CHAPTER TWO
Conflict

The alarm clock woke Tohru with a start. Her sleep had been peaceful as her mind had been able to rest completely, in contrast to the day before that had been quite traumatic for her. Yawning, she stopped the clock from it's continuation of insistent ringing and cast it aside, quite content in her mood.

She could hear the others moving around outside her room, and Kyo (who must have returned from the roof, late last night) was fuming at Yuki, who spoke calmly in return at his anger.

Quickly Tohru pulled on her clothes and brushed her hair, rushing down to make breakfast as soon as she could, almost tripping on the stairs as she rushed so frantically.

'Rise and shine' Shigure said, from over the daily newspaper.

Kyo grunted a morning welcome before making his way outside, while Yuki had already started cutting the fruit.

'Here' Tohru quickly forced her way into the kitchen, grabbing a few fruits herself to prepare.

'Good morning, Miss Honda,' Yuki spoke, quietly, 'it's alright, I can manage …'

Tohru flushed, 'No, no really, I insist!'

'Don't you really think it would be best if you continued to rest?' came Shigure's voice again, slightly quieter from beyond the paper he held over his face. It was a voice that was hard to argue with. 'Yuki can manage quite well making us all breakfast, perhaps you should just sit here and take a breather …'

Tohru felt defeated and handed the fruit back into Yuki's hands, who nodded warmly at her, 'thank you.'

She felt awkward sitting down. Wanting to help. But the gentle dark eyes of Shigure kept her rooted to the spot. Perhaps it was better to obey and make sure she didn't ruin anything for them.

'Are we going to get those remedies you spoke about then?' Yuki asked, as he entered with plates filled of colourful fruits, all carved to perfection. A much better job than she could have ever managed to achieve.

'Yes!' she blurted, already able to guess the delicious taste of the meal.

'FRUIT?' Kyo snapped slamming himself down onto the pillow with a look of disgust as he re-entered the house.

Yuki ignored the comment and sat himself down with a plate of his own.

'Are you going to come with us?' Tohru asked Kyo, as she looked up from her food.

Kyo glared. 'No.'

Tohru's expression seemed hurt.

'Why not?' Shigure piped in. He had seemed to have left his newspaper and was now happily munching on some melon.

'I don't need -'

'Perhaps we can just go for a walk then? Get something other than fruit for your breakfast?' Tohru then suggested, eagerly.

Kyo shrugged and turned away. 'Whatever.'

---

Tohru, Yuki and Kyo all found themselves walking down a different street than they had expected. There were still the same assortment of shops, such as a groceries, a pharmacist and several retail stores, though not the usual street that Tohru often chose to do her weekly shop.

Tohru had taken this route (without telling them) because she hadn't wanted the same event to occur that had happened to her yesterday. Besides, she didn't think that anyone down this street would recognise her from the day before, as she wasn't keen on getting any unwanted attention today.

Luckily, neither Yuki nor Kyo had questioned her choice of road.

'So what is it you want to eat then?' she asked Kyo gently, who had been scuffing his feet the whole way, bored.

'I ASKED FOR CREAM TEA, NOT GREEN TEA!' boomed a voice, Tohru recognised and even Kyo looked up to see the source.

Tohru let out a gasp as she noticed the same woman from yesterday, Roora, as she had been called, storming from a restaurant, throwing what looked like a china cup, back through the door as she left, both the brown haired girl and the little shy blonde following afterward.

Yuki had noted Tohru's expression and turned to her, rather than the odd threesome that were causing a little chaos over the road. 'Miss Honda?'

Tohru could not allow her eyes to leave the three odd foreigners heading their way. 'Yes?' 'Do you know them?'

Tohru couldn't think. What she would have usually hidden ended up being expressed, 'Yes. That woman was the one who almost ran me over…'

'WHAT!?' Kyo suddenly blasted. His fists clenched.

Roora, who had crossed the road in a temper, then forced her way between Tohru and Yuki, not even acknowledging Tohru in the slightest, as she did so.

'WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!' Kyo demanded madly, before Tohru could prevent any confrontation.

Roora stopped suddenly. It took a moment for her to turn. It seemed like she had been taking incredibly deep breaths. 'What …did you say?' she spoke low.

Kyo repeated himself, even more aggressively, 'I SAID, WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!'

By this time, both the young brown haired girl and the little blonde had caught up, both standing, quite helpless in the situation, just like Tohru and Yuki.

'Oh no …' the brown haired girl muttered to herself and Tohru could not help but swallow hard with worry.

'YOU JUST PUSHED HER OUT OF THE WAY AFTER YOU ALMOST KILLED HER YESTERDAY, WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!?' Kyo burst for a third time, grabbing the woman's shoulder and pulling her round to face him.

It was as quick as a flash, sudden and violent, such force pushing Kyo to the ground, as the woman's (what looked delicate) fist had come into contact with Kyo's face.

Kyo, himself, was a stunned as the others, mouthing words he was unable to speak as he sat on the floor holding his nose as it bled.

Roora calmed after a moment of looking down, quite proudly at her victim, rubbing her knuckle.

Tohru stood, scared. She had never seen such madness come from someone who looked so graceful, her dark locks of hair, framing her face that had returned to calm.

'Roora!' came the brown haired girls voice, sounding quite bored of this woman's behaviour. 'I'm so sorry for that -'

'KEEP THAT WOMAN ON A LEASH!' spat Kyo from the floor and Roora glared down at him.

'I suggest you keep your mouth shut before I pound it again,' Roora threatened, then looked back at the brown haired girl, 'Arekkusu, don't you dare apologise for my -'

'For your behaviour?' Arekkusu, completed the sentence dryly, the humour sapped from her voice. 'Both I and Hanna have had enough of your stupidity …'

The little blonde, Tohru now knew as Hanna, shuffled, giving a slight smile at both Yuki and Tohru, embarrassed, like Tohru had seen her before, in the car.

'As I say, I apologise for my sister's behaviour. She is often like this …'

Roora growled, yet was cut off before she was able to retort against her little sister, when a quick burst of dust exploded from Kyo and a ginger cat remained in his place.

Both Tohru and Yuki gasped wide-eyed, Tohru seeing the equally wide-eyed expression on Roora's face as she too had witnessed the transformation.

'The cat …' she whispered, all anger had seemed to have gone from her voice, 'I should have known …'

'What?' Tohru managed, as Yuki grabbed the unconscious animal in his arms hastily before anyone else saw.

'You're the Sohma's, aren't you?' spoke Hanna, for the first time, sounding in awe.

Yuki seemed to be speechless.

'We've been looking for you,' Arekkusu then continued, alike Yuki, aware of the danger of being in the open of the street. 'Lets get in the car…'

---

'How could you possibly know anything of us?' Yuki, finally spoke, after tossing Kyo into the car, then sitting himself into the back too, with both Tohru and Hanna.

'We know a lot about your family …' Arekkusu paused, mid sentence.

'Yuki, my name is Yuki.'

'Yes, Yuki … we know a lot of your family. Where can we find the Sohma House?'

Tohru could feel the anxiety that Yuki was experiencing. After all, it wasn't everyday a stranger confessed they knew of their family secret, at least since Tohru had been one of them to discover it…

'I'll give you directions.'

Arekkusu nodded and gave a slight smile as she looked through the mirror above her head, so that she could see all three that sat behind her, rather compact, noticing the ginger cat that was still weak, fading in an out of consciousness. 'We need to get him home before he retransforms. I don't think there will be enough room in the car for you all.'

Tohru looked at the little Hanna, who was sitting, quietly against the window almost. 'No please, I'll be crushed.'

Roora forced the keys into the ignition roughly, pulling a blanket from the glove compartment, 'Just in case …' she spoke, throwing it onto Yuki's lap, where Kyo the cat was sprawled out, covering him.

Yuki gave a look of disgust.

'How do you know of us?' Yuki asked again, Tohru could hear his nervous tone and suddenly felt threatened herself.

'We'll talk when we get to the Sohma House … We can't really bide anymore time, unless you want to be sitting in the back of the car with your naked friend…' Arekkusu replied, her tone of such calm. It lacked any sense of humour.

The car stirring once more, making Hanna shake her head rapidly, 'Just drive.'

Roora nodded and slammed her foot down roughly on the accelerator. Tohru hadn't travelled so fast in her entire life.