A note from me: Okay in this chapter, I know that when the part about Kyo and Yuki's parents are mentioned, It's probably inaccurate. I remember vaguely about their parents but I'm too lazy to go back and read the book. And far down, Ritsu comes in and I really don't know too much about him. I know a few things but personality wise, all I know is that he says "sorry" A LOT!

Raven: Well that's all that I have to say. I'm working on the next chapter right now. I'm also doing a few more drawings which you can see by going to the bottom of my profile.
Alice: Aren't you gonna say something else?
Raven: What?
Alice: You know what! You haven't said it in a while.
Raven: Oh, right. I've said it a couple times already but I'll say it again, I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the characters
Alice: and...
Raven: Oh yeah, THERE MAY BE SPOILERS! I'M NOT SURE BUT THERE MIGHT BE.
Alice: Okay, you're done. On with the story.

Chapter 9: I'm sorry!

Sakura got out of her bed (which was a new large bed Shigure bought for her) and she looked at herself in the mirror.

Look at me…. I don't deserve to love. I'm a horrible person. On top of that, I'm cursed. And…. no one could ever love a black cat. She continued to look at herself in the mirror. She felt like breaking it. It wouldn't matter if I got seven years of bad luck. As a black cat, I practically define bad luck.

Sakura went to school with Yuki and Kyo. When Kaori came, she held an envelope.

"What's that?" Sakura asked.

"I don't know." Kaori said. "It's for you." She handed it to Sakura.

Sakura grabbed the envelope and read the address. It was addressed to the Luna household with no return address. Sakura opened it and read the letter out loud.

"Dear Sakura Luna,

I regret being the one telling you that your father has been involved in a fatal accident. Unfortunately, a boat had caught fire and exploded with your father still on it. We are sorry for your loss."

Sakura became silent.

"Miss Luna…." Yuki put his hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Kaori asked.

"No…." A teardrop made its way out. Sakura's eyes were blank. "My father…. He was the only family I had left that cared about me. Or at least I thought so. It seemed like he might have. Now…. he's gone."

"Sakura…." Kaori sighed. "I-"

Sakura ran off.

"Poor Sakura. Now she has no family to count on." Kaori said.

"Doesn't she have family in hermain house?" Kyo asked.

"Use your head. She's not close with them and…. They don't like her."

"Well how was I suppose to know?" Kyo yelled. "And if you're her friend, then why don't you go after her?"

Kaori looked down. "Because-" she said softly, "I can't empathize with her. My parents get along perfectly. I wouldn't know what to say." she looked up at them. "You two need to remind her that she still does have a family that cares about her. The Sohma family. Ever since she's started living with you guys, she's gotten to be happier than I've ever seen her be before."

Kyo and Yuki started walking to the school which was where Sakura had run off to. Kyo and Yuki had their share of parental problems. Kyo's mother had killed herself and his father had left when Kyo was born. Yuki's parents never understood Yuki and he became so distant with them, it seemed like he never had any parents. Most of his issues were involved with his mother. The boys arrived at school. They saw Sakura sitting alone on a bench.

"Well…?" Kyo said. "Aren't you gonna talk to her?"

"Of course I am. It would be wise if you did the same, stupid cat. You could empathize with her just as much as I could."

"I'll say something! I'll just do it later. I'm goin' to class." As Kyo walked away, he glanced at Sakura and frowned. Yuki sat down next to her.

"Err…. Miss Luna?"

Sakura was quiet. Her mind was racing.

Oh no! It's gonna happen again! I can feel it! I have to get out of here. But if Kyo's in class, who else could I trick and kiss? I guess I have no choice…. It's time.

A silver smoke surrounded Sakura and she turned into a cat. When the smoke cleared, Yuki saw Sakura as a black cat.

"M-Miss Luna?" Yuki was surprised.

"Yeah, it's me. I'm sorry Yuki. I can't hide it forever. This is my secret. I'll explain later. For now, maybe you should get Kyo so we can go home and tell Shigure too."

Yuki picked up the cat and headed to class. On the way, Sakura realized that Yuki might be very uncomfortable having to hold a cat.

"You can put me down if you want. I know you don't like cats."

Yuki stopped. He held Sakura out and made her look directly at him.

"Miss Luna… I may be the rat and I may hate cats…. But since its you, I couldn't care what you became. I know that inside you're you. So don't think I hate you." Yuki continued to walk to class.

Sakura's eyes became watery due to her happiness. She smiled as they finally made it to their class. Kaori was the first to see Yuki enter with the cat. Then one-by-one each student stopped what they were doing and glanced at the ever popular Prince Yuki with a black cat. Yuki glared at Kyo who was sitting at his desk.

"Come on. Let's go." Yuki said.

Before Kyo could argue, Yuki left the room before he had the chance to say anything.

They were all outside and on their way home.

"Okay you damn rat, why are we going home and why the hell are YOU holding a cat?"

"It's me Kyo." Sakura said.

"HUH?" Kyo almost fell back from shock.

They arrived home and Shigure greeted them.

"What's this?" He said. "What are you two doing home? And when did Yuki start liking cats?"

Sakura sighed, "It's me Shigure."

Shigure fell from shock.

And here I thought he was used to talking animals. Sakura sighed.

After a few minutes, they were all sitting at the table. Sakura was sitting on top of it.

"Well, this is my secret. You see, my family has a curse. The curse of the black cat. Not everyone is effected by it but those who are share a terrible fate. Whenever we feel a negative emotion, we turn into a cat.
This curse began many years ago by the head of a certain family. The Sohma family. There was a cult made by my ancestors to try to make the cat a part of the zodiac. The head of the Sohma family wouldn't hear of it and he put a curse on the cult.
The only way I can change back is an act of the most powerful positive emotion. Love. The way that can be expressed is with a kiss. If I kiss someone, or maybe sometimes something, I can change back."

The three were stunned.

"I see." Shigure said. "Now a few things are starting to make sense."

"I'm sorry I never told you earlier. I didn't think you were ready to know."

"What about the bell?" Kyo asked. "I mean, you wear it all the time. It's gotta mean something."

Sakura's eyes went blank. She began remembering the time she changed into her true form when she was little. It was the worst experience ever and the worst part about the curse.

"It-it does mean something. I think that is something we'll save for another conversation. Let's just say that it protects me. If you don't mind me asking, would someone change me back?"

The boys all looked at each other. Shigure sighed and smiled. "Well if you two boys are too immature to handle such a minor thing, then I guess I'll just have to kiss Sakura."

"YOU WILL NOT!" Kyo and Yuki yelled.

"It's really not that big of a deal." Sakura said. "I just want to change back."

"Well, I can't help you since these two won't let me. It looks like as if one of them will have to do it." Shigure said.

"Uh…." Both boys blushed.

"I don't want to have to be a cat forever." Sakura frowned.

"Hey, you tricked me to do it the first time." Kyo said, "Make that damn rat do it!"

"Please, Yuki?" Sakura pleaded. Yuki blushed. "Uh, alright."

Sakura went up to Yuki and brought her little kitty mouth to his. A smoke surrounded her and she changed back. She was sitting on Yuki's lap.

"Thanks. That wasn't so bad, right?" Sakura flashed a little smile.

"So, you say that negative emotions change you, right?" Shigure said, "What made you change?"

"Oh, uh…" Sakura had temporarily forgotten about her father's death. "I got a letter. M-my father is…. He died."

"Your father? Oh my, I'm terribly sorry."

"The truth is…. I never really knew him. Sure he'd send me letters but they only said things about work. He would also talk about things only my mother would understand. Somehow, I figured out that he believed that I was my mother. It's like he had been writing to her and not me. He did say he loved me but reading it is not the same as hearing it."

Everyone was quiet. Sakura noticed that they seemed uncomfortable.

"So, you're all okay with this? I mean, me being what I am?" Sakura asked worriedly.

"Miss Luna, why do you think we wouldn't be okay with it?" Yuki asked.

"Well, I don't know…."

"You've accepted us for what we are, so it's only natural we do the same for you." Shigure said.

"Thank you." Sakura smiled. "We better get back to school."

They all went back to school and things were the same between Sakura, Yuki, and Kyo. Kyo and Yuki didn't treat her differently, but Sakura knew that they thought about her being what she is.

On the way to work, Sakura had been daydreaming and accidentally bumped into someone. A boom sounded.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't-" Sakura looked down. She saw a little monkey with a kimono outfit near it.

"Oh, are you a member of the Sohma family?" Sakura asked.

"Mm….. Y-yes. I-I…." The little monkey jumped and grabbed onto the collar of Sakura's shirt and held on. "I…. I'M SO SORRY! I'M SUCH A FOOL FOR NOT SEEING WHERE I WAS GOING. I DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE! I'M SORRY WORLD. I-"

"Stop!" Sakura yelled. She grabbed the little monkey and held it. "Don't worry about it. You don't have to apologize for such a little thing. I'm Sakura Luna. What's your name?"

"R-Ritsu. Again, I'm really so-"

"And again, don't worry about it. So, you're Ritsu Sohma, the monkey. It's wonderful to finally meet another member of the zodiac." Sakura smiled.

"You're too kind to me. I don't deserve such kindness. You're Sakura… I came here to meet you. I was heading to Shigure's house but I seemed to have run into you."

A boom sounded and Ritsu changed into his human form. Sakura turned around.

"You can change behind me so no one can see you." Sakura said.

Ritsu quickly changed. When Sakura looked at him, he looked like a girl.

Eh? Why is he dressed like a girl? I know he's a boy because I made him transform. Hmm… I wonder what will happed if I ring my bell. If that feeling occurs, then I know that it's the bell that causes that feeling.

Sakura tapped the bell on her neck and it jingled. Ritsu and her felt a strange connection.

"That was a little strange." Ritsu said.

"Yes…. Yes it was."

So it really is the bell….

"Well, Ritsu, I better get going. You caught me on my way to work. Are you staying at Shigure's?"

"No. I was hoping to meet you and then be on my way. I'm really sorry that-"

"Don't be. I'm sure I'll be running into you again. Bye!" Sakura ran off.

Ritsu Sohma. He seems very strange. Why would someone cross-dress? It doesn't matter. What does matter is that I met another zodiac member. It's been a while since I have. Momiji and Kagura are the only ones who come over to the house a lot. I've been getting closer with them. I wonder who I'll meet next.

Sakura went to work and thought about who's the next Sohma that she'll encounter. After a few weeks, Sakura happened to have met someone else by accident.

Chapter 10 summary: Sakura meets another Sohma who stays at Shigure's for a little while. Then, there comes a special day. Valentine's Day. Kagura, Kyo, Yuki, and Sakura all go out. Wait for chapter 10 and see what happens.