Tohru and the Beast
By: Kinomi Shadow
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket, but I do own manga's one through eight!
Yuki wondered the streets of the village, searching for someone who would hear about the beast he had encountered. When Yuki at last stumbled into the town's bar, he flung himself desparately at the closet person to him: Akito.
"Well if it isn't the rat!" Akito said, amused. "Where's my Tohru? You worried her the other day!"
"Please!" Yuki screamed out, causing everyone in the bar to jump. "Tohru's in trouble! A huge, filthy cat-like beast has got her! Please help her!"
Akito burst out laughing as if that were the most stupid thing he had ever heard. Yuki frowned a little, upset that he was not being taken seriously. He picked up Akito's beer glass up and threw it at the wall, glass shattering everywhere. Akito stopped laughing.
"You owe me a drink, rat!" Akito said, obviously a tad too drunk.
"Forget the drink!" Yuki said, now tugging at Akito's sleeve. "That beast might eat her. You have to save Tohru."
"Ahem, ca-raz-ee!" Akito coughed out. "You are crazy you stupid rat."
Yuki looked defeated. He started to walk out of the bar, but then turned around one last time.
"If you won't help me rescue Tohru, then I'll do it myself!" Yuki screamed as he ran out of the bar.
Snow was falling onto the ground and it was freezing outside. The cold air hurt Yuki's asthma, but he pressed on.
Tohru means everything to me, Yuki thought. No stupid cat beast will keep me from saving her. I'm coming Tohru...
The snow was blinding and it stung his eyes. He didn't know which way was which. He soon became lost in the swirling snow, his chest hurting from the cold air as he fell to his knees.
Gasping and wheezing, Yuki curled up in a ball to keep warm. His tears turned into ice as he struggled to keep warm on this freezing, awful night.
Tohru came back down the stairs, daring to try to talk to Kyo again. She knew something was a miss at this castle. For one thing, Kyo loved that rose too much, and for another how could a beast such as he be capable of speaking.
As Tohru came to the bottom of the stairs, she heard scratching at the door.
"Oh it must be Yuki!" Tohru said happily.
She went and flung the oak wood doors open but saw no one. Puzzled, she looked down and saw...
"Shiguri!" Tohru said happily as the great blackish dog jumped on her, licking her face furiously. "Shiguri! How did you find me? Did Yuki send you?"
Shiguri got off of her at that moment and whimpered. His tail tucked between his legs and his nose pointed down causing his eyes to do the cute-puppy-looking-up-at-you-thing.
"Yuki's missing?" Tohru asked.
Shiguri barked.
"But that's impossible!" Tohru said. "Kyo-san released him when I came here! He should be home in bed. He'd be sick in this weather. He could catch pnuemonia!"
Tohru heard footsteps approching. Shiguri started gagging because already he could smell Kyo's stench. He put his paws over his shiny black nose to lessen the smell.
"What is this?" Kyo demanded. "What's this mutt doing in here?"
Tohru threw her arms around Shiguri protectively.
"He's a friend," Tohru said. "May he please stay with us. He's very sweet and he doesn't bite."
Kyo sighed.
"He stays only in your room or out he goes," Kyo said, feeling like being "kind" for a change.
"What?" Tohru asked, excitedly. "Does that mean you're going to be kind now? We could all be friends!"
Tohru's smile was very bright and it made the ice around Kyo's cold heart start to melt away. Something inside Kyo was awakening, something pure, and good.
Then, Kyo smiled. It was an odd sort of smile, but its sincerity made Tohru laugh kindly. Kyo began to laugh too, feeling alive for the first time in years.
"So what's the dogs name?" Kyo asked curiously as Shiguri bit at his pants legs.
"Shiguri," Tohru said. "He's actually Yuki's dog, but Guri-san is as good a friend to me as any human is..."
They both got quite. Tohru nodded to Shiguri, and he stopped biting at Kyo's pants and bounded up the stairs into her bedroom. Tohru's eyes seemed kind of distant, which was unusual for her.
"So, uh, you meant it when you said we were friends?" Kyo said. "I mean you weren't trying to trick me or anything..."
"Of course not!" Tohru said frantically. "I meant it. I um..."
"You mean you don't think I'm horrible or ugly?" Kyo asked.
"No!" Tohru said. "You're none of those things! You are a nice person. Kindness is what makes a person beautiful. That's what Mom said before she died."
They were silent again.
Kyo thought about Tohru words as he sat to himself by the fire. More and more, the ice in his heart melted away and were filled with warmth. Tohru had only been with him for three and a half days, but already she was changing him.
And already the petals of the rose were falling, for there were only six left now...
