The Puppet Master's Last Testament (Fruits Basket FanFiction)

Chapter 30: Amor Fati

Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with Fruits Basket.

What does it take to set the Sohmas free after Akito's death?

The Puppet Master's Last Testament

Chapter Thirty: Amor Fati

Three and a half days after the trip to the zoo…

He entered the jewelry shop. He peered into the counters at the sparkling rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets. He wanted to ask the lady behind the counter, "Do you sell silver or platinum handcuffs?" Hehe, what a laugh he would get out of the lady's expression.

His eyes settled on a simple silver bracelet with a circle dog-tag on it. He wanted something special engraved on it; something that his flower would wear, as a symbol that she belonged to him. He wanted a special Latin phrase engraved on it: Amor et melle et felle est fecundissmismus.

This meant "Love is Rich with Both Honey and Venom" in Latin. He would tell her something else, and she would never know this secret. It was not real love of course; merely a way to possess her. Love was wrong. So wrong. It killed (as he recalled from Romeo and Juliet). It tortured (Ethan Frome). It was ultimately devastating. He, the almightly Shigure, could not subject himself to such mental torment. He was the snake, she was his sweet elixir. She must know her place. She must know that she is merely a mortal, a slave to him. She will die someday, but at least Shigure knew that she would belong to him; forever. Fate brought them together, and Fate would keep them together forever, chained to each other. He decided that he wanted a chain with that engraving too.

Bound to each other.

Master and slave.

Predator and prey.

Lover and …

He smiled cynically (like an evil tyrant) when the woman behind the counter greeted him. "How may I help you this afternoon, sir?"

"Can I get an engraving on the dog tag of that bracelet?"

"Absolutely."

"Then I would like to get one please."

"Come this way to our engraving specialist. You can pick out the font and tell him the phrase or name that you would like on it."

Shigure nodded and followed the woman into the back room. After he paid and the date was set for when he was to pick up the bracelet, he left the store and wandered the streets for a good place for an afternoon snack before he went to pick Tohru up from school.

Tohru stared at the white board in her economics class. She thought of the day they spent at the zoo. It was absolutely relaxed and not full of tension. Hatori was definitely a good barrier.

Flashback

"WOW. Look at this map! Today is going to be so fun!" Tohru exclaimed.

"Let's go to the wolves' exhibit. I have been dying to see the Timber wolf from North America." Shigure said, pulling at Hatori's shirt.

Hatori and Tohru followed the over-excited author to the exhibit half a mile away. It was late morning, and there was no activity in the forest exhibit. Tohru's expression seemed a little downcast (as much so, since she was the ever-cheerful, optimistic girl). She had come all the way, by train, only to have her first exhibit empty. When Tohru wasn't happy, neither was Shigure. All that they could see were a few rocks and big branches. The grass was overgrown. The trunk of the trees were raw.