"The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable."
Jim Davis

Shade of White

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Stressed
Tohru gazed at her image in the mirror. It was already the night of the play and many things weighed on her mind. She wondered if they would make it through the night. Tohru turned her gaze back to her door and sighed. Her eyes shifted back to the mirror and she blinked. Hana had come in and fixed her make-up. Uo had commented and said that she looked like a Geisha. Tohru sighed and smacked her lips together; she didn't think ruby was her color. It looked too much like blood.

'I wonder what Mr. Shinshou plans,' Tohru mused.

The door creaked open and she turned to see Hana's stoic face. Hana offered a smile and Tohru weakly smiled back.

"Did you tell them?" Hana softly questioned.

"No," Tohru replied.

"You should have told them about Mr. Shinshou's talk to you," Hana firmly said.

"No…the spirits didn't want me to say anything," Tohru softly said as she smoothed her kimono.

"They seem to be stronger with Mr. Shinshou around," Hana mused.

"He's the Emperor," Tohru said as if it explained everything.

"Then it's best if you're careful tonight," Hana advised.

"Something's going to happen," Tohru mumbled as she felt herself grow hot with worry.

"Yo, Mr. Shinshou says the time for is waiting over," Uo spoke as she walked into the room.

Tohru sighed and Hana picked up her script. Mr. Shinshou still decided to have her read the opening parts. Hana tapped the mic and sighed. Her violet eyes strayed to the audience and she noticed the some of the Sohmas. Hatori, Ayame, Shigure, and Kureno were there sitting in the front row. Hana briefly wondered why the front. Uo walked patted Hana on the back and took the empty seat next to Kureno. She smiled and then went back to her script. Music began to play. Mr. Shinshou stood in the corner of the room; his hand was over his mouth. Hana couldn't see it, but she felt as if the teacher was smirking.

Hana sighed and began to recite her lines. She first introduced the legend of the Zodiac and slowly brought in the guardians of each animal. Hana watched as the lights dimmed and Tohru walked out on stage. They were going to begin with Tohru denying marrying a young lord. Hana smirked and wondered how Yuriko and Tohru differed. They both were stubborn, but Tohru seemed a bit more submissive. Tohru looked out into the crowd and faltered in her step.

Kyou approached the stage and watched the scene where Tohru was talking to the moon. She loved him; he knew it because she had been telling him that since they met again. Kyou turned his garnet gaze to Mr. Shinshou and frowned. Mr. Shinshou had decided to take the role of the Emperor. His hand smoothed down his robes and he grinned. Kyou turned to find Yuki calmly watching everything without a hint of trouble. Yuki glanced at Kyou and then walked out on stage.

Kyou crossed his arms and snorted. They could hear Ayame shouting about Yuki being brother to the most 'wonderful brother'. Shigure smiled and slapped a hand over Ayame's mouth. Kureno blushed and dropped his head into his hand from embarrassment. Kyou grinned and noted that it was his turn to get up on stage again. He calmly, but angrily walked onto stage. This was going to be his and Tohru's last meeting before he received the curse.

Hana spoke again and watched as the entire zodiac gathered upon the stage. Momiji kept trying to wave to the crowd as Haru merely stared on. Mr. Shinshou walked onto stage and Hana knew that something was wrong. It had been well over an hour and the final scene was coming up. Kyou was holding Tohru to his chest careful not to make her change as Yuki angrily glared at them. Mr. Shinshou walked toward them and pulled Tohru away from Kyou. Tohru gasped and Kyou's eyes snapped open in shock. Yuki was glaring at Mr. Shinshou. The crowd believed this was a part of the play.

"You wish to torment them?" Mr. Shinshou questioned as he stepped back with Tohru. Yuki blinked, that wasn't in the script.

"This is their curse," Yuki calmly said. "They will never know the touch of the one they love. Her family will suffer the curse of the zodiac for their so called love!"

"You have shamed me Kubira," Mr. Shinshou dangerously said. "You have shamed me, your animal, and yourself one to many times."

"What are you talking about?" Yuki questioned in true confusion.

"You wish to curse them for their love?" Mr. Shinshou said as he released Tohru. She stumbled back to Kyou.

"They must be taught a lesson," Yuki growled as he tried not to make a fool of himself.

"As the Guardian of the Rat, your spirits are connected. By placing your spirit animal inside a Sohma you are sending yourself into punishment," Mr. Shinshou explained.

The other zodiacs looked confused when they heard this. Hatori and Shigure knowingly looked on. Ayame watched with interest as he pointed out Yuki to Kureno.

"You wish for a curse and it is in place," Mr. Shinshou firmly said.

He reached out to Tohru and gripped her by the bracelet. Her eyes shot open in fear as she watched the beads slide down her arm.

"Your hate and jealousy is something that you should be above…but this is what hate turns you into," Mr. Shinshou darkly explained as he pointed to Tohru. "Look at what your hate has turnedher into!"

Tohru fell backwards; the beads were still in Mr. Shinshou's hand. She landed on her rear and remained frozen. The familiar wave of hatred washed through her. The tinge of regret stung her eyes as she felt the transformation begin. Tears misted and she gripped herself around her stomach as she felt her breathing increase. Bones cracked and popped and everyone who heard winced. Tohru fell forward and let her newly formed claws dig into the wood. Mist surrounded her body as the scent of something rotting filled the area. Her limbs stretched and skin tore as she growled her pain.

"This is the scent of hate…it rots your soul," Mr. Shinshou softly said as everyone covered their noses.

Tohru felt it finish and relaxed as she adjusted to her new form. Her breathing slowed and her claws released the wood. Deep gashes showed the damage she could do. Her violet eyes glared at her malformed paws. A growl developed in her throat and she snarled at the discolored skin. She felt like cat that had been shaved and beaten.

"This is the monster that you have created! Do you fear your creation Kubira?" Mr. Shinshou growled.

"I didn't…I couldn't…I didn't mean too!" Yuki shouted as he backed away.

"Look at what your jealousy and hate did!" Mr. Shinshou shouted back. He could feel Kubira rising to the surface in Tohru. There were still remnants of a shared soul within Yuki.

Kyou stood there shocked. His eyes were wide with disbelief and fear. The smell that Tohru emitted wasn't enough to bring him out of his stupor. Her sorrowful eyes turned to him and he tensed. Violet met Garnet and Kyou wondered how she could love a monster. He was a monster and she still loved him. Tohru blinked and looked from him. Her eyes filled with tears as she dug her claws into the wood. The hate would always be there, it was filling her mind with cruel images. It flowed through her veins with each pump of her heart.

Tohru growled and made a run for it. She snarled and crashed through the wall. Dust exploded across the audience as bricks flew throughout the area. Kyou blinked when he realized she was leaving.

"TOHRU!" Kyou screamed.

Yuki snapped out of his self-induced fear to realize that Tohru was gone. He blinked and looked to Kyou. Kyou ran and jumped off the stage. He vanished into the night after Tohru. Yuki scowled at Mr. Shinshou before he took off running. Mr. Shinshou grinned; everything was falling into place. Hana had long ago dropped her script in shock; she never imaged anything like this.

"Bravo!" Ayame cheered as he began to clap.

Hatori looked to Ayame and realized that he was trying to make it look like an act. Mr. Shinshou grinned at the attempt and walked to the edge of the stage. He held his hands out signaling for silence. Mr. Shinshou grinned and held his hands in front of his face. A smoke covered his form and quickly vanished. He slowly removed his hands from his face a chuckled. A man no older then nineteen stood in Mr. Shinshou's place. His long black hair was flowing to his lower back. His jade colored eyes were sparked with amusement.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that…but some of you really need to learn that hate and jealousy brings nothing," Juni Shinshou spoke. "This lesson is something that you won't remember…but it will remain in your hearts."

Whispers broke out amongst the crowd and he sighed. He made a quick symbol with his hands and watched as a white mist descended from the ceiling. Everyone instantly passed out. Their sleeping forms would only remember this as a dream. Mr. Shinshou turned to find Hana still awake.

"You better not hurt her Jade Emperor," Hana calmly said with a hint of anger.

"I only plan to break the cycle," Shinshou laughed.

"Then it's safe to assume my memories will be taken," Hana spoke as she watched him grin.

"Goodnight little wave girl," Shinshou teased as he opened his hand. He softly blew and a white mist floated toward her.

Mr. Shinshou caught her as she fell and placed her on the ground. He then looked to the broken wall and grinned. In a flash of white light, he vanished from the area. The school was repaired and the audience vanished along with the remaining actors. This would only be a dream to them.

Tohru ran through the night and jumping from roof to roof. She could hear someone calling out to her, but she didn't bother. The hate in her kept chanting that Kyou couldn't love a monster, the monster he turned her into. The regret she felt was regret for being fooled. The cat within her tried to soothe her, but her mind pushed him away with an angry growl. She didn't want to listen to anything. If she could turn into a monster, why not just be a monster. Tohru landed in the park and ran to lake. She wanted to see how horrible she truly was.

She stood a few feet from the lake and gazed at the serene surface from a few feet away. Tohru took an uneasy step forward and fell to all fours. Her limbs worked together as she made it to the surface. She tilted her head to the side and growled. Everything was horrible about her. She wondered if she just became what she was deep inside.

"TOHRU!"

Her ears perked up at the voice and she began to growl. She didn't want to see him, because he couldn't see her. He would never see her beneath this horrible surface. Tohru watched as Kyou burst through some bushes. His face was red and he took deep breathes in an attempt to reclaim air. He softly choked on the smell that surrounded the area. His garnet eyes focused on Tohru and she growled.

"Get away!" Tohru growled through rough vocal cords.

Kyou took a step forward and she noticed him hesitate. She pulled her lips back and bared her fangs. Drool dripped from her mouth as she growled her warning. No matter whatpain she felt, shewouldn't be able to hurt him. Kyou bit his lip in firm determination as he approached her.

"Tohru…you didn't give me time," Kyou explained as he reached out for her.

She flinched away from his touch and backed away. Kyou curled his fingers into a fist as he bit back his tears. He was afraid of what she looked like, but he knew it was Tohru inside there.

"I know you're in there," Kyou firmly said.

Tohru hissed and resorted to just a low steady growl. It would be best if he would forget her. Tohru watched his hand reach out for her face and she snapped at him. The teeth came a breath away from his fingertips. He quickly pulled his hand back in fear. The danger was real and he knew that it could end badly.

'I've got to show her I care,' Kyou thought as he reached out again.

"It hurts…but I accept you…all of you," Kyou firmly spoke as he felt himself blush.

He reached out again Tohru figured that if she snapped again he would really go away. His hand came closer and she snapped. This time he didn't pull his hand away from her. Her eyes widened in shock as mouth engulfed his hand. She gazed at him and he was staring at her with an air of determination. The teeth were barely pressing on the back of his wrist. Her hot breath made his palm sweat as her tongue brushed against his fingers. Tohru remained froze as he didn't attempt to remove his hand from her mouth.

"Do it," Kyou firmly said.

She stared at him in confusion.

"You may look like a monster…but you aren't."

Tohru felt her ears flatten in slight anger and shame.

"I'm scared of what you could do…the possibilities scare me…but that won't stop me from reaching for you."

Her mouth slowly opened, but he didn't pull his hand back.

"We've come to far to lose now…"

Tohru fully opened her mouth and he removed his hand. He reached out and laid his palm on her head. She closed her eyes and felt her eyes mist again. Her claws dug into the dirt as she felt the warmth of his touch. Yuki ran through the bushes and silently watched. Kyou stepped forward and let her rest her head against his chest. Yuki softly smiled at the seen. Tohru could feel something within her move. Her body began to glow as a warmth flowed though her. Twelve balls of light shot out from her form. One shot and entered Yuki.

Lightening struck the ground and they all watched as Mr. Shinshou entered the area. Yuki had a soft violet glow around his form and his eyes were glazed. Tohru gritted her teeth as she felt her body shrink back to normal. Kyou blushed when he noticed that she was naked. A bit of material from her kimono barely covered her regions. Kyou quickly dropped his armor from his body and removed his haori. He wrapped her in it and she softly smiled.

"It's seems as if I missed the drama," Mr. Shinshou sighed.

Eleven orbs gathered around him and took a human form. Tohru watched each one as they took a form similar to the Sohmas. Yuki approached Mr. Shinshou and deeply bowed. He didn't bother to rise up from his position.

"I take it that everything is well." Mr. Shinshou assumed with a smirk.

"NO!" Yuki shouted.

"Kubira, you must relax," Mr. Shinshou scolded.

"I have wronged many humans. Their lives have been misery because of my actions. I have also sentenced my fellow gods to mortal lives with the zodiac curse," Kubira angrily said.

"You're point," Shinshou drawled as Kyou felt his own anger rise.

"I deserve to be punished!" Kubira shouted.

"No!" Tohru weakly said.

"What?" Kubira questioned in shock.

"I forgive you…you've already learned you lesson," Tohru softly said.

"Your soul has been through so much because of me," Kubira said as he felt his confusion rise.

"I'm thankful for that…you brought Kyou and I closer," Tohru explained as she smiled.

"All is forgiven and my plan worked well," Shinshou laughed.

"He's a jerk," Kyou mumbled to Tohru as she sighed.

"There is a slight problem," Shinshou suddenly said.

"What?" Kyou growled as his grip tightened on Tohru.

"Since you remember or know of your life as a god…you can't remain on this realm," Shinshou carefully said.

"That's bull!" Kyou shouted.

"Knowing this might awaken some dormant powers," Shinshou finished.

"I have no powers!" Kyou shouted as he felt Tohru begin to sob.

"If you wish to remain I must completely remove your memories of this night…of everything," Shinshou said.

"That's not fair," Kubira suddenly said.

"To protect this earth I will do what is right," Shinshou firmly said.

"Will I forget too?" Tohru softly asked.

"Yes…it would be cruel to leave you with such memories again," Shinshou sincerely said.

"I don't want to leave or lose her!" Kyou growled as he looked for a place to run to with Tohru.

"There is no where you can run…it must be this way," Shinshou firmly said.

"There is nothing that can be done?" Kubira questioned.

"Nothing…everything will be removed," Shinshou said.

"All this…for nothing," Tohru whispered as she buried her face in his chest.

"One moment was worth it all," Kyou whispered into her ear.

"I never said you wouldn't meet again…the future is after all…very vague," Shinshou mused with a grin.

"There's no way," Kubira growled as he watched the couple.

Tohru softly smiled as she sniffled. She looked up into Kyou's eyes and blinked. If she waited this long…a little bit more wouldn't hurt her.

"It will be fun," Tohru whispered to Kyou.

"What?" He questioned in confusion.

"It'll be like tag. We get to chase each other and fall in love all over again," Tohru explained.

"The first time was hard enough," Kyou grumbled.

Tohru leaned up and felt her tears flow down her cheeks. She quickly brushed her lips against his and smiled.

"Tag…you're it," Tohru whispered.

"Then I guess you'll remain," Mr. Shinshou mused.

The violet glow vanished from Yuki and he fell to the ground. A white light surrounded them and Kyou wrapped his arms around Tohru. He could feel her slowly vanishing from his grip. Tohru smiled one last time before everything vanished in a shade of white.

Author's Note:

I'm going to rewrite the epilouge to this because the epilouge pissed me off, but yeah...Mr. Shinshou wasn't that creepy or that much of a jerk. He picked on Yuki because even though the spirits resided in Tohru, there were still some remnants within the others, and yeah the curse was sort of the fault of the rat, but the hate that the cat felt caused the weird transformation into a monster(Got to go my pizza's done!)
Please review and the epliouge will be out soon