Fruits Basket: Legend of the Zodiac
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply. Slight TB/Fruba X-over. This chapter has very little to do with fruba, but from this point on, we begin meeting the other Hondas, and there will be a lot more action.
Chapter 4: Enter the Cat
Previously, on Fruits Basket: Legend of the Zodiac…
Enishi smiled as his body vanished in a storm of black feathers. "No. I want to fight you again when you're not about to collapse from exhaustion, Phoenix of Honda. I want to see your precious Knights squirm when I feed your soul to the Raven, then I will destroy your precious Zodiac, and purge this earth of her tormentors, Humankind!"
"Keep dreaming, Enishi!" Tohru yelled, "As long as the Phoenix exists, the Knights of the Zodiac will not allow you to destroy mankind! Until the Phoenix ceases to exist, mankind will continue to flourish!"
The mariboshi disappears and Tohru falls on one knee, supporting herself with the kodachi, breathing heavily. "Kuso," she gasped and fell forward.
The last thing she remembered before falling into darkness was Yuki's worried cry of, "Honda-san!" and Hatori's worried face as he caught her before she smashed into the ground…
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Kotori and Megumi had rushed over to Shigure's house from the Main Estate once Megumi heard Tohru's muttered, "Kuso," knowing that the Head of Honda had finally faced off with Enishi, the Sakurazukamori's second in command, and was in need of the Ryuu's healing abilities.
Three hours later, Tohru was sleeping peacefully, one of her twin kodachis sheathed beside her, a packet of tobeikunai under her pillow, and a pile of ofuda beside the pillow. Kotori left the phoenix's room and smiled at the worried Sohmas in front of her.
"She's fine, just exhausted. A little sleep, and tomorrow, she'll be as good as new," Kotori reassured them. She frowned slightly, "The stress was too much for her, that's all. No one expected the Raven to wait so long to attack after delivering his threat."
"Wait a minute," Kyo snapped, "You mean you Hondas knew this would happen, and didn't warn us?"
Megumi glared at him and said in a cool and deadly voice, "Ahou ga. It was Omnyoujitsu business. The threat was sent from one Zodiac Omnyoujitsu family to another Zodiac Omnyoujitsu family. We only told Tohru because the threat was sent as a challenge to the Phoenix of Honda. There was no real reason to involve the Sohmas since no direct referral was made to your family. All that the letter said was "Death to the Zodiac," not "Death to the Sohmas." Unless a direct referral to the family was made, the most we could have done was wait and watch. There are rules governing how far into their affairs an Onmyoujitsu family can bring a civilian family, ahou ga. Next time, think about that before you start yelling at people, baka."
Kotori placed a hand on Megumi's shoulder and said, "We have to let Sumeragi-sama know about Tohru's condition and that you know at least a small poprtion of the nature of the Zodiac. According to the rules that govern Omnyouji, if a civilian family discovers the identity of a Guardian, the nearest Guardian must stand watch if the discovered Guardian cannot. I have to let Sumeragi-sama know about this so Megumi will stay. I wish things could be different, but we have no say in the matter. This is just how things are supposed to be."
Kotori opened the door, stopped, and called over her shoulder, "Oh, Megumi, call me if there's any change in Tohru's condition, and don't kill anyone. Don't give the Seven Heads more work to do than they have too," and left.
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Kotori knelt on the cushion in front of the dark haired young man with green eyes. his black t-shirt and jeans allowed him to blend into the shadows, only his white trench coat kept him from disappearing into the darkness completely.
"As long as they don't know the true meaning of the existence of the Zodiac, there's no reason to worry. They trusted Tohru-dono, now, we must trust them. It's not Seishiro's way to risk the lives of his Family Heads, he is planning something, and I have no doubt it has to do with the Zodiac. Our family, I don't worry about, we can take care of ourselves. It's the Sohmas I'm concerned about. We can't let them discover anymore than what they already know and we can't pull them in any deeper!"
"Sumeragi-sama, with Phoenix down, we're short on firepower. Wouldn't it be wise to call in the cat?" Kotori asked.
Sumeragi smiled wanly and said, "I've already done that. I sent for Haruka-dono the moment I sensed Tohru-dono's power flare up in an attack spell."
"Then the Prelude has begun," said a voice from the right, "we can't protect the Zodiac from the shadows effectively anymore. Now we must make ourselves known to them in order to guard them."
Kotori and Sumeragi looked at the girl in the doorway, her dusty brown hair cropped close to her ears, her white shikifuku trimmed with maroon. Her golden eyes glowed eerily in the dim light. "The Zodiac Wars has begun, the Prelude to the Final Battle in the Year of Destiny," her voice was calm.
"Yes," Sumeragi said, "Welcome home, Haruka-dono."
Haruka gave them a feral grin, "It's nice to be home, Sumeragi-sama. I suppose the New Years Banquet will be held here this year?"
"Aa," Sumeragi smiled. "How has life been treating you, Haruka-dono?"
"Wonderfully. Now what's this I hear about Tohru-dono living with three men?"
"Three Zodiac members from the Sohma family to be precise," Kotori said.
"Hello to you too, Kotori-dono," Haruka said calmly.
"The two of you may fight later," Sumeragi said. "Haruka-dono, you've already obtained a piece of property outside the Estate, am I correct?"
"Aa."
"I want you and the other thirteen Guardians to move in together. Most of you are about Tohru-dono's age, with only one or two years difference. The young ones will attend school with Tohru-dono, as will I, and you others will find jobs that you may do at home, away from crowds, as to blend in."
"Just one question, Sumeragi-sama," Haruka said.
"Yes?"
"Why are you going to go to the same school as us?"
Sumeragi smiled. "It should be obvious. I haven't finished my schooling yet."
Haruka and Kotori smiled. "Of course," they said simultaneously.
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Tohru woke three days later to find Kotori approaching her bedside with a tray in her hands. "So you're finally awake. You scared us all," she said, setting down the tray and giving Tohru another check up.
"What did Subaru say?" Tohru asked.
"He'll let the Sohmas remember, in hopes that it will keep them from being pulled in any deeper into the Zodiac Wars. What's worse is that he's called in the baka Nekoi Haruka."
"I see," Tohru said, as Kotori placed the tray table on the bed.
Tohru lifted the covering off the bowl and blinked at the porridge and picked up the spoon. Kotori told her about the doings of the family while she ate, and often paused in the middle of her explanations with a muttered, "Baka Nekoi."
"So Haruka and Subaru-sama are coming to school soon?"
"Aa. They start first thing next week."
"Right in time for the beginning of the new term," Tohru murmured.
"And right in time for the Beginning of the Prelude to the End," Kotori muttered.
"I still can't believe that in three years, Subaru-sama will have to go to Tokyo to fight beside Kamui as a Ten no Ryu," Tohru murmured. "I pray they win, because I have no intention of preserving the Zodiac for all our hard work to be for nothing because the Ten no Ryu lost to the Chi no Ryu."
"That, my dear, is for the future to decide," Kotori said. "For now, we fourteen Guardians must protect against the Renegade. Our opponent is the Raven. Let's concentrate on our battle, and leave the future battles to the ones who will come after us."
"Aa. We will defeat the Raven and save this earth!" Tohru murmured as she fell once more into the oblivion of sleep.
Kotori left Shigure's house half an hour later to find Haruka waiting for here nearby.
"How is she?" Haruka said quietly.
"Fine." Kotori said. "She should be up and about tomorrow. Tohru is a strong girl."
"Aa."
A/N: So, chapter 4 is done. Shorter than my other chapters, but good enough. I promise, there will be more coming up!