Shattered Dreams
Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket; only a couple of the manga, the anime and both the soundtracks.
Chapter 3:
He hummed and hummed as he worked, hanging up the newly seamed fashions and smiled when he was done.
"MINEEEEEEEEE!" he called from the room in the back in which he was in. He put his hands on his hips and waited.
A woman with pigtails, wearing thin frames, but thick lens glasses showed up almost immediately. "Yes, boss!" she shouted in an answer. Her frilly dress was the same shade of blue as ever.
"I'm going to take off for the rest of the day, alright?" he told his apprentice as he made his way to the door, flipping his hair onto the back. The woman nodded and then, with a sad face, asked, "Is today…otouto-kun's… graduation?"
The man with the long hair nodded and faintly, said, "Yes… It may seem to be a joyous day, however… Today is a sad day for the Sohma's…"
Mine Kuramae looked worried. She looked up, seeing as Ayame Sohma was taller than her, and asked with a sad tone. "Why…?" she asked faintly.
Ayame only looked sadder and replied, "Because someone very dear to us will be taken away."
--
"…So… If you wouldn't mind, please at least see Uo-chan one last time and tell her!" The screen showed a young woman with brown hair tied into two thin ponytails, squeezing her eyes together as if she was hoping – wishing for something to happen that would probably be unlikely to – and her hands were placed together as if she was praying.
Then the screen blacked out and Kureno Sohma held up the remote and clicked the T.V. set off. He gave a small sigh and took the DVD out. Today was the day of many things.
For one thing, it would be two of his cousin's graduation. For another, it would be the last day he would see his beloved, Arisa Uotani. And for the last thing, that was the last time he would see the DVD and today he would burn it.
He carefully placed the DVD into its empty case and put its lid on tightly. He looked at the empty cover and the plain back, surveying it one last time. He didn't smile. He got up, walked over to a full bookshelf and slipped it in between two books. That bookshelf was the only one that Akito would not search or take a second glance at.
He still held his hope for the Honda girl to break the curse. Perhaps he was wrong about her…
…or perhaps she needed more time.
--
He raised a fist to knock on the wood section of the sliding paper door. He waited patiently for a few moments, with his two cousins, standing beside him, quite unusually quiet, before the paper door slid open.
He cleared his throat and the person who opened it looked up.
"Oh, hello Hatori," the young man said, "I was just finishing. I think Honda-san and Kyo are getting ready and Shigure is in his study… I think." He added the last part as an afterthought. He then motioned his cousins in.
The doctor nodded and his two cousins followed inside. The doctor went immediately to Shigure's study, leaving the three cousins in an awkward silence.
Yuki Sohma looked up from the chair he was sitting in, in the same room as Hatsuharu and Momiji, and said, "I'm just going to get ready. I'm sure Hatori and Shigure will be quicker than I am," he assured them.
The two cousins nodded and Yuki climbed up the stairs towards his room.
--
She sighed as she gazed at the gown she was supposed to wear. It was so exciting! It was so nerve-racking! But it was so scary, because she knew that she would leave the Sohma's forever after graduation.
Her form slumped down as she held the gown tightly to her chest.
Sniffles were heard from her as she wiped the tears away. "Why Mom?" she asked herself as she continued. Suddenly, she looked up. I shouldn't be sad, Mom! She thought to herself as he got up with a determined look.
She quickly changed and started to head back downstairs after hearing a knock from outside. As she descended the stairs, she closed her eyes, humming as happily as she could. She didn't notice Yuki and nor did he.
--
Hatsuharu and Momiji were just starting on their way to the stairs when the most peculiar thing happened.
Tohru and Yuki bumped into each other, not noticing the other's presence, and Tohru fell down the stairs, taking Yuki with her. ("Ah! Yuki-kun!") They landed with a crash at the bottom with Tohru on top of Yuki.
His eyes closed tightly, expecting to transform any minute now, but a few seconds past. He opened his eyes with a confused look on his face. And by now, Tohru was already getting up, rubbing her head, not noticing.
"I'm so sorry Yuki-kun!" she apologized quickly, still not noticing.
Yuki was still stunned. Had the curse broke? Had the bond been…? He wondered briefly as he started to get up.
And then, he transformed.
--
"Gotta hurry, gotta hurry…" the mantra stuck in the young man's mind as he made a chore of putting on his gown. "Damn…" he whispered as he struggled to find a hole where his head was supposed to go through.
"Why did they have to make things so complicated?" he asked aloud.
"Talking to yourself again?" asked a teasing voice. The voice came from out in the doorway. A figure stood, resting an arm on one side and the other on his hips. He smiled in a haunting way. His usual kimono was his attire for the day.
Kyo Sohma frowned at his cousin.
The older cousin's smile turned into a smirk. "Shouldn't you be getting ready?" he asked with a taunting smile. He leaned closer to the frame of the door.
The younger cousin's face distorted with disgust. He opened his mouth and asked, "Shouldn't you be getting ready?" He started to adjust the waist of his gown as he said so.
The cursed-dog's eyes narrowed in mock disappointment and pouted. He moved his arm from the doorway and placed it on his other hip and said, "Now, now, baka Kyo… You have to come up with a better come back than that."
The cursed-cat's eyes turned to slits and he lunged. "That's it you damn dog! You're going down!" He pounced off his bed and spread his arms out reaching for the older cousin.
Shigure – however – merely stepped inside the room and take a step to the right.
Kyo hit the hallway walls with a deafening boom. He rubbed his head with his right hand as his eyes squinted in pain. "Ow…" he muttered.
Then he remembered what had happened and he got up as quickly as he could, making sure that he had not obtain any injuries.
The dog only looked happier that he had gotten up.
Kyo growled at his cousin as he brushed invisible dirt off his gown and smoothed out the wrinkles. He walked back into his room, still glaring as his cousin. They stared at each other for a while, as if fighting a staring contest. Only the scream of Tohru Honda woke Kyo out of his trance.
Kyo swung his head so quickly it was a surprise that he didn't manage to break it. Ignoring Shigure's smirks and teasing, he quickly ran out of his room and saw what surprised him.
There was Tohru Honda right on top of a bewildered Yuki Sohma.
Tohru apologized, not noticing that the Sohma had not transformed. Kyo watched with wide eyes, still frozen in his spot where he had lifted a foot. The woman continued to apologize and Kyo gave a deep sigh of relief.
Maybe the curse was broken?
And then, there was the unmistaken able sound of Yuki's transformation.
The curse wasn't broken.
--
Kisa Sohma's eyes perked up as if she had sensed something. The male, about 13, standing right beside her, looked at her with curiosity and asked, "What is it, Kisa?"
The female only looked concern, puffy eyes and all, for she had been crying last night. The last night before Tohru Honda's memories would be erased. Hiro Sohma tilted his head and asked again, "What is it?"
Kisa only stared off in space for a few minutes, eyes glazing over. Her head fell limply onto Hiro's shoulder, with him asking frantically, "What! Kisa! Are you alright!"
The girl laid on his shoulder, whispering, "I'm fine… I'll explain later… Right now…" she smiled as she whispered it, "I would like to stay like this for a bit…"
Her lips curved into a soft sweet smile as the boy's surprised eyes were overtook by a small amount of happiness.
"Alright Kisa…" he said quietly, as he started to play with her hair.
--
As the bell rang, indicating that they had another customer, Ayame Sohma walked, and I mean, really, walked and greeted the person.
He tried to sound enthusiastic as possible. "Hello! Welcome to—" only to stop.
He blinked once. He rubbed his eyes and blinked again.
It can't be…
A word slipped onto his tongue as he whispered the name.
"Kureno…?"
--
"Boss?" she called out. Right in front of her, there was a large box. She looked at it and frowned. She had been in the storage room all day, making and sewing new dresses and outfits and such… This box had gotten in the way though…
Throughout the whole day, she had been wondering what was inside the box. She couldn't help it! It just unconsciously climbed and made its way into her mind.
Oh and don't worry. She had already tried to open the box. It wouldn't open its stubborn paper lids! And she had already tried to move the darn box. It didn't move an inch.
It was the strangest thing ever.
"Boss?" she called again. Her eyebrows furrowed and her hand reached out and pushed up her glasses and brushed a long strand of sweaty hair out of her eyes. She gave up on the box and reached for a different one.
She decided to keep on storing the boxes until Ayame had made his way here. She frowned again. Usually, Ayame would be here by now…
She briefly wondered he had been.
She kneeled on the cold, hard, concrete ground and started to take out some fabric. Firstly, she chose a red silk, a plain one… Next she chose a golden stool of thick string. She smiled happily to herself as she got up and chose a few buttons to put on the outfit.
She got up, brushed the dirt off her dress and headed for the door. Pushing it open, she overheard her boss saying, or more like asking, "Kureno…?"
She wondered who that was.
--
He yawned.
He placed a hand to cover his mouth while yawning. I should really get a hobby… Akito Sohma thought to himself as he walked over to a small futon and dumped himself on it.
He frowned as all the tweeting birds near his window.
Groaning, he got up and walked over to the window. "Shoo!" he shouted, waving his arms scaring off the birds. Soon, only one bird was left. He glared at it for a while before deciding to tease it.
"Soooo… You want to know what has happened to your little friend, do you?" he asked, smirking slightly. He shifted his vision to where he had killed the bird earlier and looked on the ground.
The pure white bird was lying there, dead and cold.
Still…
Akito shifted his eyes back to the living bird. "Do you want to know what happens when you don't obey me?" he taunted, now reaching out an arm for the bird to climb up his kimono.
The bird did exactly as Akito thought he would.
Akito cocked his head. "I'm guessing you don't… Do you…?" he asked, "You're such…an innocent little bird…" With a swift move, he knocked the bird off his arm and grabbed its neck.
He squeezed it hard.
Walking over to the other bird, he dropped the new one right next to it.
"There… Now, you two will be playmates…"
He laughed. "Should I have some more…fun?" he asked himself as he walked over to his closet. He threw old unused shirts and pairs of pants out before finally settling with his usual black outfit.
He quickly changed.
"I'm going…" he decided, "now… Let's see what the doctor has to say…" he drawled on.
He reached for his cell phone and dialed.
Author's Note: This is only about 6 pages… Hmmm… This will be my shortest chapter for this story yet. Anyways, thank you to Animedreamer240 (Thanks so much Mimi! You're so awesome yourself!), Shizmoo (I'm updating, see? Thanks!) and Squishy Penguin (Yeah I guess so… I spoke too soon. BTW, did I tell you that the font is 10 in Verdana? Does that matter?) for reviewing! You each get a plushy and a monster-size chocolate chip cookie! (Throws stuff at them)
Don't be shy to review!
Oh yes… I'm not sure if you understand what "cut" Yuki had in Chapter 1… So I'll explain.
In volume 17 of so… Yuki decided to go to the main house for New Year's…leaving Kyo alone with Tohru. (See? Spoiler!) So when Akito was talking to Yuki, Akito noticed that Yuki was changing and he decided that he didn't like it. So he grabbed the nearest thing and brought it down Yuki's forehead. The "thing" was a vase. So Hatori had to treat him…but that part was kind of cute! Awww! Hatori acts all parenting! (LoL. )
And the whole Shigure deal is really true. If you read closely in volume 12, where Tohru's teacher and he talk alone, about burdening things… You can tell that Shigure is more than meet the eye. The manga-Shigure is eviler than the anime-Shigure just to tell you. The anime-Shigure is more of a parent while manga-Shigure's only goal is to get what he wants… (I'm not going to tell you what! XP)
If you don't understand anything at all, feel free to ask. I say, no questions are too stupid to ask! (Unless you say something like… "What color is the sky?" Or something like that, but I doubt you would.)
Again, don't be shy!