Fruits Basket: Legend of the Zodiac
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply. Slight TB/Fruba X-over.
A/N: Uo's the Dog, and Hana's the Rat; they're related to the Hondas by marriage. Misao is the monkey, Tatsumi is the boar, Midori is the horse, Matsuo is the ox, and Aya is the rooster. There is one more animal in the Omnyoujitsu Zodiac, but since the wolf is rarely mentioned, she'll be making an appearance in this chapter just to show the existence of the Guardians's trump card.
(Note: I made up the Omnyoujitsu Zodiac used in this fic. There is no such thing as an Omnyoujitsu Zodiac, and if there is, I don't know about it.)
Plus, Kotori also wiped the Sohmas's memories about Tohru being Head of Honda. It's understandable, since they don't want Tohru to blow her cover and jeopardize their mission since there is a lot on the line.
Chapter 6: Crescendo
Previously, on Fruits Basket: Legend of the Zodiac…
"That tempermental boy, Kyo, when Kotori said that we didn't expect Enishi to attack as late as he did, he yelled, "You knew about this and didn't tell us?" Besides, his aura is similar to Haruka's," Megumi said.
"Good point," Haruka said. "That Momiji kid in our class had an aura similar to your's Megumi, and that Haru's aura was similar to Misao's."
"Then perhaps the Sohmas are the Zodiac?" Misao said. "It might be possible that Tohru missed it because they were at such close proximity, and because Uo, Hana, and Tohru were looking in the wrong place."
"That's right," Tatsumi commented, "Even the Pheonix, Dog, and Rat can miss things if it's hidden right in front of them."
"No," Tohru said calmly, her voice and eyes firm, "I've already checked. The Sohmas have nothing to do with the Zodiac. If we waste time watching them instead of looking for the Zodiac, we'll put the fate of this entire planet at risk. As Phoenix and Thirteenth Head of Honda, I cannot allow that."
Near the door, all four Sohmas sighed in relief, then Momiji said, "did she say Thirteenth Head of Honda?"
The bell rang and the Sohmas left for class, and five minutes later, the eleven people on the roof left as well.
XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX
On the morning of New Years Eve, Tohru swept down the stairs with a beige cloak with a red trim slung over her arm. Tohru was dressed in her white shikifuku trimmed with red, the phoenix embroidered on the back in gold with wings outstretched with a black five pointed star at its throat. Her kunai, tanto, and ofuda were hidden in her wide sleeves, along with her twin kodachis which were strapped to her back. She carried a katana and wakizashi openly at her side, and her hazel hair was pulled into a high pony tail split into seven braids. On her feet were white tabi and a pair of sandals with red straps.
She paused in the living room and smiled at the Shigure who was reading the newspaper and Yuki who was just reading a book and Kyo who was drinking the milk out of the carton.
"I'm going to the main house now," Tohru said cheerily. "I'll be gone for the week, so there's food in the fridge and freezer. All you really need to do is heat it up. Keep the house clean, and don't destroy the house. Have fun at your New Years banquet, and I'll see you next week!"
Tohru swept out of the house, leaving three stunned and speechless Sohmas behind. They stared at where Tohru had been before and blinked.
Shigure was the first to find his voice, "Did Tohru just decide to leave us for a week without telling us a week before hand?"
XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX
The Honda Estate sparkled that night, and all nine hundred thirty three thousand nine hundred seventy seven square feet was filled with laughter and life. The heart of the estate, however, was a completely different story. In the Pavilion of Memories, the higher members of the Clan were entertained and feasted, but the atmosphere was more somber. It was because those who celebrated the New Year in the Hall of Memories were those who carried the weight of their Clan on their shoulders. It was the Seven Heads and the Twelve Main Guardians of the Zodiac who were celebrating there, and being such prominent people, there was need for constant watchfulness.
It was here in the Hall of Memories were Tohru sat in her place as one of the Seven Heads of Sumeragi, her katana and wakizashi on the floor beside her, the daisho in easy reach in case of some emergency. Her face was blank, as were the faces of all Seven Heads of Sumeragi, but it was obvious that she was enjoying the retelling of the story of the Zodiac. The Third Head, Mitsuki Tenshi of the Mitsuki branch, sat beside her, her green-black hair pulled into two ponytails split into six braids each with two more braids hanging down to frame her face. Her slim form was rigid under her shikifuku trimmed with silver, a leaping wolf embroidered onto the back with black thread. Like Tohru, her daisho also lay beside her in easy reach in case some emergency arose, and her violet eyes flecked with amber darted around the room, every sense alert for danger, and she leaned back slightly when a servant tapped her shoulder. The two spoke quietly and a slight shooing motion and a nod from the Mitsuki Head, the servant left.
The dark haired Wolf tapped Tohru's shoulder, and Tohru inclined her head slightly toward the Mitsuki Head to show she was listening. Tenshi whispered what the servant had told her into Tohru's ear and Tohru elegantly arched a brow and nodded before she shifted slightly to speak with Subaru to her left.
Subaru nodded and Tohru made a slight movement with her hand and the twelve Guardians that were not of the Seven Heads of Sumeragi collected their daisho and rose and left the hall. Ten minutes later, the telling of the story ended, and Tenshi, Haruka (who was the Head of Tenkou, the fourth branch of Sumeragi), and Tohru collected their own daisho and discretely left the hall as well. Once outside, they broke into a run.
XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX
The twelve Main Guardians had henshined into their armor, and were waiting for the last three of their comrades, their leaders to arrive.
Twenty minutes later, the Phoenix, Cat, and Wolf arrived. They had not bothered to henshin, and had rushed to the Sohma Main Estate in their shikifuku, having decided that there was not enough time to bother doing so.
"We split into our usual groups," Tohru said, "Kotori, Misao, Uo, and Hana are with me."
"Which means Matsuo, Raye, Aya, and Midori are mine," Haruka said.
"Leaving me with Kaoru, Shinn, Tatsumi and Megumi," Tenshi said. "So, Tohru, will we go in our usual order?"
Tohru smirked. "You know it. The Cat goes in first, then the Wolf, then the Phoenix. That is how it has always been, and how it will be now."
"And it is how it will probably always be," Haruka said, her face void of all emotion.
"Let's set that aside!" Tenshi cried, "We have a family of civilians to defend!"
"That's right," Tohru said, her smirk vanishing, "Guardians! Go!"
And with that, the fifteen Guardians of the Zodiac cleared the wall with room to spare and leapt from rooftop to rooftop, making for the center of the Sohma estate as quickly as they could. There was no more time for conversation or frivolities. There were innocents that were in need of defending.
As the Guardians raced through the Sohma Estate, they saw the prone forms of many Sohmas lying here and there. Only the acute senses that came with being a Guardian allowed the fifteen Sumeragis to know that they were still alive, though barely.
Once outside the Main Hall, Haruka slid the shoji door open by a centimeter and peeked inside. Tohru and Tenshi looked in and the Cat, Wolf, and Phoenix exchanged shocked looks, for who should be holding the Sohmas prisoner but – the Fourth level Dark Omnyouji, Freya Sakurazuka? Who was surrounded by fifty low level demons? How had she captured a household the size of the Sohmas's at her level of power?
"Change of plans," Tohru whispered, "Kotori and Matsuo, the two you go first, I'll go in next and when I give the signal, Haruka, you come in with Misao, Raye, and Shinn. Tenshi, at my signal, lead the rest of the guardians and secure the perimeter and revive as many Sohmas as possible. Once you start feeling drained, stop."
"Interesting way to go about it," Uo said, grinning.
"That's right," Tohru said coolly. "Let's get this over with."
Freya glared at the boy at her feet. "I'm losing my patience, Sohma Akito," she hissed, "Where is the Zodiac Heart?"
"I can't tell you where this 'Zodiac Heart' is, because I don't know what and where it is!" Akito growled.
"Don't lie to me!" Freya yelled, backhanding him. "Your family is a Zodiac family! Why else would the Phoenix be guarding you so closely! Tell me where the Heart is!"
"Touch that boy again, and you will regret it, Freya Sakurazuka!" a woman called from outside the room.
The occupants of the chamber turned to stare at the woman in the door. She was dressed in gold and green armor, a daisho at her side, daggers in her boots and a large green bow at her back. Her blue black hair cascaded down her back and her bangs covered her right eye. She wore a helm of gold with the head of the dragon on her brow, the body twisting and curling around the helm and the tail falling to the base of her neck. She wore green gloves with golden claws on the tips of her fingers. The green skirt fell to her ankles and had slits up the sides to her hips.
"I am the Dragon Knight, Leader of the Guardians! I will not allow you to strike that civilian boy again!" she cried.
"The Zodiac Heart is unknown to this family," said a male voice. The man stepped forward to stand next to the Dragon Knight. He wore black and silver armour, and his helm was black with horns coming out both sides, curving out. He wore black vanbrances with the Chinese character for the Ox pressed into the leather. His daisho hung at his side and two daggers in his boots and four more on his belt.
"This is not a true Zodiac family. They are cursed to become the animals of the zodiac when in contact with the opposite sex," the man said. "We cannot allow you to harm this family, and I, the Ox Knight of the Guardians of the Zodiac will see to it that they do not come to harm."
"Why you!" Freya growled, "You stupid guardians are always getting in my way!"
"Quite the contrary," a familiar voice said. The Sohmas stared at the girl in the doorway in surprise. Unlike the others, Tohru did not henshin as Kotori thought she would. Instead she had drawn two sheer veils, one red, the other gold, over her face. "It is you, Freya, who has been getting in the way."
Freya's eyes widened in fear, "Phoenix!" she cried.
Tohru smirked. "That's right, Phoenix. I would not have had to guard the Sohmas from a close proximity if you hadn't been so adamant that they were the Zodiac. Sakurazuka Seishiro even told you not to bother with the Sohmas, but being the ahou that you are, you didn't listen, making it necessary for a Guardian to watch them from nearby," she said, her voice cold.
Freya's eyes narrowed, "The Sumeragis wouldn't send the Phoenix if this family was not the actual Zodiac."
Tohru raised a brow and murmured, "Technically, they send the nearest Guardian or Guardians that are available, who in this case, is every single ONE."
At this, every single Guardian appeared behind her. Tohru's smirk widened and her eyes widened fractionally as she threw her head back. She lifted her arm over her head and brought it down to shoulder level, pointing at Freya, with her hair spreading behind her.
"Guardians, GO!"
The Guardians split into two groups, one, led by the Wolf, left to revive the injured Sohmas, leaving the others to take down the demons and Freya.
"Neko! Ryuu! Get the civilians out of here! The rest of you, get rid of the Youma! Leave Freya, she is mine!" Tohru snapped.
The Sohmas caught a glimpse of the guardians leaping forward, and then the Cat and Dragon Knights stood in front of them, and green and orange light surrounded them. The light faded and the Sohmas found themselves in the courtyard, the Dragon and Cat knights still in front of them.
"Who do you people think you are?" Akito snapped. "You are trespassing on private property!"
He suddenly found himself hauled upward by a pair of hands in black and orange gloves and pinned against a wall, staring into a pair of emerald green cat's eyes.
"Oi! We just saved your life, you ungrateful ingrate!" the Cat yelled.
"You should already know that the Sohma heads are an ungrateful lot. Don't waste your time or voice yelling at them." the Dragon snapped.
The Cat glared at the Sohma head as she gently lowered him onto his feet in front of Hatori. "I don't see why Tohru-san speaks so highly of you, Sohma Akito. You hardly deserve the respect of one such as her," she growled, reluctantly releasing his yukata.
Half an hour later, the Cat and Dragon were joined by the Guardians who had finished reviving the fallen Sohmas. All they had to do now was to wait for the Phoenix and the remaining three Guardians to emerge from the main hall.
Fifteen minutes later, the remaining four guardians emerged. Tohru's left hand was covered in blood, and her eyes were sparkling fiercely.
"Nimou kanryou?" she said. The other guardians nodded and she nodded. "Let's go," she said.
The fifteen Guardians leapt onto the roof of the building and jumped from the roof onto the top of the wall and over. Silently, they vanished into the night, leaving the conscious Sohmas to stare, perplexed, at the spot where the fifteen Sumeragis once stood.