Chapter 10: Surplus and Lack of Risks: Decision

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Conclusion 1: Tohru and Hana

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"What is it, Tohru?" The wave girl asked, sensing trouble in her friend's mind. They sat once again on the bed, nearly in the same scenario as a few nights ago. Tohru sighed before speaking, in essence trying to make perhaps the most difficult decision of her life. "Hana… you mean so much to me… your feelings for me are such a blessing…" The rice ball girl hesitated, trying to put her words together in the most eloquent way possible. "I… I love you… I want to be with you… so badly… you deserve to have someone to love… b-but… I…" Tohru collapsed into tears once again onto Hana's chest. The young gothic woman stroked her hair like she did so many times before. Reading what she could from Tohru's mind, she smiled.

"I… feel as if… as if Yuki… and the other Sohma's deserve it so much more. Don't get me wrong… I love you so much, in a way I could never love Yuki… but they've gone through so many hardships… they've seen things I couldn't even fathom." Coming apart just slightly to look into one another's glazed eyes, Tohru was only barely aware that Hana looked purely content with what she was saying. "I know not even he would have a problem with us being together… but that's not why… Hana…" Then, the ebony-haired girl leaned down to kiss her first love, the brunette waiting only an instant to return it. Their fingers laced together, and the world was miles away for the next ten seconds. Tohru was speechless when they came apart. Hana wiped the tears from Tohru's eyes.

"You're right… you shouldn't be selfish about me… go with what feels better, Tohru… I'll be fine. As long as you're happy… I'm happy… I know I'll find someone, someday… but you… should do what you want." Tohru laid there for a few minutes, pondering this decision. 'She wants me to do… what I want? I want to give something in return to them… Hana will always be there… even if I am with him.' She smiled, pulling herself up and stealing another kiss before standing. "Go and tell him what you feel… no one's here to stop you." Hana said, bidding farewell to her first love.

"Yes…"

She then stepped out into the hallway toward Yuki's room. Hana followed soon after, going the opposite direction down the stairs. She looked back only for a moment to see the silhouettes of Yuki and Tohru locked in an embrace. 'She'll be happy… Just as I am.' She thought as she entered the crisp evening air, purely content with what had happened.

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Conclusion 2: Kyo and Kagura

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"I'll see you tomorrow… at the dojo." Kagura said, not wanting to let go of her love's hand. Kyo sighed, looking away from her longing eyes. "I told you not to push it." Kagura let go, slightly less than stunned at what he said. Her eyes began to glaze over with tears once again, but Kyo only chuckled. This froze the boar woman in her tracks. 'Kyo's… laughing? He's never laughed… in front of me before. What's wrong with him?'

"Kyo…? Darling, what's…!" She gasped as she was pulled into a tight hug worthy of Kyo's strength. "I was just kidding… tonight… was fun. Let's do it again sometime." He struggled through his thank-you speech. Kyo was not very accustomed to being this happy, or grateful, or with a passion for another. "Does this… mean that…?" Kagura started to say, waiting to hear the words she wanted to hear for so many years. "I love being with you Kagura… I want to make more memories like the ones we made tonight." Kyo leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. Kagura was speechless. She simply stood at her driveway and watched Kyo walk away, holding his hand up to wave goodbye without looking back. She touched the spot on her cheek that he kissed, feeling leftover hints of warmth from him, and stopped her falling tears from staining that now-sacred area of her face.

(A/N: Most of these next little conclusions are based on the manga plotline, around volume 9 on. Haru/Rin-ness ahead!)

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Conclusion 3: Shigure's 'Sexy Party'
(A/N: Just a reference joke to 'Family Guy's Stewie. I don't know why I gave it this title… is on a sugar high)

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"Hello Mayu!"

The Sohma's teacher groaned in disgust. Her ex-boyfriend was calling her again, probably to order some long-forgotten novel that people didn't care to read anymore from her family's book store. "What do you want, Shigure?" she asked, impatient.

"Now what's that tone for, Mayu? I was simply calling to say hello, is there something wrong with two old lovers to talk to each other?" Shigure offered his side of the story, but he was already angering the annoyed teacher. "WE WEREN'T LOVERS!" She yelled, making Shigure wince in pain at the sheer volume of it over the phone. "OK, OK, that's not why I called… I was wondering if you knew when Kana and her new husband were returning from their honeymoon?" Mayu blinked, surprised at the question.

"Um… they'll be coming back next Saturday I think… why do you ask?" Shigure smirked; he knew his plan was working. "Oh, I just wanted to throw a little party for them when they get back. None of us have met the lucky man… and Hatori and Aya would love to see her again." Mayu flinched at Hatori's name. It had been almost two years since the day that Shigure told her that Kana had had her memories erased. That was why she had broken up with him, so that she wouldn't have anything else to do with that strange family. "Wait a minute, Shigure… why do you want to do this? Did something happen?" She asked, with evident concern in her voice. Shigure smirked again. 'Hook, line and sinker!'

"Well… something like that. I'll tell you later. Oh, that reminds me, Aya got a girlfriend!" Mayu, her interest peaked, chuckled. "Really? Who is she?" Mayu pictured some sort of obese duchess from the eighteenth century as Ayame's perfect specimen, but she was not given a very accurate description when Shigure explained that it was Mine, the girl who worked at Ayame's shop. "Anyway… I just wanted it to be us three Sohma's, Mine, and… aw the hell with it, maybe I'll invite Mii over to get rid of some of her stress." Mayu, now enthralled in this conversation, wasted no time in asking her next question. "Who's Mii?" Shigure laughed again, eager to tell her about his 'victim.' "She my editor." She didn't speak for a few seconds, sending her prayers to her. 'That poor woman…'

"So, is it a date, err, a party rather?" the dog summed up his request. Mayu sighed, giving in to the request. "Oh, why not? I'd be fun to catch up. Next Saturday it is." Shigure cheered before hastily saying goodbye. He rubbed his hands together in an evil manner, the final phase of his plan in motion. 'Seeing everyone with a friend, Hatori will fall for Mayu for sure…'

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Conclusion 4: Haru and Isuzu

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Hatsuharu opened the door, not wasting any time kneeling next to the bed situated near the window. The girl sitting in it did not move, and continued looking out the window, her jet-black hair flowing in the wind. "Hey, Rin." Hearing her name being called didn't force a reaction from her. Hatsuharu waited, hoping that she would respond. "What do you want, Haru? I told you… I don't need you anymore." She said coldly, still not averting her eyes from the night sky. Haru placed his hand on Rin's, and she didn't pull away.

"Rin… why don't you want to stay together anymore? I love you… we don't… have to be afraid anymore. Akito is gone… the curse in broken. No one's going to hurt us anymore. Please… let's go back… to the way things were." Haru explained, his left hand now supporting his right, which was shaking under the tension in his heart. Rin finally looked over at the ox with an expressionless face. "Why… do you still want me? I'm useless… I keep getting sent to the hospital. As the horse I should be strong… but I'm just weak. I don't need someone like you to guide me…" Haru looked up, tears starting to form.

"Rin… that's bullshit. You're not weak… you're strong… really strong. I didn't want to… guide you, I… I just to be… by your side. Besides… the curse is gone. You don't have to live up to being the horse anymore. I love you… just the way you are." Isuzu sat for nearly a minute, taking in all of Haru's words. There wasn't a trace of Black Haru in that voice. It was the voice she knew that she created. She pulled Haru close to her, a single tear falling down her cheek. "I love you too…"

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Conclusion 5: Hiro and Kisa

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Watching a Mogeta episode alone for the first time in what seemed like years, Hiro and Kisa were enchanted by the cartoon, despite its obviously bad voice acting and special effects. During a commercial break, Hiro then decided to ask his question. "Hey Kisa… how are things going at school? Are people still picking on you?" Kisa smiled at her young friend, glad he was concerned for her. "Just a little… but I do all right." Hiro returned the smile, his courage heightened. "How does it feel… without the… you know…" He asked, referring to the absence of the zodiac spirits. Kisa's smile left her then, but not from it being a bad subject, but more out of confusion. She didn't know quite what to call this feeling of freedom. "I don't know… It's not really different than before, it just feels like… more confidence is there now… more confidence… than I ever had before." Hiro shifted himself to face her, ready to finally get to the point of the matter.

"Kisa… I… I love you." Kisa wasn't surprised, as the TV was drowning out Hiro's whispered confession. "What?" She asked. Hiro grabbed the remote and muted the sound, edging closer to her. "Kisa… I think… I love you." Kisa gasped, bringing her hands to her face, which was already blushing a deep shade of red. "Wh-what do you mean, Hiro?" She said, confused even further. "I… I know this probably sounds stupid coming from someone like me… but I love you, more than a friend. I want to grow up with you… go to school with you… but more than anything… I just want to spend time with you." Kisa smiled, tears threatening to fall from the eyes that matched her hair. She couldn't keep herself from hugging him and giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Oh Hiro… I feel the same way! I don't know what to call it, but… I want all those same things. I want to be with you all the time… I… I love you too… Hiro…" The 6th-grader stroked the tiger's hair, his eyes closed, lost in the moment with his first love.

'I hope it stays this way… I want to be… her prince…'

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Conclusion 6: Wish Fulfilled

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Kyo continued his walk back to Shigure's house and looked up at the stars once again. Suddenly, not one, but two shooting stars, brighter than he had ever seen before, streaked across the sky. Their paths almost perpendicular, one vertical and one horizontal, made what looked like a cross in the night. The symbol stayed illuminated for almost five seconds before it fizzled out. Kyo was shocked by what just happened. "No way… was that just…" he laughed again, his thoughts tracing back to the symbol that was in Akito's orb back at the shrine. "Akito… you always gotta show off, doncha?"

The next day, stargazers abound reported the strange sighting, wondering how this phenomenon took place. However, the Sohma's and those on the inside knew that their former leader's dying wish had been granted.

The End

(A/N: Whew! It's finally done! First off, I'M SORRY ALL THE SHOUJO-AI LOVERS OUT THERE! I know this was supposed to be a Hana/Tohru fic, but I like Yuki/Tohru more, and I just did what I thought would happen, besides, that's why I didn't show the actual scene with Tohru returning Yuki's feelings. It was supposed to be about the two girls, and that's what I tried doing. For all you Yuki/Tohru shippers out there, I just might write an epilogue with that scene in it just for you. As for the little scenes in this final chapter, I just wanted to show all the other couples I liked in Furuba. I'm not really a fan of Mayu/Hatori or Shigure/Mii, but that was mainly for the Ayame/Mine couple. The other couples are obvious… Anyway, thank you for all your reviews and kind words! I'm so grateful to you all… on to my next project!)