Author's Note: I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I know I said two weeks ago that I'd bring it up in a few days. I know that this chapter is very, very late. I am very sorry. I'm a big procrastinator, I'm sorry…Omigosh, I'm starting to sound like Ritsu Sohma. But still, I am very sorry. I am a little worried about this chapter, as I think I rushed a little at the end. Also, one of Hiro's lines in this chapter was inspired by another Fruits Basket and Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles crossover called "Another Day" by Admiral Godunov. Please, review and tell what you think. Also, the poll on whether or not I should start a new fanfiction will close on New Year's Day. If you want to make a vote, please go to my account. Thank you very much, and have a happy new year:)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own The Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles. It is owned by CLAMP. I also do NOT own Fruits Basket. It is owned by Natsuki Takaya.

Fai stared, wide-eyed at the now tiger-formed Kisa Sohma. "Wha…?" He stammered. "H-How…?"

"U-um, well, you see!" Tohru stuttered hysterically. She took a tentative step towards him, but as she did so, she slipped on another empty snack bag that Hatsuharu had dropped, and began to fall forward (1).

"Hey!" Kyo shouted, reaching for her. But when he caught her in his arms, another poof sounded, and where Kyo had once stood, a small explosion of smoke now took his place. With no one to hold her up anymore, Tohru proceeded to fall and the next moment, just as she crashed onto both Momiji and Hiro, two more poofs sounded and even more smoke suddenly appeared in the room.

Fai squinted through the smoke, as Hiro's voice angrily cried out, "Argh! Get off me, you stupid lady (2)!"

When the smoke finally thinned, Fai stared as he saw a dazed Tohru on top of a rabbit and a small sheep.

"You little—you take that back right now!!"

The small blonde jumped when he noticed an orange cat on Tohru's back and snarling at the sheep—and snarling in Kyo Sohma's voice.

"Eh?"

"Stupid lady!! I said, 'get off!'" The sheep grunted in Hiro's voice.

"Ah!" Tohru cried out. "I'm so sorry!" Immediately, she stood up, knocking the cat-formed Kyo off her. "Eeek!!" She shrieked, as the said feline landed on the ground with a thud. "Kyo-kun! Are you all right?! I am so sorry!!"

"Honda-san?!" Yuki's voice called out worriedly, his footsteps sounded down the stairway. "Honda-san!" He shouted again, as he ran into the living room. "Is something wro—

Upon seeing the scene in front of him, he froze.

"Hey, I heard a racket!" Shigure's voice called out. Within a few seconds, he entered the room. "So, where's the fi—

Like Yuki, Shigure stopped when he beheld Tohru and Fai—and the animals.

"Oh, dear." The novelist chuckled, nervously.

Hatsuharu, who had been sitting at the table the entire time, just gazed evenly at the situation before him, before munching on another pastry and mumbling, "Well, aren't we in a mess?"

The cat scowled, before angrily shouting at Haru, "Damn right we are!! And this wouldn't have happened if it weren't for you!!"

Shigure sighed. "Kyo…"

"You don't have to yell at me as if it's my fault, Kyo." The white-haired boy replied, coolly. "I'm just an innocent bystander."

"'Bystander' my ass!" The cat shrieked. "And where do you get off dumping your trash wherever?! You're a high-schooler for crying out loud!!"

"Kyo..." Yuki started.

"Oh, yeah? What about you?!" Haru retorted. "You throw tantrums all the time like a pre-schooler!!"

"Do not!!" The cat shouted.

"All right!" Shigure cried out, with his hands raised. "Kyo-kun, before you make Hatsuharu snap and make this situation any worse, I suggest we all calm down and try to work this all out."

Kyo and Haru both glared at each other for moment, but nonetheless, obeyed their cousin.

"I suppose you'll want an explanation." Shigure remarked.

Not saying a word, Fai just gave a hesitant nod. It had been several minutes since Fai had bumped into Kisa Sohma—before she and three other Sohmas changed into animals. When Shigure had finally calmed down everyone, he had ushered his transformed cousins away into the upstairs bedrooms with Tohru, Yuki, and Hatsuharu carrying their clothes. Currently, Fai was sitting at the living room table, his bowed head facing both the novelist.

"Well, the short version is," Shigure began, "our family is cursed."

Abruptly, Fai glanced up at him. The adult man looked dead serious.

"Thirteen of us are possessed by the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac and the Cat." The novelist continued. "If we're hugged by a member of the opposite sex or if we're under a great deal of stress, we transform into our respective animal."

The blonde was quiet as he processed this information. Then, "So, because I bumped into Kisa-san…

"She transformed into the Tiger." Shigure finished. "And because Kyo-kun became in close bodily contact with Tohru-kun, he transformed into the Cat, and Momiji-kun and Hiro-kun changed into the Rabbit and the Sheep when Tohru-kun bumped into them."

Fai flushed a little at the reminder of his blunder, before he lowered his head. "I'm sorry." He mumbled, afraid that they would punish him.

"Wha- ?" Shigure sounded a little surprised. "Well, it's all right."

Timidly, the blonde gazed up at the novelist, who was giving a reassuring smile. "You don't have to be sorry. Besides, eventually, we transform back. In fact," He chuckled slightly, "that was the main reason I sent those four away."

Fai blinked in puzzlement. "Why is that?"

Shigure scratched his head, as if pondering on to reply to this. "Well, er, simply said, when we transform back…we're naked."

At that response, Fai blushed. Then, in a shy voice, he stuttered, "Um, y-you're cursed, too, right?"

"Yep." Shigure grinned, as he proudly gave a thumbs-up.

"Um, w-what a-animal are you?" The blonde asked.

"He's the Dog, that's what." Hiro's voice sharply replied. Startled, Fai glanced over towards the doorway where Hiro Sohma stood, human formed and fully clothed. The latter glared at the blonde as he continued, "Though I don't know why we should bother to tell you, especially when your memory's gonna get erased."

"W-wha…?" Fai paled a little, as fear bubbled in his belly.

Shigure sighed, exasperatedly. "Hiro-kun…"

"What?! You know I'm right!" Hiro snorted. "I don't even know why you have an outsider here. Sooner or later, the kid would've found out—

"Hiro-chan!!" The said boy turned around to see Kisa, also now changed back, staring back at him in disappointment.

His shoulders slumping in defeat, Hiro stomped off, angrily.

"Hey, Hiro!" Fai heard Momiji call out. "Where're you going?"

"Ah, leave him!" Kyo's voice grumbled. "He's just being a brat."

Yuki snorted. "Oh, well, look who's talking."

"WHAT?! YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING TO SAY, YOU DAMN RAT??!!!!"

Fai flinched slightly at the noise, before Momiji's voice began calling out, "Heeeeyyyy Faaaaiiiiii!"

Within seconds, the blonde Sohma had rushed to his side, grinning cheerfully all the while.

"So, Fai," he began, "Shii-chan told you about the zodiac curse, right (3)?" Fai didn't answer; he just felt like breaking down and crying. Momiji tilted his head, concerned, as he saw the troubled expression on the other's face. "What's the matter?"

Fai slowly glanced up at Momiji, before saying, "W-what does Hiro-san m-mean that my m-memories are g-gonna be erased?"

At that, the blonde Sohma looked just as gloomy as Fai felt. The latter turned towards Shigure, who sighed and said, "Usually what happens to those who find out about the curse is that they're put under hypnosis so that they won't remember having discovered it in the first place. It doesn't hurt." He told the child, reassuringly. "But…"

Fai stared at him, his eyes overflowing with tears. He didn't want to forget! True, there were several, several memories he wished to get rid of altogether. But the moments he had spent with Tohru Honda, the kindness the Sohmas had given him, he didn't want to forget those!

It was at that moment that Momiji spoke. "But Shii-chan, can't you talk to Akito?" He asked, earnestly. "I mean, he let Tohru keep her memories."

Shigure scratched his head, looking uncertain. "Well," he replied, "I could try. But I can't make any guarantees."

Dread washing over him, Fai hung his head in despair.

Shigure glanced around, feeling a great sense of peace in the colorful meadow. Peace…as well as awe. Sitting all around him were dogs. Beagles, yellow labs, terriers, dogs of all kinds!

It was then that he noticed a great black dog, gazing at him intently. It was the Dog of the Chinese zodiac.

"Shigure Sohma," The Dog growled, "you must protect him."

The man stared back at him, bewildered. "Protect…?"

"Do not turn him away!" The Dog continued. "You must protect that child at all costs!"

Shigure's eyes widened as he finally understood. "You mean Fai-chan?"

The Dog nodded. "Do not turn him away, Shigure Sohma." He repeated.

The man raised his hands up, hopelessly. "But what is there that I can do? He's found out about the curse, so everyone at the Main House will expect that his memories become erased."

"You must protect him." The Dog growled again.

"But how?!" Shigure cried out in frustration. "I could talk to Akito-san, yes, and hope that he decides to let Fai-chan stay just like Tohru-kun. But he only allowed Tohru Honda to keep her memories because he thought she would reject the others. However, now that his plan has failed, I doubt he's going to be lenient towards any outsider. Believe me, I'd protect Fai-chan if I could, but I can't deny Akito-san's wishes, and the only way Akito would let Fai-chan stay and keep his memories would be if the kid was somehow of use to him."

The man panted, as he waited for the Dog's response. But the latter was silent, taking in Shigure's rant. Then,

"Wake up, Shigure Sohma."

The said-man blinked. "What?"

At that moment, the meadow began melting away into darkness. Shigure cried out, as the ground on which he had been standing had melted as well, and he began falling into the deep foggy darkness.

"Wake up." The Dog's voice echoed in the oblivion. "Wake up and see how the child can be 'of use.'"

Shigure gasped as he awakened, nearly jumping off his futon in the process. Taking a few seconds to calm his frantic heart, the novelist wiped the sweat off his brow, muttering, "Some dream."

It was then as Shigure continued to reassure himself that he heard sniffling.

"Th-they say they're g-going to erase m-my memory…" Fai's voice whimpered. Frowning slightly, the novelist quietly stood up before tip-toeing to his door. It sounded as if Fai was in the living room.

"I-I don't that!" The child hiccupped. "I don't want to forget them!"

As Shigure crept down the hallway, he was startled to see leaning against the wall Yuki, who was fully awake and seemed just as surprised to see the novelist.

"Hey!" Shigure whispered to his cousin. "What's going on?"

"Sssshhhh!!" The other hissed. "Listen."

"What am I going to do?!" Fai moaned.

It was then that a dog's soft bark answered the child's cry, a bark which Shigure could easily understand as "Don't cry. Everything's going to be all right."

"No, it won't." Fai sniffed.

It took the novelist a moment or two before he finally realized it. Fai, a young boy and someone outside the Sohma family, was actually communicating with a dog! The man strained his ears to hear some more, but all that seemed to follow was a long ensuing silence. Then, "It's not going to work out. It'll never work out!" The blonde cried out, despairingly.

"Yes, it will." The dog said, softly. "Yes, things may seem bleak right now. But it'll get better. It will. You just have to be strong."

Fai sniffled some more. Then, he answered weakly, "Okay."

Another period of silence continued. Suddenly, Fai whispered, "All right. Good-night."

Shigure blinked. That was it? As he heard the front door sliding and small feet and paws padding, he glanced towards his cousin for a different perspective. Yuki, although the novelist could not see his face, seemed amazed. "He was talking to the rats, Shigure." The teenager whispered. "I heard them. There were two of them that came with the dog."

Rats? The kid could also communicate with rats? Just as the wheels in Shigure's head began turning, a small voice called out softly, "Y-Yuki-san? Shigure-san?"

Both Sohmas turned to see Fai's small form staring up at them from the end of the hall. The novelist did not need the light turned on to know that the child was afraid. A long uncomfortable silence hung in the air, before Yuki broke it, "Erm, Fai-san, I'm sorry we that we eavesdropped on you."

The child hung his head a bit as he stammered, "Are you mad at me?"

"Wha-?" Yuki sounded surprised.

"Mad at you?" Shigure cried out, just as taken aback. "Fai-chan, we're not mad at you. Really."

Fai glanced up at them, perhaps a little encouraged. It was then that Shigure said, "Fai-chan, there's something I want to talk to you about." He took a deep breath, then, "You can talk to animals, can't you, Fai-chan?"

The child jumped a little at that, obviously startled. "Um," Fai stammered nervously, "I-I…I mean—

"It's all right, Fai-san," Yuki whispered, reassuringly, "there's nothing to be afraid of."

"Yes." Shigure nodded earnestly. "Besides, I didn't tell you this, but those of us who are cursed can communicate with our respective animals."

Fai gazed at the Sohmas for a long moment. Finally, the child gave a hesitant nod and said, "Okay. I can talk to animals."

Yuki looked at him, curiously, before asking, "All animals?"

The blonde shook his head. "No, not all. I can only talk to some."

"Well," Shigure said, "what kinds?"

Both Yuki and Fai stared at him. "Eh?" The child didn't seem to understand.

"What kinds of animals can you talk to?" The novelist clarified.

"Um," Fai looked down at the floor in thought. Then, "Cats and dogs and snakes, rats, rabbits…and sheep, too…"

"Really?" Shigure replied, interested. However, the novelist could feel Yuki narrow his eyes at him skeptically.

"Just what are you thinking, Shigure?" The teenager demanded.

The said-man slowly faced his cousin and smiled before turning towards Fai, as well.

"I'm thinking," Shigure replied, still grinning from ear-to-ear, "that we may just have a chance in convincing Akito to let Fai-chan keep his memories…"

Author's Note: Again, please review. Reviews make me very happy. A review would be a wonderful New Year's gift. Have a happy new year :)

(1) Haru, you need to learn not to litter -_-

(2) I got this line from "Another Day" by Admiral Godunov. It's another Fruits Basket and Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles crossover and it's really good!

(3) For those who don't remember or don't know, 'Shii-chan' is Momiji's nickname for Shigure.