Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket

The snow was beautiful in the moonlight. The flakes fell thickly through the air, landing gently on the crisp, white snow. Reaching out a slender hand, I smiled as a snowflake fell onto my outstretched palm before melting. Retracting my hand, I wrapped my arms around myself contentedly. As a chill wind lazily caressed my cheek, I shivered slightly.

I felt something being draped aruond my shoulders. Glancing down, I saw a white doctor's coat enveloping me. Grasping the edges of it, I tucked it more securely around me.

"You looked cold," a deep voice said quietly. A smile touched my face, and I looked up to see –

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

I jolted out of sleep, my hand slamming down on the alarm clock. Sitting up in my bed, I felt something wet falling down my cheeks. Reaching a hand up hesitantly, I touched my cheek to see that I was crying. Closing my eyes, I thought back to the weird dream that I woke up from. Already, it was slipping away from me, leaving a feeling of pain, loneliness, and loss in its wake. It felt like something was missing... something important...

My phone vibrated from the bedside table. Grabbing it, I saw that my agent was calling. I swallowed before answering, praying that my voice wouldn't shake and betray my feelings. "Hello?"

"Mai! Are you ready for tonight?" Chiyo called cheerfully through the speaker. "Your first big press meeting to celebrate your book! Remember to wear a formal dress, and don't forget to go to that hair appointment of yours."

"Alright. I'll find a dress for tonight." I stood up, stretching with one hand.

"You haven't found a dress yet?" Chiyo's voice betrayed shock. "Mai Katayama! I expected better of you!"

"I'm sorry," I mumbled into the phone, walking out of the bedroom and into the small kitchen area of my apartment. Searching through the cupboards for anything edible, I came up short. Sighing, I decided that I wasn't really hungry anyway. In fact, I felt a little sick to my stomach...

"Go find a dress," Chiyo ordered. "I heard about this one great shop. Here, I'll give you directions." Finding a piece of paper and a blue pen, I quickly wrote down the address. "If that one doesn't work, you can always go to that fancy dress store that I took you to before. However, I highly suggest the first one!" There was a crackling sound and Chiyo talking in the background before she came back to the phone. "I have to go. I'll see you tonight, Mai!" She quickly disconnected.

Sighing, I walked into my bathroom for a quick shower before dressing in simple clothes. After drying my hair, I tried to tame it, but quickly gave up. My hair was very short but extremely messy, as I never bothered to style it. Most days I just didn't feel like it.

Pulling on a pair of shoes, I locked the door to my apartment and exited the building. Examining the directions on the piece of paper, I took off down the street. It wasn't far of a walk, but I was too wrapped up in my thoughts about my upcoming press conference to notice.

Coming to, I realized I was standing outside of the shop. Without looking at the display windows, I walked into the building. A little bell on the door jingled as I walked inside.

"Ohohoho! A customer!" a boisterous voice exclaimed jubilantly. A memory stirred in my mind, here in a second and gone in a flash before I could remember it. I frowned. I was having an incredible feeling of deja vu...

A tall man came around the corner. He was dressed extravagantly, and had long, flowing silver hair. His face was spread in a wide smile which froze at the sight of me. Weird, I thought, and took a glance around the store.

I froze.

There were no formal dresses here. It was all costumes. My eyes fell on a sexy nurse outfit, and I gritted my teeth.

Not funny, Chiyo.

"Sorry. I was looking for formal dresses," I said to the man, who was still staring at me, this time with a sad expression on his face. I blinked. "Are you okay?" I guess maybe I shouldn't be so blunt, but I can't help it. Someone once told me that it was refreshing. Who was it? I frowned again. There it was, that niggling in the back of my mind that I was forgetting something... Something important...

"I'm fine. So may I inquire as to the occasion of a formal dress?"

"My book hit best-sellers list on the market, and I'm attending a press conference on it tonight," I replied, shifting from foot to foot.

A smile alighted on his face, and his golden eyes held pride and sadness. "Congratulations are in order! This is truly a splendid occasion!"

"Thanks," I said, starting to get a little weirded out. It's like this guy knew me or something... "I'm Mai Katamaya."

"Ayame Sohma," the man replied, watching me intently.

I blinked in shock. Sohma... Where had I heard that name before? I know that I've heard it before... It was something important. Did I know someone who had the last name Sohma? Argh! This was driving me crazy, these feelings of deja vu and the sense of not right, the feeling of loss and pain...

I came to, and shook my head, trying to ward off the feelings of depression that started to settle in me again. "I'm sorry. It was nice to meet you." I started to walk out of the shop.

"Come back anytime! We'll find the perfect outfit for you!" Ayame's voice had a slightly pleading note in it.

I paused for a moment before looking back at him. Sohma... "Do I know you?" I asked, confused. "It's just that you seem really familiar..."

Shock flashed across his face before a nervous look followed. "No. I've never met you."

"Alright," I said, shrugging. "Thank you, anyway." I walked out of the shop, the bell jingling merrily, contrasting my feelings at the moment. Letting out a deep sigh, I started to walk down the street, my mind sinking once more into the thoughts of wrongness and deja vu.

As Ayame watched Mai leave the shop, he grabbed his phone and dialed a number, his thoughts grim.

"Ayame, I am working," a deep but exasperated voice said on the other end. "What do you want?"

"Mai Katamaya just walked into my shop," Ayame said, his face serious.

There was silence on the other end for a moment. "Did...did she remember?" The question was hesitant, wary, and slightly hopeful.

"No. She was looking for a formal dress and someone sent her here."

"I see." There was a large pause on the other end.

"Her book hit best-sellers list. She has a press conference tonight." Ayame smiled slightly.

"How did she seem? Happy?"

Ayame's mind flashed to her appearance. Clothes that didn't match, hair askew, dark bags under her eyes, that sad expression in her eyes... "She looked like hell."

A soft curse emitted from the other side before silence reigned in the conversation.

"Listen," Ayame began, but was quickly interrupted.

"No, Ayame. It's better if she didn't remember. I can't cause her that kind of pain. Not again." He sighed from the other end. "I have to go."

Ayame shook his head. "Hatori..."

Hatori disconnected.

A/N

Hello and welcome to my story, Forget Me Not! I hope that you liked the first chapter. If you're confused, then don't worry. All will be revealed soon.

Please review!

~Eva Sirico~