Fruits Basket:

Curse Renewed

Written by: shardingtoby

Book One: Reawakening

Chapter One: The Cat and the Riceball

Kyo Sohma walked quietly up the steps of his Tokyo city apartment. As he was going to the mailbox, he took the time to say good evening to the apartment manager as he and his wife left for an evening out on the town. It was Friday afternoon and the newly wed had put in a full weeks work at his Master's dojo. All afternoon he had taught classes, and his last one had just ended only twenty minutes ago. As he pulled out his keys to check the mailbox he smiled slightly at the thought of finally coming home for the weekend. He was quite certain that his wife would be at the door like always waiting to give him a huge hug and a kiss, like she did everyday. He smiled again as he pulled out some small envelopes from the box and then walked over to the door to the steps, because once again the elevator was out in their small building.

Meanwhile Tohru Sohma, his young nineteen year- old wife was in the kitchen of their small one bedroom apartment, trying to decide on what to make for dinner. Her cat Kyoko walked up to her and began to rub her legs reminding her that it was almost time for her dinner as well.

"I know," she giggled placing her hand on the cat's head, "I know. I see you there" she smiled as she pulled a can opener out of the drawer and a small can from off the counter, "I'll feed you first."

Just as she had placed the food down she heard the familiar sound of Kyo's key in the door and hurried over to greet him. Just as he suspected as soon as he came into the door, Tohru flung her arms around him, embracing him tightly, and then lightly kissed him on the cheek. He smiled and kissed her back on the lips and then closed the door.

"I got to tell ya" he replied with a grin as he took off his shoes, "I love coming home everyday."

"Did you have a good day Kyo?" Tohru asked as she returned to the kitchen."

"It was a little rambunctious around the dojo today" he said with a shrug of his shoulders as he sat down at the kitchen table, "We started a new class for students as young as six and seven. It was actually Kunimitsu's idea, but since he was out of town today, I took over all of his classes as well as my own."

"How did that go?" she asked as she finally picked something and pulled some cod from the fridge.

"I guess it went okay. But six and seven year olds can be a lot harder to teach sometimes. They don't always focus. Oh thanks" he nodded as she gave him a glass of milk, "They sort of remind me of that silly little rabbit when he was that age."

"Oh yes Momiji" Tohru replied with a smile, "I wonder how his trip is doing? I forgot to ask Hideto this afternoon and I meant to."

"He's still on that trip of his?" Kyo asked with a raise of his eyebrows as he sat his glass back down, "It's been at least two months hasn't it since he left?"

"He must be having a good time" Tohru said as she placed the fish in the oven, "I think the last time I actually saw him was just before he left. Right after we came back from our honeymoon remember?"

"Yea" Kyo nodded remembering fondly, "It seems like so long ago. Or maybe because we both have been working a lot lately."

"Mhm" she replied, "But Hideto is going away to a conference for a week, so he gave me the same week off."

"That's great. But what are you going to do?" Kyo said after.

"I probably will work on some of the improvements to the apartment that we talked about."

"All by yourself?"

"It's not that big of a deal" she said placing the two plates of dinner on the table and then sitting down in her chair, "Besides Uo will be back from her shoot next week and she, Hana, and I have discussed getting together one of those days."

"That should be good" Kyo nodded, "Oh by the way. I'm all clear for tomorrow. Since I took over Kunimitsu's classes today, he promised to take over the two I had scheduled for tomorrow."

"Great" Tohru smiled, "Grandmother and Grandfather will be so pleased that you can come. They have been trying to get us to visit for a long time now."

"Okay" Kyo nodded again, "We'll leave first thing in the morning and spend the whole day there. Sounds good to me" he grinned.

"Me too" Tohru said smiling back.

Kyo reached down and petted Kyoko's head since she was rubbing against his legs, and thought that life couldn't get any better than this.

(Next Scene)

The next morning Tohru woke up bright and early and saw, that unlike most Saturdays that Kyo was lying right next to her. She smiled as she leaned down and kissed him lightly on the lips. He smiled but didn't open his eyes. Instead he just squeezed her tightly.

"Good morning kitten" he replied as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Good morning" Tohru blushed as he called her by the nickname he had given her on their honeymoon, "It's so nice to see you lying next to me on a Saturday. It's like we're still on our honeymoon."

"If only" he replied sitting up and stretching, "I would give anything to have the peace and quiet we had in Kyoto that whole week."

"Maybe we should plan another trip sometime" she said standing up from the bed and walking over to their closet to pick out her outfit for the day.

"Yea" he agreed as he watched her, "That would be fun" he stretched again and then rose from the bed, walking into the bathroom and closing the door, as she slipped the dress over her head.

The teal dress flowed around her as she walked out into the living room, and to her desk where the picture of her mom sat smiling like always.

"Good morning mom" she replied cheerfully as Kyoko jumped up onto the desk, and Tohru pulled a brush from out of the desk drawer.

She glanced over onto the small mantle that Kyo had placed up and smiled again at the portrait of all their parents. Despite having Rei Sohma in the photograph, Kyo treasured the picture as much as Tohru did and insisted that it be the only photo on the shelf.

"Good morning to you to father" she whispered, "And you, Sakura" she added to Kyo's mother, who she felt a closeness to since the day she had married Kyo.

Once more she turned to the desk and placed the brush back inside the drawer. Before closing it she happened to glance down at the other articles that the drawer contained. There was a small journal that looked ancient and Tohru fingered it for a moment with a thoughtful look. For the journal was the very same that had helped solve the Zodiac curse only three months prior. It was this book that had allowed Tohru to take a journey through the past, and even though it wasn't the true cat's journal, Tohru had always felt connected to it. The strangest thing about the book is that even though it had been left in Tai Ushida's mansion, it had somehow ended back in Tohru's possession thanks to Yuki Sohma, a very dear and close person to Tohru's heart. Yuki had discovered it amongst the wedding presents at Shigure's house and had given it to Tohru himself. As she thought about him, her thoughts turned to how he was doing at the moment, for it had been several months since she had seen him as well.

Yuki, after much debate with Machi Kuragi his girlfriend had moved temporarily with her to Paris, France while she pursued her art career. Since Akito Sohma, the former head of Zodiac was no longer the same tyrant he once was, Yuki had the freedom at last to quit school like he wanted, and to find his own special gift in the world. Tohru smiled once more, as she glanced down at the other item in the drawer. This time she frowned a little as she fingered the object, for it was the cat's bracelet. The very bracelet that Kyo had been burdened to wear since he was four. For it was the bracelet, which contained the other form, his true form, that he once was cursed to be. Since the removal of the Zodiac curse, Kyo had given the bracelet to Tohru and had asked her to get rid of it, but for some reason no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't. Something told her to keep it. She wasn't sure what, but she was certain that getting rid of it like he wanted her to, would be one of the biggest mistakes of her life. As she stood there, Kyo came out of the bedroom, all ready to go, but stopped when he saw her distant stare.

"Tohru sweetie" he replied softly making her snap back, "Are you all right?" he asked concerned.

"Yes" she nodded closing the door fast and turning to him, "I was just thinking about things" she walked over to him and took his arm, "So are you ready to go?"

"Uh huh" he nodded still worried, "Are you sure that you're all right?"

"Mhm. I'm fine" she pointed to the clock, "We had better hurry. Or we'll be late."

"Okay" he agreed to drop the subject for the moment, "Let's go."

She nodded with a smile and the two of them walked out the door.

(Next Scene)

Meanwhile a tall boy with hair that hung in his violet eyes hopped off the bus and gazed around him, taking in all the sights around him and smiled. He shouldered his bag and then began to walk away from the city. He walked until he was near the suburbs, and finally came to a stop at a cobbled walkway, staring at the small house that lay before him and smiled.

"It's good to be home" Yuki grinned.

(Till Next Time)