Aah~! Maybe two more chapters to go. I wanted to finish this as soon as possible because I'm starting to brainstorm about Hatoru or another Yukiru. By the way, please visit my new fic "Devoted to You" (Yukiru as usual). Once it's done, I'll make a Hatoru. Yehey!
Er… let's continue…
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Yuki rushed outside to see what's happening. He lost sight of Tohru and found his cousins unconscious on the ground. "What happened here???"
"Akito summoned Hiro to get rid of you guys." Uo replied. "There's nothing wrong with them---"
"Where is she?"
"Who?"
"Tohru!"
"I thought she was with you?" Her voice sounded surprised.
"She ran… outside." Yuki said firmly. "Are you sure you don't know where she is?!"
"Why are you asking me?"
"You're her guardian, for crying out loud! You should know… well at least, you know." He said angrily.
"There's no time to talk about this." Hanajima approached them hastily. "We were already weakened by Hiro's borrowed power so please understand, Yuki." She said calmly. "You're her master so I suggest that you should know where she is, don't you?"
He shook his head.
"Then we don't have a choice." The moon guardian glared at him. "You have to wish for it."
"I can't!" Yuki yelled. "I promised her that I would give her her freedom---"
"What's the use of giving her something she can't use because she's dead?!" Uo yelled back. "Just wish for it. Freedom is something not to wish for. It's something that you can obtain after hard work."
"Please Yuki, she's in danger and we're very worried. You're the only one here who haven't wished yet." Hana begged.
Maybe I had to wish for her… that way, she will be ok. These guardians are right all along.
"Then I wish to know where she is right now." Yuki whispered.
At first nothing happened. But soon there was a strange white light forming in front of him.
And visions came… in the forest… where Tohru is…
"Please… don't curse him." she hugged Akito. "Don't do it!"
"The only reason why you won't go with me is that Yuki! He's the one who's holding you back!"
"Please…" she cried. "Don't hurt him. I'll go with you but don't hurt him."
"How could that happen?" he cupped her face. "Sometimes you need to make sure that something won't be lost again. In this way, I'll make sure I won't lose you again."
"…I'll make sure you won't hurt him." she grabbed him and started chanting.
"What are you doing?!" he yelled, trying to shrug her off. "Stop doing this!!!"
"Akito… I love you… and I love Yuki," she cried as white light blinded them. "In this way, I can save you both…"
I'm sorry Yuki…
I can't stay with you forever…
"Tohru!" he yelled as loud as he can. But he knew it was just a vision so she can't hear him.
"Are you okay?" Uo asked as she held him up. "What happened?"
Before he could even answer, he found himself running towards the forest. "Where are you going??"
"Somewhere where I can find her!" he yelled back.
Yuki, do you love me?
Of course I do. Why do you ask?
I can't… stay with you forever…
…I know because I'll be giving you your freedom and---
NO! That's not it…
Then what is it?
…I can't let you go now..
I'll find another way… so that I won't end up killing you, Yuki…
Tohru, please don't risk your life on this. Yuki thought. Please… don't let him kill you---
He stood still as he saw two bodies behind the bushes. He carefully walked towards it and…
"I'm too late…" he whispered to himself.
"I feel something's wrong…" Hanajima whispered. "My body's weakening… I don't know why…"
"The curse that Hiro summoned is still taking effect." Kazuma replied. "Just sit still and you'll be fine…"
"But I feel the same way…" Uo coughed out. "I feel that my power's leaving me---"
"Your thoughts are weakening you. Just sit still!"
While they were discussing, a car came and stopped in front of them. Then, they heard a voice of a young boy inside.
"Keep the change!"
"But sir, it's 100---"
"Keep it! I'm in a hurry!" the boy opened the car door and got out. The car disappeared in the distance as he turned to stare at the guardians.
"Hello," he greeted. "What happened here, Kazuma-sensei?"
"…do you know him?" Hana asked.
"Sort of…?" Kazuma stared at the young boy.
"Sensei, it's been years since I met you!" the boy replied. "Don't you remember?"
"Is he another Sohma?" Uo asked.
"Yes…" the teacher's eyes widened. "He can be our final hope."
"Eh?"
"Tohru… please open your eyes…"
Yuki held her close to him and whispered on her ear. "Please say something…"
"Yuki… I can't wake up…" she thought in her sleep.He hugged her loosely. "This is all my fault. I should have gotten here earlier…"
"Don't regret. It's not your fault.""Please wake up…" he whispered.
"I wanted to look at you… but all I see is in shades of gray. I'm about to die, Yuki. Please don't make me look at you. I don't want to cry again…""I don't know… how I can repay everything… but I know that you can hear me right now." He continued. "Please understand me. I can't let you go either."
She felt his lips covering hers. She can't respond to him but she can feel him deepening the kiss, making her crave for him more. Soon, he pulled back and felt tears falling down on her cheeks. It wasn't her tears at all.
"Yuki… you're crying…""Please…wake up…" he whispered once more. "Just for one time, I want to see you… smiling at me."
"I can't… please Yuki, don't make me hurt you…"
"I can't afford to lose you!" he hugged her. "Please just… say something…"
I…I… love you "Yuki…" she finally whispered.
He looked at her. "You… talked…" he smiled.
"Yuki…" he felt pain rushing on her body. She couldn't open her eyes but she felt tears overflowing…
"Please don't cry…" he whispered as he wiped off the tears.
"I…want you… to be happy… to be free… that is why… I need to die for you…" she whispered.
"No…" he said. "I'm about to give you your freedom… you can't just die!"
"Yuki, ever since those guardians warned me to be harsh on you… that you are someone like Akito, I thought that… that you still have hope… that you're not like him." she smiled. "That is why… I did this… just to save you… from him… from my people…"
"Tohru, stop this nonsense. What's important is that you're ok." He replied. "We're going home… you're going home now. You can't die here… because I won't let you---"
"I used my power to seal Akito's evil one… but it was suicide… for me to do this. But I'm happy… because I gave my life for a purpose… to protect you… and the others…" Tohru held him close to her. "I hope I could spend a lot of time with you… but… I'm dying, Yuki---"
"No! You're not going to die!"
"Don't hold her back Yuki…" Uo whispered behind him. "She needs to go back."
"But she's dying!" Yuki yelled. "She'll die once she returns."
"We have nothing to do with that." She whispered. "She need to return to her homeland, whether she's alive or not."
"But there must be way to get her life back!"
"Yes, there is." The guardian smiled. "The last Sohma on the list."
"But there no one else---"
"You forgot about me!!!" the boy yelled in front of him.
"You forgot this Sohma, Yuki."
The clan head laughed. "Sorry, Momiji. It's been a long time, isn't it?"
"Why do you always forget about me?!"
"You haven't visited for a long time…" Yuki replied. "But I'm happy that you're back---"
"Momiji," Uo faced the young Sohma. "I want you to wish something for me… for Tohru…"
Yuki stared at the guardian. Her face was full of worries and he himself was confused about it.
"There's no much time." She continued. "This is the only way for her to survive."
"I know." Momiji raised his hand. "I wish for her to return back to her homeland safely--"
"That's not it." Hanajima called out from the darkness. "That can't save her."
"What do you mean?"
"Even if she returns to her homeland, she's still dying and the curse is still killing her." Hanajima whispered. "You have to wish for the curse to disappear."
"Ok---"
"Wait!" Uo yelled at her fellow guardian.
"Now what?"
"Yuki, this is a very risk-taking chance. We're talking about wiping out everything that curses Celeste." The sun guardian explained. "Everything."
"Yes, I understand." He nodded.
"Please, just say it!" Hana glared.
"There's a probability that she would forget everything and I really mean everything, including you." She pointed.
"What…" he was definitely against that. He was so close to her and…
"If you love her," Hanajima stared at him. "Then it is about time you should show it. She's dying and this is the only way."
"Yuki…" Momiji whispered.
The nezumi maintained his silence, knowing he was about to lose someone he was forbidden to love in the first place. She was a goddess and he was her target. He should be dead.
But in this situation, the goddess is dying.
All because of him.
"Do it." He whispered at the corner of his lips.
"What?"
"If… If this is the only way…" he looked away. "…then I would… let her go…"
Uotani smiled at him. "Thank you for understanding."
Hanajima stared at the other Sohma. "SO what are you going to say?"
"… I would wish for the curse to disappear… and everything related to it…" Momiji forcibly whispered.
"Good." She smiled. All of the sudden, pieces of white dust came and started to surround them, glittering luminously like moon beams. Uo carried Tohru in his arms while Hanajima dragged Akito's body beside her.
"Uo," Yuki managed to whisper. "Take care of her."
"I will."
"Right now," Hana grinned. "We are nothing but glimpses in your past, something that never existed in the first place. But even so, we would like to express our deepest gratitude on behalf of my fellow guardians." She smiled. "Thank you for taking care of our princess and accepting her momentarily on your home."
Soon after, their bodies started to fade and disappear in front of them. Once it did, the white dusts disappeared and it was dark again inside the forest.
"Yuki…" Momiji whispered as he glanced at his cousin.
Yuki was having a hard time breathing. His eyes were focused on that spot where his goddess disappeared.
"Goodbye." Was his whisper again and again. He did manage to hold it back but in Momiji's eyes, he was crying.
He felt that he was punished by fate.
He would never see another one like her ever again.
Goodbye, Honda-san…