A/N: I'm sorry for all the cliffhangers, I promise there will not be one this time! I'm also sorry for it taking so long! Well, here's the next chapter!

Chapter 4: What is Love

"I said, WHERE IS TOHRU?" Yuki yelled, raising his voice with every word. I looked over at Shigure. This is not going to end well.

"There is something that you need to understand," Shigure said. He looked at me and turned back to Yuki. "You see, Kyo─"

"I knew it! That stupid cat! He always loved Tohru, but I never thought he'd run away and force her to leave with him." Yuki sighed. "That's all, isn't it? And where did Kyo take her?"

"Um, Yuki, Kyo and Tohru went to America . . . and he didn't exactly, uh, force her to go with him . . . if you catch my drift . . ."

I looked at Yuki. The fire that had shone so bright in his eyes was replaced with sadness and fear. He didn't even know the whole story, yet he already seemed so torn.

"When are we going to go get them? Akito won't be happy; Tohru's memory may have to be erased."

"That's it . . . you see, when they went to America, they . . .got married. So, Kyo and Tohru will probably never come back."

"No . . ." Yuki said. He ran outside. Shigure stood up, but I insisted that I go out and talk to him instead. I tip-toed my way out onto the front porch and sat beside him. I waited until Yuki was ready.

"They're . . . never coming back. Never. I'll never get to see her smile again. I'll never have the chance to see her flustered face, or to always tell her how much I love her. I'll never get to taste one of her home cooked meals, or walk her home on dark nights after her shift is over. I'll never get to go down on one knee and ask her to marry me like I had always hoped. She's . . . gone."

"I know you're hurting, Yuki . . . I'm hurting too. We can help each other through this."

"The pain I feel can't be described in one simple word. I feel as if my future has been taken from me, the one person I could always count on. Just seeing Tohru melted everything else away . . . the past didn't seem to matter so much. And, now that she's gone, it all seems to be finding its way back inside me. I need her. I need her to tell me everything will be okay and that she loves me."

"But what is love, anyway?"

"I don't know anymore. I thought I knew. I thought that love was being able to tell the truth, and meaning it. I thought that love was always being there for each other, always holding on. I don't want to let Tohru go."

"That's where you're wrong," Shigure said. We both jumped in surprise at his voice. "Love means being able to do what's best for the other person and being able to let that person go. Just because you love someone doesn't mean you're meant to be together; the person may be better off without you. If you really love Tohru, you'll be able to let her go and move on, for both your sakes."

I looked off into the horizon, shocked by this revelation. Yuki stood up and walked back into the house. Shigure came and sat beside me.

"Where did you learn that from?" I asked.

"From life experiences," he replied. Once again he looked at me. It was then, in that moment, that I saw the secret he had been hiding so well. His eyes gave it away. When he saw the expression on my face, he immediately stood up and said that he was going to call Akito, leaving me with an even bigger revelation and no chance to talk about it.

(A/N: Yes, I was tempted to end the chapter here, but I've had too many cliffhangers…you will find out soon!)

A few minutes later, Shigure rushed outside and told me to get ready for a visit to the main house. Yuki walked outside and inquired to the occasion.

"Well, I told Akito what happened with Kyo and Tohru (A/N: it hasn't been three days, if fact the entire story has been played out in two full days so far. This is the third day, now that I think about it.), and I know we agreed to wait a full three days, Kagura, but this crisis needs to be solved now. Since I have the phone number where they are staying in the states, we will be calling them there. Yuki, you are also requested to come."

Yuki shivered and grew pale. "Don't worry, we are just going to do a conference call and decide what to do about this. That is all."

Yuki and I went inside, changed clothes, and freshened up. Hatori came to pick us up. The ride there was exceedingly quiet, and the atmosphere was tense. Everyone was in their own little world, on the brink of a breakdown. It was during this time that Shigure turned around and stared at me. He gave me a reassuring smile, but didn't let his guard down. I smiled back.

Hatori pulled up the main entrance, and we all entered the house slowly and quietly. Just let this be over soon. I couldn't bear the anxiety anymore, and neither could Yuki. He looked distraught and wounded. In my heart, I knew there would be no recovery, no outlet, no help for Yuki. If he didn't move on and let go, he might be lost after all.

Akito welcomed us in, and we all sat around the phone. Shigure dialed the number, and we all waited for Kyo-or Tohru-to pick up the phone.

"Hello? Who is it?" asked a low, slightly annoyed male voice. It was Kyo all right.

"Hi Kyo," Shigure said. "Um, how are you?"

"What do you want now?" Kyo yelled. "Told everyone already?"

"Actually, yes," Akito said. There was a gasp heard on the other end of the phone. "That is just what we wanted to talk to you about. If you could put Tohru on the other line as well, that would be fine."

I could hear another phone being picked up, followed by Tohru's chipper voice.

"Politeness and a sweet voice won't save you this time," Hatori said. "What you both did was rash and thoughtless. Think of all the people you have hurt. Why, Kagura and Yuki are both here, and I think you owe them an explanation."

"Yuki . . ." Tohru said. "I'm . . . so sorry . . . I don't know how to explain . . ."

"Why couldn't you just TELL ME? Why did you have to keep it all a secret?" Yuki cried. "Do you know how much this hurts, when my heart is in pain from your carelessness, and you don't act like anything has changed at all? How can you be so happy? HOW?"

"I'm sorry that I hurt you Yuki. I was afraid to tell you, because I knew you loved me so much."

"If you knew that I loved you so much, you should have realized that, if you wanted to move on, I would have let you. I still love you Tohru, and a part of me always will. But we both have to move on. I'm not going to wait for you and see if everything works out okay."

"But can't we just be friends? I value your friendship; I never want to lose you as a friend."

"I'm sorry, but it seems that you made your choice when you moved to America. I can't just be your friend; it's not that simple anymore. It would hurt too much. I love you, but I can't talk to you knowing that you'll never be mine. Just the thought of it is too painful to imagine." With that, Yuki remained silent.

"I . . . understand," Tohru whispered.

"As far as you two living in America goes, that is not for you to decide," Akito said coolly. We all looked towards Akito with astonishment; none of us had ever thought they would return. "You will return for three reasons: one, to end the marriage, second, to erase Tohru's memory, and finally, to lock Kyo in that special room reserved for him. There are no exceptions; this is how it must be."

"NO! I WON'T LET YOU DO THIS TO TOHRU!" Kyo screamed. "WE LOVE EACH OTHER! I'M NOT COMING BACK YOU ASSHOLE, AND NEITHER IS SHE!"

"And what about Kagura? What will she do without you?" Akito asked. All eyes turned to me as we waited for Kyo's response.

"THAT STUPID BITCH! SHE'S LISTENING ISN'T SHE!"

"Lower your voice, Kyo," Shigure requested.

"Fine!" Kyo said. "I can't believe you think that I would come back for you, Kagura. You know what? I hate you. I HATE YOU. It's that simple. Why do you hang around and wait for me? You know I could never love someone like you! You're just like my mother . . ."

"No, Kyo, you have to understand something─"

"No, YOU'RE the one who needs to understand that there will never be anything between us! I could never love you; I can't even stand to hear your voice. Just go the hell away and never bother me again. I HATE YOU!"

"Calm, down Kyo. Kagura, don't─"

Too Late. The words were overwhelming; I couldn't bear the full reality of the situation.

I HATE YOU!

I had to get up. I had to get away. I had to run.

You're just like my mother . . .

There was only one way out, and I had to take it. I couldn't stay in this room any longer.

THAT STUPID BITCH!

I covered my face with a sleeve and broke though. Shards of glass covered the floor, the grass outside, and everywhere else. I didn't care if Akito got angry; a window is easier to replace than a broken heart.

I could never love someone like you!

I jumped onto the grass and ran as hard as possible. I didn't look back; I couldn't. Who knew how many shocked faces there were looking after me.

I hate you.

I HATE YOU.

I screamed in pain. A piece of glass was caught in my foot. Should have remembered to put on my shoes before doing this. I tripped over a rock and fell on the ground. My foot began to throb, and I started to cry.

"It's okay, Kagura . . . let me help─"

"NO!" I screamed in anguish. Someone wrapped their arms around me, and I fought to free myself.

"It's me, Kagura. I'm here to help."

I stopped and looked up. "Stay calm," Shigure said. He looked at my foot. "It's not in there too deep. I can probably pull it out now to prevent infection." He gently, but quickly, pulled the piece of glass out, and I winced in pain. Shigure turned back and looked at me. "There. All better."

"Why . . .why did you come looking for me? How is it that you always find me?"

"I never stop looking for the ones I love . . . and I will always be there to find you."

With that, Shigure smiled and finally let me see into the truth:

"I love you, Kagura. I love you."

He picked me up and carried me back to the main house.

A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! I'll update again soon! And see, no cliffhangers!