Blue:traumatized:

Ivey: That was the worst experience of my life… :has only existed since December:

Blue: Four hours in the car with my brother listening to N'sync and Hilary Duff… :shudder: I couldn't even drown out the noise by blasting anime music on my headphones...I think my ears might be bleeding…

Ivey:plays the Wolf's Rain soundtrack: That's better…

Blue:sigh of relief: Moving on… Sami The Fallen Angel-Thank you for the support. I apologize for the unreadable last chapter. For some reason I couldn't get my word doc. To upload so I had to use notepad, which completely screwed up my format and I was too lazy to fix it. Hae-jang Lee- You're name is so cool:hates her own name: Thank you so much for the compliments. I try… :happy: Black Winged Angel Sami- Again I apologize, but it wasn't my fault. Fan Fiction dot net was being difficult. Thanks for reading! BubbleWheel- Arigato! About the name issue…

Ivey:interrupts: We should explain it to everyone.

Blue: Good idea… Mildly important author's note: My knowledge of FB is limited to the anime and manga volumes 1-8. I know nothing about Akito's mom in the actual story so in a way Asa is an original character. I guess it makes this story slightly AU. I dunno… nevertheless I hope everyone continues to read this despite my ignorance. I don't know about the rest of you, but I like it.

Ivey: I think it's crap, but whatever….

Blue:glare: Anyway, Lyanne Tyler Davidson- I'm glad you enjoyed it. All of your questions will be answered as the story progresses.

Ivey: Blue does not own Fruits Basket. If she did the thing about Akito wouldn't be true and he would be mine!

Blue:blank stare: You're obsession with Akito is unhealthy

Ivey: Oh yeah like you drooling over that three-eyed midget from Yu Yu Hakusho is normal.

Blue: His name is Hiei:pause: And I didn't drool!

Ivey: Sure you didn't…

Melancholy Requiem

By Blue

Chapter Three- End of Small Sanctuary

Akito opened his eyes blearily and remained lying in his mother's bed staring at his hand that was curled slightly around the fabric of the plum colored sheets. His glazed eyes traced the contours of his long, elegant fingers as the quiet of the room filled his ears; the music box had long since wound down. In that transitional stage between dreaming and waking the young man wondered if he should even bother to rise. It wasn't as if had anything important to attend to and after all wasn't Hatori always going on about him needing his rest? He wasn't even sure what day it was. He didn't have much need to keep track of it anyway. The only thing he ever mildly looked forward to was the New Years banquet and that wouldn't take place for another four months.

Despite being the head of that family Hatori and the others took care of everything so it wasn't as if he was really needed to manage anything. A figurehead and a sacrifice… that's all he really was. No one wanted to be around him, not really, the only ones who willingly visited him were Hatori and Shigure… and that girl. That Honda Tohru girl. The one whom the zodiac loved more than their god. Every Sunday she would come to visit him bringing with her sickeningly cheerful demeanor and her mother's annoying philosophies on life. In fact today was Sunday. With a sigh Akito sat up, not noticing as the blanket Hatori had covered him with slid to the ground. 'What words of wisdom with she spout off today I wonder…'

Leaning sullenly against the door to his best friend's apartment Asano Hiroaki ran a hand through his unruly brown hair. He'd shown up at Asa's house after work so they could study together for their entrance exams and once again she was no where to be found. They had always been close and could rely on each other, but ever since that rainy Monday seven weeks before when she'd skipped school to meet the head of her family all she ever talked about was how wonderful "Akira-san" was. Every time Sohma Akira called for her she came. Just last week Akira had had her called out of class to be brought to the main house. Hiroaki had watched her gather up her things and leave with a happy little smile on her face. It wasn't that he didn't want her to be happy it was just that it felt like she'd forgotten him and something about this Sohma Akira just didn't feel right. With a sigh he checked his watch and hoped she'd arrive soon.

In the dinning room of the Sohma main house Asa sat to Akira's right and sipped her tea as they waited to be served. Most of her meetings with Sohma Akira were spent in companionable silence with Akira occasionally asking her how her day went. Unlike the empty quiet of the apartment she shared with her mother the quiet of the Sohma house was peaceful, soothing. She was happy just to be there.

"Asa-chan," Akira addressed her. The young girl looked over at him with a smile. Several weeks after she'd started visiting Akira he'd switched to the more affectionate honorific of chan and Asa absolutely loved it. For the first time in many years she felt like she had a real family. Akira paid attention to her wanted to know all about her, cared about her. Most evenings she ate dinner with him before heading home. It was incredible how enjoyable dinner could be when she didn't have to eat alone. He'd even introduced her to several other of the more important members of the Sohma family. A woman named Atsuko who had the most beautiful lavender eyes she'd ever seen and a mysterious presence about her, a blonde man named Takeshi who was somewhat childlike in his demeanor and extraordinarily playful for his age, and Hatori, who she'd already met once before. When Akira had introduced her to his son she was surprised at how different the two seemed. Hatori was so serious and looked nothing like his father. Asa had just assumed he took after his mother, but when she'd asked about her Akira's eyes seemed to turn cold and he changed subject.

"Yes, Akira-san?"

"You will be completing your third year of middle school this week, correct?"

"Yes, I have finals tomorrow and Friday. There's going be a small ceremony on Saturday where all the graduating third years get a certificate." Akira raised an eyebrow playfully at the girl.

"I certainly hope you were planning on inviting me. I would hate to miss something so important," he stated. Asa blushed and looked down at her lap.

"I-its not really that important. I mean… you don't have to go mother isn't even going."

"All the more reason for me to attend, that is, unless you would rather I not."

"That's not it at all! I would be honored if you came I just didn't want you to go to any trouble."

"I would be happy t-" Without warning Akira dropped his cup and his hand went to his head. Asa jumped in surprise when the teacup clattered on the table and the green contents spilled over the lacquered surface. The man cried out in pain as the pressure in his skull intensified and blood streamed from the left side of his nose. At the sight Asa rushed to his side in a panic.

"Akira-san! Are you all right? What's the matter?" she exclaimed and laid a hand hesitantly on his arm; she had never touched him before.

"Asa…" he hissed. "Would you be so kind as to fetch Atsuko?"

"Of course!" she replied and rushed off to find her.

Half an hour later she anxiously waited outside of Akira's chambers while Atsuko attended to him. The young girl hadn't had the faintest idea where Atsuko was, but was lucky to run across Takeshi during her frantic search. Having directing her to the woman's office, Takeshi rushed off to the dinning room and half supported, half carried the dying god to his room. When Atsuko arrived with her bag and Asa in tow, she'd instructed the worried tee n to wait in the hall and went in to treat her patient as well as she possibly could. Takeshi soon left, giving Asa a weak smile and an affectionate pat on the head, and went to prepare some willow bark tea for Akira. Finally, Atsuko slid open the fusuma and addressed the younger girl before her.

"Akira-san would like to see you." Ushering Asa into the room she closed the door behind her and Asa nervously approached the futon where the pale man lay, not moving except for the rise and fall of his chest. As she knelt next to the futon she bit her trembling lip and folded her hands on her lap. She was aware that Akira often had painful migraines, but had never seen it this bad before and she was frightened. The older man opened his eyes slightly and regarded the brunette. Reaching out a frail hand he placed it on top of her clasped ones.

"Asa…" Said girl looked up, her worry etched clearly on her face.

"Akira-san, are… are you ill?" Akira smiled sardonically and closed his eyes.

"Yes, Asa-chan, I am dying." At the man's claim tears welled up in Asa's dark brown eyes.

"D-dying? But Atsuko-san is a doctor! Can't she make you better?" she asked shakily.

"Atsuko has done all she can." The tears she'd been holding back welled over and streaked down her cheeks. For several long minutes they remained silent. To Asa it was like her father dying all over again. Akira had made her feel special, had cared about her, had welcomed her into his family and now he was going to die? It wasn't fair!

"Isn't there anything I can do?" Inwardly, Akira chuckled ruefully at the naive young girl. All it had taken to gain her devotion were a few kind words and attention. So desperate was she for a loving family that she'd give anything to keep the one she had been offered. It would be her downfall...

"There is but… I could never ask such a thing of you," he replied and turned his face toward the wall. Asa's small, warm hands enveloped his own icy hand and she squeezed lightly.

"Anything… you have given me so much Akira-san. I'll gladly do anything you ask of me."

"Anything?" he asked turning his piercing gaze on her. A sense of foreboding tickled at the back of her mind but she ignored it.

"Anything." Akira slowly sat up and turned to face her. Leaning forward he slipped his hand onto the young girl's cheek, brushing the tears from her face with his thumb and looked at her with unreadable eyes.

"I care for you deeply Asa. Out of everyone it is you who has shown me the most loyalty. You are a true Sohma. You are intelligent, kind, so full of promise… what I would ask of you would determine the rest of your life. Are you sure you want to give up your dreams for the Sohma?" Looking into his eyes Asa was entranced. He had given her what she had always wanted; a place where she felt loved and at home. What were her dreams compared to that?

"Yes," she said with conviction.

"The Sohma's are different from most traditional families," he told her in a silky voice. "Unlike others it is not the eldest living member who is the head, but someone who is raised to fulfill the position. Someone who's sole purpose is to lead and protect his family. It has been our way for hundreds of years. I was born into the position not long after the former head died and now that my time is near a successor must be chosen… must be conceived. The father of my successor has already been chosen, however I have not been able to find someone who would make a suitable mother, someone that would raise the child properly. You, Asa, would make a wonderful mother…"

Ivey:holding a Hiei plushie over the garbage disposal: Review or the midget gets it!

Blue: O.O Hi-chan!