Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Zodiac ❯ Chapter 6

Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to my two main reviewers: A Breezy Era, and Hyperarcasticinternetaddict.

Disclaimer:

Vera: I don't own Ranma………Rumiko Takahashi does. I also don't own Joe Nichols-

Avia: That's my job………

Luna: That's fine, but I've got Keith Urban………

Vera: And I have Blake Shelton. He's gonna be my date for prom.

Avia: Yeah, but have you told him that yet?

Vera: Am I supposed to?

Avia: So long as I can bring Joe………nah………

Luna: -__-;; I don't have a prom this year to drag Keith too………

Chapter 6

Tohru rang the front doorbell, Uo and Hana waiting behind her. Ichigo answered, and smiled at the three girls.

"Tohru-chan, these must be your friends."

"Hai, this is Uo-chan and Hana-chan." Tohru replied.

"It's nice to meet the two of you, please come in." Ichigo lead them to the living room. "Before I let you three go see Senna-chan and Suika-chan………there are a few things you need to know."

She held out a piece of paper. Uo took it, and scanned over it quickly.

"I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't say these words while here………or around anyone in my family." She smiled at them. "Our family………practices a very special religion. We don't believe in that branch of Astrology, and so you could say the list in your hand, well, those words are curse words around here."

Hana and Uo looked closer at the list. It read: Zodiac, Libra, Virgo, Cancer, Leo, Sagittarius, Gemini, Taurus, Aries, Scorpio, Aquarius, Capricorn, and Pieces.

Uo folded up the paper, and slipped it in her pocket.

"Rules are Rules, We won't say anything off the list." She said.

"Good." Ichigo Smiled. "Senna and Suika are upstairs in their room, Tohru-chan, you remember the way, don't you?"

Tohru nodded and started upstairs her friends close behind.

"I'm getting very odd electrical reading from this household." Hana commented.

"What's so strange about them?" Uo asked.

"I sense something connected to animals." Hana replied. "But that's all I can tell right now."

* * *

"Okaa-san, you have to hide." Senna begged. "They're coming!"

"I don't see why I can't meet your friends." A small voice replied from the middle of Senna's bed.

A small black head appeared out from under the blankets, followed by a body. The black mink leapt off the bed and onto a self eye level with Senna.

"Oh yeah, I can see it now." Suika replied sarcastically from her own bed. "Hey guys, this is our mom, a talking mink. You see, our family has a curse, and she got stuck in her cursed form, so now we keep her as a pet. A talking mink for a mom, isn't it the coolest?"

"Kudamono Suika, you better not get smart with me………I'm still your mother!"

"Okaa-san………you can stay in our room while they're here if you don't talk, and just pretend to be our pet." Senna sighed. She could hear their footsteps getting closer.

"Hai, hai."

There was a light rapping on the door, Senna turned around and pulled it open.

"Tohru-chan! Uo-chan! Hana-chan!" She smiled, stepping back so they could enter.

"What is that?" Uo asked, almost instantly noticing the mink sitting on the shelf.

"That's our pet, Shouka." Suika said, walking over and taking her down.

"I hope she doesn't bother you." Senna went on. "She usually just runs free about the house."

"I get very strange vibes from her." Hana said, looking at the mink in Suika's arms.

Before either twin could think of a response, Mikan's voice floated up the stairs and through the open door.

"The Sohmas are here." He called.

"I guess they followed you, Tohru-chan." Senna joked as she started downstairs with the others.

* * *

Once down there, they found Yuki, Kyo, Haru, Momiji and Hatori-san.

"We thought we'd drop in for a little while." Yuki smiled.

"We were bored." Kyo grumbled.

"I got lost………and saw Yuki and Kyo heading this way, so I followed." Haru admitted.

"I just wanted to come see Ume-chan." Momiji smiled.

As if on cue, Ume entered the room. "Hi Momiji-kun!"

Hatori shrugged. "I'm transportation."

"Well, I don't think we'll all fit in our room, so why don't we settle down in the living room." Senna suggested. "We can play cards or something."

Everyone agreed, and they embarked on the largest game of "Go Fish" ever played. They soon figured 10 might be too many, and decided to play team "Go Fish" instead.

"Suika, got any twos?" Uo asked.

"I don't know, do we Kyo? Kyo? Why'd I get paired with the baka?"

"I'm not a baka!" Kyo glared at her. "No twos, go fish."

"Do you have any Kings, Yuki-kun?" Senna asked.

"Yes we do." Tohru replied, handing over two cards.

"That makes the full set." Haru smiled, setting them aside.

It was now Momiji and Ume's turn, but they were just sitting there, staring at each other.

"It's your turn." Kyo growled, waking him upside the head.

"Yeah, move already!" Suika replied, hitting her sister.

"Wah! Kyo hit me!" Momiji cried.

"Wah! Suika hit me!" Ume echoed.

"Serves you right." Kyo and Suika replied in unison.

Everyone else simply sweatdropped.

* * *

Uo and Hana talked quietly as they walked from the brushing their teeth back to the twins' room.

"They have some very strange rules around here." Uo commented.

"The list of prohibited words was very strange indeed." Hana added.

They past Mikan's room. He had just opened the door and was about to leave when he heard the next thing Uo said.

"They all seemed to be signs of the Western Zodiac."

There was a Poof, and Hana looked over to see a girl coming out of Mikan's room.

"Who are you?" Hana asked. "Isn't that………Mikan-kun's room?"

"It's………my room too………I'm his………twin. Gotta go!"

* * *

"We had a very nice time." Hana said as she and Uo prepared to leave.

"One question though." Uo said. "We were here the entire night………where's your mom?"

Senna and Suika exchanged glances, then looked at the mink on their bed.

"She………um………" Senna began.

"She's off on a business trip." Ichigo finished from the door. "She wanted to stay, but couldn't. Come on, I'll walk you two out."

"Ok." Uo said, following the older woman.

Hana looked at the mink again. "I still get very strange vibes from her."

She too then turned and left.

"Hey Tohru, you coming?" Uo called.

"Yeah, I'll walk you out." She replied, following closely behind.

"That was close………" Suika sighed.

"Yeah………remind me to stay at their house instead next time."

"Girls!" Ichigo called. "The Sohmas are here………"

Senna and Suika started downstairs.

"Wait just a minute!" a voice called behind them.

Senna turned to see the small black mink heading for the end of the bed.

"Yes, Okaa-san?" She asked, a little exasperated.

"I want to meet your friends." Shouka replied. "They already know about the curse, and so there's no problem."

Senna picked her up and started back out the door.

"I especially want to meet that Haru boy………Suika-chan tells me you two have become very close."

"Suika!" Senna shot her sister a quick glare.

Once they got downstairs, they saw the usual collection of visitors.

"Shouka-nee-chan!" Ichigo called. "Nice to see you sub-level!"

"Nice to be down here." Shouka replied. "They finally let me out of my cage!"

"Girls, what have I told you about locking your mom in a cage?" Ichigo demanded.

"Only do it when we have company that doesn't know about the curse." Senna said.

"Or she gets to be too nosey." Suika finished.

"Correct." Ichigo smiled.

Shouka glared at them as best a mink could.

"I mean that's no way to treat your mother!" Ichigo corrected herself.

"What?" Kyo exclaimed. "No way that weasel is their mom!"

"She's a mink!" Senna and Suika snapped.

"Neko-chan does kinda have a point………" Ichigo said, rubbing her chin.

"Imouto-chan!" Shouka snapped.

"Come on, Okaa-san………did you want to meet our friends or not?"

Senna, Suika, Ichigo and Shouka headed for the living room and settled down amongst their guests.

"This is our mom………Shouka." Senna said, setting the mink down on a pillow on the ground. "She's a Virgo like Mikan-kun."

"Or Mikan-chan, you're choice." Suika added, smirking.

"Suika-chan, your brother isn't here to defend himself." Ichigo said, appearing to about to give a lecture. There was a pause. "Good timing!"

"Ichigo-sama! That's not nice!" Senna said, a bit surprised.

"Why do you call me `sama'? I'm your aunt for crying out loud!"

Senna jumped slightly, grabbing the nearest person out of surprise. There was a poof.

"Moo." Haru said, a little annoyed.

"Sorry, Haru-kun………" Senna smiled. "What do you want me to call you, Icchigo-sa-oba-san?"

"Just Ichigo-chan is fine." Ichigo said.

"Wait a minute, that Haru is a cow?" Shouka exclaimed from her seat on the floor. "Why didn't anyone bother to tell me?"

"I did………several times………" Ichigo sighed. "But then again, you never do listen to me………"

"Nani, Imouto-chan?"

"Nothing Shouka-chan………"

Just then, Mikan came in.

"I thought I'd let you know, Satoimo is at the front gate. He's back from America."

"Why is he here?" Suika asked, glaring at the door behind.

"We need to be nice, Nee-chan………" Senna said, although everyone could tell she didn't feel that way.

"Hey, um, Yuki, grab my clothes, ok?" Haru asked, started out of the room..

Yuki obliged, not really sure what to make of the sudden change in the Kudamonos. They returned just as the door opened.

"Konnichi wa!" A man about Mikan's age greeted, carrying a bag on his shoulder. "I brought gifts for everyone. They may not be anything special, but I got what I could afford."

He pulled out a DVD. It was the first Ranma movie. He handed that to Mikan, then pulled out a plushie.

"Ichigo-chan……..this is for you, it's an American singer named Joe Nichols."

He followed that with a crab plushie for Ume and a very large, very pretty seashell for Senna.

"It's very nice………" Senna began. "But what did you bring for Suika?"

Satoimo laughed.

"Why would I get her anything?"

"Because she's your cousin." Senna replied, her voice a little firmer then usual.

"I can't believe you still consider that misfit family!" He laughed again. "Shouka-oba-san would have been better off getting rid of her! She's just a disgrace."

Suika didn't give some snappy comeback………she didn't even glare. She just turned and ran for her room as quickly as she could.

Senna looked from Suika to the shell in her hand. She then threw it roughly to the ground shattering it before rushing forward. She punched him as hard as she could, sending him a few steps back. She then punched again and again until he was sitting on the floor, a small amount of blood trickling from his nose.

"You're wrong." She replied, sounding colder then ever before. "Ouka-oba-san should've gotten rid of you! You're the only disgrace in this family!"

She then turned and ran upstairs to check on Suika.

"I suggest you leave………now!" Mikan said, tossing the DVD back at his. He was then hit with two plushies. He stood and gathered up his gifts, leaving the broken shell on the ground.

"You know I'm right!" He declared as he started out the door. "She'll be the downfall of this family!"

"No, Senna was right, you will be." Ichigo glared at her nephew. "Now, Mikan had a good idea. I'd better not see you around here again until you know how to treat family."

With that, he was shoved roughly out the door.

The Sohmas, who had been silent up until now, all began to talk at once.

"Shouka-san, what just happened?" Tohru asked.

"Yeah, why did Suika leave and Senna………get violent?" Kyo added.

"It's a very long story." Shouka began. "You see, the way our curse falls, every descendent of the Kudamono line is cursed. The fact that we are able to interact outside of the family, unlike your curse, is what it depends on. That way our family continues to grow, and we continue to get more and more cursed relatives. There aren't many `rules' per say, but there is one thing that is considered the worst omen ever."

"And she said I was the long winded one………" Ichigo sighed.

Shouka ignored her and continued.

"You see, in our family, twins are always born under Gemini………but the girls, as you know, were Leos. If twins are born outside Gemini, the second one born is considered the evil omen, the twin that wasn't supposed to be. " Shouka sighed. "Senna was born first, so she is considered the normal, or acceptable one. But Suika………she came along just two minutes later………and the entire family has hated her because of it. It was never anything personal, I mean, if Senna had been the youngest instead, she'd be treated with the same malice."

Senna came down the stairs.

"She won't talk to me." She sighed. "I can't even get her to open the door."

Kyo, who had been relatively quiet during this entire ordeal, jumped up.

"This is stupid." He declared, pushing past Senna as he went up the stairs.

* * *

Suika sat with her back to the door. She was no longer crying, but she was still in no mood to face the others. She appreciated Senna trying to calm her down, but it didn't do any good. As much as her sister tried, she just didn't understand what everything was like for the misfit. There was a loud pounding on the door, causing her to jump slightly.

"Go away!" She yelled, sure this was Mikan or Ume.

"Not a chance, baka." Kyo's voice called back. "Not until you stop being a crybaby and come out here."

"I'm not a crybaby." She shot back. "I-you wouldn't understand."

"You so sure about that?" he asked. His back was now to the door too, although Suika didn't know that at the time. "Didn't you ever stop to wonder why I turn into a cat when there is no year of the cat?"

Suika was silent. The fact of the matter was no, she hadn't.

"I understand your situation more then you might think." Kyo went on. "I'm the so-called misfit in my family too. I'm hated by almost everyone in my family, and I'm not even allowed to take part in the annual New Years Eve celebration."

Suika glanced back at the door. She was able to enjoy her family's New Years party………but only because Ichigo didn't believe that she was a bad omen.

"We've got one more thing in common………" Kyo said. "Even though most of our family hates us, we still have people who care. I've got The Mabudachi, that Kuso Nezumi, the annoying bunny, the baka cow, Tohru………and you guys. And you've got your mom, two sisters, a brother, and an aunt who've always loved you………and us………"

Kyo and Suika stood up simultaneously, although neither knew it.

"Now come on and open the door." Kyo finished. "Before I make myself sick out here."

The door opened and Suika looked at Kyo for a moment before hugging him. There was a poof, but Kyo didn't protest as he usually did. When she let go she smiled at the orange cat.

"Baka Neko."

"Baka Shishi."

She waited outside her room until he transformed back and got dressed. As soon as he emerged, the two started back downstairs to face the others.

AN:

Vera: Well, that was my attempt at answering a few questions for some of you guys.

Kyo: Yeah, like what?

Vera: We now know why Suika is so bitter.

Suika: Hey, I'm not that bad. *Glares*

Vera: And we had a cute moment with the fics feline pairing………

Suika and Kyo: *Blush, realized their blushing, and glare darts at Vera*

Vera: Oh get over it………oh, as far as why Shouka is stuck in her cursed form………well that's a story for another chapter. *Evil laugh*

Suika and Kyo: -__-;;