The cell door opened up and Stephanie was thrown in roughly.
"Stephanie" Tsukasa said standing up while Sara remained in a corner, "Are you okay?"
"Yea. I'm fine" she nodded, "I'm okay" she said taking gasps of air.
"Why are you shaking then?" he asked with a worried expression.
"Because I. I" she lowered her head and then broke down in uncontrollable tears, "I saw the most awful thing" she replied sobbing in her hands.
"What's wrong?" Sara asked coming over.
"What did you see?"
"Katsuya and the others" she cried, "He's got them in some awful type of machine. It looks like a cage made entirely of tubes."
"Reiji too?" Sara said horrified.
"Yes all of them. All fourteen."
"Well that would explain why we couldn't find them in the maze" Tsukasa replied with a frown.
"I don't know what he's planning on doing. But he made me so mad. So mad to the point that when I first met him I exploded."
"Exploded?"
"I completely lost my cool. I told him off. I told him that that he was pathetic. I called him a loser."
"You did?" Tsukasa replied surprised.
"Yes" she nodded sadly.
"Wow."
"It's not that impressive. I was completely afraid saying all those things. I mean I meant them but the fact that Isaid things like that to someone like him was really terrifying."
"Well I would have said something even worse then that if I was in your shoes" Sara said angrily, "You were really brave to stand up to him like that."
"Thanks Sara. Although I don't feel very brave right now. I even told him in my anger that we are the ones who can break the curse. I'm sorry."
"It can't be helped" Tsukasa shook his head placing a hand on her shoulder gently, "They were gonna tell him anyway. And you were brave. I don't think many people have stood up to him like that before. Well they're all the same anyway. The Ushidas and the Nakagami's. They're all assholes."
"Tsukasa" she began remembering the incident earlier with his father.
"I know" he nodded with a sigh, "You want to know."
"Mhm. Is Seitarou really your brother?"
"Yea. He's my older brother by a few months by a different woman. The truth is my parents were never married. My mother was just someone he met and used."
"So you're a love child?"
"Yes. But I wouldn't call me that. There wasno love involved. He never cared about my mother. I don't care what he says."
"But why would you?"
"Why do you think? Would you want to be associated to people like them?"
"I guess not."
"I mean I couldn't write Seitarou off completely. Pretending that he was my cousin was the best that I could come up with. He didn't mind it either. To be honest Seitarou doesn't like me almost as much as I don't like him. I'm sorry I lied to you about that. I just don't like to admit it myself."
"That's okay" Stephanie smile, "I understand why you did. You don't need to apologize."
"Okay. Now that we've got that settled, I want to talk to you about something important. I've already talked to Sara about it."
"All right" she nodded as Sara moved back over to her corner and crossed her arms.
"You see I've come to a decision. There is only one way to stop the Ushidas from carrying out their plan and that is for one of us to break the curse by means of what Yotaro Sohma's journal stated."
"But there has to be another way" Stephanie replied protesting.
"There is no other way" he shook his head, "And I've decided that I'm the one who's going to do it."
"What? No Tsukasa! You can't."
"Look, I'm the only one who has nothing to lose by doing this. Sara has Reiji and you have Katsuya. Besides there is no way that Iwould let either one of you sacrifice yourselves instead of me."
"But Tsukasa that's crazy" she took hold of his shirt panicking, "I won't let you do it."
"Stephanie" he replied softly, "I have to do this. I'm meant to do this. I know that now."
"What do you mean?"
"The dagger was given to me" he pulled the small object from his back pocket, "I knew that when I came here to Japan that there was something important I'm supposed to do. And this is it."
"But."
"Please understand."
"No Tsukasa" she shook her head, "I won't let you sacrifice yourself so selflessly," she cried.
"Selflessly? You don't understand at all."
"Huh?"
"I'm not doing this selflessly. I admit I am doing this for a selfish reason."
"You're right I don't understand."
"I'm doing this for you."
"What?" her eyes blinked back confused.
"I'm doing this so you can live. So you can be free and happy with Katsuya."
"But Tsukasa, if you do this for me I will never be able to forgive myself."
"You're gonna have to" he said gently, "I'm not gonna let the woman I love die" he placed his hands onto her shoulders and gazed back into her tearful eyes, "I have been your shadow protector since the very beginning and will be until the end. Let me do something for you that no one else can. If it's the most I can do, let me give you Katsuya back."
"Tsukasa" she cried and fell into his embrace, "All right" she nodded slowly, "I understand."
He held onto her as Sara watched her cousin sadly.
"Oh Tsukasa" she thought.
(Next Scene)
About an hour later Stephanie had gone to sleep due to Tsukasa and Sara's insistence while they stood by the wall next to each other on silence.
"Are you sure you want to do this cous? We could find another way" she replied.
"I've made up my mind" he shook his head, his eyes shut, "I'm gonna do this. It's my destiny to."
"If you say so. But what about your mother? And grandfather? You're not thinking about them."
"But I am. They already know that I am gonna do this. Sara I couldn't call myself a man if I let either of you do it. You're my cousin and she's the girl I am in love with."
"Even though she's in love with someone else?"
"Hmm" he smiled, "Haven't you ever read a Tale of Two Cities?"
"Yes" she nodded, "Oh Tsukasa" she replied when she realized and sighed, "You're such a romantic. But what about me? Don't you think I'll miss you too?"
"It's all right. You'll be alive and so will she. As I've said before I have been her shadow protector since the beginning and I will be to the very end. Just like Tsukasa Nakagami in the past I will protect my Suzuna Kim" he paused, "With my life."
(Till Next Time)
Authors Note: Okay that's it for today! See you all later in the week for the next chapter! Four more to go!
Next Time on Curse Renewed:
Chapter Eleven: A Race Against Time
The Sohmas hurry to make it to the warehouse before the ceremony starts. Meanwhile the members of the Zodiac wake up and discover where there are as the ceremony begins.
And
Chapter Twelve: Only One Choice
Not telling!