Author's Notes; End. Finally! Oh wow… _
Special thanks to Kireina who never failed to review! Oh my god I love you, lol! Thank you so much! This chapter's for you!

*

"Fuck fuck fuck!" Uo muttered to no one in particular. What had she been thinking!? They were too similar in nature. Both quick tempered, both stubborn. Both unwilling to admit their mistakes. Not to mention both had communication problems. Her mind silently added.

She stopped and fought to calm her breathing. This was getting ridiculous. This might be the last she'll ever see him… Did she really want the memory to be that of shouting and anger?

A cool hand grabbed hers from behind. Out of instinct she grabbed hold of it, yanking the person to a position where she would be in advantage.

"Ow! Stupid Yankee!" the familiar growl unbalanced her and she ended up holding the guy who touched her. In a puff of orange smoke, a cat's form emerged.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Kyo!? You're lucky there's no one around!"

"What the hell am I doing!? What about you!?"

Cat and girl glared at each other. I hate this, I hate this, I hate this… Please God…Something whispered inside of her and she felt all the strength flow out of her, fatigue hit her hard and she collapsed with her legs tucked under her, near Kyo's pile of clothes.

"Oy. Yankee…" The voice was now concerned.

"Why can't we at least be civil to each other, eh?" she beckoned to him. He gently licked her outstretched fingers.

"Yes we can. Don't you remember how it used to be? We're just both tired and stressed." Her fingers worked without her brain telling it too. It continued to stroke the cat's head, gently tracing circles on the forehead, she always did like the feel of the fur under her finger.

"Come on…" She gathered his clothing in her arms and stood up. She opened her arms, "need a ride… Neko-chan?" she offered a grin to him

"Feh. Don't call me that." He huffed, nevertheless he jumped to her arms. Curling his tail instantly in pleasure as he felt her warmth. She cuddled him and held him close, she didn't want him to transform just yet.

"You don't smell like a cat." She commented absently. In fact he smelled like the forest, musty and fresh at the same time, wild and mysterious.

"Spirit of the cat. Not a real cat." He scoffed at her. He purred deeply as she stroked his head.

"Not a real cat?" she raised an eyebrow, she twitched his nose and he bit her playfully.

"Baka." The cat rested his head on her arms gently, nudging it to give friction… comfort. The air around them calmed, it was as if they finally found their peace. As if the orange puff of smoke had strange calming abilities.

And maybe it had.

Because although the tension was still present, it wasn't directed at each other anymore. There was only mutual understanding between them. Although both still felt much more needed to be said, they were for now content knowing that they might never get another chance to speak to each other again.

Which is weird if you think about it, but the couple in question seemed not to mind.

*

Uotani Arisa was once more in awe of the place she saw before her. How could a place so beautiful be a keeper of so many disturbing and dark memories? Ones that can cause a person shudder, physically recoiling at the mere hint of a resurfacing memory?

Of course the answer came in an elegantly dressed fragile looking man. One who's beauty rivalled and sometimes even beat the most beautiful women on earth.

He stood against the doorway, looking all too innocent for someone's who's cruelty could make the strongest man bow in fear. Akito stroked a chirping bird. It seemed to love him in its own way as it cocked it's head questioningly at the visitors. It sang for him before finally flitting away.

"Now, see what you've done? He doesn't like you." Akito frowned at them, he shrugged and moved inside.

"I guess this is where I leave you. I doubt I'll be allowed to stay."

"Yeah…"

"Take care." She let go of the cat and handed him his clothes.

Uo turned to leave when a voice stopped her.

"Akito said…" Hatori hesitated, he knew whatever Akito planned… it would end up in hurt for the blonde. "Akito asked you to come inside for the fight." His face said everything while his mouth stayed clamped shut, his half hidden eyes warned her of the implications of her accepting the invitation.

They always did say that curiosity killed the cat. Or maybe in this case, the cat's girlfriend.

*

"You may not interfere." Akito's cool voice greeted her as soon as she stepped into the large room. It was empty of furniture except a single mahogany chair with elaborate carvings on it.

Akito descended on the chair with air of a king. And he did look like one. His eyes swooped down to gaze upon Yuki then Kyo who sat on the floor in front of him, then further back to herself, Hatori and a man she didn't know. The stranger with red hair seemed to have come out of no where.

With one grand gesture from Akito, Yuki and Kyo stood, each going separate ways, parallel to each other. Amethyst meet red and they bowed to each other. A silent communication seemed to go between them as they began circling each other.

One step right, two steps left. They didn't miss a beat, they were perfectly synchronised, years of fighting each other made them aware of the meaning of every muscle twitch the other made. One step forward, false alarm, one step, two step, three steps right and a pause. They assessed the stances and watched the eyes.

Kyo broke first and lunged towards Yuki, his fisted hand flying towards his cousin's face. Yuki dodged it easily, using the opportunity to knee Kyo's stomach.

Uo winced as she imagined the pain, but the receiver didn't even flinch as he took a step backwards.

It was brutal and violent, but it was also beautiful. Each droplet of blood spilt seemed deliberate for a moving piece of art, it was as if everything was co-ordinated. One hits, the other blocks. One kicks, the other dodges. It wasn't a fight, it was a dance. A destructive and primal dance, but it was a dance nonetheless.

She watched it in a haze, it was like watching a film. Only… it was much too real and even better synchronised. She knew whatever the outcome is there would be consequences, yet she couldn't help but be impressed. It was obvious that both of them knew what they were doing and it made it entrancing.

She heard once that time flew when you had fun and time comes to a virtual stand still when you're in pain, but she never heard about time going quickly yet seeming an eternity when you're worried. No, worried seemed such an understatement, she felt… anxious? Apprehensive? How about all those added together and timed by eternity. She suppressed a shout when she saw a teeth get knocked out by a kick.

She felt tears flow down silently as she realised that like in their everyday life… Yuki was winning. A flash of light blinded her for a moment as she realised with dawning horror that she knew what was going to happen next.

Everything was fuzzy. Only one bloody figure was in her vision, her body was frozen in time as she saw him fall. His battered body stayed still on the floor, she tried to run to him but something held her back.

"Come on baka neko! Get up! You can't give up just yet." She repeated the lines she knew she spoke in her dream, she took in a deep breath and began again, this time stilling the tremor in her voice. "Kyon-Kyon!" she yelled. "Don't you dare lose!" she managed to get the sentence out before a hand clamped over her mouth. She struggled against it but it wouldn't let her go. But the desired effect had already taken place, Kyo got up shakily and glared at his opponent.

"Of course I wont!" he spat out. "You think I'm going to lose to this kuso ne…" Kyo didn't finish his sentence, his whole body shook violently as he began to cough up blood. He slumped down on the floor, vainly he tried to push himself up.

"Kuso what?" his opponent's voice was now etched with desperation. Yuki's expression didn't change but his voice and eyes told everyone present about how he really felt.

"Kyo." She whispered. She wanted so much for this to be a bad dream, last time Kyo had woken her up. Now who would? Her saviour was close to being broken.

She wrenched her arm free from the red headed man and glared at him, quickly she turned back to the fight, only to realise… there was no more fight. Kyo had lost all strength. He had lost.

"Kuso nezumi." He managed to choke out.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Deal him the last blow!" shouted Akito with glee. A bitter taste flooded Uo's mouth, the cruel bastard was really enjoying it. She almost lunged at him when a cool voice sliced through her rage.

"No Akito. That is enough. This is not a fight to the death. Kyo's wounds need to be treated." Hatori stood and went over to his cousin, his steps were unfaltering even though there was a slight shake when he stood up.

"I demand that you sit down Hatori! The fight is not yet over." A brutal light shone in his eyes.

"Akito, this is not the old days. The Cat is allowed his life now, we can only imprison him and not kill him." A figure dressed in a suit emerged from the doorway, he had a soft smile on his face.

"Shigure. What are you doing here?"

"I'm making sure you stay in line Akito."

"It is not your place to do so."

"But I am well within my rights as a member of the Jyuniishi, and the descendants of one who helped make the rules."

"I am the Clan Leader." He scoffed.

"I m aware of that fact Akito but the rules stand, not even you can defy them."

"You dare stop me?"

"Yes we do." He pointedly looked at Hatori and Kureno in turn. Akito seemed to have lost all interest and shrugged, he turned to the doctor and nodded.

"Treat him in the cell. I really don't wish to see that mongrel defile my room any longer."

Hatori gently took Kyo in his arms and tapped his cheeks gently, he knew it'd be better to treat him first before waking him but once in his cell… Akito would never let him out.

"Kyo. Kyo, this is Hatori. It's over." Kyo's eyes fluttered open and he coughed blood.

"I lost didn't I?"

"Yes."

"I knew it. I should have practised more."

A stern arm once more grabbed hold of her. She turned to the man she knew now as Kureno and frowned. Silently his eyes told her to stay put. Akito was still in the room even though he pretended not to notice them.

"It is the tradition for the Rat to take one last mock of the Cat before he is taken away." He explained neutrally, Uo desperately wanted to slap the man. He gestured for her to move out and she obeyed, turning her back only once to watch Yuki as he said something to her boyfriend.

"It's not over Kyo."

"I know it isn't you idiot. I'll be back and you better be prepared."

"I'll once more wait to kick your ass."

"You wish, bastard."

By this time he had managed to stand on his own with a little help from Hatori. He lifted his fist up and shoved a finger in the direction of his cousin.

"Kyo…" Yuki barely whispered. "Take care." And so the Rat finishes his traditional 'Last Mock'.

Uo clenched her hands, she didn't want to say goodbye. Everything seemed way too surreal, she was hoping to wake up once more to a grouchy voice and a shock of bright orange hair.

"Oy. Yankee." She watched him push Hatori away to stand on his own.

"Yeah? Wassup Neko-chan?" she felt stupid after saying what she did, but she honestly didn't know what words should come out of her mouth.

"This is it. It's over."

"What is?" she puzzled over his choice of words.

"My life. My freedom… us." He had looked at everything else but her as he said it, but at the last word he looked directly at her eyes.

"Why do we have to be over?" her voice trembled even though she tried to keep it steady. She hated herself for sounding so weak.

"Because Akito's a bas… Because Akito won't ever let me out. Because he won't let anyone see me."

"So you're going to give up?" A familiar sense of anger coursed through her. What kind of idiot gives up so easily!?

"Not giving up. Just accepting it for now."

"I never knew you were so weak!" she tried to goad him so that he'd break away. If he didn't accept things, maybe he'd try to escape.

"It's the only way I'll survive this." He offered her a sad smile.

"Fuck you." She didn't get him. It was as if there was a gap between the old Kyo and the Kyo after the fight. It was if the fight had changed everything.

"Right back at you."

"I'm suppose to be the taunting one! You're supposed to be the pissy one!"

"Right now you're the childish one."

"Gods… What are we talking about." She made an exasperated noise and wiped her face repeatedly with her hands.

"Just… come here." He pulled her close and hugged her, shifting his weight so that he didn't hurt his ribs, which felt as if they had just been trodden on by an elephant.

"So this is goodbye?" she pulled away a bit to look at his eyes, now a soft shade of brown instead of the fierce red it usually was.

"Yeah. Forget about me. Find a guy. Have lots of kids. Be happy." He shrugged. Inside he felt himself break slowly.

"I wont forget you."

"Oh for the love of…" Kyo let out a pained hiss as he moved his body the wrong way. "Look, if you're that stubborn about not wanting to forget me… Just call your first born by my name then!" he didn't know how long he'll last in her arms. If he stayed any longer then he'd probably try to K.O Hatori before making a run for it. He would have tried it if he didn't know that Hatori also had a black belt in a few of the martial arts.

"What if it's a girl?" she smiled mischievously.

"Call her… Kyo..ni or something. I'm sure you'll find enough alternatives to butcher my name."

"Heh. Baka." She swatted his cheeks softly.

"When you go… Don't turn back. Don't look back."

"Why?" she cocked her head in question. In this wounded state it seemed that he was making less and less sense as time went on.

"Because if you do, I don't know whether I'll be able to go without another fight, and with the state my body is in right now…"

"Sou…"

"Yeah."

"I did… do love you." She traced a shaking finger down his jaws and to his neck where a large bruise was forming, she remembered the kick that did it.

"Yeah. I know."

"Ja ne, Kyonkichi." She looked him in the eyes as she said the words that seemed to tear at her, she expected him to say 'Ja, Yankee', but instead he shook his head.

"Goodbye Yankee."

She turned away, using all of her fastly disappearing will power not to look back at the wounded figure of… her ex boyfriend.

The wind danced softly around her, like the time when she first came to the Sohma Estate. As she pushed her hair out of her face a whisper floated with the moving air to bring his words to her ears, she froze and let the gentle wind lightly stroke her cheeks, drying her tears.

"Arisa… Aishiteru. Aishiteru." She nodded once and waved her hands, trying her hardest not to swivel around.

He walked away, he didn't look back. His words echoed inside her head. He loved her. Sohma Kyo had loved, and he had loved her.

And with a start she realised… He had finally called her by her name. The tears that she managed to keep inside flooded out in a stream as she walked quicker to the gates.

~The End

*Groans* That is by far the sappiest story I have ever written. Not too satisfied with it either… _… Well it's all over. Whaddayaguysthunk?