Author's note: A lot of things aren't mentioned directly, so just so you guys know: The Curse refers to the Zodiac Curse; The Cursed refers to the Jyunnishi; The Trio refers to the Mabudachi Trio (Ayame, Hatori, Shigure); The Upper Ranks refers to the member of the Souma clan who either a.) live "inside", or b.) are deeply involved/obsessed with the Curse (People like Shigure, in other words. It does NOT, however, refer to Akito and the rest as this fic takes place before the actual timeline of Furuba). The Jyunnishi "God" mentioned here is Akito's predecessor.

This fic is based on the manga and contains a mountain-load of speculation. It is set around the time the Trio were born. What inspired it...Boredom? And a need for change? Yeah, that's about it. I apologize in advance for any confusion you might feel after reading this.

Disclaimer's: The Furuba Universe belongs to one Natsuki Takaya. Who is not me.


Before Everything

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Before everything, there were three boys. They were all born in the same year, more or less one after the other. Helpless, healthy, smiling infants, but they surprised the entire household, shocked their mothers.

On three different days, at three different times, in the same room, on the same bed; three women received their children.

Three women felt flesh abruptly change.

Three women screamed in fright.

Three women denounced their motherhood.

Three of the cursed in a year? Who would've guessed? No one, certainly. Just as no one could've guessed that in the following years, the Cursed would be complete. Or that the curse itself would show signs of deterioration. Or that three would be set free. (1)

Two in a year was rare enough, but here… here were three. Born one after the other.

Those of the Upper Ranks – those who were the most deeply involved – thought to themselves, ' This is an omen. Something will happen.' Something had to happen because, after all, they had THREE new additions, and that wasn't something that happened every year.

So they waited, and the three grew. Not together, necessarily, because each of their mothers were of different stations; but somehow they had become acquainted with each other. Each had gotten wind that there were others – two more – who were of their age, and in the same predicament. So in their own ways, they searched until, finally, they all met.

It surprised nobody that against all odds (vast differences in personality, mannerisms, and upbringing, to name a few) they became a trio. The Trio. The people who kept a close eye over them were ecstatic.

They thought that maybe – maybe – if anything had to happen, it would happen NOW. Why not when the fated three who were born were finally together? That had to be it, so they waited. They waited for something to happen.

Something, anything.

…but the seasons came and left. One by one, those of the Upper Ranks succumbed to death, until one was left. The very last. The current God was dying, too, and very soon he would leave the earth. But his last days were anything but peaceful. His thoughts kept returning – returning and returning – to those three and what they should've represented. No, he would say to himself, what they never represented. They represented NOTHING. Nothing special. Nothing worth waiting for.

Needless to say that he was disappointed. He had hoped so fervently that perhaps this generation was when it would all end. That perhaps that was what the Trio represented.

He reckoned that he was mistaken so the idea was let loose, and he died without any more regrets. No regrets, just disappointment.

In a way, he'd come closer to the truth more than anybody else. He was right. The Trio was an omen. Not for his generation, (as he had thought) but for the next.

The next and the last of the lot.

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End

(1) This would refer to the present members of the Zodiac (Yuki, Kyou, etc.). It was mentioned at one point that their generation was the only generation in which the Zodiac members were actually complete, and that this was a rare ocurrance. Also, later on in the manga, three of the Jyunnishi were somehow able to break free from the curse (to avoid spoiling it for anyone, I will not name names. Just inform me if you want to know). Because of this, it is sort of implied that the curse is weakening.

I realize that this is different from the usual fanfic, but that was my whole reason for writing this in the first place. Comments /Constructive Crit / Suggestions for improvement will be welcomed. Thank you for dropping by!