Distant Relations

Prologue

Summary: After coming to know about Kyoko's death 2 years after the accident her father sends his granddaughter Satori Azamasaki to retrieve Tohru and bring her back to him. Satori isn't happy about being forced to leave her home, but no one refuses to disobey the head of the family. Maybe Yuki x OC? Not sure yet...

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket in any way, shape, or form but I do own the Azamasaki family and the story plot.

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Satori Azamasaki waltzed down the expansive hallway in the main home of her family. It was the New Year and the whole family had come to stay at the main house as they had since the home was first built back in the 1700s. Sighing Satori hung her head low it had been a long holiday as always since with such a large family it was hard to find peace and quiet.

It'd been a long standing tradition that the whole family gathered together on New Years and all other important holidays at the main house. Tonight was the final night of the celebration and everyone was dressing up in kimono and formal necessities. Servants were running about as usual and the caramel haired girl had been bumped into so many times that she was just about scream.

Heading out toward the garden she could hear the gale laughter of the Azamasaki family where they were situated to sit ringing in the New Year.

"Ah my Granddaughter, how are you?"

Startled by the voice Satori almost jumped a mile high as she spun around to find Hitachi, the head of the family standing behind her. A wistful smile was placed upon his lips as always that made Satori's own face light up and embrace her grandfather.

"Gramps! I haven't seen you in so long. Have you been hiding from me this whole time?" teasingly she put a hand over her heart in mock hurt. Chuckling slightly Hitachi patted the young girl on her shoulder squeezing it slightly.

"Of course not Tori I have just been so busy lately what with Kyoko's passing. . ."

Satori's eyes snapped open it wasn't often her Grandfather spoke of her aunt and this was the first she'd heard in months about her.

"W-What?" stumbling over her words Satori couldn't quite comprehend the words that had just came from Hitachi.

The older man sighed gravely and ran a hand through his thinned grey hair, his expression gave way to his age showing his grief. His only daughter had died and only a short while ago at that it had to be eating away at him bit by bit. Without answering he dug around his formal kimono and produced a letter and held it in front of Satori intending her to take it.

Swallowing hard Hitachi spoke," A week ago I received a letter telling about Kyoko's passing a little over 2 years ago. We may have never been on agreeable terms but. . . she is still my daughter and I love her. I don't understand why I had to find out this way," tears pricked at his eyes but Hitachi held them back and cleared his throat," I plan on telling everyone tonight of her passing, and figure out what our next step is from there as a family."

Satori sucked in air through her nose showing her anguish as her face flushed," Gramps," she whispered brokenly, choked up through the rampage of emotions shooting through her body at once. She hadn't even been prepared for that news and it had literally floored her.

Taking the letter from his hand she scanned over it quickly. The address was from the temple where Kyoko had been buried, something about care taking and what not. For some reason Satori couldn't find tears filling her eyes she was to shocked and numb to believe any of this.

Hitachi stepped forward and embraced his granddaughter letting a tear slip past his normally composed stature," I am sorry you had to find out this way Satori. But I thought as she was your godmother you would want to be one of the first to know."

Nodding numbly against Hitachi's shoulder, Satori stepped out of the embrace carefully wiping away the tears as to not smear her makeup. Her once bright face now set into a grim line," I will see you outside Gramps."

Leaving him with that thought she walked away but not before giving her grandfather a tentative smile. Hitachi sighed before turning to go out another door putting back on his mask that showed everyone else he was ok when really inside he was dying.

Sliding open the door the sight that greeted Satori made her smile sadly, everyone seemed to be in a happy glow.

'It just doesn't change it seems like, year after year we're always the same. Nothing ever changes. . .but this coming year is going to become very different I have a feeling,' stepping out the door Satori was flagged over by her older cousin Tai who had called out her name trying to gain her attention.

Catching a glands at Hitachi across the pond she noticed he had put up his barrier again. Shaking her head she turned back toward whatever nonsense Tai had began to speak about. Whatever came to be of the family decision that night was going to effect them all in one way or another. Thinking back to her Grandmother's death it seemed like the whole world had shifted within the family and that was when the problems with Kyoko and Hitachi had started. Although Hitachi had been the head of the Azamasaki family Ming Yue had been the neck being able to be flexible enough to make all of the family happy.

It was one of her grandmother's many talents to make everyone around her happy even if the worst had happened to them she could find someway to make it all right. Right now that was what their family needed most right now was some of that grace.

"Hey Tori I'm talkin' to you!" Tai interrupted her thoughts as he lightly slapped her on the back of the head.

"Stupid don't hit me!" snapped Satori glaring at Tai. Tai smirked back at her triumphantly with that smug expression that always annoyed her to no end.

"Awww did I hurt my dearest little cousin? I'm sorry!" mock bowing Tai took her hand before Satori slapped him away and gave a heated look toward him before stalking off. Sure she and Tai were very close friends but sometimes she couldn't stand him.

The rest of the night had passed by eventfully and dinner was wonderful as always with all the food that anyone could think of. It was toward the end when Hitachi stood from his place at the head of the table and clinked his wine glass to capture the families attention.

While heads spun around and gazed at the head of the family in question Satori kept her gaze firmly on her lap where she was wringing her napkin in an attempt to control her sadness.

"A dreadful accident happened 2 years ago that I have just come to find out about," the murmur through the crowd started up as people started to try and guess what had happened," my daughter Kyoko had passed away in a traffic accident. I received a letter from the temple where she was buried and it was a overwhelming surprise. Some have already been told of Kyoko already and now we must decide what to do next. Normally in tradition Azamasaki's are to be cremated and placed in the family temple, but in this case it is different."

Everyone's face was much like Satori's when she had first found out about her death, anguish, grief, disbelief, and sadness reined over the family. Hitachi blinked back tears but held his composure and continued," I have also come to know that her daughter Tohru Honda is staying in the house of Sohma in the same city of her birth. I have spoken with the others and we have reached a verdict that we want Tohru back within the main house as soon as we can. Since she is attending Kaibara High School we will see to it that Satori will come in contact with her."

Satori looked up as her named was mentioned and blinked uncertainly, she didn't even know Tohru that well. She'd only met her cousin for the few times at the celebrations before Ming Yue's death and after that she never saw her again.

"Satori will stay with Emiko and Hoshi attending Kaibara with Tai for this coming year. I hope that this will raise no objection."

The rest of the dinner had gone on for another hour of what was going to happen, but Satori couldn't put it past her that for the first time in her life she was living a place that was not Azamasaki House. It in a way scared her the large estate held everything within it's walls that she needed and leaving made her feel very uncomfortable.

Excusing herself from the table she went into the house and breathed in deep trying to get a handle on all of this. It was all happening so fast she didn't even know that she was going to be leaving the main house for the rest of her life and now...

"Dammit all," she cursed softly leaning back onto the wall behind her.

Not matter how much she didn't want to leave she had to it was on Hitachi's and the families orders. It was just one of those traditions that everyone had drilled in their brains from birth.

"Satori I am sorry how this has all turned out," looking up Satori saw Hitachi standing in front of her," it cannot be helped though we need Tohru back here where she will be near family."

"But I must ask why me? Why not Tai? He lives nearer to her and goes to that school as well!"

"I was afraid you were going to act like this, ever the resilient one," giving her a tired half smile he continued," You were one of the closest to Kyoko out of us all even after Ming Yue's death, you are as well as the same age and form as Tohru so it will be easier to talk to her."

"It still feels wrong making her uproot herself just because the family wants her too," bitterly spoke Satori," just as you are doing to me. You know how much I love living in the main house with you and the others yet you still uproot me."

Hitachi had known this would be a problem with her, Satori had a nasty temper when she got angry though it was mostly directed at Tai. Often it took others a while before they snapped it and she unleashed her fury but for her to act like this, it was very odd.

Taking a breath he looked his granddaughter in the eye," You will leave tomorrow with Hoshi's family to go back to their home. There will be no objections until I see Tohru under this roof," his voice was commanding and Satori narrowed her eyes and briskly walked past him.

"Whatever," she muttered as she passed him and headed down the long hallway toward her room so she could start packing.

Hitachi's face twisted in sadness it felt like the family was starting to crumble again, if only they hadn't found about Kyoko's death this way non of this would be happening.

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Well there is the prologue of the story! Sorry if it is a bit confusing but basically the Azamasaki family is Kyoko's side of the family and Hitachi and Ming Yue were her parents. Satori is being sent to live with the older cousin Tai and his family to attend Kaibara High for the year so she can get a hold of Tohru and take her back to the main house. I am sorry this was not one of my best chapters!

Toilet (plus the Toilet Gang) : )

p.s. I want you to vote should this be a Yuki x OC? Or should it just be a non romance story?