I do not own Fruits Basket, I simply control their lives through fanfiction.
I also do not own "When I get where I'm going", which is sung by Dolly Parton and Brad Paisley.
Tohru approached the alley, feet bruised from walking on the rocks. The knife was tucked in the waistband of her skirt, sheathed by the shirt that was tucked into it. She saw Kisa in a dog cage. Her eyes flashed and she was numb to the cold air, the rocks under her feet, and the rain that was beginning to fall. She walked, unafraid of the night around her, and crossed toward the unconscious girl in the cage. He had been especially cruel, and she looked as though she hadn't eaten in two days. She remembered Shigure saying something about her "running away" three days ago. She had felt guilty at the time, but now she wanted revenge. Blood trickled from Kisa's head, traveling down her temple. She wasn't bound, but the rope burn around her wrist hinted that she had been at one point. She opened the cage and used all of the strength she still possessed to pull her halfway out. Her head rested in Tohru's lap. She pulled her legs close to her chest out of instinct, pulling her the rest of the way out of the kennel. She pulled off the sweatshirt Kisa had around her waist and folded it under the small girl's head.
"Just stay there, princess." She smoothed down her hair and kissed her forehead. "Onee-san will take care of it."
She stood up carefully, as to not pierce herself with the knife. As she walked forward, Yuki slowly came out of the shadows.
"Hello, Miss Honda." The insanity in his eyes matched the rage in hers. The two were face to face with only ten feet of air between them, each of their spirits broken and replaced because of the other.
"Did you like the cage? Took me ten extra minutes, but I thought it was a nice touch. You know, irony. The mouse capturing the cat." He smirked. "Well, a type of cat. Sadly, I couldn't get close enough to Kyo. I wouldn't have dirtied my hands with that abomination anyway."
She was shaking with anger and the cold, suddenly aware of the fact that she didn't have a jacket or anything to shield her from the wind or rain. It was falling heavier now, wetting the hair of both of them.
"You really are foolish. Coming here defenseless." He stared at her, confused at her silence. She hadn't said a thing, despite how incessant she usually was.
'Not quite defenseless,' she thought, and smiled at herself.
He saw her. "What? What are you smiling at? You're going to die! I've won! Why are you happy?" He was shouting.
When she didn't respond, he stomped like a petulant child. "Why aren't you answering me?!" He began running toward her, and without thinking, her right leg swung around and hit him in the face. This movement caused the knife to run it's tip along her thigh, causing a cut that was about four inches long. She couldn't feel a thing. He was laid out on the rocks when she leaned down.
"Because I'm not afraid of you anymore." She reached towards the waistband of her skirt when his hand shot up and wrapped itself around her small neck. She smiled even more, and she wasn't afraid.
"What are you going to do, kill me?" She looked at him, eyes turning bloodshot.
He was unnerved, but nodded nevertheless.
"I don't know if you realized, but that's going to be harder than you expected." She swiftly removed the knife from her skirt and plunged it into his side. He screamed, and his fingers stiffened around her throat. They locked eyes for what seemed like hours until his hand flew from her neck to his side. He shakily pulled the knife from his body. Blood pooled on the ground. He swung the knife, cutting her cheek and shoulder. She grabbed his hand, unfazed, and took the knife from his fingers. She spun it in her hands and buried the knife in the base of his throat.
They say that you have your last moments of life are spent completely sane. That you look upon your mistakes and begin to regret. Perhaps that's why Yuki was looking up at Tohru with immense pain in his eyes. He stared up at her, at what he had driven her to do, and felt a twinge of guilt. Everything fell away, and he didn't see the girl that he hated. He saw her and the real reason he had attacked her. Because he loved her. Because she had chosen Kyo. Because when he had told her good night that day, she had been distracted. She had went to the roof to apologize in a situation that she hadn't done anything wrong in. He loved her so much... That he was going to let her go. He gave her one last gift. He dipped his fingers in the blood that had gathered at his side. Tohru snapped out of her rage and saw what she had done. One of her best friends lay dying at her side, her knife in his throat. She slid his head onto her lap as he reached up and smeared the blood over the cut and choked out the spell as quickly as he could.
Take my blood, take my curse
Transfer the bond, become the first
Another year, another soul
Proverb from the days of old.
His hand rested on her face for a moment, then he slowly, shakily took breath after breath, each one more difficult than the last.
"Don't cry, Tohru. Come and find me when you get where I'm going."
"Tell Mom I said hi." She smiled sadly, tears falling freely.
"I'm scared, Tohru." He looked at her, his eyes wide and sorrowful.
"Don't be scared. It's just like going to sleep. You just have to close your eyes." Her breath hitched.
"Can you sing to me?" He asked her as he started breathing with much more difficulty.
She nodded, and a sob escaped her. She held his hand tightly and began to sing the first song she thought of.
When I get where I'm going,
On the far side of the sky
The first thing that I'm gonna do,
Is spread my wings and fly.
I'm gonna land beside a lion,
And run my fingers through his mane.
Or I might find out what it's like
To ride a drop of rain.
Yuki's breathing became more labored, and she touched his face lightly.
When I get where I'm going
There'll be only happy tears.
I will shed the sins and struggles
I have carried all these years.
Her voice was quieter, and softer. As if singing too loudly would make him shatter.
And I'll leave my heart wide open
I will love and have no fear.
When I get where I'm going
She choked up and sobbed.
Don't cry for me down here.
He coughed, and she whispered softly to him.
"Just close your eyes. I'll be here."
And slowly, very slowly, he took his last breath. He sagged against her as she cried. She took him off of her lap, kneeled beside him and put her hand on the knife handle as Kyo, Hatsuharu, and Shigure rounded the corner. They stopped once they saw a very tired Tohru with Yuki dead at her knees.
"Tohru!" The three men rushed at her, Hatsuharu stopping to scoop up Kisa. She saw Kyo and wrapped her arms around him. He didn't return the hug but kept his arms out wide. Everyone went silent as she cried against him. He slowly wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Tohru, did we miss something?" Shigure prodded lightly. She started crying harder when she pointed to Yuki's body. "He-he's dead."
"Yes, Tohru, I can see that. Anything else?" Shigure stared at Kyo. She hiccuped and backed away in awe. Where a cat should have been on the ground, Kyo still stood, stunned.
"Kyo- I... Has the curse been broken?" She looked at the men. "Oh, that's great! I apologize for crying, I just..." She began, but Hatsuharu stepped forward and hugged her. Kyo looked at his warding bracelet and began to slide it off of his wrist. His human image flickered and Shigure put his hand on Kyo's wrist, stopping him. Shigure looked back up, eyes wide.
"The curse is still standing. Tohru, how are you doing that?" He questioned her. Hatsuharu was still hugging her, not used to being able to do so. She began to answer when she collapsed against the white-haired boy. A puff of smoke erupted, but when it cleared the boy was still standing. A small, brown mouse lay on the ground, along with one yellow ribbon tied around the middle. Tucked under the ribbon was a small piece of paper, which Shigure read as Kyo scooped the mouse off of the ground.
"It's my gift to her. Keep her safe. -Yuki."