This is it...the ending chapter. :sob sob: Thanks to ALL the people who ever reviewed this fan fiction, and thanks to ALL the people who read this fan fiction. Thanks to all the people reading this right now, and thanks to Uhh...yeah. :gives everyone a plushie of their choice: Um...yeah. Also, a plushie is a soft little stuffed animal except mine are not animals, their one of the Furuba characters! If I ever get any more ideas I'll post them up, but for now here's the last chapter! Enjoy! (Also, Fruits Basket DOES NOT belong to me.)

Oh, and Akito won the poll!

Chibs

P.S- This chapter is NOT when they are in High School. It's later on in the series. (If you've read the manga you'll know what this is about.) I sort of just rewrote a chappy of the manga...whatever. Enjoy!

Without Fail

"Hatori is like snow...He's cold like snow."

Hatori looked up, his eyes out of focus, his breath shallow. It was a cold, dreary day. The cold...he hated the cold. How peaceful everything was. He hated it. It triggered his memory, almost reminding him...of those times. The years he had been younger, years after the crazy high school days. Those times when life seemed perfect...and then turned so complicated. 'I suppose...' He thought, 'When Akito said that...he was telling the truth...'

"Hatori-San!" Hatori turned to see Tohru Honda running toward him, her long hair flying behind her. "Ah! It really is you, Hatori-San! I was wondering what I'd do if you weren't!" She stopped, her face flushed as her breath was framed in the cold air. "Happy New Year!" Hatori was brought back into reality. "Happy New Year." He responded dully. Tohru smiled at him. "For a second, I didn't know who you were. You grew your hair longer. It looks really good- like Shigure-San's!" Hatori put a hand to his head. "What...?" Tohru blinked as Hatori shook his head. "I've just been busy with the New Year. I did think of getting it cut." He sighed. To be compared to Shigure... "Ah! Look- it's snowing!" Hatori glanced up. The snow...

"It's strange that I'm seeing the first snow with you, Hatori-San!" Tohru looked up at the sky, smiling as she walked. Hatori glanced up. The snow...it almost reminded him...almost... Just then, Tohru (while walking) began to fall backwards, her arms flailing helplessly. Without thinking, Hatori stepped forward and caught her. "A-Ah...Hatori-San..." Tohru turned to see a tiny seahorse. "WATER! S-sea water! Or fresh water? WHICH IS IT, HATORI-SANNNNNNNN!"

Shigure and Ayame had teased him about it. The 'bastard's offspring' they had called him. Although, in a way, it was almost true. Tohru's reaction was the same...as hers...as Kana's...

"Pleased to meet you! I'm Kana Sohma!" She had stood there, smiling, and Hatori had thought nothing of it. "I will do my best to assist you!" Hatori had ignored her, almost, turning to her. "I know it's sudden, but I have a job for you..." "Ah!" She had turned toward the window, her eyes lit up. "It's snowing! I knew it would snow!" Then Kana had turned to him, still smiling, "When snow melts, what does it become?" Hatori had just looked at her, frowning. "It becomes water, of course." Kana shook her head. "Wrong!" And Kana smiled at him, that warm smile... "It becomes Spring!"

To Hatori...Kana was Spring, and he had completely frozen into snow. And there she was...fresh, clear, Spring. Falling in love was almost inevitable...unavoidable. When she found out, she just laughed. Smiled her warm smile. "Don't push me away." Kana had said, smiling. "I'm...glad I met you, Hatori. I'm glad...I'm glad I fell in love with you. I want to be near you..." A dream that lasted those precious months, time ticking away. Kana, smiling at him like that...Hatori felt...forgiven, almost.

But...he couldn't blame Akito...it was the curse. When he asked permission to marry her...and what he did...he couldn't blame him...

"WHY WOULD I GIVE HIM TO YOU! I DON'T NEED YOU! YOU CAN'T EVEN BREAK THE CURSE!" For once in his life, Hatori felt like he was in a nightmare...looking up to see Kana looking at him like that. Her eyes full of terror...of guilt. "IF HATORI GOES BLIND, IT'S YOUR FAULT! IT'S YOUR FAULT!"

After that...Kana just cried. She believed what Akito said, believed that it was her fault...but he couldn't blame Akito. It was the curse...

"Your memory suppression skills would be helpful now, wouldn't they?" Akito had said, "Just erase her memories. Isn't it your final duty to free her from that pain? Those memories she has of you? Her love for you?"

"I think...I think it would have been better...if we'd never met..." He still regretted those words. What he said to her, right before... "It would have been better...If we'd never met..." Was it his punishment? Erasing her memories...with his own hands...was this his punishment? "I couldn't...pro...tect...you..." Tears streaming down her cheeks...and yet... "...I'm so sorry...Hatori..." He cried...that day...

"It's...all right now, Kana...there's nothing to hurt...anymore...Please, let her be happy. Even if I'm surrounded by snow that never melts..."

"Hatori-San!" Hatori opened his eyes. Tohru was standing over him, her face flushed from the cold. "...I'm cold." He said dully. Tohru turned scarlet. "Th-That's because...under the coat...um...you're naked..." She jumped up. "AH! I MEAN, I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING! Um...you hit your head transformed...remember?" Hatori sat up. "Did you see-" "NO!" "-My Zodiac?" "Ahh...yes." Hatori sighed, and Tohru blinked. "Um, I mean, I didn't think it was funny or anything..." Hatori just nodded. "...I'm going to get dressed now." Tohru nodded. "Oh- Okay! I'll go get you something warm to drink!" She ran off, and Hatori sighed, quickly changing. (...in public?)

He looked up at the sky, thinking. He hadn't dreamed about Kana since so long ago...so why now? Was it the snow..? "Congratulations, Kana!" Hatori glanced over to see three women walk by, talking. "Were having the ceremony in his town. This is the first time I've been back to the Sohma house in a long time...I wonder if I'll get to see Hatori-San?" She was smiling. That warm smile she had back then...two years ago. "Congratulations…" Hatori murmured, watching them leave. "Congratulations on what?" Tohru was back. Hatori just shook his head, standing up. "...When...snow melts," He said slowly, "What do you think it becomes?" Tohru smiled. "It becomes Spring! Now matter how cold it is now...Spring will come again! Without fail." Hatori looked at her. Without fail...? He smiled.

Someday...the snow will melt...No matter how cold it is now...Without Fail.

The snow would melt eventually. All he could do now was watch over them...watch over all of them. The years of adolescence were over, long gone. The trouble the trio had gotten into...Well, actually, the trouble Ayame and Shigure had gotten into...they were older, now. Adults. The Mabudachi Trio would never die. The three of them had their own lives, their own stories to tell. Even so, they would always be The Mabudachi Trio...wouldn't they? Hatori, the smart one. Ayame, the pretty one. Shigure, the stupid one. Each of them striving to be a better person, in their own way, despite the curse...it wasn't like it was over. It wasn't over yet.

Please tell me what you thought!

Poll: Who is your favorite? (out of these)

1.) Shigure

2.) Ayame

3.) Hatori