Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Fruits Basket characters.
Note: Ok! The is the final chapter! Yaay! ^_^; This story dragged on for a bit longer than what I had originally planned. I hope you people enjoy this. (Sorry if it's a bad chapter title… ^^;; I really couldn't think of anything good this time…)
Chapter 23: The Conclusion
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Hatsuharu supported Kyo while Shigure and Hatori did their best to support each other as the four vampires tried to hurry outside the building to see just what the effects of the curse were. They stepped outside to see that chaos had already begun to develop within the complex. There were members of other vampire clans attacking the members of the Sohma family…humans that had happened to walk by…had already gotten news reporters and the police force into the growing madness that was taking place. The curse had disrupted all of the Sohma family's powers…There wasn't any way any of them could hide or fight back…except for maybe some of the ones that actually had true muscular strength even after their powers were drained.
Shigure said at almost a whisper, "We…have to get…out of here…let's…try for…my…house…" he then went into a coughing fit as his legs gave out on him.
Hatori tried to catch Shigure, but only succeeded in going down with him. Haru then snapped,
"It's no good! We're too weak to even go a few more feet…yet alone make it across a battlefield alive!"
"Hatori…" Kyo lifted his head up enough to look at the exhausted vampire, "Is it at all possible to use your healing powers…?"
"I could…if I had enough strength to even spark a flame…but…I…don't…"
"…Damn…This…isn't good…"
"Ah! Found them!"
Kyo turned his head to see Momiji running towards them with Kisa in his arms and two other vampires right behind him.
"M-momiji…what--"
"Talk later, Ritsu, Ayame!"
"Right."
"Ah, Yes!"
The silver haired vampire picked up Shigure and ran off while the other retrieved Hatori. Kisa did her best to help Haru support Kyo while Momiji ran behind them, his eyes glowing.
Suddenly, bullets were screaming towards the group. Haru started to make a move but was halted by Momiji yelling,
"Don't! Just keep going!"
The bullets slowed and dropped in midair just a few feet from them as they ran. Similar things happened to whatever or whoever tried to attack or get near the group.
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They finally made it to Shigure's house and Momiji didn't waste any time to take charge for the moment,
"Hatori, you have a soul, correct? Give it here…I'll be careful with it."
Hatori slowly searched his pockets for Kana's soul and when he found it, he gave it to Momiji. Momiji then placed it within his pocket and his eyes began to glow as he chanted a spell. When he finished, Kyo yelled,
"What the hell is going on!? Will someone explain this crap!?"
"Ah, I--" Momiji started, but was quickly interrupted by,
"I'M SO SORRY! Thismessisprobablysomhowallmyfault! IknewIdidn'tapologizeenoughtothatpoorlittlegirl! I'M SORRY! PLEASE FORGIVE ME! I'M--"
"Shut up, Ritsu! It's not your fault…just…just let Momiji explain…"
"AH, AYAME! I'M SOR--"
Ayame quickly clamped a hand over the spastic vampire's mouth before letting out a sigh and saying,
"Go ahead, Momiji."
"Ok…Where should I start though?"
Haru looked up from putting bandages onto Kyo to say,
"How about what happened on the way over here? Why couldn't anything get to us?"
"Well…call it a rabbit's luck! With this soul near me, I still have my powers…which I can only describe as having major luck. With the soul I can conceal this house from all the other vampires as well as the humans…I'm not exactly sure how else to explain it though…because I'm not quite sure how I'm doing it myself…"
"Then if you're so lucky…" Kyo groaned as he attempted to stand (but failed), "do you have a clue how we can get rid of this curse before we're all dead?"
"No, not really."
"…Great…Anyone?"
Kyo scanned the room but everyone just shook their heads. The situation looked pretty grim, despite their luck thus far…
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"Oh? I feel strange waves coming from just outside the city…"
"Huh? Give the wave report a break, Hana…Tohru? Where are you going?"
Tohru froze in her tracks when Uo called out her name. She then slowly turned around and said as she looked down at her feet,
"Um…I…was…I…er…"
"Could it be related to the strange happenings that are going on at the edge of town, Tohru?"
Tohru nodded to her friend, Hana, before saying,
"I just…want to…see if someone's alright. He…and some others were in trouble when I left…I just want to know…if they're ok."
"Shall we accompany you then?"
"No, don't trouble yourselves over me! I'll be fine. Thank you."
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"Hey! I think I found something that can help us!" Shigure said excitedly, despite his injuries, as he set a book onto the table, "Listen to this:
Thy way of life shall stay untold,
Until thy outcast defeats the old.
Chaos and destruction then lie ahead,
Until ye all of related blood are dead.
Two special ones have been discovered,
But one of them cannot be truly recovered.
To love a heartless vampire is a rare trait,
Ye seek these two out before it is too late.
Heed these words or surely lose thy life,
Bring the two together to end a major strife."
The room was silent for a few moments before Ayame asked,
"What does this mean?"
Haru stood and said,
"I'll be right back…"
The others watched him grab the soul out of Momiji's pocket before shimmering away and just a second or two later, he shimmered back into view with his hand on a girl's shoulder.
"Tohru!?" Kyo said, half in shock that he was actually seeing her again, "Haru! Why'd you--"
"She was in front of the Sohma complex…She went there of her own free will. I thought you might be happy that she's still alive…and…we also need her…" Haru turned towards Hatori, "and we'll need Kana's help as well."
"…Right. Where do they need to be?"
Kyo looked between the three before muttering,
"What'd I miss? Someone fill in the gaps for me?"
Momiji took the soul back from Haru and grabbed Tohru's hand before yelling,
"Yes! Haru, you fill Kyo and the other's in! Hatori, you and Kyo meet me out front as soon as he's done. Come on, Tohru!" the little vampire had a bounce in his step as he led a extremely confused Tohru outside.
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"So…Everyone understand?"
The other vampires in the room nodded their confirmation to Haru as Kyo and Hatori stood to head out to meet Momiji.
When Kyo saw Torhu, he gasped out,
"Momiji! What'd you do to her!?"
"Calm down! It's just a cloak and some contacts…She can take them off after she's done her part of the job. Let's get going."
"Right…"
The four traveled as quickly as they could (two being injured/weak and the other being a human) towards the Sohma complex. When they arrived the chaos hadn't slacked off any. Many corpses were on the ground and most patches of it were stained with blood. Some of the bodies were human, most were those of the Sohma clan. With Momiji's help they made their way to Akito's chamber where the curse had been cast. When they were there, Hatori placed Kana's soul into a small, shallow hole that was within the hand of a statue and Kyo told Torhu where to stand. After the two had backed away far enough, Momiji began a chant and a light surrounded Tohru. The statue began to emit a light and soon the room became too bright for any of them to look. The light soon faded along with Momiji's chant…Torhu's eyes had been squeezed shut but as soon as she opened them, a shockwave could be seen rippling through the room and out. Momiji then cried out,
"That should have reversed all the doings of the curse, come on!"
Momiji shimmered outside, followed by Kyo who teleported Tohru out with him…Hatori stayed behind for a moment as he looked over at the statue that still had a very faint glow to it,
"Thank you…Good bye…Kana."
The light then faded out completely and Hatori held back a sob before wiping away a single tear and joining the other three outside.
"Yaaay! It worked! It worked!"
Momiji bounced up and down and around while holding Tohru's hands. The corpses and blood were gone, the Sohmas, humans, and other vampires had been revived and gone back to whatever they had been doing beforehand.
"Keh! I don't believe it…Hey, Hatori? Who's going to be the head of the Sohma family now?"
"Hatori could do it!"
"Yes, Tori-san would be perfect!"
Hatori looked back and forth between Shigure and Ayame who were had their arms on his right and left shoulders.
"That sounds fine to me." said Kyo as he looked over to Hatsuharu who then said,
"What do you say?"
"…Fine. I'll do it…just until the next in line is old enough to take up the job."
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"Why did you come back!?"
Tohru flinched at his harsh tone.
"I…I was just…"
"Thank you. Truly…we wouldn't have survived if you hadn't come back."
Tohru's eyes brightened up and Kyo turned his head at a poor attempt to hide his reddened cheeks.
"You…should probably go back now…back to your friends and with other humans…where you belong. Haru can--"
"No!"
His head turned towards the girl in surprise as her eyes were about to overflow with tears.
"O-oi!"
"Have I…Ever once said that I hated you!? …I…I l--"
"Don't say it!"
The girl flinched and lowered her head as he repeated,
"Don't…say it. No one can love a vampire…and those who believe they do end up with a terrible fate…Like Kana…"
"…It doesn't matter what you say. I…I'm not going back…I can't. You found me in a tent on your land…I have nowhere else to go…and nowhere else I'd rather be."
"But…"
"All of you got me dragged into your lives…and so I want to stay involved with you and your family. I don't think Kana's fate was so bad…She was able to help save the one she loved, correct?"
Kyo could only nod, this girl was insane…why…how could she love a vampire…how could she love someone like him? She didn't make any sense…
Tohru came closer to Kyo and hugged him.
POOF!
She let out a laugh as she picked up an angry orange cat and said,
"Besides…I helped you solve one curse…Maybe I can help with this one too!"
Kyo's anger melted away as she smiled and held him tight. He…could get used to someone caring about him like she did…To love a vampire…is indeed a rare trait, after all.
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((AN: The End! .; How bad of a job did I do on wrapping it up? I hope I didn't ruin the story with a bad ending. Please let me know what you think in your reviews!))
