I should keep doing this!
At last, it took me a long time to decide. Now, I am ready to continue this story, and end it as well. Instead of erasing it from existence, I took the shot of continuing it.
God Help me.
Oh yeah, I have to change it Tragedy because… well, I know you're already guessing why.
The main grew quiet. It became a full house ever since Yuki convinced everyone to enter it. Even though Kyou is not having a good time, everyone is making their own sacrifices for the sake of Tohru.
The new clan head looked out of her bedroom window and saw the Sohmas happily adapting to their old environment. She was the one taken in before. They took care of her. They understood her. She was happy to be with them.
Now again, they took her in, called her as one of their own. They took care of her, understood her. Her eyes were suddenly filled with tears. Their sacrifices should be repaid. Debts should be cleared. And she knew what to do.
"I have to stop this, Akito-san" she whispered to herself. "I can't hurt them anymore. You can't make me."
Why not? The voice in her dreams has spoken to her conscious mind. You control them. You're the clan head now. Remember your promise, Honda Tohru-san.
"I can't do it. This is too much. Why are you testing me?"
This is not a test. The consequences of this… choice would lead to something you wouldn't want them to know, right?
"I can't see them worry." She cried between tears. She cupped her face and tried to wipe her tears away. "I.. I can't make this happen. I can't…"
Then you are pathetic.
"Rather than hurting them more."
They wouldn't let you anyway.
"Then I will not tell them." She nodded to herself. She got up and went to the home phone. She dialed a number, placed the headset near her ear and cleared her voice to make it sound cheerful. "Hello?"
"H-Honda-san? Wow, it has been a long time. Wait, I've heard that you're sick. Are you--"
"I'm fine Uo-san. Could you… help me with something?"
"Sure, anything would be fine. What do you have in mind?"
Hatori bursted inside Yuki's room. "Where's Tohru?"
"She went out her friends." He mumbled. Yuki was reading some books to keep him occupied. He seems to be serious about it, but he didn't notice the man beside him who wore a more serious face than him.
"She went OUT? Do you even know how frail her condition is and you just let her OUT?" The doctor almost yelled.
"I reminded Uo-san about Tohru's condition, and she said that she's all in control."
"Are you entrusting her life with… other people!"
Yuki let go of the book and stared at Hatori. He remained with his calm composure. "Since when do we lock Tohru inside the house?"
"Since she's the new clan head. Why do we even argue about this?" he snarled. "I'm going to find her. And soon enough, you will too." He stomped his way out of the room.
Hours later, Tohru was not home yet. Evry Sohma, excluding Hatori, assembled at the living room.
"Where is she again?" Kagura asked.
"She's with Uotani." Momiji replied. "Which is weird, she should have called already."
This kind of conversation worries Yuki even more. "I have to find her."
As he reached his coat, the doorbell rang, and everyone grew silent.
"I'll get that." Haru went out.
"Well that saves time." Yuki mumbled. I hope it is Tohru.
Haru went back inside with another woman. And she was not Tohru than everyone was hoping for. It was Hana.
"What are you doing here?" Yuki asked.
Hana scanned the room and eyed at each one of them. "Um, Hana, we're not killers." Kagura said.
"Strange… frequency…in this room… with you people…"
"Ok, get to the point." Haru snapped. "Where's Tohru?"
"Before anything else," Hana went over to Yuki and handed him a tape. "you need to watch this."
"But where is--"
"YOU – NEED – TO – WATCH – THIS. " Hana repeated. "Tohru-san requested it."
She did?
Everybody sat around near the TV as Yuki played the tape.
It started with Tohru sitting on a chair holding puppets in front of the camera. "Uo-san, hold it still, ok?" She asked.
"Um, Tohru, it's already on."
"O-Oh really? I'm so sorry…" Tohru panicked. "I thought…"
"Are you ready? Maybe should I turn it off---"
"No I have to do this."
"This sounds like Tohru." Haru whispered at Yuki.
"Quiet." Kagura mumbled.
A background sound was played and Tohru in the video smiled. "Hello everyone. There's something I need to say. I know this is the silliest idea that I could come up but…" she hesitated for a while then continued, "I couldn't say it in front of you all."
"That doesn't sound like her…" Kagura whispered to Yuki.
She held up her sock puppets, which surprisingly were a cat and a mouse puppet, and smiled again. "Do you know about the story about the Jyunishii?"
The cat puppet started moving. "Yes of course, but why wouldn't you ask that mouse? He's the one who started the legend in the first place!"
"What are you talking about?" the mouse asked.
"Now, now." Tohru giggled. "Let's not get carried along."
"Wow, I like her doing this." Kisa went closer to the TV. Hiro rolled his eyes but went near beside Kisa.
"You tricked me about going to the banquet late! I should have came early with all the animals." Tohru made a snarling cat sound to show that the cat is angry.
"Well, you ARE definitely the DUMBEST animal on earth." The mouse laughed.
"I hope she didn't mean that." Kyou mumbled.
"Well, I do hope you know what happened next." Tohru nodded. Everyone, including the puppets were silent. Yuki wondered for a while. There's a next to the Jyunishii story?
"Next?" The mouse puppet replied.
"Yes… Oh don't tell me you haven't heard of the reverse?"
"That's folktale!" The cat puppet spoke once more. "A legend that can reverse the Jyunishii curse because of love. But only the cat can be saved!"
"Hmph. Pathetic." The mouse puppet crossed its paws. Tohru seems to have fun doing this, but the whole Sohma cousin were staring at the TV set to catch every word she says.
"She knew the folktale?" Kagura asked.
"Maybe Akito told her." Yuki replied.
"Yes that's true. But it all started after the CAT," she emphasized it while staring at the cat puppet (which also gave Kyou the shivers), "realizes that he was tricked. He then started to curse everyone about his failure."
"He started to live in solitude. He closed his heart to everyone who comes near. He let out the vicious part of himself. He chose to do that. And he also chose to stay away from the chose Jyunishii."
"But the truth is, he IS part of the Jyunishii."
"I am?" Kyou and the cat puppet said at the same time.
"Yes. You are. You're just the one who assumed that you are not part of the great circle. You didn't know," Tohru lowered her voice. "you play the special part of the Jyunishii. Without you, the curse will be forever permanent."
"Curse? SO that means the folktale is true!" the mouse puppet asked. Even Yuki would like to ask the same question. "It can be reversed?"
"Yes it can. As long as the cat accepted himself and opened his heart. Then the curse can be lifted."
"So you're the reason why we're like this!" The mouse puppet started punching the cat puppet. This made Kisa laugh for a while, until Tohru broke the fight.
"No no no! Stop!" Tohru separated the two puppets and stared at the mouse puppet. " He's the cure of the curse, not the source."
"So who started it?" The cat asked.
Tohru paused for a moment. Yuki saw pain in her face. But she shrugged it off and almost whispered to the puppet. "They say something happens if you BELIEVE that it WOULD happen. It just so happens that this tale about the curse was so believed at that parents had a phobia that their children would obtain such curse."
"Hmm, interesting. SO what do they do to them?" The mouse puppet asked.
"Well, like the cat, they are secluded away from the normal people. They treated him as a cursed being that once they touch him, they would be cursed as well. Since they treated hum this way, the gods chosen him as the bearer of the curse."
"Him? So he's recognizable?" The cat puppet asked.
"Yup, He is."
"I have a gut feeling about this." Kyou muttered. Even Yuki felt the same feeling. I think I can guess.
"Who is he?" The mouse puppet asked. It's too obvious. It could be possible. Yuki thought. But it can't be…
"Ever heard of Akito Sohma?"
There was a loud gasp in the room. The camera that Uo was holding shook on purpose. Even Tohru made a gasp for the two puppets. This time, Kisa backed away from the TV. "I don't like this story."
"WHAT!" Kyou yelled.
"Akito…the bearer of the curse?" Yuki asked.
"Where did you get this information?" the mouse asked Tohru.
"He himself told me." Tohru nodded. She was silent for a moment, then started giggling as she took off the puppets in her hands. "This is stupid."
"Tohru? Am I going to cut it?"
"No Uo-san, I have to tell them myself."
All of the Sohmas held their breaths as Tohru faced the camera. Her face was serious now. "Akito-san didn't tell you about this because he believes that this… can help him overpower you. That's why all of you feared him. Even his parents feared him that they let him be the clan head. You respected him and pay him due honor… until I came."
"He believed that because of me, he also could be liberated from his pain. That's why he asked me over. He told me everything. Because of that he was released from the curse. He never felt happier in his life because of that."
"But how…" Kyou asked.
"Baka neko, are you fully aware that you're talking to the TV?" Haru asked him mockingly.
"Hey, nobody calls me that except that damn nezumi!" He glared at Yuki, but he was too serious about what Tohru has been saying.
"You're probably wondering how he did it. To tell you the truth… he convinced me to take the burden. My sorrows were the seeds of the curse. That is how it was transferred." Tohru chuckled. "It's like magic. But once I awoke on Akito's futon, I felt… tired…and weak."
Yuki shook his head. This is not true. It can't be. It's all a lie.
"That's why I'm sick. And there's another thing that you should know." Tohru face looked paler now. Her eyes were almost filled with tears. "Akito didn't die because he's sick. It's because of the cure. No one must know about the reverse. Strictly, or his or her life would be taken as a sacrifice."
"Akito has been brutal to you because he wanted to spare his life. But now, I'm not making the same decision." Tohru nodded to herself.
"NO!" Yuki yelled. Then that means Tohru is going to…
"I'm sorry. But I want to free all of you… even myself…" she cried in front of the camera. "This curse… holds you back from the world… You shouldn't… You musn't…"
Tohru's eyes were slowly closing. "I can't… let you…" Tohru fainted from her chair. Everyone started to jump up from their seats.
"Tohru!" Yuki and Kyou shouted.
The camera visibly shook and dropped from Uo's hands. "Tohru? TOHRU?" Uo's voice was heard. A woman sat beside Tohru, who was unconscious from the floor. "TOHRU! Wake UP!" Then the camera went dead.
Yuki hurried faced Hana and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Where is she!" he yelled.
"She's in the hospital…" Hana replied silently. "… in critical condition."
The main house phone rang ang Kagura picked it up. "Hello? Hatori! Listen we got this tape and Tohru---"
"Is right in front of me now." Hatori cut off her sentence as he spoke from the other end of the line. "Tell Yuki to come over, quick!"
Wow, I like. I don't know. This is my first story and it will end up as a tragedy? Wow!
Next chapter would be the ending… hopefully.