Crimson Thread


Hey! I'm back from bowling, and I'm going to start the next chapter! Why? I'd rather write fanfictions than do homework!

:DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to Fruits Basket, but I do own Mike, Ari, and Mayra.


I Promise
Ari waited patiently as the phone rang, while the other two were cleaning up the mess they had made when they searched through the papers. While the phone rang, she thought of something to do after the call. She overheard Mayra and Mike's conversation, about how their families had called them freaks, and kicked them out of the house. She was reminded of the same reaction her father had. He was a cold person. He would never spend time with her. He worked with the government, so he was always busy. And when he wasn't working, he was in his precious garden. Maybe, if they would no longer be accepted in Washington D.C., they could leave. Move to Japan. Move to the Sohma estate! They wouldn't be shunned! Ari's wonderful rant to herself ended when a young girl's voice answered the phone.

"Shigure Sohma's residence, Tohru speaking!"

Ari looked at the phone, and suddenly realized that if the Sohmas were real, then Tohru was real also! "Hey, you're Tohru Honda, am I correct?"

"Yes. Who is speaking?"

"Then you know about the Zodiac curse, right?"

Tohru replied, with a hint of fear in her voice. "Yes, who is this?"

"We're three kids from America, who got a blood donation from a boy by the name of Yuki Sohma. He lived with you, correct?"

"Yes he did. It's su- wait, how do you know that Yuki doesn't live with us anymore?" Tohru asked, full of confusion.

"Tell me, are Yuki, Kagura, and Ritsu still alive?"

Tohru hesitated to answer. How did this stranger know so much about them? Were they spies? Tohru remembered the fear and urgency of the girl's voice, and decided to help her as much as possible. "Yes. They were poisoned to death by Akito during the Zodiac Banquet. Why do you ask?"

"Because we've become cursed. We are the new rat, monkey, and boar."

Tohru dropped the phone in shock. A new member of the Zodiac? But they were in America. Were there Sohmas in America? "Are you Sohmas?"

"That's the problem. We're not. Can you give me Hatori's number? I need to straighten things out with him."

"Ah, Hatori's right here! Hold on a moment."

Ari could hear Tohru calling Hatori to the phone. Ari could also hear her trying to get Haru and Kyo to stop fighting.

"Hello, this is Hatori Sohma. According to Miss Honda, you and your friends have become cursed."

"Yes, that is correct."

Ari put the phone on speaker phone as they all tried to explain what had happened. Ari gave Hatori her idea of moving to Japan. Mike and Mayra agreed, they also wanted to leave the U.S. Hatori helped them how to figure out how to do it. The three would buy their tickets, and once they got to Japan, they would live with Shigure, Tohru, and Kyo. All they had to do was organize their papers, pool their money together for tickets, and contact Shigure when they were coming. Ari never explained to them that they were manga characters, but she would figure that out in Japan. The three said good bye to Hatori, and hung up.

"Ari," Mayra sighed, "What do we do now? I can't go home. My family kicked me out."

"Same." Mike said.

"I'll run down and ask my mom if you can stay. My mom wasn't so mad. Just my dad." Ari smiled. "Don't worry guys, everything will be fine." She pulled everyone into a hug. "I promise."


The next morning was just as bright as the last. Ari woke up early. Actually, she had been up all night. She couldn't stand staying in a place that didn't fully accept her. She spent the whole night getting her papers. She felt lucky. Her father had every paper needed for moving in a file cabinet in his office. Ari picked the lock, and got everything out. Her father opened it unless they actually did move, which was once every three years. She pulled her things out, and closed the drawer. She snuck back up to her room. the rest of the night, she looked for cheap tickets to Tokyo, wrote what she was going to bring, and wrote a plan for how to raise money for the tickets. She got no sleep, yet she felt a bit refreshed. She felt a bit of weight was removed from her shoulders. She went downstairs, and since no one was up, she quickly made breakfast for her friends. She brought it up to her room and found the two were already awake.

"Good morning you guys!" Ari said. She was awfully bubbly for someone who wasn't a morning person.

"Morning," Mike said, half yawning. "You didn't make breakfast for us, did you?"

Ari laughed. "I don't think I can eat three stacks of pancakes, now can I?"

Ari brought out her mini table and the three ate their breakfast. They talked about how they were going to change in Japan. Mayra would try being less of a perfectionist. The other two laughed, while Mayra asked what Mike would do. He said he wanted to get better grades. Ari said she would try not to get sent to the principal's office. Mayra burst out in laughter. Ari was more likely to get in-school suspension than not get sent to the office.

"Oops," Ari said, "I left something downstairs. Be right back."

Ari went downstairs and Mayra instantly leaned over to Mike. "Alright, admit it."

Mike was confused. "Admit what?"

Mayra laughed. "Duh! You like her, don't you?"

"No!"

"Yes, you do like her." Mayra looked over to a photo of the three of them in the park. "Ever since the trip to the park. It's pretty obvious. You always go to her."

Mike sighed and looked down. "I always thought of her as a little sister, nothing more."

"Then the talk at the park was nothing to you?" Mayra asked.

Mike wished she hadn't asked that. "No, it was nothing. After all, we're just friends. Nothing more."

"I'm back!"

The two turned around to see Ari holding a small box.

"What's in the box?" Mayra asked.

"A present for you guys." Ari opened the box, and gave Mayra a bracelet and Mike dog tags. They both had their names on it, and the words, "Best Friends Forever" on it. "I know it's a bit corny, but you guys are everything to me. If you guys were hurt, I don't know what I would do."

"Ari, they're beautiful! How did you get these?" Mayra questioned.

"I was going to give you guys these at the park, but I had lost them. But I guess better late than never!" She grinned as she held out her arm, that had a bracelet on it. "See? I even have one myself!"

"Thank you so much," Mike said.

Ari gazed outside, where the sky was blue with no clouds, and the sun trickled through the trees. "One day, we'll be accepted by everyone. One day, our families will take us back. But we are family. Until that day. I promise."


Well, thanks for reading!
Review Responses

Galasriniel: I wish I didn't have to kill anyone off either! Thanks, I'll keep writing as much as I can!