Hi, thanks for reading my fanfiction, I'm so grateful :) Next is kind of a bridge chapter, getting things sorted out for the Zodiacs as they start their new lives. Haruhi gets a revalation, too! (Not that we didn't already know, haha).
Anyway, enjoy, read, vote, comment! (Not necessarily in that order... :L)
Chapter 4- Home is where the family is
“My parents abandoned me at birth? Didn’t they put up a fight?” Haku asked in distress.
“You’re the rat, aren’t you? So your father must be… Haru. Yes, he did put up a fight. Your father and mother were both fighters, and you have inherited that from them,” Kyo answered, and Haku seemed encouraged.
“The curse… I never really thought about breaking it… So Tohru actually broke the curse, but it came back?” Raiden said in thought. “These bonds really are bonds of blood. I guess you can’t mess with that.”
“Who were my parents?” queried Naoko. “I’m the tiger, by the way.”
“The tiger? Your mother is called Machi… and your father is Yuki.”
“What?! Then I’ve already met my dad?!” she cried, standing up. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!”
Kyo gave a small laugh. “There’s a time and place for everything, and that was not it,” he said light-heartedly. “Right now, I have a martial arts class to lead, so Tohru is going to make you some breakfast, and show you around. You have a lot of learning to do about the outside world.”
Tohru smiled at Kyo, who then left the room, and then smiled at everyone else in turn. In light of the conversation, the only person who returned the smile was Raiden. He beamed pleasantly at her, ignoring everyone else’s dubious expressions towards him. Haruhi raised one eyebrow. What was with this guy? What was he thinking? She doubted already that not many people could tell that.
“Oh… Tohru?” Haruhi asked, having just thought of something.
“Yes, Haruhi?”
“Who are my parents?” Haruhi felt embarrassed asking, but it was the only way she would find out.
Tohru smiled wider. She walked over to Haruhi and tearfully looked her in the eye. Haruhi avoided her intense gaze, feeling awkward and confused.
“Haruhi, it’s me and Kyo!” Tohru said happily.
“Huh?”
Sora gasped, and Raiden nodded as if he’d known all along. Haruhi bit her lip, stunned.
“You’re my mother? And Kyo’s my dad?” she said for clarification. “Seriously?”
Tohru nodded. “I wanted to tell you at the right time! Your dad and I are so pleased to have you back at last!”
Haruhi felt tears gathering in her eyes and spilling over, but she hastily wiped them away. Tohru and Kyo were amazing people, and now Haruhi felt overwhelming pride and gratitude towards them. These feelings were new to her, frightening, unknown territory. She really had parents, who escaped with their memories and never forgot her. She was never abandoned, always being thought of, being watched from a distance until the time was right. Someone had been out there, this whole time, who was thinking of her. Her parents, Tohru and Kyo… Tohru, content and selfless, and Kyo, who was sincere and mysterious, yet Haruhi could see an awkward kindness about him. They were her parents, and now she knew them.
Haruhi got up abruptly, and left the room.
“Say,” Haku said, “What’s eating her?”
Haruhi was sat in the next room for some time before Tohru walked in, with Sora in tow. She was on the floor, hugging her knees with a tear-stained face. She looked up to see them both smiling at her.
“Sorry,” Haruhi mumbled. “It’s just…”
“I know,” Tohru said softly. “Kyo was the same, a long time ago. He didn’t like getting emotional in front of people, either. I think you inherited that from him.”
“Shall we go for breakfast now? Tohru’s going to teach us table manners!” Sora said, holding out her hand encouragingly.
Haruhi stared at Sora’s hand for a second, before rubbing her eyes and switching on a smile. “Okay!” she said, and allowed Sora to help her up. She turned to Tohru. “Mum?”
“Yes?”
“You’re so cool!”
***
While Tohru prepared the breakfast, everyone had been sat in another room, talking with each other (With the exception of Tsuneo, who sat cross-legged in the corner, silently). Haruhi enjoyed this conversation, with so many different people, but Tsuneo’s presence seemed like a mere existence, like he was a ghost of a living person. His expression would have been more appropriate at a funeral.
At the breakfast table, everyone sat cross-legged, not knowing what to do or say. Tsuneo twiddled his thumbs nervously, staring at the meal in front of him, while Naoko looked desperate to eat, and was watching Tohru impatiently, waiting for her to say something that would allow her to start eating. Haruhi was completely lost in thought, indifferent towards the food in front of her.
A day ago, she was curled up in a ball, rocking back and forth in the hopelessness of the isolated room, listening for the familiar light ‘tap’ on her wall which validated her existence, which proved she wasn’t alone there. And now, here she sat, about to eat, with people who had gone through the same things as she had, people to talk to, and learn about.
There was Sora, chatty and pure-hearted, and Naoko, who was friendly, competitive and amusingly rather irritable. The mysterious Raiden, with an impenetrable fortress of a mind, where no-one knew what was going on, and Haku, who held up a bitter and resentful façade over his underlying vulnerability. Tsuneo, timorous and soft, had not spoken a word since he got there, preferring to hide away from everyone, only wanting to watch them from afar.
“Now,” Tohru began, holding her index finger up. “You all start at the same time, and no-one can leave until the last person is finished. Before eating, you put your hands together and say: ‘Thank you for this food’, okay? And then you can start! Did you understand that?”
“We may be slightly naïve, but we’re not that dim,” Raiden sniggered. Naoko laughed.
Everyone put their hands together very deliberately, unaccustomed to using any form of manners. Most had their eyes closed, while Haruhi kept her right eye open at a squint, noticing Tsuneo did the same.
“Thank you for this food,” everyone chorused, and proceeded to pick up their chopsticks and devour the food, being desperately hungry.
Tohru watched them sunnily, politely chewing her own food. Haruhi had to admit, this was the best food she had ever tasted- not too fancy, perfectly done, and it was a kind of commemoration of a new beginning. At the main house, food was brought to her in her bedroom by a servant a couple of times a day, in between her playing video games and having chats with the birds on her windowsill. To sit like this, and eat with people who understood her, even a little, was a nice thing.
“Are you all done? Did it fill you up? You’re not still hungry, are you?” Tohru asked.
“No thank you, we’re fine,” Sora said in her usual sweet tone, making Haku roll his eyes.
“Yeah, thanks mum,” Haruhi said wryly, and then blushed. “Shut up!”
“We didn’t say anything…” Raiden replied.
“You know what I mean!” she snapped, and stomped out of the room again, ignoring everyone’s questioning glances at both each other and at her. Tohru watched her leave smiling, understanding exactly what was going on in her mind.
***
Several hours later, after a more successful lunchtime, Kyo returned to the house, dripping with sweat. The six Zodiacs stared at him, watching him walk into the room with fascination etched on their faces.
“What the hell were you doing?” Haruhi asked in awe.
“Nothing really, just leading a martial arts class. Didn’t Tohru tell you I’m the master here?” he said, wiping his brow with a white towel.
“I see, and yeah, she did tell me. It’s just…” Haruhi tried to hide her amusement, “It’s just, I’ve never seen someone so sweaty, ha!” She started laughing, before going red and clearing her throat in embarrassment.
“You know, you can laugh if you want. Let everyone know what’s on your mind; you could stand to let your emotions come through occasionally.”
“Kyo?” Naoko asked suddenly.
“Yeah?” Kyo replied, just as puzzled as everyone else by Naoko’s sudden initiation of a conversation with him.
“I was wondering… would it be okay if I went to live with my dad? If he agrees, of course, but… I think I should be with my family, you know,” she said, sounding confident, as she normally did. “It’s not that I wouldn’t like to carry on living here, but Yuki is my dad, and I want to be with him. It’s been fifteen years, and we have some catching up to do.”
Kyo paused for a moment in thought. “… I think you should ask Yuki about that. After all, Machi has forgotten about you, so there may be some problems. But if that’s what you want, I see no reason for you not to leave this place. Yuki and Machi are your mother and father. I’ll go and phone them now, if you want.”
Everyone turned to look at Naoko as Kyo left the room to Phone Yuki. Naoko looked relieved, as if a weight had been lifted off her chest; no doubt, she’d been contemplating asking this for a while now. Haku flashed a look at Raiden, who nodded. Haruhi frowned; it always unnerved her when Haku and Raiden did that thing where they looked like they were reading each other’s thoughts, and communicating silently.
“What?” Naoko said irritably. “I had to ask.”
“I know, but we didn’t think you’d be in such a hurry to leave us,” Raiden teased. “Are we that annoying?”
“Yes, but that wasn’t the point. I just think that I should be with my family, that’s all. You know, you don’t have to stay here either. Tohru and Kyo have Haruhi now. Do they still need us here to inconvenience them? Really?”
“We’re not inconveniencing them,” a soft voice spoke.
Sora gasped inwardly. Haruhi raised her eyebrows. Tsuneo had actually spoken! Usually, he would be silent unless asked something directly, so this was a source of disbelief to everyone.
“Tohru and Kyo are the kind of people who are happy to help anyone, for any amount of time. I do not think we would be a burden on them by staying,” he mumbled, trying to avoid everyone’s awestruck gaze. “They wouldn’t worry about that king of thing.”
Haruhi nodded. “Yeah, they just aren’t that sort.”
She didn’t get how Tsuneo’s brain worked. With him, there was nothing wasted in word or deed; he spoke only when necessary, said only what was necessary, and acted discreetly, wanting to avoid any attention. He was fearful and timid, yet underneath, he was wiser than anyone else there. She hadn’t really had that much of a chance to find out anything about him.
“You thought I was right?” he asked, a little surprised.
“Well, yeah, I- I did,” Haruhi replied. Why did he always have to take things so literally, right to heart?
Haruhi had never really noticed before, but suddenly she realised that the rest of the Zodiacs were sat a distance away from Tsuneo, like he had a force field around him. She also noticed that he had the similar habit of hugging his knees to his chest. She had admit, she could see why people would want to keep their distance. Though he watched from afar, whenever someone went near him, he would give them a cold stare and back away. Haruhi nearly laughed at herself. How perceptive she was being.
“That’s interesting. It doesn’t often happen that way,” he commented.
“Would you stop doing that? It’s a little odd,” she said, not wanting to offend him, but frustrated by his direct, open and observational way of speaking. Maybe he was better silent!
“Would I stop doing that? I do not know what you mean, but whatever it is, I am sorry.”
Haruhi immediately regretted reprimanding Tsuneo.
***
A while later, Tohru popped her head through the door, holding a tray of drinks, followed closely by Kyo. She set the tray down on the table, and everyone crowded round it as if the drinks would disappear if they didn’t grab one immediately. Their insecurities would take a long time to heal.
“Yuki has explained everything to Machi, and though her memories of you are gone, she understands the situation,” Kyo began, when everyone had calmed down and was sat down.
“And? What did they say?” Naoko pressed.
“They’d be delighted if you came to live with them. Yuki also says they’ll take responsibility for anyone else who wants to go with you. We did decide that it would be easier to divide the responsibility between us.”
Haruhi’s heart constricted. “What? But how are you going to decide who’s going?!”
“Tohru and I want you to stay, Haruhi. You don’t need to get so anxious. We’re your parents, we’re not about to abandon you again,” he said.
“I’m going, obviously,” Naoko nodded. “Not that I don’t like it here.”
“Haku and I will go. That means that Haruhi, Sora and Tsuneo are all staying. Three and three- that will do, won’t it?” Raiden suggested.
“Are you sure about this?” Kyo said.
“We’re sure. Thank you so much for your hospitality, but we feel our place is elsewhere,” he replied pleasantly.
“Does Haku agree to this?”
“I do. This place was the first place I came to after you got me out of the main house; it’ll just keep memories of the main house fresh in my mind. I’d rather just start again somewhere else,” Haku said. “And besides, Raiden and I are a team.”
“Then it’s settled!” Naoko grinned. “Raiden, Haku and I will go and live with Yuki and Machi, while Sora, Haruhi and Tsuneo will stay here. Perfect!”
“It’s not perfect!” Haruhi shouted, leaping up. “We just got here, and you already want to leave?” She brushed the patchy network of bruises on her arm. “The main house was hell. We all went through the same stuff, and we all got out together. Together, all of us are like a team; it’s not just Haku and Raiden- we’re all part of one thing, the Zodiac. Why should we be split up? It’s completely unfair!”
“Haruhi…” Naoko said. “Haruhi, I need to go and live with my parents!”
“I know, I know I’m being unreasonable and childish… but I just- everything’s changing again!” Haruhi blush in embarrassment as she felt tears welling in her eyes.
Naoko got up, followed by Raiden and Haku. “Sorry, Haruhi. We’re still going to see each other in the future. It’s not like we’re going away to die. And besides, you’ve still got those two with you. We won’t be far away, promise.”
“If we’re spread out over two households, it will be harder for Akito to find us, if she should ever come looking. Take that into account as well,” Raiden reminded Haruhi, who had calmed down and was biting her lip.
Kyo cleared his throat. “Yuki says he’ll be ready any time, so I can take you all there now, if you want.”
The three of them nodded, and followed Kyo out of the room, not looking behind themselves. Haruhi watched them go, still dwelling on the personal humiliation of her emotional outburst. It had just gotten too much; never had she imagined that, right after they all escaped, anyone would want to leave. It was like she was afraid of being alone, or abandoned, as if her entire being was shying away from the loneliness of life in the main house. She wanted to surround herself with people, to never be on her own. It was a strange feeling, and it scared her. She sat down, feeling drained and put out.
Sora came and sat down next to Haruhi, her usual soft smile making Haruhi’s world light up, just a little bit. Tsuneo, who had, up until this point, been staring at the floor, raised his head.
“It’s simply us three now,” he said distantly, not looking at them.
Haruhi cracked a smile. She had been unaware that Tsuneo spoke in such a posh manner. She had been distracted by other things.
“But, this is a climate I enjoy,” Sora commented.
“Hm? Why?” Haruhi asked.
“Well, I can tell that the atmosphere here is good. It isn’t stifling, there are no restrictions, and there’s lots to learn about the world that we never got to see. I never saw the sky until I got freed, and this is awesome! But Tsuneo, when you were outside, you looked so scared!”
He bit his lip. “Yes, well I was quite scared then. After all, it’s new, and it was a momentous night, too. All challenges are scary at first, but maybe I can learn one day to face up to them, instead of stopping, shutting down and hoping for the best.”
“Okay, now he’s getting too thoughtful!” Sora laughed.
“Am I?” he said anxiously. “Is that a bad thing?”
“No. It’s a unique thing. You don’t speak much, but when you do, you say something of real importance. I think that’s as good a trait as any, and one worth keeping,” Sora said.
Haruhi smiled. Naoko, Raiden and Haku had all left, but they would be with them in spirit, no matter where they went. As usual, her emotions had fluctuated from calm, to furious, to upset, and now she was feeling fine. Maybe it was the presence of two people who understood her. There was Sora, so lovely and kind, and Tsuneo, who she felt that she was beginning to understand more and more about every time he spoke. Because of a single sentence, Tsuneo could make someone at peace within themselves, without him even realising it. He was a mysterious person.
“Well, I guess this is it,” she said.
“What is it?”
“It’s time we got used to life outside. This is only our first day. We’ve got the rest of our lives ahead! Yeah- I’m excited just thinking about it. Think of all the ninja games I could play out in those woods.”
Sora laughed. “We can go exploring later, then.”
Haruhi felt a well of emotion rise up inside her, so she stood up abruptly, and strode out of the room. Just outside the door, she began to laugh.