Disclaimer: All creations of Fruits Basket are rightfully owned by Natsuki Takaya. I take no ownership of them. I'm just borrowing the adorable Furuba characters for my own purposes…

Salt - By Cherry Chibi

AN: Thank you everyone!!! I'm so happy!!! /smiles and dances around/ Please enjoy this chapter!!! Just a couple more facts…

Jyunsuina Senshi – Unlike the Jyuunishi Senshi, they have only 6 members who are known to the public and 6 shadow members whose identities are concealed. But for the sake of avoiding unnecessary confusion, only a few of the Jyunsuina Senshi will be named… 3 shadow members and 4 non-shadow members… I think. /nervous laugh/

- Chapter Two -

Footsteps sounded lightly over the floorboards. Ever since Tohru had entered the Honda Household, she had picked up a strange aura coming from it. She had also realised that unlike the busy streets of the town, the household was large and yet… so empty. It was a serene place and looked absolutely like a beautiful haven but it lacked the laughter and joy. As she followed Arisa along the verandah, several soft Sakura petals floated across their paths. "Where is everybody?" Tohru asked timidly. The household was so quiet that she was afraid of speaking too loudly.

"Everyone is busy doing their daily tasks." Arisa replied calmly, "Today, the Jyunsuina Senshi will be having a meeting. We're going to finalize the members of the clan's elite warriors." Something icy cold in Arisa's tone sent shivers throughout Tohru. Warriors? But if Arisa stated earlier that Tohru was going to be trained as one… did that mean she was also a warrior? There was not a possible chance that Tohru could picture herself as a violent type. As Tohru rummaged through her thoughts, she and Arisa came to a stop at the front of a shouji door. Knocking lightly, Arisa waited for a response.

"Come in."

"Lady Junko, I've brought Lady Tohru home." Arisa announced as she slid the door open. Slipping off her shoes, Arisa stepped into the well lit room that showed all the signs that this was Junko's workroom. When she entered, she realised that Junko wasn't the only one inside. Gazing around, she stifled a gasp.

'M… mum?! Hana?!' Towards the right hand side of the circle of people, Kyoko and Hana were seated beside Junko. Tohru then sat beside Arisa where the two empty spots were. There was a deafening silence for quite sometime before Junko continued to speak. The woman looked young, no older that her early 20s. She had jet black hair which flowed gracefully down her back and sharp silver tinged blue eyes. 'Lady Junko looks so beautiful…' Tohru thought as she observed the woman. 'But her beauty feels…'

"In this room, we have the members of the Jyunsuina Senshi. Remember each others names and faces well as in near future, you'll all be dependent on one another." Junko said. Looking up, her eyes fell onto Tohru, "And make sure that you take great care of young Tohru, for she is the heir to my position." Hearing those words, Tohru tried not to faint. Heir to be the Head of the Clan? How would she be able to take up such responsibility?

'I'll have to do my best.' She thought to herself.

"Six of you will be the shadows of this group and shall not identify your role in this circle to anyone outside." Junko continued, "You know who you are. Also, we have two new members." She raised a hand and gestured to two girls who looked rather timid. The first thing that Tohru picked up was that they were twins. "Their names are Mekou and Koume. Treat them kindly as they will play an essential role in this group."

- - - -

Night came swiftly like the birds soaring across the skies to reach home in time. Sweetly scented air fluttered through the opened windows of Tohru's room. "I never thought that my past would've been so great…" Tohru said softly as she looked up to the waning moon. For the rest of the afternoon after the meeting, she got introduced to the members and was told what she could and couldn't do. It turned out to be that she was a shadow member as well as the heir to the leader position. Hence, she was to be one of the most protected members of the family. Glancing over her shoulder, she could see the shadows of Hana and Arisa flickering through the rice paper screens.

Junko had assigned Hana and Arisa to be her body guards. There were many other instructions that Tohru had received as well. She was to study hard, train hard and was not to leave the walls of the household in night or day without Junko's consent. Even though she was being treated as a princess by everyone else, she felt like a caged being. But having so many care about her made her feel happier and cheered her up.

While looking out to the garden, a black shadow dashed across the tops of the household gates. Tohru blinked a couple of times. Had it been her imagination? Keeping a careful eye out, she tried to search for what the dashing shadow may have been. The sounds of cracking porcelain caught her attention. She spun around on her knees towards the shouji doors. The candle light that had been coming from Hana and Arisa's room was out. Standing up, she took a couple of steps towards their direction before freezing in her spot.

Light footsteps were coming from inside her dimmed room. 'No need to be scared… it's probably only your imagination.' The silence of the building didn't help her nerves. Fear almost engulfed her to the point of being paralyzed. 'I'll just go and see Hana and Uo… I'm sure they're just asleep.' Just as she was about to move, the same dashing shadow was seen from her peripheral vision. Someone was in her room.

Taking slow steps, the floorboards creaked underneath her feet. She made her way to the door. In a matter of seconds, she was sprinting towards it. Quickly, she opened it only to meet face to face with the familiar person. Before she could make even a cry, the man clasped a hand over her mouth, the sudden impacted pinned her against the wall and his other hand held a dagger that was firmly positioned at her neck. "Do not speak a word."

His voice was smooth and calm. In the night, it made him sound like a demon. His eyes glowed bright violet. The thing that Tohru immediately realised was that even though his was standing before her, he wasn't any closer than a head's width. When she moved slightly forward, he moved back slightly as well. When Tohru gave a nervous nod, he reluctantly released her mouth but remained holding the dagger against her flesh. Remembering slowly, Tohru knew that she had met him earlier in town.

With his free hand, the man made a hand gesture over his shoulder. It was then Tohru realised that there were others. Her heart was beating rapidly from fear and cold sweat emerged.

"Isn't it a pleasant surprise? Nice to meet you again." A blond haired boy appeared beside Tohru. He smiled brightly and for some reason, settled her nerves. Although at the present moment they were supposed to be enemies.

"Momiji, don't speak unless you need to." The guy who held her still stated in a very quiet tone.

"Aw… Yuki…" Momiji stopped when another person placed a hand on his head. He looked upwards.

"We have orders to take this girl back home as quickly as possible. Why don't we do that?" It was Haru. Compared to earlier, he was in a much better mood and his aura was completely different. "Let's go before the Jyunsuina realise that something is wrong." He smirked towards Tohru's direction. "Sorry but you're going to have come with us."

- - - -

She couldn't tell whether she was being treated as a captive or as a guest. As they moved, Haru was walking in front of them on guard while Momiji was beside her and Yuki was behind. 'I would've thought that they would tie me up and drag me there…' Tohru thought with amusement. It definitely was an unusual kidnapping. Nevertheless, she made the most out of the situation and enjoyed the crisp air. The other three guys occasionally threw strange glances in her direction but she took no notice of them.

"What's your name?"

"Excuse me?" Tohru looked up with surprise. Everything had been so silent that she had withdrawn into her own thoughts. So having someone suddenly speak was sort of like a shock.

"What's your name?" Momiji repeated with his friendly manner. "I'm Momiji!"

"Oh… I'm Tohru." Tohru replied.

"Tohru huh? It suits you!" Momiji started humming a tune, "Really suits the next Lady of the Honda clan. The other two are my cousins – Yuki and Haru. Don't worry, we're only taking you back home. Even though they might not look it, they're both really nice guys."

"You shouldn't say those things to an enemy." Yuki stated. "They won't believe you." However, he was cut off at the second sentence.

"Oh no! I'm sure that you're both very nice people! So… so… don't worry about that. Mum always told me that you should never judge people from rumours and… and…" Tohru stopped when she officially realised their glances.

"Hmph. Strange girl." Haru muttered under his tone.

"Aw… Tohru is so nice! Good thing that she's not one of the meany Jyunsuina!" Momiji said out loud.

Tohru laughed nervously. 'Yeah… not a Jyunsuina…' She would've corrected them on that but since she was a shadow member, she couldn't even breathe the words 'No, I am part of the Jyunsuina.' In her thinking, she didn't look at where was walking, that resulted in her not seeing the ditch that she would've walked over….

"Hey! Careful!"

"Huh? Argh!" Tripping over the ditch, she was too late to figure out a way to avoid what was going to happen next. However, just as she was falling, one of them had rushed up to her and broke her fall. What occurred to be out of the normal was the colourful puff of smoke and her finding that she was lying on top of a pile of clothing. "What-what happened?"

Looking around and then back down, she realised that there say a rat who was looking quite dazed. "Are you alright?" He questioned.

"..." Tohru stared at the talking rat for a while. There was a very uncomfortable pause that seemed to have stretched over quite a period of time. Usually, a reaction would be a scream and panic but not in this case. It was like an instinct feeling that told her what she needed to know. The first thing that came to mind was the story that she heard when she was being moved through time… the story of the curse. "Yes… I'm alright Yuki." She finally replied. "How about you?"

"You… You're not sickened by my state?"

"Uh-uh…" Tohru shook her head with a smile. "I'm worried about if you're hurt anywhere… are you?" Yuki shook his small head. She folded his clothing and gingerly picked him up with one hand while in the other she held his uniform. Looking up at the other two she said, "Well, if you need to take me back then let's go." She knew that whatever reason the Sohma Clan wanted to take her for, was probably having something to do with the feud. It was the moment she figured it out did she want to help stop the needless fighting.

Before they group could continue their travels, a tension in the air forced Haru to unsheathe his sword. Tohru took a hesitant step back wondering what could have made them react in such a way. Glancing over to Momiji, she picked up the fact that he was no longer going to be playing around for awhile.

"Momiji, escort Tohru to the household… I'll deal with this." Haru said calmly.

"Okay." Momiji then tugged at Tohru's sleeve. "Let's go."

"I don't think that would be necessary. After all, I'm here for the girl." In amidst the dark streets, the tough voice called. A putrid smell rose and once it sifted into the pits of Tohru's stomach, she felt like running to a corner and throwing up. Her knees weakened underneath her and she gave in.

"Scum like you shouldn't even dare show your face to the world." Haru stated as he assumed fighting stance. "As ever, you're disgusting." There was a painful silence after that. As if words were the most useful tactic. After the pause, a menacing laughter was hearing. The echoes bounced off the walls of nearby buildings and multiplied as they pounded the ears of the group.

'Who… who could it be? I… I feel… so….' Tohru was struggling for clean air. Never had she come across a smell like it. It scared her. The scent was multiple times worse than the smell of vomit almost like… something… 'Something dead.' Tears coated her eyes from the stinging sensations. As moments passed, all sounds were muffled. Except for the painstakingly resonances of footsteps. Not just anyone's but his.

"Tohru… Tohru… are you alright? Come on… you can stand up…" Momiji was shaking her shoulder and trying to reach her. His eyes were masked with worries. Looking down at the grey rat, Momiji asked, "What should we do?"

A puff of smoke and the rat returned to human form. Thankfully, it seemed as though Tohru didn't realise since she was 'out of it'. Yuki quickly got dressed and as he did so he replied to Momiji's question. "We'll have to carry her to a safe spot."

Tohru was in her own world. Her senses in reality were far from being able to feel anything. 'There's hate… so much of it. If only I could heal it… I'm sorry…' Why was she apologizing? She didn't do anything wrong. 'Kyo…'

His name. She knew his name. However, as her mind sounded it, there was a great pain within her chest. Staring up to the empty sky, tears were forming and creating the stars.

"Damn you! I'm here to get Lady Tohru back!"

"Not a chance."

- - - -

AN: Another chapter completed. Hope you all enjoyed it as much as I have on writing it! Now, hope you all remember the warning I gave you all earlier… I'm using all the time I have to get some good ideas for the plot. Hehehehe…

Until next time!

Cherry Chibi.