"Just Be Yourself..."
Chapter Four: Lost and Found Again
Author's Note: I don't own Fruits Basket. Sorry this is such a short chapter, I'll make the next one much longer.
Tohru felt her bag drop out of her shaking palms as the voice spoke to her from the shadows. "Soma savior?" her lip trembled just a bit, despite how she tried to calm herself, "what do you mean?"
A man appeared in front of her. She didn't see him walk in from anywhere-he just appeared. He was pale and skinny-physically resembling Akito. His eyes were a cold, hard black, matching his chosen attire.
Tohru could feel her forehead grow wet with droplets of moisture from her fear, "who...who are you?" She forced herself to look upwards at the man again, except...he was gone.
Tohru turned around and began to retrace her steps back to where she had last seen Hatori. She called out his names a couple times, but did so in vein. The Main House really was like an endless, dark dungeon.
Tohru forced herself to continue walking; trying to recall which way was out. No matter where she turned the hallways continued onward. But the thing that scared her most was the image of the man she had seen. He was somewhere in these black halls-somewhere, maybe even watching her now.
At this though the girl turned around, trembling as a shy rabbit would quiver in the presence of a hawk. But no one was there. Not a soul. Tohru wasn't sure whether to be relieved that the dark man was gone, or to be terrified that she was alone...
"Tohru, what ever are you doing here?" The voice came from Tohru's side, from a small room that connected to the passageway.
"Shigure?" The girl looked at the dog, trying not to seem to relieved.
"I presume you're lost." Shigure walked out to her, a smile on his face.
Tohru thought about making up an excuse for a moment then decided to just tell the truth, "I suppose so. I was just," Shigure might worry about her if she told him about coming to see Akito or the mysterious disappearing stranger, "I just came to see Hiro. Kisa wanted me to return something of his to him-I was with Hatori. It seems I've lost him now."
Shigure stared at her for a moment-as if he knew she was lying, "very well then. Let's get you out. The Soma House is a big place-easy to get lost in, no big deal."
Tohru smiled, Shigure always seemed to know what to say, "Thanks."
In a few minutes the two were standing in daylight again. A single bird sat perched a top a roof, whistling to the wind. Other than that, it was silent. Not the kind the kind of silence you can ponder things and think to yourself. No, it was the kind of quiet that made Tohru uncomfortable.
"Why were you over here?" Tohru finally gathered enough courage to speak, "I mean, if it's not to personal or anything. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
Shigure looked over at her and smiled again, "it's fine if you ask. I was just about to visit Hatori when I found a little lost girl."
It took Tohru a second to figure out he was talking about her, "I don't know if I thanked you for that." She looked over at the trees that lined the sidewalks of Soma House. "Oh!" A thought struck the girl, "if you were going to talk to Hatori, I can walk home alone."
"Are you sure you can find your way?" the dog's voice creased with brief worry.
"Yup! The gate out is right over there, and then I know the way home from there form the couple times I've been here before."
Shigure nodded, "alright then, but be careful."
Tohru began to start walking, "I will." --------
Tohru was almost home when she heard a loud sound. A few seconds later curls of colored smoke swept around the corner. Without thinking, Tohru ran forward, hoping someone hadn't seen the Somas transform. Unfortunately, it seemed to late.
A little girl with long blonde hair stood, awing at something she was holding in the palms of her hand. Edging closer, Tohru saw what it was.
"Yuki!" she yelled, then realizing the girl was staring at her added, "my friend, Yuki, have you seen him?"
The girl looked up from the rat in her hands and shook her head, "no, but there was a magician."
"Magician?"
"Yup. He was right here. And then-POOF-he disappeared and this little cutie little precious rat came crawling from behind those dumpsters. " The girl-named Shouka- turned her attention back to the rodent, "yes, and I'm going to take you home and bathe you and feed you and call you...Lillian! Yes, and my Lilly you will be"
The rat sweatdropped.
Tohru strained her brain, thinking of a way out of the situation. "Umm...little girl, what's your name?"
"Shouka."
"Well, Shouka, that magician, would you like to see him do another trick?"
Shouka turned around, "not really, I have a rat."
Tohru said whatever came out next, "what if he could reappear, and give you as many little friendly rats as you wanted?" Tohru glanced over at Yuki, who looked as he if was going to explode under the little girl's tight grip.
"Really!? You think he could?"
"I know he could." Tohru answered, "but first you have to put the rat down and..."
"HER name is LILLIAN!" the girl interrupted.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Tohru bent down and smiled kindly, "put Lillian down and close your eyes for a second. Then when I say you can open them the magician will be back and you can ask him for a rat." Tohru tried to speak loudly enough so that Yuki could hear and play the part of 'magician'.
Soon enough Shouka has put the rat down and closed her eyes. Tohru sat next to her, looking away from the direction of the rat. Another booming sound was heard and then tendrils of thin smoke raised around the area. Giving Yuki a few minutes to redress himself, Tohru turned around and whispered into Shouka's ear.
The blonde-haired girl walked over to Yuki and rewhispered the message in his ear. And like magic, the boy pulled a rat out of his pocket, and handed it to the little girl.
Shouka ran away without saying thank you or anything like that. Instead, she ran away with her new pet Daffodil, laughing and calling the animal's new name.
Tohru turned to face Yuki, "how did you do that?! It was amazing!"
"I heard you talking, Miss Honda, and I called the rat to my pocket. Thank you."
"Don't thank me, you made it happen." The brunette looked behind her shoulder, "we better get home, Kyo's probably wondering where we are and why dinner isn't made yet."
Tohru noticed Yuki flinch ever so slightly at the mention of Kyo. They had probably gotten into a fight earlier in the day-a bad one, by the look on the rat's face.
"So, shall we go?" Tohru started to continue down the street, knowing Yuki would follow.
The pale boy nodded. "I have to admit, I'm getting hungry as well." -------------
"I'm so full! Tohru you beat yourself at cooking every night." Shigure over-dramatized his praise to Tohru as he did every night.
"Thank you." Tohru began collecting the dinner dishes.
"Don't bother, Tohru. Kisa wants to come over to watch a movie with you." Shigure continued, "Yuki, Kyo, you do the dishes.
The command was something the two boys would never have done together, that was, unless they were doing it for Tohru.
"Oh, they don't have too! Remember, I'm in charge of that sort of thing anyway." Tohru protested.
"It's okay, Miss Honda. I don't mind." Yuki politely took the dishes from her hands.
"Yeah, I should probably help anyway." Kyo walked to the sink and began to fill it with cold, clear water.
Chapter Four: Lost and Found Again
Author's Note: I don't own Fruits Basket. Sorry this is such a short chapter, I'll make the next one much longer.
Tohru felt her bag drop out of her shaking palms as the voice spoke to her from the shadows. "Soma savior?" her lip trembled just a bit, despite how she tried to calm herself, "what do you mean?"
A man appeared in front of her. She didn't see him walk in from anywhere-he just appeared. He was pale and skinny-physically resembling Akito. His eyes were a cold, hard black, matching his chosen attire.
Tohru could feel her forehead grow wet with droplets of moisture from her fear, "who...who are you?" She forced herself to look upwards at the man again, except...he was gone.
Tohru turned around and began to retrace her steps back to where she had last seen Hatori. She called out his names a couple times, but did so in vein. The Main House really was like an endless, dark dungeon.
Tohru forced herself to continue walking; trying to recall which way was out. No matter where she turned the hallways continued onward. But the thing that scared her most was the image of the man she had seen. He was somewhere in these black halls-somewhere, maybe even watching her now.
At this though the girl turned around, trembling as a shy rabbit would quiver in the presence of a hawk. But no one was there. Not a soul. Tohru wasn't sure whether to be relieved that the dark man was gone, or to be terrified that she was alone...
"Tohru, what ever are you doing here?" The voice came from Tohru's side, from a small room that connected to the passageway.
"Shigure?" The girl looked at the dog, trying not to seem to relieved.
"I presume you're lost." Shigure walked out to her, a smile on his face.
Tohru thought about making up an excuse for a moment then decided to just tell the truth, "I suppose so. I was just," Shigure might worry about her if she told him about coming to see Akito or the mysterious disappearing stranger, "I just came to see Hiro. Kisa wanted me to return something of his to him-I was with Hatori. It seems I've lost him now."
Shigure stared at her for a moment-as if he knew she was lying, "very well then. Let's get you out. The Soma House is a big place-easy to get lost in, no big deal."
Tohru smiled, Shigure always seemed to know what to say, "Thanks."
In a few minutes the two were standing in daylight again. A single bird sat perched a top a roof, whistling to the wind. Other than that, it was silent. Not the kind the kind of silence you can ponder things and think to yourself. No, it was the kind of quiet that made Tohru uncomfortable.
"Why were you over here?" Tohru finally gathered enough courage to speak, "I mean, if it's not to personal or anything. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
Shigure looked over at her and smiled again, "it's fine if you ask. I was just about to visit Hatori when I found a little lost girl."
It took Tohru a second to figure out he was talking about her, "I don't know if I thanked you for that." She looked over at the trees that lined the sidewalks of Soma House. "Oh!" A thought struck the girl, "if you were going to talk to Hatori, I can walk home alone."
"Are you sure you can find your way?" the dog's voice creased with brief worry.
"Yup! The gate out is right over there, and then I know the way home from there form the couple times I've been here before."
Shigure nodded, "alright then, but be careful."
Tohru began to start walking, "I will." --------
Tohru was almost home when she heard a loud sound. A few seconds later curls of colored smoke swept around the corner. Without thinking, Tohru ran forward, hoping someone hadn't seen the Somas transform. Unfortunately, it seemed to late.
A little girl with long blonde hair stood, awing at something she was holding in the palms of her hand. Edging closer, Tohru saw what it was.
"Yuki!" she yelled, then realizing the girl was staring at her added, "my friend, Yuki, have you seen him?"
The girl looked up from the rat in her hands and shook her head, "no, but there was a magician."
"Magician?"
"Yup. He was right here. And then-POOF-he disappeared and this little cutie little precious rat came crawling from behind those dumpsters. " The girl-named Shouka- turned her attention back to the rodent, "yes, and I'm going to take you home and bathe you and feed you and call you...Lillian! Yes, and my Lilly you will be"
The rat sweatdropped.
Tohru strained her brain, thinking of a way out of the situation. "Umm...little girl, what's your name?"
"Shouka."
"Well, Shouka, that magician, would you like to see him do another trick?"
Shouka turned around, "not really, I have a rat."
Tohru said whatever came out next, "what if he could reappear, and give you as many little friendly rats as you wanted?" Tohru glanced over at Yuki, who looked as he if was going to explode under the little girl's tight grip.
"Really!? You think he could?"
"I know he could." Tohru answered, "but first you have to put the rat down and..."
"HER name is LILLIAN!" the girl interrupted.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Tohru bent down and smiled kindly, "put Lillian down and close your eyes for a second. Then when I say you can open them the magician will be back and you can ask him for a rat." Tohru tried to speak loudly enough so that Yuki could hear and play the part of 'magician'.
Soon enough Shouka has put the rat down and closed her eyes. Tohru sat next to her, looking away from the direction of the rat. Another booming sound was heard and then tendrils of thin smoke raised around the area. Giving Yuki a few minutes to redress himself, Tohru turned around and whispered into Shouka's ear.
The blonde-haired girl walked over to Yuki and rewhispered the message in his ear. And like magic, the boy pulled a rat out of his pocket, and handed it to the little girl.
Shouka ran away without saying thank you or anything like that. Instead, she ran away with her new pet Daffodil, laughing and calling the animal's new name.
Tohru turned to face Yuki, "how did you do that?! It was amazing!"
"I heard you talking, Miss Honda, and I called the rat to my pocket. Thank you."
"Don't thank me, you made it happen." The brunette looked behind her shoulder, "we better get home, Kyo's probably wondering where we are and why dinner isn't made yet."
Tohru noticed Yuki flinch ever so slightly at the mention of Kyo. They had probably gotten into a fight earlier in the day-a bad one, by the look on the rat's face.
"So, shall we go?" Tohru started to continue down the street, knowing Yuki would follow.
The pale boy nodded. "I have to admit, I'm getting hungry as well." -------------
"I'm so full! Tohru you beat yourself at cooking every night." Shigure over-dramatized his praise to Tohru as he did every night.
"Thank you." Tohru began collecting the dinner dishes.
"Don't bother, Tohru. Kisa wants to come over to watch a movie with you." Shigure continued, "Yuki, Kyo, you do the dishes.
The command was something the two boys would never have done together, that was, unless they were doing it for Tohru.
"Oh, they don't have too! Remember, I'm in charge of that sort of thing anyway." Tohru protested.
"It's okay, Miss Honda. I don't mind." Yuki politely took the dishes from her hands.
"Yeah, I should probably help anyway." Kyo walked to the sink and began to fill it with cold, clear water.