Chapter 2

Wow, sorry for the long delay! I was away for a while. I'm sorry this chapter is so long, but when there's three people one has to meet, it takes up a lot of space. Before we go any further here I want to repeat the spoiler warning.
THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS CHAPTER. THERE WILL BE SPOILERS IN EVERY CHAPTER FROM NOW ON. UNLESS YOU HAVE READ UP TO CHAPTER 131 OF FRUITS BASKET, DO NOT READ THIS. This is, of course, assuming that you don't want spoilers. If you want to ruin the story for yourself, read on!
Oh, and thank-you to everyone who reviewed. Please enjoy.

There were so many things I wanted to ask Tohru, but I couldn't show any knowledge. I didn't know what point they were at in the story, and if I gave something away, I could change the characters' reactions and ruin the storyline. So I remained silent about what I knew to be Fruits Basket, and instead tried to discreetly discover where we were.

But Tohru had questions for me, too, questions even more difficult.

"Where did you come from, Kari-kun? How did you end up on our doorstep?"

I thought hard. How much was it safe to say? "I live… far from here. But I don't really know how I got to this particular place. It all seems so vague, somehow."

Tohru nodded in understanding. "I've heard that happens when one is knocked out. And I'm sorry if I'm prying about where you live. You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to." I nodded, deciding that it was easier to leave it there.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"It's… it's 10:00. Today is Sunday," she said, in response to my puzzled look.

That's right, I thought. When I fell asleep yesterday, it was Saturday. Then Tohru grew agitated.

"Are you worried because you have to be home at a certain time?" she asked, panicking. "Because, I'm sorry, but you should wait for Shigure-san to return before you go anywhere." I shook my head, trying to calm her.

"Not a problem. I'm not expected for a while." What time was it now at my home. How many hours different was Japan?
(Author's note: Japan is actually about half a day ahead of CST, so if it was 10:00 am Sunday there, it would be 10:00 pm Saturday CST approximately – I'm no expert.)

Tohru stopped, looking relieved. "Oh, that's good, then." Nodding, I said: "I'm sorry for making you worry."

Tohru was just starting to say: "That's all right, you don't have to apologise," when a soft knock came at the closed door.

"Come in," Tohru called, and the door slid open. My heart stopped, then skipped a beat, returning to normal only to flip-flop in my chest. Standing outside… was Yuki.

He was looking straight at me, and I could feel his violet gaze pierce my soul – or maybe I just wanted it to. He smiled kindly, and my poor heart did another round of acrobatics. Yuki was even more handsome in person than he was in the manga. Under the blanket where no one could see, I pinched myself – hard. This has got to be a dream. But I was rewarded with a sharp pain and didn't wake up. I had to fight hard to keep my elation from my face. I wasn't dreaming or delusional. This was real.

Yuki, knowing nothing of this, spoke gently.

"I'm glad you're awake – I was starting to get worried. Good morning." He bowed. "I am Sohma Yuki."

I returned the greeting, bowing as deeply as I could. Inside, I was glowing. He was worried... about me!

"Very pleased to meet you," I said, taking pride in the fact that my voice didn't shake. "My name is Tsukiakari Kokoro."

He smiled again. "So poetic. But I'm afraid I'm going to have to shorten it – Kari-san."

I nodded. "Of course. I know it's a long name… Sohma-kun."

"I assure you, the pleasure is mine," Yuki said. "Has Honda-san told you what's going on?"

"Yes, I have," Tohru told him. "She seems rather nervous about it all." Yuki turned back to me.

"Please don't worry about it," he said. "Shigure had been acting strangely ever since he saw you. I'm sure it'll all be cleared up as soon as he returns."

"Yes, thank-you," I said. "I am grateful for your generous hospitality, so whatever you decide to do with me is perfectly all right." I wanted to tell them that I was not afraid of Akito, that I knew all her motives, that all she needed was a friend and she would turn out all right in the end, but I couldn't. I had still to pretend that I knew nothing about their world – even though I knew more about all of them than they realised about each other; more than they put into words.

Yuki looked at me a little strangely, and I remembered how much my words must have echoed Tohru's when she was first told of the Sohma family head.

I rose, feeling the robe around me, exotic and strange. I had never worn a Japanese one before, but I knew that I couldn't stay in it forever – I was in their equivalent of a bathrobe.

"Where are my clothes?" I inquired.

"In the laundry… I took the liberty of washing them," Tohru replied. "They were quite dirty." Mistaking my confused stare for one of embarrassment, she shook her head quickly. "I dressed you myself. I didn't think that staying in your old clothes was healthy." She looked down, blushing furiously.

I nodded absently. "That's quite all right." I didn't mind. It wasn't like I had anything she didn't have. I was in fact confused. How had my pyjamas gotten so filthy?

"Yo! I'm home! That damn rat better not be!" My eyes widened. It was Kyo.

"Too late," Yuki said, his face impassive. Kyo swore. "I-" he looked in the room and stopped short.

"Ky-" he caught himself in time to keep from saying something. I knew enough to guess what it was. Kyoko..? After a moment of awkward silence, he hastened to cover up.

"Who…are you?" he asked.

"Tsukiakari Kokoro."

"Sohma Kyo." He looked as though he had seen a ghost. Did I really look that much like Tohru's mother? My hair was the same colour, but… I couldn't puzzle it out any more without a mirror.

Tohru looked from Kyo to me and then back to Kyo.

"Kyo-kun?" she asked, tentatively. "Kyo-kun, Kari-kun is going to stay here for a while."

"Damn girls taking over the place," Kyo muttered, but his heart was not in it.

"Must we go over this again?" Yuki asked. "Who we take into this house is none of your concern. You could at least attempt to be nice to Kari-san."

Kyo looked at me. I could tell he still saw Kyoko in my figure. He sighed.

"…I'm sorry."

The three of us stared at him. Since when had he done anything Yuki said?

"I'm sorry you have to be in this place with that damn rat." He turned to leave.

"Ah. Cool sentiments from the Master of Awkwardness," came a voice from the doorway. We looked and saw Shigure. Kyo's face went red.

"Why do you always say it like that?" he yelled. "It's nothing like that! Shut up!" He pushed by Shigure and disappeared.

Shigure looked at me.

"You, my lovely flower, have just witnessed a classic example of Kyo-kun's "Think-What-You-Want-Dammit" moments. He does it all the time. Please don't let it bother you."

Tohru looked up.

"Um…er, Shigure-san? Why did you go to visit Akito-san? Kari-kun has been worried."

"All in good time, my dear Tohru-kun! First, I must introduce myself to this lovely high school girl." He executed a florid bow in my direction. "Pleased to meet you, my dear. Sohma Shigure, at your service."

"I'm Tsukiakari Kokoro," I said, for the fourth time that morning, "and I'm not a high school girl. I'm 15 – year of the sheep." Had I said too much, I wondered. Nowadays in Japan people didn't walk around referring to the Zodiac. But I kept forgetting that I wasn't supposed to know about the Sohma curse and the Juunishi.

Tohru brightened. "Hiro-cha-" she stopped, remembering that I didn't know about the Sohmas. But it gave me a valuable piece of information – this was after Volume 7.

Shigure hastened to cover up.

"Is that so? You look very mature for your age, then," he said, and I knew he was thinking about Momiji. A thought came into my head, then. What year was it really? I knew a lot about Fruits Basket, but not that much. Was I really 15? Had I travelled in time? I dismissed the conundrum. For all intents and purposes, I was 15.

"Yet again, I encounter a youngster with knowledge of the Chinese Zodiac. I am beginning to think that interest in the old folk tales is more widespread than I believed."

I smiled. "Perhaps." I couldn't' quite find it in me to be nice to Shigure. I knew that he was almost worse than Akito, using Tohru and others in order to get what he wanted. Along with a handful of others, I was the only one who knew: beneath the surface, Shigure was not as kind and jovial as he appeared.

"Now, about why I went to see Akito, Kokoro-kun," Shigure continued, "it was elementary, really. You looked very familiar. I seemed to recall seeing you with Akito long ago… or at least, someone who looked like you. I went to talk to Akito about it. That's all."

From above, we heard the sound of someone shifting. Kyo had retreated to the roof once again. Was he listening?

"But… but how could you recognise me, Shigure-san? I have never been here before." Shigure looked pensive – the man never frowned.

"I don't know, to tell you the truth. It's more like a feeling of déja-vu."

Any excuse to see Akito, I suppose, I thought. Yuki echoed my sentiments.

"That seems like a pretty vague reason to go to Akito," he said suspiciously.

"Look, it's the only way I know of to describe it," Shigure protested, efficiently avoiding the pointed question in Yuki's comment.

"This from a novelist," I said. The three stared at me.

"How did you know I was a novelist?" Shigure asked, shocked. I swore, inwardly. Another slip!

"I… uh… I met your editor once. Mitchan? She wouldn't remember now, but she was complaining about her job and used your real name by accident." I hoped I wouldn't slip any more. I hated lying, even to someone like Shigure.

Shigure seemed to accept my explanation. "I know how Mitchan gets sometimes," he agreed, "but how did you know it was me?"

"She mentioned one of the manuscripts you were late in submitting," I lied again, smoothly. I was worried. lying was becoming easier.

Shigure nodded and let the matter drop.

"Now, Akito has expressed a desire to see you…" at this, Yuki looked up sharply. In his eyes I saw deep fear. He was afraid for me! "…but his doctor has said that he won't be able to see anyone for a while," Shigure continued. Yuki tried to hide his obvious relief and nearly succeeded. "You could say Akito specialises in getting sick," Shigure finished.

Yuki spoke. "Isn't this a little odd, Shigure? I mean…" In my mind I completed his sentence. …she doesn't know about the curse.

I wanted to explain to them that I did know about the Juunishi, perhaps more than anyone did, except for Akito. But how could I explain it? Actually, I do know about the curse, because you're all characters in a popular manga in my world. I don't know how I got here, and I don't know how to get back. They would think I was insane!

"Well, no one's ever appeared unconscious on our doorstep before." Shigure smiled enigmatically. We knew that we would get no more answers from Shigure.

"Are you feeling better?" Shigure inquired. I nodded. I did feel much better.

"You are more than welcome to stay the day," he offered, "unless there's somewhere else you need to be?"

I shook my head. "No, nowhere. Thank-you so very much." I bowed.

"Don't mention it," Shigure replied. He turned to Tohru.

"Tohru-kun, would you like to show Kokoro-kun around?" he asked. Tohru nodded eagerly. Yuki stood. "I think I'll get some studying done." He looked at me. "That's if you don't mind?"

"No, not at all," I assured him. Yuki left. Shigure also departed to his office. Tohru turned to me.

"Well, Kari-kun, that's our little household." She smiled. "It's very fun to live here." I smiled back. "I'm sure it is."

After Tohru showed me around, we returned to the kitchen. I wanted to help Tohru make lunch, but she wouldn't hear of it. I was a little nervous. I had never eaten Japanese food before. I had never used chopsticks. And, with the whole family plus one Kokoro at the table, things could get… interesting.