My first Fruits Basket Fic. The next chapters will not be posted until Shade and I finish it. Know there will be two sets; our double ending will be put into another story, called Banished Tiger. When we get to ch. 9, that will appear in my stories. Thanks for understanding:). I just don't want to make any promises yet I can't keep.

Disclaimer: We do not own Fruits Basket or Beyblade. But we do own the plot as far as we know. Please do not steal our entire plotline, thank you very much.

"This is a Sohma family reunion? There are so many people!"

Kyo smirked at Tohru's shock. "We are a pretty big family, you know."

The cat looked over as Yuki tapped his shoulder. Following the finger pointing to his left, Kyo nearly choked on air. "There's no way. Akito said he was banished from the family."

Tohru looked over and smiled as she saw a redhead. "Who's that?"

Yuki sighed. "Miss Honda, that is Tala Ivanov-Sohma, a member of the Zodiac. He isn't part of the main 12 though."

Tohru nodded. "He seems strange."

Kyo nodded behind her. "He is. When we were still young, we saw him every now and then, but we still hardly knew him. Then he didn't show up for the New Year's, and Akito said he was banished from the family or something."

"I was merely unable to attend so Aktio got all touchy and said I should not come back. I'm here now to rub it in his face that I am stronger than he is, both mentally and physically."

Shigure chose that moment to appear. "Tala? Is that really you?"

Tala's eyes narrowed and he turned. "Cheating dog. Domesticated trash, I say. You will never hold the power of a wild wolf." Then the redhead walked off, leaving Shigure speechless and Tohru almost annoyed.

"Who is he to speak like that?" Tohru nearly went after him but Yuki grabbed her arm.

"Please, Miss Honda, stay away from him. He's a dangerous person, he won't be afraid to hurt you. He just has a rivalry that carries over."

She heard the cold laugh. "Rivalry? More like hatred. Just as the dog cheated the wolf out of his Zodiac spot, I was cheated out of a real life."

Kyo growled at him. "Well, why does that carry to Shigure? What did he do?"

"He got everything he ever needed while I fought for my life every damn day, that's what."

Tohru started at the venom in the young teen's voice before smiling softly. "What do you mean?"

Tala looked at her. "You wouldn't understand. But just as the wolf had to fight to get to his spot now, at the bottom, I had to fight only to become trash, shunned by society because I was saving my own skin."

Kyo sighed. "You do realize you've probably exaggerated that beyond reasoning?"

Tala muttered something but they didn't hear. Then he just held up a hand in farewell and walked into the crowd, finally settling against a wall while forcing back a wince.

"I don't know why he had it easy and gets respect when I've had it so much worse and get nothing," he muttered, twirling the glass of red wine in his hand. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Just like the blood so often spilled."

The only difference is, blood stains your hands and you never forget no matter what.

His eyes opened when he heard some one coming up. "What?" He snapped, glaring at the boar that had come over. "What do you want with the lowly wolf?"

"Don't be mean because you feel alone."

Tala looked back at the red liquid, settled in the glass. "I know. It's just that no one really gives a damn that I nearly died so many times."

Kagura smiled at him. "Well, I do. Hitori does. And if you didn't continually lock yourself in, other people would to."

Tala growled. "Yeah, but then they would like me until their damned pity went away. Then I'm back to square one, and locked away because I do not want anyone's pity."

Kagura smiled at him. "Well, at least you have someone. You have that one boy, what's his name…"

"Kai?"

Kagura nodded. "Yeah! Kai. Plus, I'm sure Kisa would look up to you for being so strong and independent. In fact," the boar turned to the crowd and smiled. "Kisa!"

Tala made to move away but Kagura grabbed his collar. "You are meeting our tiger. Got it?"

Tala growled back at her. "The less people the better, I say." Then he yelped as Kagura picked him up. "Okay, okay, now put me down! God, you are worse than Spencer, and he's been known to slam our heads into the wall when we do something stupid."

Then he saw Kisa and he changed. Almost like Haru, but just like that, he went from a cold emotionless soldier to a caring teen who knew what it felt like to be pushed away no matter what.

Kagura knelt down as Tala sat against the wall. "Kisa, this is Tala. He's your cousin, he's the wolf."

Kisa smiled at him. Tala smiled back. "Hey Kisa. What's up?"

The young girl shrugged, sitting down by him. "You've been through a lot, haven't you?"

Tala looked to her. "You can see it in my eyes. Just as I can see your pain, you can see mine."

Kagura stood up, brushing her hands together. "My work there is done." Then she walked off to find Kyo, hoping to surprise the cat at the New Year's buffet like she always hoped to do.

Please review. Depending on your interest, this may be continued! Thanks if you do, if not, screw you for not helping my self-confidence.