Chapter Three: Heartbreak

I slowly became aware of the bright light shining on my face. I groaned and threw the blanket over my head.

As I laid there, tucking the blanket in closer to my body, my mind began to wander to the previous night...

I just didn't understand it all. Why does it have to be me? What does any of this have to do with me?

Or should I say Akito's sake? I laughed to myself.

I just didn't know what I was supposed to do. If I was destined to save Kyo, I needed some answers. I needed to know what happened. Why did the curse come back?

I decided I'd get ready and head to the direct source of the problem and the one person that had changed Kyo once before.

I got dressed and got ready in the bathroom before heading downstairs.

When I got into the dining area, everyone was already sitting around the table, eating breakfast.

"Good morning, Nick-san!" Tohru called to me. "Would you like some pancakes? I'll go make some more for you!" Tohru jumped up and trotted to the kitchen.

I shook my head with a small laugh. "Good morning," I said with a small wave.

"Good morning," they all called back to me. I headed into the kitchen.

Tohru was already at the stove, pouring the batter.

"Hey, Tohru?" I asked, sliding the door closed behind me.

"Oh! Nick-san! I don't need any help. You can go and sit with everyone if you'd like."

"Actually…" I hesitated. I wasn't sure how'd she take it. "I came in here to ask you something." Her eyes widened slightly and she stopped what she was doing.

"Oh... Umm... okay."

I cleared my throat. "What happened the night the curse came back?"

At this, Tohru dropped the ladle she was using on the floor. It fell with a clang, and I heard some scuffling in the other room.

"Are you alright?" Yuki said, rushing into the room. He shut the door behind himself. "What happened?"

"What did happen?" I asked, feeling my temper rising slightly. Yuki looked from me to Tohru and back to me again. Then, Tohru sighed.

"Okay... You have a right to know the truth." At this, Yuki's eyes widened. He still made no move to come closer to Tohru.

"It happened a year ago now. It was a dark, rainy night, and all of us were here, having our graduation party."

Flashback: Tohru

I was in the bathroom, washing off the stain on my pale pink dress. It was an accident of course, caused by Kyo. He felt really awful about it.

Everyone was there. Hatori, Hatsuharu, Rin, Uo, Hana, Momiji, Kureno, Kazuma... Just to name a few. I was so excited to have a good time. The music from the party was so loud, it was no wonder they were having fun.

I rubbed my dress as hard as I could, scrubbing the stain. Then I heard a knock on the bathroom door. The person didn't bother to wait and slowly creaked the door open.

"Miss Honda, is everything alright?" Yuki walked toward me in his black suit and tie. He looked truly amazing tonight.

"Oh! Yuki! Yes, everything's fine. I'm just trying to get this stain out..." I continued scrubbing, not looking Yuki in the eye.

"Oh, I see..." He seemed to ponder something. Then he asked, "Kyo did this, I suppose?"

"It's alright! It's just a little slip up, is all." I smiled at him and he responded with a smile as he always did whenever I smiled. "Umm...Yuki?"

He picked his head up. "Yes, Miss Honda?"

"Why is that whenever I smile at you, you smile back at me, no matter what I say?"

Yuki's eyes widened and then he shook his head. "Well, you see..." Yuki trailed off and then sighed. "Miss Honda, there's something I need to tell you."

"What is it Yuki?"

He looked around nervously before speaking again. "Remember when... I used to like you?" I swallowed hard, though I still nodded. "Well, when I decided that I didn't anymore, it was because I spoke to a good friend of mine. I admitted to him that I... was only looking for a mother in you. He told me that a lot of guys look for a mother in their girlfriends, and I said that it wasn't like that. But the thing is, it only wasn't like that at the time." He sighed and shook his head. "Machi broke up with me tonight."

I gasped. "Oh, Yuki! I'm so sorry!" I slowly stepped over to him and hugged him. He pulled me close to him, and I could smell his distinct, sweet scent. I loved being able to be closer with him now...all of the Sohmas for that matter.

"It's alright. We had an argument about something, and we just couldn't seem to agree on anything." He pulled away gently, but he then inched his arms around my waist. I looked up at him, slightly confused. Then he just smiled at me, with the smile that was always certain to reassure me.

As I always did, I smiled back at him. Whenever I saw that smile, I always felt comfortable, no matter what happened. But why do I feel that way?

"Miss Honda?" he asked. His face was suddenly serious, but he was still smiling, only slightly.

"Yuki?" I asked. Then, without warning...

He closed the gap between us.

Our lips collided smoothly. The way he moved with me, he was in perfect sync with my body. I had never felt like this in a kiss with Kyo before. I felt blown away, so I just followed his lead.

I never wanted this one, blissful moment to end.

"Tohru…?"

Then, the bathroom door opened, and standing there...

Was Kyo.

He was wearing the suit that I bought him. I'd saved up for it with my work money, and when graduation came, I'd had enough to pay for it. It was all black, and the collar of his white shirt underneath was unbuttoned a bit, hanging over the sides.

Yuki and I saw him at the same time. Yuki and I pulled our lips away from each other. But the shock of moving away, lingered on my lips for a second, and I looked back to Yuki, utterly speechless.

Then, I looked to Kyo and realized what had just happened.

Hurt... betrayal... shock... devastation.

I never thought I'd be able to see so many horrible feelings in one person's face all at once.

"I..." I tried to speak, but I couldn't say a word. What would I say even if I could?

"Kyo, this isn't her fault," Yuki said, stepping forward. My eyes widened, as did Kyo's as he backed away. Both of us were speechless as Yuki spoke. "I was the one who came up here to see what she was doing. I told her the truth about how I felt awhile ago." He clasped his eyes shut and clenched his fists. "Tell him, Miss Honda! You can't have both!" I was thrown aback by Yuki's pain. My chest ached. Then I looked to Kyo and saw the hurt...

But I didn't feel it anymore.

"Kyo..." I whispered as softly as I could. I walked over to him a few steps and put my hand on his cheek. He closed his eyes and put his hand over mine. I saw tears fall to the floor.

"Who... Who do you truly want, Tohru?" Kyo asked through clenched teeth. "You know I love you. You know he's loved you all this time. You have to make a choice...." He never once opened his eyes as the tears fell.

"Kyo... I... I'm sorry!" I admitted it to him at last.

"So that's it then?" he asked. His voice was a low, hallow sound. "After everything we've been through? It's over now?"

"I'm sorry..."

Then his fists clenched.

"Fine! I don't need you! I don't need any of you!" But rather than running off, he dropped to the floor, holding his head in pain.

"Kyo!"

But then he looked up at me, and I realized what was happening.

His pupils became narrow slits, and he cried out in pain.

"Miss Honda, move!" Yuki shouted at me. He jumped at me and threw us against the wall of the hallway as Kyo's body started to grow and rip through his suit. I looked away, not wanting to see it happen. Yuki pulled me close to him, blocking Kyo's rage.

When the transformation was finally complete, I pushed Yuki's arm away and looked at Kyo.

He looked at me with those gleaming violet eyes one last time.

Then he took off and broke through the back window down the hallway.

"Kyo!" I cried out. I pushed past Yuki and ran down the hallway. "Kyo!" I yelled out the window. But he was already gone.

I stepped back in horror at what I had done. But I felt something small under my foot.

I bent down and picked up the bracelet.

End Flashback

By now, Yuki was holding Tohru in his arms and she sobbed into his shoulder. That was when I noticed she was wearing the bracelet. When she finally got up the courage to speak again, I listened patiently.

"That was the last time any of us ever saw him. After that, I cried for days, locked in my room. I felt so horrible!" She cried into Yuki's shoulder again, and now I finally understood.

She broke Kyo's heart. And being that Kyo is the key part of the curse...

It was set loose once again.