Weeks: 20

The rain had not stopped even once over the past three weeks, as if the world were in a state of perpetual mourning. Akito had passed shortly after Tohru's visit. For someone so destructive, Akito had the entire world grieving.

Her funeral had been held a week prior. No one had uttered a word or shed a tear. They could only look solemnly at the lifeless, frail body that once held Akito's spirit. Shigure had done a good job holding it together upon seeing her in the mahogany casket.

Even now, he was holding it together, trying his best not to have an emotional break down. Shigure was broken, just a shell of his former self. There was no hope in this world. Love was the most punishing force on Earth. He didn't wish it upon anyone. He wished to forget every single memory of his precious person. He tried to remind himself of the evils she had committed, the way she had hurt all the people he cared so much about, the way she had torn his heart up into pieces and threw it all away. But he couldn't. Love was a mysterious and wicked thing, the way it could twist the vilest person into someone so enchanting and lovely. Shigure felt disgusted with himself.

The rest of the zodiac had been mourning the death of their abuser in their own way. Years of psychological and physical torture felt meaningless against the realization of the permanence of death. No more abuse, hurting, or pain, yet no more opportunities for repentance. Perhaps they mourned the lack of closure Akito's death brought. She had refused to meet with anyone before her death. She had refused to apologize for her wrong-doings. She had accepted the consequences that awaited her in the afterlife.

The members of the zodiac mourned the death of a lost soul who could not find herself again. At the same time, they mourned the loss of goodness in someone who had yet to be born, cursed with the power to cause the same devastation.

Kyo no longer had the heart to go comfort the crying girl who carried his next controller. The death of Akito awakened the true loathing he had for the zodiac curse. He would be a prisoner to the child he grew to love. Even if the child was his own blood, even if the girl was the one he so loved, he could never love the child, or so he was convinced. He would have to kneel before his own child, bound to a life of imprisonment.

Yuki was devoid of all warmth. His suffering should have died with Akito, yet it remained strong with his unborn child. The child would be his next abuser, using him and torturing him because he belonged to him or her. Akito's death had awakened the fear Yuki had harbored of the zodiac god. Yuki would be nothing more than an object to use at the whim of the next zodiac god.

Tohru had been mourning alone. Her tears were rain down her porcelain cheeks that she would let pour when no one was looking. She had been strong for so long. She had suffered from the mystery of her circumstances, the hardships that may come with having not just one but two children, the loss of one of those precious children she had come to love so much, the heartbreak caused by an impossible love. Hadn't she suffered enough? Why did her child have to be the next zodiac god? Her child stood for the exact thing she so desperately wanted to destroy-the curse of the zodiac. How much suffering did she have to endure before finding an everlasting happiness?

No one was truly mourning the death of Akito. They mourned the loss of a life filled with happiness that could never coexist with the curse of the zodiac. The cycle of suffering and pain began again as Akito's life came to an end.

Tohru stared at the ceiling as she lay in bed after waking up from another restless slumber. She glanced at her alarm clock. 9:00 AM. Something felt different this morning. She couldn't hear the sound of raindrops hitting the window that she had grown so accustomed to every morning. She looked towards the window.

Oh… it's sunny today.

She felt a bit of energy coursing through her veins. She sluggishly sat up, her heavy stomach making it more challenging to do so. She was considerably bigger. Her belly no longer looked like a bad case of bloating. She rubbed her protruding abdomen with tenderness.

She had been in low spirits for the past few weeks, even distant from her baby upon hearing the news that her child would be the next god, which became so much more real after Akito's death. However, she couldn't help but feel guilty for letting the news affect her so negatively. He or she was still her beloved child, and she would love him or her endlessly. She would do everything in her power to raise her baby to be a caring and selfless person.

"Good morning, Aka-chan," she whispered, tracing circles on her belly. She felt a flutter sensation in her abdomen. She paused, wide-eyed and mouth agape. "Was that a kick?"

It happened again, a little bit stronger, as if the baby were affirming that the flutters were not imagined. Tears welled in the rice ball's eyes and she couldn't contain her joy. There was a baby in there, alive and well!

She bolted out of bed (to the best of her ability), an excitement she hadn't felt in so long rushing through her.

"Kyo-kun, Yuki-kun, Shigure-san! Come quick!" she called from the living room.

"Are you okay, my flower?" said Shigure, breathless from racing over. He had dark circles around his eyes from countless nights of sleeplessness. "What happened?"

Tohru smiled and grasped his hand. He blushed at her touch and allowed her hand to guide his own to her lower abdomen. "I wonder if Aka-chan will do it again."

He waited and stared at her quizzically.

Tohru's disappointment was etched into her face. "I guess we missed the timi-"

"Is something wrong?" interrupted the prince's voice as he entered the room. "Are you okay, Tohru?"

"I feel it! The baby's kicking!" exclaimed Shigure, his eyes filled with wonder.

Yuki stood there, awkwardly watching the dog and the Onigiri. Tohru caught sight of his discomfort and laughed.

"Yuki-kun, please come feel the baby kicking! I don't know how long it will last."

Yuki shuffled over and hesitantly placed his delicate hand where Shigure's once was. The kicking increased in intensity. He looked into Tohru's beaming eyes. "This is amazing…"

Feeling the vigor of the kicks, Yuki realized how lively and alive the baby inside Tohru was. It's just a helpless baby… how could I already pass judgment on this small being that wants nothing more than a fair chance at life? Why should I fear the future when we have the ability to raise this child right?

"I'm sorry," the prince murmured inaudibly, grey tousles of hair covering his eyes. He removed his hand from her stomach and placed his hands on her shoulders instead. He looked deep into her confused ocean blue orbs. "I will do everything in my power to love this child, regardless of the curse. I will make sure to be the best father figure to this child. Let's do our best to make sure the baby understands how to love others, Tohru."

Raindrops fell from the cloudy blue orbs of the rice ball. She wrapped her arms around Yuki's neck, burying her face in his chest. "Thank you, Yuki-kun. I was so afraid that you would hate Aka-chan."

He gently stroked her long brown locks before turning into his cursed form.

Shigure felt a pang of jealousy as he watched the events unfold, but he quickly brushed it off. "We could never hate your baby, Tohru. The past few weeks have been difficult for all of us, and we've all been reacting terribly to the news. I'm sorry for giving you that impression. As Yuki has already said, we'll all do our best to raise a great kid."

"Thank you, Shigure-san… I feel so much better hearing this from everyone."

Shigure looked around. "It's not everyone yet. Where's Kyo? He shouldn't miss this moment."

Tohru averted her gaze, a small frown appearing on her delicate face. Kyo had been the coldest to her out of everyone for the past few weeks. He had a look of disgust whenever he looked at her, hatred and anger evident in his piercing amber eyes. She wondered if he knew how she felt a palpable pain in her chest whenever he looked at her. How many times she had to blink away the tears the stung her eyes. How she bit her lip until it would bleed to stop herself from breaking into tears.

"It's okay," she croaked, forcing a small smile on her face. "Kyo-kun could feel it another time."

"Feel what another time?" The orange cat lounged into the room, yawning. His tired amber eyes didn't contain the usual intense revulsion today.

The brunette stared into his soft eyes, unable to speak. Even if it's because he just woke up… even if it's temporary… I missed this Kyo-kun. Please, stay for good…

"The baby kicked," said Shigure.

The animosity in Kyo's eyes returned. "Ah. Nice."

The rice ball bit her lip again. Cold Kyo-kun is back… He hates me and the baby.

"What's with the lackluster reply? You're going to make Tohru cry," warned the prince, dressing himself after turning back into his human form.

Tohru made no effort to hide her aching. She couldn't anymore. She buried her face in her hands, her cries filling the room.

"P-please don't h-hate Aka-chan, K-Kyo-kun," she sputtered between gasps for air. "I p-promise I'll r-raise a k-kind person, so p-please f-forget the curse."

Kyo cast his eyes on the ground, guilt eating away at his heart. "I'm sorry. I can't forget the curse, at least, not this soon. I need time. I'm sorry."

The rice ball walked towards him, her face red and puffy, trying to stabilize her breathing. She grabbed his hand and placed it on her stomach in hopes of making him feel the same way as Yuki and Shigure.

He stood there, concentrating in silence. "I don't feel anything."

The kicking had stopped as soon as he had touched her. She let go of his hand, which went limp with disappointment and slid off of her.

She forced a smile. "Please take your time, then, Kyo-kun. I hope you will be able to feel the kicking next time." She trudged back to her room and closed the door behind her.

The dog and rat looked at the cat with concern and disappointment in their face.

The cat sighed. "Believe me, guys. I want to be okay. I just can't right now. I need to be alone."

Shigure closed his eyes in contemplation. "You'll come around. I just hope sooner than later. The longer it takes, the harder it will be to heal the pain you cause Tohru."

Yuki glared at his cousin. "I won't ever forgive you for the pain you inflict on Tohru."

"That's none of your business."

"It is my business." His icy grey eyes were locked onto the cat's fiery amber ones. "The child is mine. I remember everything."

It's been a long time, my friends! Over the past year, I've been seeing the constant flow of reviews, favorites, and follows, so thank you so much for all of your support. I was motivated to write another chapter upon seeing so much support for the story. Sorry if my writing's a bit rusty, I haven't been writing much lately. Thank you everyone for keeping up and reading, despite the unreliable updates. Hopefully, I'll be back soon. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter!