Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Sometimes... ❯ Within a Scrapbook ( Prologue )

DISCLAIMER: The written works of Furuba belong to none other than…what's her name again? Certainly not me…

 

 

 

 

* Prologue *

Within a Scrapbook

 

 

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`Sometimes the true curse in one's life is the heartfelt prayer that is left unanswered…'

 

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“Kagura dear, are you almost done with your project? You've been working on it for months…”

 

“Hai, Kaa-san. Wait `til Ri-chan sees it—he'll get such a kick out of it!” exclaimed Kagura animatedly. “I'm just writing in some last-minute personal notes.”

 

“I'm sure he will, sweetie. With all the hard work you put into your scrapbook, he'll be more than thrilled,” assured her mother with a wide smile. Turning back into the kitchen, she called out to her daughter in the living room, “It certainly took you longer to put yours together versus Tohru-san's scrapbook. How come?”

 

Kagura softly smiled as she stared fondly at her very thick scrapbook. She recalled the weeks of long nights she spent with Tohru trying to piece together the scrapbook that was to be Kyo's present. She had to practically blackmail Tohru in keeping her involvement a secret from the brash teen. Just because she had taken an elective course over the previous summer on this hobby didn't mean that she had to take all the credit in Kyo's graduation gift.

 

“Well, her scrapbook wasn't too hard to put together. She had a couple years worth of pictures and such. I wanted mine to have everything from years ago until now,” she explained to her mother as she took her pen in hand, poised to jot down the last few remaining thoughts she had wanted to put in print.

 

“So…tell me,” her mother remarked hesitantly while standing at the doorway with a dishtowel in hand, “how did Kyo-kun react with her present? Did he…like it?”

 

Kagura couldn't help smiling inwardly at her mother's apprehension whenever she spoke Kyo's name. Not that she could blame her…it was only a little over a year ago that she could not think of him without bursting into tears each time. How times certainly changed ever since that day her rejected heart had felt the acceptance of another…

 

“He sure did. He was a little confused at first…silly guy didn't know what it was at first. But after a few minutes and several pictures later, he was too ecstatic for words.” She quickly recalled his excited demeanor from a few nights past when he held up a certain picture that she was sure he'd have framed. Laughing lightly, she shook her head in wonder, “Actually, he was jumping for joy. Having his rival in a compromising situation and in color was too much icing for his cake. I'm sure he'll give extra care to that book.”

 

“I'm glad to hear that,” replied her mother with a small sigh of relief. She suddenly gasped with realization, “Oh my, when did you say Ritsu was coming by?”

 

“Um, later this afternoon…around five o'clock,” remarked Kagura with a pensive air as she debated on adding one more ribbon to her book. Looking up to her mother in the doorway, she continued, “His train doesn't come until three o'clock, and by the time he makes his way from the downtown area to here…”

 

“Yes, of course. I do hope his mother's health improves at the new hot spring spa resort she's managing now. She's such a frail woman,” commented Kagura's mother worriedly as she walked back into the kitchen.

 

`Frail? His mom practically jumped me when I last visited her a month ago,' thought Kagura as she absently rubbed neck, still remembering the near-choking experience she had with his mother's strong arms as she `cradled' Kagura `tenderly'. `She was just excited with her son's relationship with me. I was just glad Ri-chan was able to pry her off before I passed out.'

 

“Well, this new place should help her some more,” agreed Kagura. She couldn't help but add, “I just wish it wasn't so far away. Ri-chan's trips are more extended now…”

 

“Hm, is this `absence that makes the heart grow fonder'? Sounds pretty romantic,” replied her mother with a grin in place as she walked back into the living room with a tea tray set plus snacks. Setting them on the table with Kagura's leftover scraps from her book, she quickly filled the two cups with cinnamon spice tea, leaving a third cup empty for the time being.

 

“Kaa-san, stop it,” blurted out Kagura with a nice blush rising on her cheeks.

 

“Oh, come now. We're both grown women…somewhat in your case anyway.” Slyly grinning, she nudged her blushing daughter, “Come on, tell me the truth. How often did you call him up this time around?”

 

Sighing heavily, Kagura's head landed with a soft thud on the table. Groaning loudly, she responded, “Well, he left two days after Yun-chan's and the other's graduation ceremony. If I count the two calls I had made then up `til now, it would come to…ten. But then I text messaged him…”

 

“Hm, the wonders of technology. Instant love notes,” mused her mother with the all too knowing grin of a woman who once knew love's first steps.

 

Noting the far-off look in her mother's eyes, Kagura knew that her mother was thinking of her father and the times they shared long ago. It was a known and often hushed fact amongst the `inner' Sohma that their bloodline carried a heavier burden than most within the family.

 

And such a heavy burden it is…a shortened life-span for those related to the Jyuunishi circle, particularly the parents. There was never any rhyme or reason behind the deaths…completely random, sometimes bypassing the Sohma parent and other times…

Well, usually a mysterious illness of sorts would take the young adult life of the Sohma parent, as if punishing the father or mother for bringing a curse into the world. Horrid as that idea is, sadly it was just one more reason why the Jyuunishi are viewed as cursed along with their families. Little wonder that most parents of the Jyuunishi would walk out of their child's life for good, never once looking back at the broken home they left behind.

 

`I'm very fortunate to have my Kaa-san. She never gave up on our family. I'm sure Tou-san would be proud of her if he were here…' Hm, has it really been eighteen years since an aneurysm in the brain took her father's life, leaving her mother at the mercy of his family with a Jyuunishi child? Single parenting is never easy, and it was especially difficult for any parent of a Jyuunishi child. Over the years, it was certainly a rough road for her mother, but she managed well enough to keep herself and her in good standing with the family in general. Kagura snapped back into reality when her musings were abruptly ended by her mother's next remarks.

 

“I remember your father writing up some letters that were short of becoming novels, in size I mean,” chuckled lightly the elder Sohma woman. “He would write often, too, and call me whenever he could. Being out of town on his business trips never appealed to him, but there was little he could do about it.”

 

Smiling softly at the memories, she shook her head of her past thoughts and focused on the here and now. “Well, I'm sure if he were here, he'd want you to get some rest! Too many overnight hours on a gift can be hard on the body. Look at yourself…bags under eyes, shabby hairdo, dress crumpled. Tsk, tsk, tsk…what would Ritsu say if he saw you?”

 

That last remark had the desired effect. Kagura always took her mother's advice to heart, and this time would be no different. Taking a quick sip of her tea, she replied hurriedly as she quickly rushed out, “Oh my goodness! I can't let him see me like this! I'm off to the shower…I'll take a quick nap afterwards until he arrives. Wake me when he gets here!!!”

 

The thud of fading footsteps and the slamming of doors in the other half of the house plus the rush of water could be heard as Kagura barged through the house like a…well, like a boar on a rampage. Her mother couldn't help but smile dryly at that passing thought as she quietly sipped her tea at the table.

 

A large peach scrapbook laced with dainty ribbons caught her eyes as she reached to take a cookie from the tray she had brought in. Smiling warmly she retrieved the large book, silently marveling at her daughter's handiwork. Opening the book, she perused through the pages of her daughter's most cherished memories.

 

`Memories… Hm. Such is all we're left with in the end,' she wordlessly contemplated while pausing on one particular page. Suddenly brightening at the memory the pictures invoked, she laughed lightly. `Hehe, I remember taking this picture. Ritsu was making such a fuss that afternoon and ran to Kagura for advice on what dress would look good on him. My goodness, did that ever floor the poor girl back then. Hehe, it didn't matter to her in the end…she went straight ahead and helped him despite how bizarre his request was. Funny how no one bothered to notice that she was the one helping him with his, ahem, more `feminine' outfits all these years…'

 

Shaking her head at the antics of those two back then, she turned several more pages, each picture, each word invoking more and more memories of those times. The happy times…the sad times…every single one quite fresh in her mind. Such is the goal of any scrapbook that is put together.

 

“My dear Kagura…such memories you carry,” quietly remarked her mother as her eyes slightly misted. “Every joy…every wound…all wrapped together so well in your scrapbook…”

 

Her remark trailed off as she saw the last notation Kagura had made in her book. Bitterly recalling those dark moments in her daughter's life, she allowed her thoughts and memories to drift to those times not too long ago when Kagura was left like a broken doll that couldn't muster up enough energy to leave her room.

 

`How my poor girl prayed and prayed to have her wish come true. A heartfelt prayer left unanswered… That is a curse one should never have to suffer.' Still, suffer her daughter did and she was helpless in consoling her during that time. Thankfully, though, that sad episode in her young life didn't last forever…this scrapbook held proof enough of that fact.

 

“Oh, my dear husband…if you could just see her now. She may be the Boar of the Zodiac, but she gets her determination from you. She's so much like you…” Closing her eyes, she sighed heavily as she recalled her own cherished memories of a loved one. She may not have a scrapbook to go by, but her heart kept close those treasures.

 

`Hm…maybe she can help me put together my own scrapbook. I've got plenty of old pictures…I'll just have to talk to her about it.' Opening her eyes, she perused through the book once more and paused on a picture she took herself of the two young adults at a cherry blossom festival. Both were dressed in traditional kimonos and held the happiest of expressions.

 

“Happiness…utter contentment. But it wasn't easy to come by, was it my dear?” she questioned aloud with a poignant smile. “Dealing with unrequited love took its toll on your heart. And to think it was just one of the many trials you were about to face…”

 

Staring off into the distance, the roll of film known as memory played vividly in her mind as she whisked her thoughts away to that time in her daughter's life when the road looked bleak. And those never-ending trials in her young life…

 

`The trials in life are never easy to endure…and for a Jyuunishi, it's much worse…'

 

 

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Edited by: Seiren-no-Kaze 05-05-06, HelloKat 09-28-06

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From the Author's Sick, Demented Mind at 3AM (09-30-05):

 

Well, here it is…the first chapter (actually prologue) of my multi-chapter one-shot on Kagura/Ritsu's relationship. It was mainly from an open POV…the rest of the chapters will have it from Kagura's POV mainly, but also a general POV once the story involves other characters in the storyline.

 

For those of you just joining me in this bizarre venture of mine, welcome! I hope you enjoy your stay. This fic is my third shot at fanfic stardom! Hehe, just kidding, but hey, I can dream, right? Anyway, this fic is actually a spin-off of my original work, Seasons of Sorrow, which is currently on hiatus while I re-energize myself for it. The Kagura/Ritsu pairing is rather unique, and I've not come across one fic (as yet) that would explore this kind of relationship between the two. Romance is not my forte, but I do hope to give it my best with this fic. Angst will obviously be a part of this storyline considering Kagura's wounded heart from Kyo's rejection, but it shouldn't be too heavy like my other fic. Oh well, we'll see, won't we?

 

Okay, first off, this chappie was short. REALLY short. But I meant for it to be this way since it is somewhat of a prologue. The real fun begins in the next chapter which will be out as soon as I can type it out. In the meantime, please offer whatever tidbits of comments you wish to share. I'd love to read them! That said, I don't plan this storyline to be very long. My goal is to provide in-depth and lengthy chapters…well, not too lengthy. It will however jump around…a lot of it won't be following a day by day outline, but more like a week by month by week type of scenario. Ah well, you'll get what I mean when I start releasing them.

 

Secondly, I wish to thank all my readers and reviewers from my last chapter release of SOS. It was a blast to finish that one off, and I'm looking forward to continuing the storyline. So much is still ahead for the Sohma family. My goal is that this story supports that storyline as well. You'll notice this aspect in later chapters of this fic.

 

As a comment on this new fic of mine, it must be pointed out that very little is said about the parents of the Jyuunishi, if anything at all, within the manga/anime. In this case, nothing is really said about Kagura's father. Going with an idea of mine, I went ahead and had Kagura in a similar position as that of Tohru, only with a more somber element (that element being about the shorter life-spans). And since it seems that Kagura's mother raised her, I had their relationship to be close (the manga supports this as well). Heck, they needed each other to get through the hard times of being a Sohma, especially a Jyuunishi. Hopefully my fanficdom (is that even a word?) ideas are feasible to my readers. Do let me know your thoughts!

 

For now, enjoy my new fic! I won't disappoint you, my wonderful readers! Read, rate, review…all is good! Ja ne!