She of Memories Past and Fading

By: OtakuSailorV

Chapter 3:: Arisu's Season

The others know what is on my mind, I am sure of it. They know why I get extremely moody around this time of the year. It's spring, Arisu's Season.

She always reminded me of spring for some reason, ever since the beginning.

"Spring is Arisu-san's season."

"Why is that?"

"Just because spring reminds me of you, Arisu-san."

I can almost hear her laughter at my words. She must have thought me a very silly, head-in-the-clouds child. Still, I cannot shake the idea that spring was Arisu's Season.

She was like a breath of fresh air after the cold hardships of winter. She was the world to me, she was my breath of fresh air. She was like my mother, like I had dreamed my mother might be like. As a child, I was sure she would always be there for me, that we would never be parted now that I had found someone that seemed to love me.

But it seems that everyone that would care for me slips away between my fingers like so many grains of sand. They day, wither away, or disappear. No one that has ever come to know me has lived to tell the tale.

. . .Is this part of my curse. . . ?

I do not realize that tears are running down the side of my face until it is too late. Again Hatori is present as I reminisce. How dare I let myself cry when someone is present to see it?

I growl, moving my head away. He did not seem to have noticed my tears until this action though.

"Akito-san? Are you alright?" He comes closer, noticing that I am moving my bent head away so that he may not see my tears.

"I am fine. Leave me." I order angrily through grit teeth.

He seems to notice what is going on now; my voice must be shaky from the tears.

Hatori leaves without a word, and I wait several seconds before crushing my long, thick kimono sleeve to my face and rub the salty tears away. I will not allow myself to cry for that foolish woman, never again.

Why must everything I care for die? WHY?!

Hatori POV

It is the time of year that we have all come to know as 'Arisu's Season'. The name for spring that Akito-san created when the previous curse-bearer passed from this world.

He no longer allows us to speak of her though, nor does he allow spring to be called 'Arisu's Season'. All the same, everyone calls spring 'Arisu's Season'.

None of the younger Sohma's remember why it is called this, they have simply grown up hearing I, Shigure, and Ayame speaking of 'Arisu's Season' before. Obviously, we had to provide an explanation for why we had changed the name of spring to something so much longer, but we did not tell them the whole story.

"It is called 'Arisu's Season' for the one that held the full weight of the curse before Akito-san."

That was the most explanation that they had ever given the young Zodiac members.

Yet we are forced to dwell on the past, while the others are oblivious.

Though we rarely speak of it at times other than Arisu's Season, it is always one of the most painful memories gnawing at the back of our minds.

Arisu Sohma's death. The death of the full bearer of the curse is a horrible thing, but with Arisu, it seemed so much more painful. Possibly because she had been so close to us, or maybe it was because she was one of the only female bearers of the curse, or it might just have been that she had refused to pass the curse to Akito-san as she lay dying.

Whatever the reason, the memory saddens us all, but none more than Akito-san. He thinks he hides it - or maybe I am fooled by his unwillingness to show his emotion for the woman - but we all know what he is thinking when his gaze lingers on the new spring flowers. He thinks only of Arisu Sohma at times like this. I will not say that I think he was ever in love with her, but she definitely holds a place in his heart. A place that will forever remain empty, and – I believe – will always be the reason Akito both hates and loves her.

Shigure Sohma's House; no particular POV

Tohru took in a deep breath of air, smiling the whole time. "Ah, spring." She sighed happily, looking over at Kyo and Yuki with a bright smile.

Yuki smiled back, but Kyo's face remained stern as a small wind picked up, blowing their hair around with its sweat, new scent. "Arisu's Season. . ." Yuki replied just as airily as he gazed up at the evening sky.

The clouds passed lazily overhead as the wind continued to blow. Confused, Tohru turned toward them again. "'Arisu's Season?'" She questioned.

Yuki nodded. "Yes, it is what the Sohma's call spring." He explained without looking her way.

"Really? Why do you call it that?" She asked brightly, smiling again.

Kyo looked at her sidelong for a moment before picking up where Yuki had left off. "It's for some woman that bore the curse before Akito." He grunted. "We don't really understand the whole story behind it. Shigure, Hatori, and Ayame never speak about it. And Akito hates it when anyone even mentions the name 'Arisu.'"

Tohru was once again confused by the answer to her question. "Why does he not like it when people speak of this 'Arisu'?"

Kyo shrugged. "Hell if I know."

Yuki was silent for a minute, his eyes blank like his expression as he mulled something over in his mind.

At length, he replied to Tohru's question.

"They say that Arisu Sohma was someone very important to him."

Short chapter, I know. And after not updating in like, forever too. sigh I'm sorry minna-san. I'll try to update again soon and make it a much longer chapter as well.

Thanks for the reviews, I'm so very glad you like this story. I'm enjoying writing it just as much.

Thanks again. Ja'ne!!

Review please!!