Author Note: I bet you didn't expect to see this? We'll, I'm trying again, because I don't want to leave this one on a abandoned note. I've long since figured out the ending but to actually write it, is a serious hassle for me since this story requires so much emotional hard work from me. So, as I write this, a bucket of fried chicken is on my right next and big bottle of coke is on my left, these two are here to get me through the storm of writing this chapter. So here I go...

I do not own Fruit Basket.

Enjoy!

It would be a lie if Xisto didn't say, he wasn't looking forward to summer vacation, after all, who wouldn't want six full weeks of goofing off and not have to sit through six whole hours of the teacher droning on and on?

His Summer Vacation, hit off perfectly, having somehow managed to convince his parents to let him stay at the recently purchased Valentine summer home, without them, so he didn't have to look over his shoulder, 20 time's a day, to see if one of his creepy parents were standing right behind him.

He had moved into a fantastic spacious house, and located every shop and clothing store in town.

His first few days of his summer vacation, he would be found, just floating on his snake like floaty in the nearby sea, thank god, he inherited the part of the Serpent, that could actually swim, really well underwater or he would spend the rest of his summer, on dry land.

And now something was threatening to disturbed his peace.

The feeling of something being wrong.

The feeling was so strong that he couldn't fully relax in his family's summer home, you would think, being away from that craziness that was Sohma life, would relax him.

But no.

Something was defiantly wrong and something told him, he had to be extra careful in the coming weeks, it was like an echo coming from within his Soul.

Was the Spirit of the Serpent, trying to tell him to be careful?

If only the Serpent Spirit could talk to him, having its memories and being able to transform into it, was useless when you realize, you could never actually be the Spirit, and sometimes the Spirit could sense thing's you won't even find out about, until much later.

He wondered if the other carriers of the Zodiac Spirits had realized this yet, but then again he seemed to be the only one with a particular strong bond with his, so it might just be him.

Determined, to enjoy his summer vacation, he wants back to the sea.

He just had to sit back and...

"IT'S THE GREEN TEA OF THE SEA!" Yelled a voice that startled him.

He turned around to find several people, he hoped, to not see, for a least a couple of more days.

Tohru Honda.

Momiji Sohma.

Hatsuharu Sohma

Yuki Sohma.

Kyoko Sohma.

Luckily, he had enough sense to put his mask on before he turned.

The five of them, looked just as shocked to see him, as he did them.

"X-Xisto-kun?" Tohru said.

He just marely waved.

Great, his summer vacation was officially over.

Ch 16: A snake's initiation.

"What, are you doing here?" Kyo said, after Xisto swam towards them...of all the coincidence's... and he wasn't the only one who thought so to.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm obviously on Summer Vacation." Xisto said, "My families, new summer home is actually not that far from here."

"Really? Than we should invite Xisto over for dinner!" Momiji said.

"DON'T JUST DECIDE, THAT ON YOUR OWN!" Kyo yelled but of course, he was ignored.

"Tohru-chan, Momiji. I would love for both of you to join me in the water, it's get incredibly lonely at times" Xisto said.

"Well, we'll be happy to play with you" Momiji said, as Tohru just want along with it and all three went into the water.

It only took four minutes' for Kyo, Hatsu and Yuki to realise, exactly what just happened and the actual intent behind such an innocent proposal.

"Damn that, guy" Kyoko said, Xisto was currently in the water with Tohru, who was splashing around in a cute swim suit. "He's as slippery as a snake"

And if Kyoko had made that comment a few weeks ago, it would have passed over their head's but with the reveal of another Zodiac spirit, they couldn't help but take extra notice of it.

At times like this, you couldn't help but notice how cunning Xisto exactly was. with getting what he wanted, but that was an attribute that could easily be found in regular person as well.

It was lucky that Xisto, hadn't worn his family ring when he went floating or it would be a whole different story.

But still.

Seeing, Xisto, playing with a clearly too innocent girl with a 'use my power of cuteness to get what I want' kind of guy, left a bitter taste in both Yuki and Kyo mouth's.

What, could only make this worse was...

"I think, Shigure, will come soon" Hatsu suddenly said.

It was that guy!

"But didn't he say, he could only come after, he finished work?" Yuki said, and by that time, Tohru would be fully clothed. "So why do you say, he'll defiantly come?"

"Because..." Hatsu began. "He'll be able to see Tohru in her cute swim suit" he said shamelessly, as if what he just said was the most natural thing in the world.

"DON'T SAY IT LIKE THAT!" Both Yuki and Kyo yelled.

"I'm just saying, as a young man, those thoughts are entirely normal...OWWW!" Hatsu, let out, as Kyo put him in a head lock and began to rub, on hard on his head.

"You weren't acting like a young man for a while now..." Said, a clearly annoyed Kyo, while Yuko tried to ignore what was happening in front of him.

"Oh, Tohru, you're an amazing swimmer." Came Xisto voice but it was Momiji voice that truly got their attention.

"COME AND LOOK AT THIS, TOHRU, SWIMMING IS GREAT!" Momiji said, loudly.

And it was true, Tohru was swimming like an Olympic champion.

"...Wow!" Hatsu said.

"It's true" Yuki said, "She's great at it" and Yuki saw Kyo give a secret sigh of relief.

"But this is really bad, right? Since, she's swimming without breathing" Xisto said, making both Kyo and Yuki go.

"EH!?"

And it was true, Tohru, finally rose up from the water to rest on a random rock, looking like, she had just come out of the scariest hunted house, ever.

"Stupid" Came a voice from above her, to reveal it was Kyo, who heard Xisto say in the background.

"How did Kyo get there so fast? You, Sohma's are amazing" which he ignored.

"If your, going to swim" Kyo said, focusing on Tohru. "Then, at least learn how to get air, before you do it"

"You, you saw it...?!" Tohru said, looking out of breath and extremely pleased with herself at the same time. "I swi, swim pretty, well, right!?"

"It looked like you were swimming for your life" Kyo said, he got the feeling Tohru couldn't really hear a word he was saying, because of the water in her ear's.

And he was proved correct.

"I'll swim again to show you!" Tohru said, getting ready to swim for her life again.

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO SHOW ME, AGAIN!" Kyo yelled, if he didn't stop her, Tohru would die from lack of oxygen!

"There is never a dull moment with those two, isn't there?" Xisto said.

"Nope." Momiji said, smiling.

"Like, I was telling you before, you'll drown!" Kyo said, before getting into the water with his clothes on and placing a round floaty, over a surprised Tohru before yelling. "MOMIJI! COME TEACH HER TO SWIM!"

And Tohru couldn't help but burst out in happiness. "HAHAHAHAH!"

"Why are you laughing?" Kyo said.

"What about me?" Xisto said, getting his attention. "Wouldn't, I be the better pick to teach her how to swim?"

"Yes, but the thing is. I don't trust you." Kyo said, putting it bluntly and seeing how his words made Xisto almost crumble into dust.

"This is really fun!" Tohru said, before noticing Kyo was in the water. "Oh, sorry for making you get into the water like this...is it really okay?!"

Only for Kyo to 'hmph' not seeing the extremely amused looking on both Momiji and Xisto face's, as he forcefully twirled her around.

"UWA!" Tohru, let out a weird sound, before she realized Kyo was going to play with her.

Meanwhile back on the beach, Hatsu had chosen to stick with Yuki.

"Looks, like Kyoko went into the water too..." Hatsu said, wanting nothing more than to swim.

Seeing Kyo, Tohru and Momiji together, made Yuki bring up bad memories of the past.

A kid version of him with a cap and hoody, leading a young Tohru.

"Don't, you, dare even think about it."

"Did you know, that the world is full of nothing but darkness?" His memories changed to the many time's he was in Akito, the head of house', company and his cruel word's that he spoke.

"And your life, will also be filled with darkness"

"Your whole life is only a path of pitch black darkness"

"'someday we'll be saved'…"

"what a joke! Don't even think about it!"

"Hey, Yuki are you okay?" Came a voice, that Yuki could swear had come from the heaven's themselves but not in the way Tohru did, as he looked up to find none other than Xisto, out of the water and carrying a tray of ice cold drinks.

Just how long was he out?

Yuki had no idea, the face he was currently displaying, and Xisto certainly wasn't going to tell him.

His face was away from Hatsu, so Hatsu didn't see.

"Man, it's hot." Xisto said, taking a seat right next to them. "I thought, I would get some juice, to rub it into all of your face's, but in the end, I got some for everybody"

It wasn't a lie, that was what exactly happened.

"So, if I was you, Yuki. I would drink this and wait an hour before going to sea. You don't look so hot, you look ready to collapse" Xisto said, taking a tropical smoothie, sounding like Yuki older brother but without all the strangeness and over the top-ness.

"No, I'm fine" Yuki said, suddenly feeling the need to prove himself, and strangely enough, he felt loads better. "I was just thinking about some things. It's really a bad habit of mine"

Than Yuki took of his top, leaving just his swimming trunks.

But just as Yuki was getting in, Kyo got out.

"Eh?" Hatsu said, "Your out already?" Knowing the reason.

"I never planned on coming here to play in the first place." Kyo said.

Kyo never saw Hatsu hand coming, so he was defenseless when Hatsu forcefully dragged him into the sea.

"Let's Race" Hatsu demanded.

"YOU IDIOT! STOP! LEMME GO!" Kyo yelled fearing for his life, cats weren't supposed to be in water but of course his plea fell on death ear's. "ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME!?"

"The ocean is really cold!" Yuki said, changing everybody's main focus.

"You'll, get used to it real soon!" Momiji said, happy to float in a floaty.

"This swim suit really compliment's you. You look cute" Yuki said, to a quickly blushing Tohru.

"OH! AH...UM...THIS...TH, THANK YOU" Tohru said, finally being able to form a proper response. "All because of all of you, getting me a gift" she meant the swim suit.

Meanwhile Momiji, looked proud of himself, because Tohru looked cute in anything.

Xisto, just watched Tohru and the others have fun in the ocean, on the outside, he looked like a guy just enjoying the sand, but on the inside, it was an entirely different matter.

It only took him one second to look inside Yuki mind, and it was enough to raise alarm.

So, this was the feeling, that had begun to plague him?

The Sohma family were now aware of the Serpent.

And that meant, more than ever, he needed to be extra careful.

And scene!

Next chapter, Shigure visits a sicker than usual Akito who is stricken with grief and learns of the dog own sin against the Serpent that really isn't that bad compared to the other's. Review/fav and follow!