AN: okay then…well to me the last one just wasn't finished, I couldn't tell why it just wasn't. So all this time I've been planning a sequel but it just never happened because all these ideas just never worked! And then I was sitting and my computer yesterday chatting with my sister, listening to music and trying to write something else and suddenly here it is! So, what do you think? Peace out!

Dear Tohru,

This must be strange for you, a letter from the dead. I'm really sorry for all the grief I've caused you by the other letter and this one. I'm not dead in case you hadn't realised. I wish I was. I thought things were bad before but compared to now it was a walk in the park. I was going to do it Tohru; I was going to end it all in one swoop. I was sitting in my room, I'd written this letter to my family and Akito. You don't wanna know what it said, just about how much I hate him, how I miss Sensei, Yuki and Kyo and how I hope one day the other Zodiacs will forgive me. I love them; you know that, I adore my family.

So there I was with this note and a Swiss army knife sitting on my bedroom floor when who should waltz in? Some bloody stupid servant of Akitos, apparently I'd been summoned. She looked confused at first, I must have looked so suspicious because she stepped forward and saw enough of the letter on my floor to call for Hatori. You should have seen the shock on his face! I feel a bit guilty now. Then he got angry. He yelled at me, cursed me I think he wanted to hit me but he didn't. My parents were there, I think mum was crying and dad just looked, what's that word, despondent maybe? I dunno, I was spaced out. Here I was ready to die and my death room becomes a three ringed circus. If it wasn't so serious it'd be funny. It wasn't until Akito walked in that I realised how worse things were gonna get.

Akito glared, he was furious, that smouldering, quiet, deadly furious. "You were going to abandon me?" he spat at me. Can you believe it? I was going to abandon him! All of this and all he could think of was himself again. He prattled on for a while, about how selfish I was, how stupid and then how sad, how pitiable. He told me he loved me and was so worried now. He promised that he wouldn't let anything ever happen to me. You should have heard it, it was a punishment, he'd just set down my punishment. He's good at that, good at making people suffer. He knows us, he knows us all so well that he knows how to hurt us the most. I remember my mum crying so hard, she begged. My mother, the woman who gave birth to me and still loves me knelt before Akito and through her tears begged for me. I can't believe I didn't realise that there was someone still there, that I was not alone. As I watched her there my heart broke again. I wanted so badly to let her free of me, to absolve her of her duty and love of me. When Akito pushed her aside I snapped. Can you believe it? Black Haru was in there the whole time. Perhaps he was just grieving as well? I hit Akito. I hit him with my own hand! I was so happy too! Happier then I had been in a long time. I yelled at him, I told him he may have taken away Yuki, Kyo and Sensei, he may have hurt the other Zodiacs but I would not let him lay a hand on my mother. I don't remember anything after that. When I woke up I was in a bed, locked in a room in the Sohma estate. Apparently Hatori had pulled me away. I stayed angry at him for weeks afterwards. He'd come in give me a check up and I'd glare. One day I asked him why he did it. He told me it was for my own good. He didn't want Akito to hurt me or my mother any more. He called me a stupid selfish ignorant child. After that I forgave him. Strange isn't it?

The only people allowed to visit me were Hatori and Akito. Eventually some of the more trustworthy Zodiacs were allowed to come and my parents a couple of times. Hiro first, he's been taking messages between me and Rin. Momiji has been coming a lot when he can. He's the one who snuck in this paper and pen; he's such a brave kid. He wasn't going to until I explained why I needed it. I told him about my letter to you. He loves you so much Tohru, he'd do anything to make you happy. And so I sit here alone in this empty room day after day. Waiting for Akito to end this punishment. I know he will one day, when the next Rat is born. That's all I am right now, a replacement Yuki. Something he can toy with until his true plaything is back. I have to end this letter as Momiji has to leave. Thank you Tohru for being such a good friend, not only to me but to Yuki and Kyo and even sensei. I know they're gone now but you made their lives so much better if only for a little while. I can never thank you enough for giving me the memories I have of them truly happy. The other zodiacs too. I'm sorry too, for being selfish and stupid, the foolish Ox eh? I'm sorry.

Very much alive

Hatsuharu Sohma, Ox (still)

PS. Yuki's mum died of a heart condition the day after I sent that letter.

PPS. Hiro's mum gave birth. It was a beautiful baby girl, cursed with the cat. I cried when I found out. Momiji snuck in a picture just after the birth. You should have seen the smile on Hiro's mums face. Maybe there is such a thing as hope?

Tohru stared at the page, her eyes wide, tears just starting to come to them. She smiled, Haru was alive! Alive! She looked up at her aunt who was carefully eyeing her niece.

"What now?" she asked

"This is the most wonderful letter ever!" she sobbed

"Tohru what is it?"

"There is such a thing as hope!" Tohru beamed, "Mum…she always had hope and even though dad died she was happy! Yuki, Kyo, Shigure…they always had hope for the future, no matter how short! Oh Aunty there's hope! How could I forget?"

Her aunt frowned, "Tohru are you ok?"

"Yes! I'm better then ever!" she wiped away a tear, "Excuse me aunt. I have some very pressing business to attend to." She grabbed a coat slipped on her shoes and left. She walked and walked, all the while her heart singing. She had her hope back, it was small, just a flicker in the midst of a great darkness but it was there. She had always be thankful rather then sad. She had forgotten that in the sea of sadness there was something to be grateful for. She had known Yuki, Kyo and Shigure. She had a home. Those memories could never die, that home was not a house but a place in her heart that they had created together. Fire could not burn it, machines could not knock it down, rage could not destroy it. She had forgotten that while some may leave there was still so many left. Uo, Hana, and the other Zodiacs. She walked past Shigures house; it was just a bank spot now. Determined not to cry she kept walking until she found an over grown vegetable garden. The secret base. In her mind she thought of all the things she needed. Gloves, seeds, the book she had on gardening. But she didn't stop she kept walking and walking until she was outside of a modest dojo. She pressed the bell. A few moments later Kunimitsu answered.

"Eh? Miss Tohru? What are you…?" he stared at her. It was Tohru Honda to be sure but it wasn't the ditzy sweet girl he'd met before. Standing in front of him was a fiercely determined woman. For a moment he was reminded of the gangster he once looked up to when he was on the streets, the red butterfly.

She looked up at him, her gaze unfaltered, "I need to talk to Master Kazuma"

Fin….?