Chapter 9. A Family Reunion.

So at long last here is chapter 9. It was an elusive and difficult chapter to write. I still don't have it just how I wanted it...but it is time to get this thing posted. (It is after 1 a.m.) I still don't own Inuyasha or Fruits Basket. Unfortunately. Oh the next chapter may be a little longer in coming out but I will get it out ASAP.

"Get sniffing." Hatori commanded Shigure.

"Haa san you are so mean!" Shigure cried out but started following after Yukis' and Kyos' scents.

They had only walked a short distance back in the direction of the well. Shigure was following the now almost completely faded scent of Yuki and Kyo.

"Yuki!" Aaya called out strutting around from Shigure in the front to Hatori taking up the rear. "Stop hiding this instant and come forth I command you! Show forth your abounding love for your elder brother and come running to my open arms!"

"Aaya," Hatori growled still, feeling unsettled from the appearance of the white-haired stranger. With this one simple word Aaya stopped and settled into strutting next to Hatori with pride and elegance. Momiji, however continued running around everyone happily. He kept running up to Haru and talking to him about all kinds of things that popped into his mind. Right now he was talking to Haru about what to get Tohru for her birthday.

"It's only 3 months away. I really have to start thinking about what to get her! Do you think she would like some bunny slippers? Or how about..."

Momiji's thoughts were cut short by the startled scream of a woman close by. "Ahhh! It's a mutated lizard!"

"What on earth?" Shigure asked.

"What if it is Tohru? What if Tohru is in trouble!" Momiji cried and with that he raced off.

"Momiji!" Shigure shouted out to try and stop him from disappearing. "We need to stick together!"

"Too late." Haru stated in his usual stoic manner. "He's gone."

"He ran so fast. I have never seen anybody run that fast." Hatori stated. "Come on we need to catch up with him. Move it!" Together they all raced off after the rabbit. Hatori now in the lead and the others lagging behind him. Shigure ran like a lazy dog, Haru ran like he could care less, Aaya hopped around as if chasing everybody in the middle of a strange forest was the greatest thing in the world.

"Awesome Mitsuru! You hit that creature like a real Yankee." Arisa complemented the editor.

"Really?" She cried out in delight. Maybe I do have what it takes to defeat Shigure. She thought to herself.

"I'm coming Tohru! Prince Momiji to the rescue of Princess Tohru!" A youthful voice called out through the trees.

Kyo Yuki and the lion demon Zarinbrand ran. They had recently left the forest behind them and had come to a large open field of grass and wild flowers. Kyo collapsed panting heavily.

Yuki was winded himself but couldn't help looking down on Kyo with a smug look. After all Kyo was the one, who kept going on about how he could run farther and longer than Yuki.

Noticing this Kyo hissed between his heavy breaths. "What the...hell are...you looking at...rat boy?"

"A stupid cat...stupid cat."

"I'm gonna...punch you...into next week...as soon as...I've caught...my breath."

"We are being hunted." Zarinbrands voice broke up the battle before it could get underway. "I'll investigate. Wait here."

"Hold it!" Yuki hissed intent on keeping the lion in his sight at all times until they found Tohru. But the lion was gone.

"What the? Where did the freak go?" Kyo asked finally getting his breathing under control.

"Now that's a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Who are you to be calling anybody else a freak?" Yuki took out his frustration on losing sight of the lion on Kyo.

Kyo and Yuki were just about to launch into a full-blown battle when Zarinbrand came running out from the forest.

"It's a dragon!" He shouted. "Run you fools! Run for your lives!"

Instantly the hill was in complete pandemonium as the 3 travelers started running in different directions and a black, silver and violet dragon crested the tree line. Kyo turned to run for the nearest trees but collided into Yuki who was going to hide in a small cave he noticed in some rocks by the lake. Zarinbrand managed to avoid the collision but was dragged down when Kyo grabbed his tail while scrambling to get out of the view of the 30-foot dragon whose shadow was even now darkening the field around them.

Suddenly a voice sounded from above like a crack of doom. Itsent a chill through Yuki's entire being and he found himself frozen in shock.

"Never fear Aaya is here!"

"What the?" Kyo asked struggling to untangle himself from the tangled web of bodies they had all fallen into.

"Kyo, my love!"

Recognizing the voice of the woman who was even now descending on his position Kyo panicked. Trying to drag himself out of the pile of bodies Kyo dug great furrows into the ground with this hands.

"No! Please anybody but her!" Kyo cried out in terror and agony. Just as he felt himself being pulled up and embraced in a crushing hug.

Pulling himself to his feet, Yuki took a second look at the dragon that had just landed with a thump beside them. Up on its back was Momiji, Haru, Arisa, Hana, and a beaten and mashed Shigure. Then he realized who was running toward him and he couldn't help but lower his head into his hands and sigh. Can anything else possibly go wrong today? First that weird well, then that giant bug-creature, then Torhu was kidnaped and now my brother is here. What is next the Horsemen of the Apocalypse? Yuki's morbid thoughts were interrupted when with a flash of purple smoke the dragon disappeared and a bare naked Hatori was standing in its place.

Hatori had changed back into his clothes while the rest of the group explained how they had gotten there. He had just come back from the forest's edge when he heard the groups nearing the end of their explanation.

"So then, when we finally caught up with Momiji..."

"Mitsuru attacked me!" Shigure bawled shedding his crocodile tears all over his face. "She kept hitting me with that lead pipe until it was bent!" He whined.

"If you wouldn't tease her so much you wouldn't have pushed her over the edge." Hatori stated darkly.

"But, Hatori she wouldn't even let me tell her that I had expressed the manuscript to her office this morning before I left to come on the school trip."

"Pfft." Kyo huffed. "The dirty dog probably waited until he knew she was on her way to his house before doing so. Am I right?"

Shigure lifted his finger in the air and opened his mouth to retaliate...but when nothing came out he hung his head.

"Yeah, just what I thought. You did that on purpose so don't come crying to me about your beatings. You never help me out with Kagura." Kyo muttered under his breath.

"At any rate Mitsuru started bashing on Shigure...and he of course started running away but she tripped and landed on Hatori who transformed into..."

"A DRAGON!" Shigure started laughing wildly while pointing his finger at Hatori. "The results were about what you and Kyo were like on the hill while we were landing."

"Except for Hanajima, She seemed rather unsurprised." Hatori stated.

"I was very surprised." Hana stated in a calm voice. "But I did know that there was something different about you Sohma's. Your waives are so different and unique."

"Well everyone was running around like a chicken with it's head cut off except for her." Hatori amended and looked over at Shigure who was still laughing and scowled.

Arisa, who was standing next to a wildly laughing Shigure, couldn't help herself. "If that is so funny let's see what you change into writer man." As soon as she hugged him he instantly transformed into a part dog demon like Inuyasha. Shigure had a pair of pointy dog ears on his head and sharp claws on his hands and feet. Shigure couldn't help smiling.

"Why Arisa...I never realized that you felt that way about me." Shigure winked at her suggestively.

"Nah, It was your cousin Kureno that I liked." Arisa stated but appeared to be sad and withdrawn after stating this. Instantly Shigure's mouth opened wide in shock. How does she know Kureno? Akito keeps Kureno under lock and key even from the zodiac.

"So where are Mitsuru and Ritsu?" Yuki asked realizing that Arisa was not wanting to talk about it any further.

"I sent them back to the well. This is no place for them." Hatori stated. "I tried to get the ladies to go as well but they all insisted on coming."

"I had to come and save my kitty witty! Even though we aren't officially together anymore, I know that you can't get along without me." Kagura stated.

"Can we get back to the matter at hand?" Hatori asked in frustration.

"Indeed." Hana's monotonic voice chilled the air. "What happened to my Tohru?" She asked looking at Kyo and Yuki with a frightening and baleful gaze. Instantly the two boys hung their heads and looked anywhere but at Hana.

"Hana, don't blast them just yet. Lets wait until we save Tohru. Ok?" Arisa stated to Hanna who's hair had started flying out around her from a non existent wind. (It was all the power from her dempa waives that she was ready to blast Yuki and Kyo with.)

Both boys were clutching each other while waiting for Hanna to zap them. Opened their eyes and realized that they were actually clinging to each other.

"Ack! Get the hell away from me rat boy!" Kyo hissed to cover up his embarrassment. Yuki was about to respond when Shigure and Hatori both put their hands on the two boys shoulders.

"All right boy's out with it." Shigure stated with a fake sappy smiling face.

"Now." Hatori added with a dangerous glint in his eye.

"Kyo, you let our beloved flower be carried off by a snake? What were you thinking?" Shigure cried out.

"Hey, Yuki was there too ya know?" Kyo hissed.

"Snakes don't even have arms! What did you do? Put her on it's back and wave goodbye?"

"NO! This one had arms and wings it grabbed her and flew off."

"Then it must have been a dragon." Shigure stated looking over at Hatori. Hatori only scowled.

"No." Yuki stated decisively. "It was defiantly a snake. The only other person who can irritate me as much as that thing did, Is my brother."

"Now Yuki! Don't hide your emotions like that. It isn't healthy! Fall down on your knees and shout out to the world about how much you adore and worship your elder brother, MYSELF! Now shout out forthwith!" Aaya cried out pushing Yuki up onto a large rock.

Yuki looked back down a dark blue aura was surrounding him. "CUT IT OUT! You make me sick."

"Ah guys'." Momiji's youthful voice called out. "We really need to get going if we are going to save Tohru. We really shouldn't keep her waiting. I don't want her to get hurt."

"The tasty looking rabbit is right." The lion Zarinbrand stated. "It may be too late already." He said through a large yawn while scratching his chin.

"Miss Hanajima." Hatori stated and for some reason it looked like he was trying not to blush. "Would you do me the honor of hugging me?"

"What?" Kyo shouted out. "You can't! She would...oh right she already knows."

"Idiot." Yuki muttered under his breath.

A.N.

Does anybody want to take a guess at who will be the first person from Inuyasha to meet someone from Fruba and who they will meet? That is...excluding Sesshoumaru?

Thank you again everybody for reviewing. You guy's are awesome! 93 reviews I am so happy!

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