Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket!
Author's Note: The dialogue in this one shot is not mine. It was taken mostly right out of the manga. I did not see a reason to change much of it since it was that moment in the manga that inspired me to write this.
A Friend's Wish
Hanajima set down the phone with a heavy thud, Tohru-kun's voice still echoing in her ears. She had dialled the Sohma's number in hopes of wishing her friend a happy New Years celebration, but from what Tohru-kun told her, that was not going to happen. Tohru-kun's words had been cheerful enough when she had said that the Sohma's were going to a banquet on their family's estate, but Hanajima knew better. Behind Tohru-kun's bright voice, she heard the note of sadness. Tohru-kun would be alone on New Years, and that was unacceptable.
Grabbing her long black cape, she fastened it in an elegant bow. Her little brother was not home yet, and her family would not need her presence for a couple of hours. Besides, she refused to leave Tohru-kun, her first friend, to cry alone in an empty house. Stepping silently outside, she felt the wind whip her cape about her body. Snow had not fallen so far this year, but the bitter wind promised its arrival.
It would take too long to blindly walk the streets only hoping to run into the Sohmas, so closing her eyes she concentrated on spreading her psychic awareness farther. She travelled across the nearby abandoned play ground, and through a large crowd of anxious, jostling people waiting at a bus terminal. She slipped between the cracks of houses filled with laughing families, and glanced at the dark offices of the towering buildings. Her awareness seeped out in a circle, inspecting everything it passed, but somehow the distinctive waves of the Sohma's eluded her. Straining, she pushed herself beyond her normal range, she would find them; they could not escape her.
Upon sweeping across one particular empty street, she felt a slight change in the waves she normally sensed. Stopping abruptly, she examined the anomaly closer. There were three strange waves, all together walking down the sidewalk. It was the Sohmas; there was no doubt in her mind. She would never mistake the quiet but deadly waves of the Prince, and the flaming and edgy waves of his orange haired cousin for other people.
There was an undertone of hurt present in all three, hidden unless she looked close enough, and there was also a unique, unexplainable ring of something dark and animal like. Shaking her head, she pulled her awareness back to her present spot in front of her house. She had no time to ponder the strange waves of the Sohma's right now; she had to concentrate on intercepting them before they reached their destination.
Turning sharply she strode off into a particularly shadowy, sinister alley, fully aware of the mysterious and ominous vibes she gave off to the casual passer-by. Minutes passed, and Hanajima grew closer, and closer. Three faint figures appeared before her sight, and she stopped. They would be right in front of her soon, she thought solemnly to herself. She would wait for the opportune time.
"Now, now, you two," Shigure Sohma waved calmly at his two anxious family members. Kyo and Yuki Sohma were rooted to the sidewalk, caught up in their worries of Tohru. "If you keep standing there in a daze…"
Hanajima, sensing that the time was right interrupted and finished Shigure Sohma's sentence for him. "Someone will run into you."
The oldest Sohma let out a surprised yelp, and Kyo actually fell over in shock. Yuki only tensed and stood there, but Hanajima had not expected a large reaction from the Prince.
"W…Well if it isn't Saki-chan. My, this is a coincidence," said Shigure, placing a hand on his still thumping heart. "We were just on our way to our family's estate."
"Tohru-kun told me," Hanajima's quiet voice was easily heard in the empty street. "So she really is alone this year." Hanajima looked off into the distance. "She celebrated New Year's with her mother until now…" She paused to let her words creep up and wrap around the Sohmas. "But this year she'll be all alone." The word echoed through Yuki and Kyo's minds. "Arisa-kun and I both offered to spend New Year's with her. She just smiled and told us to spend it with our families. But what will become of poor Tohru-kun? When she sees the lights and the decorations…the going year, and the coming year…She can't help but remember seeing them with her mother." Both boys' eyes widened a fraction, and she knew she had gotten through to them. Now all she needed to do was push them in the right direction. "I wonder how she'll feel? Was Tohru-kun really okay with that? Is she going to be all right?"
Unconsciously both Yuki and Kyo moved forewords at the same time, causing their heads to collide. Hanajima watched the two argue, and start stalking off down the street. Nothing would stop them now.
"Hey, you two," Shigure called out. "Where are you going?"
Turning around at the exact same time they both said, "We're going home!" Spinning on their heels they continued on their way, not caring one bit about leaving the older Sohma behind.
"Saki-chan," Shigure turned towards her with a sly smile on his face. "Did you plan that?"
"I don't care what they do," her quiet voice replied. "I simply wished to do something for Tohru-kun…That is all." Walking past him she said, "May you have good waves next year," then strode down the street, her black cloak billowing behind her, and a small secret smile curving her usually grim lips.