Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Coming Back ❯ A Runaway ( Chapter 4 )

Coming Back

Chapter 4

 

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fruits basket. It belongs to Natsuki Takaya.

 

A knock at the door wrenched Sakura from her thoughts. She had taken too long to answer though and the door opened. Sakura cursed in Spanish as Setsuna entered. Sakura hastily stuffed the alchemy book under her pillow as she sat up.

 

“What are you hiding?” Setsuna asked, looking suspiciously at Sakura.

 

“What, a girl can't hide her journal?” Sakura answered, thinking fast.

 

“They can, but you're as much a girl as the birds outside are my siblings.” Setsuna replied with a smirk.

 

Sakura's eyes narrowed. “Just `cause I don't like girly stuff doesn't mean I'm not a girl.”

 

“Yeah, yeah. Say whatever you want. I just came to tell you that we're having dinner so if you want something to eat, I suggest you get to the kitchen.” Setsuna told her, before shutting the door closed.

 

Sakura sighed in relief. Setsuna hadn't discovered her secret. She eyed the alchemy book now next to her. This thing was more trouble then it was worth. But it probably saved her life, so she was just fine.

 

I am kinda hungry. It's been a while since I last ate, but with Setsuna's cooking skills, I'll be lucky to not be poisoned, Sakura thought.

 

Sakura just took several deep breaths and then got up and headed to their small kitchen. As she got to the doorway, she froze. Sitting there around their small table was Hatori and Shigure and Ayame with Setsuna and in the living room she could see most of the Juunichi excluding Rin and Kureno. Thankfully, Akito was absent. Sakura's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Why were they here?

 

Hatori looked up when he heard footsteps as well as Setsuna and Shigure. The three looked at Sakura with expressions that she couldn't describe.

 

“Why are you guys here?” Sakura asked, struggling slightly in keeping her voice level.

 

“We wanted to talk to you, Sakura.” Hatori said in his usual monotone.

 

Sakura's eyes flashed, but she kept her slowly rising temper in check. “About…?”

 

“About your classes.” Setsuna said, deliberately keeping the word `school' out of the sentence.

 

“What about `em?” The others were listening intently now.

 

“Akito said that you're supposed to stay in school no matter what. Said something about good for your health or something.” Shigure said.

 

Sakura's anger snapped. “Like hell if I'm listening to Akito! I'm better off in Puerto Rico! By next January, I'll be off and gone to Puerto Rico! I hate this place! I want to leave and never come back and that's just what I'm gonna do!”

 

Sakura walked quickly right by them and head out the front door, slamming the door full force behind her, making the whole house tremble. As soon as the door shut, Sakura began to run, unable to help herself. She wanted to run, run and never come back. As she stumbled on the steps, she found that tears were pricking her eyes, but she held them back, despite what her scarred heart was telling her.

************************

The others looked out after her. Hatori and Shigure, especially, were completely taken aback. Everyone knew for a fact that Sakura hated, no, loathed Akito, but they never thought that Sakura would really speak that freely about it. She had changed, although whether to say it was a bad change or a good one would be close to impossible.

 

They all remembered Sakura as a shy, quiet girl who wouldn't talk at all after her parents died. All anyone heard her speak in front of a bunch of people was what happened and why she was in Japan. She was never easily angered, or if she was, she had never let it show. Now, seeing the rage in her eyes, and the anger in her voice, it was startling. Although it was good for her to be confident and strong and for her to have come out of her shell, for her to speak so angrily whenever Akito was mentioned, it might be a repeat of seven years ago.

 

“So, what do we do?” Kagura's voice broke through the silence.

 

Setsuna swallowed through the lump in her throat. “We have to look for her. It's going to get chilly and if I know Sakura, she'll keep running until she either collapses or can't move at all or until she transforms and even then, I know she'll keep running.”

 

“Good plan. We'll search in twos. If anyone finds her, they should come back here and either call someone with a cell phone or keep Sakura here until you somebody comes back. Ayame, I think you should stay here in case Sakura or someone comes back.” Hatori finally said through his shock.

 

They all nodded and went out the door while Ayame grumbled something, but didn't argue. The cold was already weakening him.

 

-~-~Kagura and Kisa~-~-~

“Sakura!” Kisa called out in her soft voice.

 

“Man, where would she go?” Kagura said.

 

“Maybe she went running until she couldn't anymore.” Kisa suggested.

 

“She'll keep running until she hits the coast probably.”

 

“Hold up, the coast! We gotta grab a cab or something to the closest beach! She's sure to be there.” Kagura said and they both ran, their heads bowed to try and find a taxi.

 

-~-~-Yuki and Haru-~-~-~-

“She's gotta be around here somewhere.” Haru said, scanning the streets carefully.

 

“Of course, but knowing her, she'll probably run until she hits the ocean. Wait a minute…”Yuki said slowly.

 

“The ocean!” They both said in unison and they grabbed a cab and told them to head for the closest beach.

 

-~-~-Hatori and Setsuna-~-~-

“Do you have any idea where she might go?” Hatori asked, looking at his cousin.

 

Setsuna shook her head. “No, but if I had to venture a guess, I'd say the beach.”

 

“Now?”

 

“You forget she grew up at the beach. It's probably where she feels most at home.”

 

Setsuna slapped her forehead. “I am such an idiot! We have to get a cab.”

 

“To…?” Hatori was now thoroughly confused.

 

“The beach. The closest one. That's where she'll be.” Setsuna said, “Now come on. We need to find a taxi.”

 

-~-~-Hiro and Shigure-~-~-

Hiro and Shigure were looking around carefully, trying their hardest to find their lost cousin. Sakura had never been particularly close with anyone, but they all cared about her.

 

“We're never gonna find her. This place is too big.” Hiro said wearily.

 

“Yeah we will. We just need to think for a minute. If you were Sakura, where would you go?” Shigure told him, thinking.

 

“The beach!” the two said simultaneously.

 

And with that, they grabbed a cab and went to find their cousin.

-~-~-~-~-~-

Sakura knew her body couldn't hold up much longer. She had been running for an hour straight. Sakura had forgotten to put shoes on in her anger. She felt the sand under her feet. It was nothing like Puerto Rico's. Puerto Rico's felt soft and warm. This one was hard and cold. It felt fake to her. Sakura just collapsed and laid a hand over her eyes. It was quiet here that was for sure. She removed the hand after a few minutes and looked up at the sky. IT was dotted with stars and the full moon shone brightly, casting its silver light over the land and ocean.

 

Sakura never heard the footsteps until it was too late.