Fan Fiction / Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ The Ones ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3

 

 

"But, but Miss Honda said she was an only child." Yuki said, looking quite surprised. Kyo was sitting next to him, looking as if his train of thought was still boarding the station. Shigure was staring down at his hands, not looking at anyone, not saying a word. "She was under orders to say that." Uo said softly. "Its best that not many people know about Tohru and her family, even you three." She exchanged a glance with Hanna, and then they both looked at Tohru. She had stopped hiding behind Hanna, and was now starring at the door with sudden interest.

 

"Uh, Tohru." Hanna said nervously, looking at the girl. "Don't you think we should show them-" She glanced down at the box, looking suddenly unnerved, even afraid. Tohru looked at Hanna, her face very pale, her eyes hard. "He has to come in first." Sounding like as small child as she turned and looked back at the door. "He has to come in and sit with me or I won't do it." Kyo stared at the door, then at Tohru. "Who the hell is 'he'? Do you mean this brother of yours?" Yuki also stared at the door. There seemed to be no one out there. What was Tohru getting at? How did she no that anyone was out there anyway? The rain and wind was roaring too loudly to hear or see anyone through the thin sheet of paper on the door.

 

But before anyone could say anything, the door flew open with a crash, revealing a teenage boy behind it. He was about as tall as Yuki. He had vividly brown hair that looked a little like Tohru's, a pale face that was edged with shadow and dark blue, cold eyes. He was in the same dark robes that Kyo had seen him in, but now they could also see a long silver sword attached to a rope around his waist, and a bow with a thing of arrows on his shoulders. Around his neck was a thick silver chain with a hunk of jagged red crystal attached to it.

 

He looked around, slowly, taking in everyone. He stared at all of the Sohma's making them shiver as he glared into there eyes, his stare was very unnerving. Then his eyes fell on Tohru. They stared at each other for a long moment, looking as if they were fighting about something. Then the boy gave a sigh and walked over to the table, kneeling right behind Tohru. "I hope you know what you are doing." He said softly to Tohru's back.

 

Tohru gave a nod, and then turned to the box. As she reached over and place her hand on the lid, she said some words under her breath in a strange tongue, unrecognized by any of the Sohma's. The letters glowed on the box with a sudden light, dazzling the room. Then the whole head of the box disappeared, revealing its contents. Everyone leaned forward slightly, staring at what the box held. Inside was a small, perfectly round, crystal ball. It was a deep blue color, with smoke swirling in its depths. It was attached to a gold rod that was about as wide a wrist that went the rest of the length of the box. Around the base of the rod it was black, with strange white lettering in the blackness. Tohru reached in and pulled it out carefully, giving everyone a better view of it. "What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Kyo said hotly, staring at the crystal stone as if it were a piece of trash. "You judge to quickly boy." Zaron said quietly behind Tohru, who was running her fingers around the golden rod. "What sits before you is the greatest weapon ever made by man kind. This here holds some of the strongest ancient power, made in the times of old. This thing is about as old as the earth, maybe even older...”

 

"How is that a weapon?" Yuki asked quietly. He could see that the stone would hurt if you smashed it against someone's head, but that was about it. The rod was too short to be used for any real weapon purpose. Tohru looked up at him, and then slowly begin to mumble in that strange language again. Slowly the golden rod begins to glow at the base, and then started to get longer. It grew and grew till it was about 4 to 5 feet tall. When the golden rod finally stopped glowing, Yuki could see it was very different. Now there were tiny drawings of animal figures, swirling around the rod like a piece of ribbon. "A rat, a cow." Tohru said softly, pointing to the two animals at the top, she went down the line, naming all the animals of the Chinese zodiac. When she got to the end there was even a cat. But there were more animals as well. Sitting right after the cat was a wolf, a raven, a fox, and a bear. These animals were much larger, and much more detailed then the pitchers of the zodiac animals. Yuki could even see the tiny feathers of the raven, and the sharp teeth of the wolf.

 

"May I see it?" Shigure said finally, holding out his hands to take the staff. Tohru nodded and handed it to him. But when Tohru's hands fell away, the staff dropped like a stone. It fell and splintered right to the table, before Tohru caught it again. Shigure gave a yelp of surprise, pulling his hands back and rubbing them hard. "That thing ways a ton." He said. "Yes, it does in fact way a ton to anyone who does not have the Honda bloodline." It was Zaron again, looking as if that had been very funny. "But to us it is as light as a feather. It makes it impossible for it to be stolen or used against us. Quite handy at times."

 

Tohru muttered a few words and the rod shrunk to its original size. Carefully she placed it in the box and closed the lid, muttering in the odd language as she did. "Why does your family have that Tohru." Shigure said weakly, his hands still red with the weight of the staff. Tohru looked at him unhappily, behind him Zaron stiffened slightly. Uo and Hanna exchanged glances, and Uo reached for something under the table. Zaron spoke first. "I guess you would call us... protecters." Zaron said softly, fingering his sword.

 

"Protectors of what?" Kyo said softly, staring at Tohru. Zaron smiled a little, and Tohru bowed her head. "You really don't think that dumb little Akito would let Tohru stay here unless he had a good reason do you?" The Sohma's blinked, looking confused. "You still don't get it do you." Zaron said impatiently. "It what we protect. It is who.” We are the protectors of the Chinese Zodiac.........."

 

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Authors Note

 

Ohh, I think I did a pretty good cliffhanger there. Next chapter we will here about the protectors of the Zodiac, and who the little boy is from the first chapter.