Epilogue: Let's Stay Together Always

Okaasan, after the incident in Akito-san's house, things had gone back to normal.

Or that is what I think. Others do not think so.

"Ah, Shigure-san, you are planning to make a sequel to Snow White and the Twelve Juunishi!" Tohru exclaimed happily when the novelist announced his plans as everyone was peacefully eating dinner.

"Yes," said Shigure proudly. "I'm going to call it…'The Return of the Juunishi Twelve: Ri'To'Ha Strikes the Abs Developer Again!'. It's about the dragon's endless pursuit to find the right kind of abs worker for him!"

"S-So where's the Juunishi twelve there?" asked Kyo blankly.

"Huh? The eleven characters will play the extras. Nifty huh? The first extras in the history of movies that made it to the title role!"

Everyone but Tohru and Momiji rolled his eyes.

"Shigure, if you don't have anything decent to say, shut up," ordered Hatori as he looked at his cousin darkly.

See, Okaasan? Normal it is.

"How about giving me a movie of my own?" asked Ayame excitedly. He primped eagerly. "How's this for a movie material?"

"Lousy," answered Kyo for the writer. "Freakingly disgusting."

"Say that once again when the time comes when you're going to beg for my autograph, which by then would be worth a million yen!" said Ayame in a huff.

"By then, hopefully, I'm out of here!" retorted Kyo.

Shigure grinned at the snake. "Don't worry, Aya! I'll give you the love interest role in a movie I'm working on!"

"Really?" squeaked the snake excitedly.

Hatori was ready to kill his cousins. Tohru could see it in his eyes. She smiled to herself.

"Don't give him that role in my movie," said the doctor grumpily.

Shigure laughed. "So you do like my proposal on the movie after all, Ri'To'Ha!"

"One more smartass statement from you and I'll give you lethal injection," threatened the seahorse.

Kisa tugged on Tohru's skirt. She knelt down in front of her.

"I missed you, nee-chan!" Kisa hugged her affectionately.

Her eyes softened. "Me too."

Hiro shrugged. "Kisa, the food is turning cold." But he was watching Tohru with an odd look on his face, on his mouth was a twitch between a smile and a pout.

She laughed to herself and placed Kisa's hand on Hiro's. "Hey, I miss you two a lot!"

"Too bad we have to leave so soon!" whined Momiji, hugging Tohru by her waist. "We'll miss you, Tohru!"

"You can still come and visit!" she said, puzzled.

"Yeah, but we're looking forward to school vacation again so we can take a break here!" said the hare. "And be with you every single day!"

"Ah, we'll see each other in school," said Tohru, sweatdropping as she remembered how old Momiji really was.

"And you can come to the sneak preview of my major film project!" continued Shigure. "If it becomes succesful, which I'm sure would be, I'll make a follow-up, this time with the neko having the starring role. A love story between a cat and a pig, who despite all odds, managed to make their love come true."

"Eew," remarked Kyo as Kagura cheered.

Haru licked his spoon idly. "More ramen, please, Honda-san?"

"Sure!" She took his bowl and refilled it.

"I'll entitle the movie 'Juunishi Part Three: A Cat's Love Tail", announced the novelist giddily.

"You should take it easy with your plans," reminded Haru. "You don't even know if your Abs movie will be a hit."

"I know with all my heart that it will be a hit! I mean, come on, who wouldn't want to watch a dragon try an exercise machine on?" asked the dog.

This prompted Hatori to gag the writer with all the noodles in his bowl. "Shigure, shut up."

Tohru laughed heartily along with the others.

My family. My beloved family.

"Mrmph frmph thumph!" said Shigure, still smiling.

"Translation: Temper, temper, 'Tori! Tohru is with us," translated Ayame.

Hatori raised his brow. "You should be the ones to behave."

Haru looked at Tohru. "So what are you planning to do after you finish senior high?"

"No definite plans, actually," admitted Tohru. "All I have in mind is to plan delicious meals for you guys, and play with you and have fun with you. I cannot imagine myself doing something else other than that."

The Sohmas listened, touched.

She shyly looked down. "So…if I'm not going to be much of a bother, then I would like to be with you guys for a while."

Shigure grinned. "Ah, that wouldn't be a problem," he said, turning to the fellow Sohmas. "How does Tohru's stay in this place for an indefinite time sounds?"

"Wonderful!" gushed Momiji and Kisa.

"Whatever Kisa says," said Hiro.

Hatori shrugged. "I don't care." But his mouth twitched.

Ayame clapped. "Ooh, my brother and I would be delighted, and so will be Mine."

Haru smiled gently. "Anything to make Yuki happy."

Shigure faced Tohru. "Unanimously decided, we want all of us to stay together, itsumo."

Always.

Her eyes welled with tears. "Thank you, guys."

"Uh, where's my brother?" asked Ayame suddenly.

"He's in his secret base," said Tohru. "I'll call him to eat with us."

"Just when I thought the dinner was perfect," complained Kyo as he took a sip of milk.

"Admit it, you miss Yuki in the dining room with us," teased Haru. "And oh yeah, you seem to be enjoying that milk Shigure got from me."

The neko spat out the milk he was drinking. "WHAT?!!!!"

Just kidding," said Haru lightly.

"All of you guys are absolute NUTS!" remarked Kyo, standing up.

"And that's what I love most about all of you!" said Tohru, laughing as she left the house.

It came in a full circle. We're back in the days that we laugh with Tohru without concern over Akito's wrath or anything.

Yuki smiled.

"Yuki-kun!" called Tohru, waving at him happily.

He turned around, a grin on his face. "Tohru-san!"

"Dinner's ready," she said.

"Right." He started to walk home, but then stopped and looked up at the full moon above.

"What is it, Yuki-kun?" she asked, worried.

"I was just thanking Kami-sama wherever he is now. Because…" He looked at her, gaze intense. "…you stayed with us. With me."

"Ah!" She was rendered speechless as Yuki took another step closer to her.

"I thanked him that one fateful afternoon, I paused to ask a timid and naïve-looking but very cute lady why she was trespassing in our property. If I did not get the urge to talk with you, I wouldn't have found an angel that I thought exists only in stories…in fairy tales," he murmured huskily.

"I wouldn't have found the one person that could have completed my happiness," he finished as he reached out to touch her face. His finger, trembling, traced the delicate contours of her slightly flushed face. The moon above them gave Tohru's cheek a milky-soft and smooth complexion, making her look even lovelier.

"Tohru-san?"

"Y-Yes, Yuki-kun?"

"May I touch you?"

"Ah-"

Before she could utter another word, he bent down towards her. "I do love you, sweet Honda-san."

Her eyes softened. "Me too, my dashing prince. With all my heart…and soul."

The moon above witnessed the sweet pact of two lovers sealed with the sweetest kiss that any fairy tale writer could weave.

Shigure nudged Ayame as they watched behind the bushes.

"See? I told you Yuki's just like you! Did you remember that time when we too were in the garden? The moon's so round and beautiful…and"

The snake blushed. "We got carried away?"

The laughter from them made Tohru and Yuki jump apart, blushing.

"W-What was that?" asked Tohru.

Yuki's face was dark. "Those damn dog and snake…"

Akito and Hatori were in the garden, looking up at the moon.

"I just hope she would take care of Yuki and the others," said the clan head, sighing defeatedly.

"She will," assured the doctor.

"And I heard that Yuki didn't transform when Tohru hugged him. Why is that?"

"Something you might not understand yet."

"Try me."

"True love."

"Oh. You're right. I do not understand." Akito looked at Hatori, face blank.

"Let's go in. The night breeze is too chilly for you," said Hatori.

"You think she's right when she said that I still should continue living?" asked the clan head, doubtful.

"Stop looking so meek, Akito. You're scaring me."

Okaasan, I must be the luckiest girl in the world. Even if I lost you and otoosan, I found a new family who loves me and I love with all my heart.

And I found someone I would love…itsumo.

Yuki clasped Tohru's hand. "Tohru-san?"

"Hmm?"

"Let's stay together…itsumo."

"Itsumo," agreed Tohru, smiling at him.

+owari+