Everyone was staring at her, and the focus of the tension darted into Tohru's chest, making it hard for her to breathe. She felt Yuki grab her hand under the table and then she let the air out of her depleted lungs. The only way she could speak was if she didn't look up; every pair of eyes was just another portrait of the pain she had caused. Slowly, her lips parted and the words fell out of her mouth like a spilled bag of rice, a soft pattering of the breeze.
"I'm really sorry about everything… I know most of you probably hate me… and that's okay, because I deserve it."
At this point, her back hunched over slightly and the rivers of tears fell down her cheeks. Yuki clenched his fists but didn't interrupt her. Kyo folded his arms and then looked at Kagura who sat far enough away so that another person could have fit in between them.
"I don't want to talk about what happened with Akito… but I'll say one thing, and that is it was painful. He hurt me and took over my body. I'm sorry I was weak enough to let him do that, that I let him hurt each one of you."
Everyone's gaze softened and Hatori looked away, closing his eyes and letting the memories flood through his mind. He knew what it was like to have Akito ruin your happiness. Hatori nodded and sighed.
"It's okay Tohru. I think I understand what happened now. I never thought you could have been that cruel to begin with."
Tohru gasped as she looked up into his face. He gave her a small smile and the tears on her face shined brilliantly. Her face lit up and she smiled back to him. Suddenly Shigure nodded and smiled as well.
"It's all in the past now Tohru! My, this is getting way too serious! It's not good for the stomach after such a delicious meal."
Shigure patted his stomach contently, and then Ayame let out a hearty laugh.
"I'm sure then that we can let what is past become shriveled away by the rays of the shinning sun!"
Kyo suddenly snarled in the threesome's direction, and then stood up. Kagura looked up awkwardly and watched as he silently left the room. Tohru looked at Kagura and lowered her head. The two people she had caused the most pain were Kyo and Kagura, and she didn't know if they would ever forgive her for that. That's why when she felt a soft hand slide over hers, she looked up with astonishment into Kagura's dark, warm eyes.
"I know Kyo is really angry right now, but I'm sure he'll forgive you soon enough. I'm sorry you had to go through so much pain, and I know you didn't intentionally want to hurt us."
Joyous tears streamed down Tohru's face and she beamed happily.
"Thank you so much Kagura! I promise I'll try to find a way to undo this!"
Kagura nodded and then stood up. She bowed and walked out of the room. The rest of the family gathered at the table did the same thing and started to shuffle out of the room. Each passed by Tohru and Yuki and gave her a reassuring glance.
"Don't worry about it Tohru. We understand, all right?"
She strained her neck and watched the last person close the door behind them. Tohru turned to Yuki and buried her head in his chest. She wrapped her arms around his torso and squeezed him tightly.
"Why does it feel like I'm dreaming again? It's like nothing happened at all."
Yuki laughed cheerfully and stroked her long silky hair.
"You have to think positively Tohru. That's what our motto is, right?"
She nodded and then Yuki brought his head down to hers. Tohru kissed him and then laughed as his hair scratched her nose. Yuki pulled his head away and then held her hand. His eyes stared down into her face with complete adoration.
"Things are going to be just fine from now on."
Tohru smiled, but then softened her gaze as she wondered if Kyo would ever forgive her.
..::-::..
Kyo stared at the pool of still water in front him and he continually furrowed his eyebrows. The constant anguish he had endured from Tohru's mental and physical attacks was more than enough to drain away his pride. He kicked a stone that was hidden among the blades of grass and then watched it fall into the water, causing ripples to form and then die away. The wind rustled his shirt and hair and then Kyo sighed. His life had completely turned around in the past week and he wasn't sure what he should do about it.
Suddenly, a woman in a flowing light green dress walked up to the clearing where they had all visited the previous night. Kagura raised her hand and brushed her hair with her fingers, letting her arm fall to her side. She sighed quietly and then dropped her gaze from Kyo's back to the small white flowers in the grass before her. Her knees bent and then she picked one of the flowers by its stem. The snap finally made Kyo turn around. His eyes widened as he saw Kagura's cheerful smile. She took the flower and stood up, breathing in its sweet scent. Her eyes lifted to Kyo's and she didn't let her smile waver. Its bright warmth melted Kyo's heart and as the wind tickled their skin, he stepped forwards. She let her lips part slightly as Kyo took the flower from her hands.
"I know a better place for this."
Kyo lifted his hand and put Kagura's hair behind her ear, letting the flower gently rest on top of it. Kagura smiled gently as Kyo studied the flower.
"Thank you Kyo."
"Eh, whatever. Now you won't lose it…"
Kyo held her gaze and then looked away towards the water. Kagura's smile vanished slowly and then she looked down at her hands. She didn't want to upset Kyo further; Tohru wasn't to blame for the curse that imprisoned them. Even though they had to suffer through it, she still wanted to be close to him. For Kyo, it might have been easier to ignore her, but she wasn't going to let him. Bravely, she clenched her fingers and walked up to him. Kagura took his hand gently and he looked down at her with a cold presence in his eyes.
"What are you doing?"
"I just wanted to hold your hand Kyo… why can't I?"
He shoved his hand away from her and took a step towards the water. Kyo hunched down and crossed his arms on his knees. Kagura narrowed her eyes and then knocked him over with a firm kick. Being caught off guard, Kyo fell into the water head first. Kagura gasped, shocked that she had acted so violently.
"Oh no! Kyo! I'm so sorry!! Let me help you…"
He stuck his head out and then leapt out of the water, his clothes completely drenched. Kyo walked out of the pond with his shoulders raised and his arms limply swinging from his shoulders. He passed her as Kagura reached her arms towards him. His eyes didn't even glance at her, but he felt her fingers brush against his skin and then he finally lost his temper. He stopped and faced her, letting his face explode with red anger.
"Will you just leave me alone? I don't want to be near you anymore!"
Kagura let her mouth drop and quiver. She held her hands up to her chest and she curled her fingers so that she almost resembled a rabbit. The wind blew faster into her face and her hair fell out of its place, letting the flower fall gracefully back into the grass. Kyo breathed heavily but then his face softened as he saw the painful tears spill from her eyes.
"Why are you like this Kyo? What did I do to make you hate me again? I wanted to try to be as close to you was possible, but you just keep pushing me away!"
She instantly felt the need to run away from the sight of his face, but when she tried to pass him, the force of Kyo grabbing her arm stopped her. She turned to face him, his face tight and strong, but his eyes bearing the burden of displaying his true emotions. Slowly, he let go of her arm and they faced each other with a remote modesty. Finally, Kyo dropped his gaze and spoke, his words whispering into her ear from the very depths of his heart.
"I don't want to push you away Kagura. That's the last thing I want, but what I want isn't possible. It's killing me inside, not being able to be close to you."
Kagura took a deep breath and smiled softly. She stepped closer towards him and he raised his head slightly so that they were speaking into each other's eyes.
"We don't have to hide from each other Kyo. Maybe somehow we can… break the curse… like Yuki and Tohru did…"
Her heart started to beat faster as she stepped towards him even more. The distance between them was closing in and Kyo stood immobilized, waiting for something to happen.
"But…"
"Don't let me go Kyo… let your heart decide what happens, not your head…"
She leaned forward, and then Kyo raised his hand to her chin, lifting it slowly towards him. Kagura let her hands rest on his chest as he brought her into his embrace. Their lips touched briefly and then the cool moisture of their breaths collided as their mouths closed the gap of their insecurities. Kagura gripped onto his shirt, lost in the moment and his presence, hoping with her whole heart that she wouldn't transform. Kyo breathed in sharply as the moments passed by, and nothing happened. He finally pulled away and looked into Kagura's flushed face, his heart pounding within his chest, and his eyes as wide as possible.
A large smile appeared on her face and she looked into his face with ecstatic joy sparkling in her eyes.
"We're free Kyo! The curse is gone forever!"
She jumped into his arms once more and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. He laughed shortly, letting himself smile for what seemed like the first time in the scattered memories of the past few days. Kagura let go of his embrace and stared at the rippling pond, suddenly aware of the droplets of water that fell from Kyo's head onto her hair. She stepped back and then laughed as she observed her drenched dress. Kyo scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly.
"Oh, sorry about that! But I guess you do deserve to be soaked since you kicked me into the pond!"
He suddenly put his hand to the left side of his ribs and winced.
"I forgot how strong you are Kagura. I haven't felt your emotions for me in a long time, and it bloody hurts!"
She put her hands up to her face and giggled.
"Sorry, I won't do it again. I just thought I needed to knock some sense into you, if you know what I mean."
He jumped at her and smiled, wrapping his arm around her neck so that her head was sticking out. Kyo ruffled her gleaming hair and then he dropped his arm so that it rested around her back. She leaned against him and they began to walk back towards the house.
Upstairs, Tohru watched the whole scene from her room. She turned around to Yuki and beamed happily.
"What happened? I haven't seen you smiling this much since before last week."
"Yuki! They broke the curse just like we did! All it took was a bit of determination and confidence and they were able to be with one another!"
She pumped her first into the air and twirled around crying out the triumph. Yuki laughed and then took her hand. They walked down the stairs, Tohru constantly humming a sweet song to herself. Inside of Yuki's heart, the cold despair that had filled it for the past week was gone for good and he knew that nothing could harm him anymore. They reached the bottom of the stairs and then they bumped into Kyo and Kagura. Tohru stopped humming as her eyes met Kyo's. Her smile dimmed slightly and she looked away. Kyo knew that he had hurt Tohru by being so stubborn and unforgiving. He reached out and touched her hand so that she looked up with shock in her eyes.
"I'm sorry about how I acted Tohru. It's all in the past now."
Kagura nodded happily and Tohru jumped up slightly. She nodded cheerfully and found her heart hammering in her chest. All she had needed was Kyo's forgiveness and then she wouldn't have to think of her living nightmare.
"Thank you Kyo, for understanding."
Before anyone could say anything else, two children ran in between them, both accompanied by a lively Momiji. He stopped when he saw the warmth in Tohru's smile and he beamed.
"You're all right now Tohru! I'm so glad you're back to normal! Want to play with us?"
She peered over his shoulder to see Kisa standing shyly behind a scornful Hiro. He folded his arms and shook his head.
"There's no way she's playing with us!"
He stared right into Tohru's eyes and her smile fell. Yuki put his hand on her shoulder firmly and she sighed, recalling how she had hurt her two friends.
"Hiro… Kisa… I'm awfully sorry about what happened… I wasn't feeling well that night and… and I really hope you can forgive me. Forget everything that happened… please?"
Kisa poked her head and saw Tohru's saddened face, the creases near her eyes and the warmth that was returning to her figure. Kisa's vibrant orange hair swished around her head as she ran away from Hiro's bodily shield. Tohru's mouth dropped as Kisa wrapped her arms around Tohru's legs.
"I forgive you Tohru… I'm so happy you're okay now."
Tohru's face lit up with the light of a million stars. She hugged Kisa fiercely and then looked at Hiro.
"Thank you Kisa for understanding. I hope everyone will be able to eventually."
Kisa ran back to Hiro and grabbed his hand. Momiji followed them out the door as Hiro gave Tohru one last glance. She sighed; Tohru wasn't sure if Hiro would be able to swallow his pride and let the past remain in the past, but for the moment, her life was beginning to resemble a fracture of what it should have always been like. Yuki suddenly interrupted her thoughts while he interlaced his fingers with his.
"Sorry Kyo, Kagura, but Tohru and I have to go somewhere. We'll be back later."
Tohru let her mouth gape as she was whisked away from the house. Yuki just kept smiling as he dragged her towards the forest. She furrowed her eyebrows and then sighed.
"Yuki, why won't you tell me where we're going?"
"You'll see soon enough," he said smiling brilliantly.
Tohru followed him all the way up the forest's paths to the top of a small hill. There she looked back at the forest and folded her arms.
"We came all the way here to see some trees?"
He shook his head and turned her around so that she saw the view on the other side. Her mouth dropped as she felt his arms surround her torso. The clouds danced playfully in the sky before them as the leaves rustled in the outstretched ocean of trees. A tear slid down Tohru's cheek as her body began to feel lighter than it usual felt. With Yuki behind her, she was immersed in the vastness of peace gliding on the wind blowing by her face.
"No Tohru. We came here so that we could start a new beginning."
He kissed her cheek and she closed her eyes. If she could go back and do it over again, she would, because at that moment she realized that her life didn't have to be empty anymore. Tohru had lost her mother, but in the end she had found Yuki, and if going through all of the pain and heartache meant that she would always be standing on top of a hill with him, she would do it. Endurance was sealed with each second she remained in Akito's control, courage was built in her heart by Yuki's ceaseless vigilance, and Tohru had learned to love again, through the course of finding out that all she had to do was believe in herself.
-THE END-
A/N: So, it's come to the last sentence, the last word, and I must say farewell to this fic. It's been really fun writing it and I hope that all of you liked it!! I know that this last chapter was really short, but most of the conflicts were resolved already :) I really want to thank each one of you who has always reviewed and helped me through the process of continually writing another chapter! I wouldn't have been able to do it without you!! All right then, I'll say it one more time…
I hope with all of my heart that you have a wonderful rest of your day!!! Thanks!!
-Monika-