Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Every Single One ❯ One by One ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket, the manga-ka Natsuki Takaya does... all though, I wish I did! :(

A/N: Konnichiwa! ^^ This may not be my first fanfic, but it is my first Fruits Basket one, so please give as much constructive criticism as you can. I won't make this author's note that long, so I'm just going to end it by saying that there are spoilers for later chapters of the Fruits Basket manga! I have only read summaries so I may not know everything in full detail, yet, but I'll try my best! ^.^ Now, on to the story...

Prologue: Memories

To forget...is a horrible thing. Forgetting has always been something that I have sworn to never do, and I never will. For, you see, every single memory is precious. This was what has been reinforced in me by Momiji.

I wish to keep every and all of my memories...Even the ones that hurt me...the ones that tear at my heart. But I also keep my soul filled with memories that make my heart swell, filled with love and happiness.

...Yet, I've lost all my memories even though they have never left my mind. But, when the ones with whom I made these memories with, no longer remember them... I feel as if I have lost them all...

Chapter One: One by One

Tohru felt the tears forming, the hot feeling of pain building up behind her eyes, and the salty liquefied pain sliding down her face.

Her heart ached, it throbbed with pain, tug at her sorrow, and finally the vital organ of her life seemed to shatter. The unmeasurable pain of having to watch all the ones she loved and cared for loosing every and any moment that they shared together; was numbingly painful.

She watched as Hatori placed his hand upon their shut eyelids, a blinding while light, and them falling to the ground. Their minds no longer knowing or holding the name Honda Tohru.

First it was Kureno, the times spent with Tohru were gone...and so were the times he spent with Arisa. Rin was next to go, in a swipe her hate of Tohru and her acceptance of her...all disappeared. Ritsu's slowly growing self-confidence slipped away. Hiro's quest to become a prince ended.

Then came Kisa...and Tohru felt her voice slip from her lips, but one look from Akito made any sound that came out of her mouth abruptly stop. So, Tohru could only watch on in horror. Kisa and Hiro were still so young, even though they were no longer ten and eleven, they were still too young to have their memories ripped from their minds. Tohru watched the pain that flashed through Hatori's one good and uncovered eye; with each memory he erased the reluctance grew around him. But what Akito, Hatori's god, said was law-the zodiac animal inside of him could not let him deny this.

Tohru knew this and for this reason she felt so completely and utterly helpless, but the heartache continued. Ayame was silent, a very rare thing, letting one of his best friends erase the advice and laughs that Tohru and he shared. The hope that one day Ayame would be able to bridge the gap between himself and Yuki was now gone.

Haru was nest and this was when a small problem came about, for Black Haru reared his angry head. Not wishing to have a part of his mind gone, and Haru resisted well...That is, until Akito had enough and Haru got knocked back into being White Haru. And so another was gone and another had fallen.

A mother. That has been what Tohru was to Momiji and she knew it, and now...Now, Momiji had no mother. To not have a mother was his personal curse; to be forever voided of such love and attention that only a mother could bring. Both of his "mothers" had been lost through memory, both erased; making her cry harder.

Momiji had lost his mother, and known Kagura lost her friend. The one person who wanted to look up to her; wanted to have a characteristic that only she had. So far all the Sohma's had not said a word to Tohru, that is, until Kagura turned to Tohru with a sad smile. " Thank you. Thank you so much, Tohru, for everything..."

"Why was Kagura thanking her", Tohru wondered to herself. Yet, she said nothing; she just bowed showing that she heard Kagura's words. Those words were soon forgotten by the speaker, and remembered only by the one who didn't even understand the meaning.

The last three; the closest three to Tohru. The three whom she absolutely did not wand to forget her-Shigure, Yuki,...and Kyo. She wanted to scream out, to stop Hatori,...do something...but she couldn't. She was too weak, too polite, and too afraid to say anything or to stop anything. And it really felt like dagger through the heart...and the tears would no longer come.

He came up to Hatori silent. Shigure just had a look on his face that Tohru now knew very well. He didn't have on his mask; he wasn't whinnying...wasn't kidding...He was just being his true and serious self, and though Tohru would never admit this to anyone...This true Shigure...scared her. Though Tohru did not show this, because she still loved Shigure, just like all the other Sohmas.

And then...His mind was wiped, but he did not seem to mind. Rather, Tohru noted how Shigure has that smile on his face. That smile, which easily said, "This is all going according to plan." Tohru did not know what to make of that. Gone, and now only two left...

Yuki and Kyo. The one's that would hurt the most. The one's who made her choke out dry cries. Tohru could clearly see Yuki fading into the shadows, divulging into the shell that he was quickly rebuilding, becoming the cold prince yet again. All the moments, all the laughs, all the tears, all the help, and all the sincere kindness...Washed away. All the cracks and crevices that had begun to appear were filled with water-Tohru's nonexistent tears-and re-frozen. Making Yuki's heart, yet again, as cold as ice.

The cat. The outcast. Kyo, that was what he was to Tohru, just plain Kyo. The one who had changed the most, the one who had healed the most, and the one whom Tohru felt most personally connected to. The Sohma whom...No! Tohru wanted this moment to last forever, she desperately didn't want Kyo to forget her. But, Tohru knew that she could not control time. She knew that her last moment with Kyo was over when Hatori went to place his hand on Kyo's slowly closing eyes, yet...

" Hatori...H-Hatori wait...I just want to say something to Tohru..."

Tohru's eyes widened as the words were being said and gasped slightly as Hatori gave the okay. " K-Kyo-...kun..." She said his name no higher than a whisper, quieted by surprise, listening as Kyo spoke.

"Tohru, even if...even if I won't r-remember you, or these words, I still want you to promise me...Promise me that you will show your true feelings. Cry, shout,...get angry, if that is what your feel;...and don't apologize all the time...I guess..."

She knew that Kyo had told this to her before, but he hadn't asked her to promise him. Tohru had never broken a promise...yet. She knew in the hidden depths of her heart that she had broken the promise that she had made to herself. The promise of always keeping her mother the most important person in her heart, she knew...Could she change herself...no, could she be her true self for Kyo? Could she keep this promise?...

Yes, she could.

" I-I promise, Kyo-kun. I promise." As the words slipped from Tohru's lips she felt that goofy, or so Kyo always called it, smile form on her face. As the smile graced her lips, Kyo smiled with a look of contentment and at the same time insurmountable anguish. Something Tohru didn't believe to be possible until that moment.

Finally, the last one fell.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the prolog and first chapter! ^_^ Oh, and don't worry any questions you have will, most likely, be answered later on in the story. Also, I do plan on making the chapters longer...I just always have trouble with the first chapter! -_-' As for updates, since I get out of school in two days and I have the story completely outlined, I should be updating fairly quickly, and just because I have the story outlined doesn't mean you can't write any ideas you have in your reviews. Any and all suggestions are welcomed! =^^= Until next chapter then...

Lily