Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or any song lyrics that are mentioned in the story. I only own the members of the Tamura Family :)
*I hope you like the chapter and continue to read the rest*
Chapter 1- Old Memories
I sit outside under my favorite tree in the backyard of my family's estate with my eyes closed. It was almost the end of fall and the leaves were falling off around me. It reminds me of when I was a kid...
~Flashback~
I was playing outside with my sister Yukiko and brother Kurai under the tree when our mother came outside to get us. This is a big day for my family. All of the children would pick a master because the people in our family are guardians. We all pick someone to bond with and protect them for life and after. I was so excited I jump up and follow her into our house. My father was the head of the family so everyone gathered around in our front yard. I stood in the front with Yukiko and Kurai anxiously waiting to hear what he'll say.
"Today some of the children in this family will find a master to protect from today on." His voice was loud so everyone could hear. "The first to pick will be my own children Yukiko, Kurai, and Mizuki." He continued and everyone's eyes turned to us.
After a couple of minutes our future masters arrive. They are all kids from wealthy families, or families that just wanted their kids to be protected and to have a friend that will always be there. My parents called the three of us over to pick our masters first. There was line in front of us with kids of different ages with their parents. My dad of course was the first to speak.
"Mr. and Mrs. Sohma your child may be the first to pick his guardian." He says looking over at an older man around thirty with his wife and their son. The father looked nice but the mother not so much and their son looked around the same age as me. He walked in front of his parents and looked at the three at us carefully.
"How are they going to protect me? What makes them so special?" He asks. I wasn't a bad thing to ask but the way he asked it made him seem like a brat.
My dad spoke up, "They transform into animals that can protect you. As they grow up their animal form also gets bigger so keep in mind that they will not be this size forever." He state calmly while looking down at the boy, then looks over at us. "Please show him your animal forms." He says kindly.
Yukiko being oldest went first and turned into a snow leopard cub, then Kurai turned into a mountain lion cub, and I was the last to change. My animal was a black wolf. My eyes changed from the normal brown to yellow. After we were done the Sohma's son, Akito was his name, walks over to me and looks at me cautiously. I know if I was him I would be scared too. We were small but bigger that what the original size that the baby animals would be. Instead of being scared he reaches his hand out and pets the top of my hand. I hated when people did that but when he touched me it was different. I smile and jump on top of him and begin to nuzzle his face. He starts laughing and I became happier. Being near him now made me so happy and I didn't want the feeling to go away. It felt like I now knew why we were guardians, it made us happy and our owners.
"I think we know who he wants to be his guardian." Akito's father laughs. My dad kneels down to our level with a smile on his face.
"Do you want to be Akito's guardian?" He asks and I nod my head feeling like I have never been this sure about anything before. "And do you want to be Mizuki's master?" He looks at Akito with a more serious expression.
"Yes." Was his answer rand he wraps his arms around my soft mane and I lick his face. I was hesitant to turn back cause I've haven't had this much fun in my animal form in awhile but I had to ask my dad a question. I turn back to normal form scaring Akito causing him to let go of me.
"What do we do now?" I ask my parents getting up to stand by my new owner.
"You can stay with us for a week or two so you guys can see if this will work out of not." Mr. Sohma answers.
"Then when you return you and everyone else will become bonded to your new masters at the ceremony." My dad finishes.
"So you should go and pack some clothes to take with you so you can come home with us today." Mr. Sohma says cheerfully.
"Can I go with her?" Akito asks now standing next to me.
"If she wants you to." His father answers and he looks at me waiting for my answer. I nod and his face lit up. He grabs my hand and we walk into the house and to my room.
I walk over to the closet in my room and grab a small suitcase and start putting some clothes in it. As I did this Akito sits on my bed and made himself comfortable. I turn slightly and glance at him from the corner of my eyes. He's looking at me and I quickly turn around embarrassed.
"So, what's it like at your house?" I ask trying to act normally.
"It's big, we live on an estate with the rest of the Sohma family." I smile, it's just like here but with his family.
"I can't wait to meet the rest of your family." I yell excited and he smiles back.
When I finish packing we leave my room and head to the front of my house. When we get back Yukiko and Kurai have already picked their new owners. Yukiko's master is a quiet girl a year or two younger that her and Kurai's master is a boy the same age as him with curly blonde hair. I pass by them playing with their new friends and stop in front of my parents. I say goodbye to my mother and father then follow the Sohma's to their car. I hop into the back seat with Akito and he once again takes my hand and holds it in his. His father looks at us from the rear-view mirror and smiles causing me to blush a little.
When we finally arrive at the Sohma's estate I smile excitedly and got out of the car. After we walk past the gates I see a bunch of children playing and adults hanging around and talking. It seemed like a nice place and the family also seemed nice.
"Akito can you please show Mizuki around, your mother and I have something to do." His father says and walks away with his wife. Akito leads me around the estate with my hand still in his.
My hand slips out of his as I stop to look at the three boys playing. Well two were and the other one was sitting under a tree watching them. I stand there for several more minutes until the one under the tree notices me. He looks at me with a small smile then walks over to me.
"Are you lost?" He asks and I shake my head no. The boy in front of me was around ten or eleven and had black hair and beautiful green eyes.
"I'm here with Akito." I tell him, looking right into his eyes.
"Then why isn't he with you?" He asks causing me to look around for Akito. Great, I had lost him and I haven't even been here for 15 minutes. "What's your name?" He continues and I focus my attention back to him.
"Mizuki Tamura. What's yours?" I ask wanting to know more about him.
"Hatori Sohma." He tells me but then I start to feel a tight grip around my hand and I look over to see Akito.
"Why did you leave my side Mizuki?" He asks but I wasn't really paying attention and he tightens his grip even more on my hand making me to wince in pain.
"I wanted to meet some of the people in your family. They are related to you right?" I say and he loosened his grip allowing me to relax my hand a bit.
"Yes they are my cousins. I'll introduce you all another time." Akito says dragging me away from Hatori and the two other boys.
~End of Flashback~
I open my eyes and frown.
It has been a week since I left Akito and Sohma House. It's almost time for me to go back because I know how mad gets when I leave for such a long period of time. He'll yell and tell me the next time I do it I'll be punished, but it never really happens when I do.
But the reason why I ran away this time is different from the others. This time he has hurt some I care about, but probably shouldn't. He injured Hatori right in front of me and I didn't do anything to stop him or help Hatori, I just watched it all happen.
I walk to my room with tears in my eyes but they didn't fall until I made sure the door was locked. The only time cry I have noticed is if it has something to do with the Sohma family. I lie down in bed and whip the tears from my eyes.
I close my eyes and begin to fall asleep with regret building up in my chest.
