OK, I lied the last time; this won't be some silly chapter. ~_^ It changed into something more... serious. Sorry, my fingers have a mind of their own.

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Chapter X: Revelation

Tohru

"It's so warm today, I think I'm going to change into my bathing trunks. Be right back," Yuki said and left.

I stretched out my arms, they were so stiff, ah, it felt good.

"Hmph," I heard someone saying behind me. I turned around slightly surprised. It was a little boy, very cute, too young for me though. "Well, aren't you going to say something? Or perhaps you have problem with your ears, eyes and voice," the kid said, sounding very annoyed with me.

How rude! I did not like him. I turned around and ignored him. I heard the boy gasping in surprise, "you really are different."

I turned my head slightly. "Who are you?"

He looked at me strangely. "Keh, your voice is even different," he mumbled to himself. This really angered me, I was tired of hearing how different I was.

"Who are you?" I said with clenched teeth.

The boy sighed. "How pestering this is..."

Argh! How I wanted to give that little scoundrel some smacking.

I walked away from him. Yuki would find me, I would not be far from here.

"Is that how you solve your problems? You walk away, you forget, you sight and anger easily, is that really how you solve your problems? I must say you are a weakling, running away from all things troubling you. What would happen if we all did that, how very comfortable for the person himself but what a disaster for everyone else. Have you ever thought about it, do you even care?"

I stopped and turned around, my eyes staring at him coldly.

"Who are you?"

The boy seemed slightly aggravated with me. "I see, you don't care about everyone else, just yourself... Very well, I will give you my name, Souma Hiro."

"Souma Hiro... What do you do then? May I ask what you accomplish by harassing me," I said quietly.

Hiro raised his eyebrows.

"Harassing? Are you implying I am harassing you? Me? A child of twelve years old?" He crossed his arms with a determent look. "Whenever a person tells you the truth is it harassment? Hmph, wake up, look at the world, stop concealing yourself with the loss of your memory. But... perhaps you are a coward? Perhaps you prefer the comfortable way even if it means hurting everyone who cares for you?"

I was stunned, no words dropped into my mind. "Can't talk? Words won't come out? Perhaps you didn't hear me? Must I repeat it?"

Argh! How I hated this boy! A tiny part of me admired him though for his words, very intelligent for his age, but not that it mattered now, all he had said was lies! I wasn't like that... right?

"Hiro, what have you done?" Yuki rushed to me, now wearing bathing trunks and a blue T-shirt. He tenderly touched my face, "don't cry..."

"Just told that dimwit the truth, didn't know she was so fragile minded."

"Just go, Hiro," Yuki said.

"Why? So you can comfort her, tell her lies, saying the truth was the lie? Twist it all around?" he paused, "fine, I will leave."

I didn't hear, I didn't see, was I really crying? How could I cry at that boy's words? They were lies, please, Yuki, say that all those things he said were lies! I gulped, but Yuki, he hadn't been here, he hadn't heard... How could he? Would you hold me, please, hold me?

"Don't listen to him, he says mean things to everyone."

What Hiro had said was true, I did need comfort, I did want to hear the lies! Why had he opened up the wounds again? How could he say those things so easy? He didn't know me! Nobody did! Only I did! I breathed heavily. No, that was a lie as well, I didn't know myself... I was lost, I knew nothing!

How very stupid! Why had I seen it now?

I flung myself at Yuki to pull him into a hug, but all I caught was air. I fell down on the sand. "Ugh..." I felt more tears rising to my eyes, the fall had wounded me, but I was mostly wounded by Yuki's action. "Why... did you back?" I whispered.

He looked horrified at me.

"Honda-san... You won't understand," he whispered back.

I swallowed hard. What did he mean, why wouldn't I understand!? This made no sense whatsoever! "Y-Yuki..." Everything was a mess. Complete chaos.

He gave me his hand, I looked at it dazed but finally took it, he helped me up. "Just go, you don't like me, I get it. I feel like such a fool..."

He worriedly looked at me. "I just ca-"

"GO! LEAVE ME ALONE!" My lips quivered with hurt and anger.

He turned his attention to the water now, " please listen, there is a reasonable explanation to this..."

"What?"

"I... I can't tell you..."

"That's  it! GO NOW DAMMIT!"

He nodded with closed eyes. "Fine..." He started walking slowly but turned around.

"GO!!!"

I could feel my knees weakening. I fell. What had I done? I looked down at the sand for answers. Why was I so detested by everyone? Yuki who was so amiable... I repeated the question over and over again, 'what had I done', while my stare was fixed at the warm brown sand.

I could not only blame Yuki though, it was that damn kid as well! What he had said... it made my heart ache.

Haru

"Hah hah hah, Haru don't just sit there! You can borrow Kisa's kite!" Momiji laughed.

I smiled, "no thanks... Perhaps another time?" I didn't feel like flying a kite, I was too old for that... Well, Momiji was the same age as me but, well... we were another age inside our minds you could say.

"Stop being so boring! Come on!" Momiji tugged my arm. "Come now!"

"All right." I picked up Kisa's kite. Kisa had gone to Kagura and where Hiro was I had no idea.

"Uhm, Haru... You haven't spoken to Tohru right?"

"No..." I liked Tohru, she was a nice girl, but I wasn't as close to her as Momiji and Kisa were. I had thought about visiting, but I hadn't been sure what to do or how I would act...

"OK..."

I touched his hand gently. "Don't worry, she'll come around."

Kagura

"What flavor do you want?" I asked Kisa.

"Strawberry." I squeezed her hand lightly.

"One strawberry and chocolate flavor, please." I said to the boy who worked there.

"I heard you haven't seen Onee-san.."

"No, I didn't even hear it until yesterday evening. My class had a trip to one of the islands that is why I haven't been around."

"You don't have to apologize, I haven't seen her either. I've been here all the time, still..." she said, her voice thick with tears.

"Here you go," the boy said, "one strawberry ice cream and one chocolate ice cream."

"Thank you," I took them and gave Kisa the strawberry flavored. "It's all right, I think Tohru will understand."

"I hope so..." Kisa gulped.

"Don't be sad!" I patted her head. "Eat your ice cream or it'll melt." ^_^

Shigure had hastily explained about Tohru's condition. I hadn't fully taken in the information yet and wasn't sure what to think about this, all I knew was that I wanted to help her; it shouldn't be so hard, right? Tohru was a wonderful person with a big heart; even if she had changed it would still be there.

Kyo

I muttered words that were not suitable for most people to hear. That moron Shigure had begged me to buy sodas for everyone since Yuki had forgotten to put in the lemonade in the basket. I had asked him what was wrong with drinking milk and he had looked at me disgusted. There was a store not far away from the beach which he had told me to go to.

A bell rang when I entered.

Sodas... Sodas, where could it be? Ah, there. I finally decided to take Coke.

The girl at the counter looked fairly familiar. She smiled to me.

"Arrei...?"

She looked surprised at me, possible a bit scared.

"How did you know my name?" (Author's note: Arrei is the girl Kyo saw in chapter six.) How stupid of me! She must think I'm some kind of stalker.

"It's kind of stupid... I saw you on the road a couple of days ago... Some guy called your name..."

She looked relieved. "Oh, OK. Should I feel honored you remembered me?" she said, smiling.

I blushed while giving her the money to pay for the drink. "Uhm..."

"Well, here's your drink!"

"Thanks..." I left the store.

I could just kill myself! Why had I done that? You did that you stupid idiot because you say and do things without thinking!

I sighed, annoyed with myself. Well, it was done with, nothing I could take back; better head back to the beach.

I strolled down and saw... Tohru?! She wasn't so far away. Why was she sitting on the sand? That kuzo nezumi could not be seen, had he left her alone?

"Hey," I called. She didn't reply. Did she not hear me? "HEY!" I called a second time. I saw her turning her head but she didn't say anything this time either. Had something happened? Was she sad? Perhaps she was distracted by something?

When I turned my attention to her again she was no longer sitting on the sand. Hmm? She was now walking to the other direction.

I jogged after her.

"Hey," I touched her lightly on her arm. She ignored my gesture and continued walking. "Hey, don't ignore me!"

She stopped walking and looked at me, I blinked. "Wha-" She flung herself at me and I reacted quickly and jumped away. I grabbed her left arm so she wouldn't fall; she slapped it away and fell.

She breathed heavily, now sitting on her knees on the sand.

"I see," she said softly. "You loathe me also." Also? I shook my head, never mind that, I did not loathe her!

"I don't..." I bent down so I was sitting on the same level as her.

"Then why did you not let me hug you? Are you perhaps disgusted by me?" No, you must understand!

"No! It's not like that!"

"Then what?!" she hissed. What should I say?

"Just wait, you'll understand later!" I dragged her up and this time she didn't protest.

"Stop saying such stupid things! It doesn't make any sense." What should I do? I didn't want her to think this about me; I was not disgusted by her!

My heart started pounding fast. There was only one thing I could think about that would show her I liked her... Something far better than a hug. Something very difficult for me to do. Did I dare? Should I? Just do it, you can regret it later and perhaps kill yourself over it, but don't think about the consequences now! DO IT!

"H-how about this then?" I gave her a peck on her left cheek. I blushed when I pulled away quickly. "S-see? I'm not disgusted by you." My face was burning, aaaah, what had I done? But it was the only way to show her... I think, or were there other ways?

Tohru blushed. "R-really? You aren't disgusted by me?" I wanted to look at her but I didn't dare, dear God, I hoped Shigure never found out about this!

"No..."

She reached for my hand and caressed it. She smiled at me and touched my chin; she turned my head around so that I was staring directly in her face. "Tell me, you must tell me why you wouldn't let me hug you?"

"Because, it's just stupid, OK!" I turned around, "let's go to the others."

I could feel her hesitation but she decided to follow.

"What a poor explanation!" she said, she sounded happy though.

I scratched my head. "Hmph, you'll get it, OK? Just be patient, dammit."

She nodded. "OK..."

Suddenly I heard her gasp, what was going on? I turned around and felt her weight on me, NOOOOOO, she had tripped and fallen on me.

I felt my body becoming smaller, my vision clearer.

I had transformed.

Tohru

I'm definitely going mad. I think I just saw Kyo turning into a cat. Somehow this just didn't feel like one of my fantasies.

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The truth is out now. ^_^

NightStalker: Sorry if you felt that I was to mean to Ritsu, but that was the purpose, I have nothing against Ritsu (or anyone in Fruits Basket). You just have to bear it. ~_^ Anyhow, thanks, I'm very flattered that you feel that way.

Sakura Avalon or Kinomoto: Thank you!

Stephanie: Lol, I'll see what I can do. Always fun to read long nice reviews. This chapter was a bit inspired by you, you said you liked those warm scenes, so I gave Tohru and Kyo one in the end (I think, or am I mistaken? Is it not a warm scene? O_O) Anyway, thanks!

Arrei: Sorry, I know I have spelling errors, my fingers kind of rush of when I write. (I do look it over though, but of course I can't detect all of them). I hope there weren't many, I found two, I must be blind or something, if there was too many though could you point them out so I know? (The keyboard I'm using at the moment suck as well) That would be great! ^_^ Anyhow, thanks! OMG! You used the word 'love'! *faints*. For the hundredth time thanks for all the great reviews. It always makes me happy when a reader continues to read and review. It's the best thing!