Fruits Basket – The Journey to Home

I

In a trance, the forest was green and lush. The sunlight reflected through the gaps in the leaves, and time seemed to have fallen asleep for a long time.

Feeling the warm touch on her cheek, Tohru finally came to life.

The curse was finally gone away. Last night, I remember I'm preparing the food to celebrate the freedom until very late…It seemed that I have slipped into a deep sleep…

She tried to raise herself from the wooden floor on the back of Sohma's house, and then a flash of orange finally came into her eyes.

The orange cat, dazzling as the sun, was licking her arm which hung down on the floor.

All was quiet except for the rustling of the leaves. Everyone seems not haven't come home yet. The entire house is in extreme silence.

"Kyo…? Why did you transform back to the cat again!" Remembering the Zodiac curse that had been removed yesterday, recalling the tears of joy in Kyo's eyes, Tohru realized that something was not right.

The kitten stopped licking her arm, squatting gracefully on the ground. With his eyes fixed on her eyes, his eyes seemed to contain a glimmer of smile.

He did not answer, and then the panic feeling began to spread over Tohru's mind. She stood up, and as she attempted to turn back to look for other people, a strange but familiar voice appeared at the back of her.

"I'm not Kyo Sohma."

"This voice…Is that…"

Tohru felt a shiver in her heart, and the cat was still squatting on the ground. However, this low and deep voice should be exactly from him.

"Who are you?"

The orange cat walked gracefully past the clay sculptures of the twelve zodiacs and leaped from the wooden board to the ground back at the house.

"I am…The cat that you've always had pity and appreciation on…"

The distant memory began to revive. On that rainy night, it's the first time she saw Kyo turned into a DEMON CAT. It's that voice, mixed with Kyo's voice…

It was the voice of the demon cat.

He's not Kyo-kun. Then it is true that the curse was terminated today?

"Are you…the body of the demon cat?" Asked Tohru, hesitantly.

Tohru was astonished. Because she had always thought that the spirits of the Zodiac were not entities. They seemed to survive only by possessing human beings' bodies.

"Yeah…I've already been separated from that kid, Kyo Sohma. This old promise with that person…The torture constrained on the Sohma family…And the connection between the Zodian and human being, all of these were totally terminated by Akito this afternoon."

Tohru felt relieved at last. It is true that no one has to suffer from the curse anymore.

"So, you, and the other twelve spirits of the Zodiac, where will you go?" She suddenly felt a little anxious. "You, will you once again possess yourself to human beings?"

The demon cat looked up into the sky and didn't look in the direction of Tohru. "Akito has removed her curse as the God, but the promise will still continue. Even if we can't accompany with God from now on, God will not be lonely anymore. So, in this way, the promise will continue, instead of existing in the way of curse."

"However," he said, looking at Tohru, with a smile arising between his lips, "as for us, the spirits of the Zodiac, there is a new way for us to go – without the destiny of spirit possession.

Tohru wanted to ask more clearly, but the cat did not wait for her to respond, rising up and walking slowly to the depth of the forest.

As his figure was slowly swallowed up by sunlight, the voice of the demon cat kept reverberating in the silent world.

"Sa yo u na ra, little girl who loves Cat."

II

Consciousness awoke suddenly. Tohru opened her eyes and found herself in her own bedroom, covered by a quilt. In the distance, there was a faint sound of laughter.

They must be celebrating for the freedom.

She began to try to recall what she had just experienced, which seemed to be a dream. But why did it feel so real?

The door next to her was suddenly opened and someone came in quietly. The voice of Momiji appeared in her eyes.

"Kyo-kun, won't you come in? Oh, Tohru-kun, you finally AWAKE!" Momiji run to Tohru suddenly and embraced her tightly, "I just prayed to the heaven that today is a special day, and please don't let Tohru get hurt again. Now it seems that the heaven is reasonable!"

"Tohru, you just fell asleep in the back of the house," said Yuki with concern. "Don't make yourself too tired."

"Well," said Momiji, "I was worried about you so desperately. Oh! And kyo-kun is worried about you, too!" He pointed to the direction behind the door, smiling innocently.

That orange hair appeared behind the door. But Kyo hasn't come in yet.

Tohru's face turned red immediately as she recalled what had happened between Kyo and she in the afternoon.

Momiji smiled happily and looked at Kyo's direction: "I just told them I want to see whether Tohru-kun has recovered, but Kyo-kun threw me away from the stairs and told me to let you have a good sleep. However, he stepped upward to your bedroom with food and water otherwise. I've never seen such a considerate Kyo-kun~"

"You've gotten a big mouth again!" Kyo finally appeared in front of Tohru, with his face totally turning red. He stared at Momiji, and said to himself inwardly, "these suck guys…"

"Well, Momiji, since Tohru-kun is safe and sound, let's give her a quiet place to rest herself. As for that guy," he said to Tohru by pointing at Kyo, "he seems to have something to tell you."

III

After Momiji and Yuki left, Kyo sat down beside Tohru, with his face still totally red. But his eyes had become mild.

"Why do you always force yourself. You can call us to help you, instead of sticking to yourself alone and even falling asleep tiredly." Kyo knocked on Tohru's forehead, with his words full of tenderness.

"Because today is a very special day…You all need to go back to Akito's house to confirm the good news. I want to prepare the dinner ready when you get home." Tohru looked beamed warmly at Kyo, but suddenly recalled the scene when the two of them kissed outside of school at the moment when she looked into the eyes of him. She immediately and subconsciously bowed her head and felt too shy to touch Kyo's soft eyes.

"In the future…I'll be always there for you. Give me all of that hard work, cooking, sweeping and all other things… All you need to do is – Do not leave my side. No more, out of my sight." Kyo made this promise to Tohru, with a burning stare at her.

Tohru slowly raised her head, her eyes flashing like the lake surface refracting the sunlight. Kyo-kun just…Was it a…

She took Kyo's hands, clasping her fingers with his, and tenderly responded, "Mm, I will not let you worry about me anymore. I will never leave your side."

Kyo clenched Tohru's hands and began to lean forward…

"Ah! Kyo-kun, I just dreamed the Cat spirit possessing your body today."

Kyo stopped the urge to kiss her and wondered why she had such a dream.

"I think…This dream is probably true…Because he said goodbye to me. He left from the backyard of this house. I'm nervous that he will possess human's body again. However, according to what he said implicitly, the thirteen spirits of the Zodiac seem will not return to this world for good."

Kyo thought for a while, and then he said, "I have never dreamed of that cat, neither I spoke to him. However," he smiled, "this cat, torturing me for nearly twenty years, should have no way with Tohru as well." He looked at Tohru and said, "maybe they will have their own destiny. Just like you and me, we finally got together, and can hug together –"

He slowly approached Tohru and held her in his arms. Her natural perfume hung over his whole body.

Tohru closed her eyes and enjoyed Kyo's hug with both her heart and soul.

"Cat, you are not lonely anymore."