XXXHolic Fan Fiction / Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Summer Wishes ❯ 1 ( Chapter 1 )

A/N: Just the standard disclaimer here. I don’t own Fruits Basket or xxxHolic, just this particular story.

Summer, a season which had long lost all its magic. In past years, it had meant so much to Tohru Honda, and only two years ago, it had been the most wonderful time of all. But since one fateful day that same year, life had grown bleak for Tohru, and summer had done the same. Every day that passed on the calendar felt like another number on a horrible countdown; each passing day of class was torture, and the short summer break was worse because there was no distraction from the thought that plagued not only her waking thoughts but her every dream.

Kyou will be locked up after graduation. My time with him is growing so very short...

She felt so useless, so pointless. Every available moment was devoted to her search for a cure to the dreaded curse, and so far, all her efforts were fruitless. Part of her had already given up ever freeing Kyou or the others, but she couldn’t allow herself to give up her search, no matter how little hope there seemed to be.

Today was another of the days when Kyou spent his time at the dojo, thus she was out searching once more. Today she’d found herself in a strange part of town. She’s heard Hana talking about a shop around here that dealt with supernatural things; from anyone else, she’d have dismissed the rumor, but from Hana, it was enough to send her out on the train and leave her wandering the streets.

She stopped before a set of gates, gazing for a moment at the western-style mansion set back onto the grounds. It was an amazing house, the likes of which Tohru had only ever seen on TV before. “Wow,” she said, placing one hand on the iron gates and leaning closer to peer between the metal bars.

To her surprise, the gates swung open. She gasped and jumped back, glancing around and instinctively apologizing - but there was no one there who’d opened the doors. She stepped forward and reached out, meaning to close the doors... but something drew her onward. Curiosity overwhelmed her as she examined the house and the grounds it stood upon; it fascinated her so much that she didn’t even notice when the gates closed behind her.

Before long she had reached the house. She blinked, realizing she’d gone too far. “I should leave before I get in trouble,” she whispered to herself, turning on the steps and heading for the entrance once more. She was stopped by the sound of the door opening behind her, and right away, she spun back around and began apologizing profusely to the woman at the door. “I’m so sorry! I know I’m trespassing, this house was just so beautiful I wanted a closer look so I came up here and I shouldn’t have I’m going to leave now sorry!”

“Don’t worry,” the woman answered, chuckling lightly, “I’ve been expecting you.”

“Huh?” The admission left Tohru dead in her tracks, her mind skidding to a stop as she grew even more flustered. “You... have?”

“Yes, of course. Your coming here was inevitable; hitsuzen. Come inside and I’ll explain.”

Tohru didn’t know what to do about the invitation. On one hand, it would be rude to turn her down, but on the other, she had no idea who she was or what was inside; Tohru had heard of all sorts of horrible things that existed, and so she wanted to be frightened, but something beckoned her into the house just the same. She followed the woman, her eyes fixated on the elaborate patterns on her kimono; patterns of crimson and black swept over a golden background in wispy designs, drawing flowers here and there. The garment was clearly expensive, as was everything else in this house.

“Sit down?” she offered, to which Tohru shook her head. “Alright then. Your name?”

“T-Tohru Honda,” she stammered, confused for a moment. How could the woman have been expecting her if she didn’t even know her name?

“Just as I thought... You’re the girl tied to those with the zodiac curse, are you not?”

For a moment, she wanted to run. She was terrified about someone else knowing about the curse, and at the same time, she wanted to break down and share everything that had happened over the past three years with the woman, wanted to tell her everything good and bad, and most of all, wanted to scream her desire to cure Kyou, to save him before he would be locked up.

Instead, she simply nodded, her eyes unblinking as hot tears began to run down her face. It was a moment before she finished gathering her thoughts, swallowing hard before speaking, “I... I do live with them, yes. But how do you...?”

“It’s my business to know everything that goes on amongst the supernatural, and more so, what happens amongst my clients.”

“They’re your clients?”

“No... You are.” She smiled at the look of shock on Tohru’s face. “Allow me to explain... My name is Yuuko Ichihara, and this is my shop... a store in which I grant wishes.”

“Wishes? What sort of wishes?” Is this the place Hana was talking about? Is this where I was supposed to go?

Yuuko sat down, tilting her head to be supported by one hand before she explained, “Whatever the person desires... Or at least, believes they desire most.”

By now Tohru’s heart was pounding, and it skipped a beat at the idea of getting her wish granted. “...Anything? Even... if I were to ask for the curse to be lifted from one of the zodiac members?”

“Yes... I can even grant that wish. Naturally though, I have to charge in exchange for my services.”

Tohru’s head fell, her shoulders slumping. She knew there had to be a catch... “Oh... then, I guess I’ll be leaving... I don’t have very much money.”

Yuuko chuckled, shaking her head a little and sitting straight once more. “Who ever said anything about money? There are many other forms of payment in this world. In exchange for having their dearest wish granted, a person must give up something precious to them, something of equal value to the wish. This way, everyone can afford to get what they want, if they are willing to pay the price.”

Tohru shivered at the witch’s words, thinking for a moment. I can afford it? I could free Kyou? For a moment, she wondered if there was another catch, and she found herself shaking as she opened her mouth once more. “May I ask what it would cost...? If I were to free them all, instead of just one?”

“No... I’m afraid not. You make the wish, I name the price, and you take it or leave it. A little negotiation might be allowed, but I’ll only assess one wish. You must choose now.”

Tohru lowered her head, her bangs covering her eyes as she thought. Logic told her that simply freeing Kyou would be far less expensive than to free all twelve of the remaining cursed. Her hands laced into her hair as she thought, trying to imagine what the price might be. Yuuko had only said it would be something precious to her, but what did that really mean? Quietly she spoke, hoping her question wouldn’t be too much. “The ‘precious thing’... Do you only ask for objects, or do you ask for-”

“Anything.”

“I see...” Most important to me... my memories are, by far, the most important things to me, I think. She sighed for a moment, her eyes drifting to the ceiling. Her mothers memories had long been her prized possession, and the photo she always carried was a reminder of that. Now, though, Kyou had taken the fore-front of her mind... Would that be it? Would she be forced to forget him? That seemed alright to her; I’m sure I’d simply fall in love with him all over again. She considered as well that she may lose all her memories, and awake with total amnesia; the idea only scared her when she considered that she might not be taken in the same way again, that she might be a completely different person. The thought of losing all her memories was painful, but one she could terms with, if it meant the happiness not just of Kyou...

But of the others as well. She loved them all, that was certain, and no matter how much her intentions were focused on Kyou’s happiness, she knew it would still be selfish to ask for only his freedom.

“I’ve chosen, Yuuko. I want to free them all from the curse. That will be my wish.”

“I’ll let you know before you make that decision... The spirit of the Rabbit is already free as well... and as weak as the bonds are, many of the others have only mere months before they’ll be released as well.”

These facts sunk into Tohru’s mind, but she simply nodded. “So long as it will save any of them some suffering... it’s worth it.”

“You mean... so long as the Cat is free before he would be confined.” Yuuko smirked as Tohru’s face lit up in alarm. “I can see into your heart,” the Sorceress explained, turning and sitting at the table, “I have to, in order to do my job correctly. The ‘just one’ you mentioned is the Cat... Most cursed of them all, according to legend.”

“Y-yes...” she admitted, face flushing as she lowered her head once more.

“By ‘them all’, do you mean to free God as well?”

God... Akito... she who has hurt them all so much... the knowledge was heavy on Tohru’s mind, and yet... “...Yes. All of them. The curse should be lifted entirely.”

Yuuko’s smile faded as her gaze drifted away from Tohru. “Curses,” she whispered, eyes shutting slowly, “are not something to be taken lightly. They have a high cost to place, especially in the case of one as strong as the Souma’s, and thus they have an equally high cost to break or remove.” She looked to her customer, a sigh escaping her lips as she rested her chin upon her knuckles. “The only reason I can even consider granting this wish is that this curse is very old, and thus its power has been faded by time. Just the same, it will have a steep price.”

“Anything,” Tohru assured her. “Anything for them. Anything for him.”

The witch rose once more, stepping towards Tohru and covering her in her shadow. “Very well. The precious thing you will have to give up in order to lift the curse forever... Is your life.” For an instant she paused, allowing the fact to set in, before continuing with the conditions. “You will have to give up your ability to ever see any of them again, your ability to live alongside them, meaning you must die. Also, your soul will be unable to return to this plane until after all the current Soumas are deceased. That is what’s required for you to pay a value equal to that of your wish.”

For a moment, they were both silent, the offer heavy in the air. Yuuko turned her attention back toward the window, a tinge of pity sitting in her heart at the weight she had just thrust upon the young woman. She knew Tohru’s decision even before she spoke. “You said that I could negotiate, correct?” Yuuko nodded, and the girl took a deep breath, searching her words out carefully. “I will accept, but I would like to ask for one last day with them first.”

“That can be arranged. You have one more day to live... between now and your death, the remaining twelve will be released from the curse. Once you have paid the cost, the curse will be permanently removed from the family. Do we have a deal?”

Tohru’s eyes shut tightly, squeezing out tears she didn’t know were there. I said I’d do anything for them... I just hope he can forgive me for doing this. “Yes. It’s a deal.”

Yuuko watched her leave the shop a moment later, shaking visibly and crying. Normally she’d have talked someone out of that large of a contract; only once before had she had to ask for a life as payment for her services. Tohru was strong for a girl of seventeen, though, and even more determined than she was strong. The girl was doing what she considered right, and there was nothing the witch could have done to talk her out of it.

“Sad that she’s not really the one paying the price,” she sighed, turning towards the back room. “There was a reason the Soumas had a curse, and so they’re the ones who have to pay the price to have it removed. They’re the ones who must lose what’s most precious to them... The poor girl simply got mixed up with the wrong family.”

The weight of taking another’s life is a heavy weight to bear; fortunately for Yuuko, she would not be the one actually responsible for Tohru’s death. It was the job of hitsuzen to do that... It had long been preordained that this girl would be the sacrifice to break the curse, and her visit to see the witch was only the signal for everything to be set into motion. While indeed the rest were losing their curse, the entire thing couldn’t be broken until certain requirements were met.

It was unfortunate that the girl’s death was amongst those.