno." Uo paused to study Momo for a minute, then smiled and ruffled her hair - Momo was a bit disconcerted. Uo winked at Momiji. "Cute thing, your sister."

"Yay! You could tell!"

"Yeah. Stick some rabbit-ears on her head and big cotton ball on her butt, and she'll look just like you."

Momo was shocked, but everyone else seemed used to Uo's way of talking. Uo collapsed into an empty seat with a loud, comfortable "Umph!" She patted her bulging belly as Kureno sat down quietly beside her. "Gosh, this thing's a pain." She laughed. "Didn't plan on it, but I'll take what I get."

"Take some advice, and don't plan on any more," Kyo muttered.

Uo frowned, then reached, with some difficulty, over Kazuma and slapped Kyo's knee. "Hey, Carrot-top, what's wrong with you? The weather's beautiful today, so I know that's not it."

"I turn into a freak, okay, so shut up!"

"So what? So does my guy. So do half the people in this room."

"You don't understand," Kyo mumbled. Kia and Tohaku were getting very whiny throughout this exchange, and Tohru was beginning to look harassed.

Then Hana spoke. Her voice was soft, but everyone in the room could hear her clearly. "Apparently, Uo-chan, we are not as trustworthy as we thought. There are some secrets in the Sohma family that you and I are still not aware of."

"Hana-chan..." Tohru whispered, "Uo-chan...I'm sorry. It's not like that at all - I would trust you with anything. I didn't tell you because...I didn't want you to worry. It's all right, really, but still...I didn't want you to worry...."

Uo frowned dangerously. "Worry about what, Tohru?"

Kyo snapped upright. "You wanna know?" he said furiously. "Why don't I just show you, then, so you can hate me now and get it over with!" He reached for his bracelet, but Yuki and Kazuma were too fast. Their hands clamped over his wrist, locking the bracelet in place.

"Think where you are," Yuki hissed, and Kazuma murmured, "Would you really have wanted the children to see that again?" Kyo sat frozen, seething with rage. Then he jerked free and stalked out of the room. Tohru, ignoring the screeches of Kia and Tohaku, ran after him. Then their footsteps abruptly halted as soon as they reached the hallway.

"Would someone please explain to me what's going on?" Uo demanded.

"Ah. It is only that Kyo has another form, one that is uglier than the Cat. That is all."

The voice was soft and unconcerned-sounding, but the room immediately went silent. Akito stepped past Tohru and Kyo soundlessly, except for the gentle swish of his robes as they dragged across the floor. He stopped in front of Kia and Tohaku, who stared up at him like animals in a trap. Momo had never seen Akito look more sick, or more dangerous. Yuki was tense beside her. Hatori hovered helplessly in the shadows just outside the door.

"You really are acting stupid, you know," Akito murmured pleasantly. "So. Your father can transform into a monster. What is the matter with that? Do you think he will hurt you just because this form of his is scarier than that of the Cat? A cat has claws and teeth as well. Don't you think a cat could hurt you just as much as a monster could?"

Akito smiled, and reached out a hand to carefully tip Kia's face up to his. "Do you think that you might come to love the monster just as much as you love your father and the cat?" His already-narrowed eyes slanted even further. "Kia. Perhaps you would like to hug me? Then we will see what happens. I am sure that you will go running to your father's arms for comfort."

The room went, if possible, even more still. Momo knew instinctively, just as Kia and Tohaku must have, that whatever Akito's transformation was had to be far worse than Kyo's other form.

There was a pause.

Then Tohaku suddenly cried out and ran to his parents, who stood watching apprehensively in the doorway. Tohaku slammed into Kyo and clutched at him, wailing; Kia took Kyo's arm and pressed her face against it, trying to hold back tears. They huddled together like that for a minute, and then Kazuma crossed over to them and gently led them all away.

When Kyo's family left, Momo looked back at Akito.

He had been jostled as the kids pushed past him, and to save himself from falling he'd caught the armrest of a chair. He stood now, his shoulders bent, gasping for breath. Yuki and Hatori were instantly at his side.

Akito slowly straightened, not looking at anyone. He shook off Yuki and Hatori angrily, but the brief violent movement seemed to use up the last of his strength. He looked as unsteady as he had been at Momo's house. "I'm tired," he said after a moment. His voice was low and hard to hear. "I do not wish to see anyone else today." Then Akito made his way slowly out of the room, with Yuki, Hatori, and Mayuko trailing behind.

Uo was sitting, looking stunned. She swore under her breath. "What was that about? What the heck was all that about?"

Kureno murmured something to her.

"Well whatever it is, I'm not taking it," Uo muttered. She heaved herself up. "Let's go. I'll talk to Tohru later." She stopped on her way to the door and put her hand on Hana's shoulder. "Come with us, Saki," she pleaded. "I need someone who's not from this crazy family. Gosh, how did I get myself into this nuthouse?"

"Would it help any if I told you that you're good for me?" Kureno said.

"No," Uo grumbled, but she let him kiss her cheek and lead her away. Hana glided after them like a ghost.

Momo's breath came out of her in a whoosh, and immediately after she had to suck in air. Had she forgotten to breathe or something?

Momiji stretched his arms above his head. "Well, this visit did not go very well, though not for the reasons I expected." He relaxed and shook his head sadly. "Maybe Akito will see us some other time."

"He's sick," said Kagura, "it's harder for him to keep from acting the way he used to. We ought to come back later, give him time to recover."

Momiji jumped to his feet and held out his hand to Momo. "Come on, Momo. Let's go home." He smiled at her, but it was a more serious smile than she was used to.

They left the empty waiting room without a glance back.

Momo could not help stopping just outside Akito's door. It sounded like he was throwing up. She cracked open the door just a little and peeked in. She could see a glimpse of Akito in his loose silk robes, crumpled sideways across the bed. He was coughing up nothing: his stomach was empty. It sounded painful.

"Akito," Yuki said helplessly. He sounded near tears. "You shouldn't have gone out there."

"I couldn't stand...to have them treat Kyo that way...." Akito sounded near tears himself. "I haven't changed at all...those children, with such fear in their eyes...."

"They needed to hear it," Mayuko said tightly, rubbing his back. "However you did it, it worked."

"It cost too much...." Akito could not speak anymore.

Momo silently shut the door and backed away. When she turned and looked, she found Momiji and Kagura standing down the hall, waiting for her. "I'm sorry," she muttered as she caught up. Her face was red. "I don't know why I did that."

"Akito is a very fascinating person," Momiji said. Then he smiled. "And he is very cute. I understand why you would want to peek at him, Momo."

Momo nearly choked. "Oniisan!"

When they found the car and had finally managed to extricate themselves from the parking lot, Kagura asked if Momo wanted to be dropped off at her house.

Momo hesitated. "Well, I think...if it's all right, I would like to stay with you a little longer. I don't quite want to go home yet, I wanted to spend more time with Oniisan."

"Kagura has cards at home," Momiji said. "I can teach you how to play Dai Hin Min, Momo!"

"I've never played it."

"Oh, it's fun! One time Kyo and Shigure spent so much time playing it, outside on a cold day, that they both got sick. Hana's best at it, she beats everyone."

"All right, I'll give it a try," Momo said.

When they got there, however, all thought of Dai Hin Min was driven from their minds. Daisuke was sitting in front of Kagura's front door, looking bored. He jumped up when he saw them coming.

Kagura froze. "Daisuke!" Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't fling you over into the parking lot."

Daisuke threw up his hands in surrender. "Kagura! Before you kick my butt, let me say something, at least!"

"I don't want to talk to you," Kagura growled. "Wasn't Hatori supposed to have erased your memories by now?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Daisuke said.

The thought occurred to Momo that Hatori must have been too preoccupied with Akito to worry about Daisuke.

"Look, Kagura, what I wanted to say-- I've thought about it. A lot." He took a deep breath. "And, I don't care that - that you can, um, turn into something else. Well, I mean maybe I do care, but it doesn't matter. Well, maybe it does matter, but--"

Kagura was beginning to look murderous.

Daisuke threw up his hands again. "What I mean is, I still want you to be my girlfriend, Kagura!" When she didn't say anything, he went on cautiously. "I've been thinking, and...I still love you, Kagura. When I thought back on it, I realized that the only thing that really bothered me is that you never hugged me or anything. But now that I know why, I mean, maybe we can deal with it. I can deal with it, you see? I like you a lot, and I don't want us to be lost. Just be up front with me, okay? And we can deal with it together." He paused. "Um...I guess I'm finished now." He looked at her nervously.

Kagura stood glaring at him for a long time. Then her face suddenly crumpled, and she began to cry. Daisuke, forgetting entirely, hurried to put his arms around her, and was instantly surrounded by smoke.

"Whoops! Sorry, Kagura, I forgot! Don't hurt me!" Daisuke sat amidst the slowly clearing smoke, staring at the boar he held. He looked uncertain for a minute. Then he smiled and wrapped his arms around it. "There, see? Not so bad. At least this way I can hug you."

"She won't be wearing any clothes when she transforms back," Momiji said helpfully.

Kagura's head whipped around and her eyes glowed threateningly.

"Ah! Sorry, sorry Kagura!"

Momo was glad to see that Daisuke, once he'd gotten used to the idea, was very accepting of Kagura's zodiac problem. After they all went inside and explained the details of the curse to Daisuke, the four of them played several excellent games of Dai Hin Min, laughing and joking just like any other group of friends.

To be concluded....

Author's Notes: Yes, I DO know now that Akito doesn't turn into anything when he is hugged. It was a rumor I heard from a friend before Akito's Secret was revealed in the manga, and I saw how I could use it for this chapter. But yeah, more fun Akito. I wrote this chapter almost purely to let him strut his stuff (and to give the neglected characters like Uo a little screentime). I kind of messed up Kia and Haku in the process, but...hm...maybe they'll forgive me when I get around to writing them as teenagers in the sequel. I also liked writing Yuki, though he didn't get much action in this fic.

Rin and Kureno really made me nervous, since I don't know them AT ALL. I gave them as little screentime as I could. I wish I could have done more with Haru, but nooo, Rin wouldn't let me. I think he has, what, one line in this entire fic? Oh well. There's other Haru-centered fics out there. It also might have been fun to work more with Hiro, but I had to ditch the subplot with Hiro and Kisa's kids, because, oops, I forgot how young they are still. Hm, Hatori barely showed up, either, though I'm sure it's no skin off his nose.

Uo was unexpectedly easy to write. I wish I'd done more with her, but nooo, Kureno has to go and be so mysterious that I don't know him nearly well enough to give him more than a couple of lines.

Notice that Ayame always has to leave the room before a serious scene can occur. ^_^;