"The scene wasn't what it used to be.
The scene is never what it used to be."
How We Quit the Forest (Rasputina)

Time After Time

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Stressed
Tohru sighed with a well-earned smile. She had just finished work and was now on her way out. Yuki was at student council doing final advertising for the play and Kyou was visiting Kazuma. Tohru smiled and carried her bag of work clothes on her shoulder. Work had been easy, just like always. The spirits would lend her some of their endurance when she got tired. It was nice to have physical support available when needed. She never took advantage of them, but she did hate having to rely on them sometimes. Tohru looked toward the setting sun and knew that she would be walking in the dark.

She had walked alone for about a year now, but since she had moved back in with the others, she had either had Kyou or Yuki to walk her. Tohru reached up and picked at a bang with a sigh. She was becoming dependent and comfortable with their friendship again, the spirits softly laughed at her. Her hand fisted and she growled at them warningly. A stranger on the street gave her a weird look and she looked away in embarrassment. The spirits inside of her laughed even harder. A sudden chuckled filled her ears and she looked up. No one was in front of her. Tohru followed the laughter and her gaze narrowed when she spotted her teacher across the street.

The short blue hair and pink eyes could be recognized from anywhere. He smiled at her and waved. Her eyebrows furrowed and she waved back to him a bit nervously. He checked traffic and then ran across the street. Tohru watched and swore she saw something overlay his image. She shrugged it off and bowed in a way of greeting when he stood in front of her. He smirked and waved his hand as if trying to get rid of something.

"Hello Mr. Shinshou," Tohru greeted.

"We aren't in school, call me Juni," Mr. Shinshou quickly corrected.

"That wouldn't be polite," Tohru stated.

"I suppose it wouldn't…but we have known each other for a long time," Mr. Shinshou commented.

"What are you doing here?" Tohru quickly questioned.

"You always were defensive," Juni sighed, "but I was shopping."

Tohru watched as he raised his hand and showed her the plastic shopping bag. She nodded and accepted his answer with slight aggravation. Tohru looked back up at him and took a step back. Something inside of her was warning her against her teacher. She couldn't remember the day she had met him, the day he came to the school, all she knew was that he was the teacher.

"I must get going," Tohru warily replied as she moved to get around him. He sighed and then chuckled at her.

"You know, but you don't fully know," Juni teased as she stared up at him with confusion.

"I have to go," Tohru softly said as she began to walk.

"That's right…walk away…walk like you always do," Juni angrily said.

"Good bye," Tohru sighed as she picked up speed.

"You might as well tell Kyou good bye," Juni shouted as she froze.

Tohru turned around and immediately felt the spirits within her rise. They were all waking up and feelings of awe made her want to bow to this man. She gritted her teeth and managed to stand upright.

"I know who you are," Tohru firmly said.

"You've grown," Juni sighed.

"You're the emperor," Tohru whispered. "How?"

"That is quit a tale…but we do have time," Juni simply said with a grin.

"Why are you here?" Tohru weakly questioned as her eyes filled with tears.

"As each soul dies it is reborn. It is a constant cycle until you reach perfection. When you reach that perfection you can either truly die, come back with all your memories, or just exist," Juni explained as he walked over to a bench and sat down.

Tohru remained where she was and he sighed. He motioned her to sit and the spirits forced her to come to him. She sat down with mental protest.

"I am the emperor and I grow tired of this constant battle. Day in and day, I out I have watched my zodiac become pitiful. The rat is constantly full of jealousy, the ox is bitter of his choices, the cat…well he's just depressed," Juni spoke with a bitter tone.

"What does this have to do with Kyou and I?" Tohru questioned.

"Everything, especially you," Juni sighed as he leaned back and closed his eyes. "This has happened so many times that this life does seem like a play."

"Happened? How many times?" Tohru softly questioned.

"You and Kyou have met hundreds of time since you both end up dying early," Juni explained as her face paled.

"Dying?" Tohru softly questioned.

"The first time after Kuvera took on the cat's other form he killed himself," Juni explained.

"Killed himself?" Tohru questioned.

"Almost every cat kills himself," Juni explained as if were casual.

"Then…why didn't Kyou?" Tohru softly questioned as her features turned solemn.

"Let me tell you a little story…it's actually long but I'll edit it. This will help you understand the cycles. When Yuriko died, her soul was reborn right away into the Sohma line. She was born a small girl and Kuvera still wandered around as mortal. When she turned thirteen he killed himself. His soul was now mortal and the curse of the cat's other form was directly linked to that soul. Yuriko became pregnant and she gave birth to the first cat," Juni explained.

"She gave birth to her love?" Tohru questioned with confused eyes.

"You do know that the cat's other form is hidden with only that bracelet." Juni stated as he pointed to the bracelet.

"Oh my god," Tohru gasped as she covered her mouth. Her eyes were wide in fright.

"The poor woman gave birth to a monster. She loved her child and constantly refused to kill it. You see that the souls are linked together no matter what type of bond it is. Your souls are destined to find each other. She managed to find a priest and he fashioned a bracelet out of another priest's bones to make a talisman of binding. She loved her child and kept him hidden from the other zodiac. She wasn't born as the 'god' because that comes up randomly like the other spirits."

"What happened?" Tohru questioned.

"Another god was born and his parents rejected him. They hated his sickly body and loathed how weak he was. He grew jealous of the love the mother of the cat offered her son. He couldn't understand how she could love a monster. So, he had the cat imprisoned as soon as it turned eighteen. The mother grieved and died of a broken heart. The cat died of the same reason.

"Your souls reincarnated another time. The cat was missing from the Sohma's for a while, but you were born as peasant and he was once again the cat. Your souls didn't meet until he was already imprisoned. You would go to his prison and talk to him despite his protests. This time your love was only a deep friendship. The god that carried my energy had you sent away. You lived your life until one day you died in a fire. The cat killed himself just like his past self."

"Are souls are destined to be torn apart…I know that already because I can feel it in my heart. Why tell me what I already know?" Tohru questioned.

"There was one meeting between your souls that made me realize that this cycle must end. Before Kazuma's grandfather was imprisoned, he fell in love with a young woman before he got out of high school. He was forced to do 'volunteer' work because he beat up someone. The girl over seeing the work was the carrier of your soul. You two were instantly drawn to each other because of past bonds. She did see his true form…and she rejected him out of fear. He was locked away and then rejected by the rest of his family. She came to him one night while he was in his cell and told him that she loved him…but she couldn't accept it all so fast."

"That's…horrible," Tohru mumbled.

"Yes, but that is why there is reincarnation. Your souls were constantly growing and changing. This is also, why you had those flashbacks during the play. Your soul is preparing," Juni wisely said.

"Our souls are ready…for what?" Tohru questioned.

"The meeting between Kyou and yourself has puzzled me," Juni admitted. "You accepted his form, fell in love with him despite it all, and you managed to soothe the rat. This is the first time in a while since there has been a complete zodiac within the Sohma family. The cat was ready to forgive the rat for his acts, but then you took the curse upon yourself," Juni mused.

"Did I mess things up?" Tohru questioned.

"No, in fact you broke the cycle," Juni proudly congratulated.

"Time after time your souls have been reborn into a constant struggle of love and death. Kyou was planning to end it all once he was imprisoned. Akito was going to have your memories erased. You broke that cycle once you took the curse," Juni explained as he opened his eyes and smirked.

"Why hasn't the curse ended then?" Tohru questioned.

"The curse hasn't ended because…you see eventually!" Juni suddenly laughed.

"This has something to do with the play?" Tohru questioned.

"Your souls have been searching and the stage is finally set to end, but there are only two possible outcomes," Juni softly explained.

"You're the god…why can't you end it?" Tohru angrily asked.

"I wasn't the one that placed the curse," Juni sighed.

"The rat…"

"Kubira is still stubborn, but time has changed him," Juni explained.

"What do we have to do?" Tohru questioned.

"I don't know," Juni supplied as she almost fell off the bench.

"What do you mean?" Tohru nearly shouted.

"I mean I don't know…and remember that the play is in a few days," Juni reminded as he stood up and stretched.

"You're not very helpful," Tohru sighed.

"I know, but what lessons would you learn if I pointed you in the right direction every time?" Juni questioned with a shrug.

Tohru sighed and watched him walk away. She looked at her watch and panicked when she saw the time. Her eyes looked back up and found that Juni was completely out of sight. Tohru sighed again and then took off running down the sidewalk in a panic. She was two hours late for making dinner.

Author's Note:

Yeah, this story is only going up to chapter twenty-two because I don't want to drag it on forever. I'm sort of rethinking the ending, because it sort of sad, but it's a good sad!
Thanks for reviewing and I'm glad that all of you like this!