Hello again! Writer's fever! So much better than writer's block, don't you agree? Right now it is almost midnight and I'm listening to the song in this chapter on repeat. If you don't like having songs in the stories, well tough, because it was actually this song that gave me some inspiration. The rain outside helps too. (no tornados, please! Sob)
My kitties are falling asleep, or already are, and are just so cute! (random news)
Anyway, I'll stop jabbering now so you
can get to the story. Last thing though is a slight key to
italicisation and boldness on words:
thoughts, flashbacks, notes
song lyrics
regular time for the story
Disclaimer: I don't own Furuba, but I do own the first twelve books, and the last two DVDs of the series. I also don't own the song in here called This used to be my playground... That belongs to Madonna. (My mom owns the CD though. he he, I borrow!)
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Tohru woke up to silence. She looked around, and saw that it was empty besides her. A note lay on the pillow next to her. She picked it up and read:
Tohru,
I'm going to lead Akito off the track. I
know we can't let him know that we are
friends. I'll come back tonight,
so wait for me.
Tohru lay down the note and smiled. She stood, and walked over to her dresser. She picked up the photo album that lay on top,and took it back to her bed. She flipped through the pages that she and Yuki had gone through, smiling tenderly.
She turned to a page that they had not looked at and gasped. A picture of her and Yuki together was the only occupant for the page. In the picture she and Yuki were holding hands, smiling lovingly at the other. On the page adjacent were some instant picture machine pictures. It was her and Yuki again. The first was just them smiling next to each other. The next they were looking into the other's eyes. The next they were kissing sweetly.
"Oh my gosh, I remember now. He really was familiar, he was... with me before I was cursed. That was right before Mom..." she turned to look at the photo of Kyoko on her dresser, "the day before I overheard Akito and Mom, and Akito had Hatori erase my memories of the Sohma's, and he cursed me."
Flashback...
Tohru sat in the picture booth with Yuki. They were smiling, enjoying the other's company. Yuki was bending forward, putting money in the slot.
"OK, we'll have about ten seconds between each picture, so get ready. They smiled for the camera as it clicked, and turned to the other while they waited. The flash happened again, and Yuki leaned forward, capturing Tohru's lips with his own. The flash happened but they didn't stop what they were doing.
They eventually left the booth holding hands and smiling so very happily at the other that they didn't notice Kyoko waiting for them with her own camera poised. She took two consecutive shots and held out the poloroids to them.
"You two need to pay more attention to where you are, lovebirds!" she teased gently, messing with both of their hair.
"Mom!" Tohru laughed with her mother as Yuki watched the two.
Later...
Tohru sat kneeling in front of Akito and Hatori.
"Why must you do this Akito, why?" she cried. Hatori watched with a stony face that couldn't have revealed what he really thought. He was wondering the same.
"You have invaded on grounds you are unwelcome upon. Don't worry, you aren't the only one who will forget. Sanya!" a maid entered the room. "Bring me Yuki."
"Please, don't hurt Yuki! It's my fault as much as it is his!"
"I know that. Why do you think I'm having both of your memories erased? Hatori! Do it now!" Hatori leaned forward, placing his hand over Tohru's eyes.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"It's OK, I know you don't want to do this." Hatori erased her memories, and Tohru fell backward, unconscious. Yuki was brought into the room just as Hatori was re-settled to how he was.
"Tohru!" he yelled as he fell to his knees, supporting himself on his knees over Tohru's head. Her face held no expression. He turned to Akito.
"Why? What did she do to you! Why did she have to forget about us all?"
"Because of you. If you two hadn't fallen in love she wouldn't have had to do this. It is your own fault. You caused her to suffer! But I will end it. She hasn't forgotten about me, and I'll make certain that she never does! Hatori, you know what to do." Akito left the room.
"No, Hatori, how can you go along with him? How can you just act like nothing's wrong?" Yuki saw a lone tear slide down Hatori's cheek.
"You know why I have to. But," he lowered his voice to a whisper. "I won't be burying the memories deep. You can let them resurface, just fall in love with her again, and all will be restored." Hatori covered Yuki's eyes and the next moment Yuki was falling backward. "Please help her. I want this curse to end."
End Flashback
"I remember," was all Tohru said to the vast emptiness around her, "so why does it feel like we are doomed?"
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Yuki ran as far as he could, trying to get to Tohru. He had to see her. Had to ask, was that picture real or was it only his imagination?
He came across a park, one that he had visited when he was kid.
This used to be my playground...
"I've been here before," he said softly, "this place was really important to me when I was a kid."
this used to be my childhood dream.
This used to be the place I ran to, whenever I was in need... of a friend...
why did it have to end?
Flashback...
Yuki (when he was seven) walked through the park. A girl was crying on a swing.
And why do they always say...
He walked up to the girl, and asked why she cried. She answered him in a shaky voice.
"I was chased by a bunch of older boys and I fell. I scraped my knees and they threw rocks and sticks at me. Who are you?"
"I'm Yuki. Do you want to play with me? I'll protect you from those boys."
don't look back...
The girl smiled. "My name is Tohru. All right!" she let Yuki take her hand as they ran off to play.
keep your head held high...
don't ask them why
because... life is short.
They ran into the older boys. They had new arsenal including pellet guns.
"Looks like you found yourself a friend. Well take this!" the ring leader started to shoot at them. Yuki shielded tohru as best he could, and when the bullies had to reload, he charged them, grabbing sticks and hurling them at the boys. The boys ran away.
Yuki turned to Tohru. "See? I said I would protect you." He was answered by getting a hug by Tohru. There was a poof of smoke and Tohru held a mouse in her arms.
"Yuki, is that you?"
"Y-yeah. You don't have to stick around if you don't want. I know people don't like to associate with you if you turn into an animal." Tohru could tell that Yuki was shutting himself off, ready for her to run away.
"Nope! I want to stay! You're my friend, Yuki, and this can just be our little secret! Even though, someone else knows about this, too, huh?"
Yuki stared at her. "Thank you, Tohru."
End Flashback
And before you know your feeling old and your heart is breaking...
Don't hold onto the past.
Well, that's too much to ask.
"They are destroying it. Building a store. Why must they build it here? Where we have so many memories?" Yuki remarked after he read a sign announcing the change.
This used to be my playground...
this used to be my childhood dream.
This used to be the place I ran to whenever I was in need... of a friend...
Why did it have to end?
And why do they always say...
no regrets?
"I'll miss this place when it's gone. I remember now. Tohru and I met here, and she isn't going to be able to see it one more time before it's gone."
But I wish that you were here with me
well then... let's hope yet.
"I will save her."
I can see your face,
in our secret place,
your not just a memory.
"I know she would want to see this place once more, and we only have a couple of weeks left." Yuki started to walk around. He found the swing set where he first saw Tohru. This had been there meeting place when they came to play together. They'd met here, and he'd first admitted to loving her here.
He walked up and touched the pole holding the swings bar up. He remembered holding her as close to him as he could, with her leaning on the pole, as he had kissed her for the very first time. He could feel everything as he had at the time.
Say goodbye to yesterday.
Those are words I'll never say.
"I don't want to see this place go. I don't want her to go. I can't let her be taken away from me again!"
Yuki started to run to see Tohru again, but stopped when he almost passed the creek. He saw them together, just laying next to the water.
This used to be our playground...
this used to be our childhood dream.
This used to be the place we ran to...
I wish you were standing here with me.
"Why can't we go back to those days? Why did we have to be separated like that? Why do you have to be fated to die so soon after we finally find each other again?"
This used to be our playground...
this used to be our childhood dream.
This used to be the place we ran to...
He looked around one last time. He saw many more memories from two years ago.If, no when, I save her, this will be the first place I take her, he thought.
The best things in life are always free...
wishing you were here with me.
Why are the most precious things in this life the ones that keep disappearing? I won't let her... his thoughts were echoing in his head as he raced to get back to Tohru.
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Well, I guess I was wrong on how many chapters I was going to write. Not all of the song is in there, but that is because I didn't catch the mistake until I really didn't want to change anything. (It's 2:17 in the morning, and I really don't want to have to go through this again. I already spent two hours on just this chapter!) It just doesn't seem to want to end! But, you guys probably like that if it didn't mean a cliff hanger at the most crucial moments, huh? Sorry there wasn't any romance, but I don't want to have this chapter significantly longer than the others. Please R&R!
