Author's Notes: Oh my…it seems like I have the first manga! Aaw, even though people say it will be a Kyo/Tohru I can still hope for it to be a Yuki/Tohru! There are some fluffy parts with those two and I absolutely love that! LOL! Okay, I guess I can't wait until April! LOL! I'm looking forward for the second one! My heart is beating like crazy! Wow…I'm obsessed! LOL! Anyway…thank you for those who have reviewed! This isn't the LAST chapter yet! LOL! Enough of my stupid ramblings! On with what happened…(I said 'LOL' so many times it's freaky…LOL!) Oh and by the way the [--blah blah--] things, they are the people from the past in Chapter 4! Okay now enjoy!

Chapter 16: Curses

"Because…Because I love you."

--I found you…but I can't see you…--

            Yuki knew what was coming. Any second now he would disappear and be turned into his rat form. Any time now—

            Instead he felt her hug him back. He felt her arms on his back…he didn't transform…I didn't transform…to think that I can never be so close to you…

"…I thought…you would never accept me if it was me who was responsible for your torment…for your fear…" Tohru whispered her eyes closed, "But, you still said it…the words I've waited for so long to hear…you said it…and you're here."

--Yukito…--

"I don't want to let go of you. I feel like this is a dream…" Yuki replied. He can touch her, feel her, smell her, and get close to her…just like when they met before…in that place…

"I hope this isn't a dream…" Tohru whispered and smiled.

            Kyo looked as the new couple hugged each other. Tohru pulled away from the embrace with reluctance and looked at Shigure and Kyo.  She smiled a brighter smile than ever before.

"Thank you, Kyo…" She said, "If it weren't for you and Shigure I would've—"

"Disappeared?" Akito asked.

--You will not be together! I will die again if I have to, to separate you two! --

"Akito-san…you don't have to suffer anymore. The curse has been lifted…" Tohru trailed off as Akito advanced towards her.

            Yuki pulled Tohru towards him. There was no way Akito will take away or ruin what he has now! He placed himself in front of Tohru as if to shield her.

"My…my…it seems the little rat has gotten himself free from the cage." Akito said with a sadistic smile.

--Yukito! You belong with me! --

"…It seems so, and I don't intend on going back either." Yuki replied.

"Akito…you don't have to make others suffer anymore…you're free of the curse. You can live your own life now." Tohru said from behind Yuki.

"It doesn't mean it isn't over." Akito said and received puzzled looks from everyone, "You may think it is, but it isn't. The curse hasn't been lifted. It will be and you'll all soon find out." He said.

-=-

            Kotori squeezed her eyes tightly. Be strong for me Tohru…Everyone please be strong for me now! Please…please end this now…

-=-

            "What do you mean?" Tohru asked.

"You know of what happened…am I right Shigure?" Akito asked.

            Shigure didn't know how to respond. Did he know? Or not? He doesn't know if he does know!

"Confusing isn't it?" Akito asked him and centered his attention back to Yuki and Tohru. "The Sohmas have many dark and forbidden secrets. Not one seems to know exactly why the Sohmas were cursed…but now the whole cursed family know. It was because of the Honda clan."

"Shut your mouth Akito!" Kyo shouted, "It wasn't her fault!"

"Ah yes…the cat of the zodiac. Don't you blame her for giving you the burden of living your seventeen years under the curse? Having that horrible, horrible form? The feeling of being apart…shunned by your own family?" Akito asked Kyo.

            Kyo gritted his teeth, "I don't care! Even so she came to me that night—"

"Who was asking?" Akito asked and laughed.

"Ergh!" Kyo said rushing towards Akito. He's going to get it!

"NO! Kyo! Stop!" Tohru shouted and Kyo stopped dead in his tracks.

            Akito smiled viciously at Kyo, "Anyway…that certain Honda who died that night was thinking of the folk story her love, a Sohma, shared and enjoyed together…" Akito continued.

            Tohru held Yuki's hand as Akito continued and Yuki held hers tightly. "If you ask me, it sounds like a Romeo and Juliet thing." Akito said and coughed up blood, "Except the fact that it's darker than that! It seems like the Honda has cursed us…everyone knows that…but…did you know Yuki? Did you know that because of us Tohru is suffering, too?"

"What do you mean?!" Yuki asked.

"Patience, Yuki…" Akito said wiping the blood away, "We cursed the Hondas as well…that every women that has the slightest resemblance to Kotori, all of her loved ones that are close to her will die…and you look exactly like Yukito the man she loved."

"Mother…" Tohru whispered. This can't be happening…Mother is this true? Should I believe Akito?

--Yukito…I'll be with you soon…--

            Shigure understood now. There always had to be a consequence now. So…the whole curse wasn't one sided after all. Kyo looked shocked. How could everything possibly go wrong just when everything was being set right?

            Yuki stared at Akito. He wouldn't be lying…He's not lying…of course he isn't…it's the truth and I can see it in his eyes.

            Akito walked closer to Yuki and Tohru and smirked, "So how do you think this will work out?" He asked them. Yuki turned around, the hand that was holding onto his felt limp. He saw Tohru looking straight at him, asking him to tell her it was a lie. She knew the answer as well. It was the truth. Tohru's eyes stung with another set of unshed tears.

            Yuki looked down on the ground, he knew it…they wouldn't allow it.

"I understand if…if you want get away from us…from me. You don't have to stay." Yuki whispered. I was close to you for what seems like only seconds, and now I can't reach you…knowing that your curse is almost as worse as ours.

            Tohru looked at him, "Remember when you said you all didn't blame me? I don't blame you. I don't. It's not our fault that our past was like that. Besides, you're my family now." Tohru said and reached for Yuki's hand.

"Tohru…" Yuki said looking at her.

"If we all forgive each other now, maybe the past wouldn't matter. That's why they called it 'past' right? It's history." She said.

"So…" Kyo said, "We all forgive each other?"

"It's not our fault that our lives turned out like this." Shigure said.

"Both curses have been lifted because all of you are here." Tohru said and slowly smiled up at Yuki.

            Akito coughed up more blood; he had to act now while he's still alive. The curse wasn't lifted just yet…not until they passed through what will happen.

            As Tohru looked up at Yuki she saw Akito's arm lift up behind him with something that glinted against the sun's rays and she knew she had to act fast!

"Yuki! Watch out!" Kyo and Shigure screamed.

            Yuki turned his head and saw Akito with a knife at hand. Tohru whirled him around…

-=-

            He stabbed. That's what the last thing he did. Akito knew that his knife had struck something, and after that he died. Let my actions be worth it…let me rest in peace knowing I've done right…

Author's Notes: Uh-oh! What happens next? If you want to know, then review to get the next chapter! Thank you for those who have reviewed! I appreciate it a lot! It helped me get motivated! I have two endings for Change of Fate, but I don't know which one to take! Such a hard decision! More about the manga! Oh gosh I love it so much! I can't picture myself or any other person in the world reading it and then bending it! I would die! I certainly can't have that! It's so perfect…LOL! Okay I'm being weird! If I update slower than usual before and after this…it's because of:

Projects…such as: History (Road to Civil War), Literature (Express 'To Kill A Mockingbird'), and Science (Science fair) Illustrations for the book…half is done, thank goodness! Then my BIO…argh!

That's pretty much it…it's nothing much…it just gets piled on and everything is due in the same week…so yeah the pressure's on and the stress is building for me…Do you know how much hell that is? Gah!! I'm just a kid don't give me this load o' crap! Tuesday I slept at 5 in the morning and woke up in an hour and fifteen minutes later! I was sleeping through all my classes! That was such a horrible day! Anyway than you to:

YumeTakato: Thank you so much! Thanks for reviewing in every chapter! You're the one who motivated me

She got a special thank you since she reviewed from the beginning of my fic and still is!

Anyway, review! REVIEW!

Thanks!
Lys3