Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Every Single One ❯ Conscious Decision ( Chapter 11 )

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

Tohru goes to live with Hana and with her help begins to divulge into who she truly is. Arisa finds Kureno, but his condition is not happy one, and Momiji contemplate why he chose to not inform his family of his new found freedom. Meanwhile Akito finds herself wanting comfort in the form of her most loyal (and selfish) zodiac-wanting to loose herself in her �love� for Shigure. And, to round this whole chapter up, a little look in on how Kyo is doing and on the fact of if he can remember anything that had taken place at the graveyard. If you want to know, you will just have to wait and then read.

Anime/Manga: Fruits Basket Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 12.25.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 489 | Status: Completed

Chapter Nine: Conscious Decision

A/N: Here is a little Christmas present for everyone. Now, please enjoy the chapter. : )

(-)-(-)

Akito felt her short hair start to stick to the side of her face as the rain continually fell. Not only had the rain caused Akito's hair to get wet, it had also caused all of Akito's body to get wet at a rather fast paste. The liquid that fell onto Akito's body froze her skin. Yet, something else-an emotion almost foreign to her-covered her insides with a sheet of dry ice. This emotion was so cold that it made Akito feel as if her soul was on fire. What could this emotion be? Guilt.

This guilt was eating away at Akito and was assuredly driving her even beyond the depths of insanity. Yet, even with her mind in pieces, Akito felt herself rising and stumbling with unsteadying feet toward Shigure's house. Shigure was the only one that was able to bring Akito back to reality when she lapses into fits of insanity like this. Though, at time, it was Shigure, himself, who awakened the crazy part of her mind.

At the moment, with the world swirling across her eyes, Akito didn't feel the hate that she normally felt towards Shigure. Instead, she felt the rare bout of love and wanted comfort that she was only able to get from Shigure. Slowly…Slowly…Shigure's house seemed to take forever to come into the range of her reach. The cold door handle filled her grasp-the knife dripping with Kureno's blood lay in Akito's limp hand. She tried to turn the door handle, but her hand was too wet, not with water, but with blood.

Akito eyes widened in anger and she let out a scream of frustration. Her hands slapped across the door, which left crimson hand marks, for all she wanted was to see Shigure. So, why was the door not opening? Where was Shigure? Shigure was her dog-her loyal pet. He was her selfish bastard…the only zodiac member who she knew would always be by her side, for she was his. No matter how much she hated him…

The door opened and there was Shigure, right in front of her eyes. Akito's mind was in shambles before this whole mess, but now her mental state was like glass-when she saw Shigure…The glass broke. She forgot that she was covered in blood or that she hated him…Akito just felt her body slam into Shigure's…And at that moment, she knew for the rest of the night, the she wanted to be a woman.

Why? Why did Shigure always bring this part of her out?

It amazed her how he didn't throw her away in disgust; after all, she was drenched in both blood and rain. Whenever anyone showed her kindness-it shocked her and even scared her.

With Shigure's arms still wrapped around her body the playful and yet suspicious voice of Shigure rand loud and clear in her mind. “My, my, Akito, you know that everyone is looking for you.” This wasn't a question, it was a fact. “I heard what you did Akito, it wasn't very nice, you know.” His voice grew softer. “So, why are you here?”

Blank eyes looked up at Shigure. They showed no emotion except lust, this emotion made already black eyes the color of midnight. Her skin was pale like the moonlight that shone through the doorway and her body shook due to both the wetness all over her body and anticipation. Closer and closer Akito brought herself to Shigure; her arms tangled themselves around his warm body. Her lips looked blood red because of the whiteness of her skin. She was drawing gingerly closer and her heavy-laden eye lids started to cover her lustful eyes.

As the space between the two got smaller, Shigure's voice, low and dangerous, surrounded them, “Oh, now I know why you're here, Akito. You want to have some fun? How do you know that I won't be a bad doggie and tell Haa-san that you're here?”

Shigure only received a small whimper in response.

“Make me feel like a woman.” It was a weak demand, but still a demand.

All Shigure could say in return was, “Of course…my goddess.” Akito's knife fell to the ground with a clatter.

Their lips moved nearer to be joined in a kiss.

(-)-(-)

He woke up with a gasp and ran his hand through his orange colored hair. What was he doing back at the house? The last he remembered he had been at the graveyard.

The graveyard-that was where Tohru had been. That was when he had remembered her…And his love for her. So, how had he ended up here? He couldn't find the answer in his memories. All he could recall was Tohru.

Her voice, her scent, and also her tears; he remembered how he had loved her. How she smiled and cooked their meals for them and hung the clothes outside in the breeze…The breeze that would drift through her hair…made the ribbons in her brown strands of hair flow around and encircled her face…and ruffled her cute outfits. His crimson eyes filled with longing and he thought about how he wanted to protect her…wanted her back in this house…wanted her always by his side…

He let sleep take his weary body, as a moan from downstairs echoed in his mind and rung in his ears. A tear slid down his cheek.

(-)-(-)

She has gotten so much better at the violin-it was almost hypnotic. And she has grown up so much…Her eyes have gotten smaller and they have started to loose their innocence. Her blond hair has gotten so long, it was past her shoulders.

He couldn't tell her this though, no matter if she thought of him as her older brother or not. The fact was that he was her older brother through blood, not words. He was freed from the curse, yet he told himself that he wouldn't tell them-wouldn't tell his family. He was so used to watching them from afar. And watching them from afar was the best for him…because they were the past. The way he saw the past was that a person should always hold tightly onto it, but you should always hold it at a distance. So, that was what he was doing, even though he wasn't suppose to watch her play the violin anymore.

His family was the past; the broken curse was his future.

That was how he looked at things now. That was why he wouldn't allow himself to tell them about the curse and about him no longer having it, or about him being an actual family member. His mother and little sister were better off with not known…never known…never remembered.

Tears filled his brown eyes as blond strands of hair fell into his view; his view, which was now blurry due to the un-fallen tears. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw a flash of golden hair and saw a girl with long and flowing hair who happened to be headed for Hatori's house…And he wondered if his sister's hair would one day grow that far…he wondered if one day she would blossom like flower and become beautiful like that girl. By then would he still see her and…would she still see him as her older brother?

As Momo hit each string, which let out such a sad sound, he let the solemn music surround him…Momiji wept for the family that he willed himself to leave forever in the past.

(-)-(-)

Arisa ran all the way from the graveyard to the Sohma estate. It had been a tedious run, but one she could not stop because she had to get to him. She had to make sure that Kureno was okay. The pain inside ripped her apart. Taunted her and tortured her and made her realize what she felt for the rooster.

So many secrets. How where the Sohma members able to keep them all inside…Inside such fragile bodies? The human life could easily be made and easily be taken-Uotani learned this lesson once before with Kyoko…Now she feared that she may have to learn that lesson all over again with Kureno.

She was now at the two large doors, which was the entrance to the Sohma estate. Without a care, Uo threw both doors wide open and rushed inside-not sure of where to go.

Could she handle the loss of one so dear to her heart? Was her body just as fragile as everyone else's or was her body stronger? She knew the answer: No, her body was not stronger than anyone else's and yes, her body was just as fragile. She could only hope…Hope that everything would be alright.

She looked around with such a frantic look on her face. The place was like a town in itself; she had no idea where to go. So, she began to look for someone somewhere who could tell her where she could find Kureno, for at the moment, she walked with an aimless expression on her face. That was, until she saw someone that she knew.

It was that doctor…Whose name was…Hatori. That sounded right to Arisa. So, she ran to Hatori, who stood outside one of the traditional Japanese styled houses and was smoking a cigarette. The smoke swirled up and curled around him, which gave a rather creepy aura out. But this had not fazed Uo who was too caught up in her own emotions t notice.

She ran up to him-her eyes large because of panic. He was shocked, this was easy to tell, but he still managed to get out a question, “Uotani-san! What are you doing here?”

At first she didn't answer the question asked of her, instead the words that slipped out from her mouth were, “You know my name, so that means that you remember Tohru.” The way she spoke it told that she meant it as a statement rather than a question.

He didn't give a spoken answer, he just nodded his head and Uo sadly let out the thought, “But, you're unable to see her.” Then Uotani realized that she had let her mind go off-topic and sharply brought herself to the point of why she was there. “Where is Kureno?”

Hatori seemed surprised and that was what Arisa had expected. He had just sighed, for Arisa had a determined look upon her face, and knew that he could not deter her mind. With this decided he simply said, “Kureno is this way. Do you know what happened to him, Uotani-san?”

“Thanks, I'm glad that I was able to find someone who could lead me through this place…and no…I don't know what happened to Kureno…I just felt that something was wrong.” It was only after she had said this Uo was hit with the realization that was in love with him [Kureno].

They walked into Hatori's house and made their way through the numerous rooms. Finally, they came upon a rather large room at the back of the house and there Kureno was-lying on a futon with his eyes shut. From the distance Uotani was unable to tell if he was alive or dead, she severely hoped that it was the former rather than the latter, as she rushed over to the futon. Once she was by his side she was able to tell that he took in shallow breaths due to sleep-that he was alive.

Thus, she knelt down and grabbed his hand and whispered, “I love you.” While she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. For a few moments no response came, but then she felt Kureno squeeze back, groan, and then open his eyes. She was shocked by this that no tears came, just a smile that seemed to be frozen to her face.

He whispered back, for he was still weak and had a bandage wrapped tightly around his chest and stomach, “That smile. You're the girl that I remember…The girl that I love. You are Uotani Arisa.”

She watched over him for the rest of the night.

(-)-(-)

Normally, the black theme of Hana's room didn't sit well with Tohru, yet with such dark thoughts floating through her head-the color was welcomed. Hana's family had immediately taken her in and Tohru did not try to deny the offer. It had been hard for her to do, but it needed to be done. It was something that they both decided to do when they brought Kyo home and left him on the porch outside Shigure's room.

Tohru was ripped from her thoughts as she heard Hana enter with Megumi by her side. Hana then explained Megumi's presence. “He wanted to help you, Tohru-chan, and I figured he could teach you about the emotions needed to place a curse on someone. These emotions that lay dormant inside of you because you do not let these emotions awaken.”

She felt that an answer should be given, but should not be given vocally, so she just nodded. Yet, what Tohru had felt was the right thing to do, had been wrong. Hana just sighed, “Oh, Tohru-chan, by the nod of your head just so you show that you are too easily agreeable. It is too much like your fake self. This is going to take quite a long time, right, Megumi?”

“Yes, it shall. So, we must get started right away.”

Thus, they worked throughout the day. Teaching Tohru to say “thank-you” only once and to not apologize for things beyond her control, they taught her to not do everything that she wound not be condemned for not always doing something. Finally, they told her to speak her mind-let people know her emotions…That it was a natural part of being human to be selfish.

As expected, Tohru made only little progress. Though, she tried as hard as she could, for she was doing all of this for herself and Kyo. She wanted to change so she could save Kyo, and the other zodiac members, but mostly for Kyo. Now, id only she could put such selfish thoughts into words and actions.

(-)-(-)

Meanwhile, Hatori watched the scene, of Kureno and Uotani, in front of him and thought about all the hardships that were brought on by his one hand. His one good sad and dark eye looked down onto his old and feeble hand. Such a power as his…should not belong to anyone.

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I hope that everyone liked this chapter, please leave a review telling me what you thought about it! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope you all have a Happy Holiday!-A/N

~Lily~