Final Sunrise
Tohru snuggled deeper into the woollen jacket, the faint vanilla essence still lingered on her mothers garment, the aroma and warmth began to gently lull her to sleep…until her mothers hand began to poke her side.
Chocolate eyes blinked up and the teen yawned widely.
"Mum, why are we here so early? You have work tomorrow." Tohru frowned in concern for her mother, the older woman slightly surprised that her daughter, as young as she was, was capable of worrying over such things. Her father had been just the same. Kyoko blinked back tears and wrapped an arm around her shivering daughter.
"Don't worry, Tohru, it'll just be a little longer. Then you'll see. I just hope you aren't too tired for school tomorrow." Tohru nodded sleepily and yawned into a sleeve that was too long for her tiny arm. Smiling Kyoko rested her head on the auburn locks of her daughter and listened to the gentle steady breathing that told her Tohru was once again fast asleep.
Kyoko gazed up to the sky where the first glimpses of gold were spreading through the inky black depths. Streaks of orange and pink were beginning to seep through the darkness brightening the world below. Tohru shifted and squirmed in her sleep, almost squiggling from her mother's arms onto the steps below as she gradually became bathed in the golden sunlight. She gently swatted a sleeve at the offending light in her slumber.
Kyoko absently twirled a few of her daughter's strands of hair through her fingers relishing the silky texture as they slipped across her skin. The cool morning breeze whipped lightly at their clothes, refreshing them, and chilling Tohru who shivered again in her sleep.
"Tohru honey, wake up, it's almost time." Kyoko nudged her daughter and watched as thick eyelashes reluctantly fluttered open and the large dark eyes slowly focused on her mothers beaming form. Tohru was smiling too, as she always was when in her mother's presence.
"We didn't miss it, did we? You could've woken me up sooner; I didn't mean to fall asleep." Tohru apologised, attempting to bow while remaining seated. Kyoko laughed and ruffled Tohru's hair as the small teen grinned.
"No, Tohru, you're just in time. The sun should be rising any moment now."
They both turned their gaze to the sky where the sun was emerging from behind an array of silver tipped clouds. It shone down brightly, finally warming Tohru, and casting a golden glow onto the city beneath it. The sky was no longer dark, but a vibrant pink, streaks of orange and yellow attempting to hide the bright blue sky underneath.
"Wow…isn't it the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?" Tohru gasped, her eyes transfixed on the beauty before her. Kyoko smiled and drew the small girl into her lap.
"Yes, you are." Tohru hadn't been paying attention, but for Kyoko the sky was nothing compared to the natural beauty of her daughter. The sky wasn't half as charming, polite or comical as the teen either. But even as she sat holding her mesmerised daughter Kyoko couldn't help feeling as if this was the end of something and that something was going to change. She could only hope it would be for the better.
"Tohru, you have time for a quick nap before school, I've already made your lunch so you don't have to worry. I need to leave now." Receiving no answer she glanced down to see Tohru's eyes had closed, her eyelashes resting peacefully against her golden skin. In the morning sunlight she was nothing short of angelic, and Kyoko suddenly had the strangest wish to personally interrogate any potential boyfriend of her daughters. A meeting with the Red Butterfly would soon sort out trash from princes, she smirked to herself.
Lifting the light form of her daughter Kyoko made her way to the pink bedroom and deposited Tohru gently onto the bed tucking her in securely and smiling sadly to herself.
As she prepared to leave the house for work Kyoko could help but notice something was missing, something that usually happened right as she was leaving the door. Shrugging and shouldering her bag she opened the door and made her way to work.
She never made it there.
A few minutes later Tohru shot up in bed alarmed; her mother was gone and she hadn't gotten to giver her a goodbye hug…and hadn't told her to be safe…
She relaxed a little; thinking herself foolish as she carefully folded back the covers and began collecting her school uniform. She'd make it up to her mother, maybe on the way home from school she could stop by the grocery market and buy the things needed for preparing sukiyaki for dinner.
Tohru smiled and nodded to herself; sukiyaki it would be. It wasn't as if her mother wouldn't be safe anyway, just because she hadn't said anything, right?
Tohru collapsed onto her bed, grabbing the nearest thing which happened to be her mothers white woollen jacket that she'd borrowed for the morning sunset. As she breathed in her mother's vanilla scent she felt butterflies zooming around inside her as a question nagged at the back of her mind.
"What if she isn't safe?
Tohru sat cradling the jacket for a while before realising she was going to be late for school. She refused to cry over something that was probably not going to happen anyway, so plastered a smile on her face so as not to worry her friends.
Of course Uo and Hana noticed; a smiling Tohru with red puffy eyes was never a good thing, but they didn't press the matter. As the day drew to a close Tohru's fake smile had melted into a real one, and she had almost forgotten about not saying goodbye to her mother even as a solemn-faced headmaster led her out of the classroom.
Even as he told her the words she had been dreading to hear since the morning she didn't believe anything was wrong. Even as the tears flowed down her cheeks and she felt her knees tremble. Even as Uo and Hana all but ran from their seats to her side. It wasn't real. The headmaster was simply mistaken.
Her mother was safe, at work.
Her mother would be waiting to pick her up at the end of school.
Her mother wasn't dying.
"It's all my fault…Mum…I'm so sorry…"
-
From the front of the classroom Yuki Sohma glanced up as two girls rushed past his desk. He watched as the brown haired girl collapsed into their arms crying, mumbling that something was her fault and felt a pang of sorrow for her. Losing a loved one is never easy…
Owari
My first (completed) Fruits Basket fiction. Hopefully not my last. I'm rather pleased with myself, actually, I haven't written angst in a while and that this slipped out so easily comes as a bit of a joy. Maybe my writers block for my other angst pieces will be cured? Or maybe not…
As mentioned this is my first Fruits Basket piece so I really would like to know what you think. Did I butcher the characters too badly? I love them so much, and I didn't really get to use the bishie's…no Kyou-kun at all…
Please review!
Completed: 23rd July 2005
Dagger