Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket…
Key: "…"- speech
'…'- thought
scene change
Disoriented Fabrications
Chapter 2- Wondering Changes
"It's time already?" a startled look crossed her face, her eyes widening.
"Yes it is." Her companion answered, idly wondering how large her eyes could grow before they popped out, "And with all due respect, I told you yesterday."
"You did?" her eyes implored, before retreating sheepishly, "Oh yeah, you did."
Her companion just smiled.
"Do I really have to go?" she asked hesitatively.
"Well… you could always wait for him here." Her companion answered dryly, "And when he comes, you'd most probably not have a chance to explain before he attacks you, and then you'll have to choose between killing him or letting him kill you-"
"Okay! Okay! I get you're point" she pouted, "I'll go… After all, if I don't, I'd be blaming myself for his death anyway…"
"That's the girl I know." Her companion smiled, "Let's get you ready."
Yuki's face was a piece of blank as he stared at the house.
Well, it was a typical two-storey house, the type that dominated in Japan. But that wasn't what worried Yuki.
What worried him was the prospect of the house being totally surrounded by forest, being practically cut of from civilization. There wasn't even a proper road. Only the dirt road that cut through the forest, which Yuki was currently standing on.
Yuki sighed as he stepped forward to ring the doorbell, 'What possessed me to come here in the first place?'
'"There's this person who really irks me."' Akito's voice was still fresh in his mind, '"Would you go and kill her for me?"'
'And it was just my luck that a cousin, whom I have never met before, was 'generous' enough to let me stay with him.' Yuki sighed.
The door opened, cutting off his thoughts, a pair of misty gray eyes met his. The person who opened the door was a guy in his twenties. He wore a purplish-gray kimono, his hair a messy mop of black.
"Aya?" he asked in surprised, "Is that you?"
"I'm sorry?" Yuki blinked.
"I asked if that was you, Aya." The guy said impatiently, "Did you cut your hair and grow younger or something? Because you definitely look different…"
"I'm sorry, I'm-" Yuki tried to say.
"Or did you go for plastic surgery? Aya, that's so unlike you!" the guy exclaimed, "And I liked you the way you were! But were you trying to change for me? That's so touching!"
This guy was getting on Yuki's nerves, "EXCUSE ME! I'm not Aya or whoever he is!"
The guy blinked, "Then who are you?"
"I was sent by Akito, for a mission." Yuki took a deep breath as he calmed down.
A look of recognition crossed the guy's face, before a slate of mischief settled in his eyes, "Oh… You must be Yuki."
"Yes… and you are?" Yuki asked.
"Shigure Sohma." The guy winked, "Or otherwise known as the Sakusen Inu"
"The Sakusen Inu?" Yuki's eyes widened, "The tactics and strategy master?"
"Yup!" Shigure grinned, "Guilty as charged!"
Yuki hardly believe his ears, this nut of a guy was the famous Sakusen Inu? The tactics and strategy genius?
"Hey! I know it's impressive!" Shigure laughed, "Don't need to stare so much, you'll be staying with me until you complete this mission."
"And you're supposed to be my cousin?" Yuki asked dryly.
"Well, actually, the whole family is in the same trade? Didn't you know that?" Shigure informed, "You must have stayed beside Akito for too long."
"I didn't come for your useless jests." Yuki said emotionlessly, "Just let me in and give me the information."
"Alright, alright." Shigure muttered, while gesturing Yuki in, "Young people these days, always in a rush."
"I have reason for being in a rush." Yuki gave Shigure a cold glare.
"Well, take a seat." Shigure offered as he searched for something.
Yuki tried to find a clean place to seat, but to no avail, "This place is messier than my old place."
"Can't blame an old man for being messy." Shigure defended as he dug through a pile of rubbish, "Apart from my day job, I still have to see to Akito's demands."
"Whatever." Yuki cleared a place on the sofa to sit.
"AH! Found it!" Shigure triumphantly pulled out a file from under the mess, "Here you go."
Yuki flipped through its contents, quickly, "So, I'm supposed to be hunting down this agent called Haven."
"The one and only. Haven is the top secret agent in the world, rivaling your position." Shigure cleared a space opposite Yuki, "And she's supposed to be a babe."
"That's not important." Yuki said impatiently, "Where was she last seen?"
"Apparently, around this region, except for the time at Tokyo Tower." Shigure answered.
"Hmm…" Yuki said thoughtfully, "Any pictures?"
"Unfortunately, no." Shigure sighed, "She's really good, coming and going in the shadows, we don't know if Haven is her real name or cover name either."
"Great. Not much leads." Yuki sighed, "This will be a real challenge. I think I'd better get started if I want to finish this fast."
"Oh yes. I forgot to remind you." Shigure said, "I've applied you into the nearby school, you'll be attending school there tomorrow."
Yuki froze in his tracks, "School? Whatever for?"
"You're 18 aren't you?" Shigure asked, surprised, "Don't you have to go to high school?"
"I've never gone to school." Yuki snapped coldly, "There was never a need to. And I don't plan to start now."
"Well, what if I said that school is your only lead for now?" Shigure said slyly.
"What?" Yuki quirked an eyebrow.
"The only thing we do know about Haven is that she is about your age." Shigure grinned, "And that she also appeared at the nearby school during a fire. She saved someone then. So, my thought is, why would she specially appear there to do such a trivial thing like that? Well, it's most probably that she studies there, and she saved the person because it was convenient enough."
Yuki sighed, Shigure did make sense.
"Oh alright." Yuki frowned, "I'll go."
"Good!" Shigure grinned, "Hmm… it's four already. The Neko should be back soon."
"Neko?" Yuki gave Shigure a hard look, hoping that it wasn't who he thought it was.
Suddenly the door slammed open, revealing a tanned figure of an 18-year-old boy with wild orange hair and eyes.
"Welcome back, Kyo." Shigure welcomed
Yuki felt his heart drop to the bottom of hell; his worst nightmare had come true.
Kyo gave Yuki a startled look, before going ballistic, "THE NEZUMI YOUKAI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"
"I would like to ask the same thing, Yosei Neko." Yuki glared icily at Kyo.
"I LIVE HERE! OF COURSE I'D BE HERE!" Kyo erupted with raw anger.
"So do I." Yuki returned the favor with his own icy anger.
"WHAT! HOW CAN THAT BE! GET OUT NOW!" Kyo was fuming with murderous rage.
"If I had known you were living here, I wouldn't have come within a perimeter of here in the first place." Yuki said impatiently.
"Ahahaha… I see you guys have met." Shigure forced a grin.
"What is the meaning of this, Shigure?" both Kyo and Yuki gave Shigure murderous glares.
Shigure shrank under the intenseness of the glares as beads of cold sweat covered his face.
"What is this guy doing here anyway?" both Yuki and Kyo asked in unison, before exchanging glares with each other.
"Now, now." Shigure held up his hands, "I believe you have met."
"We've met." Yuki said poisonously.
"Why you." Kyo growled.
"Kyo! Down!" Shigure ordered, "As I was saying, Yuki this is Kyo. Kyo this is Yuki. You've known each other as the Nezumi Youkai and the Yosei Neko as I can see. You're cousins."
"We're cousins?" they both exclaimed in disbelief.
"Yes, you are. Though I don't understand how come you two know each other without even having a clue you were cousins." Shigure said.
"We know each other only because this Neko here is just below me in the rankings of the top assassins. He sees me as a threat." Yuki glared at Kyo, "And he keeps wanting to try to beat me. Which is mortally impossible for such a moron like him."
"Why you! You wanna fight doncha?" Kyo bared his fists.
"I don't have the time for the likes of you." Yuki intoned, "I have a job to do and I intend to do it now."
Yuki got up from his seat and made his way to the door.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Kyo fumed, still baring his fists.
"I've got work to do." Yuki glanced back as he made his way out of the door, "And I intend to do it in peace."
Yuki slammed the door shut, silencing the entire estate.
Yuki was muttering aimless insults to Kyo as he walked into the city.
"I can't believe that Neko is living here! I never should have accepted Shigure's offer to put me up." Yuki muttered angrily as he stomped into town, a dark angry aura clouding his head.
He nearly bumped into someone, making him snap back into reality.
'That wasn't good. I got distracted by my anger. I'd be easier to attack if I stayed that way.' Yuki reprimanded himself, while switching his senses into alert.
The sounds of a fight reached his ears. Turning sharply, he made his way towards that direction. His senses led him to a back alley, he stayed on sharp alert.
He strode cautiously into the area. The sounds of fighting were getting louder. There were heavy grunts, which signaled the presence of muscled man. Laced among them, was also the strangled, muffled screams of a young girl.
Yuki's eyes dipilated. He rushed into the scene. Heads turned as they felt his presence. Five heavily muscled thugs stood before him, below them, slumped on the floor, was a badly wounded girl.
Not really knowing why, Yuki reacted badly. He charged.
In a whirl of fury kicks, punches and skills. Yuki beat the five thugs up, leaving them in a bloody heap on the floor.
Breathing lightly, Yuki frowned at his bloody hands, before turning to the girl, slumped on the floor. She had was rather small, her long hair as soft chestnut brown. Her heart-shaped face was covered with a few soft bruises, but nothing too serious. Her leg was another story, it twisted badly, and was purple from strain.
Knowing he couldn't just leave her there, Yuki scooped her up into his arms. For a moment there, her eyes opened, leaving Yuki lost in them. They were a brilliant dark amber, swirling with emotions.
Her strength left her, her eyes closed again. Yuki sighed, wondering hard on what ever had possessed him to help him. He was never going to get the end from Shigure and that Neko.
As he left the back alley, a shadowed figure watched him with interest, "Stage One, Successful."
Author's Notes: Chapter 2 up! It's kinda crappy, especially the middle part, but it's the best I can do through a writers block!
All comments welcome!
Yosei Neko: Wild Cat
Sakusen Inu: Tactics Dog
Not very original… I know…