01.01.2011

Dear Fanfiction Readers.

Here, as promised "Obedience: Dark Realities". It has been a long work in the process to get this far – almost a year of work on-and-off to get it here, and the editing of the chapter only actually finished today, just in time for this chapter to be released.

It's a very dark take on "Obedience: White Lies", and so if you have any questions that you want to ask, feel free to leave the comments in a review or PM, and we'll answer as best as we can.

It's probably best to read "Obedience: White Lies" first, however this can be read on it's own, after checking out the summary on Kyae's profile page.

Disclaimer: Neither of us owns Fruits Basket, or any of the Characters within it. We are merely using them to put through a situation we all want after "White Lies" – come on – Shigure needs his comeuppance! Lmao.

Kyae x

Hello, readers! This is Tabby, here. This story has grown a lot since we first began...

You see, this all began when I left a review to Obedience (now White Lies) wondering what would happen if Yuki got revenge on Shigure for sending him to Akito. Kyae thought it sounded interesting, and suggested I write it. After exchanging some PMs, we decided to write it together...

I thought it would just be something short, a one-shot or something like that. But here we are, a hundred PMs and thousands of emails later, only part way through Dark Realities and considering two alternate endings. Who knows where it will go?

We look forward to finding out, and hope you will join us every step of the way.

~Tabbyprincess

"Anyone can rat, but it takes a certain amount of ingenuity to re-rat."

Sir Winston Churchill

Chapter 1 – Kataki

-This Chapter takes place one month after the events in the first chapter of 'Obedience'-

The Main house.

Sunday 20TH November 2011

Shigure's weary brown eyes opened up to darkness – complete and utter darkness

'Where am I...? What's going on...?'

The last thing the Inu of the Juunishi could remember was being in his office, on the phone to his editor about his lack of updates (that he had done on purpose, of course).

Flashback

Shigure's Office

"Yes, yes dear Mitchan, the manuscript is ready, I'll have it delivered first thing tomorrow..." He told his editor playfully, hanging up the phone before sighing. "Gods, why does Haa-san have to insist I have no fun?" He groaned to himself. "It's almost as if the whole world is against me!"

Breaking Shigure out of his thought was a soft knock at the door.

"Hel-lo-oo?" Shigure called out in his sing-song voice, presuming it to be the delightful Tohru whom Kyo seemed to have snatched from under his nose. "Do come in!"

Turning back to the manuscript, Shigure began shoving it in an envelope, plotting the best way to torture his poor editor, when a cup of tea was put next to him. Looking up to thank Tohru, the Inu's eyes widened in surprise when he saw that it wasn't Tohru standing at his desk, but Yuki.

"What may I ask is the occasion for you to make a cup of tea that isn't burnt little Yuki-kun? Is this what the 'education' Akito spoke to you was about – how to cook?" He tittered to himself, pleased with his joke, and completely missing the brief look of fury on the Nezumi's face as he examined the tea.

"No, Shigure. Honda-san merely asked me to make some drinks for us all – we're going out to garden later. It's not like you can burn tea after all." The boy replied neutrally, seeming to ignore the dog's comments.

'Well, I'm sure if it was possible Yuki would discover it...' Shigure grinned to himself, before deciding to dismiss Yuki –after all, he would only be rebuked for tormenting his editor by the stupid rat, and it wasn't as if he even lived here anymore.

Gods, why had he even have to visit – after all without Yuki around the amount of damages had decreased fully – he didn't even need to pay for take-outs anymore either since either Kyo or Tohru (or both) would cook him a lovely warm nutritious dinner every night, none of Yuki's trademark charcoal-rich products in sight!

So what if it meant that Yuki had to stay with Akito – he was the rat. He was supposed to like being in a cage with his god by his side...

Taking a sip of his tea, Shigure sighed in bliss as the taste rolled around his tongue, the herbal qualities to it perfectly complimenting the drink.

'Heaven in a drink – that's what tea is... whoever knew that Yuki could actually do something right...? Hmm... Maybe I could ask Aaya to alter that maids outfit that I got for Tohru to Yuki's size... I'm sure Akito would find it amusing if Yuki woke up one day to find that the only outfit he had was a maids outfit... maybe the next time I go to visit Akito I'll tell her...' Shigure schemed to himself, enjoying the pain and shame he could inflict upon the rat. 'Hmm... I'll have to ask him for the recipe to this tea though before I do it to him; the herbal taste within it is very good..."

He took another sip of tea. The smell and taste of it was very familiar, but he couldn't place it...

He struggled to remember... the cup, too...it was connected to the smell in his memory...

It was only when his body stopped moving that he recognized the drink...or rather the drug in the drink...

It was the same one he had given Yuki to get him into the main house...

Before he could even finish the thought Shigure had slumped to the floor, almost fast asleep.

The last thing he saw was Yuki re-entering the room, an evil Akito-like smirk pasted upon his girlish face, a look that seemed unnaturally 'right' on him.

"Sweet revenge..." The boy whispered, his voice filled with malice as he kicked the dog harshly before Shigure finally blacked out from the pain.

*End of Flashback*

The room Shigure awoke to was pure black, darker than the night itself, its creepy qualities causing the Inu to realise that the possibility of the door being open for his escape was slim. Suddenly there was a creak as the large re-enforced oak door opened slowly, the light from the corridor blinding his dark-adjusted eyes just before he caught a glimpse of the person entering.

Yuki.

Standing there, like some avenging Lucifer, his hands delicately behind his back, a satisfied smirk on his face as his eyes lowered onto his prey. Even the clothes he was wearing gave the image of his prowess – a loose Japanese Kimono, flowing behind him like flames, coloured a startling shade of blood red...

'Or maybe it actually is blood...' A voice deep down in Shigure's consciousness whispered, causing the dog to shudder involuntarily.

"Y-Yuki-kun... w-what's going on...? W-why did you drug me...? Why have you brought me here – where am I?" Shigure demanded fearfully as he rubbed his sore head, hoping that there was a simple answer and that it was all a mistake – that he could go back to bed and rest for a few days...

However, as Yuki's cruel smirk widened, Shigure realised that this was no mistake – that this was all planned... all of it.

"You are here, stupid mutt," Shigure winced as Yuki called him by the same phrase his darling Akito did when she was well and truly pissed off at him. "so that I can deliver justice. Finally... after all this time..."

Yuki 's eyes seemed to glow as he spoke, and Shigure couldn't help but shy away from the boy, terrified of the words as the Nezumi softly closed the door, shutting out the little bit of light – and hope – that the dog had. In desperation, Shigure began to look for other possible escape routes, but the dim figure seemed to laugh at it.

"Don't you recognise this room, mutt?" He whispered sneeringly into Shigure's sensitive ear, causing the dog to jump up in fright, "Or did you just send me here, not knowing, or caring about what I would go through?"

N-no!

I-It couldn't be... could it?

Not that room.

The room which was never named by any sane Sohma – or even spoken about.

The Kuraku room.

Akito's personal torture chamber.

There were whispers all around the Sohma estate about the room, but that was all they were – whispers. He had never actually expected the room to actually be real... Not really – to think that his Akito would actually use a room like this..

"T-this isn't funny Yuki..." He whispered hoarsely, trying to sound strong and failing miserably, before deciding to play his 'get-out-of-jail-free' card. "Akito will punish you if he find you here – especially if you are hurting me – his favourite..."

To Shigure's immense surprise and dismay, instead of backing off and grovelling, begging for Akito not to be told, he laughed.

An insane, chillingly familiar sound.

A laugh that could rival even Akito's.

"You fool." He chuckled darkly. "Did you not realise your pitiful plan would backfire? Did you think me stupid enough to fight back? I'm brighterthan you. I realised what was needed. I did what Akito-sama wanted – after I submitted to my master, I took your place. I am Akito-sama's favourite now. In my true place, by the god's side. All thanks to you... And now, I shall reward you for what you did!"

From the dim red light that the evening sunset brought, Shigure watched silently as Yuki produced something from behind his back. A rope.

Akito's rope – one that had been shown to the dog many a time, laced in blood.

It was the very rope that was used to beat up Yuki as a child, in this room...

With a chilling realisation, Shigure realised that Yuki had changed – He had truly become just like Akito.

Twisted – and merciless.

As he stared hungrily at the dog, Yuki felt a sneer form on his face, his eyes narrowed in hatred and contempt at the snivelling figure.

He hadn't been this pathetic as a child, he was sure.

He hadn't grovelled before the pain had begun.

He hadn't betrayed anyone else to this fate, and then grovelled when it had come to his turn.

And yet this pathetic former favourite was doing all that – he was twenty-seven for Kami's sake!

Staring at the dog, Yuki smirked as he realised that he no longer cared about the person whom he had once looked up to as a hero.

He had moved away from the snivelling dog before, but now he walked back towards him slowly, purposefully, allowing his shoes to click cruelly upon the cold, uninviting wooden floor, smirking menacingly as he saw the mutt flinch, the power exhilarating him.

'Aaahhh, sweet revenge...' He thought as he began to carefully loosen the knot in the rope, holding it high above Shigure's head, poised to destroy, like the vengeful angel he was...

"B-but Yuki... I-I'm your brother's best friend!" Shigure pleaded, panicking as he saw Yuki flick the rope a few times lazily, just missing him.

"And I'm your best friend's brother." Yuki retorted, a hint of anger now in his voice at the mutt's protests. "That reason didn't stop you from shipping me off to this room without a hint of doubt or regret. So why should it stop me? No. You're going to get what you deserve right now!"

The coarse rope flew sharply through the air with a resounding crack, and Shigure let out a cry of pure agony as he felt the skin on his back be torn apart instantly, warm blood already trickling down his back. Yuki smiled callously, enjoying the dog's pain, feeling it fill his body with adrenalin as he danced around, darting in to scare the mutt.

'So this is how it feels like to be in control...' He realised silently as he played out each whip lash to its fullest, the dog's terrified screams like music to his ears. 'To have some pathetic being cowering before me, begging for mercy... I rather like it...'

"T-this isn't you, Yuki – you aren't like this!" Shigure frantically thrashed from side to side, trying, and failing, to evade the piercing whip as it crashed down precisely down upon his un-toned body, ripping into the flesh and fat.

"Who are you to say who I am or who I am not?" Yuki snarled at the now trembling dog, his strength now multiplied threefold as his anger was released fully. "Your contemptible days of manipulating everyone who crosses your paths are over!"

Yuki let the whip crash down upon the blood-covered dog again, savouring the screams the now came up more violently, as the mutt felt the worst pain he had in his entire life.

'Yes, that's right Shigure Sohma – scream for me!' Yuki thought in glee as he smelt the blood from Shigure, and heard the mutt's screams of agony.

After a few minutes of glorious screams from the mutt, Yuki realised that it would be more amusing if the dog stayed alive to be played with again, and so he paused for a moment, his eyes which had over time adjusted to the poor light in this room watching satisfied as the dog cowered before him, drenched in his own blood.

Kneeling down behind the curled up dog, Yuki tittered as Shigure instinctively shuddered, his tongue flicking in the blood-filled air.

"What's wrong Shigure...?" Yuki asked softly, mockingly, his stature appearing as if he cared, but his cold bloodthirsty eyes revealing the malice behind his words. "Can you not take a little pain?"

He smirked as Shigure curled up tighter within himself, and bent down nearer to the dog, so that his chest pressed down painfully against Shigure's cuts, and moved his lips to the mutt's ears.

"Do you know why this room is kept in darkness constantly, my little Shigure?" He asked to dog, delighting as Shigure froze at Yuki's possessive address. "It's a reflection of the world we live in – couldn't you tell that? Are you that stupid? We, the Juunishi live in a dark, evil world... Hope... Light... Love... we have none of these things dear Shigure."

He felt the dog stiffen in shock beneath his tiny frame, and giggled menacingly, his eyes lighting up in glee.

"The only thing that we have in a world such as this is god – Akito-sama. But, like all things, we have to earn Akito-sama's love. After all, only those who are righteous and obedient are loved by God... And God wishes us to be united against the outsiders." The same poisonous words that had once been uttered to Yuki were now being spoken by him to the dog, only now the rat didn't find them quiet so poisonous... "Shigure, Shigure... if you would only learn this, then you wouldn't have to be punished!"

With a raise of the blood-soaked whip, the pounding of the mutt resumed.

As the rat paused for a moment to catch his breath, Shigure looked at Yuki with darkened eyes.

'How could such beauty as he be tainted so easily...?' Shigure thought as he cried out in agony, willing to do anything to rewind time and to have the cleverness not to drink that tea...

Had he really caused this monster to emerge on that night when he had obeyed Akito for his own reasons and sent Yuki there to the main house...?

Was it really his fault?

No... No it couldn't be... Yuki would believe that he couldn't help it – he was naive! There must be another reason for this treatment of him...

Yuki paused in his beatings again. Moving slowly to where the mutt was sprawled out on the floor, he nudged the dog brutally with his spike-toed shoes, hoping the blood would wash off eventually. After all he certainly didn't want a reminder of Shigure when all of this was done with.

"What's the matter, my little mutt? Are you hurt...?" Yuki mocked crouching down next to the dog, so that he could hear the moan of agony said dog produced, whispering venomously; "Good."

Desperately, Shigure sprang one last time at him, the last piteous attempt of escape for a spoiled dog. Almost casually, Yuki saw his dash, and kicked him elegantly, smirking at the crack as the dog crashed into the wall behind him, vaguely pleased that he hadn't kicked him hard enough to break the room – the darkness oddly comforting to him now.

"Idiot!" Yuki scolded the dog, talking as if Shigure was 7, rather than 27. "Did you not think for one measly moment that attacking me would just make me even angrier? Did that not cross your tiny mind?"

He paused for a moment, placing his hands gently on the dogs shoulders, letting his words sink in. "Fortunately for you, I'm feeling in a good mood today. So I won't punish you again..."

Yuki smirked as he heard Shigure's sigh of relief turn abruptly into a gasp, as the dog realised something else was going to happen.

"...Instead I shall give you a gift..." He whispered as he stroked Shigure's hair, patting it softly.

As soon as Yuki was sure that Shigure wouldn't try anything drastic again, he walked back to the door, and picked something up off the shelf next to it. Walking back up to Shigure, he showed the dog the object, but when he reached out to grab it, Yuki slapped his hand away, watching with narrowed eyes (hiding his amusement) as Shigure shuffled backwards submissively.

"Aren't you a lucky boy Shigure, eh?" Yuki spoke in a higher voice, and slightly slower than usual, just like how a person would speak to pet dogs when giving them something. "You're very own tracking collar. So now I'll be able to find you wherever you go!"

Fastening it tightly around Shigure's blood-stained neck, he tugged on it tightly as he watched the dog wince, before attaching a lead to the collar, and tying it to a post that hadn't previously been noticed by the Inu before

Walking away smugly, Yuki turned back only once to speak to the fallen mutt, his tones cruel, so unlike the soft polite tones he had used even a month ago. "Oh - and by the way? Don't try taking that off. I'll know if you do. And that... would make me angry... You never know, I might have to punish you again... Akito-sama may even want to watch..."

Letting the words fall of his tongue gracefully, he turned to the door opening it quickly, blinding the dog.

"And I'm sure you wouldn't want that to happen again so soon – would you?" He laughed poisonously, slamming the door loudly, and allowing Shigure to feel the emotions he had so long ago...

Shigure stared at the door in utter shock, his breathing laboured due to the tightness of the collar.

'How had this all happened?' He thought to himself again.

Sure, he had told Akito about Yuki... but everyone had to obey a direct order from their god – just like Yuki had said.

Didn't they?

But that wasn't his biggest concern anymore.

No, his problem was how he was going to get out of this mess...

Because he would – of course he was going to be fine.

He was Shigure...

Thank you for reading, and please review to give feedback and help us know your opinions on this story as its been a long work in progress :)

The next update will be on the 22nd January 2010