Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or Black Butler. They, and their characters, belong to their respective creators.

Please note: I'm mainly basing off of the manga for both Black Butler and Fruits Basket, but will use references and such from the animes on both where it is needed to further the story. With that said, please enjoy the story.

Also, despite it saying Tohru and Sebastian at the bottom of the description in such a way as to suggest they may be paired together, that is not the case, this time around. ;)

...

Chapter one: A Twist of Fate

It had been an incredibly long school day. And it was turning into an even more incredibly long walk home, Kyo Sohma decided as he slumped against a convenient brick wall. Why did it have to overcast with major chances of rain on the worst day of school ever? At least Yuki wasn't there to gloat over him, having to attend yet another student council meeting. And walking with Tohru was definitely not a bad thing, but he was always so worn out when it rained, or even threatened to rain.

Noticing that Kyo wasn't keeping pace, Tohru stopped and turned around. "Is everything all right," she asked, then looked up nervously at the sky. The clouds had rolled in without much warning. At least, she hadn't heard anything about it on the weather forecast. All of the potential rain was probably making him tired, she decided.

Kyo growled as he pushed away from the wall. "I'm fine." His tone was a bit sharper than he'd planned and he bit his tongue. With a sigh, he decided he'd prove everything was good as usual by grabbing her arm as he walked briskly by. "Come on. If we don't hurry, we'll be caught out in the rain, and you don't have your umbrella." He didn't need to mention that his was also back at home.

Tohru began walking with him. At least he had some energy, she mused as she tried to keep pace. "Kyo, slow down!"

"It's going to start up any minute," Kyo said over his shoulder, but he let her hand go so that he wouldn't make her fall. He even slowed his pace just a little so that she didn't fall behind. But he really didn't like the looks of the clouds, all dark and menacing looking.

Tohru looked up at the sky as well. Lightning flashed across the horizon. Thunder rolled a few seconds later, causing her to jump.

Kyo looked back at her small little sound of dismay. "Hey, if we don't hurry we'll get caught out in a real downpour and I can't carry you." He tried to say it kindly but he was worried. The clouds looked like they might contain more than just rain. A stiff breeze had also picked up. He just hoped it wasn't a hurricane or anything.

Tohru grabbed Kyo's hand. "Let's run," she called over the sound of the wind and they both began running towards home. Rain suddenly began pelting down from the sky, soaking their clothes in a matter of minutes. "Not good," Tohru said to herself as they continued to run.

The sky grew darker and more lightning crashed, though it was harder to see now because of the trees. Their branches reached out like arms. Tohru wasn't even sure if they were on the road anymore, it had gotten so dark.

She looked around as the next flash of light lit up the sky. "Kyo," she cried out, "I don't think we're on the road anymore!"

Kyo was slowing down, the burden of his curse catching up to him. "We… gotta… keep going," he huffed as he tried to rally himself. "Gotta find shelter." His and Tohru's hand separated but he stayed by her side.

Overhead, another flash of light struck overhead. There was a loud crack as it hit one of the trees above them, sending a large branch crashing down.

"Look out!" Kyo lunged at Tohru and pushed her out of the way just in time. At the same moment, a loud sound and a puff of smoke heralded his transformation from a human to a cat. The branch fell where his legs would have been if he'd still been human.
Tohru let out an exclamation of surprise, then found herself on the ground, facing the falling rain, an orange cat on her stomach. It took a moment for her to find her breath. "Kyo!" she called the moment her lungs filled properly.

Kyo lay on her stomach, winded and somewhat dazed. His paws were out in front of him, touching her shoulders, his hind legs out behind him, like he'd been in the middle of a flying leap but was suddenly thrust to the ground.

Lightning flashed across the sky and the ground seemed to tremble with the intensity of the resulting thunder. Tohru closed her eyes, the rain still pelting down like crazy as she shivered.

Kyo lifted his head after the very loud crashing of thunder had finally stopped reverberating in his skull. "Tohru?" He stood, and pressed one paw against her cheek. "Tohru?"

Tohru opened her tightly closed eyes. "Is it over?' She was afraid to try and roll over, not wanting to throw Kyo into the mud.

Kyo rolled his eyes. "It's still raining," he said with a snort. "We really gotta get home, Shigure'll be wondering where we are."

Tohru held Kyo with one hand as she sat up. "Right. But first, we need to gather your clothes." She set Kyo on the fallen branch that had come so close to falling on them both. Looking around, she managed to retrieve his black shirt and pants, not sure if he'd been wearing a tie or not, though he probably hadn't been since he didn't like those kinds of things. She couldn't find his or her books.

The mud squelched around her shoes as she walked back over to Kyo. "I think I got everything," she said as she picked up his shoes and socks and made a bundle of them with his pants and shirt. "Maybe it would be better if I carried you."

Kyo didn't exactly care for the idea, but he had to agree. With the rain going on, and his current form, it was less likely that he'd transform back any time soon, and speed was preferable to being stuck out in the rain until one or both of them caught a cold. "Fine," he relented, "but no squeezing!"

Tohru picked him up with her free arm. "Right," she said, then began to head in what she thought was the right direction. She paused uncertainly. "Uh, Kyo, do you know which way we should go?"

Kyo face palmed. "You don't know which way to go? Seriously?" He looked around but all he saw was trees, shrouded in mist and pounding rain. "Uh…." He wasn't sure if he knew which direction they'd come from, let alone which they one they'd originally been going in. He randomly pointed. "That way."

Tohru shivered. "Are you sure?"

Kyo resisted the urge to shiver. "How the hell should I know! At least it's a direction!" He looked up and was instantly sorry. "I mean," he tried to backpedal, "any direction will do, right? Either we find the road or run into the house. What can go wrong?"

…..

After trudging for what seemed like hours, soaked to the bone, Tohru's knees gave out and she went down. Kyo had mud sloshed up onto him and his hair bristled, but he did his best to not let his claws come out, afraid he'd hurt her. "I think we're really lost," Tohru said.

Kyo looked around. Trees still surrounded them, though some looked more cultivated than just a forest warranted. That was something different, at any rate. He squinted at something in the distance. "I think I see something," he said as he leaned towards the direction he was looking.

Tohru put her hand up to push away her streaming hair to look in the same direction. "I can't make anything out."

Kyo's neck strained. "I think I see some lights."

Tohru perked up a bit. "Lights mean maybe a house! Maybe we can finally get out of this rain!"

Kyo didn't want to dash her hopes, though it was possible that what he saw was light from a window. "Ugh, yeah. Sure. Anyway, why don't we go check it out?" He really just wanted to curl up into a little ball and sleep. If it hadn't been for Tohru tripping, he would have fallen asleep in her arms. "Think you can make it?"

Tohru struggled to stand, trying to hold both Kyo's clothes and Kyo. "I can do this," she said out loud, talking more to herself than to anyone else. "Let's go!" She stood fully and staggered forward, the mud sucking at her shoes.

…..

Rain pelted against the leaded windows, streaking them with water to the point that it made everything viewable outside look like nothing more than a smothered blur. The view was definitely dreary. It fit his mood perfectly.

"Sebastian," Ciel Phantomhive called out as he turned his chair to face away from the window. His right eye was covered with his usual black patch, giving him a slightly roguish look for someone only thirteen.

A tall, darkly clad man strode into view. He was the epitome of perfection with his tailored black suit and butler badge polished to a shine. He made a small, formal bow, his white-gloved hands standing in contrast to his black clothes. "Yes, Young Master? Was there something you required?"

Ciel turned away to stare out the window once more. "It's cold. Stoke the fire."
Sebastian sighed slightly inside but went to obey his master's orders. "Of course." He turned to place more fuel on the fire, listening to the sounds of the young boy moving around. Once done, he turned around. "Anything else, Young Master?"

Ciel had stood up and was now pressing close to the window. Through the glass, he thought he saw a blurred image moving across the front yard of his vast mansion.
"Young Master?" Sebastian called again, feeling tension coming from the young shoulders he watched.

Ciel turned his shoulders slightly, but not enough to cause him to look away. "I think someone is outside. Take care of it."

Sebastian looked slightly surprised as he raised his eyebrows. "Would you like to me to take care of this permanently? It is possible that a traveler got lost in the storm."
Ciel waved his hand arrantly. "Whatever. Just make sure it isn't something that causes a threat to us."

Sebastian bowed low. "Yes, My Lord."

….
Tohru's breath came heavily as she trudged up the long walk to what appeared to be a very large, stone mansion. Part of her thought it funny to find such a building in Japan, let alone on or near the Sohma Property, but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. There were lights shining in the windows, and that meant someone was there, with the potential of shelter and warmth. She was freezing!

Kyo had fallen asleep in her arms. The weather and taken its toll on him. He was curled up under Tohru's right arm, his orange fur saturated, must like Tohru's clothes.

Tohru staggered a few more steps. "Almost… there," she said to herself as the rain clouded her vision. She thought she could vaguely make out the main entrance to the place but wasn't entirely sure as she swayed. Her eyes tried to slide closed but she shook her head. She had to make it to at least the awning where there might be even the slightest bit of shelter. She just hoped that whoever lived there would be nice enough to at least let them wait out the storm.

She fumbled for the next few steps. A splash that was hardly really noticeable for the amount of rain falling met her as she went down, rolling slightly to protect Kyo. Her shins hit the hard stones about a dozen yards from the main entrance and she cried out involuntarily, tears leaking out of her eyes, mingling with the water streaming down her face.

….

Sebastian quickly strode down the main staircase. "Mey-Rin, Fini," he called as he walked and the two servants quickly dropped their activities to join him.

Finni looked up at the tall butler's face. It was hard to tell where Mey-Rin's gaze was fixed as her thick glasses made it hard to see her eyes. "What's up, Mr. Sebastian," the maid asked.

Sebastian stopped in front of the doors. "It would appear that we have a visitor. The Young Master has asked us to take care of it."

Mey-Rin immediately perked up. "Should I get the guns?" Her eyes gleamed.
Finni looked around for something heavy to bring out, settling on a sculpture on the far side of the stairs. He was halfway across the floor when Sebastian called out to him.

"I don't think that will be necessary. It's highly unlikely that someone would come out this way on a night like this. And as we do not expect any visitors, it is possible that someone lost their way," the butler explained. "But, to be on the safe side, please be prepared." He picked up an umbrella from a hidden niche and went towards the doors. "Well, shall we go welcome our guest?"

With one fluid motion, he took the last step to the door and flung it open. Rain splashed up from hitting the flagstones. Looking intently, he could see the outline of someone lying on the front walk. No, not lying, but definitely not upright. He heard Mey-Rin and Finni come up behind him, opening their own umbrellas. He sniffed the air hesitantly, stiffening slightly in surprise.

Mey-Rin looked outside, peering through the rain. "Mr. Sebastian! It's a girl! And she's got something orange under one arm!"

Sebastian moved forward again. "It's a cat." He couldn't smell anything else out of place, not even with the power of a demon. Nor could he sense any other presence that shouldn't be there. "Come. I believe we've discovered someone who became lost in the storm."

Mey-Rin and Fini followed Sebastian's long strides. It didn't take long to arrive by the girl's side. "She's so young," the maid exclaimed as she took in the strange girl's sailor-like clothes.

Finni saw the girl's mini-skirt and blushed. He'd never met a woman who wore her skirts so short before, excluding Lau's female friend that was. He felt like steam would come out of his head from the embarrassment of seeing her long, rather pale but well formed legs.

Sebastian was kneeling down by her side. He carefully lifted the sleeping Kyo from her arms. "Poor creature," he said as he examined the drenched soul. He blinked in surprise as he took a closer sniff. This cat didn't entirely smell right. There was a definite hint of human involved, though it could have easily come from the girl. And his fur was a most unusual color.

"What's this bundle," Finni wondered as he poked the black bundle of clothes under the sleeping girl's other arm.

Mey-Rin pulled the bundle out. "Them's clothes," she exclaimed! "Though I can't say as I've seen any like them before. Very peculiar. They can't be hers. They look like something a boy might wear."

Sebastian returned his attention to the girl as he heard her groan. Her cheeks were pale, except for two points of red high on her cheeks. He put one hand to her forehead. "Hmmm." He turned to the two servants. "Finni, would you be so kind as to help our guest indoors? Please be gentle when carrying her. Mey-Rin, it looks like we'll need a warm bath drawn for the young lady. Please see to it."

Mey-Rin stood to attention, her umbrella in one hand, the bundle of clothes in the other. "Yes sir! But what will the Young Master think of this?" She looked at the cat, knowing full well Ciel was allergic to them.

Sebastian sighed. "Allow me to worry about that. If I am not mistaken, this poor creature belongs to this girl and I don't feel it would be right to separate them. I will be sure to keep him safely out of sight of the Young Master as it is likely to aggravate him."

Mey-Rin blushed slightly. "Right, Mr. Sebastian. Would you be wanting warmed towels too?"

Finni, while this conversation was going on, was picking up their new guest. He tried to be as careful as Sebastian had told him to be, but it was embarrassing to touch her long, bare legs. He'd never touched a woman's legs before, not the way he had to now.

Sebastian headed towards the door. "Yes, that would be a good idea, Mey-Rin," he applauded. "I believe we can safely install our guests in one of the rooms on the north wing. Perhaps next to the room Lady Elizabeth usually uses."

The two servants quickly moved to catch up to the butler's long strides. "Very good, Mr. Sebastian," Mey-Rin said.

Ciel had become impatient waiting for Sebastian to come back. Surely the errand he'd sent him on was an easily completed one. Why it was taking him so long? He checked the clock on the mantle. It had only been a few minutes, but still. He took up his walking stick and left the study, heading down the hallway to the stairs. He heard the front door closing as he reached the top of the staircase.

The sight that met his gaze was definitely unexpected. Finni was carrying a dripping girl in his arms like a sack of potatoes. Mey-Rin had a dark bundle under one arm. Sebastian was carrying something orange that looked like it might be a drowned cat. He could feel his nose tickling already. "Sebastian! What is this!"

Sebastian stopped a few paces into the main hall and bowed slightly. "Young Master, it would seem that these travelers became lost in the storm. I could not in good conscience leave them out of doors. Your orders were to take care of the matter at hand and I deemed this the best method. After all, it would not do to have the courtesy of the Phantomhive family be diminished by leaving two such vulnerable souls out in the midst of the storm."

Ciel was taken aback and it showed on his face. His cane hung barely above the top stair as he stared down. But his butler was right. It would not do to leave someone, and something, looking so wretched out in a storm such as tonight. "Very well. You may install them in one of the guest rooms, but keep the cat away from me. I don't want it in my sight."

Sebastian transferred the ginger-haired cat to Mey-Rin's now umbrella free arm and he sent her off on her errands, sending Finni off behind her with his charge. "Very good, Young Master. Would you like tea now?"

Ciel moved his cane to click against the stones. "Yes. But first, change out of those dirty clothes. You smell like wet cat."

Sebastian bowed. "Of course, My Lord. I will see to it immediately."

Ciel turned on one heel and strode back down to the study.

…..

Mey-Rin waited until her master was out of sight before going up the stairs and heading down the opposite corridor, Finni trailing behind her. "Gotta get things done," she mumbled to herself as she walked. "So much to do!" She had Sebastian's instructions to follow up on, and the laundry to finish, with added laundry thanks to their guests. She still couldn't figure out why there was a set of boy's clothes involved.

She opened the door to the guest room with some difficulty, glad that the cat was still sleeping in her arms when she finally wrestled the door open. "Put her on the bed," she instructed her fellow servant.

Finni went to comply; trying to place the strange girl down as gently as he could while Mey-Rin put the cat down on one of the rugs covering the floor near the hearth.
"I've got to get her out of these wet clothes," Mey-Rin commented, then realized Finni was still there. It wouldn't be fitting for a boy to see a girl undressed. "Finni, go tell Bard we need hot water for a bath while I take care of the mistress."

Finni saluted. "Right!" He spun around and went out the door, closing it behind him. There was no way he wanted to see any more of the girl's skin than he already had, though he was curious. He'd never seen anyone like her before. And her clothes were strange too.

Mey-Rin began the process of removing the girl's clothes, making sure a nightgown was at hand to change her into. "Poor dear," she crooned. "Stuck out in the rain like that. I wonder where you come from. Definitely don't look like anyone I've ever seen before." She bustled around to dry her charge off and changed her into the nightgown, then tucked her under the covers to get her warm. Hopefully she'd be awake by the time the water was heated.

She turned to the door, remembering the bundle of clothes just before she left. She quickly retrieved them and went to get them washed, reminding herself that she needed to get more towels.

….

Sebastian wheeled the tea cart into the study. After settling it in the usual place, he poured a steaming cup of Earl Grey tea and brought it over to Ciel who had returned to his place behind the large desk by the window. "Your tea, Young Master." He placed a napkin nearby, then brought over a plate of crumble cake. "Today's snack is an apple crumble cake with caramel sauce. I hope it is to your liking."

Ciel picked up the teacup and sipped the brew. Even though he appreciated the taste, he did not let it show on his face. "So? What of our new… guests?" He hesitated to call the cat a guest, but since it was, more or less true, he had to acknowledge it.

Sebastian poked at the fire, turning a log over. "They appear to be together, if that's what you're asking. And I detect no threat from them, though I must admit there does seem to be something unusual about the cat, aside from his unique coloring. Of course, it is also highly odd that two such travelers should be out in a storm that has been non-stop for the past day."

Ciel nodded absently. "I agree. I want to know everything about them. Are they from somewhere nearby or further off? I admit, I can't say I've ever seen the girl before, though I didn't get a very good look. Perhaps Elizabeth would know if she were here. I personally find such things droll."

Sebastian smiled to himself. It was no secret that the Earl was not very fond of social engagements. He preferred quiet time to himself, or the thrill of a game where he had the upper hand. In so many ways, he was a spoiled nobleman, still very much a child. And yet, he had sworn to serve him until such time the Young Master's desires that had called him had all been fulfilled, and he did show quite a bit of maturity from time to time.

"It would be fitting, perhaps, to assign Mey-Rin as an attendant to the young lady while she is with us," Sebastian suggested. Even as a demon, the protocol of a butler did hold sway while in the service of his master, and it would not do to have a man wait on a female guest. Mey-Rin was the only other female present.

Ciel nodded. "That will be do. But I don't expect you to slack on your part of discovering her identity, purpose, and place of origin. And remember, that cat is to stay out of my sight."

Sebastian bowed. "I'll see to it personally." Even if I have to keep the creature in my own room, he added to himself. After all, he was very fond of cats, even if his master wasn't.

Mey-Rin had just finished filling the guest's bath as she pushed up her glasses. "I do hope she's awake now," she said to herself as she stood up and headed towards the bedroom. "If not, all of this'll be wasted." While the water had been heating, she'd worked on the laundry and now had the strange dress and suit hanging on the line to dry. The shoes were also setting on a rack to dry, upside down so the water could drain from them.

Knocking quietly, she opened the door to the guest room. "Miss, are you awake yet?" She heard no reply so she slipped inside and looked around. Everything was as she'd left it. Her charge was still in bed and it didn't look like she'd moved at all. The cat, however, was starting to wake up. She'd place him closer to the fire where his fur could dry out.

Feeling that the fire wasn't as warm as it should be, she went to tend it, poking at the coke inside, then turned to add another piece. Suddenly, a loud popping sound filled her ears, along with smoke. She whirled around to find the source of attack and screamed.