A/N: Last chapter, people. We had a good run, right? This last chapter is a bit different - it's third person present and it doesn't deal with previous cats. The title should give you a hint as to what the chapter's about.

Lucky Kyo

Epilogue

Kyo and Shigure

Shigure sits in his study when the door slams open. He jumps slightly at the intense noise. He looks up and sees Kyo in the doorway.

"Oh, Kyo, it's only you. I thought it was Mii here to pester me about my deadline again," Shigure breathes a sigh of relief.

"You think you're clever just 'happening' to leave this sitting at my usual spot at the dining room table?" Kyo asks crossly - though rather calm - as he drops the manuscript for Lucky Kyo on the desk before Shigure.

"Oh, did I? I'm terribly sorry. I didn't mean to leave it in your spot. I just plopped it down on the table and told Tohru to tell Mii where to find it when she came," Shigure laughs a bit. Things have a funny way of working out. "So, did you read it?"

"Had nothing better to do," Kyo shrugs.

"What did you think of it? I mostly wrote it because of you," Shigure props his head up with his hands.

"You really suck," Kyo cracks a smile.

"I'll take that as a complement," Shigure nods cheerfully.

Kyo seems to suddenly freeze and turn into a downward spiral. He has gone from smiling to frowning with glossed-over eyes.

"Kyo, is everything all right?"

"Yeah," Kyo nods, though clearly in a deep depressed thought.

"Is there anything you'd like to talk to me about?" Shigure asks, hoping his concern doesn't come across as nosiness.

"It's all true, isn't it?" Kyo inquires solemnly as he seemed to stare through the wall he was looking at.

"Yes, every word. It truly is a shame, isn't it? How a little legend can hurt people so deeply. Then again, it should be no surprise if you know European history. They used the old religious folk lore of Cain and Abel to justify slavery.1"

"I'm sure a good deal of slaves even had it better than the people you wrote about."

"I'm sure you're right."

"Shigure, you do realize this book reveals the Sohma curse, don't you?"

"Yes and that's why this will only be available exclusively to members of Sohma House," Shigure nods again.

"Like they give a shit anyway," Kyo says angrily.

"Come now Kyo, I think my findings will warrant some emotions from them. Maybe not complete sympathy but a bit of an understanding and sorrow, at the very least."

"Do they… really not know what Makito did to Eisaku?" Kyo asks mournfully.

"I believe they do but they're covering it up. There's a general understanding between all who suffer the curse that Akito does - never reveal the skeletons in your predecessor's closet. It took plenty of searching to just find out that Makito killed him. Also, though it seems obvious, it's not necessarily true that Hiraku had Kyoumi killed."

"Those bastards… And I thought Akito was bad…" Kyo muses.

"He certainly is. Akito is terrible. It's just that the family has grown so huge that it's harder for him to maintain control than it was for his predecessors. He doesn't have time to torture you like all his antecedents did to the former cats."

"Ah well, they all supposedly get what they deserve - a short life and a quick drop to hell," Kyo laughs loudly, obviously trying to shake off his depression.

"Yes, that is true," Shigure smiles.

"But what about Hiraku?" Kyo asks.

"Oh, he wasn't cursed like his father was. In fact, he wasn't cursed at all. You see, during his time as 'steward to the rule' if you will, children carrying the curse that Akito carries were dying during or shortly after birth of complications. Being the son of the last ruler, Hiraku ruled until the next official head of Sohma House emerged."

"I see…" Kyo murmurs.

"Kyo, how about we go out to dinner tonight - just the two of us? We can talk some more. It doesn't have to be about the book either. Maybe we could talk about school… or perhaps we could talk about sports or video games or anything else that isn't as tedious as school."

"This is your attempted at a father-son-bonding-type thing, isn't it?"

"Pretty much," Shigure says honestly. "What do you say?"

"I say 'For once I'll trust that damn rat alone with Tohru.' Come on. Let's go," Kyo gets up and goes in search of his jacket.

"Lucky Kyo," Shigure murmurs softly to himself as he smirks. He then goes off to find his own jacket and tell Tohru that they're leaving.


1 After Cain killed Abel, he was supposedly left by God with a dark mark upon his flesh to distinguish him as lowly. The Europeans translated this dark mark to be darkened skin, such as you would find in Africans. Then they rationalized that the Africans, supposedly descendants of Cain, were all evil and thus it was all right to talk advantage of them.