In The Company of My Future

Chapter Fourteen

By Fantasy's Magic

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket.

Warnings: There are spoilers if you haven't read up to volume 17 of the manga.

There is OOC due to character development of my own doing.

Chapter Fourteen

Kyo couldn't believe what he was hearing. No, scratch that, he couldn't believe what he was seeing!

"H-Hanajima-."

Saki looked down at Kyo and nodded her head in a greeting.

"Hello Kyo-san. It is nice to see you alive."

"S-same to you..."

"And what, may I ask, are you doing here?"

Everyone's attention turned back to the god of the zodiac, who was looking down at Hana as though she were a very unexpected bug he had had the misfortune to step on. Hana met his gaze with confidence.

"My name is Saki Hanajima, and I am a psychic from the planet-."

"Excuse me." Interrupted the god. "But I believe you misheard me. I don't care who you are, I want to know what you are doing here, in my domain."

"Your domain? I would hardly believe that something as pitiful as this could be your dwelling place."

"This place was not created for entertainment - it was created for torture."

Saki raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really?"

The god glared at her, then looked at Kyo. Kyo's senses immediately went on high alert as he realized he was once more the centre of attention.

"This place was created for the sole purpose of killing those who stand in my way." The spirit sharpened his gaze at Kyo as he said, "It was created to put those who think they can control their own destiny back in their places."

Kyo returned the glare with equal force, and it was then that a soft voice made itself known.

"Kyo-kun..."

Kyo's heart stopped and he looked up past Hana and the god to see a small form by the doorway.

"Tohru..."

Suddenly he felt no longer weak. Suddenly energy was coursing through his body, giving him the strength to stand and run over to the girl.

"Tohru!"

Kyo ran to her and picked her up, wrapping his arms around her body, never wanting to let go.

"Tohru you're here, you're here! How did you-."

And suddenly Kyo was struck with realization. He set Tohru down but held on to her hands.

"Tohru...how did you get here? How did Hana-."

"Hana-chan and I came to save you..." Tohru said quietly, staring into Kyo's face with unwavering eyes.

Kyo blinked, his eyes wide.

"Hana-."

BOOM!

Kyo was thrown forward, and he instinctively grabbed Tohru and protected her body with his own from whatever was assailing them. After they regained their footing, Kyo and Tohru turned around to see Hana looking down at the god of the zodiac, who was currently on one knee in front of her, his head down. After a moment of complete silence, he looked up.

Hana was suddenly thrown back against the wall, and she gasped loudly for the breath that had been knocked out of her. The god stood up and walked slowly over to her, his eyebrows knitted together and his mouth down turned in anger.

"You are quick, I will give you that."

Hana continued to gasp for breath as the spirit advanced.

"But you are weak. You aimed to hurt me, not kill me as you should have. But then, what do you know about anything? It's not like you know the reason you are here - the reason you are being forced to save the cat."

It hit Kyo right then and there. He knew what the god was doing - he'd dealt with the god all his life, and he knew how he worked. His sudden change in topic was meant to throw Hana off - to get her to think of why she was having to save himself; to think of the reason she was here.

The god continued,

"Do you know why I refer to your little friend as the cat? Do you?"

Hana took a couple of deep breaths, and steadied herself against the wall. She looked into the gods eyes unwaveringly, but Kyo could see the doubt in her eyes.

When Hana didn't do or say anything, the god took it as his cue to continue.

"Haven't you ever wondered why Tohru was so accepted by nearly the entire Sohma family? Why she alone had gained their favour, when so many other children who had tried before had failed? Haven't you wondered why the Sohma's have always been so secretive all their lives? Haven't you wondered, when you see Tohru upset or hurt, what it was that hurt her? Well? Haven't you?"

It was then that Hana faltered - she glanced to her right, where Kyo and Tohru were standing. The god smiled.

"Yes...they are an odd family, aren't they? Such odd people... you could say they sometimes even behave like animals."

Kyo felt Tohru's grip tighten on his hand, but he continued to look straight at Hana, willing her to ignore the gods bait and focus on killing him. Sadly, the young woman remained silent, her eyes repeatedly looking back and forth between Kyo and the god.

"Why don't you ask Kyo yourself? He's the real reason you're here, is he not?"

"Hana-chan! Please! Don't listen-."

"SILENCE!"

Tohru snapped her mouth shut and seemed to shrink into herself. Kyo wrapped an arm around her shoulder, trying to decide what he should do. He watched as Hana looked at Tohru in concern.

The god turned his attention back to Hana.

"Well since you're dying to know, I'll let you in on our little secret. You see, the Sohma family for centuries have had a curse on them. Whenever twelve special Sohma individuals come into physical contact with someone of the opposite sex, such as hugging, they are suddenly turned into an animal. You're little friend here, for example, turns into a cat. See?"

At that moment Kyo felt an old, but very familiar sensation take over him. In a matter of seconds his world enlarged, and he had the sudden urge for white milk. He could hear Hana's sharp intake of breath, and Tohru's small anguished cry as he landed at her feet. He quickly felt himself lifted up and into the arms of Tohru.

The god of the zodiac grinned and turned to face Hana. However he never got the chance, as he was suddenly thrown backwards and onto his back on the cold, stone floor.

Hana's once confused face now held no emotion as she walked up to the god. She looked down at him and focussed all her energy on one purpose - death.

"It is plain to see that you have caused much grief among the Sohma family, and most of all, to my Tohru-chan."

A poof was heard, and Tohru instinctively closed her eyes as Kyo dressed.

The god didn't know what was happening - his energy was fading, and he felt weaker then he had ever had before in his entire existence.

"I will not tolerate this - I cannot. I do not know how Kyo-san turned into a cat, or if what you say about the Sohma's is even true. What I do know though, is that I hate you. I hate you so much...!" Hana's voice cracked as she spoke the last sentence, allowing her emotion to escape for just a moment.

The god felt a stab of pain - something he was very unaccustomed to. He felt another stab once more, this time in the very centre of his chest.

But he wasn't ready to admit defeat yet.

Using all the energy he had, the god managed to stand once more on his own two feet. He looked down at Hana, a snarl on his lips.

"I could have spared your life, but now child, you will die along with your little friend and the worthless cat!"

At that, the god directed all his attention on Hana. The force that had held the Sohma's will so close to his own for the past hundreds of years was now trying to bend Hana's will, something never before done. The spirit paid no heed to this fact though, and he tried with all he had to force the young woman to obey him.

Kyo knew what he was doing, and he knew that when push came to shove, Hana could not possibly win. He himself had tried so hard to resist the gods will in the past, but he had never achieved it. He had always ended up obeying him in the end. He had always ended up the loser.

But he was forgetting one thing. And it was that one thing that Tohru remembered.

"Hana-chan, don't give up! You can destroy him!"

Kyo turned to Tohru, his eyes filled with hopelessness.

"It's no use Tohru, Hana can't win. I've tried, everyone's tried, but we've never been able to-."

"Kyo-kun! How can you say that?!"

Tohru looked at the young man with a determination Kyo had only seen a little of before. And as always, it took him by surprise.

"But Tohru, you know-."

"I know that Hana can do it Kyo-kun, because you did it."

Hana did not turn her attention from the god of the zodiac, but she could hear Kyo and Tohru's conversation. For a moment she felt all hope fade from her heart, and it was at that moment that she began to feel her determination dwindle. A small voice then arose in the back of her mind.

Just give up. It's not worth it - they're not worth it. I can't defeat him - I don't even know who he is. I can't do it. I'm not strong enough.

Hana ignored the voice and held out her hand towards the spirit, hoping this action would direct more of her energy to him. As she did so, a wind out of nowhere erupted in full force, and suddenly her hair was being tossed and turned all around her. She spread her legs slightly apart to steady herself. She knew what this wind was - it was the wind of death. Someone was going to die very soon, and for a moment, she did not know who it would be.

Death's come knocking early, it seems. It is strong - it would be best to just submit to it now, and get it over with.

Hana's hand faltered, and for a moment her eyes closed shut. The god smiled.

It's not like there's anything worth living for here. Mother, father, my family, Tohru, not one of them is worth continuing this fight.

And Hana's eyes shot open like a bullet from a gun. The voice in her head was not her own! There was no way she would think of Tohru or her family that way, no way. She loved her family, and she loved Tohru, and Uotani. It was them that gave her strength to go on each day, knowing she was almost a killer. No, she was a killer. She had wanted that young boy to die, and he nearly did. From that day on she had vowed never to use her powers to kill, but today she would break that vow. Today was going to kill, and this time she was not going to fail.

"You are wrong."

The wind continued as the gods smile slowly fell from his face. Hana's arms rose higher, and the wind grew fiercer.

"My family and my friends are not just a reason to keep living, they are the reason I keep living. I live for them, and nothing will ever change that. They give me strength each day to go through my life, and today they will give me the strength to end yours."

The wind picked up, and Kyo and Tohru covered their ears as the sound became deafening. Hana remained standing, her eyes boring a hole into the god of the zodiac. The god felt pain once more, and suddenly he was screaming along with the wind of death. He screamed as he felt his body be torn apart. But he wasn't done. He knew he was going to die, but if there was one thing left that he could do, it was this. Tearing his eyes open, he looked at Kyo and said,

"IF I HAVE TO DIE, THEN YOU WILL TOO, CAT!!"

Suddenly the wind that had been surrounding only Hana and the god, jumped and began assailing Kyo. Kyo yelled as pain erupted across his entire body. He couldn't hear a thing but his own screams, and that terrified him. But what terrified him more was the thought that Tohru was being hurt as well. It was this thought that forced him to fight back. So with all his might, with all his energy, with all his willKyo fought back against the god. He wasn't going to die today. He wasn't going to submit to the god. He wasn't going to lose.

The wind continued, but instead of increasing around Kyo, it instead died down, and began to pick up once more around the god. The god, unaware of what had just happened, screamed. The wind, for one final time, surged around the god, tearing at his face and body. In a few minutes the spirit began to disintegrate, his entire being slowly disappearing, slowly dying.

And finally at last, with all the strength of all that were in the room, the last of the god of the zodiac was swept away on the wind of death, and he was no more.

Silence encompassed the room. All three teenagers stared at the space where the god had once been, stunned. Kyo rose shakily to his feet, and he had to hold on to the wall to steady himself. No one said anything, until a moment later when Tohru, still in a daze, walked over to Hana, who was standing still, looking straight into the spot where the god had once been.

"Hana..."

Tohru's voice snapped Hana out of her benumbed state, and she turned to her friend, her eyes filling with tears.

"Tohru-chan..."

"Oh Hana!"

They both fell into each other's arms, Tohru trying her best to console her friend, and at the same time trying to control herself.

Kyo stared at the two, still in a daze himself.

It's over he thought bewilderedly. It's finally finished. I can't feel his presence any more. He's really dead.

Kyo took a step forward, but as he did, everything around him and the girls vanished, and was replaced by trees and an orange sky.

They were back.

The girls seemed to notice this change, as they both raised their heads to look around. They both pulled away, and while Hana had finally regained her emotions and was not looking content, Tohru was still in a terrified state. She did her best not to show it, but when she looked back and saw Kyo, she couldn't help but burst into tears.

"Oh Kyo-kun!"

Kyo stared at Tohru, his future wife, and took a few stumbling steps forward. Tohru turned and ran to him as well, and they met each other halfway.

Kyo stared down at Tohru, not sure what to say. But nothing was needed to be said, all that was needed was one thing, and Kyo did just that. Wrapping his arms around Tohru, Kyo lifted her up and buried his face in her shoulder and whispered,

"I love you Tohru..."

Tohru closed her eyes shut in an attempt to block out the tears, but it didn't work. She wrapped her arms around Kyo and said,

"I love you too, Kyo-kun..."

Epilogue

It had been soon after graduation that Kyo had proposed to Tohru, and it had been mere seconds after Tohru said yes. A few months later found Yuki having proposed to a girl himself - Machi.

Two years later found Tohru and Kyo and the entire Sohma family in the hospital, smiles on every single one of their faces.

"Congratulations Tohru-chan!! Congratulations Kyo-kun!!" Were all that could be heard from everyone's mouth.

Kyo and Tohru didn't mind though, as it was indeed a day to be celebrated.

"So what are you going to call her?" Asked Momiji as he peered over Tohru's bed and at Kyo who was sitting on a chair beside her.

Kyo looked at Tohru, and Tohru looked at Kyo. They both smiled and turned back to Momiji.

"I think we're going to call her Sakura." Said Tohru, the joy clearly heard in her voice.

Everyone around them said how nice the name was, and how it suited the young baby just perfectly.

Kyo smiled himself as he looked down at his firstborn baby. His little girl. His.

Kyo had never forgotten that day two years ago when he woke up to find himself in bed with the girl that he loved, and with two young children in their house. Sometimes he would try to convince himself that it had all been just one, big enlightening dream, but whenever he looked at Tohru he knew that wasn't true. His experience with the future had really happened - and it was all thanks to Kyoko, a woman he had met when he was just a child. A woman who had changed his life when she was alive, and had changed his life when she was gone. A woman who was now his mother in-law. If it hadn't been for her intervention, he would have never fought back against the god, and the curse would never have been broken.

"Hey, Tohru! Carrot top! Congratulations!!"

The door had opened and Uotani had walked in, Hana following closely behind.

Greetings ensued, and finally after what seemed like forever everyone managed to quiet down enough for Kyo and Tohru to speak.

"Hana-chan..." Said Tohru quietly.

Hana walked over to the bed and smiled.

"Yes Tohru-chan?"

Tohru looked back at Kyo, and Kyo nodded his head. Tohru turned back to Hana and asked,

"Hana...Kyo and I would like to ask you...would you be Sakura-chan's godmother?"

Hana stared at Tohru, her eyes wide in shock. There was a moment of silence, and then Hana nodded her head.

"Yes...yes of course! Thank you...thank you both!"

A few hours later everyone finally left, leaving only Kyo, Tohru and Sakura in the hospital room. They both relished in the quietness, happy to just look at each other and their new child.

Kyo suddenly looked up, struck with an idea.

"Hey Tohru,"

Tohru looked up from Sakura who was in her arms and said,

"Yes?"

"What do you think about me growing a beard?"

End of In The Company of My Future

Thank you to all who have stuck with me since day one, which was a long time ago. Thanks to all who have reviewed, you guys have no idea how much it means to be told you are a good writer, and that your story is enjoyed.

I hope this was a satisfactory ending for you all, and I apologize if it is not. If there is grammar error's, I apologize for that too - I guess that's why professional writers have editors (and un-professional writers have beta readers. Sadly, I do not exploit them as I should...).

Please review, and please, no flames if the story did not end how you wanted.

Thanks again to everyone, I love you ALL! (Throws out cookies).

Fantasy's Magic - out!