Memories
By: HeavenlydemonxXxo

Can't say I own Fruits Basket.

It was winter break now. Kumiko breathed onto the train window. Before the steam cleared up, she drew a smiley face on it. She had spent 5 days with Kyou. But not once had he opened up to her. Mysterious as ever. She sighed in failure. What if she never learns exactly what the curse has done to them? The trees passed by. The sun moved with the train. At least they invited her to a ski trip up in the mountains.

"We have arrived at the ski resort. Please retrieve all your belongings and have a nice trip."

Hopping off her seat, she grabbed her bags and suitcase. Waiting in line for all the other people to get off, she sighted Yuki, Kyou and the little blonde kid from back then there to greet her. Beaming she got off the train and waved to them.

"Kumiko-chan!!" said the little kid, bounding off to hug her.

"Heh. Hold on there, you little brat." said Kyou as he held onto his collar. "There's people here."

"EHH? I want to hug her, I want to hug her!" he threw a tantrum.

"Ahahaha. What's this guy's name?" laughed Kumiko.

"Momiji." he said. Holding onto her hand he jabbered away about the snow and what they've been doing before she came here. Kyou watched them from behind, with an occasional twitch of his mouth. Someone else stepped off the train and onto the platform.

"KYOU-KUN!!" Kagura shouted lovingly. Hair going rigid, he got in running mode. "KYOU-KUN!!!!!!!" She sounded like she was going to beat the hell outta him now. Slugging him with her fist, she screeched, "NOT CALLING ME OR CONTACTING ME FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS! AND YOU WEREN'T THE ONE INVITING ME ONTO THIS TRIP!!!" Swinging him in circles in the air, she pummeled him. Onlookers whispered to each other in shock. "Lover's troubles." they called it. When she stopped, they thought it was over. Suddenly she started crying and hugged Kyou's bruised body. "Who did this to you?!" she cried. Everyone watching sweatdropped.

Looking back, Kumiko laughed.

"Such immature actions..." said Hiro as he came off the train, along with Kira.

"Oh? Hiro came too?" remarked Momiji.

Haru soon followed, as he stared blankly at the mountain, seeming so out of it.

"Wow, is this some family reunion?" asked Kumiko.

"I suppose so..." replied Yuki.

Haru came closer. "Akito's here too..." He walked on, joining Momiji and them.

Yuki froze. His eyes widened in fear. Trembling, he slowly turned his head towards the train. "Is that so..." Kumiko was aware of what Yuki was going through. Right off the bat, she knew it was fear. But for what reason? A foot appeared from the train door. The face that appeared with it was so beautiful. Worthy to be rivaled with Yuki's face. This person's eyes caught onto Kumiko's. Suddenly she was flooded with fear as well. Who was he? Such hateful intent!

Kyou escaped Kagura's grasp and was joined by Haru. His blank eyes stared at him with such intensity.

"What's ... wrong with you...?" asked Kyou, suspiciously.

"You might want to be careful."

"For what reason?"

He nodded his head towards the trio. Kyou saw Kumiko taking a step back, while Yuki was frozen still. Akito leaned in and whispered something to her ear. Her skin was drained of color. He desperately wanted to come to save her from Akito, but what could he do? An outcast can do nothing against the head of the family. Suddenly, he found himself being seeked for help from Kumiko's eyes. Casting down his eyes, he ignored her. Akito noticed this and began walking to Kyou.

"Monster..." he breathed out as he passed him. Shocked from this sudden attack, Kyou felt his heart skip a beat. He finally let out air when Akito wasn't in vicinity. Kumiko began moving, as if she just witnessed a massacre. Stumbling along the snow covered platform, she tripped and fell. Yuki realized that this, being the first time she interacted with Akito, was too much for her. Helping her up, his skin was still tingling. His carelessness of this trip had changed into suspense and waiting for the attack. He felt a lump in his throat, and tried to clear it.

"Haha! So much snow today! Let's have a snow-ball fight!" Kumiko frolicked outside with Momiji. Yuki stared in amazement and jealousy. How was it that she could be over the events of yesterday so quickly? And why couldn't he do the same? A ball of snow hit him suddenly.

"Was that too hard?" asked Haru.

"What are you doing?! This is inside a building! If you're going to do something, do it outside!" scolded Hiro. "And Kira! Aren't you too cold?!" he shouted to her, as she was outside as well. A snowball hit him.

"Ahaha. Hiro, you're so mature!" teased Momiji. He shrunk back when he saw Hiro blazing in fury. His cold arrogance disappeared and began to attack Momiji in the way a boy his age would. Momiji ran away to hide behind Kumiko, laughing. Hiro's rampage of snowballs had no boundary though. Laughing they both ran away and fired back when they had the chance to. From the window, Kyou watched. He, like Yuki, was still not over what happened yesterday. And he couldn't face Kumiko now. How useless was he? Sitting back onto his bed, he beat himself up. Useless, useless, useless. He could never redeem himself. And at this rate, he will never be accepted into the Chinese Zodiac. Suddenly, he remembered what Kumiko said to him that night. 'Stand up to it and fight.' He will not let Akito control him. Dressing into warmer clothes, he headed downstairs. He found them all sitting around a table drinking hot chocolate. White powder covered their heads while their faces were flushed.

"Oy! Kyou, you lazy bum!" greeted Haru.

"Lazy bum my ass..." muttered Kyou.

"KYOU-KUN! I THOUGHT YOU WOULD NEVER WAKE UP!" Kagura exclaimed. Kyou ignored her. It was distinct on how Kumiko avoided eye contact with him.

"Hey, hey everyone! I brought my camera with me! Let's take some pictures!" she suggested so happily. She brought it out and took pictures with Momiji, who was excited about this as much as she was. Kagura joined too, and Kira was soon dragged into it as Hiro went into despair that she escaped his grasp once again.

"She's sad. Her face is happy, but her heart is sad. She's disappointed that her knight in shining armor didn't come." Startled, Kyou looked up to find Haru with him. "I understand your situation, but I'm disappointed..."