Beauty and the Beast (Fruits Basket Version) - Kyo x Tohru

Chapter 4: "where are you, mom?"

There was a loud knocking on the door to Saki Hanajima's house; it was Tohru. She stood outside the house, shivering in the cold rain, as her friend opened the door for her.

As soon as she dried off and warmed up, Tohru said, "I need your help, Hana-chan. It's my mom." Hanajima, always seeming to be one step ahead of everything, nodded. "Of course. I sensed the dilemma through your waves. Let's call Arisa."

—

Kyoko Honda, 3 Days Prior

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Kyoko asked her father-in-law, concern etching itself onto her face. "Don't worry about me, dear Kyoko. My back will recover soon enough," Mr. Honda said, letting out a chuckle. Kyoko couldn't help but smile a bit at her father-in-law's lightheartedness; it reminded her of Katsuya, how he always knew what to say or do to cheer her up.

Mr. Honda smiled at Kyoko and said, "You're thinking of Katsuya, aren't you?" Kyoko wasn't even surprised that her father-in-law knew what she was thinking. She nodded, picked up her bag, then said, "If you're sure you'll be alright, I'll be on my way home to Tohru." Mr. Honda nodded at Kyoko, and told her to be careful in the impending storm. She said, "I will," then drove off into the night on her crimson motorcycle.

The main roads Kyoko had taken earlier were backed up due to traffic, so she decided to venture onto some side roads. It was fine at first but, as Kyoko traveled deeper into the forest, the rain had flooded the pathway. Soon Kyoko had to stop her motorcycle and drag it along.

Well, this sucks. Looks like I'll have to keep Tohru waiting just a little longer, Kyoko thought as she drudged through puddles and mud. The countryside became hilly after a while, and it was even more difficult to trek her motorcycle uphill. Kyoko's limbs were starting to feel heavy and weak. Her coat was completely soaked through from the rain, cold seeping into her weary body. I really should've eaten something before I left. She took a few more slow steps, then collapsed in a clearing...where a lone house stood.

Kyoko awoke only to find herself lying on a makeshift futon in a dark room, lit by a singular grouping of candles. The room appeared to be part of a traditional-style Japanese house, yet this house was much bigger than any other Kyoko knew. Dazed and confused, Kyoko attempted to sit up, but found she didn't have the energy to do so. Then she noticed that unseen voices were whispering in the background. Kyoko strained to hear what they were saying.

"How did she even find this place? Isn't it sealed off by magic or something?" A young-sounding voice said, somewhat bitterly. Another voice chimed in, this one sounding slightly older than the first. "Unfortunately, no. We've just never had this problem before."

"Well, we have to move her so that he doesn't find out," the first voice said, emphasizing the word "he." Kyoko was slightly intrigued, so she kept listening. The second one agreed, yet a third voice objected. "She's obviously not feeling well. I think the least we can do is take care of her before we send her on her way," the third voice spoke with a German accent of sorts. Unusual, but cute nonetheless.

The first voice sighed, conceding to the third's request. "Fine. You have the honor of waking her up, Momiji." Kyoko smirked before mustering enough energy to sit up, successfully shocking the voices. When she did sit up, however, Kyoko herself was shocked. Because sitting in front of her were three animals—a rat, a dog, and a rabbit.

"What the—? Were you three...talking?" A flustered Kyoko inquired. All three animals' eyes widened. The rat sighed once again, putting a paw to its face. "Yes. I guess there's no point in hiding it now." The dog's tail wagged as he said in a salesperson-type manner, "Hello, ma'am! Welcome to our humble abode. I'm Shigure, the adorable little bunny here is Momiji, and the grumpy one over there is Yuki." Kyoko, still in shock, mumbled a greeting in return. "Hi, I'm Kyoko Honda. Nice to meet you all. I was wondering if—," Kyoko's growling stomach cut her off. Momiji jumped up, heading into a separate room; presumably, the kitchen.

"Don't you worry, Kyoko-chan! I'll have Ritsu make you something right now!" Momiji exclaimed, only for Yuki to shush him. "You have to be more careful, Momiji. You might alert him," Yuki chided the rabbit. Momiji just laughed him off. "Oh, Yuki, you worry too much. I'm not afraid of that big bad cat," Momiji said with a smile.

Muffled shouting was heard from the kitchen. Kyoko saw a monkey cooking something inside the kitchen—the source of the shouting. A few minutes later, the monkey came rushing out with a plate in hand. "I'M SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! MY SKILLS AS A CHEF ARE TOTALLY INCOMPETENT AND—," the monkey screamed. Kyoko tried to calm him down, saying, "It's alright. Thank you, Ritsu." The monkey blushed and instantly stopped talking.

Kyoko ate the curry and rice meal rather quickly, and drank some tea that Shigure brewed for her. She was just about to be on her way when there came a commotion from upstairs. Footsteps, too large to be human, pounded down the stairs. There was an eerie screech of claws on wooden floors. Growling, like that of a wild animal, reverberated along the walls of the house, creeping ever closer. Kyoko's heartbeat rose in fear, the sound of her blood pumping echoed in her head.

A cat-like, monstrous figure emerged from the darkness of the house. He towered over everyone and everything in the room. And there was a certain...smell...that emanated from him—the stench of rotting flesh. His eyes were blood red and narrowed, glaring in anger and confusion at Kyoko.

"Who is she, and what is she doing here?" The beastly figure asked, well, more like demanded of the other animals. Shigure and Momiji stiffened, frozen to the spots they were in. Yuki stepped forward, glaring at the beast. "Leave the lady alone. She means no harm," the rat said, standing his ground. The beast glared back at the rat, then let out a loud roar.

"Get out of here, before I kill you," the beast's tone was scarily serious, his gaze piercing through the other animals like a finely-sharpened knife. Shigure and Momiji began to leave. As they did, the two glanced back at Kyoko in reluctance, clearly wishing they could stay. Yuki stayed behind, however, much to the beast's annoyance. Kyoko noticed an odd dynamic between the two, as if Yuki, a tiny rat, held more power over the towering beast. Ironic, Kyoko thought. Her thoughts were interrupted by the beast's query. "My question from earlier hasn't been answered. Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

Kyoko swallowed her fear. "I'm just a lost traveler. I was on my way home when—," she was cut off by the beast. "So why don't you get going then? Looks like you've already eaten my food and slept in my house. I think your welcome is far past overdue," he growled, his glare piercing her like a sword. Kyoko slowly stood up and began walking away, but the beast continued. "No. I know what you're doing here. You came to see me, right? The infamous beast who lives in the mountains? Is that it? TELL ME!" The beast screamed, pounding a fist into the nearest wall.

Kyoko jumped in fright, and the next few moments became a blur. She was taken by the beast to a little house on the outskirts of the property, where she was promptly locked in a cell. "You will rot in here for the rest of your days!" The beast's final words rang in Kyoko's ears, and a feeling of despair washed over her. She huddled on the ground, wrapping a thin blanket that was left in the cell around her.

I'm sorry, Tohru. Please forgive me.

—

"Mom? Mom? Where are you, Mom?" Tohru, with her hands cupped around her mouth, shouted into the cold, rainy night. Tohru, Hanajima, and Uotani had been searching for Kyoko for a few hours, wandering the countryside and were now nearing mountaintops. Her phone was emitting a tracking signal that the girls were attempting to follow. The sun had set, and the rain had only begun to fall more frequently. The ground beneath their feet became slippery with mud. Yet Tohru trudged onward, determined to find her mother.

Uotani and Hanajima walked behind their friend, shielding themselves from the cold. "I hope we find Kyoko soon. If something happened to her, I wouldn't forgive myself....," Arisa mumbled, trailing off as if lost in thought, or memory. Hanajima nodded, placing a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. The wind picked up speed, whipping through the trees and the girls' jackets. Tohru had walked too far ahead, so Uotani called out to her.

"Tohru! Be careful! It's too slippery up there!" Tohru looked back and shot her friends a winning smile. "Don't worry, I'm just—," the sound of the earth cracking beneath her startled Tohru, and within an instant, she was plummeting to the ground below the cliff. "Tohru!" Her friends screamed as she fell. It was then that Tohru lost consciousness...on the very same property where her mother was located.