Author's Note: This actually started as a role play with my very talented role play partner, Rin Kimiko. It went on for at least a year but has sadly petered out. I have been inspired by the new anime and am having withdrawals, but rather than starting a new rp with someone else, I decided to convert the one we were working on into this fan fiction. If anyone would like to beta for me, let me know.

Also, my knowledge of Japan is limited, having never been there, so I'm doing my best but will probably be found lacking in accuracy quite often. It is what it is and I have no desire to change everything just to cater to reality.

Additionally, I don't intend to explain the curse in this fic, so anyone who isn't familiar with the original series should read Wikipedia or something before continuing. I will also be taking some creative liberties with it (like, two), so just be aware.

Disclaimer: While the Fruits Basket universe is not mine, half the characters are while the other half belong to RK. With her blessing, I have altered her characters a bit to better suit the fan fiction style of writing and my own plans.

Warnings: I will repeat, this is an AU, with new, original characters. We pulled inspiration from the original story, so I'm sure it will be derivative in some ways, but it is my goal to make it refreshing, not exhausting. Some of the derivative overlap has a longer pay off before you will see how the stories differ, so feel free to comment or ask questions, but I can't guarantee I can answer them right away.

This will be plot-driven with quite a bit of drama, angst, abuse, and crazy shenanigans thrown in. There will be M-rated stuff happening in the background that will be banished to a deleted scenes story that I will eventually make on AO3 for this very purpose. I recommend following me there if you want updates on such things as I won't be mentioning them here due to explicit content bans.

This work is likely different from other Furuba fan fiction as I've never really read much of the fandom (I generally prefer HP myself), and though it started as an rp, I have done my best to stay true to the ff style of writing; please don't be scared off by my transparency of its origins. I've worked very hard to change it from the original rp into a cohesive and decent quality fan fic. Because of this 'translation' and my other projects, updates will likely be slow in coming.

Chapter 1: Paradigm Shift

Hajime Sohma sighed in relief when the last class of the day was finally dismissed. His desk clean, he turned in his seat.

"Hey."

It was enough to get the attention of sandy-haired girl sitting behind him. She paused to smile at him.

"Hi."

"Maro, right?" He held out the pencil. "Thank you for letting me borrow this. And the loose leaf. You're a life saver."

"Oh, of course! Any time!" She tucked it behind her ear. "Glad I could help."

The least he could do, he waited for her to gather her things and walked with her to the lockers, searching for something- anything else to say that would last them the journey. "You transferred a year ago? How are you liking it here?"

This is what happened when he tried to be polite- he asked inane questions. Dammit.

Maro smiled again, probably just to give herself something to do. No one was that happy to learn. "It's a good school. I'm glad most people are so nice, though I haven't had a chance to make too many friends with all the studying I have to do to keep up."

Hajime made a non-committal noise and searched for something else to say but Maro beat him to it.

"I like your bracelet."

He winced. "Thanks. It's a- hem- family heirloom."

Reaching the lockers, they gratefully parted ways. It took him a few minutes to move the loose notes to the correct binder he had forgotten there and tuck it into his locker, but he was on his way out as soon as he could.

The autumn breeze felt more like the height of summer as he crossed the school grounds. Groups of students were loitering, keeping mostly to the shade, but the majority streaming out the front gates.

Two girls and a guy had a third girl cornered behind a tree just inside the entrance.

"You sure you aren't a guy?" one of the girls sneered.

"Yeah, your parents can afford a boob job," the other added. "If I were you, I'd ask for one for my birthday, just so no one gets confused."

Hajime did a double take and saw it was a couple of upper years who had cornered Maro. Before he could do more than take a step forward, the guy reached up and groped her.

"There seems to be something there-" the pervert started to say but back of head met foot and he never finished his thought.

Conveniently, it was then a teacher exited the school. Swift but lenient punishment of phone calls home were handed out to the two high school boys for 'fighting on school grounds' and they were all released for the afternoon. 'All' being the two plus Maro as the bullying girls had scattered the second the teacher's voice had sounded across the grass.

"You didn't have to wait with me," Hajime said.

She shrugged. "You didn't have to stand up for me, but you did anyway."

"I take pencil borrowing seriously," he deadpanned.

She let out a surprised laugh.

At the front gates, they said their goodbyes, a bit more comfortable than they had at the lockers, walking in opposite directions to go home.

It wasn't a long walk, but it was an uncomfortable one in the high heat. With a sigh of relief, Hajime entered the tattoo parlor and blissful air conditioning. A lone tattoo artist whose client was seated in the only occupied chair greeted him before calling to the back room.

Nagisa Sohma stepped out a moment later. His hair was dyed blue, a few centimeters of black roots showing, and he had tattoos on every inch of his skin, artfully creeping up his neck where they petered out, leaving his face untouched. The two zodiac members exchanged nods but didn't say a word until they had reached the private living quarters upstairs.

"I understand you got into a fight at school," he started in a conversational voice, allowing Hajime time to slip his bag off his shoulder and let it drop on the living room floor next to the couch.

"Some upper students were bullying my classmate. I owed her a favor so I stepped in." Best to keep it simple, for so many reasons.

"Admirable, but never-the-less it is something I will have to report to Mizuki," Nagisa cautioned.

"I know," he grumbled.

"I have a date tonight."

Hajime frowned. "Kay?"

"Will you be okay for dinner or should I have Yuya come over to make you something?"

"You sure he doesn't have a date himself? Or isn't camping at the race track?"

"I've already called him. He can be here within ten minutes as soon as I give him the go-ahead."

Hajime was quick to shake his head. "I can figure something out. I don't need a baby sitter."

Nagisa grinned knowingly. "Alright. The shop closes in a few hours. Please be in bed at a decent time, and don't eat too much junk food."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

When no retaliation seemed forthcoming from the head of the Sohma household, Hajime soon forgot about the fight until later that week. The weather had finally cooled, making for a comfortable morning walk, but the second he stepped foot in the school, he could hear the whispers.

"What!"

"No way!"

"San-san?!"

They didn't let up the entire way to the classroom.

"Hey Hajime!"

"Hey Maro," he returned just outside the door. "What's going on?"

The girl's eyes gleamed in excitement. "Someone on the student council just learned that San-san is transferring to our school as of this morning! It's spread like wild fire!" All of this was said so fast it had practically tumbled out of her mouth all at once.

"Who?"

She stared, wide-eyed. "San-san? The Instagram star? Famous for her hairstyle tutorials? I think she's even got followers in Europe and America now. And she's going to be in our class!" The excitement was back.

Hajime shrugged. "I don't have a smart phone so I don't follow Instagram."

"But," she frowned, "aren't you related? You should have at least heard of her."

A sense of foreboding swept over him a moment before she said, "I think she's registered as Hisano Sohma? Or is the last name just a coincidence?"

Oh, hell no. Instead of responding, he whipped open the classroom door and froze.

Considering the time, it could be said nobody was inside, too busy maintaining the rumor mill elsewhere. The few who were, crowded around a girl about average height with long, silver hair pulled out of her face in a way that looked deceptively simple from the front. The girl's eyes snapped to Hajime the second the door opened, wandering uncaring across his irate face before tracing down to his throat with more purpose. With the high collar of the male school uniforms, it was unlikely she could see the tattoo hidden there, but her knowing gaze as their eyes met made him feel naked, just as intended.

Her facial expression didn't change, but the gleam in her eye told him she was gloating. "Hajime," she greeted. "It has been forever."

"Not long enough!" he snapped, stomping towards her. The sycophants scattered. "What the hell are you doing here? You're homeschooled."

"I transferred. Mizuki wanted to put me to better use so we struck a bargain."

Thankfully, more students were starting to enter the classroom and somehow hadn't noticed the celebrity, giving their conversation a few seconds of privacy.

"You're spying on me?!"

Hisano's eyes narrowed. "The world doesn't revolve around you, stupid cat. Pop that inflated ego before it gets any bigger."

Before he could respond, the class was called to take their seats and Hisano was beckoned to the front to introduce herself.

"Hi everyone!" she started, her sweet and innocent mask back up, making everyone swoon and Hajime turn green. "My name is Hisano Sohma, but some of you may know me as San-san on Instagram." She smiled and bowed. "I've never been to a large school before, and appreciate your help navigating the hallways."

He rolled his eyes. She probably had the school memorized by now or something; it was just her way of manipulating everyone. She learned from the best, after all.

Thankfully, she was given a seat on the other side of the classroom and he didn't have to deal with her after that.

As the teacher started talking, a piece of paper was jabbed into his back. Turning around, Maro held it out, looking at him in earnest. Unfolding the origami figure, he read, Why don't you like San Hisano? She seems really nice :)

He took a moment to consider his response. He didn't want to lose Maro as a potential friend but she already looked up to the rat and might take it personally if they refused to get along. Having learned the hard way that people saw what they wanted to see, especially when it came to Hisano, he had to be careful not to make it sound like he was making generalizing accusations about the rat's personality. Who said he didn't learn anything from therapy?

I'm sure she is to everyone else. We've just never gotten along, he wrote. He tried to fold it back into the original shape but after several attempts, wound up crumpling it into a ball and placing it on the desk behind him for Maro to read.

"San-san is so nice," Maro gushed, forgetting who she was talking to for a moment.

"What'd she do now?" Hajime hoped this would die down in a day or two. He was sick of hearing about the damn rat and it was only lunch.

"I accidentally bumped into her, and she apologized! To me!" She looked absolutely star struck.

He shook his head. "What makes her so great, anyway? There's got to be other people doing what she does out there."

That seemed to bring the girl back to reality, thank god.

Maro nodded. "There are, but she is the only one who does the tutorials on herself, with no help, and they still come out like that."

She didn't point, but they both looked at the large group of students crowded around a single circular table. Squeezed between two girls, Hisano was sitting with her back to them, elaborate hairdo of the day in full view as she took a selfie and paused to post it online.

Hajime shook his head at her. To Maro, he said "I still don't get it, but whatever. Why aren't you over there if she's so awesome?"

"You are mistaking admiration for desperation," she said, digging into her lunch. "I prefer my friendships to grow organically." After she swallowed her first bite, she asked, "What about you? You don't seem to have too many friends either."

"I like my friends free range," Hajime said and smiled when Maro snorted, turning her head to avoid spraying him with rice.

"Oh, your cousin is looking at us," she said.

"Hisano?" He immediately turned to glare but the rat was still engaged with the brown-nosers. Or her phone. It was hard to tell.

"Kazuki." Maro waved the teen in question over. "I've spoken to him several times, but he's so quiet. Worse than I am." Once it became clear he was going to join them, she sent Hajime a teasing look. "No deep set grudges against this relative?"

He shook his head. "Never spoken to him all that much. He's a distant cousin and, like you said. Extremely introverted. Nice enough, though." He took a slurp of his juice box. 'Very Berry' flavor or something.

"I swear," she said once Kazuki sat down, "now that I've seen a larger sample size, all the Sohma's are ridiculously good looking. If it's a family curse, I want in."

Kazuki turned bright red and Hajime shot juice out his nose. His eyes welled from the sting of sugar in his sinuses.

"What makes you say that?" he wheezed, reaching blindly for a napkin to clean himself up.

Maro handed him a handkerchief from her own lunch box. "Isn't that the trope? 'So beautiful it's a curse'? I'm just acknowledging your plight."

"How are you doing with Hisano here, Hajime?" Kazuki asked in his quiet voice, changing the subject.

"She hasn't tried to turn the school against me yet, but it's only lunch, so there's still time."

Kazuki's smile was indulgent. "She's not quite that bad."

Maro looked between them. "What am I missing?"

"Less than you think," Kazuki assured her. "Hajime likes to complain."

"You like to complain," he grumbled. Maro hid her smile by shoveling more rice in her mouth.

The Friday afternoon bell rang, releasing the students for the weekend. Hajime joined the throng at the door and dodged through the hallway to his locker. Despite his efforts, he managed to get stuck behind some slow freshman and wound up joining his slower classmates outside the main building.

"Hey," Kazuki greeted.

"Can't talk. Have an appointment with Midori right after school."

"Ah."

"Oh!" The girl in front of Hajime stopped suddenly and turned, revealing herself to be Maro.

In his haste to make his appointment, Hajime has been walking much too close and didn't have nearly enough time to stop or dodge. Panic set in, making time slow to a crawl. Their bodies collided and Maro was sent sprawling forward. Any moment now and he would change, revealing the curse to the entire student body. Instead, he took a single step back as the laws of physics returned to normal and life continued as usual. What-?

"Are you alright?!" Hisano was hurrying toward them, her face white as a sheet as she processed what just- or rather hadn't- happened.

"Yeah, thanks," Maro said, taking the rat's offered hand to stand up. She blushed when she saw who had given her the lift. Forgetting her audience, she started stuttering. "San-san! It was my fault! Completely- one hundred percent!"

Hajime rolled his eyes.

"Don't blame yourself," Hisano assured her. "He's the moron who wasn't looking where he was going."

"No, no! I blame my height- people look right over me. Happens all the time!"

"Great," he interrupted when it looked like the rat was going to say something else disparaging about him. "It was everyone's fault. We have to go," he said and pushed Hisano in the direction of the street. Leaving the scene, he made sure to say, "I'll see you next week, Maro."

"Be more careful next time!" Hisano hissed, jerking away a moment later so they were walking together against their better judgement.

He stared. "That's your take-away: 'be careful'? Are we not going to discuss what just happened?"

A trio of star-struck freshman girls appeared in front of them, forcing them to stop walking lest they collide.

"San-san?" the ring leader said as the other two hid behind her. "Would you like to go shopping with us this afternoon?"

Hisano's gave them a regretful smile. "I wish I could but something has come up. Next time for sure, alright?"

The girls squealed in excitement and ran off.

"'What just happened?'" the rat repeated, returning to the conversation as if they hadn't been interrupted and resuming their pace. "That you were walking around with your head up your ass as usual? No. Everyone already knew that."

"And you call me stupid- she didn't make me transform!" Hajime snapped, keeping his voice low.

She waved that away. "He's just a guy who is wearing a girl's uniform for whatever reason. No need to get excited over it. People can wear whatever they want."

"She bumped into you just yesterday and you didn't transform then, either!"

"Did she?" was her careless response.

"Yes!" He had always known the girl was self-absorbed, but this was ridiculous.

"What's his name?"

"Her name is Maro."

"What Kanji does she use?"

"Why the hell does that matter?!" He was ready to punch her. Maybe that would make her care enough to stay on topic.

"Maro is a boy's name, too," she said slowly, as though speaking to a child. They were nearing the street now and, save for his outburst, they were still talking in lower tones to prevent anyone from over hearing.

"She didn't make either of us change, regardless how she spells her name!"

She stopped in front of a parked car and gave him a long suffering stare while the driver moved to open the door for her.

"If you say so," she said and climbed in. The driver shut the door and hurried to climb back in the driver's seat.

Determined, he knocked on the window. After a short pause, she rolled it down and looked at him expectantly.

"Look," he said, doing his best to refrain from throwing insults given the situation. "I'm going to go find Kazuki and try to get to the bottom of this. Do you want to be updated or left out of it?"

Her gaze as she considered him was penetrating, as though she were actually seeing him for the first time.

"On the off-chance Kazuki finds something, keep me updated," she said at last. "Text any time, or call if there's an emergency." She gave him a sideways look. "You can handle that, right?"

With that, the car pulled away from the curb, leaving him shaking with anger on the sidewalk.

Damn rat!

Notes:

What do you think? Any speculation on what will happen in the future/ anything you'd like to see happen? RK and I came up with quite a few crazy ideas but if I like yours I might be able to weave it in as well if you have :D

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the characters introduced so far, both love and hate! Anyone you ship yet? :D Can you tell which ones are mine? Brownie points if you guess right! Side note: Hajime isn't specifically meant to be Kyo's son from the end of the original series or anything; this is an AU, taking place as though the original story never happened; we just liked the name, I think.