Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or the characters in it. I do own the characters Kila Hasaru and her mother, but that's it. I own only a part of the plot. The rest belongs to Natsuki Takaya.
Enjoy the second installment!


Stitched Memories Part 1- II

"Don't look at me!" I growled angrily, trying to shake her away, causing her to shriek. I transformed into a hideous beast. A monster. I couldn't protect Kila from myself. She saw the true me...

My body was twisted into a strange form, the cat's evil spirit. With my flesh now dead and rotting and that of a brownish color. A foul aroma came forth from me. My once fiery, red eyes were a maniac purple with pupils dialated. Huge claws came forth from my hands, even the hand that a small, frightened girl clung to. I shook my arm to rid myself of her, no matter how much I pleaded against it. I hit her against the ledge, but she only clung tighter. The stupid stuffed cat was coming apart at the seams. I didn't care. I didn't want her to see me... not like this...

'It's alright... It's alright because I love you.' a picture of my mother flashed before me and I hissed and snarled and tried once more to shake the red haired girl away from me. The cat's spirit was clouding my mind and I no longer cared if I knew her or not. The pain was unbelieveable, this was only the second time I had ever transformed into this, that I could remember at the time.

"K... k... Kyo?"

With a growl, I bent my deformed head to look at her, to meet her sea green gaze with my hideous purple one. And something struck me odd, there was no fear in her eyes. She looked afraid, yes... but not of me... it was for me...

She coughed, then began again, "Kyo... I... I'm sorry... I-I know I must look foolish to you... being afraid... but-but it's for you! It's for you... I mean... It hurt, didn't it? When you changed... it looked like it caused you alot of pain. I'm afraid that you might be h-hurt... changing into something else."

I looked away and tried to throw her off me once more, she didn't scream or cry out... she only clung tighter. "Kyo! Please! I know you're Kyo! Even if you look different..." I ceased my thrashing and my gaze fell back to her, but she was looking away. "I mean... just because you don't look like the Kyo I met or the Kyo I'm friends with or the Kyo that protects me... but that's who you are. Changing physically isn't going to stop that. Not ever. You'll always be KyoKyo. Because it doesn't matter what you look like on the outside, it's who you are on the inside. And on the inside... you're Kyo..."

She was now looking back up at me, tears streaming down her mud-stained face. And I saw her as I did before I transformed... I saw her as Kila. I slouched down, my change in posture showing that I was becoming less tense.

"Please don't let go of me. Please don't drop me."

I lifted my large, ugly arm and lay the trembling girl on the soft, moist grass beside me. When she felt the ground beneath her, she looked at me for a moment... with a look as if she were searching for something. Then she beamed at me and began to cry. I was startled by this and before I could push away from her, the little seven year old had wrapped her baby arms around my neck and clung tightly.

"Thank you, Kyo." she whispered, then pulled back and took my arm. I realized she was still holding my beads in her other hand, I watched tensely as she slipped them upon my wrist.

The next thing I knew, I was outside her front door, exhausted from the rain and what had happened in the woods by my house. Kila stood before me, the orange cat plush still in her arms and in one piece. She gave my hand a squeeze, her way of hugging me without my transforming. With a sad smile, she disappeared into her house... where she would find her mother in a panic, screaming and ranting and not even noticing her daughter had come home. Finally, she resulted in hanging herself, right before Kila's eyes. Poor girl... she was all alone... I hadn't even been there for her. I had gone home to see about my own mother, leaving Kila to witness her mother's suicide. Knowing that the last words she spoke to her mother were... 'I hate you.'

I didn't know this at first, actually I didn't see her for another three days and it was on the day of my mother's funeral.

"You didn't have to come..." I murmured, letting her inside the front gate. She looked at me sadly, "I know... but..." She took my hand in hers, "I want you to know that I'm here for you"
I didn't meet her gaze, but I knew something was wrong. "My... my mommy died... too"
"What...?" my voice was a whisper, now I was looking at her intently and she didn't meet my gaze, "My mommy... she died... o-on the same night... as yours..."

I couldn't say anything, I couldn't even give her any comfort. Except for the gentle squeeze I gave her hand, no physical contact could be made. Hand in hand we walked through the crowd of my family members who stared at me in disbelief, I didn't cry at my mother's funeral... I couldn't. I had to be strong and I couldn't let Kila see me crack and break down. All day, people stared and whispered about me. Well, I was the cat whose mother just committed suicide and an outsider was holding the cat's hand and walking with him and not caring. I could feel Kagura's angry and hurt gaze on me. She was one of the only other zodiac members that came. Yuki, Hatsuharu, Momiji, and the younger ones hadn't bothered or just weren't allowed. Ayame, Hatori, Shigure, and Akito came though, much to my displeasure. I know he saw Kila with me and I knew he was angered, but I didn't care.

At his mother's funeral... he didn't even cry. Not one tear. Maybe if she didn't give birth to a child cursed by the cat. Maybe she'd still be with us...

I went outside, to get away from everyone. Kila and the stuffed cat came with me. I looked out at the pond, the smooth surface with no ripples and I knew that if I touched it's surface, it would break... like me... and Kila probably. We were enveloped in silence, neither knew what to say and it's not like we needed words to express how we were feeling.

Suddenly, I had the urge to scream, all the whispers and stares and comments and bad looks... I couldn't take it. "Shut up!" Kila backed away from me in alarm. "It's not my fault! It's not my fault"
"That's right... I know..."

I looked behind me with surprise at the new voice, but didn't let my scowl up. A man with long silver hair was kneeling beside me. Kila backed away some more, giving me more room. The man's eyes shone of kindness and understanding and this puzzled me, how could someone... of my family show me kindness and understanding? "It's nice to meet you... my name's Kazuma Sohma." he said softly.

I looked away once more, but I knew Kila was still looking at the man and clutching the stupid cat. "It's not my fault! It's not my fault"
"It's alright... It's alright. I know..."

I don't know why, but hearing these words... it made me break like the water. Tears gathered in my eyes, I sniffed and tried to brush them away. I didn't want anyone to see me crying. Especially this strange man and Kila.

"Kyo... If you'd like why don't you come live with me?"

What was I supposed to say? I had nowhere else to go... Wiping away the remaining tears with my sleeve, I decided that I would. I would live with this man who seemed to show some understanding of the guilt, pain, and torment going through me. I glanced at Kila, who was now off by the wall, gazing at me with concern. But beyond that I saw something else... the fear that she would lose me... when she needed me most. So I came up with a solution. The man agreed to it.

I began living with Kazuma shortly after my mother's death. He officially adopted me and since he was already a part of my family, the adoption process was fairly simple. However... with Kila it took quite some time. I refused to be taken in by Kazuma, unless Kila came too. She didn't want to be a burden, but I could see the joy and relief flood into her eyes at this. Apparently, Kila's father had to be contacted and approve of the adoption. But he didn't give a damn.

I was relieved that I got along great with Kazuma, whom I started calling master when I began my martial arts training, but even more so when Kila and him got along. Master couldn't cook very well, so often times Kila would cook for us or we'd order take out. Even though she was a girl, she enjoyed watching me train... but didn't really take it up herself. I couldn't see Kila doing this anyway.

Master seemed to enjoy her company as well, he could see that it made me happy. I'd never really had someone who accepted me the way they did, so it made me feel better. But there was a nagging thought in my mind... but I often chose to ignore it. Master would take us places, he let me go outside freely, not like my mom. I didn't have to sneak out to see my best friend either. A month after I began living with master, she did too. We lived like this, the three of us, for a year.For the first time in my life I was truly happy. But then Kagura and Yuki had to ruin it...

"You stay away from my beloved Kyo!" an eleven-year-old Kagura shrieked at an eight-year-old Kila.
"I-I'm sorry... but he's my friend... so... uh..." she stammered, backing away from the angry girl. "I'm sorry"
"No! No! No! Kyo is mine and you can't have him!"

I frowned, neither girl knew I was present, I was currently watching them from behind the wall surrounding the garden. None of the zodiac members had been pleased that an outsider was let in, let alone a girl who was friends with the cat. But they didn't know that she knew of our curse and I hoped they'd keep it that way. From behind me, I saw Momiji, Haru, and Yuki coming. I scowled, the stupid, sick rat-boy. He was always sick, I'm surprised that he was allowed to go out. The trio froze when they saw me, Haru smiled in greeting, Momiji waved, and Yuki just stared. I stared back angrily, and would've continued doing so if it weren't for the cry I heard.

Whipping around to face Kagura and Kila again, I gasped. The boar had pushed Kila so hard that she had fallen a few feet away. The crimson haired girl still held the cat close to her, but was dismayed that a seam had burst and stuffing poured out. Yet she said nothing in return to Kagura. But I did.

"Kagura!" I yelled angrily, storming over to her.
She didn't listen, "Would you still love him and hang out with him if you knew what he truly was"
I froze and began praying that Kila didn't say anything stupid, not in front of the rat. She stood up and glared at Kagura who continued on, "I'll always love Kyo! But if you saw what he truly was would you still love him? Would you"
"Of course I would, because I do! I accept it! I accept that he's the cat!" Kila screamed, clearly upset by this. "So shut up and leave him alone!"

She met my gaze, then it caused me to wonder what I looked like since confusion shone in her eyes, then realization hit her when she saw Yuki, Haru, and Momiji behind me. I turned and brushed passed the three of them ignoring Haru and Momiji's questions. But I saw the look on Yuki's face. It was accusing.

"Kyokyo! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! Please!" I heard her cry out from behind me, she was following me.
"You truly are a stupid cat..."

I turned abruptly, as did Kila, to see Yuki standing there glaring at me. I glared back, but then realized that wouldn't help any... so I let up a little and was pleading instead.

"Please... Yuki... don't... don't do it." I stated clearly, trying not to show my fear.
He continued to glare daggers at me, not even noticing Kila, "Stupid cat... I'm going to tell Akito. I'm going to tell him what you did. Then Hatori can erase her memories"
"No!" I shouted, "No, please don't Yuki"
"I will! Why should the cat, the outcast, the fool, get to keep a friend who knows of the curse when I can't! It's only fair"
I scowled, "Life's not fair! Deal with it"
"Kyo"
"No! Shut up Kila! I don't want to hear you now!" I yelled bitterly, not aware of what I was doing.
I wounded her deeply, "I'm sorry..."

With that, the little girl rose and ran, ran off to where master's dojo was. She left her stuffed cat, but it was practically destroyed now. I turned to face Yuki, who now seemed satisfied somewhat, then he turned and went in the direction of Akito's house.

"You dirty rat! It's the rat's fault! It's all his fault!" I collapsed to my knees, using my hatred for Yuki as an escape from my own self-hatred.

When I got back to master's dojo it was dark and late. He said nothing as I walked in, just looked at me. I said nothing either, but went straight for the room Kila and I shared. It was separated in the middle with a screen, but still one room. In my arms I held the remains of her cat, I had no memories of her without it. I always made fun of her because of it and told her not to take it everywhere, but she did. She was asleep. Fast asleep. Not wanting to disturb her, I left her side of the screen and went to mine.

All night... I was up all night sewing the stuffed cat together. Some stitches were misplaced and it didn't look the same, it was limp since some of the stuffing had been lost. But it looked like a cat, and I hoped it would make amends. I fell asleep at dawn, after placing the cat in the arms of who I thought to be my sister, my best friend.

It was late when I woke up, master informed me that it was 1:00 in the afternoon and he was impressed by how I had sewn the cat back together. I asked him if Kila showed him and he said yes, he also said that he saw me working on it last night. It then occured to me that Kila wasn't there.

"Master?" I asked, sitting down beside him.
"Yes Kyo"
"Where's Kila"
He looked at me, something sad seemed to linger there. "She's with Akito."

I didn't listen for the rest. Immediately I was on my feet and running, sprinting in the direction of Akito's house. The calls of my name came from master, but I was too far ahead. 'How could he?' I thought angrily, 'How could master just let her go?' She needed me, I could feel it. My feet pounding on the hard wood floor, I hadn't bothered to put my shoes on. Hatori and Shigure stood by the door.

"Kyo?" Shigure questioned, but I didn't stop.
Hatori tried to stop me, "Wait! Kyo you can't go in there!"

The door to Akito's room came into view and I threw it open and rushed in. I wasn't prepared for the sight that met me. Blood... droplets of blood scattered on the floor. Yuki was there, he was staring at something. There was a pounding in my ears. His eyes were wide, but he didn't move or say anything. There was fear in his eyes, but it left when he looked over at us when he heard Shigure gasp and Hatori murmur something. The pounding got louder. The trail of blood led to a dark haired boy, holding a screaming girl by her neck and banging her whole body against the wall. More blood was smeered on the wall. The pounding was coming from him. She was screaming, crying, calling... for me. I fell to my knees. Her eyes opened and her gaze met mine. So much pain. The cat lay on the floor, another stitch had burst.

I was vaguely aware of what happened next. All I remember seeing was Akito being dragged away by Hatori. Yuki staring. Kila limp, lying on the wooden floor. Shigure shaking his head and saying 'No' in disbelief. Then I felt someone put their arms around me. It was master. He began to say something to me but I couldn't hear it. All I heard was her apologizing, and the last thing I said to her... 'No! Shut up Kila! I don't want to hear you now!'

I cried. I cried more than I had at my mother's death. Hatori came back and he and master took her away. I couldn't protect her... I had sworn to protect her... to love her... I let her become injured like that. So much blood. More tears came from my crimson eyes. Kila... Please don't let go of me. Please don't drop me. I want you to know that I'm here for you. Well Kyo, I hope we can be friends. Kyokyo... why are you a cat? I'm sorry Kila...

I'm so sorry...


A/N: Well? Did you like it? Huh? I know I made Yuki sound a little... evil and mean here... but he totally regrets it later on! I'm sorry to Yuki fans, but hey wouldn't you be mad if your friends had their memories erased and your enemy's didn't? Please review and chapter three will be out momentarily! Chapter 3 is the last of Kyo's memories, in chapter four I hope to begin the present day stuff with Tohru and yeah... But it won't come unless you review!