And now for the disclaimer! Yaaay. Ahem.

I don't own Kyo, Yuki, Shigure, or any other Fruits Basket character. If I did, I'd be eating sushi and jelly rolls with them right now instead of writing a fanfiction...


Here's that handy little summary I promised:

In the wake of a war, the Sohmas find themselves relocated to America. Moving to a different country, new school, and meeting people--strange people, I must admit. Who, but me and my friends. So, can the Sohmas finally have real freedom, far away from Akito, whom is currently somewhere in Michigan? Is it even possible for these few to hide the curse? Or, perhaps more importantly, will anyone ever pronounce their names correctly?


So this is how it feels to live: A Fruits Basket Fanfiction

Chapter One: Out of the ordinary

Fakery, on that day, seemed all around her. From the painted faces to the unreal smiles, the same realization was the same.

"Nothing's on."

Sighing, she nearly pushed the 'off' button, but then got a strange, insatiable feeling that she should see what was on the news. In retrospect, she actually did like the news, so it wasn't as weird as it might sound. In any case, as she turned on fox news, it seemed to, as always, be the same old, same old. But then, as a very important-looking man stepped in front of the camera, she heard this.

"I've just gotten a message from my producer that China has officially declared war on Japan. After launching two bombs into the Japanese naval base under one our ago, the Chinese communism made a statement, saying, "We take full responsibility for this action, however, it was spurred by the Japanese republic's loss to comply with our interests." The Japanese leader is expected to speak in two hours. Now, onto other news..."

"Wow." Said she, speaking her thoughts aloud. How could that happen? After all, the US is already involved in a war, so if Japan, being the USA's ally, wants help in their war--they're going to be in trouble. But then, who else would help? Few had helped in the Iraqi war, so it was doubtful that any country that didn't see how this war would effect them would provide troops for what would soon be labeled, "The Chinese Conquests."

Oh, war...what great fun. she thought, sarcastically, though it was. But now a new thing grabbed my attention.

"Elizabeth! Time to go to school if you don't want mom to leave without you!" Cried the girl's younger sister, Rebecca.

Knowing that she didn't want to ride the bus and her mother was in a hurry to get to her own job, left alone getting Elizabeth herself to school, she had no choice but to grab the grey backpack and rush outside.

- -

In just days afterward, she had entirely forgotten the problem of war in the orient, the girl's life going back into focus of her own issues. It is, after all, far from inexcusable, with homework and the like taking up a grand amount of the average teenager's life. But in any case, she soon was reminded on the ride home.

"We now go to Tokyo, where Ryoru Soto will make a speech pertaining to all of Japan and the United States of America."

Interest peaked, I turned up the volume to hear. For a few seconds, there was only rumbling and shuffling of papers, but then a thickly accented Japanese voice spoke.

"Good afternoon, American allies, and to Japan's friends in the United Nations. On this day, I am sorry to tell you that my country has become involved in the Chinese people's war. Although I do not wish to begin a bloody battle, much less a world war, I cannot allow my home country to be massacred. I must now ask the allies gathered here for their militaristic support. But now I must bring up another topic that more concerns my own country and that of the American people. I have already spoken with the American President and his ambassador, and we have reached an agreement. As of next week, people in the most vulnerable areas of the Japanese Republic will be relocated until their homes are again made safe. This will include most areas of Japan. I, as ambassador, must ask you now to contact your nearest government agency to see if your city is in need of relocation. Please, I ask, do not procrastinate in this vital time."

As a small commotion rose in the background, the ambassador's voice rose over the crowd. "I thank you for your time."

"We just heard from Ryoru Soto, for those of you who were not with us at the beginning of this broadcast. FWE707 now returns you to your regularly scheduled programming."

"Well, that's quite the news bulletin, hm?"

Trying to grasp what she had just heard, Elizabeth half-heartedly answered, "Yeah, it was."

How little did she know that the words just spoken would so entirely change the world around her.

- -

In the week following, all around the city bus stops and in her school, signs were put up, seeming to advertise the 'relocation' of Japan's residents. Word was, however, that no person would be relocated to this state. Why would they send anyone here? However, the thought in Elizabeth's mind, though she did not voice it, was, Why not? Soon she forgot this too, the various school projects taking up her time. But this war would very, very soon become much more 'real' to her, perhaps in a way she could not yet imagine.

As she walked through the school doors and to her homeroom, the girl was met by a friend who called out her name.

"Lizzy!"

"Oh, hi Whitney." she answered, walking upstairs with her friend in tow. "What're you doing here early?"

"I got a ride with Michel."

"Ah."

"Guess what?" Whitney cried, eyes alight with excitement.

"What?"

Smiling, she answered, "Somebody moved in near the school."

A slightly amused look on her face, Lizzy asked, "And this is special why?"

"Well," the other girl began, "When I was on my way over, I saw some people moving in, and when they saw the car going by everyone got all scared-looking. It was kinda freaky, ya know? Like they were trying to..."

And after the tension had built to a high level, she finished, "hide something!"

"Whitney," Lizzy said with a laugh, "you think too much."

"Nah, I'm just way smarter than you are."

Sarcasm coating her voice, the girl said, "Uh huh, the same 'genius' that bumped into the flagpole your first day of high school."

Which was met with a laugh from both girls.

- -

The day following seemed to be nothing special, the rain pouring down depressing the demeanor of most students present at this early time in the morning. All, it seemed, except one.

"We're here." Stated a brown haired girl, whose comment was immediately returned by one of two teenagers beside her; a very surreal looking boy whose hair seemed to fall between both black and silver in hue.

"Yes, we have...I wonder, should we ask if there are uniforms, or rules you have to abide by here?"

"Aren't they supposed to tell us that?" Said the third of the trio in a monotone voice.

"I don't remember asking for your opinion."

"So?"

"So maybe nobody wants to hear your stupid voice."

Anger filling his eyes, the one bearing orange hair said, "Listen, you, I--"

Breaking through the rout, the brunette, calm as ever, spoke. "Even though it might be hard, we have to try, right?"

"Huh?" asked both of the boys, her words having kept them from a fight.

"I mean, although it will be hard, getting used to a different country, we must try. Who knows, maybe it will be fun living here!"

Looking at her disapprovingly, the orange-haired one said, "All we did is move, it's not like boot camp or something." At which the girl only smiled.

"Come on, let's go."

As they made their way into the room labeled, "TEW" over its doorway, which directly corresponded to the list of classes they had been given just days ago by the schoolboard. 'So, this is it.' Thought the dark haired one, though he kept these words to himself.

Looking up from her various schoolbooks, Whitney turned to Lizzy. "Hey, look--new peoples!"

Also looking up from her school-provided textbook, Lizzy looked in the spoken of direction. Huh? What are new people doing here? She wondered, knowing that they'd have a time catching up with the year half over.

"Let's go say hi, Lizzy!" Whitney called, yanking Elizabeth from her chair. Soon, Lizzy found she stood beside the 'new people.'

"Hey, you guys new?" asked Whitney as she walked toward them.

"Um, yes." Answered the brown haired one, looking around to make certain this was the correct classroom.

"So," drawled the one named Whitney, "where'd ya come from?"

"Japan." The girl answered, again the only one speaking. This Whitney couldn't help but comment, it seemed.

"And these bodyguards of yours, they talk too, right?"

"Hey!" cried the carrot-top, "What're you--"

"Sure, I speak, though maybe not so often as this fool." Answered the calmer of these two, seemingly as tranquil as... as...whatever was the opposite of his orangey-headed accomplice.

"Would you stop cutting me off?"

"If you spoke intelligently, I wouldn't need to."

As the bickering ensued, Lizzy turned to the girl beside them, saying, "So, you're friends with these guys?"

Pulled out of a zoning-out spree, the girl answered, "Wha--oh, yes! They really are nice, if you get to..."

"SHUT UP, YOU BAKA!" Yelled the orange-haired one, his speech slipping back into Japanese.

"I'm Tohru." Said the girl sweetly, then pointing out, "The one on the left--no, right--left--that's Yuki."

"Would you try to, for once, cat, not make a fool of yourself?"

"...and the one with orange hair is Kyo."

"Cool." said Whitney, while Elizabeth just smiled at the comical way the fight between those two boys was escalating. "Are they always like...that?"

"Mhmm." Tohru answered, tuning out their loudening voices.

Surprised as she was at how much tension there was betwixt the boys, Lizzy could not help but wonder in what way her so-called 'normal' school life would be changed. As life would have it, she was soon to find out. But not so soon as the two boys found their raised voices had not gone unaccounted for by Ms. Tew, as she soon made clear in speaking to them. "Please try to be a bit quieter, and find a seat." She said, staring them down, Kyo in particular. "I cannot let this class become too rowdy, so please do try to keep quiet during class." To this the three nodded, Kyo himself nodding last, as he felt his harsh words had been deserved in the circumstance.

"C'mon, let's sit down." called Whitney as she walked to her own seat, leading the group to where three vacant seats stood. Everyone chose a place, making it so that now the situation caused Lizzy and Tohru to be sitting next to one another, Yuki in front of her, Whitney behind Tohru, and Kyo behind her.

"Hey, doesn't April sit there?" Inquired Lizzy of her friend, motioning to the place where Kyo sat.

"Yeah, but she's absent today--I don't think she'll mind. Anyway," She continued, "What classes you guys got?"

"Eh...Ms. Tew--where we are now--" said Tohru. "Then I have Ms. Davis.."

"Mr. Young." Grunted Kyo, trying as he might to remove himself from the ongoing conversation.

Emotionless, Yuki stated, "And I have the same."

"That's my class." Lizzy quietly spoke, unsure whether or not they noticed her

interjection.

"'Kay, what else?"

"Let's see...for fifth block, I have Mr. Has...Hasnas. That's a strange name!"

"Yeah, nobody here can pronounce it that well either."

"I have... Mr. French." Kyo said, confused on whether or not he was the French teacher. As it was printed, French taught art. Strange, yet true.

"Ms. Davis." Quoth Yuki.

"Tohru, whatcha say you had?"

Looking down the sliver of paper, she answered, "Uh...Hasnas?"

"Yah!" She cried, "That's Lizzy's and my class! Woot!"

As the two boys looked on, the two girls chattering excitedly, and Lizzy not entirely a part of the conversation yet, the teacher called their attention to the front of the class. "Alright, class, today we have three new students...and I'm afraid they'll have to speak their own names, since I'm not entirely sure I could pronounce them."

"Hi, I'm Tohru." she said, beaming.

"I'm Yuki..."

"Kyo."

"...And I'm sure everyone will try to help you understand the oddities of this school. Now. everyone open your books to page 307..."

At this, numerous voices cried out against the injustice that is school, making the average teenagers life so utterly unbearable with its unyielding amount of home and class work--or at the least, a variation thereof. Grumbling as is most common in Ms. Tew's class, the students opened their books to that page, unsure of when reading Shakespeare would ever assist them in life, aside from the test that was bound to follow. But with their teacher reading the page aloud, and the fearfully few students that actually paid attention following along, class continued with little problems, although progress was not in high caliber either.

After many pages of medieval writings (and what most in the classroom considered to be far too much use of the words "thou" and "thy"), both Whitney and Elizabeth's mind began to inevitably wander. And as twiddling one's thumbs was not a very well known pastime in their school, the girls eyes looked about the room, having read the passage the last night for homework. Romeo, Liz thought, that really is a weird name. It doesn't sound English, or Italian, or German…Romeo doesn't even sound Bulgarian, for that matter. Bored in every possible way, she looked back to the two inch thick English textbook, only to have her eyes meet with a form of entertainment… a note, handed to her by Tohru. The paper, which in opening Lizzy found to be of Whitney's undeniable handwriting, had these few words placed upon it:

How come these guys got moved into our class?

To this Liz gave a most obvious answer, though not the one Whitney was looking for.

Well, they have to put them somewhere.

Bemused, Whitney returned with these words.

Ha ha. But why were they all put in the same class?

Maybe the other classes were full. Came her answer. But now these would be no more passing of notes, for on page 751 in another textbook there were questions that needed answering, and a simple conversation Elizabeth was not about to let lower her gpa.

With its well-known creak, the classroom door opened, another of Lizzy and Whitney's friends walking in. "Sorry, my bus broke down on the way over." She explained, most in the class laughing at the strangely understandable calamity. Their teacher nodded and motioned for her to sit, but Kayla found that it was taken--not her real seat, of course, just the one she had "stolen" after it had been left vacant last month. Three had been in fact, two by sibling who had since moved to North Carolina, and one by a student whom had been expelled altogether. In any case, it left her thinking the same statement which would soon plague the school;

"Who are these people?"

- -

With a familiar ring, the bell sounded, and Ms. Tew called out last-minute pleads to write down the homework for her next class, though one would have to wonder how many did. But Elizabeth's mind was on other matters. Okay, so today's health, not PE--

"Lizzy!" Kayla said, tapping her on the shoulder as they waited for the dissipation in line to leave class. "Did you do the science homework?"

"Uh, yeah--page 371, 1-4. Why?"

"Just wondering…" She sweetly lied. By now, of course, the line had cleared, and both friends could fly off into opposite directions to their next classes--Whitney was long gone by the time Kayla and Liz had even begun walking out the door, otherwise it would have been a trio breaking when that bell sounded. Knowing well that she had time to spare, the girl walked down the stairs rather than running like most students. But feeling that someone was following her and might need go down more quickly than she, Liz turned around to face Kyo and Yuki.

"Yeah, we're following you. See? We should have just said we didn't have a clue where we were going."

"I'm not sure where the "we" became involved."

Oh yeah, Elizabeth thought, these guys don't know where they're going.

"You know, I don't mind if you follow me." She said, breaking through their bickering.

"You don't?"

"Both of you are new here," the girl continued, contemplative. "so if you aren't sure where your classes are, it's okay to follow someone who does. I had to do the same thing when I first got here."

Without question, they resumed following her down the deep stairway. Soon the three had come to the large hallway, now rushing with people, and after that the cafeteria. "It's over here." Liz said, walking toward where several small classrooms were located to the left of the vending machines. As Yuki tried to remember the way here so this problem of finding his class would cease to exist, and Kyo eyed the various food items, Liz wondered who exactly these three were. They were "normal," persay, but yet strange. The way they acted she could have written off as coming from a different culture or being nervous, but something deeper than that alone seemed to have caused it. Though she did not voice her suspicions, Elizabeth was not yet assured of their normality. Some underlying problem seemed to just barely surface in their attitudes and actions, giving her reason to believe that a certain antipathy was very much living within them, though she was unknowing of either its reason or object.

After taking her seat, Lizzy all but ignored the whispers around her, and the voiced wonderings about these new students. Class having not officially started yet, it gave the two boys ample time to speak with Coach Young about their newness to the class. After he nodded to both of them and pointed out two chairs, Kyo and Yuki took their seats--sadly, these were next to one another, which was a bad decision on Coach Young's part. But this he would soon learn.

"Alright." Called the coach above the loud murmurs of the classroom. "Today we'll be doing page 810 through 822 and questions, so get your books…oh, you two. What were your names again?"

At this most students listened closely, for some reason genuinely interested in finding out what these two were called. Naturally, the bulk of the room was only listening for the name of 'that grayish-black haired dude's name,' but this would be considered more or less a given. "Er…" mumbled the coach, "Kie-ou and…Yucky?"


Lizzy: Bleh! Finally, I'm done!

Whitney: Yaaay...lemme read.

Kyo: HA! Yucky-kun!

Yuki: Shut up.

Kyo: Make me.

Yuki: Baka.

Lizzy: Hey! Be nice so the readers feel like giving reviews.

Kayla: Oh yeah, these two are gonna be good little boys just 'cause you say so. Riiight...

Shigure: Hello!

Kayla: Ack! Where'd you come from? You aren't in the story!

Shigure: Not yet...mwahahahaha! Ah, tea, anyone?

Yuki: Oy...

Lizzy: You know Yiddish?

Yuki: Um...maybe?

Whitney: Lizzy--what have you done?

Lizzy: I'm not sure...