"Someone help! Someone! Anyone! Come quickly!"
Audrina heard the cry and picked up her pace, Kyo just a hair behind her. She recognized the voice. Even out of its natural tone, she knew it to be Akito. She was at the house in no more than a few minutes. Running towards the open front door and froze when she saw Akito.
"What's going on?", she looked to her then Shigure. Further, she walked passed the female and up to Shigure who was one the phone.
"No. Akito is fine", he met Audrina's eyes, seeing Kyo at the front door. His shadow over Akito. "It's Tohru... seems she fell off a cliff."
"What..", Audrina whispered in disbelief. She heard Kyo's footsteps run off to where she assumed Tohru was. And she was about to go after him, already a step until she felt a hand wrap around her forearm.
"Yes, she is here.", he continued talking on the phone. She snapped out of his grasp and turned with rage. He reassured her that Yuki called the ambulance and is staying with Tohru until they come. That was before his eyes widened from whatever that person said on the other line. "Really? That's unexpected."
And with no other explanation he handed the phone to her. She scrunched her eyebrows, frantic by all what was happening.
"Hatori. What's going on?"
I should be asking you that.
Her breath hitched. And a million question struck her all at once. But one dominated:
What was he doing there?
She was frozen staring up at Shigure with wide eyes. "Wha-what.", she took a deep breath, "What are you doing there Kieran?"
Yea funny you should ask, I stopped by your place to apologize for how I was acting last night. You know after, you turned off your phone. Rin said you were at the estate. And I was going to wait, but the last time you were here, an ambulance came so i didn't. Just to see another ambulance with your cousin or whatever being carried in after being stabbed.
"Hatori!?", she spoke horrified by the possibility. But Kieran backed it up.
No Kureno. Barely missed his spine. But they said he'll be alright.
She sighed a breath of relief. Easing some of the tension. But not all. When she stared back at Shigure with a questioned look, he understood and pointed to Akito. She had stabbed Kureno. Audrina mouth fell slightly, keeping herself quiet as Akito was facing away from them.
Hello?
"Yea I'm here", she scrambled. Making decisions in her head. "Umm can you put Hatori on the phone."
"That's it?", he huffed. "Audrina are you hurt or anyone besides Tohru?"
"No, I'm okay. Listen I just need to ask Hatori which Hospital they are taking Kureno to, then I'll talk with you", she whispered. Her voice going from panic to soft. She made up her mind. There was too many risk.
She didn't initially go to Hatori to apologize. That was one part of the agenda. The other part she chickened out. She was being selfish. And there were now too many instances that she couldn't talk her way out of.
"Ok", he spoke.
With so much trust it pained her when she heard Hatori's voice. And she didn't give him room to protest either. It wasn't a pleas, it was a demand. She couldn't ruin someone else's life like she did with Amrin.
She had to focus on them with the time she still had in Japan. Trying to juggle the Zodiacs with Kieran was a mistake. She's been hard doubts since they first went to the aquarium. And from the amount of times she came back to this very thought, was tell sign that it was the right choice. She just hope she didn't make it too late.
"Hatori", she swallowed the lump in her throat, "Erase his memories. I don't want you to question it, just do it. If you don't, I'll learn how to do the damn technique myself. Just get him away from all this."
And she hung up the phone. Shigure's eyes couldn't have grown any wider. But all Audrina did was hung up the phone and turned away to go to Tohru. She wasn't sad. She was numb.
It was a cycle that she felt coming. And it was time to end it. It wasn't fair to her or whoever was involved. She was moving across the country, they were bound to seperate, now she just made it easier for him. It didn't matter what was of her. It never did. She felt she needed to understand it.
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When Audrina turned on her phone, at the hospital. All the notifications popped up from when Kieran called her. Rin called her. And Momoji texted her.
She texted back Momoji and Rin, telling them that she inform them about what happened when she returned home. As for the rest of the notifications.... She cleared. Her heart wrenched when she noticed the last call, he left a voicemail.
And she wasn't going to listen to it. Not this time.
"Yuki", she softly spoke. The hospital lights were out, and no one was in the lobby. "I'll bring you to visit first thing tomorrow. You need to get some rest."
They were leaving when running into Tohru's grandfather.
"Why hello?", he weakly smiled.
Audrina nodded, "Hi, Im Audrina, Yuki's cousin, we've never met"
He reached out to shake her hand, "Oh you're lovely. Visiting?"
She hummed in approval, "We wanted to make sure she was stable, before leaving. We'll be here first thing tomorrow."
"Of course", he noticed Yuki on one side but found on the other side of Audrina, no one was there, "Where is the orange haired boy?"
Audrina pulled her lips in at that. Because when she initially told Kyo what to do, not to worry, it was with the assumption he would actually get to tell her. When now it the opposite. He must of felt guilt in every sense.
"He's", Yuki started, but fell silent.
"He'll visit soon", she reassured him, "Just a lot to handle right now."
And with that, they both left. Yuki stayed at Audrina's place as she gave the dreaded news to Momoji and Rin. They took it as expected. Shock.
That night Audrina hardly slept. For the second night in the row, she found it hard to close her eyes and just rest. She hoped it would catch up to her eventually, but something was preventing her from doing so. Like the effects of her Zodiac was on overdrive, preventing her from sleeping at all.
Rin came to her room in the middle of the night. She didn't say anything as she just crawled onto the other side of Audrina's bed and fell asleep. But she didn't need too. She got the message and understood completely. Momoji woke up early to come into her room. He laid on top of the covers to find rest in that way. The bed was cramped but, she didn't care.
As long as they were cared for, she didn't mind.
She lived up to her promise the next morning. Fixed them breakfast and headed towards the hospital. Momoji and Yuki were the ones who wanted to go, while Rin decided to stay with Haru at Kazuma's. She never liked hospitals.
Yuki was already inside when Momoji and Audrina walked up to the entrance to see Akito sitting out. She was hunched over on the bench looking down at herself.
"Visiting?", Momoji, startled her. "Are you here for Kureno or Tohru?"
When she looked up, she immediately turned away after seeing that he wasn't alone. Audrina has never seen her react the way in her presence before. As if the roles were reversed.
"I'm glad they'll be alright", Momoji said, reeling her in.
Audrina wasn't in her best shape. She was tired without being able to sleep and drained from the past couple of days. But nonetheless, she dressed in a sweatshirt and tights, her hair lazily pulled back into a low bun to get any strays from her face. When Akito grew more tense by the statement, she spoke to Momoji.
"Go tell Tohru, I'll be up in a minute." , she nodded towards the front door. He nodded and waved her off. It was just her and Akito now. Not wanting to tower over her, Audrina took the open space next to her.
"They are idiots.", she started. Audrina was surprised how quickly she was willing to speak. "If they forgive me, no matter what I do or say, that isn't soft hearted, it's idiotic. They are both morons.", she rose her voice.
"Are they?", Audrina looked out at the people walking by. About to leave, about to enter. Some visiting, some checking in. "If I were in your shoes, I'd be thankful for their...... mindset. Forgiveness isn't something easy to do. I don't think an idiot could be able to do it that quickly."
Audrina didn't receive any text or phone calls from him. And she felt relieved. Or she thought she did. The tight contract in her chest that's been happening since she told Hatori what to do, told her otherwise. Told he she was so easy to give up. So willing to let go for the sake of others, as if she wanted to feel that ache just to know she is still capable to handle such dread.
And when it was her thinking about that, Akito broke into a sob. Shaking as she started letting go. Audrina didn't say anything. She reached into her bag and pulled out a napkin.
"It hurts... so much. I'm furious with myself.", she cried.
Reaching out, Audrina placed the napkin in her view. "I can't tell you it will go away. Not today at least.", Akito turned to face her. And Audrina saw for the first time, a young woman. Vulnerable. Helpless. Scared. The one she was originally meant to care for. It felt weird, seeing Akito in such a state, but it was new. "But I have a bad habit at making promises. So I'll tell you this. One day, if you continue to treasure and appreciate those around you, it'll become easier to handle. That pain. Till soon enough, you'll forget that it's there. It's apart of you, this feeling yes, but it doesn't have to carry on to the next phase of your life. It's seems your trying to get better. Even if it's your first day. I'm proud that your finally taking it."
Akito's eyes water more as she glanced between the napkin and Audrina. Years. Years she never understood why everyone was so fancied by her. Despite that crave for attention, she always drew it towards the Zodiac. Because of the curse. But, hearing her speak. Hearing her choice of words, the small acknowledgement at the end. It was more than that.
Audrina will never see herself the ways others do. That she was more than just a caregiver for the Zodiac. It was her
You don't understand how good it feels just to be around you
Kieran said that, but it went over her head. She didn't think much of it. Akito didn't understand this feeling. This comfort. Her voice, just everything about her was wrapped up in what one person begged for. Someone to just listen.
And what struck Akito in the chest. What pained her beyond belief. Was that every single time Audrina found herself that comfort, that desired person to just listen. She drew them away.
Amrin. Kieran.
More tears streamed from her eyes at the thought. But instead of questioning, Audrina dug into her bag again to retrieve more.
"You know",she chuckled, "Momoji told me a story about some idiotic traveler. If you ask, I'm sure he'd love to share it with you."
__________________________
"Did everything go according to your plan", Hatori stood by Shigure. They looked into the empty room Akito was vacant from.
"Oh?", he tilted his head back, "I guess so, although I do feels little remorseful about some parts of it."
"A little?"
"Doc, baby steps", he spoke. But then turned after slid the door to the room shut, "And you? I don't see anyone knocking down the estate for our Audri."
Hatori's jaw tensed and turned to face away from him. "We are talking about you."
Shigure squinted his eyes, "Of course we are."
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Cranking these out while I have the time.
Have a great day/night!