HER LITTLE RED HOOD
Chesire Proclaims: I Could Not Resist. I Apologize.
Fruits Basket FanFiction.
T For Tea (Preferably Green Tea)
I Do Not Own Fruits Basket.
I Am Tired. Goodnight.
He called her Little Red, she called him Kitty Cat. They were both the same age, 4, and too young to understand the smiles and giggly whispers the adults shared, too little to understand that Kitty Cat's zodiac would turn around and bite him in a few short years, and too naïve to understand that even the rainbows have to disappear and will only come back after the hurricane.
"Hi Anya!" the orange-haired boy waved
"Kitty Cat-Chan!" she smiled as she turned around, a new bright smile on her face
Kitty Cat gave her a hug, both taught the rule didn't apply to them.
"What do you wanna' do?" Kitty Cat asked after separating
"Kitty Cat-Chan!" she clapped happily
Kitty Cat laughed, ruffling her hair, hiding his small sadness that she hadn't gotten better, "Little Red-Sama!"
Innocence doesn't last forever, just like baby teeth, they get replaced with bigger permanent ones. The adults small whispers about childhood sweethearts turned into sneers for both children.
"Can't speak…"
"…Only one-syllable words…"
"…Except that idiotic…"
"Nickname…"
"Cursed…"
"…Don't touch him…"
"She's infected too…"
"Get away…"
"…Far away…"
Kitty Cat was cursed and ran away from Little Red, the girl who trusted only him, for reasons so complex…
"Hatori… can she be cured?"
"Cured from what? She only locked away her last words. There's nothing medical wise wrong with the girl."
And she got worse and Kitty Cat didn't look back.
"She might get better…"
"How? She still barely speaks!"
"She likes music, this might help her."
"She likes art, she likes dogs, she likes her hood, she liked him! You've told me ALL these things would help, and she's only gotten worse! What difference does it make?"
"You can give up on her if you wish, but I'm going to keep trying."
"You're wasting your talent on her!"
"…Then leave. I can see you're one of the mothers who rejects her child."
"I'M one of the-? HER FATHER LEFT FIRST!"
"And now you are. Please. Leave. You're upsetting her."
She began to get better though, slowly, flinging her emotions around like a two year-old. With observations they began to see what made her cry, smile, what made her silent, yell, and more importantly…
What kept her from speaking.
"Come on'. You can do it, just speak to Akito, just like we practiced."
"Why isn't she speaking? I though you said you FIXED her Hatori."
"She's simply scared Hatori, this is her first time speaking to you."
"Well, little church mouse, speak."
"I said SPEAK!"
"Akito-!"
She was like quicksilver. She stayed with open fingers and escaped when you closed them.
And she finally broke.
"SPEAK! SPEAK ALREADY!"
"Akiot! Stop, you're scaring he-!"
"AAHHHHHHHH! GET-GET AWAY FROM ME!"
"ANYA! ANYA, COME BACK!"
And, just like that, she was gone.
"Kyo~ Phone for you~"
"I got it, I got it… Hello?"
"She left, we don't know where she is."
"Wha-What are you talking about?"
"You know very well who I'm speaking about Kyo. Anya."
"…Wha-What about her?"
"She's gone."
After dropping the bomb on him bluntly, he hung up, and the phone hit the floor. They yelled Kitty Cat's name but he kept running, inexpertly tripping continuously as he ran through the forest. He stopped, looked at both sides of the stream in front of him, panting heavily, and jumped over it in a single leap. He continued running. Can't be gone, can't be gone, can't be gone.
Little Red had gone to Grandma's house and the wolf was waiting in her nightgown.
Waiting for the Lumberjack, who was no where to me found...
"ANYA! A-ANYA! WHERE ARE YOU?"
Silly Kitty Cat, silly Lumberjack. Little Red cannot speak to you, she is telling the wolf how big… it's eyes are…
He ran to the little store, where they sold ice cream that they used to go to as kids. He always got vanilla and she got chocolate.
"ANYA!"
Wrong house Lumberjack, try again, you only have two last chances…
"What big ears you have Grandma…?"
Not there either.
Pant, no air… can't stop… got to… got to find her…
"All the better to hear you with my dear."
He raced towards the woods, where she hid herself when she was sad.
"ANYA! ANYA, I'M-I'M SORRY! PLEASE, PLEASE, COME OUT!"
Silence.
Keep looking Lumberjack, you're not there yet.
Kitty Cat, there's a girl stuck in a tree. Can you get her down? By yourself?
"AN-ANYA!"
He ran towards the little clearing, where a lonely tire swing sat, swaying, because of the wind and the light drizzle.
Kitty Cats and Lumberjacks don't like rain? It makes them sluggish and slow?
Then hurry up, time waits for no one, and the faster you run,
The slower you seem to go.
The campfire was wet though it had a few burning ashes and the smoke showed that Little Red had been here on a break before.
He goes to inspect the swing, except for a spot in the middle, the wood is drenched.
She was here.
But not anymore.
He picks up his cell phone and tries to call.
No bars. Almost no battery either.
"D-D*mn it…" His fists shook as he closed it, putting the device back in his pocket
Lumberjacks go by instinct; which trees are not rotted, which trees are not too young, which trees can they cut down that's not another's home; they cannot ask for help.
No 911 Kitty Cat, no fire department, that'll only make the girl squirm and jump off the tree. Girls don't have 9 lives Kitty Cat.
You better hurry…
"Grandma, what big teeth you have…"
Hurry, hurry…
He quickly turned around completely and began running again, his small break giving him enough energy to not pant loudly until he reached the end of the dense forest.
Turn right.
Street.
Left.
Sees many trees, he notices the graveyard, gulp, unhappy thoughts.
Straight, straight.
Car blares horn at sudden passerby on the crosswalk.
Stop.
"WELL D-D*MN YOU TO H*LL TOO Y-YA' SON OF A B*TCH!" he yelled, letting all his anger burst out at once
Kick car, continue running.
"All the better to…"
Playground on Banana Street… Explored there because she liked the street name… Stupid… Found playground…
"Anya?"
Looks up, both now 7 years old, at Banana Street Playground.
"Why do you like it here? No offense, but it kinda' sucks. The stuff here is old and there's trash everywhere…"
She interrupted him by pointing a finger at him and smiling, "Be…Because, Little Red and-and Kitty Cat-chan… best mem-mem…memories here!"
Red cheeks. Turn away so she won't see. She has short, playful brown hair she cut with Crayola safety scissors last week, uneven though. Gold-brown eyes that were big, like a doe's. Her smile was adorable, and her choice of clothing fit her, made her look like she was on her way to Grandma's house.
Flashback over. Back to now. Rain falls hard, feels like steel against skin, eyes keep wanting to close, want…to find… sunbeam… lye down on… sleep… summer… not rain.
Pants heavily, sees her, tossing her legs up high on the swing, vainly trying to push herself up above the ground. Never could do it. No one knows why.
Sighs. Relieved.
Wolf killed. No more haunting ideas. No grave. Little Red made it through another day.
Little girl saved, long climb but little girl came down with you. Only 1 life, 1 life saved, unused.
Walks up from behind, pushes her up above, even in the rain. She looks behind her and smiles weakly. Red again. History repeats itself.
Time passes. Rain lights up to a light drizzle. They sit next to each other, not looking at the other. Little Red tries again to swing, fails, but keeps trying. Her tongue sticks out slightly, showing her determination. Kyo watches, smiling slightly. She glances at him, and he turns red and looks away. Awkward silence.
Little girl and Kitty Cat. They walk home, they're hungry, one for human food, one for chocolate ice cream. Good Kitty Cat. Good girl.
"You…didn't have to run away like that."
Smile gone. Movement disappeared. Hair covers up face.
Blinks. Realizes he doesn't know why she left.
"You made us all worry." Scolds. Turns to her, "Why did you run?"
She was shivering, not because of the cold though; her red hood falls onto her shoulders because of the wind; the rain pours down like steel once more.
Angry gasp, angry snarl.
A section of hair is wet blood, dripping down onto red cloak.
Cowering, teeth chattering, tears mix with blood, and both mix with steel rain, "S…Scary… Too-Too scary…"
Swing's chains clatter against one another.
He's shaking too, crying too, but from anger. He grips onto her tighter.
She digs her fingers into his soaked clothes. Tears fall down harder, sobs become louder.
He combs her clean hair, "D-D*mn it… I'm going to KILL that son of a b*tch- that-that b*stard…!"
She's tiny for size, too light too. Picks her up with ease. And takes her home.
Lumberjack takes Little Red home. She's been away from Mother's house for too long.
Where people care.
Where tears are dried.
Showers are hot.
Bruises are bandaged.
Fairytales become reality.
Hurricanes end with rainbows.
Love becomes life.
And life becomes love.
And where the silent…
Can finally speak.