The Secret Sohmas Chapter 9, a fruits basket fanfic

-The Secret Sohmas-

I don't own Fruits Baskets. I lied in the last chapter. I never sold the rights 'cause I never had them. I never have and I never will, but maybe I'll write a screenplay or a manga someday and some random critic can say that it's better than Fruits Basket (if that's possible. Fruits Basket's will be pretty hard to beat)….. (the manga, not the anime. The anime will be easy to beat.)

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I HAVE FIVE! I HAVE FIVE AGAIN!

The record for reviewers is five. Maybe I can break that before the story's done. You reviewers are so kind. Thank you very much for reviewing. I am very thankful.

Damki: Indeed, this chapter finally exists. I was worried I wouldn't pull it off, but I've got this one all planned out as compared to others… the only stories of mine I'd recommend reading are this one, Second try for love, and Twice Lost, Once Found. They're both Inu-Yasha fics. Don't worry; I don't screw with my fanfics like so many others.

I'm glad you think may chapters cover a good range of emotions. It's really not my doing. Mangas are just written that way.

(Oh, yeah… this pictures…. I'll try! I swear I'm gonna try!

JennyKim319: Is that really such a huge cliffhanger? Well… I guess Akito showing up at all causes tension so I guess we shall call it a cliffhanger. It does end in the middle of the scene, doesn't it?

I'm pleased it caused laughter. I like when I can do that. I've gotten much better at it, I think. You should really like this chapter!

Yanielle: Aha! So you're an anon now, are ya? I'm glad you have returned once again to review and that you want to know what happens next. I, too, want to know what happens next… I'm just pulling your string. I already wrote it.

I added something special for you. I hope you like 'im!

Seadrance: OO! A newcomer! I love newcomers! They make me happy! I love Ayaa too. It's hard to write long loud mini-monologues for these people. You should like this chapter!

moonflower: Look! Look! She said she wanted to review me! OMG! I'm gonna cry! You were really waiting to me able to review me? I'm gonna cry. I'm not even kidding.

I'm so happy you like the idea! I'm glad I thought of it and got to write it for you. It's not the first time I've done something genderswitch, but it's the 1st time I've written something about it. I'd much prefer a genderswitch fanfic to an Mpreg or something. That's the just weird.

Enjoy the rest of my story as it slowly comes to a close.

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warning: Since I'm writing in the Fruits Basket style, I will be making jokes and comments that would only make sense if one knew Japanese. I will leave notes to explain them at the end of the chapters.

Leave a comment in the review if there's still something you don't get and I'll fix it just for you.

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update: The climax continues.

The three Sohma girls (Kyoko, Yukiko, and Hatsuhara) have split up into groups to three and headed into the compounds: Kyoko, Kagura and Shigure on the right side; Hara, Ayame and Hatori down the middle; Yukiko, Tohru, and Momiji on the left side.

The three captive Sohma boys (Yuki, Kyo, and Haru) just let Momo in through the window, but she's too late to warn Ru about Akito.

ENJOY!

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Chapter 9 -

They stood in their assigned places and waited. A silent cry rose up from the stone walls, a cry that could not be heard by man, a cry for a revolution that was about to begin.

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"Akito-san." Ru tried his best to wear a welcoming greeting, though he made no move to let Akito into the house. "What brings you here?"

The healthy young man all dressed in black was standing in the shadow of the porch, his eyes glinting with an unseen light. His voice sounded pleasant, as it should have, but he could not hide the contempt in his eyes. "I wanted to see how our guests were doing. I never got to properly greet them and I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity for us all to get acquainted."

Ru could feel the contradiction between Akito's voice and his eyes. Ru held strong, but the ones standing inside could see his hands beginning to shake.

Akito's eyes bore into Ru's as he felt his weakness. Akito stepped up to Ru who was shorter than him. Akito wasn't too much taller, but his presence towered over Ru's "I would like them to be with me while they're here."

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"Yukiko-chan? Where are you leading us?"

Momiji clung to Tohru and visa versa as they slipped down a path to the left of the main road, Hara, Ayame, and Hatori walking up the main road, and Kyoko, Kagura, and Shigure slinking behind the houses on the right.

"The gate we must get through is at the far side of this wall. This path will lead up through the park area so we may approach the gate from the left."

"Oh," Tohru chimed with excitement. "You have a park?"

Yukiko nodded, walking in front of them so they could not really see her face. "We Juunishi are not often let to roam from here freely, especially the younger, so the park area was a place to gather."

Tohru and Momiji were starring at Yukiko's back, knowing what expression she must've had on her face only by the somber note in her tone.

Was?

"You don't go there anymore?" Momiji asked in an innocent, but understanding tone.

Yukiko didn't pause in her response. "I never saw it as mine to go to."

As they walked closer to the park and the trees were arranged in a less orderly manner, soft sounds of laughter began to fill the air.

"Where did you go, then?" Momiji asked.

Abandoned swings moaned silently in the wind, sand thrown in disarray, metal bars beginning to rust. "Nowhere." Yukiko answered in the same tone she had used before. "I didn't need a companion."

And there they saw the children; three of them. Two were on the seesaw and one was watching in a quiet sort of contentment.

"Aww," Tohru and Momiji said together. "They're so cute!"

Yukiko was looking at the children too, like they reminded her of the better days that were never hers to remember. She broke off her stare. "Come on. We must keep go-"

"O-nii-chan!"

All their heads whipped around as the small boy that had been on the seesaw with yellow/orange hair and bright yellow eyes ran to greet Tohru and company. The young girl on the other end of the see-saw with short brown hair and a rather ticked off expression followed close behind.

The young boy stopped short of Tohru. The young girl walked right up behind him. "Why do you keep running to him, Kisan? You're a boy, you should start acting like on-"

The young brown haired girl had discovered what Kisan had discovered at almost the same time. "HE'S A GIRL!"

Kisan, the yellow-eyed boy, took a hold of Tohru's sleeve and pulled on it shyly. "O-nii-chan, what happened?"

Tohru was beside herself with disbelievement. Completely by accident, she had stumbled upon another version of Kisa and Hiro.

"The extensions look stupid on you." the Hiro-girl said with a moan.

Kisan turned and frowned at him. "Hinata! I don't like when you make fun of o-nii-chan."

"Then he shouldn't have turned himself into a girl."

Yukiko tugged at Hinata's ear.

"Ow, what's that for? You think you can go around picking on children? Where do you get off doing something like that? That's terrible. You should be ashamed of yourself."

Yukiko's face went up a degree in anger and Hinata's stood firm. "This is not Honda-san." Yukiko said bluntly. "This is a different Honda Tohru. Were you not told about what had happened?"

"No!" Hinata busted out immediately. "No one tells me anything. I'm too young to be trusted with anything, and I'm a good-for-nothing girl!"

Yukiko tugged at Hinata's ear again and Hinata yelped in discomfort. Yukiko sighed, not bothering to go any further in this discussion. "It's no surprise they didn't tell you with that attitude of yours."

A voice came from behind the two children. "I was told."

Kisan and Hinata turned around, and Tohru, Momiji and Yukiko looked over them. It was the third child who they had seen watching the two on the seesaw. His face was soft, his hair was blonde and his eyes were empty.

Tohru and Momiji both went rigid, completely shocked. Yukiko approached the small boy and squatted down to address him. "You were told what?"

"That you were coming," the boy responded shyly, looking over at Tohru and Momiji.

"Who told you?" Yukiko asked.

The small boy looked up at Yukiko. "Momo-neechan did."

"Momo..." Momiji repeated softly to himself.

The blond boy nodded to Yukiko. "You won't tell mother, will you? That I've been talking to Momo-neechan?"

Yukiko shook her head after a moment's pause. "No, I won't tell your mother."

"Good," the boy sighed, looking down. "I don't think mother likes Momo."

Tohru and Momiji remembered the Sohma girls mentioning a Momo and a Momiji. Tohru didn't think she would meet them like this.

Momiji was in shock. The small boy was looking at him again with his empty eyes and all Momiji could do was stare back.

The small child pulled on Yukiko's shirt as she began to stand up straight again. "Yukiko-chan? Who is that with you? Momo did not tell me about him."

Yukiko turned to see who the small boy was talking about. Tohru was still somewhat shocked, but Momiji's smile was beginning to rise back up in his face. He looked like he would cry. "I'm Momiji," he giggled.

The child's face lit up. "Your name is Momiji, too?" The small child in his little coat and little hat became excited, though his eyes remained empty.

Momiji was smiling brightly, his eyes brimmed with tears. "Yes, and I have a sister named Momo."

"Really?" the tiny Momiji ran to his older counter part, taking his arms. "Is she like my Momo?"

Momiji laughed. "She's very much like you. She's even your age."

"Really?" the small, empty-eyed Momiji smiled brightly, his smile filling his face with enough emotion to make up do his eyes. "I want to meet your Momo-chan!"

Momiji's hands were bouncing in the small Momiji's. Tohru bent down to see this small Momiji. Tohru smiled at him and he smiled back. "I know she'd love to meet you."

Yukiko had to force herself to break up the moment. "When this is done, then perhaps we can talk about that."

"Oh, yes!" the small Momiji jumped, turning to look at Yukiko and then to Momiji whose hands he was holding. "You rescuing your friends, right?"

"Yes!" Momiji and Tohru exclaimed together, standing up.

"Momiji will help Momiji and Tohru," the small child proclaimed. Kisan turned to them next. "Yes! We will also help o-né-chan."

"WE!?" Hinata protested loudly. "I'm not doing anything! Why should I have to help them? I don't even know what's going on!"

"Please?" Kisan begged, putting on a cute face. Hinata broke instantly, looking down at the ground. "Fine, whatever."

Tohru giggled, not being able to control herself and Kisan chuckled with her, even though this Tohru was not his Tohru. And plans were made.

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They heard the keeper of the next gate before they saw her. "I'M SORRY! I'M NOT WORTHY OF SUCH AN IMPORTANT ASSIGNMENT! I HAVE FAILED YOU ALL ONCE AGAIN! I AM TAINTED! I DON'T DESERVE TO BE HERE! I'M SORRY! I'M SO SORRY! I APOLOGIZE TO THE WORLD!!!"

Kyoko sighed and Shigure snorted in an attempt to hold back a laugh. Kagura was pulling up next to Kyoko in an attempt to see. "Is it Ritsu-san?"

"Ritsuzou." Kyoko sighed, not believing her misfortune. "Though we like to call her Ritsuzen."

"A clever and incredibly appropriate nickname." Shigure chortled, amused with his good fortune.

Kyoko's group at this point had passed through two gates and was approaching the third. There were not many more left and they were making fairly good time. Shigure remained entirely light-hearted, which kept Kagura light-hearted and thoroughly irritated Kyoko.

Strolling along the narrow path behind the houses, Kyoko, Kagura and Shigure finally appeared at the end of the row and came at the gate from the right. A woman with light brown hair and dark eyes, dressed in a traditional kimono, was looking around nervously and sightlessly at the gate.

"Zou!" Kyoko hollered with annoyance. The woman froze up as her name suggested. She turned slowly, and leapt up when she saw them. "OH! KYOKO-SAN! I'M SO SORRY! I DIDN'T SEE YOU! I NEVER SEE ANYTHING! I'M NOT WORTHY OF THIS JOoob-"

Thankfully, with Shigure's quick thinking, Ritsuzou was poked in the side and instantly subdued and silenced.

Kyoko shook her head at the woman. "Has Yukiko or Hatsuhara passed through here yet?"

Ritsuzou smiled shamelessly. "Oh, Hara passed through a few minutes ago."

"Then who were you yelling at?"

Zou looked down at the group with a long, terrible sigh. "Myself."

The group couldn't help by sigh heavily back.

"I'm sorry!" Ritsuzou started again. "I knew it was a terrible idea for someone such as myself to be part of such an important plan! I knew someone as useless as me should not have agreed to such a thing. I even scared off the person watching the gate! I-"

Kyoko whacked the girl hard on the back, nearly knocking her over. Kyoko looked a bit ticked, but she was smirking strangely. Shigure and Kagura were also smiling bright at Ritsuzou as they began to pass through the gate.

"You scared off the person watching the gate?"

"Yes! I'm sorry!"

"Good for you, Ritsu."

"I'm sor- eh?" Ritsuzou glanced over at Shigure who was smiling pleasantly at her. When Ritsu was an actual girl, she was actually quite pretty.

Kagura joined in the positive reinforcement. "Great job, Ritsu-san. That's just what we needed you to do."

"R-really?" Ritsuzou was overtaken with surprise and joy."

Shigure grinned in his devilishly sarcastic little way. "No one could've done it better than you."

Our truly female Ritsu was emotionally overloaded as her face gleamed with a thankful smile. "Thank you, Shigen-san. Thank you so much."

"Don't mention it," he said, slipping his way through the door next to the iron-gate. Kagura had slipped through it before him and Kyoko slipped through it now after him. She forced a smile as she looked back through the bars to Ritsuzou. "Now, Zou, just don't shout anything else about having an important job and stay here until Yukiko-chan and the others get through, alright?"

"Yes!" Ritsuzou shouted. "I shall wait here for her! I shall not fail her! er- I shall not fail you with this new important job! Oh! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! You told me not to say that anymore and I did! I'm sorry!"

Kyoko no longer cared and quickly disappeared behind the houses on the right.

"I think it's getting smaller." Shigure pointed out, his hand supporting him against the wall.

"The compounds get smaller as you move in, remember?"

"How many more until we get to Kyo?" Kagura quivered.

Kyoko paused for a moment, looking up at the sky in thought as she pictured the different gates of the compound. "Two or three."

"Oooh!" Kagura moaned, throwing her arms around Kyoko's neck. "What could've happened to them? I miss my Kyo-kun so much."

"GET OFF ME!!" Kyoko hollered, attempting to get the girl off her neck. "I'm not your Kyo and I'm not into you!"

"Kyoko-san?" A strong voice came from some place unseen. Kyoko's struggling stopped immediately and she began looking around desperately to get her bearings. The voice came again. "Kyoko-san, is that you?"

Kyoko looked up to a window whose sill was about eye level with her. A young man, older than Kagura, but younger than Shigure, looked down at her from the window.

"Shihan," Kyoko coughed, throwing Kagura off her and taking off her hat. "Wh- what are you doing here?"

The young man laughed slightly, a beautifully healthy laugh. "You're missing for a week and you ask me what I'm doing here? You're here to help those friends of yours, right?"

Shigure and Kagura were silenced to watch the upcoming drama. Kyoko coughed again, pulling her hat harshly back down on her head. "You got me."

"Well," the young man relaxed on the windowsill, his hand falling out the window. "I wish you luck, Kyoko-san. It's good that you've come back."

Kyoko was starring at his strong hand that had fallen so close to her. "I would've come back anyway."

The young man let out a little breathe of a laugh, not really believing her but still smiling at her. "Really?"

She looked up at him quickly, her eyes wet. Perhaps it was her knowing that she'd probably never be let out again when this was through that processed her to say what she hadn't dared to even think. Her eyes shining in the light breaking through the trees. Her bright orange eyes met his eyes. "I would've come back for you."

His eyes went wide, but Kyoko didn't stay to see them. She ducked her head and hurried off down the path behind the houses.

"Wait! Kyoko-san!" the man called out the window, but it was useless. Kyoko wasn't going to turn around now.

Kagura looked back and forth at the young man leaning out the window and Kyoko running down the path. She bowed quickly to the man, "nice to have met you," and then ran after Kyoko.

Shigure looked up at the man and down at Kyoko and Kagura running. Shigure passed the window with a very amused grin on his face. "Good luck to you, sir."

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Hara was the farthest along on her trek to the inner workings of the Secret Sohma's compound. Hatori had successfully kept Ayame's volume down, but he could do nothing to stifle Ayame's excitement.

"Oh, Hatori, look at all this strange architecture. The lack of visual appeal is appalling. Look! Does that look like that maid across the row from your house? What was her name? My, everything's so different, but it all reminds me of home! Simply marvelous! I should've brought a camera!"

"Ayame, please."

"Oh, yes, right. Forgive me, Haa-san. I seemed to have forgotten yet again that I was not to disturb you."

Hatori didn't say anything. Neither did Hara, for that matter. They had similar blank faces, though Hara was smirking slightly. Not just because Ayame was being loud, but because he was succeeding in acting exactly like their own Ayaa, so Hara felt confident that no one would question them in between the gates since it took a trained patients to converse with either Ayame or Ayaa in the first place.

The two women who met Hara, Hatori, and Ayame at the gate certainly did not help their situation much.

"Greetings, Hara-san." Shigeru bowed slightly to the white haired girl. Hara bowed politely back. "How are we doing, sensei?"

"Well," Shigeru waved a folded fan by her mouth. "You're the first ones here."

"Well, well well." Ayame had stopped to inspect the two women he had single-handedly discovered all on his own. "Upon my word. I do believe I've stumbled upon goddesses lost on my Earth. You're absolutely beautiful. I never imagined finding someone so much like me with my same unparalleled charisma and radiance!"

The Ayaa woman drank up Ayame's compliments and sent it back. "Shigen-chan, a handsome lord has stumbled upon our door step to grant us sweet praise. Have you ever seen, next to myself, such wonderful specimens in your life?"

Ayame had taken it upon himself to amuse and compliment both the Sohma woman: Shigeru and Ayaa, so Hara and Hatori were left to plan the next move.

"Since she's not here, I suppose this means that Hitori-san is at the next gate." Hara pointed out.

"How many gates after that?" Hatori asked, he and Hara simply watching Ayame work.

"Hopefully that will be the last one."

"Good." Hatori said bluntly. "Let's go, then."

Hara and Hatori walked past the others. Hara glanced around, but there was no one to watch the gate. Ayaa and Shigeru must've thought of something clever to get rid of the watchman. Knowing Ayaa and Shigeru, it must've been nothing short of genius.

"Come, Ayame."

Ayame turned to notice Hatori and Hara were moving on. He reached out and took the female Ayaa's hands. "Will I see you again?"

Ayaa's eyes sparkled, her hair blowing behind her. "I promise you, fair one. I shall be with you soon."

"Don't you worry," Shigeru flirted, a delicate hand wrapped around her fan. Ayame beamed at her as he often did. He turned to follow Hatori, calling back before the got too far away. "Give Shigure-san my greetings!"

Ayaa waved him off; overly please with herself and her counter part. It wasn't long before she sent a very sly smile to her companion. "I liked that one very much. Shigure is the next one's name."

"I wonder how long I can wait."

"Oh, this is wonderful and so terrible at the same time. For your sake I hope that this Shigure is all that you can imagine, but I fear that all this beauty will cover over your place in my heart, dear Shigen."

"My Ayaa. You know I shall always love you no matter who you choose to love in the end."

They snapped their thumbs up in a cheer. "All right!"

Yukiko hid her face with a small hand as she rounded the corner and emerged from behind the houses on the left side. "Oh God."

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note: Kisan shouts: O-nii-chan. This means 'big brother' which can be used in both a literal or figurative sense. 'O-né-chan' and 'neechan' after some one's name means 'big sister'. (the mark over the e is suppose to be the long mark, but I don't know how to do that on the computer) I'm not sure why they're spelled differently. I didn't make up the rules.

'Shihan' is not actually that man's name, it's a ranking. Shihan ranking (sometimes called Renshi) indicates a licensed instructor, generally 4th degree black belt or higher (Kyoko could've called him sensei, but that sounds too old to her). The next up is 'Kyoshi' which would be a master instructor or a teacher of teachers, 7th degree or up. His father's Kyoshi.

name notes

Ritsuzou - Female Ritsu's name: 'Ritsuzou' means 'statue', her nickname 'Zou' also means statue. 'Ritsuzen', which Kyoko said they sometimes call her (and Shigure said was clever) means 'be horrified/horrifying'.

Hinata - 'Hinata' means 'sunshine', though that's not why I chose the name.

Kisan - It's Kisa with a 'n' at the end. It doesn't mean anything, I just liked it. (I thought it up before I discovered my translator. Forgive me.)

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Hey! Look! It's twelve pages! It's a long one. Longer than the last one, anyway. So sorry this wasn't their entire journey through the gates. The next one will finish the gates up and then there's one or two more chapters left until it's finished! It'll be over!

Did you guys like the kids and Zou? I added in child Momiji 'cause you wanted me to. I'm glad he's there. He makes me happy even though he looks sad. Did anyone notice that in the manga? Momo was cute, but her eyes, when you first see her anyway, make her look very sad. I hope she (and he) have a happy ending.

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Yeah! Feedback! I love having more reviewers, even if they're anonymous reviewers (not that that makes much of a difference since they get little names next to their comments anyway so I can give them credit!).

I greatly enjoy feedback of any kind and I love give praise for the feedback. This story enjoys devouring my metal capabilities so I like people telling me it's worth it.

Thank you again. You are all so very kind.