When the ice breaks (Fruits basket fanfiction)

Chapter One - Change

I blindly ran through the dense forest, having no idea of where I was heading. All I knew was that I had to put as much distance between me and the main house. Akito must already know that I have disappeared, he's probably already sent someone after me. I have to find a member of the junishi to help me. They are the only ones I can turn to. My heart pounds in my chest as I urge my tired body to keep running. I suddently felt myself falling forwards, I crashed into the muddy soil face first. I groaned and mentally slapped myself for being so careless. I was thinking too much again and didn't see the exposed tree root. I rested my head on my extended arm and took a big breath. "Oh my! Are you okay?" I looked up to see a pretty girl around my age staring down at me. Her large brown eyes widened and showed much concern for me. Tears formed and I started to sob uncontrollably. "Don't cry!" she pleaded. "Let's go get you cleaned up, alright? Then you can tell me how I can help, I don't live too far, are you okay to walk?" I nodded and let her help me to my feet. She lead me through the forest, weaving around the trees. I wonder if she's the girl all the women in the main house gossiped aobut. The maids that came to watch over me talked of a girl who lived with the junishi of the dog, Shigure. "Here we are." The girl said cautiously as she paused in front of the house. I wiped the tears from my eyes and gave her a small smile. I bowed deeply "Thank you.". "It's really no problem!" She exclaimed as she herself bowed. "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Tohru Honda." She flushed a deep red but continued on. "Let's go, the others will be worried about me. I am slightly late coming home. I hope I didn't trouble them too much." I could tell the last comment was supposed to be to herself, I liked that she talked to herself. She reminded me much of myself. She opened the door and motioned for me to go through. I removed my muddy shoes and left them outside, then hesitantly stepped into the unfamiliar home. We walked down the hall then stopped in front of a door. "Do you mind if you wait here. I just have to go explain to the others about... Well all of this." She said as she disappeared into the other room. "Miss Honda! Are you alright?" I heard a male voice ask. "Yes Yuki - Kun! I - I just..." I walked down the hall, feeling as though I was easedropping. I ran my fingers along the rice paper walls and stopped down at the end of the hall. Yuki... The name sounds oddly familiar. I think someone was talking about him to me once, I believe it was Ren. She said something about him being Akito's toy and nothing else, that he is a dark boy with a dark past. Ren always chasted him for something, she hated the junishi of the rat. I can't remember the reasoning behind her hatred, but perhaps it has something to do with AKito's relationship with him. "There you are!" Tohru eclaimed. She came towards me and gently gripped my hand. "I thought you'd run away on me! Now come on! The others are waiting to meet you." I let her walk me back down to the doorway, though my stomach suddenly reeled which made me stop dead in my tracks. There's someone in this house named Yuki! What if he's a Sohma? What if he thinks I am like Akito and hates me? Maybe coming here was a bad idea, if Yuki is a member of the junishi then what if the others are too? Tohru squeezed my hand and gave me a small smile, obviously noticing my inner dilema. "It's okay, I promise." Somehow watching her smile at me, made me feel less nervous. I bit my bottom lip and entered the room. The room was quite spacious, much larger that I'd imagined it to be. In the middle of the room sat a boy with bright orange hair, a younger looking boy with blond hair, a boy with silver hair and a older looking gentleman, perhaps in his early twenties. "Oh! Oh! Oh! Tohru is this her?" The blond headed boy asked as he jumped up and started to rush towards us. "You idiot!" The orange headed boy growled. He tried to grab the younger boy but missed his shirt by an inch. The boy continued to come towards us, though when he reached about an arms length from us he suddenly clutched the fabric in front of his heart and doubled over in pain. "What did you do you stupid cat?" the silver headed boy said, worry painted across his face. "N - nothing you damn rat! I didn't touch him!" The boy replied. "Momiji - Kun!" Tohru exclaimed as she ran to his side. I wasn't too sure of what I should do. Should I go try and help? Once Tohru reached his side, he straightned as if nothing had happened. Tears streamed down his face as his chocolate brown eyes stared deeply into mine. My eyes widened and I took a sharp breath. I kneeled down on the floor as pain seared through me from head to toe. I clutched my head as flashes upon flashes of pictures rushed through my head, though too quickly to distinguish anything. The pain suddenly stopped and a numb warm feeling was left it its place. I opened my eyes and found myself staring into Momiji's deep brown ones. "My little rabbit." I cooed quietly. He let out a cry and hugged me around the waist, buring his face in the crook of my neck. I sat myself on the floor and wrapped my arms around his shoulders, holding him close to me. "What the hell is going on?" The orange haried boy yelled as he stomped towards us. He made it closer than Momiji did to me, but his pain seemed worse. His knees buckled and he tumbled to the floor beside me. He writhed and squirmed in agony, I readied myself for another wave of pain... Though it never came. I released Momiji and rested my hand on the orange headed boy's head, the name Kyo popped into my head. Momiji clung to me and Kyo instintaniouly relaxed. He pulled himself forwards and rested his head in my lap, he looked up at me with recognision. "My precious cat." I murmured. Kyo started to cry softly, then wrapped his arms around my leg. "What is going on?" Tohru's small voice asked. I turned away from my precious junishi and looked at her. Her eyes were wide in panic, and I could tell she was trying to comfort the sliver haired boy, Yuki and the older man, Shigure. "I am so sorry I've caused so much trouble Tohru. I didn't get the chance to explain anything." Yuki, Shigure and Tohru all made their way over to where I was seated with Kyo and Momiji. Yuki sat on my other side and rested his head on my shoulder, while Tohru and Shigure sat together across from us. I ran my fingers through Kyo's hair and decided to come clean. "My name is Rosalia Sohma." Tohru's eyes widened and she squeeled with delight. "Your a Sohma?" I nodded. "Yes, along with Kyo, Yuki, Shigure and Momiji... but I suppose you already knew that." I laughed nervously. "Did you all feel it?" Momiji asked. "You mean that searing pain in my chest?" Yuki asked. "No. I have only ever felt this feeling once before..." Momiji said cautiously. "When you met Akito, right?" I asked. Everyone stared up at me, clearly realizing what Momiji had meant. "Akito is my brother, my Nii - san to be politically correct." Kyo opened his mouth to say something, but I quickly covered it with my hand. "Let me explain okay." He nodded and I went back to playing with his hair. "It wasn't supposed to happen. Me being born. Akito was meant to be the sole God of the junishi, but something unsual happened, something I can't explain. When I was born a few years after Akito, I somehow took half of Akito's title as God. This being said, it is extremely rare amongst the history of the junishi, but it has happened before. 'When two children are born to God of the junishi, they are to both share the title of god. The child with a heart of black will be cursed to die, while the child with a heart as pure as the sky will be cherished by the junishi.'" Akira had often quoted this to me when I was little, reminding me of the old folktale. "As the years went by it was apparent which child was which. Akira was enraged that his first born child, a boy none the less was the child with a heart as black as coal. He wanted the junishi to love Akito and not me, he belived that I deserved no love, that I brought this misery upon our family... So he hid me away in a small house on the border of the Sohma property, I presume it is not too far from here. I escaped out my bedroom window earlier this evening. I hate that place..." Momiji hugged me tighter, wanting me to know that everything would be okay. "I know I'll have to return though... but for the now, Shigure do you mind if I stay the night?" I asked. "Of couse you can stay." Shigure said without hesitation. "She can sleep in my room." Tohru said as she gave me a sad smile. I could tell she must have family issues as well, the way she's looking at me tells me so. I bowed as far as I could, thanking Shigure and Tohru for their hospitailty. "I'll bet you want to clean up huh?" Tohru said as she stared at my muddy atire. I blushed and nodded vigorously. I gently pried Kyo and Momiji off me and followed Tohru up the stairs. "Here, you can borrow these and the bathroom is the second door on the left." "Thank you Tohru... for everything." She smiled and headed back downstairs. I closed myself in the bathroom and hopped into the shower. I sighed in delight as the hot water carried the grime off my skin.