Fright:

A Furuba Novella

Chapter 1

By: Lily (aka. Lily no Anrui)

I won't bother with talking too much. However, I was disappointed with the unenthused response I had to the last part. Only one review? I feel rejected. Oh, and I forgot to mention this before, but I don't own Fruits Basket. Any new characters belong to me, though.

Shigure sighed heavily as it continued to storm heavily outside. It appeared that the weather was against them all that day. Dark clouds obliterated any light that may have been present and lightning split jagged lines across the sky. The thunder was almost deafening in its constant roar. Poetic, Shigure thought darkly.

Feeling lethargic due to the weather, the novelist shuffled down the hall and into the common room where Yuki, Tohru, and Kyou sat watching television. Well, laying in Kyou's case. The cat was looked miserable, like he usually did when the weather was like this.

Just as Shigure was bending over to sit down, there was a series of loud, frantic knocks that reverberated throughout the house. "Who could that be?" Shigure wondered out loud.

"I don't know, but you'd better answer it," Yuki said, giving Shigure his usual you're-an-idiot look. Shigure tactfully ignored Yuki's comment, and followed the urgent knocking to the front door. Opening it, he found Momiji, looking like a wet rag doll, a sheep under one arm, and a tiger cub under the other. "Konnichi wa, Shigure-san," Momiji began, his voice lacking its usual effervescent tone, "I hope I'm not bothering you. We ran into a little trouble."

"No, not at all! Come in, Momiji-kun, and hurry! You're sopping wet!" Shigure cried, leaping back and ushering the blond boy inside. Momiji removed his shoes, as was customary, but stumbled a little, badly off balance with both Hiro and Kisa occupying his arms. It was then Shigure noticed that the rabbit was shaking slightly, and looking a bit blue.

"Here," Shigure said and took the two animals from the blond boy, who seemed to be having trouble just keeping himself upright. "What happened?"

"Well," Momiji paused, being forced to sneeze, "It wasn't raining earlier, so we figured we would come by for a visit. Actually, Kisa and I decided that, Hiro just tagged along. Then it started to rain. At first it wasn't so bad, but no one had brought a jacket. Kisa got cold really fast, and started to cough and sneeze. Then she changed. For a while Hiro and I took turns carrying her; we still figured we could make it here. Then Hiro changed too! And I had to carry them the rest of the way here. I didn't know what else to do, Shigure!"

"I know, Momiji. Come into the house," the novelist said and turned away to lead them further into the house. It was then that Shigure heard the telltale poof, signaling that Momiji had finally succumbed to the weather's effects and changed. Smoke filled the area, and when it cleared there was a small yellow bunny on the floor, looking very sick.

Tohru stepped out of the common room, her eyes widening upon the sight of Hiro, Kisa, and Momiji all in their animal forms. "Oh no, Shigure, what happened?" The girl quickly ran and took a hold of Momiji, and from behind Shigure felt someone tap his shoulder. The novelist turned and found Yuki, holding out his hands expectantly. Nodding, Shigure passed Hiro onto the silver haired boy.

"Let's get them into the common room. It's warmest in there," Shigure said, hoping he was sounding like a calm adult when really he had no clue what he was doing. Once the three children were situated, Shigure picked up the phone and called Hatori.

The doctor answered on the fifth ring, sounding annoyed. "Moshi moshi. Sohma Hatori."

"Hatori-kun! I need a little help here!" Shigure said in a sing-song voice.

"I can't. I'm busy."

"With what?" Shigure cried, wondering what could be more important than three sick children.

"This weather has Akito's illness acting up," Hatori replied, in his usual monotone.

"But Hatori," Shigure whined, "Momiji, Kisa, and Hiro all showed up at my house and they're really sick!"

The other line was silent for a moment. "I'll send someone over." That was it, and then the line went dead. Shigure hung up, feeling disappointed, and went back into the common room. Tohru had swathed the animal children up in blankets, hoping that would help, and now sat against the wall with Yuki and Kyou, all three of them feeling pretty much useless.

"Hatori's sending someone over soon to look at them," Shigure muttered suddenly, to break the tension which had been dancing in the air.

"Who?" Yuki asked, his eyes narrowing as he tried to recall anyone else in the family that qualified as a medical professional. Kyo seemed to be going through his own mental checklist as well. "I don't remember any more doctors in the Sohma family. At least not ones that know about the curse," Kyou spit out abruptly.

Shigure shrugged, also curious as to whom Hatori trusted enough to let them tend to their family needs. As if in answer to their curious thoughts there was a knock at the door. Shigure turned to answer it, but Yuki was up and out of the room faster than the lightning in the sky. Before Shigure even got halfway down the hallway the rat was opening the door to reveal an unfamiliar figure. Shocked, Shigure stared over Yuki's shoulder and mumbled out a name.

"Shigure-san, it has been a long time," the girl said in a soft voice that somehow carried. Yuki stepped aside, mouth hanging open in shock as she entered. The girl was petite, with long violet hair pulled back in a loose braid. She wore thick soled mary janes, and a charcoal grey skirt-suit from Union Jack. Her grey eyes scanned the room, lingering over Yuki and finally landing back on Shigure.

"Riri…I- I had no idea you were in town," Shigure stuttered out.

"Most don't. I'm not attending school until Monday," Riri answered, a sardonic smile gracing her features. "I'm sorry for showing up here so abruptly. I would have called, but Saikoubi said it was urgent. At least that's what Hatori told her."

"Saikoubi…" Shigure muttered, "Ah, yes, your cousin."

Yuki eyes flicked back on forth between the violet haired stranger and Shigure, wondering who she was and how she seemed to know Hatori and Shigure so well. Finally he dared to voice his question out to Shigure.

"Ah, introductions! How rude of me!" the novelist cried, falling back into his over dramatic role easily. "Sohma Yuki, this is Taito Riri. Riri, this is Yuki, Kawaia High's student council president." Riri bowed upon introductions, as did Yuki. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Yuki." The rat mumbled something of the like before reminding them why they were all here. "Shouldn't we be checking the children?" Yuki asked pointedly.

"Yes, of course," Riri affirmed, "If you will lead the way."

Turning, Yuki did so, but hesitated at the door to the common room where Kyou and Tohru still waited patiently. As though she could read his thoughts, Riri suddenly said, "I know about the curse already." Nodding, Yuki slid open the door and revealed the bunny, sheep, and tiger swaddled in blankets like the baby Jesus. Except more of them.

"Well…" Riri began as she moved farther into the room, "They certainly have gotten themselves into a predicament, haven't they?" The question was rhetoric, requiring no answer. For awhile the violet haired girl simply stood over the children. She looked lost in thought and had it not been for her hands, clasped tightly in front of her, fidgeting, Yuki would have thought she was examining them from a distance.

"Ano…Riri-san, aren't you supposed to um…you know?" Shigure prompted, shifting nervously from foot to foot.

"Can you take the others out of the room?" Riri asked quietly. Yuki assumed she meant Kyou and Tohru. It was the only acknowledgment she had made of them since she entered. The cat and the human both sat still along the side of the room, curiously watching the odd violet haired girl who had suddenly appeared from seemingly nowhere.

Shigure nodded, eager to fulfill any requests if it would help Hiro, Kisa, and Momiji get better soon. "Kyou, Tohru, Yuki, will you please come with me and wait outside of the room?"

"Whatever," the redhead said in traditional fashion as he rose and stalked out of the room. Tohru rose slower, glancing worriedly at her small friends, and left the room gnawing on a thumbnail. Yuki glanced at the door, glanced at Shigure, but eventually his gaze fell to the purple haired girl. "I think I'll stay here. Just in case Taito-san needs any help." The silver haired boy looked up at Shigure, who looked back at him with widened eyes, a million responses flowing in them. 

"It's up to Riri-san," Shigure finally settled with. Both men looked at the girl still standing over the children, waiting for her demands to be filled. Riri locked gazes with the dog, seeming to send him a silent communication. Then she moved her unsettling steel gaze to Yuki, and nodded. "It's fine."

Shigure nodded and left silently, shutting the door behind him. The room was awkwardly silent, with Yuki waiting anxiously for Riri to begin the examination. He scrutinized her form, looking for any telltale signs he'd learned to read from Hatori that she was a doctor. "You have no clue what you're doing, do you?" He accused suddenly.

"Not one." The admittance was reluctant and accompanied by a faint blush. "My cousin, Saikoubi, is the doctor. Actually, she's a veterinarian, but took a double major with pediatrics."

"So why exactly are you here?" Yuki asked, completely confused and outraged that Hatori would send someone not even qualified to take care of their family.

"My skills can be of great help during illnesses."

She was being vague; Yuki didn't like vague. "Get to the point." The rat knew he was being rude, but quite frankly didn't care. His family was on the line here; his little cousins at that. It was his job, at least, to look out for them.

"I can heal with magic. Similar to how your family changes into the zodiac animals. Same concept; different usage."

Oh. Well that certainly explained it.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to begin now," Riri said, kneeling down next to Kisa.

"Do you need anything to do this?"

"No, just concentration. However, thank you for asking." The purple haired girl closed her eyes, hands still tucked in her lap. For a long time things were perfectly silent with an anticipatory air. Yuki knelt down a few feet away from Riri, watching carefully as she let her hands begin to hover in the air over Kisa's tiger-cub forehead. As he stared they began to glow with a soft lilac colored light, then the hands touched the tiger and she seemed to absorb the glow, her features becoming lighter, less pained.

However, Yuki noticed that as Kisa was looking better Riri was looking worse. Her lips were pulled down in a grimacing frown, her eyes closed tightly, and jaw clenching. Abruptly there was the poofing noise of Kisa changing back to her human form. She looked normal, Yuki observed. Maybe a little damp, but okay.

With a gasp, Riri wrenched her hands away from Kisa, the ethereal glow dying down immediately. Her breath came I quick pants. The rat eyed the healer in concern. "Are you okay?" he asked, eyebrows drawing down in a frown. "Fine…I'm fine," the girl answered, pressing one hand to her chest.

Scooting around Kisa, the purple haired girl sat next to Momiji and repeated the process, looking worse and worse even as Momiji was regenerated and restored. A light dew of cold sweat had broken out on Riri's forehead, and her hands shook as they reached for Hiro. "Didn't expect them to be this bad…" she murmured absently. As her hands made contact, it was like the sheep was a vacuum, sucking up everything the girl had left.

With a soft cry, Riri fainted, even as Hiro changed back to his human form. Acting without thought, the rat caught her, noticing in surprise that he didn't change. That was but a distant thought though as he called out, "Shigure! Shigure, help!"

The inu came running in without further ado. "What is it, Yuki?" he cried as he looked around frantically. Yuki had never seen him in such a state. Tohru was in the door next, leaping for joy as her eyes fell on the three jyuunishi. Kyou followed more slowly, stopping at the door, and asking point blank, "What the fuck's wrong with her?" He nodded, indicating Riri.

"Shigure, something's wrong with Taito-san!" Yuki cried, still holding the unconscious girl in his arms, still in his human form. Shigure's eyes fell on her, and widened, "Uh oh. Let me call the Taito main house." The dog shuffled back out of the room, hurrying to the phone.

"Why aren't you changed?" Kyou asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Yuki shook his head, eyes wide. "I don't know," he answered quietly, "I haven't the slightest idea."

TBC…