Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Protector And Betrayer ❯ Protector And Betrayer ( One-Shot )

Protector And Betrayer

By, Jamie1317kast

 

Shigure, the protector of the Sohma Family, is about to make a very abrupt career change. Having finally reached the point where all his ploys and plots are being put into play, Shigure has a few last regrets to get over before he uses that last trick up his sleeve to show all his cards and bet it all on one last turn of sudden death.

 

Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is copyrighted to Natsuki Takaya, the Scarlet Letter to Hawthorne, the Snow Queen to Anderson, and Peter Pan to Barrie, the little bit in italics was written by Andrew Lloyd Weber, not me. Oh, and the whole, ` I will fight no more forever' line isn't mine either, but I forget who's it is.

 

AN~ I have noticed through the increasing volumes of Fruits Basket, that Shigure, more than Akito, seems to be the true villain. (I'm on volume 8, so forgive me if I say something that is off.) Shigure shows none of his inward villainous nature in the FB anime, but it is mysterious and painfully clear in the manga that he is plotting something. I have absolutely NO IDEA about what it is he plans to do, but I know that it's likely to not be very pretty. So, based on that assumption, I give you my fanfic. Go forth, read, and, if you like, draw your own conclusions…

 

Rated PG-13 simply because I think the dark nature of this fic implies more than a PG rating.

 

Protector And Betrayer:

 

The wind blows softly through the wood-covered valley. Stars call out to one another, softly, like sweet lovers meeting secretly at midnight. A warm summer breeze filters through the night, bearing tidings of late-night bird-song, and the ululation of wolves.

I stand on my porch, watching the sky. Searching for some sign I know will never come. Yet still I wait, anxiously, wishing, and expectantly. Am I hoping for something? Perhaps.

Maybe I feel as though I'm waiting for some sign of forgiveness from God. Humph, silly. My God knows that whatever I do, I am to be forgiven. For my task, my duty, of protecting this family will lead me to do things that I know I won't be able to forgive myself for.

Am I wishing? What for, I wonder, what for? For the curse to be gone? Perhaps. Perhaps that is what I wish. I am willing to go to any lengths to achieve my goal, even if I hurt some one in the process.

Raising my dark gaze to the heavens again, I fancy I spy the outline of a large letter `A'. But what would that signify? `Angel', perhaps? Right. I was never very angelic. Akira made sure of that. But he was my God too, even if his cruelty did make Ha'ri try to cut himself.

I feel dirty.

It's my own fault, though. Not even the Cat is as disgusting as I am. And I mean that. Ha! I'm the most cursed of us all. And no one even realizes what I'm up to, what I plan to do. I hide behind a fool's smile, a fool's grin. And still, even now, no one has seen my true nature. The part of me that is truly cursed, truly dirty. The mask never slips, not even for a moment, never.

I have never danced a more intricate, or subtle masquerade in my life. And I truly pity whom ever is the one to remove my mask.

The mask of giddiness, of false laughter. The mask of smiles and painted grins. Yes, I'll be sad to leave behind the lies I have grown so accustomed to weaving. And I will be even more sad to reveal the truth. Because I know that the lying, sinister, evil man I have been all along will break more than a few hearts. Hearts of people who trust me, and love me.

There's no wishing upon a star, no fancy adventures. No more hopeless romances, no more being young forever. No more forgetting who I really am, no more missing that innocence I never really had. No more hoping, no more crying, no more pushing, no more pulling, no more hurting, no more lying, no more…wishing…no more wishing and hoping and praying and dreaming and striving and living… from now on, I will fight no more forever.

But still, what I wouldn't give to forget all this sweet, horrible torture. To forget the burden of my duty, of my task. To fly off into the night sky, second star to the right and straight on `till morning. But if I did leave, that would just be running away. For I am the nightlights that protect these children, I am the guard at the door, I am the protector of this family.

At first I thought that I would have to do it to Tohru, but I'm glad now that that won't be the case. Machi will be perfect, I don't know her very well, so it will be easier to do it. Though I know Yuki won't forgive me for doing it to his new girlfriend. It works out so well, doesn't it? Tohru and Kyo. Yuki with Machi, who would have guessed?

Haru and Rin got back together, there was never any doubt of that. Though she did put on a very convincing show for Akito. How she ran crying to me, slept with me, just looked for someone to hold her.

Kyo has actually found happiness with Tohru, it's simply amazing when one sees them together. Amazing the way she was able to accept his other form so easily; when none of us ever could.

Hiro and Kisa are so cute, staying together and in love, despite Akito's orders. Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but why is it always the younger ones who break away from the previous generation?

Even Aya has found happiness with Mine, lucky him. Here's to hoping Akito never finds out!

Kureno too, with one of Tohru's friends. I believe it was that blond-haired one... Arisa. Who knows? Maybe they'll be happy some day.

And Ha'ri, my dear Ha'ri. At last you have found a woman, some one you can love without staying distant from. I wish him good luck, good luck to Hatori and Mayu-kun.

It's stupid, though, to believe that the members of the Zodiac will be able to continue to be happy. But somehow, I want this happiness to last forever. The happiness from my dream, I want to hold it in my hands.

And I will.

No matter what it takes.

No matter how much blood is spilled, or how many people hate me afterwards. To break the curse, to finally be free. I hope they can all forgive me for what I'm about to do, I know it will cause my family great pain.

Shivering, I wrap arms around myself. I'm cold. Is it the air, or possibly that my heart has turned to ice? Hah! I wouldn't doubt it. The King of Ice, breaking mirrors and watching the pieces fall to the Earth. Watching those cold slivers of hatred and malice, and ugliness embed themselves in the hearts of those I love.

I am about to turn from protector to betrayer.

I am standing on the final threshold.

And I'm hating myself for it.

 

Past the point of no return,

The final threshold.

The bridges crossed,

So stand and watch them burn.

We've passed the point of no return…