And so it began. Destiny's Reasons
Segment 01 - Slipping Away Unnoticed
by Runic Knight (September 26th 2003)
She had been walking for such a long time. She had a large burlap pack on her back, carrying all the supplies that would ever need to survive in the harsh wilderness of The Isle. In one hand, a weathered letter, in the other, a half-full bottle of water. The bottle had a sticky label taped across it with her name, Tohru Honda.
She decided it was time for a break from her hike. It was getting late into the afternoon and the dense forest was getting darker by the minute. Little sunlight could seep through the branches in the first place. She spotted a large tree, one that was so large and old that three people could have extended their arms around the diameter its trunk. Its branches looked sturdy, and several of them extended horizontally.
She pulled out a thick rope from her backpack and tossed one end over the first branch. She grabbed the other end and tied it together to form a large loop. She used it to propel herself up the side of the trunk, along with her supplies, so she'd have a place to sleep for the night.
She would have settled for the much safer ground, but after a chance meeting with a sleepy but monstrous bear a few nights prior, she felt that being in the air would be better for survival. She untied the rope, and then attached one end around her waist, the other around the width of the wide branch. She didn't want to fall down from such a height. She opened her bag again and pulled out a heavy blanket, her most space-consuming item, and covered herself in it. She shivered against the bark beneath her. It was already getting so cold, even though it was only fall.
She felt almost as if she were made of glass, one false move and she would collapse, splitting into innumerable fragments.
Who would be there to pick up the pieces? She was alone.
She still wasn't quite sure why she was living like this. She couldn't understand it.
Tohru had been visiting this far away land with her father, a prominent explorer from the Upper Continent. For the first time, he had asked her to accompany him on one of his missions. Usually she stayed with her elderly grandfather who didn't even know her name for the months he was away.
He had already been to this place before, the land he called The Isle, and he had convinced her that it was too wonderful not to see with her own eyes; he hadn't even told anyone else about it yet. She agreed readily, excited that her father was allowing her to do something so important with him.
They had travelled by ship, a large vessel that her father had designed himself. It was one of his proudest achievements in his life. It took months to travel the distance, especially since there was no crew working for him on the ship. She wasn't sure why, but she hadn't thought about how suspicious that was at the time.
"Tohru, Tohru, we're here, get up honey-pie," her father had said, calling her by a silly nickname as he shook her gently on the night they arrived at the shore. She had slept for almost the entire trip, only waking to eat. She had learned something new about herself in this journey - she got seasick easily. She was glad to finally be off the ship and back on steady land.
The Isle definitely was beautiful, no doubt about that. Where ever she had looked, she could see foliage for as far as her eyes could see. Spectacular. They set up a small camp sight, not far inland, and started a fire.
"I know you're tired, so why don't you go back to sleep?" her father had suggested, brushing some of his untamed brown bangs out of his eyes. He poked the fire with a stick in his hand then tossed it to smolder among the other kindling.
Although she had had a slight urge to run into the forest and explore the nearby region right away, that nagging sickness which had settled to the pit of her stomach decided to heed his advice. She rolled herself up into a warm blanket, shivering a little. "Goodnight, dad," she called, still smiling despite the slight illness that plagued her.
"Good bye, Tohru," he had said with a sad smile on his face. Then he amended his words, "I mean, good night, honey-pie."
The next morning, she had awoke to the stillness of the forest. The fire had been extinguished, and her father's blanket was left behind, empty. Why? The only answer was a small envelope on top of her father's blanket which was held in place by a small stone.
'Once three nights pass, open this letter to receive the Destiny you have been looking for,' was written in her father's neat cursive.
With nothing to distract her from her thoughts, she spent her nights attempting to sleep in peace, but her mind kept straying. She wondered why she had been left behind to fend for herself. Why was she here, so isolated from everyone else she had ever known? She was driving herself mad with these overwhelming feelings of solitude.
She could perfectly remember the skyline of The Capital. She had grown up there, in that enormous city, one so populated that you were certainly never alone. Whenever she had walked down the street in this place, she saw people everywhere. Some lived in the countless rows of skyscrapers, others lived illegally on the streets. It was one of those places where you were either living the high life, or you were barely staying alive. In this location, your success in life was dependant on how well you could employ the resources around you, and it was awful.
What a world it was. In all directions, she could only see grey buildings. There were no trees, shrubs, or even grass. Practically everything was paved, and the heat radiating from the cement allowed little plant life to survive. The air was thin in oxygen, the only plants turning carbon dioxide back into oxygen were the measly weeds that lived scattered in the cracks of the sidewalk, and small oxygen-radiators that were installed in every home. That is, unless you didn't have a home.
* * * * *
A woman in her early twenties sat huddled up against the side of an industrial factory, a black plastic garbage bag of belongings at her side. She covered herself up in an enormous quilt. It was one of those quilts where each generation in a family would add their own square to adorn it. But where were those family members now to help this poor woman?
Tohru hurried off to school, taking a shortcut down the passageway next to the factory. In her pocket she carried an emergency oxygen puffer, just incase she would ever have to stay outside for too long. Her explorer father could afford such treasured devices, of course. She ran down, tripping over the edge of the poor woman's quilt. She fell to the ground, taking a piece of the quilt along with her.
"I'm so sorry!" she had cried to the woman, understanding what it must have been like to live on the streets. Tohru's late mother had lived on the streets for years before meeting her father, and she had heard many tales of survival. She cringed at the feeling of blood running down her knee, a deep scrape from the uneven rocks. She glanced at the woman, and then noticed what she carried in her hands - a baby that had been hidden out of view by the blanket.
He was so pale. Tohru stared, her forehead creasing with worry. She immediately searched in her coat pocket, her injured knee completely forgotten. "Please! Take this, for your baby!" She placed the puffer in the woman's hand and smiled. The woman made to protest, but Tohru shook her head wildly. "Please take it. My mother always told me that I should help someone in need. I believe that Angels will be sure to take care of mother in Paradise if I help people as much as I can here in the Upper Continent."
That was Tohru's mantra, her source of strength. Surely, her mother would be well taken care of if she tried her best at all times.
The woman's mouth dropped as she looked at the motherless child before her smiled. "You too....you too, have lost your mother?"
Tohru nodded. "Use it well, madam," she said over her shoulder as she continued on her way, a slight limp in her step. "For survival! Don't worry, Destiny will still lead you on your way!"
Yes, it was had to be Destiny. She would always believe in that, for it gave her mother's death meaning. It had to have been all of Fate's doing. Why else would she suddenly just...stop breathing? For that reason, Tohru couldn't cry about her mother. She had to be strong and follow the path that Destiny set before her.
* * * * *
The sky of The Capital was never full of lively colours. At the height of the day, it was a dusty blue, but it would quickly fade to black each day. The air was so thick of pollution that it was hard to see in the distance - it was so hazy, just like the minds of the people who lived outdoors there. The moneymakers had sucked their home for all it was worth, and now they were left with disgusting results.
But of course, they were rich, which was all that they thought about. Absolutely, they could buy happiness with their earnings! They had to find a way, because they were wealthy and powerful, so they assured themselves that they could have anything that they desired.
What a world it was indeed. But even if that world was disgusting, it contained the people she had cared about, and her mementos.
* * * * *
She couldn't sleep that night, she felt so unprotected even when so high in that tree, hidden among the vibrant orange leaves. She looked at her sack which held the important letter, the one she had resisted opening for the past two nights. It was the third night, so she pulled it out and ripped the flap open.
Out came a piece of paper, creased into three sections.
The Isle is a magnificent place, even if it is small in comparison to our home. It is fertile and clean, and not to mention filled with strong and courageous feelings of nature. I can feel it in the air. Most people wouldn't notice its simple beauty, its historic elegance. What is it about this place that captured my heart? I want you to find it, and take it all in. Come find it, following nothing but the call of the wind and the pull of nature's magnetism.
Although it is a wonderful place, you are alone. This place is surely uninhabited. If people lived in this pure state of nature, it would surely be breaking down like our home. You know that the Upper Continent is in poor shape. The massive rain forests have been nearly all cut down to make products to sell for export, the water is so thick and polluted, and morale is at an all time low. I am glad I found my way here, as the first explorer to claim this land in the name of personal quintessence. I'm sorry I had to leave you here all alone, but it is the best thing for you, because I treasure you. I have to return to the Upper Continent, and assure the authorities that this desirable place doesn't exist.
You'll understand this gift that I have given you when you are older, I suppose. I couldn't let you live in that horrible place where it hurts to breathe. You don't deserve that sort of treatment, especially since you are my only daughter. Your mother passed away because of those horrible living conditions, and I will never have you subjected to it too. I'll keep everyone away, away from both you and the land that is now yours.
Be safe and sound,
Your ever loving father, Katsuya Honda.
She read it over in her mind several times over, soaking in every detail. "Dad," she cried out, "what could I ever do in a place without the people I love?"
Only the sound of crickets echoed in the night air in reply.
"Why do I cry out? There is no one to listen to me in any case. I am just a fool." She dropped the letter and it floated down to the ground as she covered her face to her hands."
She could see her mother's image in her mind, smiling down at her among the Angels. "Oh, mom! How will I ever be certain that you will be well cared for in the Paradise of Heaven? I have no one to care over, surely someone will come and find me!" She knew this could never be the case - no one else knew this land existed, and it was uninhabited! What would she do?
She froze when she heard someone - or something - shuffling in some of the fallen leaves down on the ground below her. A monster?
Author Note: This is my newest Fruits Basket fan fiction! I've really got to work on completing the ones that I've already started, but I wanted to create a foothold so I wouldn't forget about this idea. XD This story uses the characters of Fruits Basket in an Alternate Universe. I will be using the English format for names (ie Tohru Honda instead of Honda Tohru) since this story isn't taking place in Japan-like environment. I hope you'll enjoy! I was inspired by the movie Black Robes, which I watched in Canadian History class.