A/n: Just a creative stretch, really. This is a two-parter I came up with when I was bored. Yes, a two parter (ehehe, I'm too lazy to write a huge one-shot, forgive me.). :P

Unfortunately, since I don't have the 6th volume in my possesion, so I couldn't dicipher what the differences were between the anime and the manga. Bear with me, I'm trying my darned well bestest. ;P

REVIEW PLEASE! (How original) This is my best work yet, and I really, really want feedback.

Also, this took forever to write, so don't expect the next segment for a while. I will try to put up a chapter of "Festival of Lights" every week, however, so at least you have something to look forward to.

Finally, I feel inclined to mention that I have my own Fruits Baskets forums. It's my homepage link on my profile, and we only have 7 members so far. Please try to join and be active! XD I'm evil.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket, or any of the said characters. I do own a lot of their merchandise though, and those proceeds go toward paying Natsuki Takaya's bills. Ah, it's always great to help out with a good cause. XD

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thinking back to that day, I realise that the one thing that could have torn us apart just brought us closer together.

It was raining that day. Not only did an ominous cloud hover above the house, but appeared to enter the inside as well. At the time, I would have thought that it was just the weather, but every creak of the house, and the movements of it's occupants seemed to reflect the same melancholy. There was a lot of whispering of up coming events; hushed voices talking solemnly behind closed doors. I heard fragments of the conversations, but not enough to piece together any substancial meaning. Besides, my mother told me it was wrong to spy, so I quickly felt guilty for listening and disposed of whatever I had heard.

I was preparing dinner when Shishou approached me with a list of groceries, and asked me if I could pick them up. I agreed of course, then grabbed my pink umbrella and headed out. I figured that it was an important Sohma discussion: maybe someone in the family had died, or there was something (another thing) that they didn't need any outsiders knowing. Either way, I knew it was not my place to pry in other's business, so I put it out of my head and concentrated on the road ahead of me.

It didn't take long to get to the store. I went through each aisle absentmindedly, picking out the things we needed and then crossing them out in purple pen on the list. The store wasn't busy; I had a nice but hollow discussion with the cashier before grabbing my lone plastic bag and heading home.

While I was in the store the rain had started to fall, so I grabbed my umbrella with my left hand and held the bag in my right. The cold crept up from the ground, nipping at my toes and permeating throughout my skirt. I wished that I had worn something other than sandals and a mini, or had a least brought my coat.

Coming up the familiar dirt road I could hear a voice: a low pitched boom resounding off the trees and making its way to me. It was too hard to make out at the moment, but as I got closer I could tell something important was happening. For a minute I thought I should go back to the store, but I figured if they didn't want me there they would send me back out for something, and so I pushed on.

Turning the corner, I caught sight of Kyo and Shishou.

"If that is the case, I will grasp your hand as you try and run; Will you lose everything or not? I will lead you to the final answer. Kyou, is your life just a sad story that ended long ago?"

I had never seen so much fear paint Kyo's face. Shishou ripped off his beads in one swift motion, throwing them to the side and letting them fall, clanging with the pebbles once gravity had pushed them to the ground. Sorrow immediately struck Shishou's face, and I knew that this had hurt him, and Kyo, deeply.

"No!"

All I saw was light, and a long, skeletal creature ran into the foreboding woods, saying things about being unaccepted in a loud, demented voice. I just stood there in awe, feeling miles away, isolated from everyone. My mind blanked. Had that been Kyo? I couldn't be, but then why was I so compeled to run after it, whatever it was.

I dropped my favorite umbrella and the groceries, crushing the eggs inside it.

I dashed thorugh the trees as fast as I could, dodging over and through every branch in my way. It was misty and damp, and the only thing that lead me in the right direction was the scratched bark on the trees and the broken branches and twigs hanging limply off their counterparts.

I kept up my pace for a while but slowly came to a stop. My mind was still blank, despite the swiftness in my step. I finally broke down, falling to the ground and hang onto the nearby tree for dear life. Tears took the same motion, raining down my face and clashing with the already damp earth.

...and I sat there until unfamiliar lights lit up the baneful forest. Footsteps approached me, but I had no will to run from them.

"Wow... this looks terrible," a malevolent, spine-tingling voice said. "Serves you right. What can you possibly know of the Sohma family. Do you know how dreadful the curse is? I can only live a very short amount of time. That's how it is if you accept the Jyuunishi curse."

He inched closer behind me, and I could feel his icy breath tickle the back of my neck and freeze the tip of my ear lobe. It made every hair on my body stand on end, and made my heart sink lower into the cold, wet pool of despair. At that moment I felt alone and suddenly the second family that I had come to love, trust and cherish was ripped away from me, replaced by a piercing and empty silence.

"Why was everyone looking up to you? Could they have hoped that you could save the Sohma family? I'm not going to let you do this easily... I'm going to make you regret it even more, that you became involved with the Sohma family."

And with the last, biting sentence still etching itself into my heart, he turned around, got into the raven car and drove off, without uttering another word. I no longer had the will to move on and meet Kyo, in whatever form, face-to-face, or to turn aroundand go backwithout him. Slowly, I picked my vacant soul up off the ground and headed west, to the only place where I felt I was or ever had been loved.

The wind bit at me as I walked towards my mother's gravesite, but I paid no attention. Tears streamed down my face, igniting with the bitterness in the air and only causing me more pain. It didn't matter anymore: nothing mattered anymore.

I fell to the side of my mother's resting place, and wept until I heard footsteps coming up the walkway. I distantly heard Uo and Hana's voice, but was too disorientedto greet them.

"Why did you call me out here to Kyoko's grave?"

"I felt something was... wrong."

"Tohru..." Uo said, astonished to find my limp soul hanging onto my mother's grave, crying bitterly. She reached out to embrace me, but was knocked out of the way by Saki.

"What the hell? Hana..."

"You can't!"

"Why not?" Uo asked outraged.

"Because, because Tohru has somewhere she needs to be!"

I felt dirty, unclean in my mind and in my soul. I had come to love Kyo, not only as his friend but a brother, maybe even more. How could I abandon him in his time of need? I was raised better than this! How would he ever be able to forgive me if I can't love every part of him back. Mom, what should I do...

"Just be yourself..."

Memories of such words only made me cry harder.

You say to be myself, but what ifwhat I have to say wouldhurt him? Wouldn't you care if I didn't love every part of you? I'm afraid...that if I am too upfront and just speak whatever I feel in my heart, he will come to resent me.

"If it's you...even if you whine about things...or be too blunt, I don't mind. It's ok to show your weak side."

Kyo...?

"If there's something on your mind...come and talk to me about it. I'll listen to your problems."

Kyo!

"Hana, get out of my way!"

"No! Tohru has a task she needs to fulfill!" Hana said, charging Uo once again with full force and turning to face me. "You have somewhere you need to be! Tohru, go to it, and go now!"

I picked myself out of the dirt, and slowly but surely made my way back by following my former footsteps engraved in the muddy earth. I felt no stronger or more at ease, but something that Hana had said just clicked inside my brain and restarted the warmth in my heart. He needs me now, and maybe, just maybe if I go to him now he'll forgive me for all my imperfections. And I shall forgive him for his.I know now that it's the only way to fill the void in my heart, and restore peace in my home. Restore peace in my family...

"Tohru..." Hana whispered, letting go of the tears built up in the rims of her dark, purple eyes. Uo dropped downand wrapped her arms aroundher, a warm hug of a friend amidst thedevastating atmosphere.

"She'll be alright..."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hoped you liked it so far! As I have said, give me a pretty big expanse of time for the second part, okie dokie?

Also (IMPORTANT): I'll put up the second part in about a month, give or take. First I'll put it up as a second chapter for about a week, than transfer it into the the first and create a huge one-shot! Okie dokes?

Thanks for reading! Review please, for the button on the bottom left of the page is there for a reason. Who knows, if I get a lot of reviews I might feel in the mood to write (poke, poke).

Love Ya! (creepy right?)