Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Beginnings ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

DISCLAIMER:

I don't own Fruits Basket, but, if I did, I promise I would quite easily lock Akito up in a cage and have small children poke him with sticks all day long. I have some anger issues. Hey, Akito is the chicken right? So maybe I should just have him plucked. *heehee*

Beginnings

Chapter 1

After spending two hours lost following the directions Shigure had given them, they had finally arrived at the restaurant. Yuki had felt guilty about going out for dinner when Tohru had to work, but Shigure had promised they'd bring home something for her. The meal had passed quickly; Shigure had ordered some kind of noodle/pork ensemble with a lemon sauce. The conversation had been slow and somewhat forced. Even though Shigure cracked jokes and teased Hatori, he kept glancing at his watch, his grey eyes clouded with worry.

At the end of the meal, Hatori had excused himself, saying something about needing to check on Akito. A look had passed between Hatori and Shigure that wasn't missed by Yuki. What had been the real reason for this night out?

Those worries still plagued him as he now sat in the car. He glanced over at the orange haired boy next to him. Yuki was thankful for the silence, but curious as well. Normally, the stupid cat would have said something by now to annoy him, or tried to pick a fight. Instead, Kyou had spent the whole car ride to the restaurant staring out the window. At the restaurant, he had only picked at his food, and now Kyou had returned to staring out the window. What was he thinking about?

"Oi, Shigure, why'd you take us out tonight?" Kyou's voice broke the silence.

Shigure glanced at him sharply through the rearview mirror, then broke out into his trade mark smile. "Kyou, you doubt my motives? I'm hurt beyond words. I clothe you, I feed you, I give you a place to sleep, and just because I wanted to spend some quality time, you doubt me. Ah! This is the pain of family."

"Shigure, why'd you take us out to dinner?" Yuki felt the small hairs on his neck rise. Shigure had tried too hard to not answer the question. Beside him, he felt Kyou tense up as well.

"Ah! This pain! My heart is breaking with your harsh tone Yuki. How can you doubt-"

"Shigure, answer the question." Kyou's voice was neither angry nor loud, just calmly serious. It was that tone that cut off Shigure's bullshit. Through the rearview mirror, Shigure's face immediately dropped the smile.

"Akito ordered me to." Shigure's eyes were back on the road in front of him. For a moment only silence came from the back seat.

The wheels were turning in Kyou's mind. Akito? Why would he order Shigure to take them out of the house? Had he been planning to do something at the restaurant? But the restaurant was so far away from town and Akito never ventured far from the main house.

The same train of thought went through Yuki's mind. What had Akito been planning? Hatori had spent the night with them, so it couldn't have anything to do with Tohru, after all she was working tonight, and it was only a little after 10 pm. Still, why get them so far from town…

"Shigure, why did Akito choose this restaurant?"

"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me his plans, just that we were to be out all evening, and not return until well after 9 o'clock. He gave me the restaurant's address, and then hung up."

It still didn't make any sense. Kyou had felt strange all evening. When he had arrived home and found Hatori waiting for them, he had first thought that he was there for Tohru. The instant feeling of relief once hearing about the restaurant had surprised him. When had she become so important? But something about leaving the house for so long hadn't rested well with Kyou. Nothing about this whole night rested well with him.

"Do you have your cell phone?" Yuki's voice broke him away from his thoughts.

Shigure's eyes met his once again through the window. "No, Akito told me to leave it."

Yuki visibly shuddered next to him. What was the prince so scared about?

"Hey nezumi…what's wrong with you?" Kyou snapped.

Yuki didn't answer at first. "Honda-san- I'm worried about her. What if she got off work early? I don't like that Akito sent us off like this."

Kyou turned back to the window, biting his lower lip. That girl, she was so stupid sometimes- she'd just let him in and not think of the consequences. The need to see her stupid smiling face overwhelmed him. Tohru…

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The pain greeted her long before Tohru could open her eyes. At first she could remember nothing, but then the words began their taunting in her memory. She stiffened, immediately regretting the motion as a searing pain tore through her ribs. Gingerly, she lifted her hand to her face. A low moan escaped her lips as her fingers fell away slick with blood. Mother…what happened to me? Who would do such a thing? Mother…help me!

Tohru tried to rise, curling herself into a ball. Her chest felt heavy and every little movement sent spasms through her ribs. Finally, she managed to pull herself to her knees. From under her hands, she felt the water from earlier. The tiny pools felt icy in the kitchen's air. It took a few moments before the meaning of the water struck her. How long had she been unconscious?

Bracing herself against the screaming from her ribs and back, Tohru shuffled a few feet towards the door. Her breath grew staggered as her body cried out its complaints. Another foot closer; a numbness passed over her back. Moaning, Tohru dragged herself a little closer. With a gasp, her knees gave away under her and she fell to the cold tile. All of her strength was gone, everything hurt, and those hateful words wouldn't leave her alone.

"…so stupid…such a fool…to think you could save us…"

Tohru cradled her wet face between her arms and let the tears fall. "I'm so sorry Mother…I don't mean to give up, but it hurts too much. Mother…"

She fell away to the blackness too soon to hear the sound of a car's engine from just beyond the thin walls.

Kyou felt his heart jump at the sight of the dark house. His red eyes followed the kitchen windows to the wide open front door. In the darkness, he could just make out the small shadow of a hand coming out from the kitchen. Ignoring the moving car, he opened the door, and leapt, falling into a roll. Mindless of the cut across his cheek, Kyou raced into the room.

There, on the floor, lay Tohru, surrounded by water, vegetables, and blood. Behind him, he heard Yuki inhale sharply. Kyou was pushed out of the way, as Yuki knelt by her side, his hands touching her face lightly. Kyou could only see her small body, beaten, torn, and left in the darkness of this kitchen for who knows how long. A darkness passed over his mind: he would kill the bastard who did this to Tohru, who dared to touch her.

"Kyou, call Hatori. Yuki, go get some blankets and a bowl of water with a cloth." Neither boy responded at first to Shigure's commands. "Now!"

His tone snapped both boys to awareness. Yuki nodded, tears barely visible in his eyes. "Honda-san, who could do this to you?"

Kyou didn't even need to think to find the answer. "Akito…that bastard. I swear I'll kill him."

"I said to call Hatori, Kyou. You're not helping Tohru by standing there threatening to kill Akito," Shigure snapped while gently wiping away some of the blood on Tohru's pale face.

Once both boys were gone from the kitchen, Shigure pulled Tohru into his lap, his face both tender and angry. The anger only grew in his eyes, as he took in her torn shirt and her black and blue legs. Blood caked the side of her face where she must have been hit by something sharp. The imprint of fingers had been left on her white throat. A small sob escaped his lips. Shigure dipped the cloth back into the water, his eyes noting the now stained color. As he passed the cool rag over her face once again, Tohru just barely sighed her mother's name.

Shigure tightened his grip on the rag. Akito had done this…he had gone too far. To hurt one of them was alright, he carried the curse for all of them, but to go after Tohru- there was no excuse, no reason.

"My little flower…forgive me. I should have known. Please forgive me." He pulled her as close as possible without bringing on the curse.

Behind him, Kyou's strangely toneless voice replied. "She may, but I won't Shigure."

Shigure stiffened. Kyou had sounded so cold; he hadn't been angry or violent or even threatening, just cold and dead. He brought up his eyes to Kyou's face but it was clouded by the room's shadows. Through the darkness, he could still feel Kyou's stare. Dropping his eyes, Shigure asked, "Did you call Hatori?"

"Hai, he'll be here shortly."

Wordlessly, Shigure nodded. "Can you help me carry her to the study? I don't want her sitting in this room any longer."

Kyou picked her up in silence, taking her completely from Shigure's hands. With practiced ease, he held far away enough from his chest to prevent contact. Tenderly, he laid her down on the study's futon, his eyes missing none of the bruising, none of the blood, none of the hurts that Akito had laid on her body. Beside him, Shigure muttered.

"He went too far, too far."

Yuki stepped into the room, his arms full of blankets. His purple eyes grew large at the sight of Tohru's battered body. Quickly, he wrapped one of the blankets around her, smoothing a lock of matted hair from her face. In her sleep, Tohru murmured, little cries escaping her throat.

Kyou met Yuki's eyes from across the futon. The same thought passed between them: Akito would pay- there'd be no excuses for this.

Shigure watched the display between the two normally feuding boys. Tohru managed to bring them together even through her pain. He started at the small press of a hand against his shoulder. Glancing up, Hatori nodded in greeting. A small intake of breath was his only response to Tohru's condition. Efficiently, he began his catalogue of her injuries.

"Please leave the room. I need to fully inspect her injuries," said Hatori, his voice clipped and short. As one, the three left the room. Once the door was closed behind him, Hatori began his work.

Outside of the door, Shigure slid to the floor, leaning his head against the center table. Yuki stood stiffly, staring at the ground. Kyou paced restlessly, his head jerking at every little sound from behind the closed doors.

"I should warn you both…" Shigure's voice had a flatness to it that neither boy was used to. There was a resignation to it that commanded their attention. "Why Akito would do this is not really of concern. I'm more worried about what he plans to do now. He might order Hatori to erase her memories, or he might continue doing this. I don't understand what he was thinking…"

The dimly lit room caused shadows to play across Shigure's face, the subtle undertones of his words only heightened by the atmosphere. "Yuki, Kyou, both of you need to consider what is best for Tohru. Is it better that she continue staying with us but be forced to deal with this constant threat? Or would it be better that she never have met us at all? You both need to decide."

A muffled cry slipped through the thin walls. Kyou could hear the rustle and thrashing of Tohru's body as Hatori tried to mend her. His fists tightened. Had she been hurt because of him? Had Akito wanted to punish him for some reason? But could he honestly just let her go so easily, just let all of her memories be erased? He would never be able to simply share a meal with her, or see her in the kitchen always humming that stupid little tune. He would never be able to share any of those many precious moments with her again. It was selfish he knew, but Kyou didn't think he'd be able to do that: just let her go.

The same thoughts went through Yuki's mind as he pulled himself further into the darkness of the corner. Tohru had been the only person to like him for him. He didn't want to just let her leave; he didn't want to have to see her and pretend as if they were only class mates. She wouldn't remember their planted strawberries, or the ribbons he gave her. No, Yuki couldn't do that- he couldn't just let it all slip away and pretend as if this past year and half never happened.

"You're both being selfish, you know." Shigure's statement hit both of them, but they knew it to be true. "But I understand. You have only one option left to you then: you'll have to run- take our little flower far away and stay hidden."

"Oi! Run away? Baka inu-"

"Ano, Kyou, Shigure's right. We'll have to leave, and we can't waste a moment. Once Hatori's done, I'll call up the bank and withdraw our savings."

Across the darkness, Kyou's red eyes met Yuki's purple ones. Again, the two shared an understanding. Feeling uncomfortable, Kyou tore away his gaze.

"Kuso nezumi, thinking you know everything. I'll get us packed. And I'll take care of finding us a place. I remember once, as a kid, Shishio took me to a small fishing village. We could go there."

Yuki bristled at the nezumi commented, but nodded his assent. Yuki left to the telephone, while Kyou bounded up the stairs to pack. Both boys forgot Shigure's presence entirely. Left to himself, Shigure allowed himself to sink with the guilt that he felt. Cracking open the door to the study, he spoke low enough for only Hatori to hear him.

"Ha-san, how is my little flower?"

Not stopping from his ministrations, Hatori listed the injuries. "Tohru has two sprained ribs, a twisted wrist, several deep lacerations on her neck, back, and face. He must have kicked her in the face because two of her teeth were loosened, and she most likely has a mild concussion. Aside from those, the rest are simply bruises." Hatori dropped his professional tone and added softly, "We've been very lucky Shigure. It could have been much much worse."

Shigure closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Yes, they had been lucky. Few escaped Akito's rage without extreme injury. Hatori was testament to that. He lost half of his vision to Akito's anger.

"Thank you, Ha-san." Shigure made to close the door, but Hatori's voice stopped him.

"They're going to run." He said it more as a statement then as a question.

"Hai. They've decided to leave."

Hatori nodded and stood up from beside the futon. Tohru's face was heavily bandaged as was her wrist. Hatori had wrapped a light blue yukata around her. Peaking through the sleeves were more bandages. He stepped out of the study and pulled out a cigarette. Lighting it, he inhaled deeply before saying, "I'll give them until tomorrow night before reporting their absence."

Shigure nodded, understanding the deeply rooted loyalty towards Akito. Even though he was a bastard, Akito carried all of their lives on his shoulders. And he was family. These factors could not be forgotten.

"Ah, Ha-san, is this the right thing to do? Maybe it would be better to simply let our little flower go." Shigure's voice held all the tenderness he carried for the small girl

Hatori exhaled, a cloud of smoking hiding his eyes. "No, Shigure-san, this is best. Akito ordered me to erase her memories, but not just of the Sohma family."

"What?" Shigure had an idea of what Hatori meant, but wanted him to be the one to say it.

Hatori took another draw from his cigarette. "He wanted everything about her mother erased as well."

Shigure's eyes faded over, realization dawning. Behind him, Tohru slept on, trying to hide from those angry words and from her pain. She slept on, ignorant to the two boys who now raced to keep her with them, ignorant to the two men who stood just outside her door, their thoughts clouded. She slept on, not knowing that the morning would bring a new life, a new future.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hey, wow, I already received so many reviews! This makes me one happy carpet. Honestly, you guys are amazing. It made me want to post this quickly; I can't promise however that every chapter will come out this fast. I actually prefer to right longer, more in-depth chapters, but since everyone wanted more, I obliged. *_*

On with the reviewers:

NEKO-METALLIUM:

I love that you thought I'm actually going to rule the world. Yea!!! Random people have faith in my dictatorship abilities. Yes, I beat up Tohru with my story; I'm horrible and cruel, but Tohru's gonna get over it. After all, she does have Yuki and Kyou. *wink* But yes, I'll give you first dibs on Akito. Ja!

MAE:

Sorry Mae, I had to make Akito the bad guy. If it had been someone else, the boys wouldn't have had to run away with Tohru and then my fic would be dead, on the ground. And besides, Ayame is so harmless.

CHLOE:

Yep, I continued.

RUNIC:

Hey, arigato about my writing style. I really labor over how I write. I tend to be somewhat stilted, especially when it comes to dialogue, so when that happens, please put on the rosy tinted glasses. I'm going to try very hard to keep well with the characters' personalities.

CRIMSON FIRE:

Awesome reviewer! I really do appreciate it when my readers try to dig in a little. And yes, you most certainly may have Slayers. My sister wanted them, but I promise her Fushigi Yugi instead. To be honest, my Dreams and Dragons fic is more like an Escaflowne/FY type fic. I can't make up my mind which site to post it at. I think I'm gonna return it to FY though cause some of those Esca fans don't like new twists on an old story. Ah, well. Thanks again.

TO-ORIMA NOKURAI:

I posted quickly!! See? I do listen to my reviewers.