Bad Medicine

Bad Medicine
Disclaimer: Fruits Basket and all its characters are the property of Natsuki Takaya. I’m borrowing them without her consent. None of the attached story is planned or approved by the owner. I’m abusing them horribly, and she probably wouldn’t approve. But since I’m terribly poor, I don’t think she’ll sue me – she’d lose more money to her lawyers than she could win from me. Besides, since I’m doing it out of a love of her story – no really, I am – even though the attached is twisted and wrong – I think even though she wouldn’t like this, she’d understand.


Back History:
In the five years since she’d come to live with them, the entire Sohma family had become just that – a family. She was like their own little miracle. A miracle with long flowing honey hair, and beautiful sapphire eyes.

It was a wonder that she stayed with them. She could have left them after graduation. She was promoted at work, and was making enough money where she could have lived on her own, but the thought of leaving her family never even crossed her mind.

The graduation ceremony was bittersweet for her. She had fulfilled her promise to her mother, but not the one she made to herself to free the Sohmas of their curse. And when Akito summoned Kyo to the main house, they all knew what that meant.

He was locked up without ceremony, in the same house that Shishou’s grandfather had spent his last hours. But unlike his predecessor, Kyo did not spend his days alone. This generation, the jyuunishi actually cared about the cat. And therefore, they cared for him.

Small gestures, yes, but meaningful nonetheless.

They visited outside his window whenever they could. Kagura would sneak him meals that Tohru had specially prepared for him – all his favorites. Yuki would come by for Kyo to yell at. And occasionally Akito would let them spar for his entertainment.

In all honesty, Akito was being more… well, considerate and kind-hearted, than any of them might have expected. There was no way he could have NOT known about all the things his pets were doing to show they cared about the monster, but he never called them to task. So long as Tohru didn’t visit Kyo, he let it all slide.

From the day that Kyo had been locked up, the little girl who had meant so much to them all had decided that she would do whatever it took to break the curse. And so, Tohru came to visit Akito regularly. She would visit with him and keep him calm, and whenever Akito demanded that she admit she was only there to gloat on how she would live long after Akito had died from the curse, she would reply with the same answer, “Truthfully, Akito-sama, if I could save you all from the curse, I would. I would do anything to see you all alive and happy.” A tear would always fall from one eye, sometimes both eyes when she said that. “If only, I knew how to break the curse…”

As a game, occasionally Akito would send her on wild goose chases for his pleasure, telling her that to break the curse, she needed to: kiss every jyuunishi on the forehead, and then kiss Akito’s feet; or dance naked in Akito’s garden on a blue moon while singing “Akito is god”; or talk only backwards for an entire day on the day of the equinox to spin the spell backwards off of them all. Anything to make her look silly and give Akito a laugh.

But she always took them in good humor. ‘If this can bring some joy to Akito-sama’s life, who am I to deny it to him. I just hope someday, he’ll tell me the truth. Then maybe I’ll really be able to help.’

Three years to the day after Kyo was locked up, Akito’s suffering seemed to come to a head. He was failing. It was obvious.

“Hatori, please! Just leave me alone! I’m not going to die today. You’ll have plenty of time to be the concerned physician.”

“Akito-sama, I am merely trying my best to make you as comfortable as possible…”

Akito sighed. “You know, sometimes I think you really do want to keep me around, Hatori. Though I cannot for the life of me,” he laughed at his pun, “figure out why.

“Well, if you really want to do something for me, then… bring Honda Tohru to me. I wish… to speak with her today.” Hatori bowed obeisance and left.

‘I have no more time to play with the little idiot. She really is stronger than she looks, though. She may be dumb, but she has not been useless. And there’s no more time. I will… try her.’

X x x x x . x x x . x x x x

“You… called for me, Akito-sama?” She kneeled in his presence as she always did. Her head was bowed in respect.

“No. Hatori lied to you.” His irony was thick. “Of course I summoned you.” He sighed heavily.

“Miss Honda, you’ve said that you want to help us break the cuh-” He was interrupted by a fit of coughing. She rushed to his side and helped him ease himself into his bed. When he had it under control, he pushed her off of him.

“Would you really be willing to do anything to break the curse?” He glared at her. She bowed respectfully.

“I would, Akito-sama.”

“I wouldn’t be so quick to state that. You have NO idea what is involved in breaking the curse.” She looked at him questioningly, but the trust she placed in him was… unnerving.

“Tohru Honda. I have not very long to live. I can tell. You,” he rolled his eyes and sighed, “may be my last hope – which I must say does nothing to make me feel any type of confidence at all.”

She bowed her head contritely. “I would do anything you require, Akito-sama. I know I’m not very good at anything, but I would certainly be willing to try.” She looked up at him hopefully.

“Whatever. It’s not like I have any choice. Sit and we’ll see if you’re as good as your word.”

She sat at his feet.

“You will not live through it. You would be sacrificed.” He watched her to see her reaction. She took a deep breath, grimaced, then nodded.

“If that is what it takes, I will do it.” ‘It will be good to see Mother again, and I know she’d approve of me doing whatever it takes to help them. They’re my FAMILY!’

As she spoke these words, Akito’s eyes widened. “Why? Why would you be willing to die for me?”

“Akito-sama is my family. The Sohmas are my family. If Akito-sama could live, if Yuki-kun, and Kyo-kun could live free of the curse – free and happy… I mean… I’m no one special. The only people who would really miss me are the Sohmas and Uo and Hana. And I can watch over them from above the way they’ve always watched over me, once I’m…” She swallowed hard. “Once I’m dead.”

Akito shook his head. “You really are an idiot,” he mumbled. She looked up at him questioningly, having not heard what he said. “That’s not all. You would also have to… sacrifice yourself to every one of the cursed.”

She cocked her head at him. Her sapphire eyes wide, and not understanding.

“Sexually.” He paused. “In the ritual, a virgin must… give herself to satisfy each of the human aspects of the 12 jyuunishi. That will put the human side to sleep and awaken the spirit of the animal. Then…”

He waited as she blushed, but didn’t look away. ‘Amazing. She really is stronger than she looks.’

“And then, Akito-sama?”

“And then, she must please each of the animal aspects of the 12 cursed. This will… satisfy their hunger and their need.

“After that is complete, she must satisfy the human aspect of the… CAT.” He spat that word out. “Then, the small harmless aspect of the CAT,” again he spat as he said it, “must be satisfied.

“Finally, the CAT’s true nature must be satisfied. And for THAT, he must take a virgin. So you would need to use… other methods to satisfy the humans and their spirits.”

She met his eyes and swallowed hard. Then she nodded in agreement. “And then?”

“…” he paused. “You understand, it’s supposed to be the God who performs these actions. Or,” he caught her chin with one hand, while the other hand undid his yukata. It fell open, revealing her bindings. “In my case, the Goddess.”

She gasped. “Akito-sama! You’re… you’re…”

“Yes. Those idiot animals never noticed that in all the histories, the God and the Cat are ALWAYS the opposite sex.

“This final act, this final acceptance of the CAT by the God, will reverse the curse. But! The God needs to be a virgin. Which I am not.”

Akito paused to let that thought sink in. Tohru nodded, accepting without judging – as always. Akito gave an almost self-deprecating smirk. ‘God, is she an idiot, or is she really truly the saviour that they always said she was?’

“I’m not sure that using a proxy will work. You might be sacrificing yourself for nothing.”

Tohru looked at Akito and saw that she was serious. She nodded at the Goddess.

“I… I really wish that I could be certain. In honesty, I… If I am to die, I would want someone who cares about this family as much as you do to be there to help them.”

Tohru nodded at Akito and smiled warmly.

“But I would share blood with you before the ritual, and we can pray that it will work.

“As you and the monster reach pleasure from the act, I would…” Here Akito paused and looked away. “I would spill your blood for the monster to drink. That will sate the creature, and, theoretically at least, end the curse.”

She looked at the strange young girl sitting at her feet. She felt true sorrow.

“For our future. Will you help me?”

Tohru smiled, reached up and took Akito’s hand and gently squeezed it. “Yes, Akito-sama. I will take your place. But… if I may be so bold to ask…”

“Yes, Tohru-chan?”

‘Tohru-chan?’ She looked up at the Goddess startled. Then she smiled. ‘She finally accepts me!’ “Akito-sama, please don’t tell any of the family about this until it’s… done. They wouldn’t… approve.”

Akito put a hand on her head. “I will take care of the details.” ‘And we will see if you are as special as you seem. I’ve never met anyone like you.’ “You may leave me now.”

“Yes, Akito-sama.” She smiled warmly, then left the goddess alone to think about hell, and how she was sure she was going there, but that this Tohru deserved to be an angel in heaven.

END CHAPTER