Disclaimer: All creations of Fruits Basket are rightfully owned by Natsuki Takaya. I take no ownership of them. I'm just borrowing the adorable Furuba characters for my own purposes…
Salt - By Cherry Chibi
AN: Ta da! Another update! (After a long time… sorry….) I won't say much but thank you all for your patience and support! Please enjoy reading.
Chapter 05 -
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"Lady Tohru…you've got a fever." The man knelt beside her and placed a gentle hand on the top of her head. "Running to find him? I did say you'll need a lot of patience in order to meet him again…"
'Kazuma…' Tohru thought, unsure of whether she should fell relieved or worried. Air rushed around her body as she was lifted off the ground easily.
"Well, since you've come this far, might as well take you somewhere away from here…"
- - - -
Crackle. Crackle. Pop.
The sounds danced their inconsistent rhythm on their stage of wood and lighting of bright oranges, yellows and reds. Colours from the light splashed onto the surfaces of nearby trunks as well as the mulch that lay heavily on top of the ground. Tohru could only try to settle her feelings by fascinating herself with the beautiful painting of colour that wavered before her eyes. She tried her best to clear her mind, to try to sort the mixture of old memories from the new, tried to sort her chaotic desires that swelled within her being that called out to be satisfied.
Snap.
"Lady Tohru," Kazuma was cut short with Tohru's soft voice.
"Can I see him?" Only four mere words but a lot dwelled under their shadows. Kazuma sat across from her on the crowd. Silence crawled on as he pulled open the cork of the sake bottle and poured a small cup full. He made a gesture as to offer it to Tohru but a gentle shake of her head proved that it wouldn't be necessary. He sighed, lifted the cup towards his lips and took a sip.
"I'm sorry. As long as you shed tears, you can't see him in the way in which you did before." Hearing these words she looked up at him with eyes that sharpened like a snake's hiss. Why? She wanted to ask. All the troubles she was going through, for sure, it was because she wanted to see Kyo right? She wanted to be where he was right now. Tohru took her gaze away from the man and pulled the blanket tightly around her body as if seeking for comfort of any sort possible. "Salt."
Was it another riddle? She felt like crying now. A stabbing pain struck her heart repeatedly as each second passed. "Salt?" was all she managed to repeat.
Kazuma took another swig of sake before settling the cup on a flat stone. He cleared his throat at look intently at Tohru. "I'm sure that you have heard of the legend between Lord Akito and Lady Junko." Tohru gave a small nod.
"Yes… I remember…" The words came, barely a whisper of air from her lungs.
- - - -
The legacy of the Clan Leaders began long ago, when the first of both Clans were born, Akito Sohma and Junko Honda. The two grew up to be the best of friends from their childhood, their smiles, laughter and simple joy brought much happiness to their hometown. Many said that the heavens had blessed the two to be spending their lives together for eternity, but it was easier said than done for the Sohma family were extremely rich whereas the Honda family were extremely poor. Different levels of status prevented them from being as close as they should have been. Then one day, a monk approached Junko believing that he would be able to solve the problem with a simple, yet powerful chant. He asked Junko to say a chant three times at the temple shrine to plea to the Zodiac Gods for help.
However, the monk had given Junko the wrong chant. Instead of helping the situation, Junko ended up cursing the Sohma Clan. Thirteen members of the Sohma Clan were possessed by the vengeful spirits of the Zodiac Legend and Akito became the bearer to the core of the curse. A bond of love became a bond of hate that was mingled with confusion and betrayal. Happiness turned to sadness. Joy turned to grief. Laughter turned to sobs...
The pain grew to the point where a person's soul could shatter into dust and be blown away by the gusts of grief. Instead of trying to mend things, Junko committed suicide and with her blood, she unintentionally sealed the curse and took with her, the words which would've reversed the wretched curse…
- - - -
Kazuma took a slow breath, "Then you should know something which only those who are directly involved would know." There was a pause, "Are you willing to hear?"
Something in his manner sent ripples of a cold drift through her. For a bit, she thought… she thought of him as inhuman but that couldn't have been possible. He looked every bit as normal as any other. "Yes. Please, tell me."
"Your existence… was born from the blood of sorrow which was shed by Lady Junko many years ago." Kazuma lost all expression besides for the seriousness that stiffened the flesh upon his face. His body was still, "…and Kyo, born from the hatred that was accumulated by Lord Akito and his clan. It is said that holy salt would ward off any dark shadow which would harm a person's well being and protect those around them."
It was piecing together. She couldn't believe how much it was beginning to become clear. "My… tears?" Tohru clenched her small hands into fists that clawed at the thick blanket around her. "Is it because of my salt-filled tears that…. That the spirit that possesses Kyo can't stand? Is… that…" Silence again.
"Love and hate cannot mix. When such pure emotions come, they cannot withstand the other and would only cause destruction." Kazuma looked pitiful towards her and she hated it. "From my understanding, Lady Junko loved Lord Akito to the very moment the last drop of her life blood fell. Such a misunderstanding left behind only led Lord Akito to die in hate."
Make time stop. Reverse it. She didn't want to hear anymore. "So you're saying, that Kyo and I only exist because of something like that? We're born to care for each other but to only be kept apart due to hate? That cannot be right. I don't accept it!" She stood abruptly, "Jyunsuina senshi, Jyuunishi senshi… it seems that the two clan leaders refuse to meet in the middle! They protect themselves from the bitter truth and use Kyo and I as scapegoats!"
"Calm yourself!" Kazuma stood, his shadow cast over Tohru's small form. "Don't think up such foolishness." It took a moment, but soon Tohru dropped her head to stare at the ground. "Lady Junko is different from her past self and so is Lord Akito. How can you say that they are hiding from the bitter truth when they don't even realise it themselves?"
"Then why… is the me from the future brought back to this time?" Her hands were trembling from the fury of being confused. So many thoughts in every moment. Insanity felt like it was about to tip over the edge.
"Don't change the…"
"If you can't tell me the reason as to why Kyo and I exist clearly then at least tell me this clearly!" Tohru's voice began to rise, "Please! Just tell me! Why am I here in this time now! Why is it that as I am here I cannot remember my old self clearly! I can't seem to recall anything clearly anymore!"
A gust blew harshly and soon a faint stench came. Was he near?
"Please," Tohru begged, "If you can tell me why I am here now, maybe I can understand the purpose of my existence better." She kept silent. Be strong. A small voice nagged her. Don't cry, because if you do, you won't be able to see the one you love most.
"Your passed self was meant to die at that early age in order to save the souls of the cursed ones in this time." Kazuma said quietly, "But Lady Junko needs you and your tears to protect her clan from being annihilated, and to stop the cycle from repeating itself. So she summoned your spirit to this time now." Kazuma finally broke from the serious expression and somehow his eyes softened from their harsh gaze, "Lady Junko deeply desires for the end of everything that has caused suffering among both clans. You are the one who bares the innocence and purity needed for the undoing of the curse."
"I don't understand." Tohru said bluntly. She was weary of it all. How could she be innocent and pure as they say? No one could be like that because it meant that they would have to be like some sort of deity. Then again, she wasn't sure if deities were even that pure and innocent.
"You will in time." Kazuma responded. "Now, enough talk. You should sleep if you wish to be able to go home tomorrow."
"I don't want to go back."
"You must, if you wish to see Kyo again."
Kazuma won that round. Darn….
- - - -
Just as expected, she fell asleep soundly and Kazuma was no where in sight, maybe he went to gather wood? He wouldn't be very far away. That's what Kyo thought as he approached the camp area. It was usually during the night when he gathered enough courage to show up before his master to just assure Kazuma that he was still breathing and well. Kyo had been around the area for some time waiting for the right moment to show up – he didn't want to let Tohru see him in this state again.
Using his large, rough, clawed hand, he pushed aside a tree branch and sat on a boulder near the fire. He kept his eyes on Tohru watching her sleep. He had a strong desire to brush the stray lock of brown hair aside from her face so that he could see her face more clearly but he couldn't, wouldn't… for fear of hurting her with the sharp claws. 'Why me…? Why do I have to be the cat…?' He thought in complete misery. "Tohru…" He whispered with ache from the heart.
"Mm… Kyo?" Tohru shifted a bit. He looked up alarmed, did he wake her? No, she was still asleep. "Sorry…"
Kyo's hard eyes softened a bit. 'There's nothing to be sorry about. You have done nothing wrong.' He wanted to tell her directly and yet he couldn't… wouldn't. If he were a normal person, he wouldn't be so restricted. He would have been able to show how much he really cared for her. Like this though, he couldn't.
"Kyo… I want to see… you…" Tohru was saying in a quiet, breathy voice.
He looked at her and tears were welling up. "Yeah…" He responded sub-consciously, "Yeah…"
"Let's be… together… always…"
"Yeah…" He wished. He wished with all of his heart.
"Kyo, so you've finally showed up." Kazuma appeared once again with a load of wood piled in his arms. He settled them aside and fed two or three branches into the fire. "So, how are you?"
No response. Kyo couldn't simply say, 'Yeah, I'm okay.' Nor could he say, 'It sucks.' There was a long silence. One of the things that Kyo treasured most in his life was the relationship he had with Kazuma. Ever since his mother's death, Kazuma had taken care of him and raised him despite the dreadful rumours which had spread throughout the Sohma Household. He treasured being able to just sit silently and not have to say a word for Kazuma to understand him. It made things easier to cope with. Whenever he was in trouble, he was able to depend on Kazuma, even if it were only for a short moment. People could say that they a father-son relationship but sometimes Kyo wondered if Kazuma thought that way.
"I see." Kazuma stared up to the stars in the night sky. "Don't worry, you can trust Lady Tohru to handle things. Things are going to be different." Kyo couldn't help but follow Kazuma's eyes to stare hopefully at the stars.
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AN: That's it for now but I've finally updated! Yay! Hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for all of your support! Thanks!
Until next time!
Cherry Chibi.
