Fruits Basket

Beginnings and Endings

((Author Note: It's a little bit longer and I thought some intense stuff would go on here, but change of plans. No ones fighting yet, just verbally. :D Enjoy for now. I believe the chapters may start getting longer. Also I'm going to update New Beginnings and Same Endings next so Chapter 37 may take a little longer. I may write it on my B-Day))

Chapter 36

Yuki moved quickly towards the Sohma's Main House as the wind blew sharply against his face. His scarf around his neck flew behind him like a rat's tail eagerly pressuring its next meal. He pushed open the gates ignoring the servants that lingered around the gardens. A few of them were surprised to see him there, but he brushed aside their expressions as he stormed past them to enter the Main House.

Ritsu and Hatori were drinking some tea when they caught a glimpse of Yuki's fragile form. Hatori set his cup down as he watched Yuki stomp past the servants, "It's odd that Yuki is here."

"Do you think its something I said to him during the banquet?" Ritsu yelled at Hatori as he slammed his tea cup down suddenly. Their was a long pause between the two when suddenly the cup broke in half expelling its contents all over the table and Ritsu's hand, "Ahhh! I broke your tea set! I'm so sorry now you won't be able to have tea again and on top of that I ruined your table. Now you won't be able to have a place to eat and then you'll die of starvation! I'm sorry!"

Hatori frowned as he sat there watching Ritsu running about trying to fix the cup and clean the table. It was going to take him sometime to calm Ritsu down now and he had to treat Ritsu's hand since he had just spilled boiling hot water over it. Hatori knew he wasn't going to catch up with Yuki. He only hoped that Yuki's visit wasn't due to an emergency or due to one of Akito's little ploys.

"Akito!" Yuki yelled as he threw opened the doors to his room smashing the doors fragile frame. He didn't care one bit; he only wished he could throw the door at Akito.

Akito had been speaking to on of his servants until Yuki interrupted him. His expression remained calm however as a small smile crept across his face when he realized it was Yuki, "Ah, Yuki what a wonderful surprise."

"Stop it," Yuki said in a much calmer voice now as he turned his head away from Akito, he couldn't even stand to look at him.

Akito dismissed his servant as he tilted his head slightly as he stared at Yuki, "Stop what?'

"Stop messing with our lives. We're free of the curse and free of you."

Akito laughed lightly when he realized the reason behind Yuki's visit. He brushed aside a few tears that had managed to leak out, "So you came here to defend the cat. The one you have despised all your life."

"I only hated him because of you," Yuki said as he raised his head to meet Akito's gaze now, challenging him.

"Oh? You don't despise how easily he is able to talk to people? He simply says what's on his pitiful mind while you hide behind an emotional mask unable to express your true thoughts and feeling," Akito slowly approached him with a more devilish look across his face as his hair cast a dark shadow over his eyes, "He's been able to have the life you have longed for. He's able to get along with people and he has the girl you have loved at his side. What have I done? I have given you a place here among the Sohma's only for you to toss it aside. You dwell in the darkness of your own mine Yuki and that's where you prefer to be unless you would like to come back to me." Akito offered his hand to Yuki.

Yuki took a small step back, "No I don't want to come back here. You're only trying to trick-"

"Trick you?" Akito shook his head, "I only want to protect you and Miss Tohru Honda. The curse won't ever be broken. It simply waits to strike. The girl will slowly be destroyed by the curse, by the ones closest to her."

"That's why you want to lock Kyo up?"

"Exactly, to protect her. His feeble mind is unable to see the extent of the curse upon him. The one's he cares the most for will slowly crumble until there's nothing left of them."

Yuki stared down at Akito's hand before he shook his head, "I don't believe you. It's a lie!"

"Believe what you want," Akito said as he brought his hand back to his side curling his fingers around empty air, "My offer will still stand. Think it over. Curse or no curse I am still head of this family now leave and don't ever interrupt me again." Akito pointed out the door with his eyes slightly narrowed as Yuki obediently obeyed. Yuki could still feel Akito's strings attactched to him as he left his room. The strings pulled at him to obey and submit while destroying the thoughts he had come to use against Akito. The curse was still there. Akito may have been right about the curse not being broken. Yuki wasn't sure what to believe, but for now his best bet was to wait and see things out.

"Yuki, are you alright?" Hatori ask just as he rounded the corner. He saw Yuki covering his face as if he had seen something from his innermost nightmares. "Yuki?"

"There's just no hope for us…even with Miss Honda. We're still trapped like caged animals."

"That's not true-"

"It is!" Yuki swung his hand out in front of him to warn Hatori to stay away from him, "She's only going to suffer because of us! Do you want to see her like that?"

"Yuki you're upset."

Yuki shook his head lightly as he threw his back against the wall in defeat, "Maybe I am, but despite how much we deny it. Things are still the same. Why us? Why?"

Hatori heard Yuki repeat "Why" several times before he broke down crying. It was tough admitting your own cruse and your own defeat in one day, Hatori knew the feeling well. The curse had taken a lot from everyone not just from Yuki or Kyo. Hatori kneeled down to Yuki to be with him in these dark times. To comfort him until he would be strong enough to stand on his own again.

Kyo sat next to Tohru's bed staring at Kureno silently. He didn't know too much about Kureno but he knew one thing, he didn't like him. Kureno was Akito's little pet bird. He was always at Akito's side and it was rare that Kureno would go out by himself unless it was at Akito's request or an urgent errand needed to be attended to. Whatever the reason, Kyo didn't like how Kureno was so submissive to such a manipulating bastard. Even though it was difficult for any curse member of the family to go against Akito, Kureno did everything willingly. It made a bitter taste form in his mouth and he licked his lips lightly trying to ignore the foul taste.

"Are you sick?" Kureno asked in a polite voice as he sat motionless.

"No I just had a bad taste in my mouth," Kyo said as he shut his eyes, "Must be something in the air."

"Perhaps, but the window is shut."

"You don't say?" Kyo said as he opened one of his eyes to stare at Kureno.

Kureno stared back at Kyo with an odd expression. It was difficult for Kyo to pin down exactly what Kureno was expressing, but whatever it was Kyo didn't like it. He wondered if Kureno purposely shield his expressions like Shigure, but that was another manipulating bastard. Kureno was no bastard he was only a pet bird. The tension between the two was beginning to build to a breaking point until Tohru's foot suddenly kicked Kyo against the back of his head, knocking him face first against the ground.

"I'm awake now!" Tohru suddenly threw her arms into the air as if she had been only resting in the bed rather then knocked unconscious, "Oh, Kureno you're here too."

"I'm glad to see you're ok Miss Honda," Kureno stood up, "But I must go now. I only stayed to make sure you weren't hurt."

"Hurt?" Tohru searched her memory for a moment trying to recall what had happened, "Oh yeah! I'm ok I guess I was tired from hitting my head. Where's Kyo?"

Kyo stood up suddenly with a bump on the back of his head, "What the hell! For a girl you kick like a horse."

"I'm sorry," Tohru said as she stood, "Let me get some ice for you."

Kureno chuckled lightly, "I guess you two are even now. Kyo manages to hit you with a towel and in return you kick him."

Kyo wished Kureno didn't bring up the towel incident in front of Tohru since he felt bad enough. He grabbed Tohru by the arm lightly to stop her, "Just rest, and my heads fine."

"Of course he's fine. His head is so thick I'm surprised it even has a bump," Shigure said as he stood in the hallway waving to the small group in Tohru's bedroom, "Ah and I see Tohru is awake."

"Go to hell Shigure! You started all this," Kyo growled while Tohru jumped in front of him.

"Yup I'm ok," Tohru flexed her arms to prove that she was fine, "Better then ever!"

"That's good to see. We were so worried!" Shigure said as he clasped his hands together, "And we're hungry. Can Tohru make some snacks for little ol me and her high school friends?"

"Uo and Hana are here?" Tohru asked as she ran out past Shigure to see for herself.

"Why did she even ask?" Kyo said as he rolled his eyes.

"Wait, Tohru! The food!" Shigure ran after her, to remind her about the snacks.

"I can see why you're so happy here," Kureno said as he smiled lightly to Kyo, "Remember this Kyo. Just remember who you are. You are strong and Akito is weak. This curse will test us now while we are in the most vulnerable of times. We all have to overcome our own demons some how..." Kureno's words trailed as he struggled to keep his expression from breaking. He had his own demons to face and he feared them for good reasons. He bowed his head lightly to Kyo before he took his leave. Leaving Kyo with his words to think about.

Kyo just stood in Tohru's room as he watched Kureno leave. Kureno was like Shigure in a lot of ways. They were both mysterious and their motives were unclear, but there was something to Kureno's words that he could trust. Shigure's words however felt tainted and poisoned. He wondered what it was that Shigure was hiding. "I'll force it out of him later. I'm starving."

Kyo went downstairs in hopes that Tohru was making something for everyone. Of course he was right. Tohru would never say no to a request especially to Shigure since he had his way all the time by making her feel guilty.

"Hey there's orange top! So what happened to that other guy? Uo asked with a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

Kyo ignored her expression as he took a seat away from her and practically everyone else, "Other guy? What the hell are you talking about?"

"You know. He was tall like this," Uo stood up to demonstrate what she meant to Kyo, "And he had brown hair a relative of yours. He had a good sense of humor."

"What?" Kyo still didn't get what the heck Uo was talking about since Kureno was so rarely seen he didn't make much of in impact on Kyo's memory.

"Do you mean Kureno?" Tohru said as she popped out of the kitchen with some tea for everyone.

"Wow Kyo, you didn't even know that I was descrping your own family member?" Uo said with a smirk as she taunted him. Of course Kyo took the bait as he swung his fist against the table rattling the tea cups.

"Shut up! I hardly ever see him. I don't pay attention to that guy."

"How's that different from anytime. I hardly see you pay attention to anything unless it's Tohru."

Kyo stood up as he pointed his finger at Uo, "That's it! Do you want some of this!"

Uo was now on her feet, "Oh yeah? Like you would ever hit a girl."

"I'm not hitting a girl. I'm hitting a Yankee!"

"So much noise, it makes it difficult for me to read," Hana said as she suddenly glared at Kyo and Uo who immediately froze in the middle of their arguing.

"Hana what book are you reading?" Tohru asked as she sat next to Hana to see if she could see its cover, "Is that's one of Shigure's books?"

"Yes," Hana said as she continued to read while she munched on a few pieces of bread.

"You're reading those? I thought you said they were…you know," Uo said as she returned back to her seat.

"What do you mean, you know?" Kyo said with a raised eyebrow.

"You know," Uo repeated as she tried to emphasis what she meant.

Tohru tilted her head slightly as she listened to the conversation, "You know?"

"Don't worry about it Tohru," Hana assure her as she patted her hands, "It's nothing to worry about, however I think you're burning your rice."

"Oh no!" Tohru ran back to the kitchen to save her cooking. She had gotten caught up in the conversation that she had completely forgotten about it.

"Good ol Tohru!" Uo said with a chuckle while Kyo was still mumbling to himself.

"You know? You know? What were you two referring to?" he asked as he finally lifted his head up.

"You know…" Uo repeated while Kyo gave her his all too famous glares

"I know that you keep repeating that! What I mean is what the heck is-"

Shigure placed his hands on Kyo's shoulder, "Ah to be young and innocent. Let me enlighten you Kyo."

"Wait a minute!" Kyo was trying to run away, but Shigure managed to grab his arm to keep him from fleeing. He bent down and whispered what the two girls meant. "See it wasn't that bad."

"Pervert!" Kyo pushed Shigure away as he kept his face turned away from everyone. His face was bright red from a mixture of being embarrassed and feeling rather foolish that he didn't know the definition of what they were talking about. He felt highly uncomfortable sitting there now with the girls. Uo must have known that they had hit a nerve as she at the tabling grinning proudly. Hana seemed too busy reading Shigure's book which was mystery as to why she was reading it in the first place. Shigure however seemed interested in what she thought but he was too afraid to ask her so he hovered around her trying to see if she would offer a clue to what she was thinking. He wasn't lucky enough though and Hana kept up her emotionless expression as her eyes stared intensively at the book.

"Here you go everyone! I save the food" Tohru said with as walked out with a large plate, "I made a little bit of everything for everyone since I wasn't sure what everyone wanted besides food."

"Tohru you are the greatest! We should get married so I can have this food every day," Shigure said with a cheerful expression as an angry Kyo lingered in the background.

Tohru simply smiled to him, "I just want everyone to be happy."

And she ignores his marrying remark? Kyo said to himself as tried to keep himself from strangling Shigure to death.

"Great food Tohru!" Uo said as she ate a few fried shrimps, "It's the best I've had yet."

"Wonderful. I must get the recipe," Hana said as she reached out for one of the rice balls.

Kyo was munching on some fish when Tohru leaned towards him, "Kyo? Are you happy?"

"Uh, yeah. Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

Tohru shook her head lightly, "You've seem distracted is all." Tohru was holding her chopsticks tightly in her fingers when Kyo realized she was keeping something from him, but he wasn't sure what it was she was holding back.

"Tohru…" Kyo's eyes shifted slightly to see Shigure and Tohru's friends staring at him. He knew he was never going to hear the end after this. He took her hand lightly in his, "Don't make that face, ok?"

Tohru nodded her head lightly as she smiled, "Ok." But Tohru was a master at hiding her deeper feelings. She felt like she was slowly losing Kyo. If Akito got his way then Kyo would be locked up and he was willing to accept his fate. She just couldn't stand knowing that Kyo's fate was rushing faster and faster towards them. "I need to get something in the kitchen," Tohru said with one of her normal smiles which fooled even Uo and Hana. She quickly went into the kitchen to relieve some suppressed feelings. A few tears dripped down her face as she gaze out the kitchen window. Something outside caught her eye. A young girl with long black hair was staring at her. Her body was frail looking, but her eyes burned with a fiery expression. Tohru felt a knot form in her throat as she stared back, Who is she?

"Are you ok Tohru!" Uo called out.

Tohru turned her head towards her friends and nodded, "Yeah, I'll be right out." She turned her head back to the window and found that the girl had vanished, "She's gone!"

Spoiler Down Below

You've been Warned!

Cover your damn eyes quick!

((Spoiler Note: The girl in the end is Rin who should pop up in the next chapter along with good ol Haru. We're after the events in New Beginnings and Same Endings. Haru already had his hissy fit. Oh yeah didn't someone ask how close my version is to the manga. ((That whole Haru messing up the classroom thing)) It's fairly close. I mean the details aren't as obvious. You don't really know why the hell Haru is so upset and he does get his parents called. That's all I remember really. It's been awhile since I read that chapter. Isn't it coming up in English too pretty soon?))