A/N:
Goal: To finish this chapter today. (Failed)
Problems: None, at the moment.
Thanks to: Little Kisa, Kunai Queen The Strange, APiratesGaurdianAngel, Daughter.Light, snoopykid2991, and frobitten love who reviewed chapter nine. Thank you again to anyone who reviewed any other chapter.
Disclaimer: Guess what? I still don't own Fruits Basket. Is that amazing or what? (Sorry, I'm really sarcastic this morning.)
Thanks for continuing to read. This chapter will hopefully be really long because I've got lots of explaining to do, including why the heck Kyo was reading the book. Ok, I've babbled long enough.
Yuki paused from his story. The alarm clock beside Tohru's bed read 6:04 AM. The tiger beside Tohru was snoring lightly. On Tohru's lap, Momiji twitched, running about in his dreams. Yuki looked up at Akira, to see even he had fallen asleep, in a position that would probably hurt his back in the morning. The little grey rat called it a night as well, and curled up beside a warm mound of orange fur.
Tohru was up early, or as early as 11:00 am could be considering how late she was up. Shigure followed her downstairs, carrying a seahorse gently in his mouth. He dropped Hatori in the fishbowl prepared for him in the kitchen, then jumped off the counter.
"Good morning, Shigure-san!"
The dog smiled up at her. "Good morning, Tohru-kun. What's for breakfast?"
"Pancakes, if that's alright."
"It's fine," Hatori assured her from where he drifted in his fishbowl.
Slowly, the rest of the group drifted downstairs. Kyo ended up carrying both Yuki, whose was still a lousy morning person, err, rat, and Ayame, who climbed on just as he was leaving. When they had all finally gathered around the breakfast table and were mostly finished, Kyo agreed to take up the story where Yuki had left off last night.
"Ok you, what was the last thing you heard last night?" the cat asked, washing his face.
"Err…" Akira paused to swallow his pancake. "Start with you reading the diary."
Kyo gazed at the familiar-looking man thoughtfully. However, when he opened his mouth to begin, Hatsuharu interrupted him.
"Why don't you just start with why you agreed to read the stupid thing to start with?"
Kyo glared at him and started again.
And flashback again…
"What do you mean, they lied?" Hatsuharu demanded.
The orange haired boy threw the diary at him in frustration. "If everyone shuts up for more than two seconds, I'll tell you."
"Now now, Kyon-kyon, don't worry, everyone's listening," Ayame told him cheerfully.
Kyo sent a death glare in his direction, and then started yet again.
"I'm sure you've all heard the story of the rabbit's and sheep's exiting afternoon yesterday, when Momiji made his spectacular jump?"
There was a general murmur of assent, and Kyo continued.
"That is the trait of the Zodiac Rabbit." Momiji's eyes widened.
Yuki raised a hand. "Yes, rat?"
Yuki ignored the jibe, "by saying it's the rabbit's trait, you're implying we all have one."
Kyo reached into the bag at his feet and threw Yuki a cookie Tohru had baked the previous night, "give the rat a prize."
"So?" Hiro asked, "what's everyone else's?"
Kyo grimaced, "well, there's good news and bad news."
Tohru spoke immediately, "tell us the bad news first."
"Why?" Momiji asked. "Then we'll all be depressed."
"But then," Tohru explained. "The good news will cheer us up."
"Oh!"
Kyo sighed. "The bad news is that the dumb cat who wrote the diary didn't list all of them; just the Cats."
"So, what's the good news?" Hatori asked doubtfully.
Kyo smirked. "The cat's trait is to Remember."
A general silence fell, until Kisa finally asked, "umm, remember what?"
Kyo hissed in annoyance. "Basically whatever another, previous cat knew that gets triggered by something that happens in the current cat's life."
Whatever anyone was about to say was cut off by a loud knock on the door.
"That must by Mine!" Ayame exclaimed, standing. "I'll tell her she has the day off."
Yuki reached over to stop him. "Does Mine usually come to work at three o'clock in the morning?"
The knock came again, this time accompanied by an only too familiar voice.
"Open up, my precious Zodiac."