Nine Lives

Day 9/9 FINALE

"Master? Why do they call me a monster?"

"Because people fear things they do not understand."

Kyo felt a searing pain throughout his entire body as he fell to his knees in agony. "No. No, no. This can't be happening... Not after everything..." He looked up to see the horrified gaze of those around him. Haru held on to Rin, and even he looked scared. Yuki stood frozen in place, and he vaguely registered the sound of someone throwing up.

"But my magic is special, right? I can be the spirit of the cat! Isn't that a good thing? You always call it a blessing, so why do they still hate me?"

"... They fear the true form of the cat, Kyo. And when people fear, they attack or run."

He threw his head back and screamed as his eyes turned red and he felt his body changing violently against his will. He faintly heard Tohru scream his name as he watched his shin morph and change before his eyes.

"The true form?"

"Yes. Its true form is a large beast. It smells worse than death, and has large claws."

Kyo looked down at the picture Master Kazuma showed him as he sat in his lap. "That's-... inside me?" he asked, growing fearful. "...Yes. But it only comes when provoked, and it is rather difficult to do so." he reassured him.

"What's happening? I thought he would turn into a cat!" Tohru screamed, grabbing Akito by the shoulders with tears in her eyes. Akito sank to her knees, weeping violently. "Answer her!" Haru yelled, keeping an eye on his cousin as he changed, the smell in the air rancid. "He is! I said he'd turn into his true form in the curse! This is the zodiac cats' true nature!"

Tohru turned her head as he finished transforming, his cries no longer sounding like the Kyo she knew and loved. The steam around him cleared just enough for her to see two glowing red eyes peering through the darkness at her, and she gasped, covering her mouth.

"...Kyo?"

"How disgusting..." Akito's voice rang in his head.

The creature made a growling hiss and backed away, never taking its eyes off of them while baring its... "Fangs?" Tohru thought. "Miss Honda, get back!" Yuki called nervously.

But she couldn't move. She was just standing there, frozen. She couldn't move even if she wanted to. Did she want to move? Should she move? Was he dangerous now? No, that was still Kyo in there, and he promised not to hurt her again. He wouldn't.

"Miss Honda, please!" Yuki called, dragging himself to his feet. "No..." she muttered. "Tohru, come on!" Haru called.

"It doesn't sound the same," she thought.

Rin shuffled toward her, barely moving from fear. "Tohru, come on! We've got to run!"

"When they say my name..."

Tears absentmindedly traced her cheeks as her shoulders went limp and her feet started moving of their own accord. "Tohru?" Akito asked quietly as she started making her way toward the beast. "Get away from that thing! What are you doing?"

But she didn't answer. She saw the foul smelling beast writhe in pain, the steam off his body beginning to dissipate as she continued forward. "Kyo?" she asked quietly. Its eyes squinted a bit and it backed up ever so slightly. "He looks scared," she thought.

Then, she heard footsteps fast approaching from behind her. She barely had time to register Yuki running for her with his sword drawn before the beast jumped over her head in front of her. It let loose an ear-splitting shriek like she had never heard before; a warning to all other creatures to stay away.