Hi everybody! Here's the 4th chapter, chock full of Lakukehi's troubles...hope you enjoy it! Please review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket.

Chapter 4

"Ah! Kazuma-san! We haven't heard from you in a while!" Shigure's voice carried down the hallway. Everyone stopped eating, and paused to listen. "What? Oh…yes, yes, of course…" Shigure said again. Then footsteps could be heard coming toward the dining room. The door slid open, and there stood Shigure and Kazuma, Yuki and Kyo's martial arts teacher, and Kyo's "father".

"M-master?" Kyo choked on a mouthful of rice.

"Kyo. You seem to be doing well." Kazuma's voice radiated bright and strong.

"Oh! Kazuma-san…hello." Tohru hastily bowed, followed by Lakukeshi and Yuki.

Kazuma smiled. "No need…I have very important matters to discuss with Shigure…please excuse us." With that, he walked calmly out the door with the bewildered dog to Shigure's office.

"What is it?" Shigure asked, worried. The truth was, he already knew; in fact, he had expected it. Tohru had passed the "test", and now it was Lakukeshi's turn. "Are you sure? Will she…do well? And, Kazuma, are you willing to accept the risks and consequences? Kyo, he—''

Kazuma cut him off. "Yes. I am willing to once more hurt others…to help others…" his voice drifted off sadly.

Shigure said nothing. Truth to be told, he thought Lakukeshi would pass. The irony was that they had supposedly "healed" her, and now they would only be torturing her—breaking her mind, heart, and soul.

Was this really worth it?

THE NEXT DAY

"Lakukeshi-kun? Are you all right? You're not eating…" Tohru asked, concerned.

Lakukeshi nodded dumbly. She had not touched a grain of rice, nor had she touched her glass, either. This feeling…this feeling of dread kept enveloping her, and she didn't know why! To add to that, she had had a strange meeting with Kazuma last night. She had been walking in the darkness of the house to get a drink of water in the kitchen when Kazuma had appeared out of nowhere.

"Lakukeshi-san. If you don't mind, tomorrow after dinner, may you join me outside for a talk?"

She had been too surprised to say anything, but apparently Kazuma had taken it as a yes. Now she was too nervous to eat anything. "Lakukeshi-kun? If you don't eat anything, you'll get hungry." Yuki said, his eyes worried.

Kyo said nothing. For some reason, that hurt and made Lakukeshi even more nervous than meeting Kazuma. This feeling…she had never felt so emotional before. Mixed feelings swarmed inside her, and she felt dizzy. When she had lived with her uncle, she had steeled herself; she had made herself strong. She had never cried whenever her uncle hit her. But whenever her uncle had come to the Sohma house, she had cried. To Lakukeshi, this was a sign of weakness. At that time, her eyes hardened and she made a vow—she would remain strong.

No matter what.

Grabbing an umbrella, Lakukeshi looked up at the pouring sky and sighed. Even thought it was raining, Kazuma still wanted to meet her outside. Being careful not to slip on the steps, Lakukeshi slowly walked up to the dripping oak tree. There stood Kazuma…and Kyo.

"Kyo-kun? Kazuma-san?" What's going on?" Lakukeshi asked.

Kyo shrugged. Turning to Kazuma, he asked, "Master, why did you bring me out here in crappy weather like this? You know how I hate rain…"

Kazuma's eyes closed for a while, and it was completely silent except for the rain and occasional thunder. Finally he spoke, his voice a dry whisper.

"Kyo. Please forgive me…and Lakukeshi, please…"

Confused, Kyo and Lakukeshi said nothing. Kazuma gave a sound between a whimper and a groan. Looking up, his eyes hardened and his voice became harsh.

"Kyo! You may not live in shadow forever! You must accept yourself for what you are!"

Kyo's eyes grew huge as he realized what Kazuma was going to do. "NO!" he tried to run, but Kazuma caught his arm and pulled off his bracelet.

Lakukeshi froze. Before her eyes, Kyo was changing. His back lengthened, and his neck grew longer. His skin blackened into a dark gray, and his eyes were bulging…huge. Falling onto all fours, Kyo's face grew into a short snout, and his nostrils became slits. "AAGH!" the monster released a yell. It was Kyo's voice, but heavily laced with a deep harsh guttural voice unlike anything Lakukeshi had ever heard. Shaking and paralyzed, Lakukeshi's umbrella slipped from her lifeless fingers. It fell with a splash to the ground, and the ugly monster turned to look at her. Immediately any past thoughts of being strong disappeared from her mind.

"K-kyo-kun?" her own voice sounded strange. "I-is that y-you?"

The monster said nothing; it only jumped high into the air and into the forest. The stench of something worse than a thousand rotten eggs filled Lakukeshi. Choking, she struggled to stay upright. Nearby, Kazuma had bitten his lip so hard that blood dripped. Closing his eyes, he shook with the pains of mental agony.

Had he made the right decision?

"Kyo-kun…" Lakukeshi whispered, willing herself to stay strong. She pushed aside the scraggly interfering branches in the forest as she tried to find Kyo. The stench grew stronger, and Lakukeshi threw up, finally falling to her knees beside a huge sycamore tree. "No…I have to keep going…" she whispered.

MEANWHILE

"Kazuma…you…you did the right thing." Shigure said sadly. Kazuma, however, still refused to get out of the rain and continued to stare intently at the forest. Nearby, Tohru was in her room, crying and hoping that her friend would make it. Tears running down her cheeks, Tohru remembered the panic and fear that she herself had felt so long ago. Lakukeshi…she thought. Lakukeshi, please help Kyo…

Kyo ran through the forest frantically. She saw me…SHE SAW ME! Finally stopping at a large stone in a clearing, he pounded on it angrily. In his mind, he saw Lakukeshi's face over and over again…her face horrified, fear stamped all over it. No…please…his huge monster eyes closed slowly. No…

"KYO-KUN!" Lakukeshi screamed desperately as she scanned the dark waving trees. She was now covered in scratches, due to those infernal branches that just wouldn't get out of her way. Trying not to cry, she ran to her right, extremely frustrated. Then…

she stopped in her tracks, staring at the grotesque monster. It turned around and stared at her. "Kyo-kun?" Lakukeshi approached him timidly.

"NO!" the deep voice rang in the air. The monster lashed out at her, ripping her school uniform and cutting her arm with his angry lethal claws. The force sent her sprawling a few feet away.

The monster groaned in agony; the sound was like broken hinges magnified a thousand times its volume. "Why are you even here?" the monster said harshly. "You don't care. My own mother hated me enough to…to…" it broke off.

"To kill herself?" Lakukeshi whispered. She looked into his eyes, and she could see the pain of being cursed; the agony of being turned away and separated from the others.

"Kyo-kun…to tell the truth, I'm scared. I am so afraid of you right now. But…" her eyes filled with tears. "But I still want us to be together. Come back, Kyo-kun. No matter what you look like, no matter what you are, I will always accept you."

The monster said nothing; it only raised its head up to the sky. Closing his eyes, Kyo's body shimmered and he transformed back into human form. Looking at Lakukeshi, he gazed at her and smiled. "Thank you…" Lakukeshi, eyes wide, was frozen as Kyo hugged her gently and turned into a cat. The rain poured down more slowly and the clouds opened up. The sun granted its brilliant rays to the Earth as the girl hugged the cat—who had finally found a place in the world, and someone who accepted him.

LATER

Kazuma smiled sadly as he saw Lakukeshi stagger from the forest, holding the cat. Shigure and Tohru's relief showed openly on their faces. In her arms, the cat opened his eyes and gazed at Lakukeshi's tired but happy face. Smiling as only a cat could smile; his thoughts were one and the same:

Thank you…