It was just after eight on a Wednesday evening, and Kyo was upstairs in his exercise room, working up a sweat with his punching bag. Oftentimes he and Tohru would hang out together after supper, but tonight, they were both doing their own thing. Tohru was out working in her garden, and while Kyo was always welcome to help her, he'd never really been a fan of dirt.

Besides, that damn cat was out there tonight, and he had very little patience or tolerance for Butsu, who had similar opinions about Kyo. The local roving feline had bonded strongly with Tohru and often hung out in the Sohmas' backyard, happy to steal pets from Tohru, but if Kyo was around then the cat would be nothing but crotchety. It had even hissed at him before, and he wasn't about to be harassed in his own backyard.

So he'd decided to take a little time with the punching bag, and left his wife to garden alone.

His wife.

It was still a very new term; the two of them had barely been married a month. And every time he said it, or thought it, he couldn't help but smile. They were married, now; she was finally his wife. Tohru Sohma, Mrs. Sohma. He was her husband, and she was his wife.

And he still had to battle for dominance with a black and white cat.

Though he knew that if push came to shove Tohru would always choose him over Butsu, the last thing he wanted to do was get into a weird power struggle with a cat. Even a fat, irritable, bad tempered one.

There may have been a little extra intent behind his punches tonight, a little bit of annoyance providing extra force to each strike as he got going. But once he'd found a good groove, gradually any annoyance with Butsu faded, along with just about everything else. He was focused on what he was doing, on each move of his hands and feet. Nothing existed but Kyo and the punching bag, nothing was even on his radar-

Dweedly doot.

Kyo twitched at the text message alert from his phone, but ignored it. Whatever it was could wait.

Dweedly doot.

Nope, he was busy. Whoever was texting didn't need a response now.

Dweedly doot.

Ok, seriously? Now Kyo was distracted, and a little irritated. Why the hell couldn't people just send one message and then wait for a response?

Dweedly doot.

"Grrr!" Angrily, Kyo broke off his attack, stepping back from the punching bag and glaring over at his phone where it sat in the windowsill. He and Tohru had long since joined the modern world of technology, getting their cell phones a week before moving away. And he felt he'd done a good job embracing it; he answered phone calls, he knew how to check his voice mail, he knew how to take pictures, he even texted. But he had never been the sort of person who was glued to their phone, and he really hated feeling any pressure to immediately respond to anything.

Dweedly doot.

"Oh come ON!" Ripping off his gloves, Kyo stalked over to the window and picked up his phone. And seeing who was texting did nothing to lessen his annoyance. "Seriously?"

Grumbling, he opened up the text window. Might as well see what was so damned urgent.

Message from: That damn Yankee. Today, 8:07pm

Hey Kyon, it's Arisa. I have a favor to ask u.

Message from: That damn Yankee. Today, 8:07pm

I really need to have some Tohru time. Do u guys have any plans this weekend?

Message from: That damn Yankee. Today, 8:08pm

I know it's short notice, but I was hoping she and I could maybe meet up in Aomori for a girls weekend.

Message from: That damn Yankee. Today, 8:08pm

I thought I'd check with u first so she didn't feel pressured if u have plans.

Message from: That damn Yankee. Today, 8:09pm

Sorry for the short notice, but it's really important. I'll pay for the ryokan, no worries. I just really need to see Tohru. Let me know.

Kyo was still frowning when he read the last message, but it was more out of confusion than anger by then. It was very rare for Arisa Uotani to message him, unless she was either trying to surprise Tohru or couldn't reach her. A request like this was unusual, to say the least, and he couldn't help but be curious. Arisa had been with Tohru the full week leading up to their wedding, so it wasn't like she hadn't had a lot of time with her recently; what could possibly be so important that she needed to see her now, and merited her travelling all the way up to Aomori?

He wasn't about to ask her, though. He wasn't her biggest fan, but he wasn't going to stand in the way if she needed help.

Message from: Kyo. Today, 8:11pm

No plans here, go ahead and check with Tohru.

After a moment, Kyo's phone buzzed one final time:

Message from: That damn Yankee. Today, 8:11pm

Thanks

"I think both the carrots and onions are looking great these days, don't you, Butsu? I think they're just about ready for harvesting," Tohru said happily, sitting back on her heels. She was making the most of the long summer evening, happily weeding the small vegetable garden she kept in the backyard of their house.

Her companion, Butsu the cat, was much less interested in the vegetables, and he only twitched his tail at her. But Tohru didn't mind; she knew that Butsu was happy to be there with her, and he was only being twitchy like that because he wanted her to pet him. "And there'll be some tomatoes soon, too!" Butsu was equally disinterested in tomatoes, and Tohru giggled again. "Well, I'm excited!"

Dweedly doot.

Tohru blinked, glancing down at the pocket of her gardening belt where she kept her phone. "Wow someone is sure texting late!"

Dweedly doot.

Reaching into her pocket, Tohru pulled out her phone just as the third alert went off: Dweedly doot.

"Oh, it's from Uo-chan!"

Message from: Uo-chan. Today, 8:14pm

Hey Tohru, how's it going?

Message from: Uo-chan. Today, 8:14pm

I am in serious, desperate need of some Tohru time. I know it's short notice, but what would u say to spending the weekend with me in Aomori?

Message from: Uo-chan. Today, 8:15pm

I got a great tip for a good ryokan, and I thought u and I could have a nice girls weekend together. I figured we could meet there Friday evening after work and stay until Sunday.

Message from: Uo-chan. Today, 8:16pm

It'll be my treat. Kyon says u2 have no plans, and I'd really, really like to see u. Really.

Message from: Uo-chan. Today, 8:16pm

Let me know.

Two more messages had come in while Tohru was reading, and by the end she was equal parts surprised and excited. She and Uo-chan had definitely done girls nights before, both with Hana-chan and just the two of them. After graduation, Uo-chan had moved up to Fukushima prefecture after Kureno, so she was much closer to Tohru and Kyo in Aomori prefecture than anyone else. But this was the first time that Uo-chan had ever suggested coming all the way to Aomori; usually, they picked somewhere more central, like Morioka. Aomori was only a little more than an hour and a half from Tohru; if Uo-chan was already travelling that far, then normally she'd just come stay with Tohru and Kyo in Hibe.

But maybe that was it, Tohru reflected. It was pretty hard to have a girls night with Kyo around, especially in their very small house. And if Uo-chan had a good recommendation for a ryokan, then it maybe made sense.

Still, it all felt a little strange. Uo-chan had been with her the week leading up to her wedding only last month; normally, they had girls' weekends every 2-3 months, if they were lucky. And Uo-chan said she was in 'serious, desperate need of Tohru time...'

Tohru hoped that everything was ok.

Message from: Tohru. Today, 8:17pm

I'll talk to Kyo and let you know ASAP!

That was how Tohru ended up on a train heading into Aomori on Friday evening, with no more answers then than she'd had on Wednesday night. Kyo had been fine with her going, especially since Uo-chan wanted to pick up the cost of the ryokan; like her, he was perplexed about the reasons. Uo-chan had told him that it was 'very important,' which didn't make things any clearer than what she'd told Tohru, but it had planted a seed of suspicion.

Could Uo-chan possibly be...engaged? Could it be that she had some exciting big news, and she wanted to tell Tohru in person? She and Kureno had been together for over two years now and living together for one, it certainly wouldn't be unexpected!

And the more Tohru thought about it, the more she hoped that was the case. She loved weddings, engagements, and all things romantic; how wonderful would it be to have her oldest friend get engaged!

Uo-chan was waiting for Tohru in the train station when she arrived, and the two of them practically flew into each other's arms. No matter how long or short the separation, it always felt like far, far too long.

"Uo-chan, I'm so glad to see you! I hope you haven't been waiting for me too long," Tohru said, stepping back and looking at her friend with a smile.

"Nah, just half an hour. I didn't even need to get myself a snack," Uo-chan said with a grin. "I love the Japanese public transit system, it's just so damn efficient."

Tohru was studying her friend, trying to figure out from her face if her hunch had been correct. Unfortunately, Uo-chan was a blank slate; she looked happy to see Tohru, but that was pretty much it. Try as Tohru might, she couldn't make out any trace of the overwhelming joy that had to come from an engagement, or any other strong emotion, either. That didn't necessarily mean Tohru was wrong...but it didn't help her out, either.

And Uo-chan wasn't making it easier on her right now, either. "So, how about we go grab some dinner before heading out to the ryokan? I might have skipped out on the snack, but I am starving!"

For now, Tohru might as well give up. Uo-chan tended to wear her emotions on her sleeve, but right now Tohru had no idea. And she was hungry; it was almost seven, and she hadn't eaten yet, either!

"That sounds great!"

During dinner, Uo-chan was her normal energetic self. The two of them talked summer, and work, and how nice it was to get away for a bit. Uo-chan teased Tohru about newlywed bliss, and asked her if she'd gotten used to her new name yet. It was light-hearted and fun.

But the longer they talked, the more Tohru started to notice something. A slight furrow in Uo-chan's brow, a small tightness in her mouth. And the longer they talked, the more confident Tohru felt; there was definitely something bothering her friend.

Tohru didn't push it, though. And Uo-chan didn't bring anything up either, not through the rest of dinner nor on the short cab ride to their ryokan. It wasn't until they were checked in and settled in their room that Tohru finally felt like Uo-chan was ready to talk.

They'd set down their luggage, and both of them had changed into their soft and cozy ryokan robes. Uo-chan was sitting stretched out on the bed, while Tohru sat half-curled up in the chair, watching her friend curiously. All through the 'settling in' process, Uo-chan had seemed more and more agitated; she kept glancing at Tohru and frowning, then looking away. Sighing. Crossing her arms. Sighing more.

It was clear to Tohru that Uo-chan had something serious to talk about, but she couldn't seem to find the words to start. To see Uo-chan, normally so confident and brash, looking so upset and awkward was hard, and it made Tohru's heart ache for her. She'd long-since decided there was no engagement talk to be had; she could only hope that it wasn't a break-up.

But at this rate, she'd never find out.

"Uo-chan...is everything alright?"

At Tohru's tentative question, Arisa cracked a smile. Typical Tohru, always trying to make everyone else feel better. She'd known that Tohru was onto her for quite some time; Tohru had never been that good at hiding when she was concerned. But Arisa hadn't wanted to talk when they were in public, or in a cab. Hell, even now in the privacy of their ryokan room she didn't know how to begin, or where to start. She was glad to be here, glad to have the chance to see and talk with Tohru. But she was still feeling incredibly confused, overwhelmed, and lost.

But for now, she gave Tohru a smile. "You've always been so good at that, Tohru; I don't know why anyone would ever even try to hide anything from you. You're like a ferret when it comes to figuring out someone's bummed," she said with a chuckle.

Tohru wasn't distracted by Uo-chan's compliment. "So...are you bummed, Uo-chan? Is that why you wanted to see me this weekend?" She was hesitant, worried about what it is that Uo-chan wanted to say. But at the same time, she was determined to be there for her friend, the way Uo-chan had always been there for her. "Because no matter what, you know you can talk to me! Whatever it is, I want to help, if I can!"

Sweet Tohru, so kind and determined. Arisa had planned to talk to her; needed to talk to her, in fact. Out of every other person in the entire world, there was no one she could talk to about this if not Tohru, no one else so uniquely suited to help her. But it was still so very, very hard to know how to begin.

Arisa leaned back on her hands, studying Tohru for a long moment, then she sighed. It was all so surreal, she doubted such a thing as a good starting point even existed. Might as well just jump in.

"So...you know I've been living with Kureno for over a year now, yeah?"

"Yes..." Tohru was nervous now. She definitely didn't think she was about to her about an engagement, and was getting increasingly anxious her other guess might prove true. Poor Uo-chan!

"And we've gotten pretty serious. Really serious."

"Yes...?"

"So...we actually started to talk about maybe getting more serious. Like, maybe 'engaged' serious."

Tohru didn't know what to think. An engagement was such a happy and exciting thing, but Uo-chan still looked so grim! Tohru knew there had to be more, she just couldn't see it yet.

"Go on."

Arisa sighed again. Normally, the word 'engaged' would set Tohru off into excited squealing, but right now she was being cautious, waiting for Arisa herself to tell her how to feel. That would be a lot easier if Arisa knew the answer.

"Kureno was excited, at first. He was eager to talk about plans, timelines, all that stuff. But then he started getting moody. No surprise there, I know, he's always had those weird moody fits, where he'd get all quiet and introspective. I figured he was just getting nervous actually talking about really committing. But then he told me...there was something I needed to know. Something he'd been keeping from me, all this time, that he couldn't marry me without me knowing."

Tohru was sitting up now, her eyes wide. There could only be one thing Kureno was talking about, one thing that Uo-chan had never had reason to know. Tohru didn't know what to say, or if she could even speak; right now, all she could do was listen.

Arisa wasn't really looking at Tohru now, staring off instead into the distance, picturing another conversation from another time. "He told me...that his family had been cursed. That he, specifically, had been cursed. And I laughed about it at first, because how could I not? It was so dumb sounding, a 'curse.' Curses aren't real, they're something out of fairy tales, or legends. So yeah...I laughed."

She clenched her hands into fists, thinking about that night. She'd been laughing, laughing so hard her sides were splitting. And she'd looked to Kureno, expecting to see him smiling, to see him ready to laugh with her and to say 'yes, just kidding!'

But he hadn't. He'd been looking at her, his face a silent mask of sorrow. More somber, and more terrifying in its grimness than anything that Arisa had ever seen. And in that face, she saw something that sacred her.

"He told me that the legend of the Zodiac was real, that the spirits were somehow...reborn into members of the Sohma family. The animals, and the God. Coming back, over and over, born and reborn over and over again."

Kureno had been quiet, so quiet when he'd told. "Thirteen animals, and one God. Fourteen souls. All of them connected, all of them bound. All of them trapped, tied by destiny to the same fate."

Arisa glanced over at Tohru to see that Tohru was looking down into her lap, her face white as a sheet. And in that moment, Arisa knew she'd been right, to come to Tohru. To talk to Tohru.

"Kureno told me...that he'd been one of them, once. That he'd been possessed, until his Curse broke, many years ago. He told me that once it broke, he'd been freed, but that he'd still stayed with their God. With Akito." Arisa clenched and unclenched her hands again. It had been so hard to believe; none of it had seemed like it could be real. But Kureno's face...Kureno's voice. Even before he actually said that Akito had been God, Arisa realized there could only be one person who fit that role. It all explained so much, so much she'd never truly been able to understand or ask. Even if it seemed impossible, even if it seemed like there was no way. There was so much else in the world that existed, like Hanajima's waves; how could she truly step back and say there could be no such thing as a curse?

"I asked him what it meant, to be Cursed. What happened, to those possessed." Arisa closed her eyes, thinking of the pain on Kureno's face, the hitch in his voice. "He told me that the thirteen were all bound to obey the will of the God, that they couldn't ignore or reject or fight him. He told me that they would actually transform into their animal, if they got sick or weak, or if they were hugged by a member of the opposite sex. That they had a natural affinity for their animal, and that those animals would always seek them out..."

"Kureno...who were you? What animal were you, when you were...cursed?" It had been hard, so very hard to say that word.

And Kureno had smiled a sad, slow smile, reaching up to gently touch his dark red hair. "Can't you guess?"

Rat...ox...tiger. Rabbit...dragon...snake. Horse...Sheep...Monkey. Rooster...

"The Rooster. You were...the rooster?"

"I was. Though when I transformed, I wasn't a rooster, but a sparrow. I still remember, what it was like to fly..."

"Kureno wouldn't tell me anything else about the other Zodiac members. He said that it was their secret, to tell or not, and not his to tell me for them. That he could say for himself, and he had to. That he couldn't marry me, that he couldn't fully commit to me, if I didn't know this. That even though the Curse was broken and gone, that traces still lingered, and there were things that he, and the other former Zodiacs, could never fully leave behind."

Arisa was looking at Tohru again, noting the way that Tohru had gotten even paler. The way she was twisting her robe in her hands, unable to look up and meet Arisa's eyes.

"I asked about the rest of them. Kureno had said his own curse had been broken for years, but I wanted to know about the others. I needed to know. And he said that he might have been first, but that everyone else had been freed, as well. That the Curse was broken, done and gone after hundreds of years. And I asked how that was possible. I was glad for them all, of course, but how? When? Why? And he said..."

She was watching Tohru narrowly now, watching for each and every small reaction. "He said it's been broken for almost three years. That it broke...when the one who couldn't be saved had been redeemed and loved."

Arisa took a deep breath and reached out, taking Tohru's hand. "Tohru...the Cat. It was Kyo, wasn't it?"

Tohru didn't know what to do or say, what to think or even feel. It had been so long since those dark days, when she'd had to watch and worry. Keep everything secret, everything safe. Feel the pressing passage of time, fight the crushing weight of despair and impending loss, when everything was threatening to collapse into darkness. When she thought he'd be taken from her, locked away and lost.

Forever.

At first she just sat there, clutching Uo-chan's hand. Then, finally, slowly, she looked up.

"Yes."

Kureno had refused to name names, and Arisa could respect that. She could even understand his reasoning. But she had been unable to let it go, unable to stop thinking about it.

Thirteen animals...thirteen souls. We would transform if we were hugged by a member of the opposite sex...a natural affinity for our animals...traits and behaviors just like theirs.

Bits and pieces of memories over the years. 'Rat-boy' and 'stupid Cat.' Kyon jumping from a second-floor window and landing on his feet. The first-year culture fest where Momiji had disappeared without his clothes and Tohru was holding a golden yellow rabbit. The Prince, Kyon, and Hatsuharu Sohma, all with their strangely colored hair that was somehow still natural. The Prince, practically throwing himself out of the path of any girl who ever tried to touch him. The strange waves Hanajima had always said she sensed from all the Sohmas. None of them ever getting close to anyone...

She didn't know who all of the Cursed Sohmas had been, but she would bet every cent she owned that the four they'd gone to school with were among them.

Kureno's story had been sad, and terrifying. And worst of all had been his description of the Cat. Even though he said hardly anything, it was enough; that the Cat was the outcast, the one looked down on by all the others. That it had always been the fate of the Cat to be locked up, and alone.

Tohru's confirmation made so many things make so much sense, and Arisa let out a slow exhale. "How long did you know? About...all of this? The Curse, and what it meant?"

Tohru wasn't sure how much she should say. Even now, even though it had been years, it still seemed wrong to talk about it, to dredge up the secret they all wanted to bury. But Kureno was right; he would never truly be free from the past, regardless of whether the Curse was broken or not. None of them would be. And Arisa, in being with him...she had the right to know, too.

Tohru was looking back at her lap, and her voice was soft. "I learned about it my very first day in Shigure's house, the day I first met Shigure and Kyo. There was an accident...and they all ended up transforming."

Arisa sat straight up. "Hold on, Shigure transformed? You're telling me he was one of them, too?" She rapidly ran through the animals in her mind, trying to figure out which one made the most sense. "Snake?"

Tohru shook her head. "Dog. You have met the Snake, though, when we were getting our costumes for Cinderella-ish, and Coming of Age Day."

Arisa's eyes narrowed for a moment, then widened. Of course; shimmering white hair, golden green eyes...a lucky white snake. "So...both the Prince and his brother? That had to be rough for that family."

Tohru made a face, then surprised Arisa with the hardness in her voice as she said "In their case, it was no hardship. Yuki's parents were very glad to use the status of Zodiac children to their advantage."

"Status?" Kureno hadn't elaborated on that, and Arisa was curious.

"In the Sohma family, the Zodiac members were special. The families with Zodiac children were given a lot of privileges, including money. Yuki and Ayame's parents were very happy to take advantage." Tohru's voice was still cold, and Arisa could only imagine the circumstances that would lead to Tohru having such a negative outlook on people. Clearly the Prince hadn't come from a palace, at least where his parents were concerned.

"He was the Rat, wasn't he? The Prince? I feel like he has to be, with that quiet voice and his grey hair and eyes." Tohru nodded, and Arisa took another guess. "Momiji...he was the Rabbit. He was that rabbit from our first-year culture fest, wasn't he?" Tohru nodded again, and Arisa laughed. "Kinda funny how he was always carrying that rabbit backpack; I guess he was able to see a little humor in it."

Tohru could only smile sadly, thinking about how much pain Momiji had carried, hidden away under that sunny disposition.

"And Hatsuharu...he has to be the ox. I know President Takei really hated that hair, but they always said it was natural, so...ox." Tohru nodded again, and Arisa sat back, thinking about it before asking, "Did I ever meet any others?"

Tohru thought for a moment. "I don't know if you remember Hatori...the doctor? He was the dragon. And Kagura, from the sendoff? Who was helping you and Saki make breakfast? She was the boar. My little sister Kisa-"

"Oh yeah, the girl with the golden orange hair? Tiger, right? Or was she the monkey?"

"Tiger. I don't know if you remember Ritsu at all, who's dating Shigure's editor? He's the Monkey."

Arisa didn't remember him, so that was one, at least. "So that leaves...the Horse and the Sheep?"

"My friend Isuzu, who you have to remember from the wedding-"

"Oh yeah, the chick with the amazing hair? Horse, for sure."

"Yes. And Kisa's boyfriend Hiro, the middle schooler? Light brown hair, spent a lot of time teasing Kyo? He was the Sheep."

"Wow." Arisa leaned back on her hands again, processing. "They were all so young, weren't they? Almost all of them were right around our age."

Tohru nodded in agreement, and Arisa turned to look at her again. "So, you knew about this Curse the entire time you lived there? And you just...accepted it?" She didn't quite know what to make of that. On the one hand, it was very Tohru to just roll with things, no matter how strange, but...it was a Curse. And at the time, it was an active Curse. How had she been so ok with it? And how had Hanajima and Arisa never even suspected?

Tohru sighed. It was all so difficult to explain, even to someone trying so hard to understand. "Yes, I did. It was strange, of course," that understatement earning a snort from Arisa, "but at the same time, in spite of the Curse, the Sohmas were so welcoming. All of them. I just...fell in with them, and I didn't want to leave. They made me feel like I was family, letting me stay with them, letting me learn from them. They trusted me to keep their secret, and I did. Then time went on, and I learned more about the Curse...and what it meant...what it meant for Kyo..."

Tohru's hands were twisting her robe again, and her eyes had filled with tears. Even now, knowing that he was safe, knowing that he was free, even just thinking back to those horrible days was enough to tear at her heart.

"Tohru...when did the Curse break?"

Tohru took a deep breath and looked up at Arisa. "The day I got out of the hospital...when Kyo ran after me. And he told me he loved me...and we could be together, always. And I was so happy," Tohru was crying now, the tears running down her face and dripping onto her robe. "Even though we knew he was Cursed, even though he'd be turning into...a cat...he still wanted to hold me, just for a moment. And I wanted to hold him, too. All we wanted was a moment, together, without fear. And he hugged me..."

"And no cat," Arisa said softly.

"No cat," Tohru repeated. "And apparently...it was like a chain. All at once, moving from one person to the next. All of them felt the bond snap, the animal spirit step away. All of them were free."

"So that's why we all suddenly got treated to Sohma PDA," Arisa said with a smile. "And there the school just thought it was because Yuki and Kyo got girlfriends, but they were hugging you all the time, weren't they? Not just Kyon, either, but Momiji and Yuki and Haru, too."

"That's right," Tohru said with a smile. It had felt strange at first, but so very wonderful, the way they could all just casually hug her.

"Wow," Arisa said, leaning forward on the bed and shaking her head. "It's all...there's just so much to process, you know? And it's funny; like I said, Kureno wouldn't tell me who anyone was, but there were enough hints that I just knew who some of them had to be. And you...of course you'd end up loving the Cat, Tohru." Arisa chuckled, shaking her head. "Did you start off loving him because he was the Cat?"

Tohru turned crimson, the blush covering her from toes all the way to the crown of her head. "No!" Though this certainly wasn't the first time anyone had accused her of that. How many times had they been teased, even before she had any idea how she felt about Kyo the man? "I always loved him because he was Kyo. Always." She smiled, looking down into her lap.

"Damn, Tohru." Arisa shook her head, even more in awe of Tohru than she'd been before. She'd always admired Tohru, always found her to have reserves of strength so much deeper than anyone, Arisa included, wanted to give her credit for. What must she have felt, to deal with the Curse and to actually see the man she loved bound by it? Arisa was struggling even to wrap her brain around this with Kureno long freed, and Tohru...Tohru...

Arisa had tried so very hard to make sense of it all, to understand why. She could understand why Kureno had kept it from her so long; how could he have told her any earlier, when the whole thing was so very unbelievable? Even trusting Kureno as she did now, even thinking back to all those moments that supported what he was saying, it was still hard.

She hadn't known what to think, and she'd asked Kureno for time to process. To figure out what it meant to be with someone who had that kind of past. Even if the Curse was gone, the mere fact that it had once existed meant Kureno was bound in ways she couldn't even begin to comprehend.

Arisa had asked him, after they'd started dating and Kureno had left the Sohma Estate, why he was so removed from the rest of the Sohmas. It had been something that always struck Arisa about that family, they were almost freakishly close. The Prince and Kyon lived together with Shigure, even though none of them were actually immediate family; at school, Momiji and Hatsuharu had been equally close to the two of them. They were all close to Tohru, and they constantly did things together. While going to the same school could certainly excuse part of it, there were things Tohru mentioned that had made Arisa feel "the Family" was a massive deal to the Sohmas. They even had a freakin' family Estate!

And Kureno had lived there, for so long. Right in the middle of things.

But he'd explained to her that even being in the heart of the family, right within easy reach of the God, he'd been so very alone. That he'd been 'special' in his broken Curse, and isolated as a result. He didn't blame Akito, and he didn't wish pain on anyone else, but he just needed...to be away from them. From all of them. He could be happy for those who were once possessed, that they had all finally gained their freedom. He could rejoince in its end. But he couldn't be around them, not any of them.

That had been a blow. It wasn't like Arisa cared about the family as a whole, not their clannishness, not their cash. But she had hoped, maybe, that in being with a fellow Sohma, she'd maybe end up tying herself even a little bit tighter to Tohru.

Arisa and Hanajima had known it was going to happen. Both of them could see the signs in both Tohru and Kyo long before either one of those clueless idiots had any idea. It was just a matter of time before they figured it out and finally made a move. Neither of Tohru's friends had even remotely expected things to go down the way they did.

"Kureno...when you were in the hospital. Akito said that she hurt you. What really happened, that day?"

"...Akito could feel her world coming apart at the seams. The Curse was starting to fracture even more...she couldn't handle it. And I couldn't help her."

"And...Tohru?"

"Tohru could."

It had been Tuesday night when Kureno first told her about the Curse, and Arisa thought about it all night and into the next day. By Wednesday afternoon, she'd made up her mind that she had to see Tohru. And in the subsequent days, she'd been thinking about it almost non-stop.

What did it all mean? Because the Curse was broken, did that actually mean it was gone? Never to come back, at all? Or was it still waiting out there, ready to grab and cling to new Sohmas of a new generation? And what did it really mean, for those who had been Cursed, to truly be free? Was that even possible?

It had been almost instinctive, seeking out Tohru. Kureno hadn't pointed directly to Tohru, but there had been so many clues he might as well have. Her connection to the Sohmas back in high school, her relationship with Kyon. That terrible, awful day when Tohru had gone to the hospital, and everything that had put her there. Once Arisa started following the breadcrumbs, there was no way not to find Tohru. And Kureno had basically admitted it. She had been there, she had been right in the thick of this mess.

She'd seen it, and somehow...she'd helped stop it.

Tohru was still smiling in almost fierce pride, and Arisa shook her head in amazement. But at the same time, was it really so amazing? Tohru had always had a knack for finding the rough diamonds, for saving the unsavable. Just look at Arisa herself.

'When the one who couldn't be saved had been redeemed and loved.'

"How did you do it, Tohru?" Arisa's voice was soft, questioning. Tohru looked over at her, confused.

"Do what?"

"How did you...move on. With Kyo. You saw all of this, you actually lived it. You saw them as animals, you saw them...bound. To Akito. You dealt with it, directly." Arisa took a breath. "I know the Curse is broken, and none of that is a thing now. But how do you...deal with it? Now? Knowing that that was a thing, and what was nearly their future. Especially Kyo, with what they were going to do to him. Don't you worry? That it's not actually...gone?"

Tohru could see what she meant, and Arisa's worry made sense. She would be lying, if she didn't wonder that herself. If Kyo hadn't wondered. How long had it taken before both of them slept easily through the night, neither of them waking in an anxious sweat, reaching out to embrace the other and reassure themself that they were still there? How long before Kyo stopped reflexively checking for his beads?

There were still nights where the dreams came back, and in those nights, they would cling to each other. Comfort each other. Remind each other that the past was past, and the present was sweet. But she doubted Kyo would ever truly shake off that darkness, not fully.

"Honestly...yes. I do worry. Kyo worries. I'm sure all of them worry, in one way or another. I don't think it's possible to do anything but worry, when you're talking about something as terrifying as a Curse. But at the same time..." Tohru looked up at her friend, taking her hand. "It took so much from them, from all of them. And now, finally, they have a chance to live, unfettered and free. Yes, there will be memories, and there will be worries, but none of those can change the fact that now it is gone. You weren't with any of them when it went away, Uo-chan, you couldn't see...couldn't see any of their faces in the moment that it broke."

Tohru would never be able to forget the look on Kyo's face in that moment, not if she lived to be one hundred. "Each of them told by the spirit of God 'thank you.' And goodbye."

She looked at Arisa's thoughtful face, her own face intense with emotion. "But none of that matters, not any more. I was willing to go with Kyo, to be with him, no matter what. And I never changed my mind, not even once. Now that the Curse is broken..." Tohru smiled, looking down at her hand and the golden wedding band on her ring finger. She'd only been wearing it for barely a month, but every time she looked at it, it made her heart swell.

Carefully, she slipped it off of her finger. "Did I ever show you what Kyo and I put inside our rings, Uo-chan?"

Arisa shook her head as she reached out. "No, I didn't know you did." Taking the ring, she turned it over and looked inside. Written in simple script, she read the words 'Always and Forever.' And she chuckled, passing it back to Tohru.

"Why am I not surprised?"

Tohru smiled, slipping the ring back onto her finger. "Kyo's says the same thing, and we mean it. I'll always love him, always and forever. No matter what. Him being Cursed didn't stop me, him being freed didn't change me; I love him. So much. And I always will. No amount of worry in the world will change that, or stop me from being with him."

Arisa looked at Tohru, seeing the way her friend's face shone. She was a newlywed, so it kinda made sense she'd be so sappy and in love, but it wasn't just that. Not for Tohru. This had been the way she'd always looked, when she was talking about Kyon. No worries, no fears. Just pure, fierce, shining love.

Arisa had asked Kureno for time, to figure out what she thought. What it meant, to have this baggage in Kureno's past. But now, looking at Tohru, it all suddenly seemed so simple.

'I'll always love him, always and forever. No matter what. Him being Cursed didn't stop me, him being freed didn't change me; I love him. So much. And I always will.'

A long silence hung in the air between the two of them, both of them deep in their own thoughts. Then Arisa looked over at Tohru, a resolute smile on her face. "Tohru...I'm going to marry Kureno."

And finally, Tohru let herself squeal.

"Hey...don't tell him, ok? Don't tell Kyon."

Tohru looked over at Uo-chan, surprise written all over her face. Since their heavy talk, the two of them had thrown themselves into festive chatter, talking of weddings and wedding planning until the wee hours of the morning. It was late now, and both of them wear exhausted, settled comfortably into bed. Tohru hadn't expected to hear Uo-chan's voice, not now.

And not saying that.

Tohru knew right away what she meant, and she was confused. "But...why?" She hadn't necessarily intended to march up and tell Kyo Uo-chan knew about the Curse, but considering how curious he'd also been about this trip, it seemed bound to come up.

Arisa had been thinking about it for a while. "I don't want to make things weird. I mean, I'm glad I know, really. Like I said, so many things make sense now. But at the same time, the Curse...that part of them all? It's not the 'them' I knew, and I don't feel like I have any business butting in on them."

"Uo-chan, I don't think-"

Arisa shook her head. "Nah, even if you think he wouldn't care, I don't want to. I don't want to say anything about it to any of them, ever. Kureno told me because he felt he had to...and he did. And it's done. And at the end of the day, none of it matters."

Tohru could understand that, and she could respect that. "Well, if you're sure."

"I am. I'm still gonna tease Kyon about dying his hair, too," Arisa added with a grin, eliciting a giggle from Tohru.

"You know he hates it when you do that, right?"

"Yeah, I know. But he's got it pretty damn good these days, he needs a little annoyance in his life now and then."

They both settled back down into the blankets, each of them closing their eyes.

"Hey, Uo-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you know."

"...me, too."

A/N: I wanted to explore the idea of Arisa learning about the Curse. Almost all of the Zodiac's partners know about it by the end of the story, with even Yuki telling Machi though she technically never has to deal with it. Even though Kureno is the most removed from the rest, I don't think he'd be willing to marry Arisa without her knowing. He probably had a ton of guilt about not telling her sooner.