Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ The Red Butterfly ❯ The Red Butterfly - again ( Chapter 1 )

The Red Butterfly

Chapter 1: The Red Butterfly - again

Disclaimer: Well you probably know the rigmarole (story), but I'll say it anyway… most of the places, people, or things in this story come from Fruits Basket. They are not mine.

Background: This is a little insert ficlet that has to do with Uo, Haru, Kyoko, the Red Butterfly, and gangs. It is after Kyoko's 1 year anniversary.

Note: I may have gotten some facts wrong, and if I did, and you notice, please tell me and I will try to change it asap. ` and ' are for thoughts, " and " are for speaking.

Warning: Contains swearing and mild bloodshed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hatsuharu Sohma, or Haru, waited patiently at the corner of the street. His gloved hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his loose pants and his face was, as usual, stony. His fur topped white silted coat was open and whipped against his shiny black pants and boots. The open coat revealed his black button-down shirt that was only held closed by three or four buttons near the bottom. The top was open revealing his pale chest and his many necklaces and his black choker collar.

He was lost - again - surprise.

He stood with feet spread apart and shoulders level, staring blankly across the street at the red walk sign. The traffic light turned form green to yellow and Haru saw a motorcycle speed up to get through the light. The taillights flashed by in a blur of red and the wind hit Haru like a wall, but he was staring at the taillights and the back of rider on the bike. The black coat worn by the cyclist flapped in the wind it stirred and rode against. But on the back, clearly visible to Haru, was the picture of a red butterfly.

Flashback Memory: ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Kid hop on!" Haru raced for the back clad rider on the motorcycle. The bad guys raced after him. The rider held out a gloved hand to Haru. The child strained his legs. His lungs felt about to burst. One guy took a swipe at him. Haru stumbled but was up in a second - facing the other direction - with a mean smirk on his face.

Black Haru had finally emerged, despite all of the efforts of the White Haru. Haru ducked beneath his large attacker and hit him behind the knees. The man went down but the rest circled and surrounded him.

Haru vaguely heard someone swear in the background, and he wondered why his attackers would swear. Then he heard an engine rev and the rider drove into the circle. The bike stopped in front of him and the gloved hand shot back out. The arm snaked around his waist and the rider swung him onto the back of the bike.

"Hold on to me tightly! I don't want you to fall off!" the rider warned him. He had just enough time to see the design on the back of the coat before he clutched the rider and they were off - it was of a red butterfly. Haru clutched the rider with all his child strength. His face was pressed into the design on the back and he wondered what it was for.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Red Butterfly! Hey! Wait! Stop!" Haru leaped off the curb and into the street. Dashing across the slowing traffic - he kept shouting a the cyclist, "Hey! Stop! Red Butterfly, Wait! Stop Dammit!" He dodged in front of the cars that stopped by the white line waiting for the light to turn. He slapped the hood of a white van that stopped mere inches form his stomach.

Haru could feel the anger and annoyance rising within him. He glared angrily at the driver of the van and felt his upper lip curl into a growl. He was losing the Red Butterfly! He shouted some obscenity at the van and turned to go when he heard a bang.

The doors of the van flew open - the light was red and the cars were stopped. Gang members flowed out and around the cars stopped near it to swarm around him. They all had their upper left arm bared to reveal barbed wire tattoos. `Damn! A gang!' Haru swore violently and spun - he was yearning for fight, but he wanted to catch the Red Butterfly!

He needed an outlet for his anger though! The sudden urge to hit someone, to feel his fist connect with flesh, to feel the flesh give, break, and snap… he mentally hit himself. Black Haru wasn't coming out yet! `Stop it Haru!' he yelled at himself, `You may still be able to catch her!' He scanned traffic but couldn't see her anywhere.

"Damn and double damn!" he swore some more but then he felt a fist flying towards the back of his head and he ducked, and rolled. He came up with a smirk on his face and his eyebrows tilted at dangerous angles. Black Haru had finally surfaced. He waded into the closing group and into the thick of it with fists and feet flying.

"Dirty, blood-sucking bastards!" he spat. The gang murmured angrily at that. The light turned green. Horns began to honk and blow. The group converged on Haru in front of the van and traffic flowed past them angrily. Majority of the gang had bruises by this time, some were bleeding and a few were holding broken bones and joints gingerly.

Haru was doing quite well on the other hand. He wasn't as good at Kyo and definitely not Yuki, but he was better than them and he only had some bruises and a cut lip that was bleeding. He smirked at them and swiped at his lip with the back of his hand. "That all you can do? Guess I shouldn't expect much from sons of bitches." He shrugged and stood upright.

If there was one thing Black Haru knew how to do well, it was how to say the exact thing at the exact moment to get people riled up. And his gift didn't fail him this time either.

The gang roared and leapt on him again. Haru gave a nasty smile that didn't bode well and began to dish out punches, kicks, and all around dirty fighting. "Fuck all you bitches! That's what you are, aren't you? Little girl doggies!" Traffic was honking and surging around the writhing mass of bodies. A few people had their windows rolled down and quickly rolled them up once they heard the language spewing from Haru's mouth. But one motorcycle didn't go around - it went through the fray.

Black coat flapping and head lowered, the rider charged into the fray. Haru stared dumbfounded at the black face mask that was now face to face with him for a second before coming to in just enough time to hear the rider say, "Well, what the hell are you waiting for!? And engraved invitation?! Get on!" Haru didn't need a second invitation - however rough the first was.

He swung his leg over the back of the bike and grabbed onto the person ahead of him tightly as they sped off. Haru had his hands clasping the rider's shoulders, he was careful to keep his arms between them. The gang roared in anger at losing their antagonist and prey and piled back into the van and sped off after them. The traffic was happy to continue on it daily routine even if the gang wasn't.

Haru ducked his head behind the rider's back and closed his eyes. The wind tore his white coat open and the cold wind rushed in. But the body ahead of him was warm, very warm - a smirk grew on Haru's face. Black Haru may have been in shock over seeing his childhood savior again, but Black Haru hadn't been beaten into submission and quickly resurfaced.

They turned out of traffic and down a side street. The bike halted and the rider turned around to face him, the helmet still on. "You ok?" The voice was muffled, but Haru thought he recognized it. "Yeah, yeah Red Butterfly, I'm ok."

"Good. But one thing-" The helmet came off the rider and long straight blonde hair fell out and flowed across the black trench coat. "I'm not the Red Butterfly." Haru stared dumbfounded into the face of Ansa Uotani, Tohru's friend and a girl a year above him at school. "Uo?" To say that he was shocked would be putting in mildly; he was flabbergasted.

Suddenly Uo's eyes widened as she looked over Haru's shoulder. "Shit! Hold on!" She slammed her helmet back on and with a flick of her wrist, a kick, and a push of the petal; they were off. The van had just turned down their street.

They spun down the street in a blur of colors. Haru could not believe it. In less than 10 minutes he had found Uo in his heroine's coat, discovered Uo could ride a bike like no one he had ever seen before, and had a gang after him. Not to mention that Black Haru was straddling a bike behind a girl. Things were definitely heating up. Black Haru smirked at the world.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey! So what do you think? So far I am pretty sure the facts are correct, next chap I'm not so sure tho, gotta help me out then! Please review!

Preview of chap 2: Haru and Uo learn more of each other's past. Haru gets to see Uo fight and Black Haru takes a beating.

~Kit ;)