Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Zodiac ❯ Chapter 4

Vera-sama: Ok, that was a good question about the Libras. I have a book on the zodiac, and I looked up the animal associated wit each sign. All of the Kudamonos are cursed, and can all turn into the animal of their signs. Mikan is the exception because he was a male born under a female sign. All Geminis are twins, and can turn into their animal. Here's the list, for future reference. I do plan on introducing one female Virgo, and one male Leo, but those will be the only repeats of signs we've already met.

Leo: lion

Cancer: crab

Sagittarius: horse

Pieces: fish

Aries: ram

Taurus: bull

Gemini: magpie

Virgo: mink (girl) girl (boy)

Libra: elephant

Scorpio: scorpion

Capricorn: goat

Aquarius: eagle

Ch. 4

Senna always woke up earlier then the others, especially on weekends like this. Rubbing her eyes, she pulled on her robe to leave her room. She went into the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and started downstairs for some breakfast. As she walked down the hall to the stars, she passed a familiar face.

"Good morning, Haru-kun." She said sleepily. She then stopped, fully awake, she turned to the boy. "Haru-kun? What are you doing here?"

"I was going to get a bowl of cereal, but I got lost." He explained.

"Nee-chan………" Mikan's drowsy voice called from down the hall. "Did I just hear a guy?"

"No, Onii-san, go back to bed." She called quickly.

"OK." And like that, he did.

"How did you get in?" Senna asked Haru as she led him down the stairs.

"Ichigo-san let me in."

"Ichigo-sama!" Senna sighed.

"Hai?" a voice called behind her. "Nani? He did knock after all."

Senna sighed.

"Just wait here, Haru-kun, I'll be back in a minute."

She went back upstairs, and dressed quickly. She hadn't known Haru……….or any of the Sohmas for that matter………long enough to feel comfortable in front of them in her night clothes. She returned a moment later dressed.

"Come on, Haru-kun, I was just about to get some breakfast myself."

* * *

Senna learned that when Haru wasn't black, he was actually extremely fun to be around. Ichigo had returned to research, and Senna and Haru were sitting in the living room, swapping stories about their families.

"And then Kiichigo, that's the Libra, transformed right there in the zoo." Senna said laughing. "It was nearly impossible to get her off somewhere until she could transform back and we could leave."

"I bet that was embarrassing." Haru laughed.

"I knew I heard a guy's voice!" Mikan exclaimed, coming in. "What's he doing here?"

"Hey, Mikan, come here a minute, we need to talk." Ichigo motioned for him to follow her out of the room.

"About what?"

"………Someone's been………leaving the cap off the milk jug again………" She said as they walked further down the hall, away from Senna and Haru.

"And?"

"I think it's………Suika………."

"And you want me to………tell her to stop?"

"Ok, now that we're far enough out of earshot………" Ichigo stopped at the other end of the hall. "I wanted to tell you, your sister does have a life."

"So I shouldn't talk to Suika about the milk jug?" Mikan was thoroughly confused.

"Look, scratch everything I said before now!" Ichigo sighed. "That wasn't what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Then what was?"

"Senna has a life, Mikan-kun, and it's nice to see her talking to a guy, usually she runs in the other direction. So my point is, leave her and that Sohma kid alone."

"I understand, Ichigo-san." Mikan replied, lowering his head.

Ichigo smiled.

"Now if we could just remedy the problem of Suika beating up everyone interested in her………"

"I don't think there's anything wrong with that." Mikan replied.

Ichigo shook her head. She had a feeling she'd never get through to him.

* * *

"Hatori-san, what a pleasant surprise." Ichigo smiled, answering the door.

"Something told me I could find my cousin here." He replied. "Was I right?"

"Hai." She stepped to one side, so he could see Senna and Haru still talking in the living room.

"He's usually not this talkative unless he's black." Hatori commented. "And then, it's not nearly as friendly."

"Would you like some tea?" Ichigo offered.

"That sounds nice." He smiled, following her into the kitchen.

* * *

Hatori sat in the kitchen with Ichigo, not saying much, but enjoying himself.

"I've got something to ask you." He said before he could stop himself. "When snow melts, what does it become?"

"Well, it only snows in winter………So I'd have to say spring." She smiled. "But a more technical answer would be water."

Hatori smiled, and they sat there a moment longer.

"Darn it!" Ichigo exclaimed after a few moments. "Why am I so comfortable around you? It's not natural!"

Hatori laughed.

"I don't know." He replied. "But I was thinking the same thing myself."

* * *

"Haru, time to go." Hatori called.

"How'd you know I was here?" Haru asked, coming in followed by Senna and Suika.

"I didn't. I actually came to get Ichigo-san, Senna-san, and Suika-san." Hatori smiled at his younger cousin. "Something told me I'd find you here too."

"Why'd you come for us?" Suika asked.

"Akito wanted to talk to you again." He replied.

Ichigo noticed Senna seemed to wince slightly at this name, but Suika seemed impartial.

"Ichigo-sama, I'm not sure you should get out." Senna said, turning to her cousin. "You're not well, and it's been very chilly lately."

"I'll be fine." Ichigo replied. "I need to see daylight once in a while. Besides, Hatori-san is a doctor, if anything happens, I'm sure he can handle it."

Senna lowered her head in defeat. And trudged out to the car with the others. It had been a few days since she first met Akito, and she'd hoped it would be a few years before she'd have to see him again.

* * *

This visit started off like the last one, except Suika didn't chew him out for still being in bed.

"Hatori, step outside." He said as he stood before the twins once again. He shifted his gaze to Ichigo. "You too."

"No, I think I'll stay here." She replied, leaning against the wall. "What could you possibly want to say to my cousins that you wouldn't want the head of their family to hear?"

Akito was obviously annoyed with this, but said nothing. Suika looked him eye to eye, but Senna tried to look at her feet, shifting her gaze if any part of his foot slipped into her view. She shook slightly, something about this guy scared her to no end.

"You!" He snapped to Suika. "Go stand by her." He motioned to Ichigo. "I want to talk with your sister."

Senna looked up to watch Suika do as he said, and kicked herself for not bolting out of the room then.

"Why don't you look at me?" He asked. "Is it because you're ashamed? Or is it because you pity me? Some poor, dying creature. Look at me."

She didn't. She couldn't. He made her. He grabbed her face in his hand. For such a frail body, he had a strong grasp. He pulled her face up to eye level with him.

"Anything to say now?" He asked.

"That………hurts………" She managed to get out, although it wasn't very loud. Tears streamed down her face as she reached up to grab his hand. He stopped one hand, holding it in a tight grasp. Apparently he figured she might be strong enough to break free with both hands, but not one.

"Good." He replied. "I want it to."

"That's enough!" Suika yelled, rushing forward. She pulled Senna free and began punching the sick boy.

"No one hurts my sister. No one makes her cry but me." She continued wailing on the guy as she spoke. "I can't believe I liked you!"

Senna rushed forward and pulled her back.

"I think he gets the point, Suika-chan." Ichigo said, stepping forward. "Why don't you two step outside for a minute."

They both nodded, and went outside.

"What was going on in there?" Haru asked as soon as they exited.

"Ichigo-sama is usually very nice." Senna started. "But I'm glad I won't be in there to see what happens."

* * *

"You're the head of your family, right?" She asked, a colder tone replacing her usually friendly one. "You've got the core of your family's curse, and you're not sure when you'll die. All you know is that you won't get to live as long as the rest of your family."

"You think you understand, but you don't!" He snapped.

"Shut up and listen." She growled. "I do understand, more then you could know. You see, I've got the core of my family's curse too, but with a little added stress. The way our curse falls, I carry the core of it, and transform into an animal. There's something different about me, though. Unlike you, I make the most I can out of my time here. I don't blame others because of something they can't help, and I don't blame myself for something I can't help. I'm also trying to figure how to break the curse, so hopefully I can get better. The head of a family is supposed to look out for their family, not themselves. Get over it!"

Akito just stared as she turned to leave, but stopped.

"If you ever hurt one of my relatives again………" She growled, giving off a dark aura. "I will personally hunt you down and make you regret it."

She pulled the door open, and Senna, Suika and Haru fell forward. They had apparently been listening at the door. Senna fell on Haru. There was a poof, and she found herself sprawled across the back of a cow.

"So that's what he turns into." Suika commented.

Senna climbed down, and turned her attention to Ichigo. She stood there, seething.

"Are you ok?" Senna asked timidly.

"No." Ichigo said. She paused a moment. "Now I am."

"Then why are you still seething?"

"I can't breathe." She replied. "That took more lung capacity then I thought it would."

Hatori helped her to a chair and got her a glass of water. After a few minutes, she was better.

"We can go now girls." She said, standing up.

They nodded. Senna turned to Haru, who still hadn't transformed back.

"Haru-kun, I was wondering what you turned into." She smiled. "I think you make a cute cow."

She hugged his neck.

"I think that's the first time I've ever seen a cow blush." Ichigo joked, and Senna blushed herself.

"I'll see you at school." She said.

"Ok………" He replied. "Bye Senna-chan."

A/N: Woot! Akito got wailed on! Sorry, incase you couldn't tell, I hate that guy! I'm sorry if you do, for whatever reason you do, but I don't.