Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Where Your Shadow Falls- Part Four: And Then the Night Fell ❯ At the End of All Things ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 17: At the End of All Things

 

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“Boys, you can break

You'll find out how much they can take

Boys will be strong

And boys soldier on

But boys would be gone

Without warmth from a woman's good, good heart”

*************

-Daughters

By: John Meyer

 

 

“Hey, Isuzu?” She turned around to see him walk through the door to her bedroom.

"Oh, hey, Haru." He silently crossed to room to sit on the edge of the bed next to her, sliding his arm around her shoulders. He had deep shadows under his eyes. Tear tracks smudged his face. "What's wrong?"

"It broke." He said softly, his voice breaking in the middle. Isuzu's breath caught in her throat.

"The…" he voice trailed off.

"Everyone's gone. It's over…it's finally…" he took in a shuddering breath, "it's all finally fucking over."

"Oh, Haru…"

"Did you remember anything about how it felt to be cursed?" He asked quietly, not meeting her gaze. His eyes were focused on the soft, dark blue carpet.

"Barely," she whispered back in return.

"Do you remember how it felt to be released?"

"No."

Silence. Arms tightened around her; almost painfully squeezing her. For the first time, he hugged her completely.

"Everyone's gone."
"I know," she said, running her fingers slowly through the blanket of snow that was his hair…just the way he liked it.

"It hurts," he whispered.

"I know." She started humming. A song from long ago that barely touched her mind.

"What are you humming?" He asked. She didn't respond; only closed her eyes and added words in a silky voice.

"I was so happy when you smiled, you smile breaks through the clouds of grey. Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep…" The words flowed from her lip, words she didn't know she knew. "Waiting with patients for the spring, when the flowers will bloom renewed again. Knowing there's more beyond the pain of today." She didn't realize it, but his voice had joined her. Cracked and broken; barely above a whisper at first, but then growing in confidence.

"Although the scars of yesterday remain, we can go on living as much as your heart believes. You can't be born again, although you can change." His lips caught hers softly, funneling the pain into a single kiss. When they broke away, she finished the last line softly against his hair.

"Let's stay together always."

"That was our song…" Haru whispered softly.

"What?" Isuzu barely dared to speak.

"We never said it, but we both knew it was. It was from…some anime we saw once. But it pretty much captured our lives and our relationship, so we would always find ourselves singing it…" She pressed her lips against his hair.

"She loved you," Isuzu whispered, "I'm sorry." He stared up at her, his eyes full of nothing but loss and pain. Silence. "I love you," he said softly, tightening her arms around him. "I'm sorry."

"Don't say sorry," he said, kissing her softly.

"I love you, I love you, I love you," she whispered hurriedly.

"I love you and it hurts."

"Everything hurts," she replied.

"I love you," he repeated and laid his head back on her shoulder as she began to sing again.

 

 

* * *

 

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“Because I'm happy to be with you…here at the end of all things.”

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-The Return of the King

 

Haru slept for a while. Everything was flooding through his mind in a dreamlike state. Rin…Rin…

She was everywhere. All the different ages and phases and personalities and moods…all whirling in his head…refusing to be forgotten.

 

“Hey, Haru,” Rin said, folding gracefully next to the white haired boy on the carpet. That must be me, Haru thought. I must be having a flashback.

“Hey, Rin,” He replied, grinning. They were at Shigure's house…before Yuki or Kyo had moved in. They were in the dinning room, sitting in front of the TV.

“What chya watchin'?” She asked, looking at the TV screen.

“Nothing much,” he responded. “An anime.”

“Mogeta?” She questioned.

“Nope,” he popped the “p” on his lips. “It starts with an F I think.”

“Oh, yah!” She said, her eyes lighting up, “I know this one. It's called Fruits Basket. You like it? Hits a little too close to home for my taste.” Haru shrugged.

“I like it being close to home. It helps me put things in perspective.”

“Is that why you're always so insightful all the time?” Rin asked.

­“Nah,” Haru said, shaking his head and grinning, “I just make that stuff up to seem smart.”­

“Haru!” Rin smacked him playfully on the shoulder. The TV speakers started to sing the opening song, and they both listened intently to the lyrics.

“Wow,” Haru said after a minute.

“I love that song,” Rin said quietly.

“I love it too, now.”

“I was so happy when you smiled,” Rin began to sing softly, “Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey. Far from the sunny days that lie in peace…

Waiting with patience for the spring

When the flowers will bloom renewed again

Knowing there's more beyond the pain of today

Although the scars of yesterday

Remain

We can go on living as much as your heart

Believes

You can't be born again
Although you can change

Let's stay together always

 

Haru opened his eyes slowly, his eyelids feeling like they were made of granite. He was resting his head on someone's shoulder.

“You awake now?” Isuzu's voice whispered softly.

“Unfortunately,” Haru croaked. Isuzu stifled a giggled.

“Do you want to go back to sleep?” She asked. “You can if you want.”

“I don't think I'll be able to,” he told her.

“Okay.” They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts.

“Hey, Isuzu?” Haru asked softly.

“Yah?”
“Mmm…never mind.”

“Okay.”

More silence.

“Hey, Isuzu?”

“Yah?”

“Will you sing again?” Haru asked her. Isuzu hugged him tightly—he suspected in attempt to hide the tears he saw now springing to her eyes.

“Of course,” her voice was barely a whisper. She cradled his head in between her shoulder and her hand, and softly began to sing.

Haru closed his eyes, listening to Isuzu's voice…pretending, just for one last minute…that it was Rin's.

 

 

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“We went the long way, didn't we?

We got there in the end.”

*************

-Dearest

Inuyasha Ending Theme #3

 

End of Chapter 17:

At the End of All Things

 

A/n: Last chapter. THE END T_T It took me…*looking at file dates* two months and five or so odd days to finish this. *shining* for 114 pages on Microsoft Word, not too shabby ^_^. Thank you so much for reading this. I worked hard on it, and I'm someone could enjoy it (hope it made u cry *evil grin*)

Haru: What?! That's it?! What kind of an ending was that?

Me: Shut up, Haru!

Rin: Yah, seriously! I kinda died!

Me: Shush both of u…I'll give u another fan fic another time

Rin: *glare* u'd better…*points gun at me* get on it!

Me: *scared now* y-yes ma'am.

(THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE!)

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Fruits Basket is the creation of Takaya Natsuki, and is licensed in North

America by FUNimation (anime) and Tokyopop (manga). Used without permission or the intention of making a profit. Please support the original work!

 

End of Part 4:

And Then the Night Fell

 

End of: Where Your Shadow Falls