Claws and Talons [Kyo Sohma]

Chapter 40 - Let's Have A Feast Again

Word Count :  2344

"A girl? Akito-san is.. a girl." Tohru gasped. The information finally reached her and her eyes widened in shock.

"Is that really true?" Torhu asked.

"It's true. It's the biggest of the Sohma secrets." Kureno replied.

"Then why are you telling Tohru this?" I wondered. Why now of all times would Kureno reveal a secret, especially one this big.

"She should know." Was all he said, not going into more detail.

"But Akito behaves like a man... And none of the others ever treat him like... a girl... I never dreamed she was a girl." Tohru mumbled to herself but Kureno and I could both hear her talking out loud.

"Akito's been raised as a male since birth. She decreed it."

"Who?"

"Someone who almost saw you at the main estate. She rarely leaves her room. She has some... troubles, mentally and physically. But she looms larger than most in Akito's mind. Ren Sohma. Akito's mother." The reminder of her sent a shiver down my spine as I remember when I first met her.

---

I walked around the Sohma estate getting to know the layout and where everything was. It had only been a couple of weeks since Mom's death and I haven't been taking well. I moved into my new home about a week ago and I still didn't know what most of the estate looked like. I walked by an empty hallway when I heard a noise come from the room to my left. I worried that someone had gotten injured so I knocked on the door.

"Is everything alright?" I asked, the door to the mysterious room opened revealing a tall woman. Her hair was so long, it went past her waist and was nice and smooth similar to what mom's used to look like. She started at me looking up and down and she looked like she was only half awake. "Akira?" She said, not answering my question earlier.

"I'm sorry but you have the wrong person." I told her. Her hands reached out and started twirling her hands around her fingers.

"It's just like him." She mumbled continuing to play with my hair. I started to get weirded out but I didn't say anything. "What's your name?" I was hesitant to answer the stranger but I did anyway.

"Ami Sato." I told her. "I'm sorry but who are you?" I asked. She looked me in the eyes.

"Me... I'm Ren." I froze remembering what my mother told me.

---

"What about your mom?" I ask. That's when the look in her eyes changed. I felt her shaking slightly as she held me close to her.

"That woman is not my mother, her name is Ren. Ami if you ever meet her, stay away from her. Don't go near her. She is a cruel person." Mom was always a gentle and kind soul but talking now, she didn't seem like herself.

"Mom, you're scaring me."

"Sorry. But please promise me."

"I promise. Is she why you left?"

"Yes, she is."

---

"Please stop touching my hair. I need to get going." I lied, I felt the urge to get out of the area and away from her. It was no wonder I thought she looked like mom, if she was my grandmother.

"Oh why? We just started talking." She smiled at me. The smile looked cruel and cold, like there was no kindness in the intention of smiling at me.