Chapter 1

Torhu lifted her arms above her head and smiled as she looked out the morning sun. It really was beautiful. Then again everything was beautiful if you looked about it in the right way...and sometimes things you could never imagine to be likeable can become the most beautiful thing in your life. Like Kyo and Uo, they used to hate each other so much but now they love one another more than anything. They are so cute together! Uo still doesn't know Kyo's secret, although I'm sure she will still accept him whatever his true appearance, just as I accepted Uo years ago despite her reputation; love means more than first impressions. "Torhu BREAKFAST...!" Shigure sang out from she guessed was the dining room, of course he hadn't made her breakfast, he wished Torhu to make some of her famous rice balls...mmm...rice balls. I particularly like the new apricot ones she had been trying out, however I am still rather partial to the plum flavoured ones...mmm...plum rice balls. Oh damn my agent nooo...but the rice balls. THE RICEBALLS!

"Ring-a-ding-ding" the doorbell, broken from Kigura wild attempts to attract Kyo's attention, so Shigure's rather frantic agent had to sob out the sound instead. Flapping her arms hysterically and wailing almost more than usual. She banged her already throbbing head against the locked door until it fell to her feet revealing a rather surprised Yuki, key in hand, ready to let her in.

"Why, why, WHY Shigure WHY." she cried "Do you know how many excuses I've had to make, the publishers are going mad and guess who they are blaming-ME ME MEEEEEEEE! Please Shigure PLEASE!"

"Now, now I am eating and that is a little more important that a silly old book-although they are rather fantabulicious if I may say so myself" Shigure mumbled through a mouth full of plum rice balls (Torhu was a quick cooker, and a talented one at that) The editor fell to the floor, weeping and muttering curses towards her client. Shigure continued to eat, oblivious to the drama that was unfolding around him, or of the fact that Kyo would never have to tell Uo the truth.

Chapter 2

Meanwhile Torhu and Kyo were standing in the dojo, alone. Or so they thought. They were about to attempt something that both Torhu and Kyo had dreamt about ever since they met each other. I know what you are thinking...How could they ever be unfaithful to Yuki and Uo who they both cared about so much. In fact this is what Yuki was thinking as he watched from the window. The truth was, they were doing this out of love for not just one another but for Yuki who would never suspect such a thing. Torhu wrapped her hand around Kyo's and whispered a few words in to his ear. The constant frown that was carved in to Kyo's face lifted as Torhu leaned closer to him. Yuki couldn't watch anymore. He slumped against the panelled, grazing his back as tears streamed down his face. Maybe he was being selfish. Kyo had never loved before he met Torhu and Torhu had always wanted to please him. They could not help such strong emotions, then again neither could Yuki. Torhu did not love him, she merely wished to make him happy as she did for everyone. She was a truly wonderful girl. She loved that damned cat whom he hated with such a passion that he only felt in his love for Torhu.

A ginger cat slipped out of the window next to him, a cat that had stolen his one glimpse of happiness...Torhu. Yuki felt his rage immerse all at once. He had vowed never to harm Kyo in his cat form, and this was the first time that he did not hold back...he had something to fight for now. Kyo watched in horror from the dojo as Torhu, now the zodiac cat was flung across the strawberry patch...the strawberries that she had planted so lovingly for Yuki. But no, Yuki didn't know, that after all her begging he had finally transferred his form to her, the whole curse of the cat. That pain was meant for him not the selfless, innocent young girl who had given up everything to be with him.

Finally Yuki collapsed. A battered brown haired girl, lay before him, sobbing. She pulled the tarpaulin over herself and dragged herself through the house to the kitchen before Yuki saw her. Shigure looked down at her, lying on the floor, bruised, bleeding and confused. he solemnly passed her the kimono, knowing that this was not the time for peeping...she was too hurt. She rose before crumbling to the floor again. She was too weak. He sighed and carried her in his arms to her bed...and then crept away...wishing her some rest.

"Shigure...Yuki must never know about this...he would never forgive himself and neither would I...please? Tell no-one...for me." Torhu murmured the words before drifting in to an unconscious state.

Chapter 3

"I promise." he whispered before sliding the door shut. He resisted the temptation to watch her for just a few more seconds. That was when he realised. Why had he not turned when he was carrying Torhu, her arms draped around his neck? And how could Yuki not realise that it was his beloved Torhu? He needed answers, and he knew where to find them! He shuffled, refusing to leave his warm house slippers behind. He grabbed Yuki by the shoulders

"Where is he?" he came close to shaking the boy for what he had done to Torhu, but this was not the time.

"I beat the hell out of that damn cat, I know I vowed never to attack him in his form but I just couldn't help it after I saw him and Torhu!" Yuki collapsed in to a shaking heap. Shigure began to piece together what had happened.

"where is he?"

"I don't care. He snuck away before I had a chance to really do some damage."

Thank goodness. Shigure thought, remembering the despairing look he saw in Torhu's pained eyes. Suddenly he knew what had happened...surely Kyo wouldn't let Torhu go through with such a dangerous procedure? But it all fitted. Torhu was the zodiac cat now. He knew what it must have looked like for Yuki too. The holding hands, the embrace and finally the joining of their souls in the form of a kiss. He knew how much this must have pained Torhu. Her friends must really mean a lot to her...she would do anything for them and this just proved it. He ran to the dojo...house slippers were no longer of such great importance. Although his feet were a little chilly now. He pulled open the door. That's when he saw him...

Kyo lay in a heap, pressed down by Akito. This was the first time Shigure had ever seen Kyo look so weak. And it wasn't because of pain, not physical pain anyway. What Kyo was feeling was guilt. The kind of guilt which he had not felt since his mother died, he knew that ,again, this was his fault. Now he remembered why he isolated himself from people, he destroyed them, even the ones he loved.

"Now Akito, leave Kyo, he has been through enough today. Akito you may scare us most of the time, but not today, the really scary thing is what has happened to our household...go and get Hatori before I do something I'll regret!" Shigure did not yell, he said those words so softly, so differently it was hard to imagine that it was him speaking at all. Even Akito was shaken as he sarcastically roamed out, his pretend fear in fact a reality.

"Out Shigure, I can't take it, not today" Kyo sobbed. Shigure shook his head and wrapped the ginger one up in to his arms, rocking him. Kyo was nearly as large as Shigure, but in his child-like state that didn't seem to matter. Shigure shuffled back to the house, taking care to slip the slippers back on to his feet, on the way to the door-his feet did matter after all.

Yuki watched from the bushes. This can't be Kyo if it was then that meant...no, it couldn't be. Not Torhu, not her, anyone else. Yuki felt more pain then Torhu right now. He had to fetch Hatori, right away.

Chapter 4

Several hours later, and Yuki found himself journeying towards the house of Sohma with Akito. He was scorning him, torturing him with the memory of what they both knew Yuki had done to Torhu. But as he laughed and mocked Akito knew the truth.

"Akito you know that Torhu has lifted the whole Sohma curse, not just the curse of the cat? That means that you will be kept alive no longer, you are not needed" You see, Akito had come to terms with his Illness after Torhu had talked to him but he was not ready to die. When he had first met Torhu he had fallen madly in love with her. he wished to win a kiss from the only girl that he had ever loved, but all he knew was abuse and heartbreak he had never shown kindness to another soul.

"Akito, are you afraid? For many years you were all I feared but now I have met Torhu I have so much more to lose." Yuki whispered.

"No Yuki, not any more. I have only one regret. I wanted one thing from life...something that I never got. Something that I don't deserve." Akito did not let on his only wish, but Yuki knew. Yuki always knew Akito best. He could understand him, and his motives.

Finally they had reached the gates, and Hatori was waiting for them. They rushed to Torhu's side, as worrying got the better of them. Whilst they were running, their short time with torhu began to flash before their eyes. Akito remembered all he had done to hurt her, Yuki all that she said that made him smile. Hatori remembered when Torhu held him in her arms just as Cona...they were so similar.

Before long they were by her side. " Y..yuki...bu..ut Shi..shi...gure p..p...promi..i s..ed..."

Yuki stroked her hair and leant in towards her to kiss her on the forehead.

"I am so sorry Torhu, so sorry" He began to cry in to her soft, strawberry stained hair. She pulled his face closer to hers and they hugged for the first time since they had met. She flinched as he stroked her bruised cheek but the pain did not seem to matter. Their love was like the strawberries that they planted together last summer...all the hard work was worth it for the sweet taste. And just as the strawberries had been hurt, battered and bruised by the storm they grew back just as strong.

Chapter 5

"EW! Get a ROOM guys!" Kyo shuddered from the corner. But no-one could hold back their smiles...everything was as it should be. Apart from Akito he was lying dazed on the floor. he was lying dazed on the floor. Yuki whispered in Torhu's ear. Akito's one dying wish. Torhu crept from her bed to kneel by his side. She placed one kiss of his cheek before wishing him good luck. He smiled, no-one saw it but Torhu, no-one ever saw him smile, but he did. He died happy and the Sohmas really did miss him. But they managed, in fact thing barely changed. Hatori moved in, he wished to spend more time with his good friend Shigure, and he was no longer needed at the Sohma household. The last traces of the curse are fading away now, no new zodiacs are born...apart from the cat. How do we know this? There is a baby. Cradled in the arms of his adoring parents-the cat and the rat.

WOHA! so that was me peg-polkadot's first ever co-written fanfic! it was probalbly a bit weird, and a lot of people appearing and disappearing in strange places but the story's cute.. ^.^

anyway, we hope you liked it!