Hiya everyone! And once again thankyou for all your support! It makes me so happy!

I wonder if anyone here has read A poke-Digi world? It was my very first fanfic and it was hilarious! Heh heh… especially chapter 6! oh gosh…

Oh and Tannenbaumbell (so sorry if I got the name wrong…) Haru and Hana are cute together! I'm glad that you're a fan of them because of chapter 10! The fanfic that made me a fan of Haru/Hana was Black and White you all have to read it! It's in my faves!! Well, you're probably all waiting for me to shut up and write so I will! Don't own Fruits Basket! Read and review!

Chapter 12: Goodbye, Machi (and Tohru's sorrow)

Tohru felt Kyo's grip tighten on her hand. She looked up at him, but couldn't see his expression. She lowered her eyes. Yuki and Machi… there were so good together. She knew that all the Prince Yuki Fan club girls loved Yuki to the death but Machi-san… she really was fond of Yuki and Tohru could see that for once, Yuki's emotions were expressed. She never thought she'd see the day when Yuki voluntarily hugged a girl.

Kyo felt anger burning in his veins and deep hatred for the head of the Sohma family. Maybe… maybe he hated Yuki but for once, he really wanted to stand up for the rat because they actually felt the same. Neither of them wanted to lose the one person they really loved.

"Y-Yuki…" Machi murmured. She carried the rat with her to the spot Akito had indicated. She sat slowly and then placed Yuki (rat) on the floor in front of her.

"I'm sorry too…" she said softly.

Akito wasn't at all moved at the two of them. He'd never even met Miss Kuragi before but now that he had seen Yuki hug her despite of his curse, he felt bitter anger to all four of them.

Still, he smirked at Yuki and Machi, and then turned to Kyo and Tohru.

"Don't just stand there in the doorway. Come in. Take a sit." he gestured to the back of the room.

Tohru hadn't felt it before but now she felt herself shaking uncontrollably. She was… scared.

Once again, Kyo gave her hand a squeeze, as if to say, don't worry, you'll be fine. Tohru took a deep breath then took her seat in the back of the room with Kyo.

"Miss Kuragi, this is the first time I've ever met you," Akito said, smiling. "I'm so sorry that the reason for our meeting is so miserable."

"…" Machi kept silent.

Akito's tone went higher in volume. "-but no outsider is going to get away with knowing about the Zodiac!"

Machi stiffened. Why…. this? I had… wanted to spend more time with Sohma-kun… much… more time…

Just then, as if on cue, Hatori emerged from the doorway. The enigmatic man gazed at everyone in the room. He saw Tohru and Kyo again like last time, but Yuki and this young lady, he had never seen before.

Yuki too? He frowned.

"Miss Kuragi?" Akito said, "Meet Hatori. He is the man who will wipe out all your memories of Yuki and the Zodiac."

Machi looked up and acknowledged Hatori.

Hatori felt distressed. Yuki… he looks so sad. The rat was sitting in front of Machi, looking at her. Hatori didn't want to do this. He never ever had wanted to erase anyone's memories. But now, before he could no longer argue with the head of the Sohmas, he cried out to Akito, "Akito is there no other way for you to resolve this?"

Akito stared at Hatori coldly. "Erase her memories, Hatori. Do what you do so well."

He then turned to Machi. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Kuragi."

Just as Hatori placed his hand on Machi's forehead reluctantly, the girl gazed down at the rat staring up at her on the floor.

Yuki (rat) watched as Machi's tears fell silently onto the floor. "I'm sorry, Yuki," Machi said, "I… should've told you before…" Yuki couldn't help his own eyes filling up as she uttered the next words.

"…I loved you…"

She fell back onto the floorboards slowly. Yuki's heart broke. Hatori stared at Machi and Yuki, angry that he had done what Akito had said.

Why… why couldn't I do what I really felt was right? Hatori stared at his hands. How could I just… erase someone's precious memories with my own bare-hands? I… I ruined Yuki's life!

Hatori stepped back stiffly.

Tohru mouth was covered with her hands. What she had witnessed just then… all the pain in Yuki and Machi's actions, she felt it clearer than anything.

Why… she couldn't help crying for them, why would Akito want to hurt them so much? Why?

Kyo watched, seemingly emotionlessly. But inside, his feelings were all mixed up, turning somersaults inside of him. All along, he knew that the rat was loved by everyone but Yuki was like him. He still suffered just like he did. Kyo blinked tears threatening to spill. Even Yuki's heart was broken… like his was.

Yuki's tears fell as the poofy smoke stuff exploded all around him. He (human) crouched by Machi's side. Hatori gently placed Yuki's overcoat over Yuki. Yuki couldn't even say anything. Right now, he felt as though a big piece of him was gone.

Akito hadn't forgotten about Tohru and Kyo at all. In fact, both of them had been residing in his mind, bugging him to do something about it.

"Tohru," he said, cheerfully, despite the sad scene he had witnessed along with everyone else.

Tohru bravely stared Akito straight in the eye. "Hai…"

Kyo spoke up, suddenly extremely defiant. "I'm… not letting you take Tohru away from me! You're not going to erase her memories!" he yelled.

Yuki looked over at them. Tohru and Kyo had both stood up. Tohru was looking at Kyo, misty-eyed. "Kyo…"

Kyo was saying angrily, "I'm not letting you go!"

Akito said, "Oh… but Kyo, Tohru promised, didn't she? She promised that provided I gave her one more day, she'd willingly give up her memories."

Kyo's face fell. "I'm… still not letting you erase Tohru's memories!"

"Kyo-kun…" Tohru looked back at Kyo, who was standing, isolated from everybody, staring at the floor beneath his feet.

Tohru had tears in her eyes. "I know… I promised I'd forfeit my memories… but I never wanted… to forget Kyo!" she choked out. "I never wanted to forget anyone… or lose my memories of all the people I love! I-I…"

Kyo was fired up. If Tohru said there was something she didn't want, then what she says goes!

He ran all the way up to Akito and grabbed him by the collar. Angrily, he shouted, "I'm… not gonna let you erase her memories!"

Kureno was suddenly watching from the doorway, "Kyo, let go of Akito at once!" he cried panicked.

Kyo let go of Akito and he fell back onto the floor. Akito picked himself up slowly, putting a hand up to stop Kureno from running into the room and aiding him.

"Kyo…" Akito found his voice. "You are really… against Tohru losing her memories."

Tohru watched wide-eyed as Kyo spoke the next words that meant so much to her.

"I… love Tohru." he said. "And if she doesn't want her memories erased then so be it! I'd… do anything for her."

"'I'd do anything for her."

Akito seemed unfazed. He said calmly, "You mean you'd do anything to prevent Tohru losing her memory?"

"Yes."

Akito's lip curled up into a smile. "You mean you'd do whatever I say if it helps Tohru?"

"Yes!" Kyo growled.

"You'd leave the Sohmas and leave isolated in the mountains like before just for her?"

"YES!"

The last word was yelled out so loud the floor vibrated. Tohru looked on, fully taken aback by everything Kyo had done.

Akito smiled. He had won.

"Kyo, I've made up my mind. You can leave the Sohmas forever and go live or train in the mountains like before. Only, it won't be for four months, it will be for the rest of your life. Because the Sohmas are hereby disowning you! You and Tohru will be separated. Her memories will be spared and she'll continue living with Shigure and Yuki but you… you're the cat so you certainly won't mind living isolated… for ever!"

Kyo was breathing hard. He had done everything he could for Tohru. But now he knew he would suffer… maybe Tohru at least, she'd be alright.

I'm sorry, Tohru, he thought. That was all I could do for you… in the end…

Such a great deal of effort had been put into everything just then, Kyo collapsed onto his knees. Why… Why me? Why does it have to be me?!?

…Tohru couldn't say anything. Ah! She could feel those familiar tears in her eyes again, blurring her sight. She ran forward to the fallen boy.

Kyo! Why did you… want to do that… for me?

There was a huge burden crashing down on her now. Huge sorrow and huge drops of tears ran down her cheeks and onto Kyo, making him all wet.

Why… did I make Kyo do all that? Why couldn't I stand up for myself? Why would I have done something so horrible…?

The atmosphere in the room was horribly heavy. Tohru cried her heart out and Yuki (human, fully dressed) just looked at Machi still lying on the floor, refusing to believe she was gone.

Yuki's eyes were still full of tears. Goodbye, Machi.

He held her limp body close to him (without hugging her) and yelled out to the sky (well, ceiling actually).

Tears burned his skin but he couldn't stop them flowing.

"MACHIIII!!"

Uh oh… Machi lost her memories. I'm guessing you guys are all gonna want to murder me now… but not to worry! Everyone gets a happy ending!

I'm gonna use this little space here to talk about my fanfiction. Most of you guys are all just reading the fruits basket fanfiction but to tell you the truth my specialty is Digimon. It's a great anime for beginner fanfic writers too! I'm a die-hard taiora fan!

And my four-part taiora takari series (consists of I'm still hopeful, Someone just for Kari, and Promise part 1 and 2) was completed at the end of last year! I was so happy, I was literally crying!

I'm also gonna take the opportunity to say hi to J, which I'll see tomorrow anyway, since school starts. Wow… starting Year 8… sounds like a big load on my shoulders. After all, she's the one who's read EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY FANFIC!!! WOW!!! Okay, except for the first one ever written, which I never submitted onto because it sucked.

Before, I just reread Together Forever which was one of the other angsty romances I wrote last year, except that I made everyone fight and bleed and beat each other up, heh heh… It's so good… after all; it's the most popular fanfic I've written! (Judging by amount of reviews) Of course this fanfic is the most popular out of the three current ones I'm writing.

But my taiora takari series was also pretty big, if I bothered adding up all the reviews for every one of the parts. I read my one-shot The day Sora ran away and I'm happy to say, it still has that fresh cool touch on it! Heh heh…

Anyway… I guess next chappie may be a lot shorter, what with school starting and all.

Well, read and review!