Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of it's characters.

Warnings: Shounen-ai/Yaoi implications (or perhaps blatant), dark/angst, language, and possible gore.

Pairings: Read and find out

Summary: He's their best friend and, yet, he's their worst enemy. He hides behind his joker's mask and pretends he cares, but he doesn't. What does he want and can they stop him before he destroys them all?

Harakiri: Well, this is a surprise.

Skye: What? The fact that this story is going so well?

Harakiri: Yup. Wasn't expecting it to be such a hit…or for it to be good, really.

Skye: -shrugs- Whatever.

Harakiri: -glare- Well, aren't you 'Mr. Inspirational'? -turns to the readers- Still mostly Tohru-centric, with more of the Sohma's to be introduced. Perhaps Tohru will finally be able to figure out just what it is she's gotten into…

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eternity is Forever Chapter 4-The Consequences of an Ancient Mistake

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The halls of the house were dark; not even a single candle was lit. The only way Tohru could be sure that she was still following Shigure was the soft sound of his bare feet hitting the wooden floor. 'But what if it's someone following me?' She shivered as the thought of a monster creeping up behind her went through her mind and she began to walk faster. Ahead, Shigure smirked. He could hear it all; her faster-paced steps, her sharp intakes of breath as she tried not to panic, and the hammering of her heart.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, you know," he commented. He heard the small swish of air as she jerked her head up and he could just imagine her eyes widening.

"Er, no, I'm not afraid!" she said, a small note of panic in her voice. He smiled.

"Ah, of course not, Miss…" He stopped mid-sentence. 'That's right…I don't even know her name.' Suddenly he stopped walking and held out his arm, stopping the young girl from bumping into him. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I do not know your name."

"Ah, yes of course!" She quickly bowed. "Watashi wa Honda Tohru desu. Dozo yoroshiku!" He smiled.

"Hai, Tohru-kun! Watashi wa Sohma Shigure." He bowed as well then turned around and continued to walk.

They continued on in silence and Tohru began to wonder at just how big the Sohma house really was. Shigure, however, paid no mind and was humming a little tune. Suddenly he bumped into something. "Oh!" Tohru stopped and blinked, her eyes still not entirely adjusted to the dark.

"You should watch where you're going, Shigure," came a voice.

"Ah, Yuki-kun!" The man clapped his hands together happily. "Tohru-kun, come out and say hello!" He turned around and grabbed onto the girl's arm then brought her around in front of him. It was there she found herself face to face with the most beautiful person she had ever seen.

His hair was short and silvery gray and his eyes were violet. His skin was so pale that it made him look like a porcelain doll and his slender figure made him look as fragile as one. She stared in awe and thought of how plain and ugly she must look compared to him.

"Is she mute?" the porcelain one asked. Shigure said nothing, but a smirk was on his face. Suddenly Tohru snapped out of her trance.

"Ah, gomen nasai!" She bowed. "Watashi wa Honda Tohru desu. Dozo yoroshiku!" He stared at her for a moment before he bowed as well.

"Hajimemashite, Honda-san. Watashi wa Sohma Yuki desu."

"Well, now that we're all introduced, formally…"

"Formally?" Tohru looked up at Shigure slightly confused. "Have I met Sohma-kun before?" Yuki blinked in surprise at the slightly familiar honorific and Shigure just smiled.

"Of course you have. Yuki was the one who brought you and your friends to Hatori."

"Oh…" She turned back to Yuki and bowed again. "I'm sorry we were intruding. We didn't know…" He smiled and shook his head.

"Iie, no need to apologize. I hope I didn't hurt any of you." The young vampire nor the girl noticed the sly look that lit the man's face.

'This is interesting,' he thought. 'Can this little human possibly melt the ice around the young prince's heart?' The look faded as a presence made itself known on the edge of his mind. He stepped to the side, taking Tohru with him, and watched as the ceiling collapsed right where the two of them had been standing. Tohru's eyes widened to an almost impossible level and she squeaked in fright but she couldn't go anywhere due to Shigure holding onto her.

Violet eyes narrowed as the dust began to clear. Standing amidst the debris was a young man, fairly tall with a lean muscular build. His hair was short and orange and his eyes were red. He was clad in a pair of khaki pants, a black t-shirt, and he was barefoot. He smirked, his fangs glinting even though there was barely any light, then he pointed at Yuki.

"You're going down tonight, you dirty rat!!!" Yuki snorted.

"Just like last time right, baka neko?" The newcomer growled.

"I'll show you!!" Suddenly he lunged forward, but Yuki merely sidestepped the attack and delivered a solid kick to the other's back sending him flying into the wall. Tohru jumped at the sound of the impact then winced. "Kuso nezumi…" The young man came stumbling back up a few moments later, coughing, then he got back into his fighting stance. "Let's see you try that again!!"

Yuki sighed. "Baka, why won't you give up?"

"Rraaaaagh!!!" Again he lunged and, again, Yuki sidestepped, but he was ready this time. He caught himself in a front flip, missing the kick that was about to hit him, then jumped back in a flip and prepared to deliver a punch. Unfortunately it seemed as if Yuki had foreseen his attack and grabbed his arm and threw him onto his back, right in front of Tohru and Shigure. "Gah!!!"

"Are you alright?!" His eyes opened and he found himself almost face-to-face with…

"A human?!" He jumped up, knocking the girl onto her rear, and hissed. He glared at Shigure, his hair bristling. "What is she doing here?!" The man smiled.

"Why, haven't you heard? She is our guest."

"What?!" Both Yuki and the young man exclaimed.

"Of course!" Shigure said. "In exchange for her friends' freedom she offered to do anything for us. So, instead of eating them…" Tohru nearly fainted at that remark. "I felt we should take her up on her offer. So, Hatori removed the others' memories and Haru took them home and I had a little chat with Akito. He said she was allowed to stay, but she must be put to work."

Yuki narrowed his eyes, but he didn't think the idea was too bad. The young man on the other hand…

"Are you insane?! I knew Akito was losing it but you…" Suddenly he was punched and he hit the wall. He looked up into glaring violet eyes.

"You will not speak about the head of our family that way!" Tohru gasped at how marred Yuki's features had become in his anger. He looked positively frightening and he seemed to radiate an iciness that made him untouchable. The young man wiped his arm across his mouth, smearing some blood, then smirked.

"Heh, whassa matter, nezumi? Won't have anyone talking bad about your boyfriend?" For about the fifth time in the span of fifteen minutes he was hit again, but this time he went through the window and all the way into the garden. He finally stopped when he hit a tree then fell into the bushes. Yuki stood before the hole he had created using the other vampire glaring.

After a few moments Shigure held out his hand to Tohru. She blinked as a hand came into view then grabbed hold of it and was helped to her feet.

"Who was that?" she asked.

"That was Kyou, the resident hothead. He's obsessed with defeating Yuki in a fight, but he hasn't been very successful."

"I see." She brushed herself off then bowed in thanks. Shigure smiled then turned to the still glaring boy.

"Yuki-kun?" Yuki turned to face the two of them. "Would you like to show Tohru to her room?" He blinked then nodded. "Wonderful! I'm sure you know what should be done." He nodded. "Perfect! Well, I shall leave you two alone. Ta-ta!!" With that Shigure skipped back down the way he and Tohru had come. Both the boy and the girl watched him go, the girl losing sight of him within moments.

"Ah…" Tohru turned to Yuki and waited patiently for him to acknowledge her. Soon he turned to her.

"If you would follow me, Honda -san, I will show you to a room." She nodded and quickly followed after him. She and Shigure must have been close before they were interrupted because it took no time at all to reach the place that she would soon be calling home. "Here you are." Yuki slid open the door and stepped inside.

"Wow…" Tohru stepped inside and was amazed. There wasn't much; just a bed, Western-style, a full length mirror, a nightstand, a few paintings, and the closet. Even though there wasn't much it was all very nice and well-kept. 'This is so wonderful. I cannot accept such a wonderful room!' She turned to Yuki and bowed. "Arigato gozaimasu demo I cannot accept this."

"Nani?" He looked at her, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"This room. I cannot accept it. It is too nice to let me stay in it." He stared at her in shock. What could he say to that? Shouldn't she be happy that she wasn't getting thrown into a dungeon or something? Suddenly he smiled, a genuine smile, then he began to laugh. It was now Tohru's turn to be confused. "Sohma-kun?" He held up a hand and shook his head.

"I'm fine, Honda-san." He laughed for a little while before he finally stopped, but he was still smiling slightly. "This room will be yours. It is just fine for you." She opened her mouth to argue but shut it as soon as he held up his hand. "No arguments, Honda-san." She nodded, still not entirely comfortable with being given the room, but she said nothing. "Now, from what I can gather you will be doing various chores around here, like cooking and cleaning." She nodded again. It wasn't much different than what she usually did, but…

"Do vampires eat?" she wondered aloud. She gasped and covered her mouth as soon as she realized she had said it and began to blush when Yuki chuckled.

"Hai, Honda-san. At least we do." He smiled, but it soon faded as time began to creep up on him. "The sun will rise soon…" She blinked then looked at the clock that was placed conveniently on her nightstand. It was almost six AM. He sighed then walked to the door. "During the mornings, when we are asleep, your door will be locked. Once you've proven that we can trust you not to run away while we're sleeping, though, the door will be left unlocked and you can do your chores in the morning." He stepped out, but before he shut the door he looked over his shoulder at her. "Good night, Honda-san, and welcome to the Sohma house."

With that, he shut the door and a locking sound was heard. Tohru looked around and her eyes finally settled on the bed. She yawned, extremely tired from having been up all night, and made her way over to it. She laid down and closed her eyes, intent on only taking a small nap, but she was soon fast asleep.

-----------------------------------

It had almost been a week and Tohru was already starting to feel at home. She would sleep during the day and at night, when her door was unlocked, she would clean and cook dinner. As Yuki said, the Sohma family did eat regular food and lots of it. Strangely, though, she only ever saw Yuki, Shigure, and, occasionally, Kyou, but she knew there had to be more of them.

It was after dinner and Tohru, having just finished the dishes, was cleaning the rest of the kitchen. She wondered exactly how the rest of the family could get their food without her ever seeing them. 'Maybe they can be invisible?' She thought about that for a moment, then decided that perhaps they came in when she left to take Yuki, Shigure, and Kyou's dishes into the kitchen. She had noticed that the food dishes were lighter, if not empty, when she came back.

She nodded, perfectly satisfied with that explanation, then turned to wipe off the counter. Suddenly, she felt someone beside her and it caused her to jump.

"Ah, sumimasen. Ano…anata wa Honda Tohru desu ka?" She turned and was greeted by the sight of a young boy, shorter than herself by about a head, with rather short blond hair and big brown eyes. He was wearing a pair of shorts and a bell sleeved shirt. Tohru had to suppress the urge to gush at his cuteness.

"H-hai. Watashi wa Honda Tohru desu." She bowed in greeting.

"Yatta! I finally found you!!!" The boy smiled and his fangs glinted ever-so-slightly. Tohru smiled back, a bit hesitantly, and took a small step back, still uncomfortable around fangs. The young boy stopped smiling and tilted his head to the side in confusion. "What's wrong? Are you not happy to see me?"

"I-iie! It's just that…." Unsure of how to say what she wanted to say without it seeming rude she pointed to her teeth, hoping that the boy would take the hint. That just seemed to confuse him even more, though.

"Your teeth hurt?"

"Iie. Er, it's…well…" She realized she wasn't making things better so she, more or less, told him what she meant. "It's your teeth…" He stared at her for a moment and she was sure he was going to get angry and start yelling, then he smiled again and giggled.

"Oh you mean these!" He pointed to his fangs. "You don't have to worry, Tohru, I'm not going to eat you. I'm not allowed to!" She smiled and a small sweatdrop appeared on her head.

"Ah, well, that's good, I suppose." Suddenly, she found herself face-to-face with the smiling boy.

"Ne, Tohru. Do you know about the curse?" Tohru blinked.

"Curse?" The young boy nodded.

"Yup. Our family is cursed. We have been for four hundred years, I think." She watched as the boy jumped onto the counter and began kicking his feet.

'Curse? Is that what Shigure-san was talking about?' She thought for a moment. "What…what kind of curse is it?" Suddenly the boy got a mischievous look in his eyes.

"I could show you," he said. Not exactly sure of how she should respond Tohru nodded.

"Er...alright."

"Hurray!" Suddenly the boy flung himself at Tohru and, as soon as he wrapped his arms around her, there was a loud sound and a puff of yellow smoke.

"Aaaaah!" She fell back and, instead of there being a little boy on top of her, there was a small yellow rabbit. She blinked as the bunny cuddled up to her. "Wh-where did he go…?"

"I'm right here!" She looked around.

"Where?"

"Down here!" She looked down and saw the rabbit staring up at her.

"Usagi…?"

"Yup, it's me!!" She stared at him for a few moments. "Tohru? Daijobu?" After a bit she picked him up and walked out of the kitchen, very slowly. Once outside of the nice, enclosed area, she began to go hysterical.

"He turned into a rabbit! Help! Call a doctor! Somebody, come quickly!!!" She danced around, waving her arms, which were carrying the bunny-boy, and screaming.

"What's wrong with you, you crazy girl?" She turned and saw the orange haired boy coming down the hall and held up the bunny, which now had swirls for eyes.

"H-he hugged me and-and he's a rabbit…!!!"

"What?!" He stomped over to her and tried to grab the rabbit out of her grasp, but ended up pulling her as well and she fell on top of him. He barely had time to let out a yell as there was another strange sound and a cloud of orange smoke appeared. Tohru sat up and looked down, expecting to see Kyou, but saw an orange cat instead.

"Ne-ko…?" She picked up the cat as well and held him close to her face.

"What are you looking at?!" The cat growled. Her eyes went wide and, with cat and rabbit in hand, she took off down the hall.

"Doctor!!!! Help, somebody, help!!!! He's a caaaaaaat!!!!" She sped down the hall, almost breaking the sound barrier, and continued to scream for help. Unfortunately she didn't see the person who was walking down the hall in the opposite direction and plowed right into him. She heard the sound again and saw a puff of grayish-white smoke. She fell back on her rear and, when she looked up, she was face-to-face with a very unhappy cow. It was then that she fainted.

-------------------------------------

Finally, I finished it!!!! does a happy dance Well, how did you like it? It was a bit longer this time and would have been longer if I didn't decide to cut it off right here. Oh…CLIFFHANGER!!! Yeah, not much of one, but at least I won't have a mob of angry villagers after me. XD Anyways, I intend to be done with chapter 5 by the end of the week.

Skye: Yeah, but those are just your intentions. You'll probably flake on it…

-thwaps Skye- Teme! You be quiet! Right, well I'd really appreciate it if you left LOTS of reviews, that I would. 'Til next time, minna!!! (Oh, and if my Japanese is off or just plain wrong, don't kill me. Any Japanese I know has been self-taught by watching subbed anime or learned from unofficial sources. Also, don't ask me how a shoji door can lock…it just CAN! XP)