Fruits Ripe

Episode 1a

Two young girls stepped out of a medium tent in the woods by a cliff, both wearing a high school uniform. The taller of the two was Tohru Honda, she was also the oldest. The shorter of the two was Lily Honda, who was a year younger than Tohru. The Honda sisters looked nothing alike. Tohru was tall, skinny, had dark brown mid back hair that she liked to keep 2 yellow ribbons on each side and bangs covering her forehead, adorable Bambi brown eyes and a natural friendliness that was so inviting you couldn't help but to love her and dive in or want to take advantage of her.

Whereas Lily was a couple of inches shorter than Tohru, but had an athletic build which made her hips wider and her breasts more matured, she also had deep dimples in both cheeks. With her red hair and natural strawberry highlights down to below her butt, she found it easier to keep it in 2 messy buns on top of her head held by a navy blue ribbon and a black one for each side, save for the long side bang she keeps out that completely covers her left side of her face. She didn't like to show that eye, she didn't think having Heterochromia was attractive. While her right eye was normal a gorgeous golden with green hinting around the edges, her left eye was purplish blue making it look like a galaxy. She was often called a freak and bullied severely, so she just decided to hide it altogether behind hair and glasses.

"Wow" Tohru exhaled in awe

The Sun shines down brightly warming the air. Birds are tweeting and flying around enjoying the warm breeze. Tohru uses her hand to block the bright sun, but she smiles at the sight. Looking down on her right side, she sees her sister doing the same.

"Usually the days start to cool off in mid- September" she continued excitedly, "but it looks like we're in for another hot one!"

"I agree, it's nice", Lily responded softly smiling.

Another gentle breeze went by as both girls turned towards their tent. Tohru went up to it kneeling first to take a look at their mother's picture. " All right, you look after our things while we're gone 'kay, mom?" After she finished talking to her, she grabbed Lily's hand and began jogging.

"Good bye, we'll see you after school!" Both girls called out behind them.

They giggled and walked side by side through the woods towards the entrance. They walked through the path and across a stream enjoying the good weather. Then Tohru checked her watch making sure that they weren't going to be late.

"We still have plenty of time before we need to get to class, Let's explore a bit" she told her little sister who was humming softly while watching the sky.

"Okay" She agreed softly smiling up at Tohru.

They skipped around on a different path than they normally took, so that they could get a feel for their surroundings. By the time they got to a clearing, Tohru was panting from the extra exercise and Lily was gently patting her back with a smile.

"I still don't know how you do that like it's easy" Tohru shook her head a bit earning a giggle from Lily.

Once she regained her breathe, Lily pat her shoulder to get her attention. And once Tohru looked up, she was blown away by the beautiful view of the city. She gasped in awe and the sisters wrapped their arms around each other in a bit of peaceful silence.

"The breeze feels so good, doesn't it?!"Tohru nudged her a bit teasing.

"Mhm" Lily responded

The girls' moment was distracted by a bell chime that sounded close making Tohru turn her head. There a little ways down she saw a house. Tohru grabbed Lily's hand again before she could protest and went down the hill to the house to see who lived there.

"A new discovery!" Tohru whispered excitedly once they reached the house.

While Tohru inched closer to look around, Lily slightly hid behind her just in case they encountered someone. She didn't like being around people she didn't know most of the time.

"I didn't know there was a house here" Tohru continued to look around a bit

"Uh" Lily started to say something but stopped seeing someone step out she hid all the way behind Tohru.

"How cute" Tohru continued not realizing she was no longer alone.

"Hello" said a surprised husky male voice, "This is a surprise, we don't get a lot of young girls wandering around here" the man folded his newspaper in his hand after his initial shock.

"Uh, good morning sir! I'm so sorry!" Tohru bowed while panicking and Lily just followed her lead, although she was much quieter and calmer, "I shouldn't have been looking around without permission" she finished in a frenzy.

"It's fine" He reassured coming a bit closer, "I just wouldn't imagine that a teenager like yourself would find this place interesting" he bent down to examine his figurines that he set out to dry.

"No I really do, though!" Tohru reassured although she was still a bit panicked. "Especially these zodiac figurines you've got. Adorable." Lily nodded in agreement while really taking the time to look the man over.

He was wearing a dark green male kimono robe loosely tied and his hair was a dark gray, sometimes greenish in the light, kind of shiny but looked messy. He had flawless skin and was very handsome, he didn't look older than 23. Yet there was this mature but playful and mischievous vibe that came from him. Overall, he seemed like a good guy but Lily was determined to just watch until he saw her, which he hadn't yet she just pushed up her thin gold round glasses and listened.

"Yes They're a favorite of mine, too, actually." he smiled a bit fondly at that

"Except, it looks like another set without the cat." Tohru responded looking over each, she always searched for the cat first.

"The cat?" He seemed confused for a bit before a lightbulb went off, "Oh, right. I see. You're thinking about the old zodiac folktale, aren't you?"

"Uh-huh!" Tohru nodded a bit excited, you knew where this was going. "Our mom would tell it to us over and over when we were little."

~"Once upon a time, God made an invitation to the animals. God said, 'I'm having a banquet tomorrow and all of you are invited to come.' But the rat was mischievous and loved to play pranks. He lied to his neighbor, the cat, telling him the banquet was actually the day after tomorrow. On the day of the banquet, the rat rode on the ox's back, then leapt easily down to arrive first at their destination. After him came the Ox, the Tiger, and the rest of the animals, and they all feasted merrily until dawn. All of them, that is, except the cat." their mother told them as she laid down next to a young Tohru and a younger Lily, abruptly she sat up noticing something, "Tohru, why the heck are you crying?" Lily sat up confused as well

"The poor cat! How sad! Okay! That's it! From now on, I'm a cat, not a Dog!" Lily cheered and agreed to be the cat's friend. ~

"Ah. If he heard that little story, I wonder how he'd feel." He smiled slightly narrowing his eyes and placing his hand under his chin as he spoke softly, almost as if he were talking to himself.

"Um, pardon?" Tohru looked confused, but Lily understood saying something out loud that was only meant for you to hear so she tugged on Tohru's shirt gently to signal her. That's when he noticed the smaller girl in hiding.

"So, then Year of the Dog?" He smiled wide, " And what about you cutie?"

"I'm a year of the Snake" Lily whispered blushing a bit at the attention.

" No matter I quite like them, That makes me feel so much closer to you as well already. After all, I'm a Do--" he was cut off by a bag landing on his head. "Argh. My head."

"Will you at least try to control you baser urges?' another male voice spoke sounding around Tohru's age. Tohru kind of freaked out by the suddenness of it all and froze so I let her be. "Miss Honda, Miss Little Honda, Hello" he continued ignoring the other male, "I hope my cousin here hasn't frightened you too badly." Ah that explains it.

"--Wait, Soma? Why are you here?" She asked finally snapping out of it while I just gave a tiny bow in acknowledgment.

"That really hurt!" the other guy said trying to get his younger cousin's attention

"I mean, good morning!" She bowed really low and she got frantic again in her mannerisms.

"--What do you have in there, a dictionary?" the older male finished his complaining making me giggle a little

"Two dictionaries, actually." I giggled a little louder and put a hand over my mouth so they wouldn't hear. "Uh, morning" he smiled at the both of us, I just hoped he didn't catch me laughing I wouldn't want to make a bad impression on him, after all he is the Prince of our school.

As he put his bookbag on, I realized he must've been about to head out like we had for school. His Silver gray hair blew with the breeze, gently framing his face, and his captivating Silver eyes to match disappeared when he smiled, which was so cute.

"What's this? You guys know each other?" The older guy asked, while rubbing his head where the bag had hit him, these guys are funny and attractive I'll give them that.

"Miss Honda and Miss Little Honda and I are in the same class." he answered his cousin nonchalantly.

"I'm Tohru Honda." Tohru bowed again this time towards the older male, "It's nice to meet you!" she smiled and then pushed me forward so I wasn't behind her anymore.

"And I'm Lily Honda," I mumbled shyly, I knew I was blushing from being put on the spot but I still bowed, " Pleasure to meet you."

"Same here." He straightened up so he looked semi serious, "My name's Shigure Soma. Yuki's my little cousin." He finished of with a pose and a wink towards the girls.

"What brings you to our house this morning?" Yuki asked quickly cutting off whatever else Shigure, also known as the older guy, was going to say.

Tohru started to panic a bit again, "Um. We live around here, that's all."

"Around here?" Shigure looked a bit confused

"Really?" Yuki asked afterwards

I saw where this was going, so I tugged on her shirt again and tapped her watch. She stopped panicking for a second giving me her attention, after a second she got what I was trying to tell her and checked her watch.

"Well, we'll just be going" she said and grabbed my hand to make our escape.

We got as far as the stars in the front yard in our escape before they snapped out of their confusion.

"Miss Honda? Miss Little Honda?"

"Yes?" Tohru stopped running and turned back

"You're headed to school, Right? Why don't we walk together?" Yuki said smiling a bit

"Uhh Huh?" Tohru answered sounding confused while I just nodded agreeing.