This is it guys… the big one. Yes. The final chapter. The tragedy part. What will happen? Whose life will be forever cast in shadow? (omg that was a cool phrase, no?) You'll have to read to find out!

And sorry for the corny phrases/angst you will encounter- turns out I kinda suck at writing tragedies XD
And I am aware of how fast things move in the beginning- I really hated writing this chapter, actually, so I wanted to just get it over with. *smiles sadly*

- LOSGAP =D

"Ana!" Kyo called, circling the fallen tree, his eyes curious. Where was she?

"Ana!" He called again. Still nothing. Frowning, he turned to go, then heard a soft voice. "Over here." He whirled around, his eyes softening when he saw Ana in human form emerging from the trees.

"There you are. I was wondering where you've been." He said, coming closer to her. "Kyo, I have something to tell you." Ana linked her hands together and stared down at them. "Let's walk and talk though, OK?" She asked quietly. Kyo blinked, then nodded slowly.

He walked alongside Ana on a small trail they found, and he wondered where they were going. "Kyo, you need to know this, and you need to know it now." She stopped and looked at him, her eyes pained. "I have to leave, Kyo. If I don't, Akito will kill you." She said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Kyo asked, stunned at the thought of her leaving him. "He will kill you. I told you I'm not supposed to talk to other people, remember?" She laughed bitterly. "But I promise you I'll be back. Someday, somehow, I'll get back to here. I hope I'll see you again." She reached up her hand and pressed her hand against his cheek, and his eyes widened, blushing furiously at her touch.

"I'm really, really going to miss you Kyo." She whispered, his eyes tearing up. Kyo put his hand over hers, holding it tightly. "You don't have to go alone." He said fiercely.

"We can go together." He continued. "I have no ties here; no one will care if I leave. I'll go with you Ana." He promised her. Ana stared up at him, her eyes wide. "You'd really do that?" She said, shocked.

"Of course. I care about you Ana." He told her softly, his cheeks heating up. Ana ducked her head, blushing as well. "I really care about you too." Their eyes met, burning with emotions they didn't dare speak aloud.

Ana lifted her head suddenly, breaking the spell as she turned to stare at something, her eyes narrowing. "Kyo, when I give the signal, I want you to run as fast as you can. No questions asked." She said quietly. Kyo blinked, stunned at her sudden change of behavior.

"Now!" Ana shrieked, turning to flee. Kyo turned as well, but Ana bowled him over, and he heard the sound of a gunshot as they crashed into the bushes, rolling down a small hill and into a ravine.

Kyo crashed down onto a rock, the wind knocked out of him. For a moment he laid there, stunned. Someone had shot at them? Who on earth would do that?
He glanced down, checking himself for injuries, relieved he hadn't gotten hit. "Ana? You OK? Man that was close." He laughed nervously, sitting up. "Ana?" He looked around, realizing he hadn't seen her.

He spotted her laying on her side a few feet away, her back to him. He frowned, worried she'd hit her head or something during the fall.

"Hey, Ana? You OK?" He asked anxiously, crawling over to her side. She rolled over to look at him, and he realized her hand was clutching her chest. "Did you get hurt?" He asked nervously, lifting her hand up. His eyes widened in shock at what he saw. Ana had been hit.

"Oh no." He breathed, pressing his hand firmly over the wound, determined to stop the flow of blood. "Don't worry Kyo." She smiled up at him, but her lips trembled. "It doesn't even hurt. Are you OK though?" She asked anxiously. "Don't worry about me! Worry about yourself for once!" Kyo snapped, glancing at her pale face worriedly. "We have to get you to Hatori, now." He leaned down and scooped her up into his arms.

"I doubt we'll get there in time, but thanks for trying." Ana smiled weakly. Kyo held her close, one hand firmly on her wound, though he could tell it wasn't helping much.

"Just try to stay awake." Kyo said, noticing her eyes were sliding shut. "I'm tired though." She murmured, her eyes half way closed.

"Kyo, before I go I just want to tell you one thing." Her eyes opened more and she looked up at him seriously. "I want you to know I love you, and even when I'm gone I promise I'll be looking out for you." She clutched his hand tightly. "But do me a favor, and make sure you give me a life worth watching." She smiled again as Kyo stared down at her, his eyes wide. She loved him? No one had ever said that to him before.

But her grip on his hand slackened, and the light in her eyes faded. "No! Ana, come on stay awake!" He shook her gently, and she blinked once, then her head slowly lolled to the side, her eyes closing.

For a moment, Kyo could only stand there, stunned. She wasn't gone. She couldn't be. Shaking his head, he plunged on at a faster rate, determined to get to Hatori before she was gone forever.

OoO

"Hatori-san!" Kyo called, kicking the door open. Hatori, who had been sitting at his computer, glanced up, his eyes widening with shock when he saw what Kyo was holding.

"Bring her in here." He commanded, disappearing into a back room. Kyo carried Ana into the room and set Ana down on the table Hatori cleared for her.

"Would you mind leaving? I'm going to have to take her shirt off." Hatori said, glancing up at Kyo. Kyo nodded, swallowing hard and staring at Ana before he backed out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.

He leaned against the wall, staring at the floor, his mind whirling with the past events.

They had been so close; they were going to run away together. It would have been perfect.

But everything was ruined in a moment. He thought, blinking as a tear found its way down his cheek. His eyes widened when he remembered what Ana had said about Akito wanting to kill him for his relationship with Ana.

So I was the target? He thought, stunned. Ana didn't have to die? She had taken that bullet for him?

She couldn't have. He thought, shaking his head. No one could love someone that much, to willingly lay their life on the line for them.

But she did. He thought, his hands clenching into tight fists. But would he have done the same thing for her?

In a heartbeat. He thought determinedly. His eyes widened at the resolute way he thought of it; of course he would die for her.

I love her. He thought, staring at his fists as another tear splashed down onto one. But was he too late to tell her?

OoO

As the minutes ticked by, Kyo's hope steadily began to fade. She was gone. Hatori just couldn't bring himself to face him and tell him.

"Kyo-san?" The door opened and he stepped back to look at Hatori, his eyes narrowed. "Well? She's going to be OK, isn't she?" He demanded. But one look at the sad look in Hatori's eyes and he knew. Ana was gone.

He slid down to the floor, shock setting in. "Here. The sugar will help with the shock." Hatori handed him a soda, but Kyo just stared at it, letting it fall to the floor. Hatori sighed and sat down beside him, resting a strong, comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I'm truly, very, very sorry, Kyo-san. I did everything I could." He told him gently. Kyo stared at the floor, not wanting to believe it. He'd been so close; he'd been one breath away from being happier then he'd ever known.

"What do I do now?" He asked dully, staring up at Hatori, seeking comfort and reassurance. Hatori's eyes were regretful as he looked at Kyo. "I don't know." He sighed. "I just don't know."

OoO

Kyo didn't come home that night.

Instead, he found his feet had taken him to the waterfall. He stood there, staring at the water.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Ana's words came back to him and he closed his eyes. Why hadn't he treasured her? Why hadn't he kissed her, held her when she cried? Why hadn't he told her he loved her?

Because I was stupid. He thought fiercely. He stared up at the sky above, tears clouding his vision.

"What do you want from me?!" He cried. "You've taken my parents, Tohru, and the one girl I ever really loved! What more do you want?!" He screamed. He collapsed to his knees, unable to support himself anymore. He didn't have anything anymore. Everything had been ripped away from him.

"I'm sorry Ana." He whispered, staring at the falls beneath him. "I'm sorry. I love you so much, and I never told you. I'm sorry." He bowed his head. But the moment the words "I love you" fell from his lips, something happened.

Thunder rumbled in the distance and he raised his head, surprised. The sky above him was perfectly clear, a poor reflection of the storm in his heart.

Something inside his chest cracked painfully and he pressed a fist to his chest, wondering if his heart was really breaking. But the pain came again, and he stared down at his fingers as beams of light shot out of them.

The pain returned, sharper now and he cried out in pain as the ghostly image of an orange cat floated out of his chest, yowling as it was swept away in the wind.

Kyo laid there on his back, stunned. The curse had been broken. The curse had been broken. He repeated this to himself, shaking his head in shock. He should have been joyful, delighted. The other members of the Zodiac were surely dancing for joy by now. They were free.

But at what cost? Kyo thought grimly. He had lost Ana and gained his freedom. Tohru and Yuki could be together now. Hatori would be able to find himself a woman. Hatsuharu and Rin were free to love each other as they wished, as were Kisa and Hiro.

Ana didn't die just for me… she died for all of us. He realized. Had she known that? Had she known that be giving her life, she would give freedom to the members of the Zodiac, and to all of the future members?

Kyo stared into the water, then blinked as a rainbow appeared on the surface. He stared at it, not appreciating its beauty. He wanted to share it with Ana.

He saw a white flash, and for a heartbeat he swore he could see a white wolf in the colors, staring at him with shining eyes, but then it was gone, and Kyo was alone again.

*cries* Wow, I can't believe I killed her. I really, really loved Ana. She's one of my favorite OC's of all time. Ever. And I killed her. But at least I broke the curse. That's gotta count for something, right? *smiles weakly*

Sorry for the tragic ending; but PLEASE stay tuned for the sequel, "Phoenix", coming soon! I'll be working on it ASAP!

Please review with your honest opinions- but please don't yell at me for the ending! Trust me, it will all be worth it by the time you read Phoenix! :D

Goodbye for now, I hoped you liked the story! Add me to your author alert so you know when Phoenix comes out!

- LOSGAP

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