caged bird; 愛玩鳥 ( a fruits basket fanfiction )

001. clipped wings

(A/N: I'm staying true to the manga, for the most part. Akito is a girl, but no one really knew that except for Kureno, Shigure, Hatori and Ayame. So I'm gonna keep it that way for now.)

Kureno-San had been freed, the curse had lifted from his shoulders. But the bond remained. Akito, the angry child God, swore Kureno and anyone else who knew about the freed man to secrecy. And Kureno continued to stay by Akito's side. But the soul of the rooster was passed to another.

Kotori Sohma was born in the late spring in the early morning. Everyone said it was the worse rain storm of the year, her mother thought that God was crying for her daughter. Kotori had beautiful amber colored eyes. Her mother wept tears of joy while she held her in her arms. When her father got to hold his daughter for the first time, there was a small puff of smoke and in his arms was a small white colored baby bird.

No one expected Kotori to be a zodiac member, especially not a zodiac that was already alive and well. Akito made sure to keep her burden a secret, sending her father from the Sohma Main House. No one was to touch her, other than her mother until she was old enough to be alone.

By the age of seven, Kotori had her own room in Akito's half of the Main House. Her mother was sent away from the Main House, she tried to argue, but there was no fighting the head of the Sohma family. Kotori's parents were never allowed to visit her, in fact she couldn't even remember the faces of her own parents. No one in the family knew she was even there, other than the servants and Akito's select few confidants. Akito came and sat with her everyday in the darkness of her room, whispering to her that no one would ever save her from this place. That she would be his and his forever. Birds belong in cages, he would say.

--

Kotori was eleven now, and today was her birthday. She was tutored everyday by a trusted Sohma family member, who had reminded her early this morning about her special day before her lessons began.

Kotori leaned out her window, her room faced Akito's private garden that was surrounded by high walls. He made sure no one would ever see her. She tangled her fingers in her soft blonde hair, it almost reached her waist now. She'd have to see if she could get someone to cut it for her.

"Happy Birthday to me." She whispered, her amber eyes collecting tears. A bright red ball suddenly bounced over the side of the wall that surrounded the cell Akito had made for her.

"Haru! It went over the wall! Just leave it!" A small voice called out. Kotori stood from her kneeling position, putting her hands on the sliding window, ready to close it.

A head of white hair peeked over the ledge of the wall, a small boy, about the same age as her was climbing over. It looked like his snowy hair faded to black at the back of his neck. Before he could climb fully over the wall, his eyes travelled up and caught Kotori standing in her window.

"Hatsuharu! Get down from there at once!" A familiar voice yelled, the older servant woman of the Sohma house. Kotori quickly slammed her window closed and sunk down to the floor. She hadn't seen a child her age, well, ever.

Her door slid open behind her, she involuntarily shuddered. Light footsteps behind her signaled that Akito had come. He approached her slowly.

"Do you want to meet them, Kotori? The others?" Akito asked, his face twisted in a smug smirk. Kotori had always asked about the others. Akito used to tell her the story of the Zodiac and the reason for her curse. He told her about the bond. Told her that's why she had to stay with him, because she would become ill and die without him.

"Yes, Akito." Kotori whispered, tears still brimming her eyes. Her gaze focused on the closed window in front of her.

"If I let you out, you will fly away." Akito grabbed a fistful of her hair, yanking her head back to face the ceiling.

"No," she whimpered, "I just want to meet them." Her hair was released and her head rolled back forward, this time she faced the floor. She heard quiet footsteps, then nothing. He didn't shut the door.

"Then, this is my gift to you."

Kotori spun around, tears rolling down her cheeks. The hallway was brighter than she thought it would be. She stood up on her skinny legs and timidly approached the open door.

--

Bloodied bandages were wrapped around Kotori's arms, she sat naked in her bed that was laid out on tatami mats in her room. Her blankets only came to her waist, but she liked the feeling of the sunlight from her window on her exposed skin. Her face was covered in small scratches, her left eye was blackened with a nasty bruise.

"Kotori? Did you hear me?"

"I did, thank you, Hatori-senpai." Kotori said, her voice steady and calm. Her hollow amber eyes looked over to Hatori, his hair was getting long and one eye was covered by bandages wrapped around his head. Kotori gently placed her hand on Hatori's cheek just beneath his the bandages covering his eye. And she smiled, a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

She was fifteen now, and was going to be allowed to enter Kaibara High School with Momiji and Hatsuharu as a first year student. Her wish had been granted, but at a price. There was always a price with Akito.

--

"What do you think, Kotori-chan?" Momiji asked excitedly, spinning in a circle showing off his modified school uniform. Tomorrow was the opening ceremony, and Kotori had to admit she was pretty excited. She gently ran her fingers over her own school uniform.

Momiji watched her with soft eyes. Kotori, who had spent her life in a cage, sacrificed her only gift for freedom to go outside. She never smiled the same way that she did when they first met her. Momiji remembered that day very well, when Akito had called all the Zodiac to the dining hall at the Main House and brought the eleven year old broken child before all of them.

He remembered her smile, it was genuine but broken. She held tears in her big amber orbs, she was skinny and small. Her voice was soft, but sweet like honey. Akito had her sit by his side as everyone came up to greet her. Momiji also remembered a young Yuki sat on Akito's other side, staring at the girl in wonder. He wasn't the only one caged by Akito.

After that, she wasn't seen much. She was allowed visitors when Akito was in a giving mood, and she attended the banquets. But she was never allowed to stray away from Akito's side. Or to speak too frequently.

"Don't bother, Ko-chan." Haru said cooly, breaking Momiji from his trance. The ox entered the room, making his way slowly to Kotori's side. He sat beside her and pushed her hair from her face.

"I wasn't bothering her, Haru! Don't be mean!" Momiji whined, throwing lazy punches at Haru's back. "We were having fun, right, Kotori-chan?"

Kotori's ghost of a smile graced her lips as she locked her fingers with Haru's that was still pressed to her cheek.

"Yes, we were having fun." She said meekly, "I can't wait to see what you look like in your uniform, Haru."

Haru didn't smile back, knowing that her smile was fake and broken, but Momiji beamed from behind him.

"We're gonna have so much fun! And Kotori-chan finally gets to meet Tohru-chan!" Momiji exclaimed jumping around the room, Kotori's eyes wandered back to her uniform, pulling her hand back into her lap. She had heard a lot about Tohru Honda. Yuki and Kyo were living in Shigure's house outside the main house, with Tohru too.

"Are you excited Kotori-chan?" Momiji asked, kneeling beside Haru and Kotori. She looked up from her uniform and reached out to take Momiji's hand.

"More than I've ever been." Kotori whispered, her arms tingling under the fresh bandages that were hidden by her long sleeved sweater.

Tomorrow, school begins.