Sometime early May 2003

Scribbler's ramblings: Wah, this is my first fiction, I wrote it after much pressure from my so-called friends :B, please don't kill me if you don't like it. I would prefer if the bad reviews (flames... O.o;) were constructive at least. Also if the formatting is funky, don't blame me, I don't know how to format these things

Disclaimers: Fruits Basket, sadly, does not belong to me, it belongs to the wonderful creator T.N. [yes I was too lazy to check up on the actual full name of the creator, see what a diehard fan I am? :P sorry if I insulted any of the real diehards]. On with the story.

-=+=-

"Toh-RU!"

"Ah, Momiji-san, so good to see you again," Tohru said, as she slid open the front door of Shigure's home.

"Come on, let's go . everyone's here already, even Akito!" Momiji piped up, obviously excited about the day trip they were about to set off to.

"A-Akito?" Tohru stuttered. Oblivious to whatever Momiji was saying, she was surprised to learn that someone in his health (mentally and physically) would be able to attend the Blue Moon Festival. She pictured him, threatening to bite small children who were exhaling too loudly … ridding her mind of the image, she focused upon Momiji's somewhat mindless chatter.

" … and there'll be cotton candy and candy apples and - Tohru?" Momiji paused, "I wasn't really serious about Akito going, if you were wondering. Luckily, Hat-san will still be able to go."

A wave of relief nearly knocked Tohru off her feet. Spending the entire day with Akito would be a nightmare, especially what had happened after she had gone to talk to him… "Just a moment Momiji, I'm going to call Yuki- koi, Kyou-kun and the rest of my friends downstairs," Tohru said, politely excusing herself from him.

-=+=-

"So Kajiko-chan, how do you like the family so far?" Uotani questioned the petite black-haired girl.

"Well, Momiji-kun is really nice to have invited all of us to go to the Blue Moon Festival. After all, this is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I've heard admission was pretty pricey," Kajiko said, "I feel so lucky to be able to attend it with all my friends as well."

Jiko-chan's comment brought a little colour to Hanajima's usual pallor. "When Momiji-kun invited us, we only thought it would be right to invite you as well," Hanajima justified.

"Shigure-san! Kyou-kun! Hana-chan! Uo-chan! Jiko-chan! Yuki-koi!" Tohru's light voice rang out, "It's time to go to the festival!"

"Well, we better go then," Uotani announced, rising.

"Yes, there's no point in holding everyone else up," Kajiko said, getting up from Tohru's frilly, pink bed as well.

Hanajima simply smiled, her face shadowed. All the denpa coming from her excited friends and the soon-to-be-rising blue moon was comforting. She was positively certain that they would all have a magnificent time at the festival. Still, there was something that worried her. A wisp of a future happening that she couldn't put her finger on...

-=+=-

" ... Jiko-chan! Yuki-koi! It's time to go to the festival!"
Yuki-koi ... Yuki-love. Something in his heart stirred when he heard that term of affection, especially coming from Tohru ... Tohru-koi.
Yuki got up from his bed and smiled to himself. He and Tohru-koi had finally gotten together, much to the dislike of the baka neko. Though he still hated "Kyon-kyon", he couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Yuki knew of the feelings Kyou-kun had for her.
Pushing these melancholy thoughts to the back of his mind, Yuki slowly walked downstairs, eager to attend the festival and see the shining face of Tohru, his Tohru-koi.

-=+=-

Kyou traipsed down the stairs, just a few steps behind Yuki-kun. How he wanted to defeat that kuso nezumi. He had also noticed that Tohru had called him Yuki-koi. Chalk up another victory for the rat. He brooded over the term of affection Tohru-kun was supposed to use for him, Kyou, Kyou-koi. But this was impossible, she had already chosen, and as usual he had been cast in the shadow of the glorious Yuki-kun. Kuso nezumi.

-=+=-

"That's seems to be everyone Hat-san!" Momiji hollered, slamming the door of the rented limousine.
Hatori returned the eager, but noisy rabbit's yell with a hard look of discipline, and started the engine. It would be two long hours of driving before they reached the festival and he certainly didn't want 14 different versions of "99 bottles of beer on the wall" to be sung.
"Why Hatori-san, lighten up a little! Here, join the song!" Ayame said, before launching into the first version of the dreaded chant.
This was going to be one long drive.

-=+=-

Scribbler's ramblings: Okay, end of first "chapter"... well it told you nothing of the plot whatsoever O.o; oh well, I have the actual first chapter done... I'll just see how many people want to read it before I post it. Please review constructively, even the flames, otherwise you shall feel my invisible wrath (it's so invisible you can't feel it! :O)