InuYasha Fan Fiction / Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Faded Dreams ❯ Two Souls, Two Lives ( Chapter 1 )

CleoQueen36~ The only characters that I own in this story are Akeela and Kayoko, any other characters mentioned are hereby creations of either Rumiko Takahashi or Natsuki Takaya.

I know it's been over 8 months since I've updated any stories of mine, but I really wanted to start again, and I've completely changed this story, so I'm sorry if you were really into it before, but it's different…sorry.

 

Chapter 1-Two Souls, Two Lives

Her eyes penetrated him, they weren't looking at him, they were looking at his soul…he could sense it. She was searching the depths of his heart, looking for what even he couldn't see, even so a smile crept across her face in her quest through his soul. The maiden's hand reached out to him; he stumbled back a step thinking that she was attempting to approach him, afraid to feel her touch. Her hand turned over to have her palm face up, she was reaching out her hand for his; she was offering her life for his.

Hesitantly he brought his hand up and stretched out to her; her smiled stayed there upon her face, neither growing nor dissipating. His hand shakily reached hers and he could feel the warmth of her touch. The boy looked down at her hand holding his own, then looked up to see the countenance of the maiden. Pure skin slightly tanned, emerald eyes behind a sharpened triangular pupil and chestnut hair that reached to her lower waist. She wore a flowing green kimono that touched the floor with a black belt, lining and bow and strange red designs around the arms and down the front of the dress. The girl turned around and began to walk with him walking slowly behind, they walked a few feet before she slowed down and finally stopped.

He was about to ask, but as soon as he tried to summon his voice his throat went hoarse, he couldn't speak out. Her grip around his hand tightened as a strange breeze blew by, red leaves picked up and circled around the girl. Her arms began shaking and an eerie black light was glowing from around her neck, the wind and leaves picked up speed circling faster and faster around her. The maiden's hair began turning ashen black and her nails grew and dug into his skin and small pools of blood formed around her nails in his hand while she was still had her back turned to him. He struggled to free himself from her grasp but she held on still until she sharply turned around to face him once more, he witnessed what the transformation had done to her.

Her eyes burned red surrounding a piercing black pupil that had grown large. Strange markings down from her eyes to her cheeks and a black diamond appeared on her forehead. Fangs were now apparent in her snarling demeanor and she finally let go of his bloody hand and stared at him for a moment, she took a step toward him with her bloody claws held up in preparation to strike. He took a couple slow steps backwards before stumbling over something and landing hard onto the ground.

The girl towered over him with a fang sticking out over her bottom lip and she smiled maliciously. His breathing speed up and his eyes widened in fear, he couldn't think of anything to do she was clearly in the more dominant position to strike, if he tried anything she could easily bring him down. He was cornered by her and he felt completely helpless despite the years of martial arts training he had gone through. She stood there a moment looking into his fearful eyes, her hand was now trembling and her malevolent smile turned to an angered snarl. Her bangs covered her eyes and she seemed to be in pain, she dropped down to her knees and her hand went to her head.

A tear ran down her cheek as her entire body began trembling in pain. The boy was surprised, a moment ago she was going to tear him to shreds and here she was the one now crying and in pain. She lifted her head up and looked upon his face. Memorizing every inch, every detail of his face, his orange hair, his maroon eyes, he could tell she didn't want to forget them. Her lips trembled and she kept her body still as she struggled to find her words as her eyes began to overflow with tears running down her cheeks. “I'm sorry ” she whispered sweetly to him and his world began to collapse into a blinding light.

~*~*~*^-^*~*~*~

He was back in that garden, the one where IT had happened. His friends, they were all there running past him in an attempt to stay away from whoever was “it”. He stood there motionless suddenly realizing that she was coming towards him. Taking off suddenly the game continued for a moment before he noticed her behind him, she was trying to tag him when she suddenly tripped on a rock embedded in the ground. Her body slammed into his for a moment before the puff of pink smoke appeared around the two of them and he could feel his clothes slipping of his small child body.

The girl removed the blind fold from around her eyes and began to apologize profusely when she suddenly realized the pile of clothes before her. The other children had grown silent and were staring at the rat amongst the clothes. The girl slumped lower on her knees and continued staring at him, she cupped her hands around his small furry body and held him close to her face.

“Yuki?”

He could hear the fear in her voice, she was afraid he couldn't tell exactly what of but the tint of it was still in her tone. Fast and hard footfalls could be heard running across the grass behind them.

“What's going on here children?” asked a woman's voice that he recognized as one of the Sohma women. The footsteps drew close until he could see the woman's face behind the girl who hadn't even bothered to turn around.

“Oh no…” The woman's words were soaked with dread, she called out to someone to come and help. It was awhile before the children were brought into the main house. They waited in a large room while he was summoned to Akito. The head of the family sat behind a screen, only his silhouette could been seen as he stood there while Akito began to tell him of the events that had taken place.

Yuki-So…the other children…

His voice quivered with fear of the answer.

Akito-Yes, their memories will have to be erased.

He paused before continuing, trying to ask the question he had asked himself all his life.

Yuki-Akito, am I really that strange, am I so strange that we have to hide it from everyone?”

Akito-Yes you are that strange, a human who turns into a rat. What do you think they would do if they knew? Really, you're a freak, they wouldn't come near you…they'd hate you.

The words burned into his mind `They'd hate me' he thought to himself. `Will they hate me now? Will they leave me alone? Will none of them remember me?' Yuki couldn't bear to realize that the answer to all his questions was an unfortunate yes. He left Akito and was allowed to be with his friends while they still remembered him. Sitting in the room with them, one by one as they went in to see Hatori and never came back into the waiting room. Another child went in and it was just him and the girl who had tripped and fallen on him, his best friend…

“I'm…so, so sorry Yuki.”
Yuki-It's not your fault…

“It is…I'm the one fell over you…but what exactly is going to happen now?”

He looked up at her, she wasn't afraid…but he was. More than anything he wanted her to stay his friend, that's why he had asked if she could be last, he wanted her to be with him and remember everything for as long as he could. Avoiding the inevitable, he knew that she was next now, and he wanted to talk to her alone.

Yuki-Your memory…it's going to be erased, you'll forget everything about me, and you probably won't be my friend anymore.

“You don't know that.”

He didn't care to answer her, he couldn't…he thought it would break him to even hope that at least she would remember him, because when it ended he knew she wouldn't be in his life anymore. He didn't dare to hope.

“So, I really won't know you are?”

Yuki-You may know who I am, but you won't know that I was you friend, and especially not about my transformations.

“Oh, I get it.”

There was a silence between the two children as the girl thought about what it might be like without her best friend. She knew that she didn't want to forget, but what was there that she could do? The only thing to do was to accept her fate, and hope that she could at least see Yuki again one day.

“I don't want to forget you, but if it means keeping this secret…I'm sure I'll manage. If it means that…that no one will ridicule you for it, then I'm fine with it. It's because I don't want that happening, I want you to always be happy…to just be…Yuki. Not the rat that people may see…because that's not you…that's what I really don't want to forget…the Yuki who's always been my friend.”

The girl looked at him with a smile across her face and bright eyes to comfort him. He was surprised, usually kids were afraid that losing their memories meant that they wouldn't know anything about their life, they didn't listen when someone would tell them that they just wouldn't know him, they were too afraid. She wasn't…she wasn't afraid for herself…but for him.

The door slid open and Hatori took a step outside, looking around the room and he laid his eyes on Yuki and his friend.

Hatori-Is she the last one?

Yuki-Uh…yes…

Hatori-Good…well Akito would like to have a word with her.

She slid off her chair and stood up, walking over to the door as Hatori walked into the room beyond the wall. The girl turned around to stare at Yuki for one last moment.

“Please don't forget me Yuki.”

For a moment she still stood there, and then turned slightly about to walk into the next room.

Yuki-Wait…uh…thanks…Akeela.

She nodded her head and walked into the spaciously and cold room, sliding the door behind her.

Yuki-I could never forget you.

Yuki quickly ran outside to the window that allowed him to peer into the room that Akeela had walked into. Akito spoke to the girl while she sat kneeling on the floor before him. Yuki couldn't hear the words he was speaking but it seemed that he was starting to get angered. He walked to the girl, ready to strike as she sat still, her pose unwavering despite Akito's expression. The head of the family didn't hit her, he dropped his hand and smiled maliciously and spoke a few words to Hatori.

The dragon walked over to Akeela with her head down, he looked into her eyes to see no tears as there had been in the eyes of the other children, only regret for her own actions. Her head turned to the window and her eyes met his in one last sweet glance. Neither Hatori nor Akito had noticed him at the window, but Akeela had…she mouthed the words “Don't forget to hope” one last time to her best friend before Hatori placed his hands over her eyes as she accepted her fate. Yuki watched as the light emanated from the dragon's hands and the girl fell onto her back. Eyes closed, one last tear fell from her eye onto the floor beneath her. He slumped to the cold ground before burying his head in his knees wrapping his arms around himself. His eyes flickered open to greet the morning, to realize that he had not experienced a dream…because dreams don't erase friendships…

 

~*.:Thought of the Chapter:.*~

No great work is impossible. The word it self says I'm possible.

 

~*.:CleoQueen36:.*~