Chapter 8

Kyo screamed as the torture circled within his body. His skin tightened and caused everything inside of him to excruciatingly push together. Kagura wept in the corner as she watched Kyo withering in the air. Yuki stood away from Tohru and his jaw dropped in awe. This was the last thing he had in mind when he thought of his rival. Kyo might have been annoying but he never thought of killing him.

"So, you wanted to kill me Kyo? How do you feel about those words now? I consider your anguished cries as a sign that you might have changed your mind."

Tohru gripped her fingers more tightly into a fist and shoved it into the air higher. Kagura couldn't look upon Kyo's deathly white face. It was too horrible of a sight and the torture of not being able to save him made her blood pace around her as fast as a whirlwind.

"No! Please stop Tohru! He just has a bad temper, you know that!"

She didn't move her fist, but her eyes darted towards Kagura. Tohru snickered and the flash of evil in her black hollow eyes caused Kagura to stumble backwards.

"No one speaks against my choice!"

Kagura cried aloud as Tohru stomped her foot heavily on the ground. Kagura fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around her abdomen, trying to protect herself from the pain of the invisible force flooding inside of her veins. Each time Tohru's foot stomped on the ground, Kagura cried once more and Yuki was becoming more ill by the second. The turmoil rushed through the air around them, mixing with the blood spilling out of Kyo and Kagura's mouths. Tohru let out a tremendous laugh as she let Kyo fall helplessly onto the soft grass. He let out a gasp of air as his chest expanded. Then he immediately closed his eyes as the jabbing inside of his ribs hindered his ability to let the air flow into his crumpled body. Even though he was wounded so, he gradually pulled himself towards Kagura. When he reached her, Tohru stopped stomping her foot, and once she did that, the chilly air around them started to whistle, almost as if it were calling for help.

"Tohru… you just…"

Yuki stood mesmerized by the horrifying action she had just committed. She had almost disposed of their lives just because a hot head threatened her.

"I know what I just did. They deserved it. Do you have a problem with that?"

She turned around and looked at him straight in the eye. Her cold dark tone of voice couldn't surpass the hate within her face. Tohru's hair drifted lifelessly about her head and then she walked towards him, her arms outstretched. Yuki shook his head slightly, but she didn't notice and kept going towards him. Each step she took, the more he thought he should run away from her. There was no reason he should be with this horrid creature of evil nature. Finally, when he found himself immobilized, he gave up and just stood there, her cold arms wrapping around his chest. As she squeezed, his eyes fluttered and he lost his mind. The goodness and the warmth flew out of his body with his breath and he let his weight overcome her strength. Tohru flinched as his body fell onto her shoulders.

"Yuki! Get off of me!"

No answer came from him. She growled in frustration and threw him off of her shoulders. He fell to the ground and a loud thud resounded in her head. For a moment, her eyes widened as she saw his glistening silver hair turn into a bristling gray. His slow breaths glowed a haunting white and she stood back shaking her head.

"What's happening? Yuki? No… No!"

She fell to her knees by his side and then the anger came back, full of the force of a wild tornado.

"Where is my happiness? Why is this happening to me? I thought it would be better this way…"

Yuki groaned lightly and she turned him over so that his eyes looked up towards her. He was beginning to become even paler than before and Tohru dug her fingers into his arm as she held onto it. Among the pain, he managed to speak to her.

"I don't know what's wrong Tohru… but that's just it… you're… not… Tohru."

Instantly her face became still and frozen. Yuki's chest rose as he heard a distant cry of anguish within her frail body. She shook her head and then stood up crookedly, pointing at him.

"Don't say that! Don't make me hurt you!"

A tear slid down his cheek and into the brittle grass.

"You don't have to… because you already did."

The darkness was coming in towards her from the sky and she shook, the freezing depths rising through the forests. She heard the groans of pain from behind and she turned to see Kyo helping Kagura sit up on her knees. Tohru took a deep breath of air before she raised her hands to her head.

"What? You still help her even though you know the consequences?"

Kyo looked at her from under his eyebrows, his head bowed.

"I don't care about your stupid rules, or what's going to happen! I love her and nothing can change that!"

"OH really? Would you stake your life on that statement?"

There was a moment of a pause before she began to shoot her hand towards them. Suddenly, she was jerked backwards as pair after pair of hands gripped her arms and legs.

"What is this mutiny? Let go of me!"

Everyone had found them. Everyone who had been inside the house was now in the clearing. Kisa and Hiro were near Yuki, helping him sit up. Yuki saw his brother, Shigure and Hatori pulling her away from Kyo and Kagura. To his left, he saw Rin hiding behind Hatsuharu, watching from the shadows of the trees. The struggle continued as Kyo and Kagura stood up.

"You need to go rest."

"Tohru, stop this nonsense at once!"

She twisted violently until she decided to bite one of the hands holding her back. Shigure yelped in pain and then let go of her. Tohru tore away from their grip, the sudden removal of Shigure enough to distract the other two men. She ran past them all and then ran towards the house. Her legs were aching and her breath wasn't steady and it caused her to stop at a slow jog and clutching her chest, she stumbled forwards. Then she stopped and leaned next to a tree to regain her composure. A distant cry resounded within her and she growled.

"Shut up! Shut up once and for all!"

Footsteps echoed in her ears and then she looked up, her long dark hair dangling. Momiji stepped closer fearfully, his heart hammering inside of him, yet the courage rising from the pit of sorrow in it.

"Tohru… what's happened to you?"

"What do you know about anything brat? Just leave me alone!"

His eyes shined with brilliance as he fell to his knees.

"I won't leave you. I want the old Tohru back. I miss her so much. Please come back to all of us!"

"No! That's never going to happen, now get out of my way!"

She started towards him, and then when Tohru tried to thrust her foot forward, she couldn't. It was as if there was an invisible wall in front of her, some kind of shield she couldn't see.

"What's going on? Why am I asking so many questions, and why can't I get past you?"

Momiji looked up, his shoulders shaking up and down.

"I don't know… Wait… Tohru…can you hear me?"

He closed his eyes as if trying to communicate with someone other than herself, and something inside of her started to explode with a dire urge to go back. She darted away from him frantically, running back towards the scene of the encounter with the rest of the Sohmas. Everything was the same; nothing had changed. She went to the left, hoping to run away once more, but this time, she fell because of a collision, leaving her head throbbing.

"Who…"

She opened her eyes and saw Hatsuharu standing tall with his girlfriend.

"You! The insolence of your behavior… it will go on no more!"

She rose into the air about a foot off of the ground and then she pushed her hands down. Just as before, the couple withered to their knees and then cried out the raw ripping of their muscles too much to bear. Yuki's eyes widened displaying the last meager attempt of sanity and hope. He tore away from Kisa and Hiro's grip. Yuki limped towards her, wishing with every second that passed by that this nightmare would end.

"Tohru, I'm begging you! Don't do this to yourself!"

She looked at all of them, the three adult men cowering at the sight of her.

"What do you mean? I'm perfectly fine! This is a lesson everyone needs to learn! They can't love without feeling the torture and pain that comes with it!"

He closed his mouth and let the tears stream down his face.

"What?"

She was beginning to question the situation and then she suddenly felt the ground touch her feet. The power inside of her body was draining gradually. Yuki and everyone else could see it with their own eyes, but Tohru was completely unaware of it. The moon was hidden behind the clouds, and yet her skin glistened with a deathly crimson white color, almost as if she was dead. Her eyelids drooped and her hair was falling out of her head. Her weight decreased as the seconds passed by and all of this happened without her knowledge.

"Yuki, what is it? Tell me!"

His voice cracked as he tried to propel the words from the sanctuary inside his dry throat.

"You're… you're dying…"

Tohru's eyes grew and the dark black pupils covered most of them, leaving little room for the whites of her eyes.

"I don't understand what you are saying… it is impossible for me to die!"

"He's lying! Don't listen to him Tohru!"

She gasped suddenly as she heard the voice of the devil himself inside of her head.

"Why shouldn't I listen to him?"

"Don't resist me Tohru! I command you to think of your duties! Kill those who have betrayed you!"

Tohru shuddered and closed her eyes as she put her hands to her head and then hung it parallel to the ground.

"I can't… I… I'm sorry!"

Without watching herself do it, the remaining strength inside of her was forced into her hands. She raised them upwards towards the sky and then let them fall towards her side, unleashing every dark thought onto the crippled couples on the ground. Kisa and Hiro had long since run away, unaware of what they had escaped.

"Tohru! NO!"

Yuki's plea wasn't heard because her head rolled around her neck and then her body collapsed onto the earth. As he was going to run towards her, a loud shriek made everyone flinch. Suddenly, a black mist expelled from Tohru's body, slowly engulfing the ground and tainting it with the icy coldness as it froze the soil. Tohru didn't move, and then within a minute, the shrieking became louder and suddenly out of the mist, a figure rose.

Hatori knew at once who it was.

"Akito."

"He's alive!"

He spun his head towards the cowering threesome and bellowed in anger.

"Alive! What a pitiful word for the state I am in! Perhaps I shall impose on you the bearing of my soul, since my first subject has failed to keep me…alive."

Yuki shook his head and ran through the shadows that belonged to Akito. He felt the prickling jabs of pain as he did so, his skin tightening and shriveling. However he kept going and then knelt next to Tohru. As he held her in his arms, he felt the heavy darkness inside of her finally vanished. Yet, it was even worse than that, because he felt nothing.

Ayame wailed and broke down, bowing to the master.

"I will do as you say, just don't hurt me!"

"No you fool! Don't let him do anything to you or you're going to regret it! I have no idea who or what he is, but that is not Akito. There is no such thing as evil spirits."

Akito had reshaped himself and then laughed at Hatori.

"You always thought you were so smart and you always took care of me. How do you think that made me feel? I'm not subservient! That is why I will own you now. You will see what it feels like!"

Shigure whimpered and then pointed towards Yuki and Tohru.

"She's… she's gone! He is evil! Hatori, do something!"

Akito was approaching them and all he could do was blabber like an idiot.

"Tohru! Come back to me!"

Yuki was still cradling her in his arms and holding her head in his hands. His fingers ran through her tired hair and he wept with anger.

"I should have done something! I shouldn't have listened to you, I should have told someone the first time I knew! I'm sorry Tohru. I'm so sorry…"

He sobbed, letting the tears fall onto her face and dot her pale cheeks. Yuki pulled her into a one-sided embrace and he let his emotions out into the clearing for everyone to hear.

"I love you Tohru! Please don't leave me!"

Just as Akito was about to enter his dark mist into Hatori, who was standing there firmly, not believing that anything wrong could happen, a flash of blinding light that dwelled from Tohru's heart spread through the clearing creating a brilliance of white space. Everyone shielded their eyes and soon the light subsided. Yuki was struck numb as he felt two small hands gripping onto his shirt. The wind lifted her hair into the silence of new life.

"Yuki…"

Her whisper was only audible to him and when his eyes glanced down into her face, his heart overflowed with miraculous bliss. She buried her soft tears into the fabric of his clothes and he held onto her more dearly than before. He chuckled and buried his face into her neck. Kagura stood up and frowned as the guilt struck her at everyone one of her joints so that she felt weaker than before. To everyone looking in on Yuki, the sight seemed as if he was grieving for his dead love instead of rejoicing in her rebirth. Even though they might have felt the sharp thorns on the roses jabbed within their body, they couldn't help but let go of the grip and cry for the departure of the once beloved Tohru.

Then suddenly, Yuki stood up, and so did Tohru, the person they claimed was gone forever. Everyone immediately scrunched up their faces and Ayame shrieked, and no one could tell if he was extremely excited or deathly afraid. Tohru held onto Yuki's arm and opened her eyes slowly, the darkness of the night finally clear and untainted with bloody sins and threats. She let the last of her tears fall down her cheeks as she allowed herself to breathe again.

"Tohru! You're alive!"

"We thought you were gone," Kyo remarked carelessly.

"I… I'm sorry…"

"You should be…"

Yuki narrowed his eyes and then flashed his anger towards every person his eyes came in contact with.

"Leave her alone! Don't you have any ounce of kindness in your thick skulls? Tohru has been through hell and back! She will talk to you when she wants to!"

He breathed heavily and let the beads of sweat fall from his forehead. Tohru's eyes widened as she watched Yuki unleash his rage, the moments all welled up inside of him now exploding like never before. She whimpered, unable to handle the thoughts that she now controlled. She collapsed into his embrace and closed her eyes. Her hands reached up for his wet face and then her fingers slipped down to his neck. Yuki picked Tohru up bridal style and then stumbled forward for a few steps. Once he regained his balance, he walked passed the gaping mouths and the perplexed faces without caring what they would have thought.

The silence fluttered around their heads for a while still after Yuki and Tohru had left. Suddenly, Kagura spoke up timidly.

"I think Yuki is right. We should let Tohru rest before we ask her about everything that has happened."

She looked at Kyo sadly and she left him standing there alone. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back. Their eyes connected and then she looked down to the ground.

"It's always about Yuki and Tohru," Kyo whispered sadly, "but what about us?"

Kagura pulled her hand away from him and turned away so that he wouldn't see the tears falling from her deeply shattered eyes.

"That has to wait."

Kyo stood dumbfounded and watched her leave the clearing as well.

"Kagura!"

He yelled in frustration and then waved his hands in the air and ran after her. Rin and Hatsuharu disappeared long ago and now the only people left in the forest were Hatori, Ayame, and Shigure.

"This has been one strange and fascinating night… right?"

Ayame laughed shortly and then frowned.

"Unfortunately, your wise crack jokes are not going to make anyone laugh right now," Hatori said, his voice full of remorse and the memories of his deceased love.

He began to walk away as well and then Shigure shook his head.

"Let's go. I think we should all stay at the house over night and then we can talk in the morning."

Ayame snorted and folded his arms together, closing his eyes and then looking up at Shigure superiorly.

"That would've been nice to say before we got Yuki upset."

"Don't try to act smart! Let's just go. I'm tired of everything."

Ayame sighed and let his arms drop. He followed his friend home and arched his back as he imitated an old man, only to get a punch in the shoulder from Shigure. They had left the clearing and a chillingly calm silence entered it. The disappearance of the dark black mist was considered a good sign, and only now was the world of the Sohma family going to be more complicated than before.

..::-::..

The next morning, the birds began to chirp lively and the sunshine struck Tohru's face with welcomed warmth. She stirred and smiled before she opened her eyes, the feeling of rest finally allowing her to feel somewhat like herself. Suddenly, Tohru realized that she felt someone next to her. She gasped and picked her head up to see who it was, afraid still that it might have been Akito in some other form, come to taunt it her once more. But it wasn't him; all she saw was Yuki's peaceful sleeping face and her heart rejoiced. She placed her head back down on the pillow and cuddled up to him, hugging him with so much force that she woke him up.

"Huh? Oh… Tohru!"

He blinked a few times before her smiling bright face appeared to him in clear vision. The morning light made her face glow and the warmth radiated from her eyes. Yuki didn't say anything for a moment because his heart was overwhelmed with joy. He hadn't seen her so happy for a few weeks, and now that she was there with him, truly there, he didn't know what to do.

"Yuki… I feel so much better! Wait…why did you sleep in the same bed with me?"

She jumped up, putting her hands to her head frantically and looking around for her regular clothes. Suddenly, she felt Yuki's strong hands grab her wrists and steady her so that she looked at him. As a crimson blush spread across her face, she realized that Yuki was wearing his pajamas, as was she. She breathed a sigh of relief and then Yuki laughed, all of the tension gone. Tohru was truly back; he finally had her as he always saw her in his mind.

"Tohru…" he found the voice inside of his throat, "after everything that happened, I was worried and I wanted to protect you because I couldn't do it before."

Her eyes softened and he brushed the hair out of her face gently. Tohru's smile grew warmer as the kindness he was showing her helped her get rid of the last remaining amounts of cold inside of her heart.

"Thank you so much Yuki… I don't know what I would have done without you."

A sudden cry filled her head as Yuki began to lean forward towards her. A flash of darkness spread through her vision, and the fear crawled back into her thoughts. She saw Akito's flashing grin and remembered the horrible aftertaste of his mouth inside of her own. But when Yuki's forehead touched her own, the memories vanished and she stared into his pale eyes, shining with nothing but affection for her. He brushed his fingers across her cheeks a few times and then she held onto his arms tenderly.

"I'll always be here with you, from now on, so don't worry about anything. I'm your guardian angel."

And then she felt his lips brush against hers, so gently that she thought it wasn't even real. The feather like sensation made her body shiver and then he pulled her towards him more. She kissed him back and let the true innocence of her spirit mix with his. Tohru placed her hands on his chest and then leaned her head against his neck while he cradled her.

"I was so lost… I… I thought I'd never get to tell you that, I love you, again."

A tear slipped down her cheek, and he wiped it away, her skin soft and warm from sleeping for so long.

"It's all in the past. We don't have to think about it anymore."

She nodded and then he smiled to cheer her up. Tohru laughed lightly as he jumped off of the bed and then stretched his arm towards her.

"You need to get ready for breakfast Miss Honda. I think you might have missed sausages in the mornings with some scrambled eggs and bacon."

She jumped out of bed crying out happily and she threw her arms around him.

"How did you know that I wanted to eat that? I haven't really tasted food for so long!"

Just then her stomach growled and she laughed. Things seemed to be back to normal. At least that was the case for two people in the house.

..::-::..

Kyo had his hand behind his head and he lay in bed staring at the ceiling above him. His eyes were bloodshot; he hadn't gotten any sleep that night. He twisted and turned, but he couldn't get the jabbing pain inside of his heart to go away. Right before he had gone into the house, he saw Kagura looking up at the moon and he knew it was his last chance to talk to her without any one else being around, but it hadn't worked out right at all.

Kagura stood gripping her hands together and looking up towards the bright moon in the dark blue sky. Kyo stood there for a moment, mesmerized and paralyzed to see her so beautiful and aching in pain. Then he finally found his nerve and walked up to her. The shadows covered her face as she turned to look at him, and the reflection of the moon vanished from her skin.

"Kyo… please don't do this again."

He walked right up to her and took her hand.

"I want to be with you Kagura. Don't you think it hurts even more when you refuse to even look at me?"

She had looked down again and then looked up at him when he said those words.

"I'm sorry Kyo, but I can't be with you… you know that."

He gripped her hand more strongly and she let out a sob as he held her face in his other hand.

"But you don't have to ignore me now! I love you more than before and it's killing me that you don't give a damn about me!"

She lifted up her head and shook it violently.

"No Kyo! I do care! I loved you before I met you and I still do!"

He growled in frustration and then pulled her closer towards him.

"Then why are you doing this?" he yelled harshly in her face.

Kagura whimpered and tried to pull away from him.

"Because… we're cursed Kyo, and we can't… do anything about it…"

She let her eyes close and the tears spill out of her heart as it leaked from the holes pierced within. Kyo calmed down his breathing and then approached her slowly. The space between them was disappearing with each second, and then suddenly she realized what he was doing. She flung her eyes open and then stepped back in shock. He let go of her hand and saw the pain in her face as the moon shined on it again. The streaks on her face glittered and her eyes shrank fearfully inside of their sockets.

"No. I don't want to go through the pain and humiliation."

"This hurts me Kagura, it hurts us. If we kiss, at least we'll be happy for a second…"

She shook her head as she retreated further.

"If we kiss, it will hurt more because we will transform, and I don't want to do that each time. I'm sorry Kyo…"

She had run away and he was left by himself again. Kyo punched the pillow on his bed as he sat up.

"This is so unfair!"

He ruffled his head and got up. As he walked into the hallway, another door opened and he saw Kagura's puffy eyes emerge from her room. They stared at each other for a moment and then Kyo clenched his fist to steady his voice.

"Good morning."

She was relieved to hear him say something so simple and basic. Kagura straightened herself and nodded.

"Good morning Kyo. Are you going down to breakfast? I made some scrambled eggs and other foods you might like…"

She tried smiling but ended up showing him how much pain she was in, just like he was. From the sagging underneath her eyes, he could tell that she hadn't gotten much sleep either. Suddenly, as they began to walk towards the stairs, a door opened behind them and the cheerful laughter of Yuki and Tohru bounced off of the walls and echoed into their broken hearts. Once they came into the hall, they stopped as the realization that they weren't alone came to them. Tohru looked from one pain-stricken face to the other and then she felt her happiness drop inside of her stomach. She was the reason that they weren't able to be together. Yuki sensed that she was becoming more upset and he gripped her wrist.

"Come on. We're all late for breakfast."

Yuki shared stern glances with Kagura and Kyo, and everyone nodded solemnly. They walked down the stairs in a single file line and entered the dining room that way as well. The three best friends were already sitting down and Hatori carefully observed Tohru as she walked in.

"Good morning. Sit down and eat. We'll talk afterwards."

Tohru sat down and stared at the food- scrambled eggs, her favorite, yet she had lost her appetite. Yuki encouraged her to eat and gradually she cleared her plate. When everyone was done, they looked at her expectantly without saying a word. The time had come for her to explain every bit of sorrow and pain she had felt, and Tohru didn't know how to start.

A/N: Again, it took me almost forever to update! Or a month at least… please don't be mad!!! I hope you liked this chapter!! Akito's finally gone!! Yes, I'm not joking, he is… but the curse remains… to decide the fate in the next and final chapter… that's right… unfortunately, the next chapter will be the last… :( but let's not think about that for now! So, tell me instead what you thought of the chapter! ANY kind of reaction would be most welcome!! So then, I hope you have a wonderful day! Thanks so much for reading:D

-Monika-