Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Where Your Shadow Falls- Part 2: Forget Me Not ❯ Just Beyond My Reach ( Chapter 8 )

Chapter 8: Just Beyond My Reach

 

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“Were you there? There were people watching me. Lots of people? I can't see them. Only Akito."

"Only Akito," he agreed, cringing inwardly at the thought of his last contact with her. "But I saw you. I was six. You were--" Beautiful. "--eight.""

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-History, Like Love By: Ysabet McFarlane

 

“Well,” Rin said, stretching like a cat on the sofa in the living room where she'd been watching TV, “I think I'm going to go to bed. Good night, everyone.”
“Goodnight, Isuzu,” Kagura's mother called.

“Goodnight R—Isuzu!” Kagura also called. Rin walked to her bedroom, flopping down on her bed.

Ah, it feels good to lie down… Rin thought, flicking on the lamp beside her bed. Pulling a magazine out from a drawer in her beside table. It was a magazine about the latest gothic fashion. Rin didn't really go for the make-up with the excessive eyeliner and eye shadow, but she absolutely adored the clothing.

Suddenly a flash of blinding darkness enveloped her. She heard bells jingling. She saw a flicker of small feet floating across a hardwood floor. Robes rustled and whooshed as the dancer moved gracefully. Long, trailing black hair followed like a second shadow. Authoritative eye watched every movement; picked up every detail. Graceful… the dancing seemed to whisper… I am graceful and powerful. The soft wind pipes fluttered like a horse's main whipping in a strong breeze. A little boy with strange hair watched…the dancer unaware. She was dancing for one pair of eye only. Bells kept jingling. Like her name…Isuzu…

Rin jolted up, breathing hard.

What was that? Rin thought to herself. Who was that little girl…and that little boy with the strange hair? And who was that child with the God-like eyes…? And why did I see that?

She concentrated hard, but the image seemed to be slipping back from where it came from.

No! What was that?! I want to figure it out! She thought. First the voices of the little girl and boy talking about oden earlier today, and now this…What's going on here?

Rin lay for five minutes, doing nothing but willing another image—another movie clip to start playing in her mind. After nothing happened, Rin sighed heavily, turning back to her magazine.

She was studying an outfit from the magazine. It was a cute skirt t-shirt combo. The miniskirt was a blood-red silk material with black lace netting over it, extending about an inch further down the legs than red. The shirt was a black base with a single roughly sketched red rose. The model wore black lace gloves and a large cross necklace. To complete the ensemble, she had on a pair of mid-thigh length black boots with silver rings holding them together on the outsides of her legs.

I think I have some stuff in my closet I could do this sort of thing with… Rin thought, her mind reeling.

Another flash. It hurt, like something was inside her mind trying to tug a piece of brain tissue around. She ignored the pain.

Yes! was Rin's last thought before she was thrown into the moment.

 

There was a little girl jump roping. The little boy with the strange white hair was there too. They were talking, and the little girl with the long black hair was smiling at him.

“You know…it's like I never get to play with you anymore,” the little girl said, continuing her jump roping. The little boy's head just bobbed up and down, watching her jump.

“I know,” the boy said smiling. The girl put down her jump rope and abruptly walked over, around to his back and began petting his hair. “Rin,” There was that name again, “What are you doing?”

“You're hair is so soft and white…” she said, fingering the strands. Rin could almost feel it sliding between her fingers. “Like a blanket of snow…I love it!” the girl poked her head around his shoulder to see his face. The expression it held was a blank confused look. The little girl's laugh sounded like a tinkling bell. “Aww that expression is sooo cute, Ha—”

“Isuzu, are you okay?” She was suddenly thrown back into her bedroom. Kagura was standing at the door.

“Huh?” was all Rin could utter.

“You looked like you were in a trance or something,” Kagura said, a concerned expression on her face.

“Ah, no I was just…” I don't want to worry Kagura, “I was just zoning out, that's all.

“Oh, okay,” Kagura took a step away from her door, but then took a step back, “Are you sure you're okay?”

“Yes,” Rin laughed, “Go to bed, Kagura.”

“Are you absolutely, positively su—” Kagura was cut off as a pillow hit her in the head. “Hey! That's cheating!” Kagura exclaimed.

“It's not cheating if there are no rules,” Rin shot back. Kagura just laughed.

“Good night, Isuzu.”

“Good night, Kagura.”

What was that little girl about to say when Kagura walked in? She was going to say the name of that little boy…who was he? It started with “Ha”…

Rin took out her sketch pad from the drawer and a pen from the table, clicking it. She began drawing the hiragana letter for “Ha” and then moved on to katakana. She doodled the characters in all different styles and sizes. It came so naturally for her…as if this had been her favorite character all her life. But there was no one she knew whose name started with “Ha”

Rin's eyes widened.

…except…

“I—I'm Haru. Don't you remember me?”

* * *

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“I wanted to be happy. And I wanted to make someone else happy. That was all. So where did I go wrong?”

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-Kare Kano Vol. 9

By: Masumi Tsuda

 

“Haru? What are you doing here?” Yuki asked, as Haru walked through the back door the next morning, uninvited.

“I need someone to talk to,” Haru muttered, sitting down at the kotatsu, not meeting Yuki's eyes.

“Well, you know I'm always here for you, Haru,” Yuki said. Haru looked up into his sparkling purple eyes.

“I—um…” Haru started, looking around the room, “Is anyone else here?”

“No,” Yuki stated, “Kyo went to the dojo, Ms. Honda went shopping, and Shigure—”

“I know where Shigure is,” Haru muttered, “But that's not important. It's just…I want as few people to know as possible.”

“What is it, Haru?”

“I—you have to promise not to tell anyone. Not Tohru-kun, especially not Akito! You can't let him know you know!” Haru's voice held an edge of hysteria.

“Haru, what's wrong?”

“Rin—it's Rin,” Yuki's eyes were suddenly alert and focused.

“What about Rin?”
“She's not one of us anymore…her curse broke two nights ago,” Haru explained quietly. Yuki blinked back at him.

“Are you serious?” Haru just stared back. “Does Akito know?”

“Obviously.”

“Who else knows?”

“Well, in order of discovery: Hatori, Akito, Shigure, me, my parents, and I'm pretty sure Kagura and her mother know.”

“So what does Rin make of all this?” Yuki asked.

“She doesn't remember,” Haru said in a low voice.

“What?”
“Hatori…he…erased her memories.”

“What?!”

“Yah, well, I kinda interrupted him in the middle so it didn't quite go as planned. Only two major things were completely suppressed. Everything to do with the curse, including her parents, and…me. I'm the only she doesn't remember.”

“Oh, Haru,” Yuki said, scooting around the table to lay a comforting hand on Haru's shoulder.

“I tracked down Hatori and made him explain it all to me, and it seems the reason she only doesn't remember me, is…that out of all her memories…the ones of me were the ones she treasure the most…and they are also the ones that, even if her memory does come back, they're the ones that are the most difficult to retrieve.”

“But, that doesn't make sense,” Yuki interjected. “You said she broke up with you, and that she made it clear she didn't love you anymore.” Haru looked up from the table, his eyes brimming with confusion and pain.

“That's what's been going through my mind since I found you. If she still loved me, why did she do it?” Haru looked back down at the table, “Why did she hurt me? I just can't figure it out.”

“Well,” said Yuki, pondering what Haru said, “If what I understand of how the brain stores memories is correct, Hatori's memory suppression pulls apart the neurons connecting them to the part of the brain that accesses memories…kind of like Alzheimer's. After storing away the selected memories, a successful procedure would then loop back the remaining neurons to trick the brain into thinking there was nothing there in the first place…or the human mind would come up with false memories to replace the ones that wouldn't make sense without them. But since it was interrupted, then the loose ends haven't been tied up.”

“What are you saying?” Haru asked, still confused.

“If what you and Hatori said is true, then Rin's brain is still not tied back together. This would be like accelerating Alzheimer's significantly. This leaves the chance open that the memories will come back, but those remember memories won't know which loose end to tie themselves onto. This may significantly damage her brain, and cause her to forget other things—worse things…like where she lives, what her name is…maybe, worse case scenario; she might forget how to keep her heart pumping, or how to breathe. That's eventually what kills Alzheimer patients in the end.”

“You're saying Rin could die?!”

“It's just a theory, Haru. Maybe I'm all wrong about this.”

“But it's a possibility,” Haru said, standing up.

“Haru, please, don't act on it. That may not be that case at all. In fact, the human brain is extremely adaptable. Rin's mind might figure out a way to hook the loose ends back together itself.”
“I don't want to take that chance, Yuki,” Haru stated, his voice low and rough. Haru stood up, heading for the door. “This is worse than just her not remembering me.”

“But, Haru, it's not Rin anymore.” Haru froze. “It's not Rin whose mind is screwed up. It's Isuzu. She's not your Rin anymore, Haru.” Haru looked back at him, his eyes burning.

“But Rin is in there somewhere. If Isuzu dies…so does Rin. And if what you said is right, then she could start having flashbacks.”
“Yes, but—” Yuki started.

“But if she does start remembering, then we could eventually have the missing links all back. We could put her mind back together and sew up all the broken ties. Rin—” Haru paused, “Rin might be able to come back.”

“But, Haru, you don't know if that's what Rin wants!” Haru stopped again.

“What do you mean?”

“You know how much pain she was in before. Both physically and emotionally. Do you really want to bring her back to all of that? Don't you think she's happier not remembering any of it?” Yuki asked.

“What about me, then?” Haru shouted. “What about me, Yuki? Am I just supposed to let her go?!”
“If you really love her,” Yuki said quietly, so much so Haru barely caught it.

“G-go to hell,” Haru muttered, marching through the paper door and slamming it closed behind him.

 

End of Chapter 8:

Just Beyond My Reach

 

A/n: Yikes…Rin might die…

Rin: WHY AM I ALWAYS THE ONE SUFFERING!!

Me: Hey, if you're the heroine of the story, it comes with some catches okay?

Rin: It did not say anything about me possibly dying when I signed the contract for this story

Me: What contract?

Rin: This one *pulls it out*

Me: *flicks out lighter and catches it on fire* and I repeat: What contract?

(See ya next chapter! ^_^)

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