For once in Kyo's life he'd kinda hoped he could be walking with that damn rat vs. his current company. Not that there was anything wrong with this girl it's just, she and her friends had seen and smelled him in his true form. He was beyond embarrassed. Mortified was more the word. There's no way his usual "stand-offish cool demeanor with girls" bit would work on her. So he'd just have to endure an awkward walk.

'Fifteen minutes at most right?,' Kyo thought. 'It'll probably feel like the longest fifteen minutes of my life.'

"I've seen worse, you know," Michiru spoke then with her eyes looking downward as she often did, her curly teal locks blowing behind her shining in the light of the coming moon giving her an almost ethereal quality. "I was once the victim of a human turned tire monster - yup you heard me right there. He smelled of smoke and burnt rubber. He tied me up and threw me into a rushing river. So, please know… your form earlier, it didn't phase me at all."

At first Kyo didn't believe what he was hearing, but realizing what he'd witnessed earlier - her friend's blast of what looked like magic that sent him flying into a tree. And then the fact that his curse had just been lifted out of the blue by a magical girl with odango's. It was strange to say the least, and made what she had just said seem less far fetched.

Kyo ran his hand through his hair and smiled, "Ok, I believe you. Uh… thanks for that. I feel a bit better. So how do you all know each other? Sounds like you all go way back."

"We do, but we've only known Usagi a few years in this lifetime. And Haruka is my lover," replied Michiru.

Kyo blushed, "Oh…"

Michiru giggled. "I just knew you wanted to ask but didn't know how. I'm not embarrassed. We love each other very much."

"Ok - congratulations, I guess? So… um. You seem to know a lot of stuff about us. Why is that?," asked Kyo.

Michiru held up a shining teal object. "My mirror shows me everything I need to see. It doesn't tell the future, that's what Pluto is for. But it can show me the thoughts, and feelings of others. I can even see the past. And right now specifically, I see yours."

Kyo's eyes went wide as he lost his composure. The fragile veil he'd been desperately hiding behind was becoming dangerously close to being pulled down. He breathed in deeply and said, " l have no idea what you mean."

Michiru shook her head. "You do, and you know it. What happened last year… with Tohru's mom. It wasn't your fault. Kyoko would've never wished you to place such blame on your shoulders."

"How dare you speak her name," Kyo yelled, his rage completely unbolted and his eyes taking on a cat like quality, a characteristic that even with the curse broken must have remained an innate part of him. "You don't know, how could you know."

Michiru held out her mirror. "Please, look into my mirror. It will show you. You suffer needlessly. There is so much love for you to have if you just let down your guard. Trust me… have a look."

The mirror before him was mesmerizing, it's depths like swirling grey clouds and liquid azure. Kyo found it difficult to look away. Kyo sighed. "Fine," he said. "I'll humor you.
As Kyo took the mirror in his hands he was transported back to the fateful day of Kyoko's accident. He was just an observer this time. The real Kyo of that time standing was there feeling devastated by what had just happened, trapped in a state of inaction and despair. As Kyoko grew weaker her spirit began to leave her body. Her body looked whole. Kyo reached out to her but his hand went right through her.

Kyoko's spirit fisted her hands together. "You're him aren't you … the boy who told me he would protect her. Oh Tohru, I'm so sorry. I fear I'm leaving you all alone in this world. I have to go back for a moment and tell this boy that he has to keep his promise to protect her or …"

The spirit's voice was cutoff as it re-entered Kyoko's body. Kyoko went wide eyed and grabbed onto the memory Kyo's sleeve. "I'll never forgive you."

Kyoko then fell back and succumbed to her injuries as her spirit was forced back out and pulled up into the heavens.

"Bye, my sweet Tohru," Kyoko's spirit said as she ascended. "And that dear boy. I hope they can find happiness together," she said as she floated away.

Back in the present day Kyo gently handed the mirror back to Michiru and turned away from her. "Is that all true, what it showed me just now?"

Michiru replied, "What does you heart tell you?"

Kyo slowly turned to face her. "That it's all true. That I can be… with Tohru, with Kyoko's blessing. That I should've been protecting her all this time. I hope I haven't already failed her… I…"

Michiru stopped him then. "You haven't. Kyo - you have Tohru's mom's blessing! Now - what are gonna do with it?"

Kyo smiled. "I'm gonna run ahead and wait up on the roof so the minute I see Tohru come out, I'm going to give her that kiss I've been longing to give her for so long and tell her that I love her with all my heart. She is so precious to me."

Michiru smiled. Mission accomplished.