Blood and Tears
By: Nokurai To-orima
Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket. This is only a product of my obsession to Kyou and Tohru pairing. If the title and plot have been used, please inform me, I may not be aware of it.
My soul that is more than a hundred of thousand years old…
My mind, heart, and appearance of a twenty-year-old adolescent…
All these came to me when I once again viewed myself to the clear crystal in my hands.
I still found myself staring the same me everyday. I laid it back to the soft cloud and returned watching humans strolling to the path called Life.
Sigh…Well, my appearance made a difference when I was still alive, but since I'm dead, I could only watch them.
Oh, how I wish I were still a part of that society again.
To die at the young age of twenty wasn't fulfilling, I'd say. I mean, I haven't experienced what life had for me. But I couldn't blame Fate… because I was killed in a time of war in our country. So here I am, watching the world change rapidly before my eyes. Like right now, I'm watching a family riding, what they call, a car to have a family outing. The children seemed to be excited about it, which reminds me of my tender years. My mom usually takes me out on a picnic to enjoy the great outdoors.
But I'm satisfied here in heaven. Pain and war doesn't exist here. My childhood friends, who have shared a same fate as me, are still with me. Whenever we were off-duty to our guardian angel stuff, like right now, we usually fly around the vast clouds with the warm rays of the sun reflecting our halos. If we had the chance, we would fly together with metal birds they call airplanes.
But now, I'm all alone, fantasizing about the human world. It would be a thrill if I would ride on one of those transportations they have now. In my time, there were only wooden wagons and carriages. But I can never ride them unless I was assigned to guard another human being.
But to guard another human…
Is like facing my fear.
"I'm sorry… and thank you…"
His words repeated like a broken record in my mind.
The pain.
The blood.
The tears.
I can still feel them lingering in me.
Since that incident, I wanted to drop off from my duty. But God gave me the courage to step forward.
For the betterment of others. I must move on. I must be strong.
I must.
Chapter 1
:: Atarashiku Hajimaru… ::
(A New Beginning…)
"Tohru-chan!" A voice called out my name in a familiar tone. I turn around to see who it was, my white-pinkish wings flapping gently in enthusiasm. "Hana-chan! How are you?"
"Genki desu. And you?" She replied and question with the usual smile pasted on her lips.
"Fine! As usual! Ne, what's the bucket of water for?" I pointed the bucket she was holding.
She stared at me for a few seconds, "Oh, this? It's God's order. He said it would be nice if we showered the earth with rain… He said children should appreciate nature and not pure play."
I smiled, but suddenly face faulted when I suddenly remembered something. "Hana-chan, please don't use your denpa like a thunderbolt like you did last time. The archangels will be surely be angry with you again…"
"Don't worry, I won't… just for you." She said, still sprinkling the world with gentle drops of joy. "By the way, I have the feeling that our vacation is over."
"You mean we're going to be assigned to guard another human?" I asked, my heart pounding in excitement and fright.
"Yes… I think so… But…" She looked at me with concern in her eyes, "Would you be okay? I mean, have you gotten over him?"
She was still worried about me. "Hai. God had helped me recover. And of course, Hana-chan and Uo-chan too! But if we're going back to duty, I wonder who would I be guarding next?"
* * * * *
RRRIIIIIINNNGGG!!!!!!!!!!
With the school bell rang, every student started deserting their classroom in a big hurry. It was a Thursday wherein everyone craved for the soft bed to sleep, or entertainment such as movie, or simply wants to finish up their homework soon.
But today, I want to be left alone because of the rain… until…
"Kyou-kuuuunn!" A brown-haired girl cried out before running after me. She automatically wrapped me with her arms and turned into a suffocating hug. "I MISSED YOU!!!"
I tried to breath, but to no avail. Only one choice left. "Kagura! Will you please let go of me?!" I said in the most pleading way I can. I know this will turn into a disaster.
"Okay!" She let me plop down the wet pavement, head hitting first. "But we're going to the amusement park like you promised!"
"NO WAY!!! I need to study for a test tomorrow! And since did I promised to take you there?" I scowled at her, ignoring the raindrops falling from the sky.
Kagura had a big frown engraved on her lips and her arms crossed. "We never go somewhere together! For heaven's sake, Kyou-kun, we're engaged!"
I feel my cat ears pooped out of my head due to annoyance, "In the first place, I didn't want to be engaged with you! And you threatened me!" I grumbled and suddenly noticed the hurt expression in her large brown eyes. But I decided to ignore it. Girls always made a way to make us guys feel sorry for them.
Suddenly, I felt a destructive battle aura beside me. Uh-oh…
With a hard grip on my arm, she swung me around above her head. "KYOU-KUN!!!! HOW CAN YOU BE SOOO MEAN??!! I HAAATTTEE YOOUUUU!!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"
This is exactly what I need. *sweatdrop*
* * * * *
"Promise me that you'll get well, ne? And I promised to kick the ass of the one who broke your arm!" She said in her usual sweet voice.
"You. It was you." Shigure accused her in a whisper. Well, it was true anyway. You can't expect your arm to be in good condition if you were thrown up in the air and land on the roof of your home.
At least she didn't hear the comment of Shigure, or else another trouble will surely arrive.
"Okay then, bye-bye Kyou-kun! Bye Shi-chan! Say hi to Yuki-kun for me!" She (finally!!!) bid farewell before gliding away to the rocky ground.
The dog let out a sigh, "I thought the house will be crumbling down for sure."
I looked at road until not a dot of Kagura was seen, "I'll be fixing the roof again…" I complained before going in.
"You better hurry up, we'll be out later to eat dinner!" He informed me.
I stopped for a while and turned to look at him. "I'm already tired going out! Why don't you hire a cook here and make the kitchen a useful place!?"
He grinned mischievously, "Well~ a beautiful chef would be nice…"
"Whatever! I'm going up!"
"Or… Kagura wouldn't mind being our cook…"
"Shut up!"
* * * * *
It was a beautiful day at heaven. The sun was radiating its bright beauty to the puffs of clouds here, making an exotic color of orange and shades of yellow. The bird's chirps seemed to be heard everywhere as every guardian angels were gathered in the court.
Hana-chan was right. Our vacation was over.
As we patiently waited for a messenger of God to arrive, the denpa lady combed my honey-colored hair. She tied a pink-colored ribbon on both sides to look, as she says, presentable. Uo-chan was talking about bringing our assigned humans together so that we could be together also. Friends…
"Tohru-chan," my blonde friend started, "please be careful, ne?"
"Hai… I will."
Out of the blue, trumpets were heard. God's messenger has just arrived.
"Angels, you are gathered here in the court because you're now on duty to protect another human." He announced in a loud voice as he read the scroll. "When I call your name, please go to the room of the stars. God will be waiting for you there, and provide you the necessary things you need. Is that clear?"
A roar of "Yes!" has shaken the courtroom.
Oh my goodness! I'll be coming down! My heart started to palpitate a thousand per second.
"Saki Hanajima."
She stood up, her wings folded up neatly on her back. "I'll be going now, take care of yourself minna." She bid before going away.
"Oi, don't use your denpa to scare the human, alright?"
A few minutes later…
"Honda Tohru."
"Hai!"
Uo-chan patted me for the last time. I smiled at her before going to the room.
* * * * *
Wow.
It's been so long before I've been here… I seemed how beautiful this room looks like. The room was like on the galaxy. The stars were like diamonds in the velvet blanket of the night. You can see possible constellations here. No wonder this was called the room of the stars.
"Tohru." A voice interrupted my musings. It was God. "Please be seated, My child." He said with a gentle smile on his face. I felt the uneasy ambiance vanished.
"Good morning, Father." I chirped.
He nodded. He always seemed to be cheerful all the time. "How's My child? Are you ready for the duty? Or should I let you rest for another decade?"
He still remembered. I vigorously shook my head from left to right, "I'm fine, Father. I'm sorry for making You worry. But I must be carrying out my duty."
He smiled again, "That's what I want to hear. You sounded like you're excited, no?"
This time, I nodded heartily, "Hai! It's been a long time since my first assignment."
He let out a soft chuckle, "Then I shouldn't let you wait anymore. Here's a scroll of your assigned human. It contains the information you need. The rules are the same as always. If you ever forgotten them, it's written in the scroll." He told me.
I smiled at him, "Thank you, Father. But may I ask a question before I go?"
He nodded.
"This question have bugged me for ages and I wanted to know if Kyou-kun was forgiven?"
He returned my smile, "Oh, you mean the first human you guarded?"
I affirmed.
"You're about to find out…"
Before I knew it, a portal has opened beneath my feet and I fell down. I closed my eyes in fright as I imagined layers of clouds passing through me. I knew I couldn't flap my wings due to the pressure of the human world. For the longest minute in my life, I clutched the scroll to my chest as I kept falling…
Falling…
Falling…
Then I felt a force that somehow stopped me from hitting the ground. I opened my eyes and unfamiliar surrounding had greeted me. A radiant smile was imprinted in my lips. "Yatta! I'm back!" Due to my excitement, I touched everything I could see. The damp trunk of a tree, the grass, amethyst flowers, the walls, everything! Even a car! I pranced around the road but suddenly I remembered my duty. I removed the golden thread and unrolled the scroll God had given me.
My eyes widen in shock as I read a familiar name.
The name that I was wishing to see…
… at the same time, to erase from my memory.
The name, which I dreamt, and prayed upon.
The name, Sohma Kyou.
I stopped my tears from falling again, but to no avail. I can still remember the pain from decades ago. But I wasn't feeling the pain.
Happiness.
God had forgiven him, and he was reincarnated once more to repent for what he has done in his past lifetime. I wiped my tears away. And Father must've given me this opportunity to do what I must've done long ago. I mustn't fail this chance once again!
I continued on reading the information about him. It was the same name, but it was impossible for the information to be the same.
Name: Sohma Kyou
Data number: 1999301926
Age: 22
Height: 181.3 cm
Weight: 66kg
Blood type: A
Star sign: Aries
Data information: A member of the mysterious family of the Sohma. He's currently in the senior year of his college, which is Physical Education. It is also said that he is cursed by the vengeful spirit of the cat. Because of this, he was 'alienated' from the clan. And the curse entitles them not to hug the opposite sex because it will turn them into the vengeful spirit's form. His father was unknown and his mother committed suicide. His guardian, Sohma Kazuma, watches over him. But now, he's living together with his cousins. He likes what cats are supposed to like. He hates leeks and blue miso with passion.
I blinked and sweatdrop. He turns into a neko-chan? How kawaii! I looked around my surroundings, and then looked back to the scroll. "Let's see… it says here that he lives somewhere isolated… hmmm… by the looks of things, I need my wings now."
With that, I took off, feathers trailed after me to the dawning sky.
* * * * *
"Aa—ah! It's already late!" I shouted in exasperation. I slumped in the floor as I opened the television.
"Our dinner is always take-out or eat out. It's very tiresome already." The mouse said.
"Then, why doesn't Yuki-kun make dinner?" Shigure suggested. I suddenly felt my face go cold. Baka-nezumi? Going to cook?
The mouse seemed to notice my pale face, but he ignored it. "When I do, you always complain. Especially this baka-neko…" he glared at me.
"Curry rice and pickled vegetables entitles any person to complain…" Shigure replied, trying to stop the starting bicker between the mouse and I. "Talking about cooking, why don't you cook for us instead, Kyou? You always make up a snack whenever you wanted to…"
I pointed at the mouse, "Me? Going to cook for baka nezumi?! No way! I would be happy if he would die in hunger!" My eyes began to burn in fury.
"Pointing is rude." Yuki gave back a blank stare.
Shigure let out a sigh, "Oi, if you plan to wreck the house again, fixed it after." The novelist said before going away from the scene.
Yuki followed him, "I got better things to do than beat up Kyou…" he said in a low voice.
I decided to ignore him. He always threw words at me that would make me flare up. I sat in front of the TV and began to do some channel surfing.
"And Kyou, don't watch too much porno movies! You still have school tomorrow!" Shigure teased from the staircase.
"I'M NOT A HENTAI LIKE YOU!!!"
Tse, it's better off to bed than to watch some crap. I switched off the gadget.
* * * * *
"Oh, I found it!" I exclaimed with glee as I finally saw, beyond the valley of the pine and other high-growing trees, a wooden house stood in the middle of the immense land of green. As silently as I could, I landed by the wooden windowpane. It's so dark in here… I wonder if someone's home…
I tried to adjust my eyes in the dark for a few minutes, and then I suddenly noticed that I was in a room of someone. I looked around, even if it was quite messy though. College books, posters, notebooks… recipe folders (?), and some stuff I couldn't make out or identify.
A light snore.
Someone's bedroom…? I thought as I turned around to see the source. A young man who was tossing around his bed. I laughed silently as I near him. "Is that you, Kyou-kun?" I called out softly.
He turned around again, "Give me five more minutes…" he grumbled before falling back to sleep. I giggled again. His personality and identity must've changed but his soul remains the same. I sat near him, and observed how the silver moonlight made his orange hair flare up.
I wish I could see his eyes, though. I wonder what his reaction will be? Same as before?
I let my fingers ran through his hair, loving the softness it has to give.
From now on, I'll watch you… and protect you…
* * * * *
The early morning light, diffused through the white window coverings, slowly opened my eyes. Days like this made me sleepy like hell. I turn and saw a young woman with a radiant smile beside me.
"Good morning!" she chirped melodiously like the birds outside.
"Good morning…" I grumbled, my voice still hoarse from sleep.
I stood up and scratched my head… I better take a bath and—
…
Wait a minute…
Did I just see a woman in my room?
I turned around again.
She was there. Smiling.
I rubbed my eyes hard, thinking she's a figment of my imagination.
She was still there. Smiling.
I shook my head hard.
She was still there. Smiling.
Oh god…
A cry of horror was heard.
To be continued…
* * * * *
Author's note: To make things clear, the plot is completely different from the original fruits basket, but the characters remain!
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