The Truth Untold

Chapter 6 You made a true friend

Star had her arms crossed as she had her head turned away from rins stare. She had tears in her eyes but didn't let them fall. Good for you. You made a true friend– one who really cares about you. You must be so happy. Haru said in his mind as he stared at rin.
"Snap" stop crying! Rin snapped.
I'm not crying! Star shouted.
Definitely happy. I can tell from the way you're blushing. Haru said in his mind, still staring at rin. While rin and star argued. Well, you seem to be unusually energetic today, isuzu. Kazuma said, walking in with some tea.
Master! Star said with a smile.
I suppose that it must lift your spirits, a friend visiting. Kazuma said.
"Friend...?" oh. Did you say "a friend"? Star said with a smirk on her face as she looked over at rin who slowly turned her head towards star. She tried to grab star's head but star caught her wrist. They both used their strength to get to the other.
They get along so well. Kazuma said as the girls glared at each other.
Yeah. Haru says. While Yuki had a blank face.
Minus the violence, maybe. Yuki said in a worried tone. Will she be staying here to recuperate, then? Yuki asked. Star and rin were outside looking in the little pound in kazuma's yard.
For a while. She prefers it to the hospital or the main estate. Kazuma said. Haru grabbed a bun taking the leaf of it.
She was locked up by Akito, wasn't she? Yuki asked seriously.
Rin doesn't want us to tell Takashi what happened. Star turned to rin talking to her with a smile. Rin looked back at her and listened. 
And the thought of having anything more to do with akito frightens her. Me, too. I want them kept apart. Haru says not meeting yuki's eye contact.
Okay. yuki says understanding.
Awful. Poor girl. Can you tell me, hatsuharu, where isuzu was being held? Kazuma asked. Haru looked down at the table.
The cat's room. Haru said making kazuma squint his eyes a bit.
I see. The same cage that's meant to hold kyo soon.
At shigure's house
Star's outfit with an apron minus the shoes.

Star's hair

Don't know for sure, but I get the feeling master's gonna let Isuzu move in with him. Kyo says while holding a water bottle. Star turned her head chuckling. Star then gasped.
You have nothing to worry about! You're still number one in master's book! Kyo choked on his water. He lives for you, kyo! Star said, shaking his arm.
I'm not worried about it at all, so quit sayin' weird stuff. Plus, to be honest, I think her staying there's actually a good idea. With someone else around the place, he's less likely to get lonely. Kyo says as he stares at his water bottle. Star just stared at him. Miss takashi? Yuki called. Hm, what's up? Star asked, looking over at yuki. The anniversary of your mom's death is this week. Could I come with you to the gravesite? Yuki asked, making star smile. Of course. I would love that! I'm going on saturday morning with uo-chan,hana-chan, and tohru. Oh and maybe my father but he might go on friday. Star said.
Sorry. I can't go. Kyo said as he walked passed her but stopped not looking at her. Oh... 'kay. Star said with her hands on her hips watching him leave. Yuki stared at kyo as he left the room.
At kazuma's house
Rin sweaped outside.
Well, that was a disaster. Rin looked up and saw shigure not in his usual kemono.
Not only did your search for a way to break the curse fail, you wound up in trouble, as well. You acted recklessly and paid the price. Shigure said.
I talked to ren. She said that she would tell me how it could be done.  She promised. Rin said as shigure walked passed her sitting on the ledge of the house. Yeah, about that... she lied to you.  Shigure said turning and looking at rin. Huh? Rin asked shocked by what he said. Ren has no idea how to break it. As shigure sat down rin drop the broom. Smart money says she was using you. Another pawn in her feud with akito. And you were desperate enough to fall for it. Shigure said while rin stared at shigure with her eyes widened. You're wrong. Rin said. I don't blame you for being less than willing to trust me. But i promise, i know ren much better than you do. She and i are close, you see. Very close. Rin, the thing is, the zodiac curse is going to break. On its own, without help. It will break. No need to work yourself to death over it. Things are already in motion. Those ancient ties have begun to fray. Eventually all of us will be free. We are the generation invited to the final banquet. Shigure explains. What? Don't just make stuff up! Rin said getting defensive. What do you mean... shigure and rin look over and see star who was still in her school uniform. "eventually"? How long is that? When will it finally happen? Then the wind blew her hair as she continued on. Years from now? Huh? Decades? That's not good enough. It has to be broken by next spring, or... or kyo will–! Star's voice began to falter till her pupils shrunk with anger as her gaze turned towards shigure. Wait, shigure. All this time... did you know it would break? Star said starting to get mad. You give me too much credit. I didn't know for sure. Rin gasped as she looked over at shigure. I simply had a feeling that we might be nearing the end. Apparently, this is the first time the whole zodiac has been alive at once. Such a momentous occurrence. The attendants were positively thrilled. But i came up with my own theory. It's all about the banquet, remember. What if everyone's attending because this is the last one? Would you like further proof take a look at good old kureno. His curse broke without him even trying. Shigure said with a smile leaning back. What? So, you mean he–? Shall i spell it out further for you? Very well. Simply put, kureno isn't one of us anymore. And his thinking aligns with mine. He says he also believes the end is drawing near. One change follows another, and before you know it, it all comes tumbling down. Shigure turned his gaze to star. Of course, as things stand, kyo will still be locked up. Star gasped clenching her shirt. Oh, yes, star, we know. Every member of the zodiac know just what will happen to him. And in the not-too-distant future, at that. Rin looked away from the both of them. But we won't do or say anything. He'll get no help from us. Shigure says while star put her foot forward. And why not? Star growled out. Because... he's serving his purpose as the cat. Star gasped as her eyes dulled. We zodiac members are monsters. Shigure got up and walked down the two steps. So, it's a relief to know there's someone more monstrous out there. Shigure walked up to star and stopped at her with a devious smile on his face as he stared down at her. "Thank god," we think. " at least i'm not like him." the cat is a gift to the rest of us, you see– star just stared as tears fell from her eyes.  an other creature for us to exclude. You may not have realized, but kyo knows– shigure! Star shouted putting her hands on his chest dropping her bag cutting shiugre off. Shigure reached for star's hands taking them off of him. Mad at me? Shigure asked as star shook her head no. the cat's burden will end, too. Sooner or later. It's not that i believe kureno's story without question, but it matches what my gut tells me. However, you said "eventually" isn't good enough. Are you hoping to save him? Do-do you love–? Star ripped her hands out of shigure's grasp not letting him finish what he was about to say. She then ran away not looking at anyone. Rin gasps as she watched star leave out the front gates. Kyo? Does she really? Rin asked while shigure smiled knowing he was right.
With star
Star slowly walked down the street in a daze.
Rin: What is it that's most precious to you? Tell me.
That question. I should've said my mom without even thinking, but I couldn't. What came to mind instead was... why? Why? That day... I made a promise and I meant it.
Star, dear. You ready to go? Anything else to pack?
It was like... I could feel her disappearing. She'd been there so recently, bright and alive. Looking at me, smiling that smile of hers, warm and comforting. But that, too, was starting to fade.
Akari, dear, it's time to go. Tohru's grandfather said putting his hand on star's shoulder a tear slid down her cheek.
So I swore to myself, no matter what happened, no matter how much time passed, I would always put mom first in my heart. I believed as long as I did that, I could keep holding on to all of it. My memories of her... the promise we made... "always together." i had to believe, because if i didn't, i knew i would collapse. And now... she's going again. Someplace far away. It feels so wrong, but...
Star? Kyo called making star take her hands away from her face. She turned to kyo and he gasped seeing her face full of tears. What's wrong? Why are you crying? Kyo asked. Because i... I don't know what to do. Star started sobbing. I'm lost! Star said softly. Well, in that case... just don't do anything. Kyo said making star gasp. Give yourself time. Wait until you have to do something, then act. And, uh, well, it's okay, you know. Kyo said, scratching his head walking up to star. She flinched a bit, getting a flashback of Akimitsu. Then kyo put his hand on her head. You can cry. Kyo said making star's eyes water more. Then she started crying. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I know it's selfish, but I wanna stay here just a little longer. Because eventually I really will have to do something. And when that time comes, i think... I know what i'll let go of.
At the graveyard
Kyo walked towards the graves heading to akari's.
Oh i know you. Someone said making kyo turn and see who said that to him. He saw a man with blond hair and green eyes. Uh do i know you? Kyo asked, raising his eyebrow. Oh sorry forgive me. I'm Jeehan takashi. Star's uncle. jeehan said holding his hand out for kyo to shake. She's been living at your place for some time now.  Kyo shook his hand. I don't mean to be rude, but where you just sitting over there that whole time? Why? Kyo asked making jeehan sigh. I was watching the clouds reminiscing on what daisuke and akari had. jeehan said making kyo wonder. Why... why did he leave star and akari. I understand star's forgiven him and all. But why? Kyo asked. The answer is simple. he wasn't ready. he was young, he thought he was ready. But what she doesn't know is that he really stayed. he really left when star was 3. And it wasn't because of the fact he wasn't ready. It was because our father made him get a forced marriage to keep the company running. He had no choice our father threatened to hurt akari and star I he didn't leave. So he packed up and left. I know he regets it till this day. he left without a trace. Not even i knew where he was. Anyways I'm guessing your hear to pay your respects to akari right? Thanks for that. Star is doing well these days, i hope. Haven't talked to her in years. Jeehan said looking over at akari's grave. Hey, you do know... star suffered a lot with her father not in her life. She...
Star walked up to a house that had the last name kim on it. She rung the door bell to reveal akimitsu.
That she was abused. Yeah I know. Her uncle said cutting kyo off. You know you probably don't know this but have you ever wondered why star speaks the way she does? uncle asked kyo. Uh. no, I don't. Kyo said. It's because she's imitating me. But not on purpose. You see some family members came to visit her and akari. Just to see if star looked anything like daisuke, her father. Around this time star's hair was dyed black and started getting into trouble. They saw her and made rude remarks about her. Saying she looked nothing like him. And she was nothing but a troublemaker. "Such a child could never take over the company." kyo stared a her uncle as he felt sad. Young as she was, they thought they could say whatever they wanted because she wouldn't understand. How stupid of them. Children absolutely understand. They know contempt when they hear it. When they talked bad about her she threw a tantrum breaking glass she picked up a chair waving it around threatening to hit anyone who said another bad thing about her or her mother. Her uncle had said.
"We never asked you to come! Who do you think you are huh? I never asked for daisuke to be my father. Keep talking bad about me or my mom and I'll kill ya myself!"
Kyo eyes faltered as he thought about his own childhood situation.