Akito's Sister

For those of you who still think that I own the rights, shut up.

Note: This story take place after episode 26 of the TV series.

Chapter Seven

Begin Flashback

They were only children, they were two years apart though the way they were you'd think them to be twins. Even though they both have dark black hair and violet eyes they are only half siblings. The girl's father has been dead a long time and the other is the son of the head of a prominent family.

"Ashi! Akito! Your mother wants you two to settle down." Yells one of the house servants.

As before they were only children then, the elder was six and the younger had just turned four. But what a difference one year of their young lives made. Their happy childish lives would end in just the coming year.

Without noticing, the elder, Ashi, accidentally ran into Akira, the head of the family and the father of her brother.

"Excuse me Mr. Sohma." She apologised.

Akira just smiled and laughed. "Why don't you just call me Akira, Ashi? I did adopt you into the family, you are my daughter."

Ashi had only smiled at the time and said, "I enjoy calling you Mr. Sohma, so please don't spoil my fun." After that she had just run off to play ball with Akito or any of the others at Sohma house.

But the fun didn't truly last, Akira fell ill within eight months and died within thirteen of that day. But Ashi still remembers a moment, even in her comatose sate, that changed her life when she was merely seven years old.

It was the conversation she and Akira had the day he died.

"Ashi, why don't you come here and let me see how you've grown." Akira had asked her s she stood in the doorway of his room.

She had entered as he wished and sat down.

"Are you alright Akira?" She asked.

The smile he displayed then was the widest one she had ever seen on his face. "You called me Akira."

"I thought it would make you happy."

"You were right it did. Now there is something I have to ask of you Ashi and you may not be able to do it, but I want you to try at least." He told her.

"What is it?"

"I want you to look after your brother and the zodiac. Make sure they are happy when I'm gone."

"Don't say that. Please don't ever think of dying again. You shouldn't be saying that. You have so much to live for Akira. You have my mom and Akito."

"Your mother is one reason why I'm worried. I want Akito to take my place when I die, but I believe your mother has different plans. Please, just look after them?"

"Alright Akira, I'll look after them. I promise. Now you just worry on getting better."

Those were the last words she ever said to Akira before he died later that same day.

End Flashback

It had been three weeks since the incident with Akito that put Ashi into a near death coma. Most of the Sohma family had been by at least three times each and Tohru refused to leave her side unless it was to go to school. Hatori watched her when Tohru couldn't and came by often with Akito himself.

Akito never came inside the room, but rather waited in the hallway and looked through the window at what he had done to his own sister.

Kyo caught Akito once doing so and nearly took the head of the head of the family.

"Just what do you think you're doing here? You're the one who did this to her."

"That is precisely the reason I'm here."Akito answered looking back through the window at Ashi.

Kyo wa about to say something more when he saw something run down Akito's face.

The only thing that could have stopped anybody in their tracks with Akito was happening:Akito was crying.

"What have I done?" Came one small whispering whimper.

* * * * *

Then one day Akito plucked up the courage and walked into the room when Tohru had fallen asleep.

He looked at his only sibling connected to various tubes and machines, it was all these machines keeping her alive at this point. He walked up to the opposite side of the bed that Tohru was on, sleeping in the chair, and bent over to kiss Ashi's forehead. "You don't have to forgive me, for I can hardly forgive myself." He whispered.

He finally saw what Ashi had done for him, for the zodiac, she had protected them and him from the harm he would cause and yet he did cause harm. He had hurt the only person to ever love him truly for who he was. But then he thought of Tohru, still sleeping, and the day she told him it must've been sad to die. It was sad to die, but here and now it didn't apply to him, it applied to Ashi. He had heard Hatori talking with the doctors, there wasn't really a chance for her to wake up. Her injuries are too extensive, the doctor had said. Her mind has shut down for some reason, should she wake from this coma it will take time and be on her own terms, we're sorry doctor Sohma, there is nothing more we can do for her.

There shouldn't have been any need for this in the first place, if he had opened his eyes to what Ashi was trying to teach him the first time she wouldn't be in here. She wouldn't have needed to give her life, she wouldn't have needed to die.

"It's all my fault, Ashi. It's all my fault. All my fault!" He cried tears, actual tears, and yearned to undo what he had done. He kneeled by the bedside and held her hand stroking it and asking for her to wake.

* * * * *

She was certain she was in paradise. There was no pain anymore, there was nothing, nothing but the feeling of being underwater, but this she ignored. She didn't feel as though she were drowning, in fact it was the opposite. She had never felt more alive. But I hear crying, she thought. And she did if she strained. There are many people crying. She noticed once. But what she noticed now was one person, a person she had never wanted to hear cry. Akito, no, you can't cry over me. She wanted to say. But she heard more than just his crying. "Wake up, Ashi. Please wake up, please."