When I woke up the next day, still lying on the couch, I hoped for a few seconds that it all had been just a bad dream. That it wasn't real. Of course, it was. I still wore my blouse, full of blood stains. Hatori's blood … I threw it away, feeling sick by the painful memories.

After I had showered and dressed, I felt more like a human being again and drove to Hatori. I wanted to see him so badly and to make sure that Akito hadn't killed him in the meantime.

I was relieved to see, that everything was alright: Hatori was already waiting for me, smiling when he saw me entering his house. He still wore his bandage …

"How are you?", I asked him anxiously, as I kissed him. "Much better than yesterday", he assured me.

"And your eye?", I wanted to know. "It's okay", Hatori answered soothingly, lovingly brushing a strand of hair out of my face. "Really", he added, when he saw my worried face . "I'm getting an eye patch today."

For the first time since Akito had attacked Hatori, I had to smile. "This reminds me of the pirate stories, I used to read when I was a little girl", I said and joked: "Who would have known, that now I have a pirate as a fiancè!"

Hatori grinned. "Yeah, well, I thought an eye patch would be more convenient than a hook for a hand. Especially, because it is only temporary." I giggled. It almost felt like before … as if nothing had happened.

Something that sounded like a snore, made me turn. "What …?", I asked, puzzled. When I saw Momiji. The little boy was lying near the kotatsu, fast asleep.

Hatori chuckled. "May I introduce you to my new bodyguard?", he asked. "After he had haerd what happened, he came here, completely devastated and refused to go. Momiji said, he wanted to make sure that nothing like that would happen again. Obviously, he wanted to take care of me."

A wave of affection for the little rabbit of the zodiac rushed through me, as I looked at the sleeping boy. "Thank you, Momiji", I whispered.

I then noticed that Hatori's kitchen was full of tea. "Ayame", he explained. "He came storming in here, after Shigure had told him everything. It took my power of persuasion to convince him that I was fine and that he could go back home. But he left his special, home-made tea." I could imagine … Thanks, Ayame!

"Kari?" Momiji had woken up. "Hey", I smiled, as I bent down to him. "Thank you, for looking after my faincé", I said gratefully. In the background, Hatori rolled his eyes.

"I am nearly twenty-six, I don't think I need someone to watch out for me", he replied. "But you're hurt!", Momiji and I said at the same time.

"We will not let you out of our sight", I explained. Momiji nodded in agreement. Hatori sighed, but I saw his smile. "Thank you", he said and I could tell that he meant it.

So, in the end, Hatori, Momiji and I were sitting together around the kotatsu, drinking tea. Neither of us spoke. I was still thinking about what had happened yesterday …

Hatori had told me, it was the curse, that had led to his injured eye … The curse of the Soma family.

What kind of curse was it really? Hatori never told me, he didn't want me to know too much, so that I wouldn't get too involved. Well, now it was definitely too late for that!

An idea had entered my mind. I wanted to find out more about this curse. And maybe, just maybe to break it, so that Hatori and his family would be free … That Akito would have never have such power over them again … There must be a way to lift the curse, right?

So, when Hatori went into the kitchen, I decided to talk to Momiji. "I was so scared, when I heard about Hatori's eye!", he said. "I never thought that something like that would actually happen! I knew that Akito can get angry, but –" I patted him soothingly on the shoulders.

"May I ask you something?", I wanted to know. "Sure!" Momiji nodded. "I was thinking about the Soma curse lately", I told him. "And I was wondering … I mean, how did it happen, that your family actually got cursed? Why? And have you never thought about lifting the curse? There must be a way, after all."

Momiji paused a few seconds, before he answered. "Nobody really knows how our family was cursed", he explained. "But it must have been many years ago, long before my birth or Hari's. That is, why rarely anyone remembers anymore. Also, when it comes to breaking the curse."

I listened closely, as Momiji continued: "Some of us did try, to find a way to lift the curse, but none of them really were successful. Shigure assumes, that it must have gotten weaker during the years, like that Hari only transforms into a seahorse and not an actual dragon, but that is all he was able to find out."

"So you have no idea, how to break the curse?", I asked, knowing that I sounded disappointed. "No", Momiji replied apologetically.

"Except, maybe …" He fell silent. "Kazuma Soma", he said. I listened up.

"Who?", I asked. "He runs a dojo, outside of our family compound", Momiji told me. "He isn't a member of the zodiac, but he knows a lot about the curse. I think his grandfather had once been the cat. He now trains Kyo, Yuki and Haru. Kyo also lives with him, since the death of his mother. Kazuma is like a father for him." I nodded.

"And you think, Kazuma-san can help me?", I asked. "I'm not sure", Momiji admitted. "But he certainly knows more than me." I didn't reply. Kazuma Soma …

Hatori returned, ending our conversation. Neither Momiji nor I told him, what we had talked about. I didn't want him to worry. I had come to a decision: I would visit this Kazuma Soma and talk to him. Every curse can be broken somehow. And I was going to lift the Soma curse!

…

Already a few hours later, I was standing in front of Kazuma Soma's dojo. The master himself turned out to be a hansome, friendly-looking man in his late thirties.

"I am sorry for barging in like this", I told him. "But I really wanted to talk to you." He shook his head. "Don't worry", he said, smiling. "It is nice, meeting the famous Hikari Aino." He gestured me to come in.

"Kyo has told me much about you", he continued, as we sat down in his living room. "And of course, since yesterday …" He fell silent, when he noticed my hurt face. "I am sorry", he said. "This must have been terrible for you." "It was", I nodded, my voice suddenly shaking. Wanting to change the subject, I looked around.

"Where is Kyo?", I asked. Kazuma giggled. "Kagura has dragged him off on a date", he answered. I laughed. "Poor Kyo!" "Oh, he can defend himself", Kazuma said, obviously not too worried. He was looking at me.

"You came here, because you think I can tell you how to break the Soma curse", he realised. I couldn't deny it.

"Listen, I –", I began, as Kazuma interrupted me. "I did try to lift the curse", he confirmed. "For Kyo's sake. But I failed." He sighed. "I wanted to free Kyo, to spare him the sufferings of my grandfather, but it was useless in the end. I couldn't find a way to break the curse." He smiled sadly. "I am sorry, believe me, I really am. I wish I could be of more help to you."

"I know", I said friendly. Kazuma looked at me thoughtfully. "The only ones, who could really know how to break the curse are Akito, or his mother Ren", he said. "But even if they did, neither Akito nor Ren would ever tell you." "Of course …", I murmured. To keep Hatori and the others like slaves …

"Or Kureno", Kazuma added. "He is Akito's confidant. "But I doubt that he would be able to help you, even if he wanted to." "Kureno?", I repeated. The mysterious rooster of the zodiac, who at all times had to stay with Akito …

Kazuma must have guessed what I was thinking about. "If you want to hear my advice, you'd better just forget the curse", he told me seriously. "Enjoy your time with Hatori, be happy with him. Don't torture yourself with trying to lift the curse, when you don't know how."

I swallowed hard. "But it must be possible to –" "I am sure that the curse can be broken", Kazuma agreed. "But I don't know if we ourselves can do something about it. Not at this moment at least."

I looked down. "Hatori …", I stammered. "He nearly lost an eye just because of me, just because Akito –" I broke off. Kazuma smiled sympathetically. "You really love him, do you?", he asked softly. I nodded. "More than anything else." We fell silent for a few seconds.

Finally, it was time for me to go. "Thanks again for your time", I said friendly to Kazuma. He nodded. "In case I should find out more, I will let you know immediately", he promised me. "I appreciate that", I replied gratefully.

Kazuma walked me to the door. "Maybe you can do more than you think", he said to me suddenly, when I was about to leave. "True love after all, defeats everything. Or isn't that, what all the fairy tales say?" I chuckled. "Yes …"

It was evening, when I returned to Hatori. He was at home, Momiji still with him, as well as Shigure.

"I wanted to see the preparations for the new year's feast and thought I'd stop by", he said, sounding casual, but I saw right through: Shigure wanted to look after Hatori and I was thankful for that.

"Where have you been?", Hatori asked me, as we were sitting around the kotatsu, eating tangerines and cookies. "I was visiting a friend", I replied quickly and felt immedialy guilty for lying to him. But I knew that Hatori wouldn't be happy, if he'd find out that I had visited Kazuma because I intended to lift the Soma curse. He would only get upset and anxious. So, I decided to keep it a secret, at least for now.

I noticed Shigure's strange looks at my words. I could tell, that he knew exactly what I had been up to. Shigure might be a pervert, but he certainly was not stupid! He didn't mention anything though.

Shigure excused himself because he had "forgotten something at the main house" ("Nonsense", Hatori murmured. "He just wants to see Akito …"), leaving Hatori, Momiji and me alone.

We ate, talked and laughed, as if nothing had ever happened. If Hatori wouldn't have worn the eye patch, you would have never guessed that he had been attacked by Akito only yesterday. But it still was hard for me, looking at him, without feeling guilty. And although none of us said it out loud: I knew that our wedding plans had been put on hold. It hurt, I had to admit. Could Hatori and I ever be together without having to fear Akito?

"Is everything alright?", Hatori pulled my out of my thoughts. I nodded. "Yes. Yes, of course." He raised an eye brow suspiciously.

"Oh, the last cookie!" Momiji was looking longingly at the last chocolate cookie on the plate, ending our conversation. I had to laugh. "Just eat it", I said, patting him motherly on his head. "Really?" Momiji was beaming. "Thank you!" I giggled, as I watched him, eating happily his cookie.

"Shouldn't you be in bed by now?", Hatori asked him, sounding a bit like my father used to, when I had been a little girl. "But I wanted to talk to Kari some more", Momiji protested. Hatori sighed. "Ten minutes!", he then said to him. "Not more!" I giggled, as I listened to Momiji, trying to persuade Hatori to stay a bit longer.

"Oh, what a cute picture!" Shigure had returned. He was standing in the doorway, watching us. "What do you mean?", I asked him, surprised. He laughed. "You three seem like a cute little family", he explained. I blushed, as Hatori, Momiji and I looked at each other, taken aback.

Finally, Momiji went back home and also Shigure said good-bye. And of course, he had guessed, why I had been so absent-mindedly the whole evening.

"Don't worry about the curse", he whispered to me, so that Hatori could not hear him. "It will break eventually, I am sure. This is the first time, that all the members of the zodiac are alive together." He winked at me encouragingly. I remembered what he had said about Hatori, who transformed only into a seahorse … That it was a sign of the curse getting weaker … Could it be? I really hoped that Shigure was right.

After Momiji and Shigure had left, Hatori and I finally had some time for us. Since he had been injured, this was the first time that we were alone. That it was just us two …

"I am glad that you are still here with me, after all that has happened", Hatori said, as we were lying on his bed, my head resting on his chest.

"I am here with you, especially after what has happened", I corrected him. "I could never leave you alone and certainly not now." I smiled. "In good times and bad, in sickness and health, isn't it?" I could feel his hands on my back. "Right …"

I lifted my head, so that I could look into Hatori's face. Gently, I traced the lines of his eye patch with my fingers. His right eye was set on me. Hatori grabbed my hand. "Okinawa", he said. "What?", I replied, confused. He lovingly put a strand of my hair around his finger. "I was just thinking that Okinawa would be great for our honeymoon", he explained. "The sun, the beach, the sea …" I brought my face nearer to his. "It sounds perfect …"

We kissed. "It is not important, where I am", I thought, as I felt Hatori's lips on mine. "The only thing that matters, is that we are together …"

Hatori put his right hand to my cheek, deepening the kiss. I let my fingers run through his black hair. I loved him so much! Everything about him … Hatori seemed so fragile and perfect, that sometimes you were scared to touch him. I wanted to be with him ... I needed him. I couldn't let him go now. Hatori had become a part of me … Even Akito or the curse couldn't change that …

Finally, we had to part for air. Carefully, so that he wouldn't suddenly transform into a seahorse, Hatori pulled me closer to him.

"I am really glad, that I saw you that day, dancing in the snow, Kari-chan", he whispered, kissing my forehead. "Me too!", I replied, looking up. Hatori smiled. "Come here, my little snow princess …"

We were meant to be … I could feel it, when our lips met … I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this man …