-1Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket; for it was created by Natsuki Takaya. I do own Kokoro, Kaiya, and Rose. Rose was created by my friend, Mrs.KyouSohma, and I. I'm sure you have been reading about her in my friend's new story. Though Rose comes in differently in my story. If you doubt my word, you can go ahead and ask her if you want. This is my first Fruits Basket fanfiction, so I hope it comes out alright! Let me know what you think as I update it; and please enjoy!

Chapter Nine

Everyone was having a good day at school that Monday. Momiji was playing with his friends, Tohru was talking with Yuki , Kaiya, and Haru, Kokoro was reading in the library, and Kyo was heading to class. Well, he was starting to; until a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.

"I haven't seen you in a while."

All seemed to go quiet as Kyo turned slowly to face the thin and quiet Akito. The black haired teen was smirking his smug smirk, while Kyo was glaring at him. He knew that neither was happy to see the other.

"Get the heck away from me Akito!" He growled.

"You still have the same poor temper I see; though is it because of me, or is it because you still haven't defeated Yuki?"

"I said get away from me!" Kyo yelled.

"You know I'm right, don't you Kyo? You haven't even tried to fight Yuki lately. Are you becoming friends with the one who you hate?"

"I'm not friends with that darn rat!"

"Well then why aren't you trying to fight him? Do you want to remain outside of the family, alone and unwanted."

"SHUT UP! I DO BELONG IN THIS FAMILY!"

"No you don't, you're the cat, and the cat doesn't belong in the Sohma family; it never belonged. You are no exception Kyo; and unless you defeat Yuki, you never will belong. No matter how much you fool yourself into thinking other wise."

Kyo's rage had grown far greater now, and Akito turned with a satisfied grin on his face while he left the school.

The rest of the day, no one else knew what had caused Kyo to get so angry. He hadn't been so mean lately, but now he was ticked off. Yet no one else could figure out why. Tohru and Kaiya were worried, Momiji was scared, Yuki was annoyed, Haru wondered what had happened, and Kokoro was suspicious.

Though it wasn't until they had gotten home when Kyo finally snapped, when Yuki was asking why he was being so harsh towards those who were worried about him.

"Shut up rat boy!" Kyo growled, "You don't know anything about it so just keep your mouth shut! I hate being here, and I hate being stuck here with YOU!"

"Then why don't you go see Master Kazuma?" Yuki asked.

"I SAID SHUT UP! I CAN'T GO TO HIM BECAUSE HE'S FORCING ME TO STAY HERE IN A PLACE THAT I HATE BEING IN, WITH PEOPLE THAT I HATE BEING AROUND! NOT TO MENTION I'M IN A FAMILY THAT DOESN'T WANT ME JUST BECAUSE I'M A CAT! SO WHAT! I'M HUMAN AREN'T I! JUST LIKE YOU, KOKORO, AND EVERYONE ELSE! I'M SICK OF HEARING THAT I DON'T BELONG BECAUSE OF THIS DARNED CURSE!"

"Kyo, we're all cursed, not just you, so quite making it sound like it is your problem alone!" Yuki shouted angrily.

"JUST SHUT UP!" Kyo cried out with rage as he swung his fist at the unsuspecting Yuki.

However Yuki blocked the attack and kicked Kyo into the air; but Kyo came right back with even greater wrath than before. Kyo wasn't going to hide his anger, not this time! The fight went on for at least five minutes, until Tohru ran out and accidently hugged Kyo.

POOF!

"I'm so sorry Kyo," Tohru told him meekly, "but I've never seen you two fight like that before, and I got scared. I know it had nothing to do with me, but you two are like my family now. So I didn't want either of you two to get hurt! I'm sorry!"

"Just let me go!" Kyo snapped as he jumped away and ran off still in his cat form.

While inside, Kokoro had heard the fight and all of the yelling. She now locked on to her suspicion and she followed Kyo quietly up to the roof after he had changed back and put his clothes on.

The orange top had his head in hands frustrated, and he looked very upset.

"Hey," Kokoro greeted carefully.

Kyo glanced over at her with a beaten look on his face, his expression seeming so lonely and misplaced. Kokoro was one of few people who ever saw Kyo like this. In fact, there were only two others who had seen him so down; Kagura and Tohru. Though he and Kokoro could relate much better to each other, because they were extras in the curse. They were the ones that weren't supposed to be in the Sohma family; yet they were. The cat, and an extra dragon. Yet they still didn't know why they were in this family, they just knew they were in the curse as much as everyone else.

Though they had much more to endure, secrets that their family knew of, but never spoke of. No matter how much Shigure and Ayame said they loved their little cousin, they feared her form just as they feared Kyo's. No one but the other understood how it felt to be burdened with the pain of their curse. No one but each other.

"What do you want!" Kyo questioned roughly.

"I wanted to see if you were alright," she told him.

"I'm fine, so just go away!" He snapped.

"No Kyo, 'cause I know you're not okay. Akito got you upset again, he's why you were so upset isn't he!"

Kyo looked at her with a look in his eyes that told her yes.

"Kyo, I know how you feel. It's hard being in a family that sees you as an accident; but what Akito doesn't see is that he is the only one that sees us like that. Our cousins are understanding us better, slowly, but they are."

"For you maybe; because you have a brother in this curse; but I don't have anyone like that! No one who really understands how I feel!"

"Yes you do."

Kyo raised his eyes in bewilderment as she continued, "You have me, I understand. We both go through this a lot, but it's not our fault. Though we were born to be in this family for a reason. So we can't let Akito make us forget that we have a purpose in the Sohma family! We'll prove it to everyone someday!"

"You've got a lot of confidence for someone who has to hide away here so you can see your brother," Kyo reminded.

Kokoro frowned, "Hey, I'm trying to help you. Kyo, you've been my cousin and friend since we were both very young; and I can't stand it when you're upset, or anyone else here for that matter! Got it!"

Kyo smirked slightly, "I think Tohru is giving you lessons on making people feel better; you're a lot better now than you were a while ago!"

"Hey!"

Kyo laughed now as he grabbed his cousin and rubbed his knuckles into her skull.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! You win!" Kokoro cried while laughing with him now.

"Kyo? Kokoro?" Tohru suddenly asked from the edge of the roof as she climbed all the way up, "Are you two okay now?"

"Well, we would be if Kokoro had better jokes or somethin'," Kyo jested.

"I'm gonna muckle you in about ten secants!"

Kyo laughed, and Tohru couldn't help but giggle.

"Great, now I've got both of ya laughin' at me! Fine, next time it's Kaiya's turn to make everything all better!" Kokoro yelled.

"Are you kidding?" Kyo chuckled, "She's busy with Haru more than ever lately."

"I wonder what they're up to," Kokoro said with a smirk.

"What?" Tohru asked.

"Who knows, Haru had some pretty crazy ideas for Tohru; so who knows what he's planning with his own girlfriend!"

Kokoro laughed, "If only I could warn her, oh well!"

Tohru smiled; she could see that the two were feeling much better now. Also she could see that the two were very close. It was true, when Kokoro and kyo were younger, they had been sparring with each other and playing. They were close friends, and they understood more about the other than anyone else did now.

Though Kyo wondered when Kokoro was going to reveal her own hidden form, and she wondered how others would see her. He hoped that she would have someone to help like he had Tohru now.

With that he put an arm around his cousin and Tohru leaned closer to them, but carefully. Then they watched a gorgeous sunset.

Preview: It's a rainy day, and Kyo nor Kokoro like it; and Kaiya finds out that Kokoro shares the zodiac curse with her family when the burgundy hair girl bumps into one of Momiji's friends. How will Kaiya take this, and will she be angry with her best friend for hiding such a huge secret from her. Also, why is Hatori so worried about Kokoro all of the sudden?