Chapter 7: All that Glitters is not Gold

"Momiji wait." They were almost there, only a few streets were left between the Sohma estate and the group of the four young men. "What is it?" the blonde rabbit asked impatiently and jumped on the spot for a few times. Kyo and Haru were looking at the rat, too, expecting him to say something. "We need to make a plan," Yuki insisted and almost helplessly stomped his foot, not sure at all how to make his point clear.

Kyo titled his head. "A plan? You want a plan?" He shoved Haru to the side, grabbing the collar of Yuki's grey sweater and pulled him closer. "We don't have time for a plan, you stupid excuse of a rat! Toru is suffering through God-knows-what and we are the only ones who can get her out of there. We don't have time for a fucking plan!" The grey-haired teen pushed Kyo back to put some space between them. "What do you want do then, mastermind?" he shouted, now angry as well, and shoved Kyo again more forcefully. "Do you honestly think you can simply march in there, kick in the door to that room, throw her over the shoulder and just leave? Akito will set you on fire. No-"Yuki let out a short, humourless laugh and shot the cat a dirty smirk. "Even better: Akito will make your life a miserable hell if he catches us and then he will most likely put you in the Cat's prison."

Before Kyo could unleash his anger on Yuki, Haru jumped between them. "Kyo, Yuki is right," he said in a dark and emotionless voice. "But you also have a point. We need to be quick but we need a plan as well." The three older boys were completely silent and pondered the situation while each tried to come up with a plan. "Okay, what about this," Haru started, "Momiji and I are going to check out the situation in Akito's rooms and then we're trying to distract him while you two break in, somehow open the door and snatch Toru." The grey of Yuki's eyes was stormy and showed how unsatisfied he was but he was afraid that he didn't have much of a choice. This was better than nothing. "Ok... We'll do it that way," he reluctantly agreed and shot Kyo a no-nonsense look along the lines of 'I dare you to sabotage this'.

The trio started to walk again when an overly familiar car halted next to them with screeching tires. "Hello and good afternoon to you three!" Ayame Sohma waved at them from the driver's seat of Hatori's car. The dragon was slouched in the passenger seat which was extremely uncharacteristic for him. Hatori's skin was pale, he looked like he hadn't slept for three days and had travelled to hell and back. Kyo almost jumped the car. "You," he seethed, pointing at the doctor, "You took her out of our house and let her fall into the clutches of that bastard!" The snake slapped Kyo's hand away, waving a finger at him. "Poor manners, Kyon-kichi," he chided. "Ha-san was nothing but kind to Toru and you really shouldn't stick your nose in other people's business." The cat's mouth fell open. "'Other people's business'?! Excuse me, I'm living with her, she's far more my business than she is Hatori's!" Hatori massaged his temples. "I know you're angry, Kyo," he started in an exhausted voice and rose his hand when the orange-head wanted to interrupt him, "but either you're getting in the car or you can walk the rest of the way. I can explain now or when you get there in half an hour."

Yuki ignored the excited wave and smile of his brother and looked at Hatori. "I'm afraid, we won't fit, Hatori-san," he said but Haru coughed and cleared his voice. "We do, since Momiji disappeared." The dragon further leaned into his seat. "You've got to be kidding me," he said, his voice going hoarse. Seeing Hatori's desperation, the boys immediately climbed in the car and Ayame sped forward, so fast that they actually were pressed back into their seats. "He's just a child, how could you lose him?" Hatori growled and turned his head to stare at them with his good eye disappointedly. "It was only five minutes ago," Haru tried to calm the dragon down but it was like talking to a statue; Hatori didn't seem to hear him, let alone be willing to listen. "Momiji knows the neighbourhood like the back of his hand; he's going to be there before us. He's most likely going to use one of his secret entrances to get to Toru."

Kyo was the one to lean forward now, going as far as to hold onto Hatori's shoulder. "And what happened to her? What is he going to find?" The boys saw the two men exchange a meaningful glance. "Toru isn't in Yuki's old room anymore," Hatori carefully answered, neatly avoiding a direct answer. "And? Is she hurt?" Silence was the only answer. "I'm asking you if she's fucking hurt," Kyo roared and Yuki pulled him forcefully back so that the orange-head wouldn't try to jump on one of the adults in his rage. "You said, she wasn't in the room anymore," Yuki quietly said. "That means, she has been in there." Hatori nodded, they all saw how powerless and sad he was. "How bad is it?"

They passed the entrance to the estate, Ayame parked the car and Hatori sighed before getting out. "She has been better but... it will be okay."

\(° 3 °)/ ( furuba! )

Meanwhile, Momiji had snuck through a hidden hole in the walls at the south end of Akito's garden. He sneaked through it, hiding behind flowers and bushes and looking out for open doors or windows through which he could spot a sign of Toru or Akito. But everything was empty and silent and… He shouldn't have left the others behind, really, but he couldn't stand Yuki and Kyo's fighting and all the unnecessary discussing. The rabbit wanted to save Toru and that was all that counted.

The blonde boy spotted the main veranda of Akito's chambers and saw two figures on it. One was Akito. He sat there, his back against the wall as he looked into the sky. The mild sun was shining down on him, though it only fell on his feet, the rest of his body was protected by the roof. Momiji tried hard to identify the other person, but it couldn't be Toru, could it? That would mean that Akito had taken her out of his punishment and he wouldn't do that, right? He wouldn't turn soft, not even for Toru. Or would he?

The other figure was a girl, so much Momiji could see. She was soft-framed and thin and had brownish hair. She was lying flat on the wooden veranda, her head resting on Akito's leg, her face turned away from the sun and the garden, facing the wall. The half-german boy crawled closer to get a better view without getting caught and gasped quietly as the girl turned her face towards him, to look into the sky as well. It was Toru. "Oh mein Gott," Momiji whispered as he saw the dried blood in her face, the bruise on her eye and the short hair even from this distance. What should he do, he needed to-

"You shouldn't have come, Momiji." Kureno Soma grabbed the rabbit under the arms and pulled him up and out of his hiding place, a fancy bush with pink flowers. The blonde boy could only helplessly watch as Akito's black eyes shot to the sudden ruckus and narrow and as Toru sat up and stared at the squirming zodiac member. The rooster carried the boy over to the veranda and dropped him into the neatly trimmed grass in front of the porch. "Akito," Momiji whimpered as a greeting and nervously looked down, shooting a few glances at Toru who looked almost emotionless, drained. "You useless boy," Akito answered lazily without moving a muscle. "What do you think, breaking into my garden? Does this look like public territory?" The blonde boy started to shiver slightly. "I'm sorry, Akito, I only wanted to look for Toru." Even though the rabbit was only a year younger than Toru, he felt like a five-year-old in front of his God.

"Here she is. I admit, she has been prettier but I hope you do recognize her." Akito's pale hand curled around Toru's wrist, tugging at it so that she looked at him, presenting Momiji with a more detailed view of her hair. "I did change her hair style but you're looking at the unfinished version so please hold back your unqualified opinion." Momiji tried to calm himself down but anger was having a fierce grip at his heart, squeezing his lungs together and making it hard to concentrate. His God had clearly hurt Toru, mistreated her badly and overall caused her so much pain… The rabbit only wanted to take his friend and disappear to the end of the world. Momiji was so occupied with keeping his emotions under control that he had missed the exchange of looks between his God and the girl.

A hand touched his hair and Momiji's gaze shot up. Toru was standing in front of him, softly smiling at him. The crusted blood and bruise made her smile look quite tragic but she otherwise still looked the same. "It's okay, Momiji," she calmly said and bowed down, cupping his face in her hands. "Everything will turn out well," Toru promised, her uneven cut hair swaying slightly in the wind. She looked somehow airy, exhausted and dreamy. What had happened to her? "You should accompany Kureno-san for now. I'll come visit you." It didn't escape his notice that she didn't say when. Desperately Momiji lunged forward and hugged Toru's middle. She didn't smell like Toru at all. The scent was foreign, more Akito than Toru, harsh and clean.

Smoke enveloped the pair and Toru easily scooped up the creamy white bunny. She stroked the fur of the small animal and threw a quick look back at Akito. The God looked neither angry nor happy at the display; he simply waved his hand to the side, signalling her to get rid of the young zodiac member. Toru bent down a bit further and whispered, "Soon, I promise," and then let reluctantly go as the rooster pulled the animal out of her arms. The brunet man collected Momiji's clothing off the grass and then disappeared from the view.

"Disgusting how the rabbit sticks to you," Akito mentioned and rose to his feet, then climbing down the veranda gracefully. "He simply needs a bit love," Toru offered along with an empty smile but didn't look at the young man by her side. "We all need love, don't we?" But the black-haired male didn't answer; he simply leaned against the edge of the porch and watched the girl smile a silly smile. Some things would never change, he guessed.

A loud clap from the veranda made the pair look to the side. "Toru-kun is as wise as always," Ayame loudly complimented and made it sound more like a joke than a genuine compliment. His silver hair glistened in the sun. "Ayame-kun," Toru greeted happily but a noticeable strain appeared in her voice. Ayame, as Hatori's best friend, had crossed her way multiple times in the last years and so she had grown up with his relentless teasing and sometimes hurtful comments. Hatori had often been too tired or not even there to protect her and the snake only appeared in general when Akito was busy so he hadn't been able to protect her either. Now, of course, he had been called to save Toru's hair. Or more like the rest of it.

"I'll be taking a bath," Akito announced, watching Toru like a hawk would watch a prey. "No… you-know-what," he secretively sneered and sauntered of, leaving a confused Ayame behind. Oh, yes. Toru knew exactly what 'you-know-what' meant. No too strong pulling on the leash that he had put on her and that she had gladly accepted. It was strange but she didn't want anything bad to happen again. Anything at all. Nothing bad should happen ever again.

"Do you want a bob?" Ayame's voice pulled Toru out of her thoughts and he gently pushed her to sit at the edge of the veranda, kneeling behind her. The short-haired girl smiled timidly. "A bob would be nice," she agreed and wondered if she even knew how to say 'no' anymore, not that she had ever been good at it. As the snake worked, she hummed and didn't even notice when Ayame left. Two large, rough hands cupped her face and she emerged from the depth of her humming and airiness. Hatori knelt in front of her. "I'm sorry," he said. He said it again, a lot of times. He cried. His good eye closing and Toru stroked his hair. "It's not your fault," she soothed and her voice didn't quiver. She still was in a trance. Everything was so nice and colourful after that room. Nothing bad could happen now. And Hatori's tears were simply a sign that the bad times were over, weren't they?

"After the accident with Kanna, I should have known better than to leave you to yourself." The dragon's voice was dark and dripping with regret but to Toru, it sounded simply a bit glumly. "Everything's fine. You don't need to worry." Hatori looked at the crusted blood and the dark bruise and he wondered if something else had been hurt too badly to heal again.

(v 3 v) ( furuba! )

Haru had taken Momiji back to his rooms but Kyo and Yuki had refused to leave. They were in one of the guest rooms and they both had been within the heavy walls of the Sohma estate often enough to know that they were a good distance away from Akito's quarters. Which meant they were farther away from Toru as they had hoped for.

"We should have rescued her on our own," Kyo growled, heavy in his regrets, and walked in circles around the room, stopping each round at the window and looking into one of the smaller, almost boring gardens that weren't kept exotic and colourful for their God. "Maybe," Yuki agreed quietly, brushing a strand of hair away from his eyes. The cat almost stumbled over his own feet. Wow, the stupid rat must really feel miserable if he even agreed with his personal nemesis. "Is that all you have to say?" Just because Yuki already felt bad didn't mean that Kyo couldn't make it worse. "No, it's not," Yuki answered quietly, "but it wouldn't change anything if I said more. We'd still be here, sitting in this room, wondering if she's well. So what's the point?"

Angrily, Kyo snorted. That damn idiot was always cleverer than him. Ugh. "Look, I don't want to fight right now," the grey-haired teen continued and stared at the cat, "I'm tired." The dim light of the room made Kyo uncomfortabl but he guessed that it would be okay to play low for now. "Me, too," he answered and after that, they both fell silent. Both boys were occupied with worrying, imagining the worst things that could have happened to Toru.

"Why, did you two already lose your fighting spirit?" Ayame had entered the room and even in this light, the pearls on his long coat sparkled marvellously. "The princess shall now receive visitors! Be happy!" Yuki wanted to punch his older brother so badly and he gritted his teeth as he rose from his kneeling postion, Kyo hot on his heels as they left the room to follow the snake. The hallways of the main estate had never felt longer. They walked for a minute before the snake suddenly stopped on the spot. His golden eyes shined strangely as he threw a quick glance at them over his shoulder. "You know how you feel when you leave that room, Yuki. You should both probably realize that things are possibly more different than you realize." Yuki felt the idiot-cat frowning behind him. "What dou you mean, more different-""Enough talking! Let's go." As usual, Ayame only listened to himself so it was useless to try talking to him again.

Minutes passed in which the trio was silent and the boys back at delving in their own thoughts. Ayame suddenly stopped and slid open a door to their right. That was strange because they were still pretty far away from Akito's rooms. Although they didn't understand it, the snake gestured them in and slid it close after them with a thud that felt pretty important. They were in a large, traditional Japanese room. The tatami floor was neat and the opposite wall of the door was completely opened, revealing a veranda and a large pond in a garden surrounded with thick walls. The blood-red bridge that crossed the pond in the middle was decorated with flowers. In the middle of room stood Toru. She did neither face the pond nor the door, she simply stood and looked at the wall. Her thin figure was clad into a too large yukata (white with pale blue flowers) which most likely belonged to the God. The expression on her face could be described as dreamy at best but it had a more empty tint to it. Something was definitely off though. The girl didn't look in pain at all but still. Her voice flowed over to them and both boys felt pained. She hummed hoarsely, an out of tune, strange melody wavering over to them. Her fingers seemed to play with something non-existent on her shoulder and Yuki noticed that was the place where her hair usually would fall over her shoulder. But there weren't long, shiny brown tresses.

The short strands of her bob were swaying slightly in the almost non-existent breeze that blew in from outside. The atmosphere was simply creepy. Was that the difference that both Hatori and Ayame had mentioned? "Toru?" Kyo's voice was rough and nervous. Their friend looked up, unseeing at first and then slowly returning from wherever her mind had been. She stared at them before slowly starting to smile. "Hello."

Hey guys!

Yes, I have finished another chapter and yes, it took me ages. Ugh.

I choose this ultimate cliffhanger because I'm not quite sure how I want to continue (or more like if I still want to continue the way I planned). Looking at the planned storyline, I have a feeling that one more drama thing would be kind of toooo tragic. I want at least a little bit happiness before I let things turn dark again. Or is someone here who wants 100% dark?

I'm not sure but I still love this ahhhhhhhhh!

Differences from the manga: Just the obvious, haha.

Question of the day: What do you think of the change in Toru that I hinted at?

Edit 15.10.15: Sorry you guys! When uploading this, I've been sleep-deprived and nervous so I messed up a lot more on grammar, spelling and details than usual. I went through this piece and edited a few minor things, description and of course some mistakes. SORRY!""

xoxo Padlock