The next morning Tohru was in the kitchen organizing her cabinets so she could find everything. The twins were with her sitting in their high chairs and playing with their favorite toys. Kyoko, the cat was lying on the floor cleaningherself carefully.The night before Hatsuharu, Momiji, and Kyo had told her all about the plan to get everything down to the new house, including the cat Kyoko who had hopped into one of the boxes and Kyo had carefully carried her out to the van with the lid open enough so she could breathe. Tohru laughed when she heard that Kyoko, as Kyo was driving had climbed out of the box and jumped up onto the passenger seat to sit beside him as his companion the whole way down to Kyoto. As she placed another dish in it's proper place Kyo came into the room and patted the twins each on their head.
"Tohru honey. What are you doing?"
"Putting everything where I can find it" she replied.
"What? I didn't put everything where it belongs?" he asked teasing her.
"No. I just like it where I can get to it easier."
"Okay" he nodded, "Well feel free to change whatever you want. I know you like things a certain way. But you do like the furniture right?"
"I love the furniture" she smiled as she walked over and put her arms around him, "But what happened to our old furniture?"
"It's back at the house in Tokyo. Haru said it would be the best way so we wouldn't have to go back to the house."
"Well it makes sense" she nodded pulling away and going back to her task, "I still can't believe you pulled it off."
"Neither can I?"
"What are you doing today?"
"Haru, Momiji, and I are going to do more repairs to the dojo today. What about you?"
"I'm helping Yuki to look for a place for him and Machi when she comes back. The twins will be over with your Master again so Kunimitsu is very excited. He loves having them around."
"I know" Kyo nodded, "He's like a big kid. Which made him a good teacher for students."
"You're going to rehire him aren't you?"
"Yea. Considering if he stays here."
"I'm sure he will."
"Probably. Well I'm off. Actually you know what I can take the twins over there for you."
"No it's all right. Your Master is coming to get them himself. So I need to get them ready."
"Oh okay" Kyo nodded again kissing her on the cheek, "See ya later!"
"Bye" she replied and then turned to the twins who looked up at her with their big brown eyes, "Okay you two. Time to get you ready to see your grandfather" she picked up Katsuya from his chair and he giggled trying to snatch at her hair as she did.
(Next Scene)
About a half an hour later Tohru and Yuki departed the house from the front door and headed out to the sidewalk when they heard a strange voice calling them.
"Yoo hoo! Yoo hoo!"
They turned to look and saw that a twenty-something year old woman was walking towards them. Her curly blond hair bounced as she walked and her teal blue eyes sparkled as she smiled.
"Well hello there" she took Tohru's hand and shook it, "You must be the new neighbors. You know my husband and I were beginning to wonder if anyone would ever vacate that old place."
"Uh yes. I'm Tohru Sohma."
"And you must be her wonderful husband" the woman replied.
"Uh no" Yuki shook his head, "Actually I am her husband's cousin, Yuki Sohma."
"Oh I am sorry. I just assumed since you both make such a nice couple."
"Uh thank you "Yuki nodded," Forgive me but who are you?"
"Oh where are my manners" the woman grinned sheepishly, "I am Yukari Kamiya. I live next door. My husband and I. Tell me have you been here long?"
"Just a few days" Tohru said.
"Oh well you are going to love the neighborhood. Say did you say Sohma?"
"Uh yes mam" Yuki nodded again.
"Well isn't that just the strangest thing. Your family must be known for vacant places."
"Huh?"
"Did you know that about twenty minutes from here there is a large estate that bears your family name?"
"No" they both shook their heads astonished.
"Oh yes. It's a large place. Assuming it's the same family. You know there could be many Sohma's in Japan."
"As far as I know, Sohma is a pretty common name, but we will check itoutjust the same" Yuki said.
"You do that. And Tohru do stop by any time for a visit."
"I will Mrs. Kamiya" Tohru nodded a bit as she shook her hand rigorously again.
"No. No. It's Yukari, Tohru. After all we're neighbors now" she grinned.
"Okay" Tohru nodded as she walked back to her house.
"Weird woman" Yuki replied with a raise of his eyebrows, "And it could be my imagination but she seemed a little bit nosy."
"It wasn't your imagination. Do you want to go see what she was talking about?"
"Yea" Yuki nodded, "I am curious now. We can go look at it while we're looking for a place for me."
Tohru nodded and then the two of them began their walk around town.
(Next Scene)
Meanwhile in the dojo Kyo and the others were still preparing the floors of the building. A tall man with brown hair and a cheery disposition stuck his head through the doors.
"You boys need any help!" he called making them look up from their work.
"Kyo you got company," Haru said softly so Kyo stood up and walked over to shake the man's hand since he was holding out.
"Hi."
"Hi I am Raizo Kamiya. I live next door."
"I'm Kyo Sohma. Those are my cousins Hatsuharu and Momiji."
"Hello boys!" the man waved energetically, "I was wondering if I could help you?"
"Uh sure. We're just trying to put this place together" Kyo nodded, "We're opening a dojo here."
"No kidding. You know this place I heard used to be a dojo once upon a time."
"I know" Kyo said with another nod of his head, "My Master actually ran it, when he lived down here."
"I think it is so nice, you opening up a business here. You know my wife and I were just saying to each other the other day that it has been so long since we've had new neighbors. But you seem like such nice folks" Kyo handed him a hammer, "So are you from the city?"
"Uh yes" Kyo said wondering why the man was talking so much.
Haru and Momiji grinned from where they were working at Kyo's expression.
"Got tired of all those people. Needed to be in a place with more space?" he simplified with a smile.
"Uh something like that" Kyo said not really sure why he had answered.
To him his new neighbor seemed very nosy and constantly kept talking about the neighborhood, and asking even more questions, until it finally got to the point that Kyo had tuned him out a little and just tried to concentrate on finishing his hammering.
(Next Scene)
At that same moment Yuki and Kyo were gazing at the estate that Mrs. Kamiya had told them about. The gate to the estate was fenced so they could see the house at a distance. On the walls that were crumbling because of age, the Sohma name was engraved in Kanji writing. But the thing that made Tohru and Yuki remain staring at it longer than they would have was the feeling they both got from the place.
"Doesn't it seem familiar?" Tohru replied.
"I was thinking the same thing" Yuki nodded, "I mean if you could imagine that the road behind us wasn't there" he moved back and pointed it out.
"Uh huh?"
"And all those houses were trees and a lot of land, I would say this place would be very familiar indeed."
"You're thinking the same thing as I am aren't you?"
"Yea" he nodded moving back towards the gate, "But there is no way of really knowing unless we got inside. I wonder if anyone at the main house has a key to this place."
"Can I help you?" an older gentleman with a cane asked as he past by.
"Oh no. We were just admiring the place" Yuki shook his head.
"Beautiful isn't it? What's your interest in it?"
"Oh we were told about it, from my new neighbor" Tohru replied.
"Yea I am Yuki Sohma" Yuki added.
"Oh. A Sohma eh? That would be a reason. Your family used to live in that house. But for a long time ithasbeenvacated."
"How long exactly?" Yuki asked.
"Oh I was but a small boy when they left it. I am nearly ninety-five years old now."
"So almost a hundred years ago."
"More than likely. I heard that they all moved up to Tokyo. That place has been vacant ever since. No one has gone into the gate and no has come out for at least as long as I can remember."
"Do you know how long the Sohma's lived in it?" Yuki asked.
"Oh. My grandfather told me that the Sohma's resided in that land for a long time. In fact he said that their family started in Kyoto and that place was once a castle ruled by lords, princesses and princes. Of course they are old stories when I was a kid. But my grandfather swears by it. Are you a Sohma too?" he asked turning to Tohru with a smile.
"Only through marriage" Tohru nodded, "But thank you."
"Your welcome. And welcome to Kyoto. Perhaps we will see each other again" he moved past them slowly.
"Perhaps so" Yuki nodded, "Thank you."
The old man nodded as he moved slowly down the walk and Tohru and Yuki looked back at the main house behind the gate.
"Then you were right" Tohru replied, "This is the place."
"I knew I felt something familiar" he said moving away from the bars, "Come on. I'm sure there is much more to see in Kyoto then this."
She nodded and followed him down the sidewalk towards the busier part of town.
(Next Scene)
Later that evening they all gathered in the sitting room for another one of Tohru's delicious meals. She was telling Kyo all about the small part of Kyoto that they had moved to.
"All the schools are right next to each other. And it's a lot easier to move around then it was Tokyo."
"Everything is right there" Yuki nodded, "I mean all your shopping can be done right in the small section of town."
"There's even a park with a pond and everything. It's beautiful. I want to take the twins there."
"Sounds good" Kyo nodded with a smile as she finished, "But no luck finding a place for him?" he indicated Yuki.
"We sort of got distracted" Yuki replied as Tohru looked at him.
"Distracted by what?" Kyo asked.
"I'll show you."
(Next Scene)
About twenty minutes later the five of them were standing in front of the estate once more. Momiji's eyes had at once became when he saw the place.
"This is incredible," he gasped.
"What do you mean?" Kyo asked as Haru nodded his head.
"I mean. Tohru. Yuki. You guys feel it too don't you?" he said turning to them.
"Yes we do" Tohru replied as Yuki nodded.
"Feel what?" Haru asked scratching his head.
"This is in fact the Sohma estate of the past but" Yuki replied, "It's also the very place where the dreams were."
"The foretelling dreams you guys had before we were married?" Kyo asked, "You mean the ones that led you to the answer to the Zodiac curse?"
"Yes."
"No way."
"He's right Kyo" Momiji nodded, "This is the place. I could never forget it."
"Mhm" Tohru agreed, "This is the place where it happened. It may have been many, many years ago but this is the place where Princess Takara resided."
"Where the Lord Yotaro fought against Hayoto Ushida" Yuki added.
"Uncanny" Haru grinned, "And this is our family's property? How long has it been empty?"
"Well according to one of the local people who is about ninety-five so I would take his word, it's been empty for almost a hundred years. But before that, he said according to his grandfather that the Sohma's resided in these walls for many generations."
"They must have" Momiji smiled widely, "That was during the feudal era. Remember?"
"Mhm" Yuki and Tohru nodded as the rest of them stared up at the gate in awe and still a bit of confusion.
(Next Scene)
Ichirou Nakagami sat on the leather couch fingering his glass as he informed Tai Ushida about the latest news concerning Kyo and Tohru. Riku was sitting near reading a magazine and listening to the conversation.
"As far as I have seen" Ichirou replied, "They haven't even left the walls of the Sohma estate. I can't figure out why they haven't gone home yet. It's been three weeks."
"Oh well that is easy" Tai said with a sneer as Riku moved uncomfortably in his seat, "The last e-mail I sent was quite threatening. They are remaining behind those walls because they think they are safe. Don't worry they will make their appearance soon. Especially if we remove the worry."
"What do you mean?"
"You don't have to sit in front of that gate anymore Ichirou" Tai replied, "I won't have the other car sitting there either. Soon they will think they are safe and they will come out. Of course there is the other possibility that they don't have anywhere to go. I mean you did say he was selling off some of their items to some family members."
"Yes."
"He is probably barely making ends meet" Tai grinned taking a sip of his drink, "I mean the dojo is closed. He didn't sell it."
"He didn't?" Riku asked, "Why?"
"He's stubborn that's why."
"That sounds a bit suspicious to me."
"No trust me. It's his personality. Besides I checked up on that. He sold all his company's furniture and supplies to a company that deals with selling it to other companies."
"Where?"
"In Kyoto. If you really want to know, you could always ask your family if they have heard from them."
"No I couldn't" Riku shook his head, "I am not welcome in that house anymore remember?"
"Right" Tai stood up.
"So what do we do now?" Ichirou asked as Tai looked out the large window at the night stars.
"Well the first part of my plan worked" he said, "Now it's time to put the others into play."
"The second part?" Riku asked.
"Not the second" Tai shook his head with a grin, "The second part of my plan was put into play a long time ago."
"What?"
"What part?"
"Someone else is dealing with it. All you both really need to know that is that the Zodiac curse will once more make it's appearance" he chuckled menacingly on the last line as Riku and Ichirou looked at each other curiously.
(Next Scene)
October 25Tohru found Kyo once more in the dojo finishing up on repairs. Every day for a month he and Kunimitsu had worked their fingers to the bone to complete it. Hatsuharu and Momiji had returned to the city to go back to work. Yuki spent his days taking his classes and dealing with the financial aspect of the business. As Tohru neared him with his glass of water, she could see that the dojo was really starting to come together.
"It looks good in here" she replied handing him the glass.
"Yea" he nodded putting the paintbrush down and taking the glass, "It really does" he took a sip, "Thanks for this."
"No problem" she nodded, "I can't believe you're almost finished it. And it only took you a month."
"Yea. Well it will still be a few more months till we open he doors."
"So. You told me it would be in January. You know new year. New business."
"You're right" he nodded sitting down and taking her hand, pulling her down into his chest and embracing her, "You know I was thinking, while I was working today."
"What?"
"I really feel at home here" he replied, "I mean we have been here onlya month. True we have some very nosy and interesting neighbors."
Tohru chuckled and nodded.
"But I still feel at ease in this place. Like we were always meant to come here."
"I know what you mean" she nodded again, "I feel good in this place too."
"I know we'll always miss Tokyo. But something tells me that Kyoto might be the perfect fit for us" he stood up and watched as the rain began to fall outside, leaning against the doorpost.
"Yea" she agreed standing next to him and placing her arms around him, "I agree. This is the perfect place to raise our family."
"This is where we belong" Kyo nodded and then turned to her looking down into her eyes, "This is where we will stay."
"This is where we will stay" she agreed with a smile and then leaned up to kiss him lightly on the lips.
(Till Next Time)
Authors Note: Okay! I am finally wrapping it up! One more to go! Oh and if you are wondering about the Sohma estate that they have found, it is going to play a major role later in the series!
Next Chapter:
Chapter Nineteen: Jinto and the Zodiac
What is Jinto Kanzaka, Kagura's husband's link to the Zodiac curse and why is he involving himself with the Sohma's? Find out in this the last chapter of Book One!