The Boy and The Fox [Book 2]

10 Part 1

Kenshin stood quietly outside Akito's room, knowing that she and Shigure were in there at the moment. He wanted to hear the secrets she would share with the man knowing that Shigure was one of the few people she would tell things that she wouldn't tell him.

"I confess, I'm still curious why you had Kureno accompany you here. That seemed rather out of character for you. He's the favorite you prefer to keep tucked out of sight, so why bring him along now?" Shigure asked as Kenshin perked up curiously at the change of subject.

"I don't know. He seems out of sorts lately... not himself. I thought it might do him good to get away for a little while."

"Feeling stressed, maybe. That can fell the best of us, you know." The man said a hint of a smile in his voice. "Stressed? Form what? If anyone around here is under stress right now, it's me." Akito snapped back sternly.

"Ah, there you go again." Shigure said knowingly, "So, what's wrong? Something, in particular, displeasing you?"

"In particular? Everything displeases me." The girl told him with a hint of annoyance.

"Like what?" Shigure asked. "Like you, for example. You haven't been kind to me lately. Not at all. I don't understand what's changed."

"What do you mean? I am kind to you." Shigure told her innocently.

"Not kind enough! Not like you were. You used to look only at me. I deserve better from you. Be kinder! Be kinder! You've changed, all of you have. Don't tell me... It's because of her. That woman." Akito said as if realizing something.

Kenshin could hear Kureno's soft footsteps, but he ignored them, wanting to hear what other information his sister let slip. But once he heard the man's footsteps getting closer and closer, he finally gave up. Knowing that, he wouldn't get anything else out of it, for now. He walked past Kureno, the two of them trying their best to ignore each other.

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Kenshin took a walk through the woods wanting to clear his mind since tomorrow was the day after tomorrow was the last day of their stay, he wanted to make the day fun for everyone else, not wanting them to notice anything wrong.

As he followed the path towards the vacation house, he suddenly heard voices near the house, causing him to wonder who could be out so late, that was until he felt Akito's presence near the house causing a tangle of nerves to form in his stomach. As he got closer to the house, he could finally make out the voices of Akito and Momiji causing his nerves to turn into fear for the boy.

"Akito. I can tell you're mad, and if you see Tohru, then you'll lash out, and she'll get hurt." Momiji told her softly, "What's wrong? Please tell me. What are you so upset about? Did something bad happen?"

"'What's wrong'? That's rich. Why are you asking? To get to know me? To understand me? Is that it?" Akito asked coldly. Kenshin took a step forward, wanting to stop his sister from doing anything, but he was too late once he heard the hard punch against flesh.

His eyes went wide with fear and horror as the image of the blonde boy being hit by his sister. He tried to make his body move, but it wouldn't listen as his mind went back to when Akito had attacked him and caused him to lose his sight.

"Keep your false sympathy! It's a lie! All of it! You just wanna get the upper hand. To define me using your own twisted logic and paint me as a villain!" Akito yelled at him in anger.

"Please, let him go!" A girl's voice shouted, snapping Kenshin out of his shock and fear. "Stop it! Leave him alone!"

"What was that? It sounded a lot like you were giving me an order. How rude. Awful, really. I can tell. You're not a very nice person." Akito said with smugness in her voice.

"Akito!" Momiji exclaimed in fear, knowing that Akito could snap at Tohru any second just like she had with him. Kenshin was terrified for Momiji and Tohru wanting to save the two from whatever Akito would do to them.

"But you see, Tohru-- Miss Tohru Honda, I was kind enough to take the time to come visit. And no matter how disrespectful you might be to me, there's something I need to tell you. Something important." Akito told the girl gently, "Stop thinking you're special. Scum."

Momiji gasped in fear causing Kenshin to feel a resolve he hadn't felt before as he stepped forward, uncaring of how his sister would react to him being there. As Akito went on about how Tohru was nothing and explained to her what would happen to Kyo once he graduated high school while the others went to her side, he could hear Momiji running probably to get help from Hatori or Shigure.

"Akito. Who are you?" Those words caused Kenshin to stop once again as the rain began to drench his clothes. "Who are you to the zodiac members? Are you..." Tohru began until she let out a small gasp realizing who Akito was for the first time.

"What did you think? That I was just another animal spirit? No. To them, I am God. I am the master of their hearts and souls. They belong to me. Understand?" Akito told her.

"Akito!" Kureno's voice broke through the tension, stopping Kenshin from moving.

"I'm sorry, Kureno. I just had to come see her before we left. Oh, right. You two haven't met, have you? Let me introduce Kureno Sohma, the Rooster."

"Hello. Honda."

"Um. Hello." Tohru said softly.

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Kenshin walked down the path further into the woods knowing that Akito and Kureno would be taking that way towards the road between the vacations house and the beach. 

"Akito." Kenshin said sternly, stopping his sister from walking any further

"Ah, there you are. I was wondering where you ran off to."

"Don't act innocent." He snapped, causing both Akito's and Kureno's eyes to widen in shock. Kenshin made his way towards his sister, a wave of boiling anger running through his veins once he stood in front of her, "I know what you did."

Akito tensed, "And what? Are you upset that I hurt that woman?" She asked, anger starting to show in her voice. Kenshin let out a dry laugh as he ran a hand through his wet hair, "No, but you did hurt someone you hadn't before."

"Who that stupid rabbit? He disobeyed me." Akito told him, defending her actions like she had been doing for years.

"And that gives you the right to beat him?" Kenshin asked, his voice going cold.

"I am god! All of you belong to me to do as I please!" The girl exclaimed angrily.

"I suppose you are our god." Kenshin said calmly before anger flashed through his clouded eyes, grabbing Akito by the front of her shirt and pulling her up roughly. "But that doesn't give you the right to hurt others because they do something you dislike."

Kenshin let go of his sister's shirt roughly, hearing as she fell to the ground, "Hurting Momiji was the stupidest thing you could've done, and now you'll pay for that." He said as he walked away from her and a silent Kureno.

"Kenshin! Come back here! Kenshin!"

He could hear his sister calling out to him, but he ignored her and the unbearable pain he felt for disobeying her. 

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I hope you guys like this chapter and let me know what you think!