Disclaimer:
I do not own the characters of Fruits Basket. Disclaimer for whole story.
Warning:
Spoilers for the Manga. This kicks off right after the end of the manga, the day of Tohru and Kyo's departure.
|| With Certain Clarity ||
xxx
Author's Note:
Ok so this is my first Furuba fic. Also, I am Australian, so I understand the basic of honorific's but I know I would only mess it up if I attempted it.
The basic story is chronological, focusing on different aspects of other Zodiac members, however it is very Kagura/Momiji based.
And I haven't decided to put them together, but its focused on them, and the story is romantic and fluffy, I'm still working out the kinks.
Apart from these things, I hope my story goes well, it's been on my mind for ages, and I just have to write stuff down! Enjoy!
Reviews are appreciated; constructive criticism is welcome, but please hold those flames.
Prologue:
|| Change Waits for No One ||
xxx
"Kagura?"
The soft call broke through her haze, shattering the small amount of concentration she had managed to muster.
Her eyebrow twitched ever so slightly, matched with a frown.
She was trying to work on her temper, it wasn't easy, and she certainly hated taking it out on her mother, or the house; but today was not a good day.
The voice repeated, louder and more insistent.
"Yes mother?" Kagura called back, unwinding her legs so she sat normally off the edge of her bed.
"It's almost ten o'clock, aren't you going to-,"
"No, not yet." She called back quickly, firmly enough without having to raise her voice.
The door to her room opened. Her mother's face peeked in, concern evident on in her gaze.
"Darling, I think it would be best if you-,"
"I said no." Kagura said flatly, a rosy tinge beginning to colour her cheeks.
Her mother leaned against the doorframe, her expression just as stubborn as her daughter's.
It wasn't wise to cross Kagura, especially when she was so touchy with the subject, but her mother had grown up with her temper and unpredictable emotions, and didn't think to cower now.
"You might not see him for months, perhaps a year; I think it would be best to go early and be able to spend some time with them." Her mother said sagely.
"I said I would see them off, but I'd rather go at the last minute." The former boar murmured quietly.
"Comon, you're being silly, you did like Tohru before this happened, you can't wipe that friendship away over jealousy."
The young woman sighed, her grey eyes glimmering. "It's not that." She said quietly. Kagura looked up, letting her hair fall away from her face so she could offer a small, reassuring smile to her mother. "I'm happy for them, both of them. I loved Kyo enough so that his happiness can make me happy."
Her mother eyed her dubiously and then her expression softened so she was no longer scrutinizing her daughter.
"As long as you're okay, I remember how sad you were that day." She told her, before nodding and walking back out of the room.
Kagura sighed again and flopped back against her bed, letting her legs dangle over the edge of it, while her hair spread out like a halo beneath her head.
She raised a hand above her, admiring it closely, realising that without someone to direct her anger easily, like Kyo, her hands were much softer, and her nails were growing well.
Since the Zodiac curse had broke, she had begun to notice subtle changes like this, within herself, outwardly and on the inside too.
Kagura was still deciding if she liked the change.
It wasn't that she disliked being free of the curse, but it hadn't bothered her nearly as much as the other Zodiac members. Her mother still loved her, and in fact, mostly had acted indifferently to her curse, while the boy she had loved was afflicted with the same problem, so she rarely changed form.
And now that it was gone, Kagura felt very ordinary.
Being one of the Zodiacs had made her feel special; unique.
She had had perhaps the best childhood of them all, and now her future didn't look so exciting. While the other's had their own problems, almost everyone was settled or happy, content with the outcome of the Zodiac's fate.
And today, in approximately an hour, Kyo and Tohru were leaving Kazuma's house to go live at some far away dojo.
What she had said to her mother was completely true; she loved both of them, one as her friend and the other as the boy she felt guilted into loving, but had ending up loving him herself. She wouldn't take away their happiness to satisfy her own selfish need, she had been doing that to Kyo for years until she finally admitted to herself, that her affection for him was based off shame.
But that didn't mean she could stand there, and feel her heartbreaking once again.
Her talk with Ritsu had confirmed that; she would be there, but unlike the others who were spending time that morning with them, Kagura would rather to turn up closer to the departure time to say her farewell.
She lately had avoided Kyo, mostly because he was a different person, changed by his affection for Tohru and growing humility. And regardless of that, the sheer sight of him caused a deep pain to resonate within her when her eyes met his.
She didn't think it was fair, but perhaps that was the retribution she was receiving for having such a breezy life compared to the other Zodiacs.
Kagura sat up, brushing away her hair with her hand.
Her bangs were getting longer again, she needed to recut them, while the rest of her hair was growing slowly, and she rather liked the new length.
So she would go soon, to wave goodbye to her friends, but then most likely return to her room and hide for the rest of the day, avoiding people at all costs.
But today would be the last she truly sulked.
Without Kyo around to infringe on her happiness, she could reach out to the world and discover it on her own, released of any curse and free to simply be herself.
She was determined to do something productive, instead of brooding like a child.
No, there were some changes Kagura didn't like, while other's terrified her.
But not all change was bad.
Change was interesting, and she certainly looked forward to a more interesting future.
Her mother called out again, reminding her of the time. Kagura was well aware, glancing at the clock she had on her bedside table.
The young woman stood, quickly fixing her hair in her opposing mirror, brushing off dust and creases from her dress, and then exhaled sharply.
She shook her head, as if to remove her sombre thoughts.
"Right, let's go." She muttered to herself.
Kagura grabbed her backpack from the floor and hurried from her room, not knowing how she would handle the events to follow.
A/N:
Chapters won't be this short, this is just the prologue. I like Kagura with grey eyes, not brown.
- Mae.