Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with Fruits Basket.
What does it take to set the Sohmas free after Akito's death?
The Puppet Master's Last Testament
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Chapter Fifty-Three: Picking Up the Shattered Pieces
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Riding the bus, Tohru finally arrived at the lake in the city. Walking through the school-children-filled park, she got over to the lake. The rental boat booth was closed.
Tohru would have loved to paddle around the lake alone. Instead she walked to the shore of the lake and looked into the clear water. She saw her own sullen reflection, before focusing her attention on the fish and seaweed floating around.
Tohru drew her shaking fingers to her left wrist. She felt around for the clasp of the silver bracelet, and opened it. She slid the bracelet off slowly. She looked at it once in her palm, before closing her palm. She couldn't bear to look at something that once meant so much to her, a symbol of something that was now long gone. Amor et melle et felle est fecundissmismus. Whatever that meant.
She got closer to the edge of the lake, her toes peeking over the edge of the small dock.
--
She let the bracelet slip through her fingers. It sailed through the air, and landed as light as a feather on the surface of the water, forming ripples in the water. It didn't even break the surface. Tohru sighed to herself. She crouched down, and retrieved the necklace.
Next, she found a large rock in the nearby bushes. She tied the bracelet around the object. Then, she dropped it swiftly into the water. She watched it touch the bottom of the lake, making the sand around it swirl like a small storm.
Tohru saw the silver shimmer in the water, and a tear slid down her cheeks.
--
Shigure rode his bike over to the campus. The traffic was low. He stormed into the main administration office like a character out of Ghostbuster's, and nearly shouted at the secretary to find where Tohru's dorm. After telling her that he was her brother, and that their father was in the hospital, she clicked away on her computer and told him.
"The big blue building past the reflecting pool on the corner of this building. She is in dorm C-34 on the third floor. Here, you will need this card to get in."
He took the card, thanked the woman, and zoomed ofut. In a few strides, he was at the 'big blue building'. He shoved his entrance card in and went to the elevator.
He heard the slow churning of the cranks and such, and deciding that it was too slow, ran up stairs, two at a time.
He found the door and knocked. "Tohru?"
No answer. He tried the door, it was open. The room was simple and clean, Tohru's taste. He heard the shower running and immediately let out a sigh of relief.
--
Tohru's feet seemed stuck in place. She couldn't move. Only the silent tears trailing their way down her cheeks.
She finally built up all her energy to move her lead feet back to the bench behind her. She sat down and closed her eyes, laying her head on the back of the bench. She remembered their first day in the city together.
She would never forget that day. It had so many emoftions attached to it—sadness, hope, fear, happiness, enjoyment, excitement, love.
--
He leaned against the wall next to the bathroom door and listened to the soft pitter-patter of the water against the tiles. Soothing. His heart started to pound for forcefully. More evenly.
"I'm so sorry about that night. The game was stupid. It means nothing to me. You are more important that anything in the world."
He heard the shower turn off, and the glass door slide open. "Really?"
"Yes."
"I'm glad you've come around to your senses. You have the mind of a stubborn mule. I forgive you."
Shigure grinned. Tohru forgave him!
Hooray!
Yipee!
Ahhhh!
Thank...
"Matsuki, I'm glad you realize that the skateboarding games are a waste of time, all those people on a board riding around dangerously. I mean we could spend that time shopping, going to different restaurants, you know, being boyfriend and girlfriend..."
Before it all registered, the door opened, and a blast of warm water vapor hit him. A slim, redhead draped in a towel wrapped her arms around his waist and attempted to give him a hug. He turned sideways, to avoid any contact. He did not want to transform. She snuggled her nose in his into his armpit instead.
Shigure stood there, motionless.
She realized his lack of movement, and looked up at him. "Whoa, who are you?" she asked suspiciously.
"I'm Tohru Honda's brother- uh, no, I mean boyfriend. That is a maybe though." That was something pretty odd to say, transition from brother to boyfriend.
The girl raised her eyebrows, thinking freak, before saying (no spitting), "Are you the boyfriend that made her like this?"
"Yes, I mean, uh, no. What do you mean?"
"Go read her diary on the floor next to the garbage over there, you sick bastard," the girl said, pointing at the corner of the wall, as she opened the wardrobe and pulled out a blouse and sweats.
Just like when the girl touched him, and now, when she dropped her towel, it didn't even register. A half-naked girl didn't register anything in his lizard brain! Zip! Zilch! Nada!
He was really love-sick for Tohru. He was now a faithful, obedient dog!
--
He picked up the diary and read the last entry. It was wrong to read something so private, but had he ever cared before.
And he wouldn't now.
His heart sunk.
He flipped a few pages back, and read more. Everything was the same. The handwriting was shaky and the pages were tear-stained.
What had he done?
He had to fix everything now, or the open wounds would scar and damage.
He took one last look at the last entry. He knew where to find her.
--
Shigure bounded to his bike, and drove out of the parking lot. He had to get to her before it was too late.
--
He parked along the outer perimeter of the park, and inserted some coins into the slot. He asked the man at the snacks stand where the lake was, and he pointed to the left. Shigure ran to the lake. He looked around, and the lake was empty.
--
"Shigure, I'm sorry," she said, softly, "but I can't forgive you. I'm sorry. I don't think I can."
Hadn't she said she forgave him in her diary? He had memorized it. But face to face, he was still a monster. A vile, lustful beast that preyed on innocence.
"Please Tohru. Please listen to me. I-I"
"Is your hand alright?" Her eyes were wide. She noticed that it was poorly bandaged.
"I'm fine."
She took his hand in hers. She tenderly unwrapped the gauze. He winced. She noticed a small cuts amid purple bruises on his fingers. His knuckles were crusted with dried blood.
"You're not," she whispered.
As much as he wanted her to continue to touch him, he stopped her, pulled his hand away painfully. "Listen to me. Please come back."
She stared at his limp hand by his side.
I love you, she repeated to herself. He had never said those three words before. She had, but not him. It was a childish grudge to hold, maybe it was her only reason for not running back to him. She needed something, an excuse.
"Shigure. I can't. The love you had for me was out of pity. It blossomed out of the situations we were put in. You felt bad for stupid old me. Our love, I mean, this love, was never meant to be. You don't have to say anything. You said everything you needed to that night seven months ago. Love was meant to grown naturally, not restricted to a set of rules that someone set. Plus, not all love has a perfect ending. You, a romance novelist, of all people should know that. If you had truly loved me, you would have told me. Trust is what I care about the most. Besides that, I was meant to leave someday. So here I am. I'm out of your lives. Don't worry, I won't tell your secret, if that's what you came to ask. Please, Shigure, please move on. I-I- h-have." She looked away, not wanting her eyes to betray her.
She hadn't moved on. She doubted she ever would. She had loved him. She was still in love with the man who had betrayed her to 'the game'.
She turned her heel, and sulked away, wrapping her sweater closer to her, before Shigure had a chance to say anything. A tear threatened to gush from her left eye duct.
He ran after her and spun her around forcefully.
"Tohru. I want us to be together."
She didn't say anything, but her eyes were filled with emotion. Desire for him to continue.
"Shigure, please, just-just leave me alone. Move on with your life. The past is over."
She tried to spin around again, but Shigure's strong hand was wrapped tightly around her thin upper arms. He shook her slightly, as she looked at him uncomprehendingly. What was he doing? Hadn't he given her up?
"Tohru. I need you. I want you. In the beginning, I only carried about myself; I only wanted to be free; I didn't care about anyone but myself. I was a stupid puppet, but with wicked yearnings. But as it went on, I fell in love. I fell in love with the one person I would end up hurting, the one person who saw me apart from 'a romance novelist', 'a heartless Sohma'. I fell in love with her innocent charm, her untold beauty, her intelligence, her open honesty, everything about her, and hadn't seen for years, until then, or maybe had seen, bur was too absorbed in myself to realize. I began to fight within myself every time I put her at risk, made her do something foolish, that she would otherwise never do. I didn't realize that everything that she did, was for me. She trusted me with her heart. Her love. I wanted to tell you so badly. Kami, I did. I wanted to end the game, and just tell you. But I didn't. I held back, thinking it would all be okay. 'Akito wasn't smart enough to plan out something like this.' But I didn't foresee anything that happened. I never thought I would hurt you this badly. I guess I was so lovesick. Or just stupid. But now, I want to forget all that. I want you to understand how much I want to be with you. I want us to go on real dates. I want us to kiss, have fun, laugh, make mistakes together, and make love. I want us to get married, buy a house, a car, have children, send them off to school, go on vacation, all together. I want you to be by my side. I want us to be together. Forever. I know you feel the same way. I can see it in your eyes. Didn't you yourself once say that you believed in love? Love was something that blossomed from a green bud into a beautiful rose. Well, Kami, this is love! Fate was meant to break us apart, but it isn't working!"
Tohru's vision became blurred with tears that menaced to spill down her face in rivulets.
"Shigure, that was a beautiful speech, but it's over. I can't be with you. Love... love, well love is something that has changed for me."
She looked down at her toes, helplessly, not wanting him to see the pain and hesitation. Shigure couldn't believe she was being so stubborn. She was always so clear-minded.
She continued, "Fate meant for us to be apart, and that's how it's going to be."
She flinched in his hold, and a relentless pain stirred within him. Was she really going to leave him? Was she going to walk out of her life after all that they had been together though? He loosened the grip, and starred at her in the eye.
"Tohru, I love you. I am willing to do anything to be with you. I don't care if I'm a dog for the rest of my life, as long as I can be with you."
--
Something inside of Tohru flickered. Had he said he loved her out of his own free-will? Or was it just another ploy to lure her back, part of the 'game'?
Anyway, she saw the sincerity in his dark brown eyes, with a tinge of sadness. Thin wrinkles around his eyes blemished his flawless face. Was he really as pained as she was? As unable to let go as she had been the past months?
She couldn't stand it any longer.
Impulse hit her, and Tohru pushed past the man, and ran back to the spot she had stood on the shore of the lake.
Without a moment's notice, she dived in.
--
They had been separated for seven months, three weeks, one day, and fourteen hours.
--
A/N: Why, oh why did our Tohru dive in?
Whose side are you on? How was Shigure's proclamation of love? Was it OOC? I hope not. Lend me your thoughts! Review!
I thank you so much for all the reviews, my lovelies. -gives each person a hug- (Shame on you if you haven't reviewed!... I always respond... hint, hint)
...As you all may already know, the story's end has been done for a while. (But I always go back to make little corrections.)
sonata hirano: Same here, same here.
Crazy Manga Girl: You are so caring! Shigure extends a rose to you for you kindness and gives you a big smooch, leaving you breathless.
Botan and Kurama lover: Thanks! as for Hat's Remedy, I always sit down at a table, trying to write, but I have nothin'. Grrrr. I need fuel (apple juice, please).
Parasite Eve: Aww. -gives you a ruler so you can smack Shigure's butt- He needs to just do something really dramatic to win her back.
Kaoru Sayuri Kamiya: Enough action in this one? ;)
kiwadoi seiitsu: Hehe. Thanks!
XOiHeartMiloOX: Muwhahahaha, you are so evil, but I love that idea. Hatori...perfection.
Jaffa-Cake-Queen: Others feel the same way, torn. Thanks for the review. You are so cute -bites nails with you-
LibraryLady08: Shigure feels lots and lots of regret. I loved your idea!
CuteLittleEarthbender: I always love hearing from ya! I love angst. I only read angst. Angst is my life (lol... no, not really, far from true). Your thoughtful questions... that is a serious reader. :) I'm glad you liked the diary entry.
Tenma-kun: -takes a loooong breath after reading the last sentence of your review- -takes several moments to understand the complexity- Yes. :)
LilSakuraKaori: Babysitting, eh? The little boy is full of energy. -images you running after a little boy covered in yogurt and cheerios, think tar and feathers- Thanks for wishing me a happy week, you too!!
avidlydreaming: Muw! I love you. Thank you!
kouga's older woman: Shigure put down the cigs and went to his damsel in (much) distress! I loved your 3rd sentence...
Nikki-4: I wish. Hatori needs some luvin'. Have a fabulous week. (Fabulous reminds me of 'fabulosity' that word Kimora Lee made. She bothers me SO much. Too mean.)
Ayjah, my dearest! I miss you!
I'm hungry, hungry for more REVIEWS! (I've started running... more like super slow jogging. I just want to eat yummy stuff. I ran four miles the first day. :Advice, start of with a small goal, not like me. It is safer.: Almost seven the next (Whoo mama). Two the day after that, and this morning, only one. I have no patience for getting healthier - the aching legs are too torturous. Kudos to anyone who jogs A LOT. You have motivation and dedication.)
