Okay well, I owe this to my two best friends. As a coming home present.

Sorry to my various fans… life's hectic. Love ya'll.

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The REAL Fruits Basket

Chapter One – Yuki Sohma

It was a fresh bright morning when I re-awoke, got dressed and prepared my notebook for my first day as Shigure-san's editor: Mii. I'd long ago decided that I would go in the order of the Zodiac and not alphabetical. After all, who really care about the order? It was the heart and soul of the story that mattered, and this story's heart and soul was laid out and waiting to be examined by yours truly.

Armed with the secret identity of Mii, I began my search. Tohru greeted me warmly when I stepped into the SMI's kitchen. The family ate oddly. So in another 'house' building on the premises another part of the family was eating. And Akito ate alone. I decided to join Shigure's family, which contained of Yuki, Kyo, Shigure and Ms. Honda herself. Shigure eyed me oddly, but eventually tried to strike up conversations pertaining to his novels. But today he wasn't my victim, so in the most part I ignored him.

It became fiercely apparent however, that both Kyo and Yuki had a 'fetish' for Ms. Honda and so hanging around Yuki wouldn't be as easy as I'd hoped. If anything, it'd be harder. Ah well, the poor rat would simply try to keep his 'secret' unknown and that'd be fine with me.

The day went on uneventfully, and I was disappointed to find out that, aside from serious mental instabilities (as were to be expected) Yuki 'Sohma' was rather normal. He was polite, helpful, self-absorbed and terrified of the world around him. He was a pitiful creature that looked cute but wasn't worth the trouble of consoling. This is meant in no offense to him, but it seemed that his only purpose in life was to help Ms. Honda, bother Kyo and be picked on by various members (including constantly molested by Hatsuharu).

Yuki was powerful however, and he wasn't an idiot. After a few days of my relentless research, he began to notice my habits and met me in the hallway. A scary smile gleamed on his face, "Hello Ms. Mii."

I was cornered, needless to say and could only smile. I was in the presence of someone who was legally insane and had to be very careful until Ms. Honda could come to my 'rescue'. That was life for you, the poor journalist would get caught in the corner and her horrid death would be her last story. And of course, SHE WOULDN'T EVEN WRITE IT! Lovely.

However, she was on a self-proclaimed mission! She had to get that job with the newspaper and this was the only way. So I stood straighter and flashed Yuki a charming, nervous smile. "Hello Yuki." To seem legitimate I added, "Have you seen Shigure?"

He kept smiling in that creepy manner, sending shivers down my spine. Oh if he suspected me now and said something, why the jig was up! All of our lives would be ruined. They'd know of their mental instability, and I'd be out of a job and probably in jail on the crime of 'harassing the mentally instable'. "No Mii, I haven't. You've been around a lot lately though. Is something wrong?"

"Oh eh? No! No nothing! It's just well; the editing company wants me to keep a closer eye on Shigure. You know." I smiled again, hoping that he'd believe my bluff.

"Yuki!" came Tohru's voice.

Ah yes! I was saved! I almost hugged Tohru with happiness because Yuki wasn't given a chance to reply before Tohru grabbed his arm and dragged him off to go shopping. That was the nice thing about the Sohmas. They naturally avoided the public and so long as Tohru or a 'house maid' was with one of them when they went out, they could go outside just like normal people.

A few days later, my article was sent to the boss. It was the first of my journalist column on the Sohma Mental Institute, and needless to say, I was proud of it. Here's a clipping, which reads:

The world spins round for all but one 'family'. On the outskirts of Tokyo there is a quaint piece of land owned by a Miss Tohru Honda. And from a relatively young age, with her late parent's fortune, she's been helping the mentally instable and has thus created the Sohma Mental Institution (named after her father's dog, Sohmali). The history of the institute is rather short, but highly interesting!

At the very beginning of it's opening, Tohru discovered a certain nameless family with a very unique disease. In their very minds the legend of the Zodiac was ingrained and thus they soon began to believe they were a member of the legend. A rat, a dog, a cow, a rooster. So on and so forth. Ms. Honda was so intrigued she has since devoted all of her time, effort and money to their well being.

Unfortunately, one member, a Mister Akito is beyond her help and is daily seduced and drugged for the other's safety. However, without careful watch he manages to get a hold of weapons like whips and beats the younger children like Yuki.

Upon growing years, this journalist was told that Yuki resents Akito as well as Kyo, whom he envies. Yuki is the subject of this article. The first in a series about these unique people.

Mr. Yuki is the 'rat' of the Zodiac and his inward nature as well as keen fighting ability makes him a big hit with the rest of the family. So much so that the 'cow', a one Hatsuharu has quite the infatuation for him. However Mr. Hatsuharu is also dating his cousin, Ms. Rin, the 'horse'. (Please understand that these people are closed in, and interfamily breeding is the only pleasure they are allowed, if Mr. Akito doesn't catch them when he's unsupervised.)

Yuki confronted me in my undercover position as Shigure (the 'dogs') editor Mii. He was curt with me, and treated me like the outsider I was. Yuki never stopped suspecting me and so eventually I did the thing that terrified him the most.

Of course, Tohru wasn't too happy with me, but if it'd keep me from being suspected, it was all good.

I hugged him.

As their version goes, when a member outside the family of the opposite sex hugs a member of the Zodiac, they 'transform'.

Instantly, Yuki took on a squeaky yet obviously his voice and he got down and walked on his knees, looking at me angrily as he skittered away. To my vast shock, he'd ripped his clothes off and was shuffling around naked.

It was a sight to see, and I certainly didn't want to see it again.

And after a week, I realized that Yuki had finally decided to stay far away from me as possible. So I could no longer learn about him. I was sad, but it only lasted a moment! There were more victims to behold! So join us in next week's article, and we'll behold them!

Well that was it. And so… as the article said, see you soon. My journal is far from done, and whoever reads this someday, bless you for reading every bit of it.