Hanashi
Chapter One: A Plain, Simple, and Kind Girl 
by Ina-chan
First Posted Online: July 5, 2003
History: Inspired by the storytelling style of the "Princess Tutu" anime

[Disclaimer: I don’t own Fruits Basket… or the basic idea of Princess Tutu. But everything else in this fanfic are figments of my imagination. Any similarities to name, places, yada yada yada are simply examples of the world’s many coincidental mysteries.]

            /Once upon a time, there lived a girl. Both her parents died, leaving her alone in the world. She was plain, simple and very kind. But because she was plain, no one ever took a second glance at her… because she was simple, no one ever took her intellect seriously… and because she was kind, people always took advantage of her benevolence. Nonetheless, she still looks at life with an optimistic smile.  A single belief keeps her strong: ‘Good things always happen to good people, so never give up!’  But is that really a manifestation of strength? Or is it just turning a blind eye and running away from the ugliness of the world?/

                “Huaaaa…” The girl sighed in awe as the sunrise painted a beautiful tapestry of orange and gold in the great horizon. She lifted her chin to allow the cool morning breeze to play with the loose stands of chestnut from her neat braid. She took a deep breath and cupped her hands around her lips, “GOOOOOOOD MOOOOOOORNING!!!!”

                 And indeed it was a beautiful wonderful fantastic morning. Why won’t it be?  After all, every single day of the sixteen years that Honda Tooru has been alive has been beautiful, wonderful, and fantastic. Call it bravery… or one-track mindedness… But despite of all the misfortunes this plain and simple girl experienced within her short sixteen years, not once had she allowed sorrow or despair overwhelm to her…  

She didn’t feel dejected at her father dying before she was even old enough to remember him…

‘Okaasan said that he’s in a better place now, and that’s most important.’  

She didn’t feel resentment with growing up being the neighborhood bullies’ favourite target…

                ‘They must have worse problems than me, besides, not for them, I wouldn’t have met my two dearest friends in the world!’  

                She didn’t feel crushed with fact that her mother died less than a year ago, leaving her all alone in the world…  

                ‘Though mother isn’t with me physically, I know she’s always watching over me. And I’m not alone. I have Hana-chan and Uo-chan and Ojiisan and Obasan… so no one is ever truly alone.’               

                 She didn’t feel discouraged with the fact that her Grandfather was becoming too senile to take care of her and her aunt’s family doesn’t like her…  

                ‘It makes me happy every time I hear Ojiisan say my mother’s name. It almost seems like she’s still alive. And Obasan was already kind enough to take me in, if I ask for anything more I’ll be punished.’  

                Or get offended that people thought she was stupid because she easily believed any person’s sad story and was willing to help and do all she can no matter the consequences…  

                ‘These people are worse off than me. I was luck to have had Okaasan and Hana-chan and Uo-chan to help me through my troubles. They don’t have anyone at all!’  

                Or bitter with the fact that those same unselfish acts had caused her to loose her part-time job… twice… and put her on probation… on the same job… again…  

                ‘It was my fault that happened, anyway. And I really can’t help it. As Obasan and my cousins always told me… because I was born slow. Besides, Obasan always hires me back. I’ll simply have to do my best next time!’  

                Or indignant with the fact that in all her troubles, no one has successfully come forward to her rescue…  

                “Ieeee… that’s not true!” The girl protested aloud as she put her hands on her hips, an uncharacteristic defiant frown slightly marring her delicate forehead  

                Of course, I’m sure your friends will come and help you with the best of their abilities.  

“Well, it’s true that Hana-chan and Uo-chan would do anything to help me… but I don’t really have the heart to ask help from them since they have problems of their own. It would simply make me feel bad if I cause them unnecessary burdens.”  

If that’s the case, then who would help you?  

                “When I was a little girl, I got lost in the woods and prince rescued me!” The girl explained proudly  

                A prince? A real prince?  

                “Well… I don’t know if he was a real prince,” The girl chewed her lower lip uncertainly before making a proud beaming smile, “But to me he was as good as real!”  

                So what is his name?  

                “I don’t know.”  

                Where does he live?  

                “I have no idea.”  

                What does he look like?  

                “I don’t remember?”  

                Anou… are you sure it wasn’t just a dream?  

                “He was real!” The girl was frowning again, her voiced heavily weighed with great conviction, “It was so dark and every path I took only seemed as if I was going around in circles.  I was lost and scared and I thought I would never get out of the woods.  Just as was about to give up and cry, I heard a tinkling noise.”  

                A tinkling noise?  

                “A tinkling noise. I looked up and I saw him standing in the near distance. We stood there for a few moments, watching each other for a few minutes. Then finally I stood up to go toward him.”  

                And then? Did he take you in his arms and kiss away your tears? Did he take you by the hand and carry you off in a white horse? Did he do any of those things that princes were supposed to do?  

                “Kiss? White horse? Things that princes were supposed to do? Ne, you’re very strange!”  

                I’m strange? Normal characters usually don’t argue with the narrator…  

“Well… nothing like that happened.”  

                Then, what did he do?  

                “He ran away.”  

                Ha?  

                “He ran away and I chased him. I don’t know how long I ran, or how many times I fell. But before I knew it, we were out of the woods. And as we stood there, trying to catch our breaths, I suddenly found myself in the path leading to my house. I was so happy that I jumped up and hugged him… but for some strange reason… he mysteriously disappeared.”  

                Somehow that story sounds too much like a made-up fairy tale. It’s too hard to believe.  

                “But it’s true! It really did happen! It happened right on those very woods,” She pointed to the greenery just ahead, where the morning sunbeams were mischievously peeking through the clusters of leaves that swayed in the cool summer breeze. The girl pulled out a silver chain from around her neck to lovingly show a tiny shiny pearl-like object on the silver string, “He was gone, but he left this as a memento of that moment. It’s one of my most precious treasures.”  

                Her treasure tinkled in the breeze. It’s clear silvery sound echoed from a tiny silver bell. It wasn’t a special bell, mind you. It was a tiny little thing that one can buy from any craft store... the kind of bell that you put through a ribbon and tie around the neck of a favourite stuffed animal… or a small pet.  

                Not a very prince-like memento. Not a very prince-like memento at all.  

                “Someday, I hope to meet him again, so I can thank him properly.”  

                You mean you never tried to find him?  

                The girl bowed her head, looking a little ashamed, “The only place I know to find him is here in the woods. It’s too scary to go in there to look for him. So I usually walk by here by the edge to peek if he happened to be passing by.”  

                Haaaaa…. Well, of course… the woods were not a place for a young girl to be in. There were poisonous plants and wild animals and perverts…  

                “And ghosts,” The girl interrupted with a shudder  

                Ghosts?  

                “Ghosts,” The girl said again, “People have heard strange sounds… seen strange lights… and a figure in white, crying and wandering through the woods, appearing out of nowhere, at night.”  

                 My, my, my… what interesting woods… First princes who disappear, then apparitions coming out of thin air. Were you sure that what his highness was really not a ghost?  

                “Hai! I know the difference between my prince and a ghost. My prince was a kind person who rescued me. A ghost is a scary and mysterious spirit that wanders aimlessly in the places it haunts,” The girl replied confidently looking very pleased with herself  

                ………  

“Ghosts are creatures,” she continued on with great authority, as she pointed once again towards the direction of the woods, “like that thing over there.”                

                As if on cue, a mysterious figure in white weaved between the trees walking towards her, slowly nearing the edge of the woods from where she stood.  

                “WAAAAAAH!!! A GHOST!!!” The girl cried out in surprise, the strange vision, finally registering in her head. She started to run, but her shaking knees gave way before she could move. Before she knew it, she found herself on the ground. Her surprise and fear had drained away all her strength.  

                Ten steps… nine steps… closer and closer the creature walked.  

She clasped her hands together, tears flowing generously down her eyes, as she fearfully watched the figure’s slow movements toward her, “Okaasan~~~~! Please save me from the ghost!”  

                Seven steps… six steps… It simply continued with it’s measured procession, not showing any signs of even being aware of the girl huddled timidly on the grass.  

                Despite her fear, she lifted her eyes to see the creature almost in front of her, and found herself staring speechless in awe. The light from the early morning sun bathed the creature with an ethereal glow. So that even from that distance, the figure’s porcelain skin and fine silvery-gray mane almost seemed translucent in the radiant light.  Thick dark lashes were a lovely contrast against the light sad gray orbs it framed.  

                One step… and it was right in front of her. It was so near that if she was to reach out her hand, she would be able to touch it to figure out if it really was a ghost… that is, had her mind-state not been trapped between feelings of fear and wonder. If one was to see it for the first time, one would even think that the creature would be a wood nymph… or an angel… or even a…  

“…prince…?” The girl mumbled almost inaudibly  

But the mysterious figure before her gave no answer to her one-word question. Neither did the soft whispering breeze that continued to play with the loose strands of her hair as the sun went on to paint the sky in a different hue as it continued its ascent.  

Return to Prologue: Once Upon a Time...
Continued on Chapter 2: The Tragic Prince