"The Cat's Revenge" by Melinda-chan
Hello I am Tohru Honda and I have come to know a terrible secret. I have learned that the Sohma family, who took me in after my mother died has a curse! Some family members can turn into the animals of the Chinese zodiac, plus the Cat! So far I have met Yuki-kun (or Sohma-kun as I call him) who is possessed by the Spirit of the Rat, Shigure-kun who is possessed by the Spirit of the Dog, Kyo-kun who is possessed by the Spirit of the Cat (and as a result claims to hate Sohma-kun), Kagura-san who is possessed by the Spirit of the Boar (and loves Kyo-kun), Momiji-kun who is possessed by the Spirit of the Rabbit, Hatori-san who is possessed by the Spirit of the Dragon (and is a doctor), Hatsuharu-san who is possessed by the Spirit of the Ox (and who becomes violent when he turns Black but he's really a nice person), Ayame-san who is possessed by the Spirit of the Snake (and is Sohma-kun's older brother), Kisa-chan who is possessed by the spirit of the Tiger, and Akito-san the family head. I know I will meet more members and know more secrets. But I am not in a hurry. They have been so kind to me. I do not want to be seen as an intruder. I do not want to be a burden to them. I care for them all.
I am going back to school after Golden Week. I am doing fine at school right now. Mom would be so proud of me. I miss you so much.
"I am so happy that Golden Week is over," Tohru said as she walked with Yuki and Kyo. "I can't wait to go back to school!"
"You should know that we have midterms soon," Yuki said.
"I know" Tohru said, not sounding happy. "But I have studied so hard that I am sure that I will pass at least most of them."
"I am very sure you will" Yuki said.
"She better be" Kyo said. "She has been up all night studying the past few weeks. I can see the light from her window from the roof."
"Honda-san! You shouldn't overwork yourself!" Yuki said.
"It's such a nice day, right?" Tohru said.
'Figures she will change the subject' Kyo thought. Still he smiled. So did Yuki.
"Yeah it is" the grey-haired Sohma said.
"I bet Hatsuharu-san and Momiji-kun are already at school!" Tohru said.
'Speaking of the two' Kyo thought. He saw Momiji walking toward Tohru as Haru walked more slowly toward Yuki.
"Halo Tohru!"
Momiji shouted as he went to Tohru. "It is a good day today, is it?""Oh yes!" Tohru replied.
"Hi" Haru said to Yuki as he tugged his shirt.
"Hi" Yuki said back. He then coughed.
"Are you all right, Sohma-kun?" Tohru asked. Haru put a hand on his back.
"I am fine," Yuki said. He then coughed again. Now everybody went around him.
"Are you having another bronchial attack?" Momiji inquired.
"Do you want me to hug Tohru so I can carry you home again?" Haru asked. He was the only Sohma there that could be used for transportation in his transformed state.
"I said I am fine" Yuki responded. "I am not sick! I just got a tickle in my throat!"
"You mean you scared us for nothing!" Kyo scolded.
"I did say that I was fine!" Yuki told him. He sounded pissed.
"We believe you!" Tohru said. 'Don't start a fight at school' she thought.
"What is going on? I thought I heard someone coughing!" a voice caused everyone to look ahead. There was a brown-haired person dressed in the boys' school uniform looking at them.
'A boy? He must be a new student!' Tohru thought.
"He's okay now," Tohru said. "He just has a medical problem."
"Oh," the person said. "I heard there was a boy that wore a girls' school uniform. You must be him."
"Ja!"
Momiji said. (German for "Yes.")."Well, if a boy can wear a girls' uniform, I can wear a boys' uniform, right?" the girl said.
"Ja!"
Momiji nodded.'Oh, it's a girl!' Tohru thought.
"I bet this will cause a racket," Kyo said in dismay.
"We should be going to school," Tohru said. "I don't want to be late for my first class after Golden Week!" The girl then looked at all of them.
"Tell me, are you all related?" she asked them.
"Oh no! I live with Sohma- I mean Yuki-kun-" Tohru pointed to the grey-haired Sohma. "-and Kyo-kun-" she then pointed at the orange-haired Sohma. "I am not related to them though. I am just a boarder."
"I see" the girl said. She continued to look at them for a few more seconds. "Well I should be going. I want to make a good first impression at my new school." She turned to walk away.
'She is wearing a boys' uniform and she wants to make a good first impression?' Yuki and Kyo both thought.
"Wait!" Tohru yelled. The girl stopped and turned her head. "I am Honda Tohru. I'm a senior high schooler. I will like to help you if you need it. What is your name just in case?"
"You mean you're a second-year at this school?" the girl asked.
"Yes" Tohru replied.
"Then you'll find out my name at class" the girl answered. She then walked away leaving Tohru confused.
"I like her" Momiji spoke up. Tohru turned to him.
"Oh yes" Tohru said. "She seem friendly enough."
"I know that girls can wear pants, but at school?" Kyo said.
"It's not as bad as Momiji wearing a skirt but she is going to cause a commotion for sure" Yuki said.
"Are you okay now, Sohma-kun?" Tohru asked him.
"I am fine thank you" Yuki then smiled at her. "Let's go now." Everyone nodded. So they went inside the school.
Tohru saw her two best friends, Saki Hanajima and Arisa Uotani, walking toward her in the hallway. Uo-chan had her face mask on, no doubt still suffering from her allergies.
"Tohru-chan! Did you see that girl in that boys' uniform?" Hana-chan asked her.
"Yes I did, Hana-chan. She had brown hair, right?" Tohru replied.
"Yes she did. We did not get her name but we already heard a few people talking about her already" Hana-chan answered. "She has very strong electromagnetic pulses. They made my hair stand on end."
"It really did happen" Uo-chan said.
"What does that mean?" Tohru asked.
"Don't get in her way" Hana-chan replied.
"Oh," Tohru stated. She looked at Uo-chan. "So how are you Uo-chan? It looks like your hay fever is not improving."
"I don't know how you guys can handle spring without face masks," Uo-chan shook her head and sighed. "One of these days I swear I'll find your secret."
"Our teacher is coming," Hana-chan said. "And by the look on her face, I don't think she's happy right now." Tohru then saw the teacher walking to them. She was indeed not happy.
"Mayuko-sensei! Did you see the new student?" Tohru asked.
"I don't really care what students wear as long as they don't show any private parts but I know that the principal wouldn't like this" Mayuko said to them. She herself wore her usual long pants.
"Do you really think she'll get in trouble?" Tohru asked her.
"The principal would likely have a talk with her" Mayuko replied. "The worst thing is that the principal will likely want me to join him and I have to be on his side."
"Maybe she likes the boys' uniform better," Tohru suggested.
"In any case, the principal will likely be talking to her" Mayuko said. "Very likely he'll be telling her about the rules. Anyway, you all better go to class. I'll be starting it now." So Tohru, Hana-chan and Uo-chan went into the classroom followed by the teacher. Just then the brown-haired girl herself arrived.
"Alright class! Shut your yap up and turn your attention to the front of the class!" Mayuko yelled. The class complied. "Okay now, be a good class and welcome your new classmate." Everyone looked in amazement at the brown-haired girl in the boys' uniform but no one made any comment.
"My name is Mizuki Nijo," the girl said. "I just came from Yokohama with my little sister Sakura. I hope to get acquainted with you all very soon." She then bowed down courteously.
"Thank you Nijo," Mayuko said. "You can sit down on the empty desk next to Tohru Honda. She's the brown-haired girl in the third row."
"Tohru Honda, do I look nice?" Mizuki asked. Tohru became flustered.
"Yes- yes I suppose" Tohru stammered as she was put on the spot.
"That is all," Mizuki replied and sat down to her, leaving Tohru a bit stunned.
"Alright, now that is over, open your math book to page…" Mayuko started to say.
Fifteen minutes later, the principal entered the room.
"May I speak with Mizuki Nijo please?" the principal asked. Mizuki stood up. "Mayuko, you too come with me."
"This will not be long," Mizuki said. She then went to the principal and walked to the door.
"I expect all of you to have your face in the math book when I return" Mayuko said. She then left the room with the principal and Mizuki. Tohru put the math book closer to her, trying to think about Mizuki.
A half hour later, Mayuko and Mizuki returned. The teacher seemed to look dazed. As for Mizuki, she went back to her desk. Tohru noticed all of this but said nothing.
It was not lunchtime. As usual, Tohru sat down with her friends to eat. She then saw Mizuki was having trouble with her chopsticks.
"I am going to help Nijo-chan. Excuse me," Tohru said. 'This is my chance to talk to her by myself,' she thought as she walked to where Mizuki was sitting.
"I don't mean to be rude," Tohru said to her. "But I see that you're having problems with your chopsticks. I would like to help."
"If you wish" Mizuki said without much interest. "I haven't still gotten used to using them. I guess I need more practice." Tohru looked puzzled.
"I thought you said you're from Yo-" Tohru started to say.
"I was not born here" Mizuki explained. "I was originally from the United States, Seattle to be exact. I have been only living in Japan for a year."
"So you came from America? You speak Japanese very well," Tohru said.
"My family was originally from here. They moved to the United States a hundred years ago," Mizuki explained. "My parents taught me to speak Japanese. We sometimes ate with chopsticks but I still can't use them properly. There are so many things here I haven't gotten used to."
"You'll learn. Actually since you can speak your language, you'll be fine," Tohru said. She then took Mizuki's chopsticks. "You're either applying too little or too much pressure on them. Remember not to move the chopstick that is between your thumb and second finger. Do that and you can pick up a piece of chicken like this-" Tohru then put it in her mouth. She then realized what she had done. "I'm so sorry, Nijo-chan! I didn't mean to eat from your plate!" Mizuki did not look amused. Tohru decided to change the subject. "So what happened to Mayuko-sensei? She didn't look too well."
"I'll tell you happened at the principal's office," Mizuki said. "First, the principal told me that I could not wear the boys' uniform. I told him I saw a boy wearing the girls' uniform. The principal said that he'll deal with him later. They told me that they know I'm an American but they expect me to follow the rules of this school. He also told me that he knows that in America some places of work require an uniform, like I didn't know that." She then rolled her eyes. "I replied that I was going to be the family head so I didn't need to work." At that Tohru became more attentive. "So he asked me if I planned on doing anything before I become my family head. I replied that I wanted to become the first female boxer to win the gold medal at the Olympics! It was then that the principal fainted! The teacher was shocked as well. It took us about thirty minutes to revive him."
Tohru didn't know what to say. Mizuki wasn't like any girl she knew before. Still she smiled. "Do you like boxing that much?" she asked.
"Oh yes! It is great exercise and it can teach you discipline and patience. Plus not a lot of girls participate in the sport in Japan so I know I can make an impact here. I am confident that the sport will be one day be allowed in the Olympics and I plan on making the team for Japan. I got a very good trainer and my partners, Tae and Kasumi, are good as well. I know various forms of self-defense too. Maybe you could come to my place. I could teach you a few moves," Mizuki said.
"I am not a fighter, but I would love to go to your place," Tohru said. "Do you think your parents would mind?"
"I am not living with my parents. They are still in the United States," Mizuki answered.
"Then who is living with you and your sister?" Tohru asked.
"We live on our own. My uncle Kenny comes every week from Yokohama to check on us. But most of the time it's just me and my sister," Mizuki replied.
"That must be a big responsibility to care for your sister by yourself" Tohru said. Mizuki said nothing in reply. 'She must be very independent' Tohru thought.
"How old is your sister?" Tohru asked.
"She is ten years old," Mizuki replied. "And her real name is Kitty."
"You mean like a young cat?" Tohru asked in disbelief.
"When she was born, my parents thought she was so cute they named her Kitty. And so she thinks she's one. I call her Sakura so people would not think that my parents wanted a kitten instead. She was born in April when the cherry blossoms starts to bloom, so I thought it would be a good name for her" Mizuki explained. "Why don't you come to my house just to meet her? She loves company." (Note: "Sakura" means "cherry blossoms in Japanese).
"I would be glad to do so! I have to ask Shigure-kun for permission to go but I am sure that he wouldn't mind," Tohru told her.
"Is Shigure-kun the Sohma family head?" Mizuki asked, curious.
"Oh no! He just owns the house where I live! He's not the family head," Tohru answered.
"I see" Mizuki said. She sounded disappointed. "I would like to go to your place as well. Is it one of those traditional Japanese homes with those paper screens inside?"
"It does have shoji screens" Tohru replied.
"That is so wonderful. My uncle Kenny's house in Yokohama was like that. I thought at first it was weird but during the summer he would take the screens out so that a breeze could go through the house. It was such a nice feeling," Mizuki said to her.
"Where do you exactly live?" Tohru asked.
"I can show you when you come to my place," Mizuki said. "You can invite your female friends too."
"I am sure that Hana-chan and Uo-chan would love to come," Tohru then smiled.
"Now that's settled" Mizuki then picked up her chopsticks. "You and your friends can go to my home tomorrow and I can go to your place the next day."
"That sounds good" Tohru said back. "I better get back to my friends. I can't wait to see your place and your younger sister!"
"I will be sure to tell Sakura that you're coming," Mizuki then dipped her chopsticks into her rice. "One way or another, I am going to finish this meal. See you at class." Tohru nodded and went back to her friends.
"I got invited to Nijo-chan's house!" Tohru announced. "I also invited her to our place." She turned to Yuki and Kyo. "If Shigure-kun doesn't mind of course."
"I am sure that won't be a problem," Yuki told her. "Considering it's a girl." He did not sound pleased with the last word.
"You think so?" Tohru asked. It was then that they heard a pair of chopsticks clatter on the floor. Everything looked at Mizuki now, who was trying to pick them up.
"I think you should tell her that we use chopsticks at our home" Yuki told Tohru.
"I should bring chopsticks to her home so I can teach her more," Tohru said.
"You got invited to her home? I want to come too!" Momiji said. "I want to see her house!"
"I don't know about that," Haru said, still looking at Mizuki who was now trying to fling the rice into her mouth. "She seems a little too friendly."
"She is nice," Tohru said. "And she's not afraid to be different."
"That's for sure," Yuki said, looking at Mizuki's uniform. "She must have caused a commotion with the principal."
"She is tough and strong. She told me that she wants to be a boxer and represent Japan when the Olympics will allow women's boxing," Tohru told them. This piqued everyone's interests.
"I wouldn't have thought that she was into boxing. Do you know how long she has been training?" Kyo asked.
"I don't know how long she has been at it" Tohru answered. "You can ask her though."
"I wonder how good she is" Kyo wondered out loud. Yuki took a sip of his milk.
"Better than you would be, I bet" Yuki muttered. That ticked Kyo off.
"I heard that, you damn rat!" Kyo bellowed. "I am a better fighter than you think I am, and one day I'll beat you, you damn rat!" Yuki said nothing in reply. This angered Kyo even more. Without saying another word, he stomed out of the cafeteria. Tohru sighed to herself. She did not like it when Kyo got angry. No one seemed to notice that Mizuki was gone as well.
Mizuki found him outside, pounding his fists against the school wall. The orange-haired boy looked very pissed. Mizuki cautiously walked to him.
"I can help you defeat him if you want me to," Mizuki said to him. Kyo looked at her.
"What do you mean you can help me?" Kyo asked her. "I already got a shishou to teach me how to fight so what can you do?" He eyed her suspiciously.
"I can teach you more than what your own shishou can teach. He may have taught you how to fight but I can teach you how to fight as you truly are," Mizuki said.
"What do you mean as 'I truly am?' Who are you?" the orange-haired Sohma demanded to know. She was about to open her mouth when someone called out her name.
"Nijo Mizuki! You're a disgrace to this school!" the male shouted. Mizuki turned around and saw it was a male student with glasses.
"Who the hell are you?" Mizuki asked. Kyo covered his face, trying to hide his annoyance.
"I am Takei Makoto, current president of the student body and the leader of the school defense force! I know that there's no rule against short hair for girls, but I am sure that you cannot wear the boys' school uniform! You can at least wear a dress to school!" Takei said.
"But am I wearing the proper uniform of this school?" Mizuki replied. "It's clean and neat, and it fits properly. So why should I not wear it?"
"Because it's for boys, not girls! Aren't you ashamed of it?" Takei sounded exasperated. "I heard you had a younger sister at another school. Please do not tell me that she wears a boys' uniform as well?"
"Of course not! Why should she wear one?" Mizuki responded. "I have my own reason to wear this. In any case, why should I listen to you? You're not a teacher or principal! You can't tell me what I should or should not wear!"
"Is your younger sister like this as well? Maybe you're setting a bad example for her" Takei said. A vein on Mizuki's forehead bulged.
"Leave Sakura out of this!" Mizuki replied angrily.
"If you can't follow the school rules, then you should not be here" Takei pressed on. "Your younger sister should be ashamed of you!"
"Sakura could never be ashamed of me! I am her older sister!" Mizuki told him. "I'm warning you a second time to leave Sakura out of this!" Her cheeks had just turned red. Her fists were clenched. She looked like she was ready to attack him, but Takei did not seem to notice this.
"And what are you going to do about it?" Takei challenged her.
"Do not mess with me! I am serious!" Mizuki warned him. She emitted a low growl. Kyo heard it but he wasn't sure that Takei heard it. The student body president did see her clenched fists.
"Well are you going to hit me?" Takei asked her.
"That wouldn't be necessary" Mizuki replied. "I can take you down without hitting you."
"Is that so? You're not setting a good example for your younger sister, are you-" Takei was stopped when Mizuki placed her index and middle fingers at his forehead. Kyo watched in shock as the boy fell down, greatly stunned. Mizuki looked pleased.
"How-how did you do that? You just touched him and he collapsed. What did you do?" Kyo demanded to know. Mizuki was about to answer him when she heard someone behind her.
"Nijo-chan! Kyo-kun! What happened to Takei?" Tohru asked them, running toward the fallen student body president.
"He's fine, I mean Takei," Mizuki answered, looking down at the unconscious boy. He just collapsed when I was talking to him. Is that right, Kyo?"
"That's right" Kyo told Tohru. He knew that he had just lied to Tohru but Mizuki wanted him to cooperate with her and he didn't care for Takei anyway.
"I hope he's going to be okay! I'm going to get the nurse!" Tohru said. She then went back inside.
"She seems to care for him," Mizuki said once Tohru went inside.
"She's always like that. Worrying about other people is normal for her" Kyo explained.
"She even worries about someone like him?" Mizuki asked, looking down at him.
"She will worry about anyone. I don't really care for him. He went after Momiji too when he showed up in the girls' uniform. Not that I wasn't embarassed myself, but he really went after him. But Haru stopped him," Kyo told her.
"Haru?" Mizuki asked, puzzled. Kyo suddenly realized she had no idea whom he was talking about.
"Hatsuharu Sohma, you saw him with us," Kyo answered.
"You mean the punk with the white hair?" Mizuki asked.
"Um yeah," Kyo said. "He's not a real punk though."
"Did he really took Takei down?" Mizuki asked with interest.
"He, ah, did make sure that he wouldn't harass Momiji again," Kyo said, not sure what to say next. Mizuki didn't pursue it. Instead she walked back to the school. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going back inside of course," Mizuki answered. "If you wish to remain with Takei, that is your decision. But I am not staying here. By the way, my offer to train you is still open." She then went back to the building, leaving Kyo puzzled.
"Kyo-kun! Where is Nijo-chan?" Tohru said. Kyo saw her with the nurse and a few boys. The nurse checked on Takei while the boys tried to lift him up.
"She went inside" Kyo answered. He seemed troubled.
"Is something wrong, Kyo-kun?" Tohru asked, concerned.
"No. It's nothing," Kyo replied. 'Not anything she can do anyway,' he thought. "We should go inside ourselves."
"Okay," Tohru said. They then went inside with the others, and back to the cafeteria. Mizuki was still trying to use her chopsticks.
"Where's Takei? He went outside after you and Mizuki left. Did he cause any trouble?" Yuki asked. Kyo glared at him.
"None of your business, ratboy!" Kyo replied.
"Nijo-chan said that Takei collapsed when he was talking to her," Tohru explained. Everybody looked at her with a quizzical look on their faces. They then looked at Mizuki who had her back toward them.
"Everything is fine now," Kyo said. He went back to eating his lunch. He turned himself away from Yuki as he ate.
"I wonder why Takei collapsed," Tohru said, hoping to change the subject. "I only saw Takei when he was already on the ground. Nijo-chan was close to him and Kyo was too. I don't know what happened before that. Kyo would know." At that, everyone looked at the orange-head.
"What is it?" Kyo sounded annoyed.
"Forget it" Yuki said. "Let's eat again." Kyo actually looked relieved. So the rest of the lunch time was uneventful, though Yuki and Kyo exchanged icy glares with each other from time to time. But nothing big happened during that time.
"The nurse said that Takei probably will be fine so we should not worry," Tohru told Mizuki. They were leaving school.
"He didn't have any seizures so he should have a complete recovery," Mizuki said with full confidence. "I got to be going. I got boxing practice tonight and I need to study for the exams. My kanji isn't that good though."
"I'm sure that you'll do fine," Tohru said, though at the mention of 'exams', her voice dropped. She decided to change the subject. "So you really like boxing that much?" Mizuki smiled.
"Oh yes! I love boxing! I have tried many types of boxing even savate boxing, but I'm doing general boxing now," Mizuki said.
"What's savate boxing?" Kyo asked.
"French boxing" Yuki replied. Kyo glared at him.
"I didn't ask you, you damn rat!" Kyo said.
"You should have said her name then, you dumb cat!" Yuki responded.
"They always call each other that" Tohru explained to Mizuki.
"Now don't call me stupid-" Yuki started to say. Various bad words came out of Kyo's mouth as their spat turned into a round of name-calling. 'Baka neko' and 'kuso nezumi' was exchanged on almost every sentence. They finally decided to let their fists do the talking.
"Are you sure they're related?" Mizuki asked Tohru. "They are acting more like mortal enemies."
"Ah, they are always like that," Tohru explained. "They do not usually act like this, at least not in school. They will not hurt each other, at least when they're normally fighting."
"They are going to get in trouble for fighting at school," Haru said. "I should put a stop to this."
"I think it is ending soon," Tohru said. Mizuki watched very closely at the two boys, especially Kyo.
'I think I know why Kyo keep losing to Yuki' Mizuki thought. 'He fights like a desperate man. He reverts to his instincts instead of using any style or technique. He probably keeps doing the same thing over and over again until Yuki knows what he'll do next.' At that, Mizuki rushed toward Yuki. 'Kyo's desire to beat Yuki cannot compensate for his lack of the other components that he needs.'
"Nijo-chan, what are you doing? -" Tohru started to say, concerned. Mizuki poked Yuki on the back. Yuki dropped Kyo, leaving the battered orange-head on the ground.
"Yes?" Yuki said, turning his head around.
POW! Mizuki used her right fist to sock Yuki's chin. The response from almost all that saw it was immediate.
"Senpai! She hit the Prince!" a girl close by yelled out. Tohru ran to Yuki.
"Sohma-kun!" Tohru called out. "Are you okay?"
"What the hell did you do that for?" Kyo blurted out, looking at Mizuki angrily.
"So he is touchable," Mizuki said. She then looked at Kyo. "You need to develop more muscle and work on your speed. Try not to waste your energy by throwing empty punches. Even if you want to beat him, you are not at his level yet."
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Kyo yelled, still furious.
"Remember my words I told you before," Mizuki said. She then walked away, leaving everyone except Kyo bewildered.
"Kyo, what did she said to you before?" Yuki asked.
"It's nothing" Kyo replied. He then looked at the others who were still looking at him with concern. "What do you want?"
"You look a lot more agitated than usual," Haru said. "This is the first time that I saw you guys fight on the school grounds."
"I don't need you to say that, stupid ox!" Kyo roared. That riled the normally calm Haru.
"Do you really want to be beaten to a pulp again?" Haru bellowed, his Black personality trying to take over.
"Please no more fights!" Tohru pleaded.
"Our ride should be here soon," Momiji said. "We should go now. Bitte! Please! "
Fortunately, Haru managed to calm down, probably because he turned to look at Momiji's face.
"We should go now. I'll see you all later," Haru said.
"Auf Wiedersehen, Tohru! Goodbye, Tohru! ," Momiji said.
"See you later, Momiji-kun! Hatsuharu-san!" Tohru said not sure how to respond to the German word but smiled anyway. Haru and Momiji left. Yuki looked down at Kyo, who was still on the ground.
"What is your problem, stupid cat?" Yuki asked. Kyo got up.
"It's really nothing, alright?" Kyo said. He then saw the bruise that was forming on Yuki's right side of his chin. "She really gave it to you good, didn't she?"
"It was just a cheap shot," Yuki said dismissively. 'Still I didn't notice her until she touched me on my back. She must be as quick as I am and strong too,' he thought.
"Let's go home now," Tohru said. "I did promise her that I'll take her to Shigure-kun's place. Now I'm not too sure.' She didn't sound happy.
"You should keep your promise, Honda-san" Yuki said.
"But she's so violent! She hit you for no purpose!" Tohru exclaimed.
"She had a purpose," Yuki said. "We should all go now."
"Okay," Tohru said. Kyo was still being quiet. 'Nijo-chan said something to Kyo-kun that made him upset because he's not saying anything. Maybe it's no big deal' Tohru thought.
In the meantime, Kyo was thinking about Mizuki and what she said earlier. 'What could she teach me that Shishou could not? And what did she mean as 'I truly am?' As my true form? And if so, how did she found out about it? She is not a Sohma,' he thought. It was truly unsettling for him.
"Sakura! I'm home!" Mizuki yelled out as she opened the door. She took off her shoes and went to the living room. "Sakura! Are you here?"
"Nee-chan!" a girl's voice called out. Mizuki saw her brown-haired sister standing at the entrance in a nice white dress with black and red spots. She had a bowl in her hands.
"Sakura, what do you have there?" Mizuki asked.
"Tu-na!" Sakura answered. She let her older sister see the contents of the bowl.
"Tuna and milk? I guess you can eat that," Mizuki said. Sakura lapped at the bowl, then smiled at her. "I got to tell you something once we eat."
"So did Uncle Kenny call, Sakura?" Mizuki asked when they were at the dinner table. It was a Japanese low table with a picture of a pink cat on it. Sakura held a rice bowl to her mouth as she ate with her chopsticks. She then shook her head in response to Mizuki's question.
"I see" Mizuki said. She then smiled. "I have found them! The cursed Sohma family! I met four of them, all boys. And there's a girl that lives with two of them. Her name is Tohru Honda." Sakura looked at her with interest. "I invited her and her female friends to our home and she invited me to her home. I think she can be trusted." She then put her hands together. "I have already set the stage. The players have been cast. Already the first act has started. Now all I have to do is to direct it to its conclusion." She then laughed out loud. Sakura had a worried expression on her face but Mizuki did not look her way. "The wish of our ancestor Nijo Sohma shall be fulfilled. The cat shall have his revenge."
At that, an even more wicked laugh came out of her mouth.
End of Chapter One
Ooohhh evilness. I like to thank everyone that have read and reviewed my other Fruits Basket stories, including my Fruits Basket/Fullmetal Alchemist crossover! I was actually quite surprised and delighted about the number of people that reviewed my works. It was beyond my wildest dreams. I hope all my readers will enjoy this story as well. I should point out that I am not basing this story on the anime but on the manga. You can of course find the manga from TOKYOPOP or any good book store or online book seller. Fruits Basket (1999) was created by Natsuki Takaya and distributed by Hakusensha Inc. and TOKYOPOP. Do not forget to review!