A/N: Before writing this, I had just watched a bit of Fruits Basket with my
friends. It was filled with the evil witch Tohru being evil and stupid.
So, since I write the author's notes after writing the chapter, I just
realized that I totally strangled Tohru with some of my words. I apologize
to any Tohru fans that I may offend. I just had to say that. But thanks
to those you who are sticking to this little story of mine! (snob) I love
you all so much! So here's the next chapter!
Disclaimer: I really like bananas. That has nothing to do with Fruits Basket. I still don't own it.
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~~Playing with Time~~
When Kyou and Yuki finally broke apart, both of them were blushing; possibly from crying, but possibly from holding each other. Tohru just watched them, stupidly, not really noticing anything that was going on. She sat there, still holding Mari's small hand.
The room stayed silent for quite a bit longer. No one really knew what to say. Kyou got up and Tohru gave her seat by Mari to him. He sat there, just watching Mari sleep again. He thought of the times before Mari had come to live with them. When Shigure was putting on his fake act. When Shigure's visits to Mari and her mother were secret and how Shigure would always cry after the visits. Kyou winced at the memory. He hated watching his cousin cry. Shigure was a grown man! He shouldn't cry. But he still did. He would break down and fall to pieces.
Kyou knew that if Mari died, he would do the same. Break down and fall to pieces. Now that Mari was so involved in his life, life without her would be so hard. And there would be no more cats for another generation. Who would help Kyou with the isolation? Who would he teach about being cat? What if it all ended now? What if?
Kyou gritted his teeth and tried to change his train of thoughts. He looked back at Mari who seemed to be fidgeting again. She was breathing fast again and her face started to scrunch. For a hopeful moment, Kyou hoped that Mari was waking up, but he knew that it was highly unlikely. Mari's breathing went back to normal and she went back into her dream-like state. Still hanging between a comatose state and sleeping, Mari's mind was a mess. She was lost, running around and getting nowhere. Her mind was like a movie, playing over and over the past, present, and future.
~~Mari's Current Memory: Start~~
Mari was walking down the hallway at the main house holding Shigure's hand.
"Answer the questions he asks, no questions asked okay? Stay seated and pay your respects. Listen to what he has to say and it'll be fine."
"'K. I'll do that daddy."
Mari was going to see Akito. It was just after she moved in with her father. Shigure was worried about what Akito would say to her, but he knew that he couldn't do anything to prevent it. When they reached the door, Hatori greeted them.
"Uncle Hatori!"
"Mari. You're getting big aren't you?"
"Oh yea. I forgoted." Mari bowed to Hatori, just like her mother had taught her to do.
"Mari," Shigure said with slight amusement in his voice. "You don't have to do that for family now. You haven't seen everyone for a while. You can let the bowing slip every now and then." He winked at Mari.
"I guess so. If you said it's okay." She then reached up to her uncle who picked her up.
"Don't you look nice today? And you're early too."
"Arigato! I missed you Uncle Hatori!" She hugged him. Mari was wearing denim skirt jumper and a white shirt with her hair held back with a matching headband. She brushed the bangs away from her face and tried to sneak a look at the room behind Hatori. Hatori placed her down, and looked at Shigure, as if to warn him about what was going to happen once Mari entered the room.
Shigure knelled down beside Mari and straighten out her shirt. "You just do everything I told you baby. It'll all be fine."
"'K daddy. I'll be good." She leaned over and kissed her father on his cheek. Then Mari turned towards the door behind Hatori. He opened it, walked in behind Mari, and nodded at Shigure.
Inside, Mari stopped in front of Akito.
"Akito. Mari, daughter of Shigure, is here, as you requested." Hatori placed him hands on her shoulders.
"Ah. I see. Very well. I'll call for you when we're through Hatori." Akito flicked his hand as if to try to shoo Hatori away.
"Very well." Hatori stepped out, only after squeezing Mari's shoulders, as if to say that he'd be there with her in spirit.
"Sit."
"Yes sir." Mari sat with her legs folded under her in front of Akito. He gazed at the girl, who had lowered her head in respect. He adjusted the robes that were falling off his shoulders before sitting in front of the girl.
"How old are you now?"
"Phree."
"And what are you cursed as?"
"A cat sir."
"You must get along very well with Kyou then."
"Yes."
"Think of that. A dog fathering a cat." Akito threw his head back, laughing. "You've put you're father through so much pain, do you now that? He's always depressed. Why do you like to hurt your father like this?"
"I don't! I don't mean to, at least. My okaa-san never let me see otou- san."
"What didn't you run away?"
"I. I. I don't know."
"Don't you want to part of this family?"
"Yes. I love this family so much."
"You stupid girl. You're a damn cat. Everyone hates you. They only pretend to like you. Get that through your small head."
Silence
Akito put on an evil smile, the smile showing he had full control over his prey. "You never thought of that did you? Thought everyone liked you huh?"
Mari nodded.
"Just look at that Kyou. Your father," Akito jeered, "is the only beside his precious 'master' that would take him in. Your father is weak. Messing with cats. He's a disgrace to the Sohma name."
Silence
"Much like you cats are." Akito put his hand under Mari's chin so he could look into her eyes. He didn't care that he was already dealing with an already weakened, fragile, frightened mind of a toddler. He just wanted her to suffer. To cry out in pain. To wish she never lived. To wish she died right there with her mother.
Teardrop
"Crying? Afraid are you? You should be. I guess you're smarter than you look." He let go of the girl. "I hate cats, you know that? The creatures just sit there, lazy, caring only about themselves."
Mari bit her lip, thinking about what her father had said to her about listening to Akito and not getting upset. So she sat there, taking everything in, slowly, painfully.
"I hate you girl! You, the next generation! Proof that we don't know how to lift the curse! Living proof of the ancient tell of the zodiac! Living ghosts, forced to live the life of those before us! To carry a burden like no other, to cause us to go insane, to die alone, never loved. I HATE YOU!!!" Akito slapped Mari across the face, sending her down. Mari touched the new red spot on her face and felt it burn. She would not cry. Would not let Akito win.
Akito started to whisper. "So you think you're strong? Standing up to me? Well, you're not! You're weak, helpless, and pointless. You have no right to live." He kicked her before picking her up by the shoulders. "So small. So fragile. So alone." He shook her and shook her. "No one cares about you. They don't care if you live or die." He stopped shaking her, only to throw her down.
Mari was now trembling all over, breathing quicker. She saw Akito start walking over towards her. She could no longer hide her fear; it shone through her eyes. She didn't want to fight anymore. She was scared of Akito. Afraid he would hurt. She wouldn't sit still anymore. She got up and tried to head for the door, only to find Akito pulling her back by her hair.
"You can't leave. Not just yet. I haven't given you permission."
Mari let out a scream of pain. She wanted out. She wanted to crawl into her father's arms and never have him let go. Just then, Shigure and Hatori opened the door, to find that Akito was now trying to choke the girl.
"You bastard! Let go of her!" Shigure ran over and tried to force Akito to let go of his grip around his daughter's neck. Hatori was trying to pull Akito back. Finally, Shigure was able to get Akito to let go and Hatori was holding Akito away from the other two.
"Don't you forget girl. I'm always watching. I know everything that goes on. I'm always watching. Always watching. I'll give you pain like you never knew before!" He threw his head back to laugh before breaking free of Hatori and walking into another room and slamming the door behind him.
"Daddy. I trieded to be strong. I did." Mari was now crying into her father's shoulder, who was hugging her tightly pack in return, crying himself.
"I knew I shouldn't have let you come, but there was no way to refuse. No way at all. I'm so sorry I had to put you through all of this. I'm sorry you had to listen to him trying to hurt you. I'm a horrible father. I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault daddy." Mari kissed her father before letting go of the hug.
"Mari." Shigure looked at his daughter. "I want you to remember something. Promise me you'll remember?"
"Hai."
"You'll always be my lucky cat Mari. You remember that when people try to hurt you. Remember that you're always your father's luckiest cat."
~~Mari's Current Memory: End~~
Mari flinched in her sleep, still lost and confused. She knew that she wanted to get up, to see everyone, but not yet. Her mind wasn't ready to face the world yet. She wasn't ready to go on with her life. So her mind made her sleep. To stay lost. To stay confused. For no one knows how long.
Kyou was still sitting beside Mari, watching her sleep. Tohru was on her other side, trying to fight back the tears that were forming in her eyes. Yuki stayed on the couch. He still didn't know how he should do, how he should act around the small girl. He rung his hands and just watched. So the three sat there, for hours, in silence, watching Mari, hoping that she'd suddenly decide to get up and start running around the room.
Shigure and Hatori came back into the room. Hatori looked tired, as if he was running around after Shigure the whole time. Shigure hurried over to Mari's bedside and brushed the hair away from her face.
"So Hatori how was the walk outside?" Tohru asked him.
"Horrible. Shigure was horrible." Hatori shot an evil, deadly look at Shigure. "He's lucky I haven't strangled him yet."
"Ah, Ha-chan's just joking. It was nice to get out. I don't know why you just can't enjoy yourself."
"You tried to sneak back into the hospital the entire time."
"You can't blame me for trying."
"I give up. I really do." Hatori sat down with a cup of coffee in his hands and sat in silence, sipping it quietly.
"So, how is she?" Shigure had taken Kyou's spot by Mari.
"She's fine. Nothing happened. You didn't miss anything." Kyou smiled at his cousin.
"Oh. That's good, I guess." Shigure smiled.
"We'd better get going." Kyou stood up and gathered his stuff. Tohru and Yuki said good-bye to Mari and the others before heading out. Kyou nodded at them, before closing the door behind him.
"So what do you think Ha-chan?"
"Of what?"
"Our future."
"Our future?"
"Our future that just walked out the door."
"What do you mean?"
"Do you think they'll help the others learn to understand and not to hate?"
"I don't know."
"We couldn't. We failed."
"True."
"They'll be able to do it. They have to. It's flowing through their veins."
"So it's them then?"
"Yeah. They'll be able to do it. I know it." Shigure looked over at Mari. "They'll do it. They'll help clear up this messed up family. You'll help too won't you baby?" He gently stroked Mari's cheek before kissing it.
"Don't worry about anything right now. Just get better. That's all you need to do."
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A/N: So here you go. I wrote this despite my pain. I'm in pain-my bad knee is acting up again after dancing on it badly and my stomach is aching. So I hope you're happy! Okay, I'm grumpy. Err. School is going to start soon and I haven't finished my movies. But I'm going to Disneyland soon! Yeah! Oh, I listened to KIIS FM while writing this chapter. Hehehe. That is, until I went out and bought the Evanescence CD "Fallen". It's so good! I can't stop listening to it. I think everyone should go out and buy it. "Bring Me to Life" makes me want to cry sometimes. The lyrics are so great! And I have a sudden urge to choreograph a dance to it, kinda like they did at our dance recital. Well, I'm off to watch "Sixteen Candles", which is not on my movie list. Oh well. ~D-Yai~
Disclaimer: I really like bananas. That has nothing to do with Fruits Basket. I still don't own it.
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~~Playing with Time~~
When Kyou and Yuki finally broke apart, both of them were blushing; possibly from crying, but possibly from holding each other. Tohru just watched them, stupidly, not really noticing anything that was going on. She sat there, still holding Mari's small hand.
The room stayed silent for quite a bit longer. No one really knew what to say. Kyou got up and Tohru gave her seat by Mari to him. He sat there, just watching Mari sleep again. He thought of the times before Mari had come to live with them. When Shigure was putting on his fake act. When Shigure's visits to Mari and her mother were secret and how Shigure would always cry after the visits. Kyou winced at the memory. He hated watching his cousin cry. Shigure was a grown man! He shouldn't cry. But he still did. He would break down and fall to pieces.
Kyou knew that if Mari died, he would do the same. Break down and fall to pieces. Now that Mari was so involved in his life, life without her would be so hard. And there would be no more cats for another generation. Who would help Kyou with the isolation? Who would he teach about being cat? What if it all ended now? What if?
Kyou gritted his teeth and tried to change his train of thoughts. He looked back at Mari who seemed to be fidgeting again. She was breathing fast again and her face started to scrunch. For a hopeful moment, Kyou hoped that Mari was waking up, but he knew that it was highly unlikely. Mari's breathing went back to normal and she went back into her dream-like state. Still hanging between a comatose state and sleeping, Mari's mind was a mess. She was lost, running around and getting nowhere. Her mind was like a movie, playing over and over the past, present, and future.
~~Mari's Current Memory: Start~~
Mari was walking down the hallway at the main house holding Shigure's hand.
"Answer the questions he asks, no questions asked okay? Stay seated and pay your respects. Listen to what he has to say and it'll be fine."
"'K. I'll do that daddy."
Mari was going to see Akito. It was just after she moved in with her father. Shigure was worried about what Akito would say to her, but he knew that he couldn't do anything to prevent it. When they reached the door, Hatori greeted them.
"Uncle Hatori!"
"Mari. You're getting big aren't you?"
"Oh yea. I forgoted." Mari bowed to Hatori, just like her mother had taught her to do.
"Mari," Shigure said with slight amusement in his voice. "You don't have to do that for family now. You haven't seen everyone for a while. You can let the bowing slip every now and then." He winked at Mari.
"I guess so. If you said it's okay." She then reached up to her uncle who picked her up.
"Don't you look nice today? And you're early too."
"Arigato! I missed you Uncle Hatori!" She hugged him. Mari was wearing denim skirt jumper and a white shirt with her hair held back with a matching headband. She brushed the bangs away from her face and tried to sneak a look at the room behind Hatori. Hatori placed her down, and looked at Shigure, as if to warn him about what was going to happen once Mari entered the room.
Shigure knelled down beside Mari and straighten out her shirt. "You just do everything I told you baby. It'll all be fine."
"'K daddy. I'll be good." She leaned over and kissed her father on his cheek. Then Mari turned towards the door behind Hatori. He opened it, walked in behind Mari, and nodded at Shigure.
Inside, Mari stopped in front of Akito.
"Akito. Mari, daughter of Shigure, is here, as you requested." Hatori placed him hands on her shoulders.
"Ah. I see. Very well. I'll call for you when we're through Hatori." Akito flicked his hand as if to try to shoo Hatori away.
"Very well." Hatori stepped out, only after squeezing Mari's shoulders, as if to say that he'd be there with her in spirit.
"Sit."
"Yes sir." Mari sat with her legs folded under her in front of Akito. He gazed at the girl, who had lowered her head in respect. He adjusted the robes that were falling off his shoulders before sitting in front of the girl.
"How old are you now?"
"Phree."
"And what are you cursed as?"
"A cat sir."
"You must get along very well with Kyou then."
"Yes."
"Think of that. A dog fathering a cat." Akito threw his head back, laughing. "You've put you're father through so much pain, do you now that? He's always depressed. Why do you like to hurt your father like this?"
"I don't! I don't mean to, at least. My okaa-san never let me see otou- san."
"What didn't you run away?"
"I. I. I don't know."
"Don't you want to part of this family?"
"Yes. I love this family so much."
"You stupid girl. You're a damn cat. Everyone hates you. They only pretend to like you. Get that through your small head."
Silence
Akito put on an evil smile, the smile showing he had full control over his prey. "You never thought of that did you? Thought everyone liked you huh?"
Mari nodded.
"Just look at that Kyou. Your father," Akito jeered, "is the only beside his precious 'master' that would take him in. Your father is weak. Messing with cats. He's a disgrace to the Sohma name."
Silence
"Much like you cats are." Akito put his hand under Mari's chin so he could look into her eyes. He didn't care that he was already dealing with an already weakened, fragile, frightened mind of a toddler. He just wanted her to suffer. To cry out in pain. To wish she never lived. To wish she died right there with her mother.
Teardrop
"Crying? Afraid are you? You should be. I guess you're smarter than you look." He let go of the girl. "I hate cats, you know that? The creatures just sit there, lazy, caring only about themselves."
Mari bit her lip, thinking about what her father had said to her about listening to Akito and not getting upset. So she sat there, taking everything in, slowly, painfully.
"I hate you girl! You, the next generation! Proof that we don't know how to lift the curse! Living proof of the ancient tell of the zodiac! Living ghosts, forced to live the life of those before us! To carry a burden like no other, to cause us to go insane, to die alone, never loved. I HATE YOU!!!" Akito slapped Mari across the face, sending her down. Mari touched the new red spot on her face and felt it burn. She would not cry. Would not let Akito win.
Akito started to whisper. "So you think you're strong? Standing up to me? Well, you're not! You're weak, helpless, and pointless. You have no right to live." He kicked her before picking her up by the shoulders. "So small. So fragile. So alone." He shook her and shook her. "No one cares about you. They don't care if you live or die." He stopped shaking her, only to throw her down.
Mari was now trembling all over, breathing quicker. She saw Akito start walking over towards her. She could no longer hide her fear; it shone through her eyes. She didn't want to fight anymore. She was scared of Akito. Afraid he would hurt. She wouldn't sit still anymore. She got up and tried to head for the door, only to find Akito pulling her back by her hair.
"You can't leave. Not just yet. I haven't given you permission."
Mari let out a scream of pain. She wanted out. She wanted to crawl into her father's arms and never have him let go. Just then, Shigure and Hatori opened the door, to find that Akito was now trying to choke the girl.
"You bastard! Let go of her!" Shigure ran over and tried to force Akito to let go of his grip around his daughter's neck. Hatori was trying to pull Akito back. Finally, Shigure was able to get Akito to let go and Hatori was holding Akito away from the other two.
"Don't you forget girl. I'm always watching. I know everything that goes on. I'm always watching. Always watching. I'll give you pain like you never knew before!" He threw his head back to laugh before breaking free of Hatori and walking into another room and slamming the door behind him.
"Daddy. I trieded to be strong. I did." Mari was now crying into her father's shoulder, who was hugging her tightly pack in return, crying himself.
"I knew I shouldn't have let you come, but there was no way to refuse. No way at all. I'm so sorry I had to put you through all of this. I'm sorry you had to listen to him trying to hurt you. I'm a horrible father. I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault daddy." Mari kissed her father before letting go of the hug.
"Mari." Shigure looked at his daughter. "I want you to remember something. Promise me you'll remember?"
"Hai."
"You'll always be my lucky cat Mari. You remember that when people try to hurt you. Remember that you're always your father's luckiest cat."
~~Mari's Current Memory: End~~
Mari flinched in her sleep, still lost and confused. She knew that she wanted to get up, to see everyone, but not yet. Her mind wasn't ready to face the world yet. She wasn't ready to go on with her life. So her mind made her sleep. To stay lost. To stay confused. For no one knows how long.
Kyou was still sitting beside Mari, watching her sleep. Tohru was on her other side, trying to fight back the tears that were forming in her eyes. Yuki stayed on the couch. He still didn't know how he should do, how he should act around the small girl. He rung his hands and just watched. So the three sat there, for hours, in silence, watching Mari, hoping that she'd suddenly decide to get up and start running around the room.
Shigure and Hatori came back into the room. Hatori looked tired, as if he was running around after Shigure the whole time. Shigure hurried over to Mari's bedside and brushed the hair away from her face.
"So Hatori how was the walk outside?" Tohru asked him.
"Horrible. Shigure was horrible." Hatori shot an evil, deadly look at Shigure. "He's lucky I haven't strangled him yet."
"Ah, Ha-chan's just joking. It was nice to get out. I don't know why you just can't enjoy yourself."
"You tried to sneak back into the hospital the entire time."
"You can't blame me for trying."
"I give up. I really do." Hatori sat down with a cup of coffee in his hands and sat in silence, sipping it quietly.
"So, how is she?" Shigure had taken Kyou's spot by Mari.
"She's fine. Nothing happened. You didn't miss anything." Kyou smiled at his cousin.
"Oh. That's good, I guess." Shigure smiled.
"We'd better get going." Kyou stood up and gathered his stuff. Tohru and Yuki said good-bye to Mari and the others before heading out. Kyou nodded at them, before closing the door behind him.
"So what do you think Ha-chan?"
"Of what?"
"Our future."
"Our future?"
"Our future that just walked out the door."
"What do you mean?"
"Do you think they'll help the others learn to understand and not to hate?"
"I don't know."
"We couldn't. We failed."
"True."
"They'll be able to do it. They have to. It's flowing through their veins."
"So it's them then?"
"Yeah. They'll be able to do it. I know it." Shigure looked over at Mari. "They'll do it. They'll help clear up this messed up family. You'll help too won't you baby?" He gently stroked Mari's cheek before kissing it.
"Don't worry about anything right now. Just get better. That's all you need to do."
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A/N: So here you go. I wrote this despite my pain. I'm in pain-my bad knee is acting up again after dancing on it badly and my stomach is aching. So I hope you're happy! Okay, I'm grumpy. Err. School is going to start soon and I haven't finished my movies. But I'm going to Disneyland soon! Yeah! Oh, I listened to KIIS FM while writing this chapter. Hehehe. That is, until I went out and bought the Evanescence CD "Fallen". It's so good! I can't stop listening to it. I think everyone should go out and buy it. "Bring Me to Life" makes me want to cry sometimes. The lyrics are so great! And I have a sudden urge to choreograph a dance to it, kinda like they did at our dance recital. Well, I'm off to watch "Sixteen Candles", which is not on my movie list. Oh well. ~D-Yai~