Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Family Connections ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything.

Slowly shaking out her hair, Tohru started to walk back to Shigure's house, her home. With the next paycheck she would have her next semester of school completely paid for. A noise made her turn and she saw a cat dash down an ally. Kyou. She had been thinking about him more and more lately. She knew that Kagura supposedly loved Kyou but she couldn't seem to help her feelings. She cared about all of the Souma's but Kyou had always held a special place in her heart.

At first it had only been because he was the cat. But feelings change. Shigure was funny, Momiji cute, Haru intense, and Yuki was the perfect gentleman; but Kyou...

Kyou was unique. He reminded her of that strange American candy that Uo-chan had given her, a Blow Pop. He was hard, yet still sweet, on the outside but inside he was soft and the bubble gum had lasted far longer than the outside lollipop had.

"Yo."

"Kyou-kun!"

"What's wrong your face is all red. Are you coming down with a cold?"

Tohru felt her cheeks flood with even more color. What was she supposed to say? 'I was just comparing you to this type of candy that I really enjoyed eating?' Looking around Tohru saw that Yuki was with Kyou. She smiled at the two boys and told herself that she shouldn't feel annoyed at Yuki for cutting into her time with Kyou, Mother would have been so disappointed in her even thinking these kinds of thoughts.

Chapter Two

Ukyou stared at the door in front of her. The Tendo Dojo. Today she would cure Ranchan...Ranma of his Jusenkyou curse. Then she would say good-bye to this part of her life. She had no plans to ever live in Nerima again. She might visit someday but the insane asylum that was the Nerima ward was no longer her home and never would be again.

Taking a deep breath she knocked on the door.

"Coming. Oh, hello Ukyou. Won't you come in. The others aren't here yet. Auntie felt it would be best if this was done in the dojo. She told everyone to be there in about an hour from now. We hoped that would give you enough time to get ready?"

"That'll be fine Kasumi. Are you still going to need a place to stay? If so I'll leave the address with you when I leave."

"Leave?"

"Yeah...Once I've cured Ranch-Ranma I'm going to be leaving. I'll leave the address for you to find if you still need a place. Also, if, if anyone wants to write they can reach me there."

Kasumi had noticed the slight hitch in the younger girls voice as well as the fact that she had said 'Ranma' and not her usual 'Ranchan.' She hoped that what she and Auntie had talked about would work. The offer was generous but also presumptuous on the part of the Saotome matriarch.

"Won't you come in Ukyou. Then if you need any help I'd be more than happy to assist you in the dojo."

Running along the top of the fence Ranma couldn't stop his mind from asking all the questions. 'I wonder how school will be this year? When's Ryoga going to show up again? Can I get free food at the Nekohaten without Akane malleting me? I miss Ucchan.' The last thought made Ranma stop. It had been six months. The first three she had written every week. Even though she never said what it was that had made her have to leave and stay away she still found things to write to him about. Then the letters had all but stopped. He would get one every few weeks that seemed to keep getting more and more distant. He hadn't heard from her in five weeks. He couldn't say anything to anyone or they would over react. Ranma missed his best friend.

A new fear had been growing in him and it seemed to be coming true. Ucchan wasn't coming back. Ranma had this hollow feeling inside that never seemed to go away anymore. Her letters kept it at bay but they had stopped coming and he was afraid she might never come back.

Kasumi watched Ukyou in awe. The changes that the girl had gone through were humbling. In only six months Ukyou had become more mature and graceful. She had noticed the day before but spending time with the girl again today simply reinforced what she had seen. Kasumi knew that Akane wouldn't be able to reach this level in years. She also feared that Akane would immediately sense this even if she didn't understand it.

The wards placed around the dojo were beautifully made. Ukyou had been saying something under her breath while she placed them around the room. The bundle that she had brought with her had held all of the wards plus priestess robes. The robes were hanging in Kasumi's room waiting for the others to arrive.

A noise made both girls look up. With the sun coming in the door all that could be seen was a silhouette.

"Ucchan?"

Kasumi glanced at the girl. The look on her face was painful to look at. The longing and love that was there showed the truth. She would leave him if it made him happy. Looking between the two Kasumi could tell that Ukyou wasn't able to talk.

"Ranma-kun, we're not finished yet. There are snacks inside. Could you please get them ready for all of the guests."

"Guests?"

"Airen!"

Shampoo glomped onto Ranma. Ukyou looked down and tried to keep her emotions under control. Cologne was behind the bouncy Chinese girl. She was about to make a comment to Ranma when she noticed the wards. Ukyou had gone back to speaking under her breath and placing them around the dojo. Cologne felt shock run through her. She recognized the wards as being incredibly powerful, and incredibly dangerous.

"Child, do you know what you're doing?"

Akane was annoyed. Everyone was sitting in the dojo looking at what Ukyou had set up. Akane had always liked Ukyou more than the other girls but now. . .now Ukyou was different. It was hard to say what it was but Akane had never felt so threatened by Ukyou before. Especially with the way that Ranma couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of her. She could feel her anger growing and was about to make him stop gawking at Ukyou when Nodoka walked in.

Nodoka looked around. She saw all the work that Ukyou and Kasumi had done. Ukyou walked up to her and smiled then passed her to go into the house to change. Nodoka had seen the robes in Kasumi's room. She noticed that her sons eyes seem to follow the girl's every move. She wasn't the only one to notice. The battle aura that Akane was putting out was intimidating and Shampoo's glare was almost as lethal. Cologne on the other hand simply looked interested.

Walking to the front of the group Nodoka was struck by how little they had changed over the last six months. Clearing her throat to call their attention she began.

"Ukyou has asked us to come here today to. . .take care of a small problem that the Saotome clan has. I asked her if it was all right for those outside of our clan to be here and she said yes. Once Ukyou begins there are to be no outside interruptions from anyone. Do I make myself clear?" The glare she leveled around the room was as hard as she could make it. She especially looked at Akane to ensure that her message came across. Nodoka saw that Nabiki was about to say something when Ranma gasped.

Everyone turned to look at the martial artists to see what was wrong when they noticed that his eyes were glued to the doorway. All turned to look and shock was plainly seen on their faces. Ukyou stood dressed in the priestess robes. She seemed otherworldly in her beauty. Glancing around Nodoka saw the admiration in Shampoo's eyes, the awe in Soun and Genma, the lust in Happosai, the respect in Cologne's, the curiosity in Nabiki's, the surprise in Mouse and Ryoga's and the blind jealousy in Akane's. Nodoka sighed and knew that she had made the correct decision.

Ukyou slowly walked to the front of the dojo and into the area marked off by the wards. Kasumi had followed behind yet stayed outside of the wards parameter. Ukyou turned and looked at everyone. "It's time."

Nodoka nodded. "Ranma."

"Yeah Mom?"

"Go stand next to Ukyou."

Ranma looked at his mother with a confused expression then did as she said. Once there Ranma simply stared at Ukyou. He knew that Akane would beat him for it later but he couldn't pull his eyes away. Ucchan had been his friend, his buddy, his pal. Now she was the most beautiful thing that Ranma had ever seen. She had been staring at him as well.

"Ranma, do you trust me?"

"Of course."

She smiled at him and Ranma felt all warm and tingly inside. "Then don't move and don't say anything until I say you can, okay?"

"Sure."

Kasumi handed Ukyou the last of the seals. Again under her breath she seemed to be saying something as she placed the seals. Then she began chanting. Slowly the chanting got louder and louder. No one seemed to understand beside Cologne and Happosai. When anyone looked like they would interrupt one of the two ancient masters would stop them.

Power could be seen swirling around the pair. Suddenly with a loud final syllable Ukyou stopped chanting and took Ranma's face in her hands. She smiled at him and drew his face down. The power seemed almost to thicken the air making everything seem to be happening in slow motion. Then Ukyou sealed her lips over Ranma's in a kiss and all of the power seemed to force its way into him. Ranma stiffened then relaxed as a mist seemed to suddenly leave his body.

Akane, Soun and Genma had all immediately made as if to rush the two the instant it became obvious what was to happen but Happosai and Cologne stopped them. Shampoo shook her head in disgust. "Stupid kitchen destroyer kill Airen if she interrupt healing done by priestess. Is too, too stupid."

Suddenly Ukyou released Ranma who drew back slightly from her in surprise. She smiled. "Thus are you released from the Curse of Jusenkyou Ranma Saotome."

After making her shocking statement Ukyou collapsed into Ranma's arms unconscious.

Tohru was preparing dinner and trying not to let her mind wander to much toward the dream that she had had last night. After getting home and saying 'Good night' to the two boys Tohru had immediately fallen asleep. That's when the dream had started. Even remembering it made her face burn. The things that she and Kyou had been doing. . .she didn't think people could really do that.

Mother had told her that when she met the "one" that she would start to have new and interesting feelings. Yet the dream had been so intense and so real. She had seen glimpses of all of the Sohma's without their clothes but she hadn't known that she had remembered so much. The fact that she had also been naked had been...well at the time it seemed natural but looking back it had been embarrassing. She and Kyou naked. Doing. . .things.

"Yo!"

"Kyou-kun!"

"Are you okay? Your face is all red. Are you sure that your not coming down with a cold?"

As Kyou started to walk toward her Tohru felt a warm flutter in her stomach. He was going to touch her. Would it feel as good as it did in the dream? Suddenly his warm hand was on her forehead and it was all that Tohru could do to not lean into his hand. If felt wonderful. She had never felt so alive before in her life. She was trying not to be obvious as she drew his scent into herself. Tohru had the almost unstoppable urge to taste Kyou. She didn't know where it came from but the instant that it popped into her head she felt her face get even warmer.

"Your face is really hot. Maybe you should lie down?"

"No, I'm. . . ." Suddenly she wasn't in the kitchen. She was in a room looking at a boy that she didn't know. She just knew that she was watching this through someone else's eyes. Looking at the boy she could feel this person's love for the boy. Suddenly they were kissing. Tohru was shocked. She shouldn't be seeing or feeling this. It was very personal. Then she felt the power. It seemed to flow from her mouth to the boy. She heard the words spoken about being released from a curse then the other her fainted. Tohru could hear the panic in Kyou's voice as it called her. Then a different voice seemed to surround her as she lost consciousness.

We will meet soon cousin Tohru.