Sorry for the short chapter. *shrugs shoulders*

First off, I'd like to say, any theories about the Sohma curse are my own. I have no idea how it really works, but this is my take. Since I haven't read all the manga, I wouldn't know anything more than what they tell us in the series. Well, just read and find out.

***

I like a look of Agony

Because I know it's true-

Men do not sham convulsion,

Nor stimulate a Throe-

The eyes glaze once- and that is Death-

Impossible to feign

The Beads upon the Forehead

By homely Anguish strung.

-Emily Dickinson

Momiji sat once again on the floor and waited for the doctor to speak to him. Shortly after Hatsuharu had left, Hatori had told Momiji he just needed to finish a few more things. Patience was a lesson well learned by the rabbit, however, and so he sat quietly.

Hatori finally turned around and looked down at the blonde boy sitting on his floor. He had been hoping Momiji would give up this investigation into the family curse (especially the part involving Akito) and go home. But he knew the rabbit too well. Hatori also knew, as personal experience had taught him too well, to avoid Akito at all costs. This new interest of Momiji's would surely lead him down a dangerous path. But, perhaps this conversation could prove helpful to more than just Momiji.

"This could be taken as a breaking of doctor-patient confidentiality, Momiji," Hatori started.

"No, because I'm your patient too, and this involves me." Momiji was defiant and looked sternly up at the doctor, who met his gaze steadily.

"Alright, what do you want to know?'

"Everything."

Hatori took in a deep breath. "I'll explain as best I can, but you must realize, much of the information regarding the Sohma family curse remains unknown. Anything we have put together is mostly hypothesis."

Momiji nodded and Hatori continued with the story. "As you know, for generations twelve members of the Sohma family have been possessed by the vengeful spirits of the animals of the Chinese zodiac…and the cat." He paused and looked outside. Turning in his desk chair, he unlocked a bottom desk drawer. After a minute of digging inside, a small jewelry box was pulled out. Hatori opened it and took something out, putting the box carefully on his desk.

"Catch." Hatori tossed the object and Momiji reached and grabbed it out of the air. What he found in his palm was a bracelet made of red and white beads.

"Ummm…shouldn't Kyo have his this?" Momiji turned the beads in his hands. A distorted reflection gazed back at him from polished white beads.

"That is not Kyo's."

"Huh?"

"When a vengeful spirit possesses a body, it causes that person to take the form of its animal whenever under great stress or when hugged by a member of the opposite sex. As in the case of the cat, the possessed also carries the burden of transforming into a 'true' form, a grotesque beast. To counteract this, the cat wears…I hate to say this… a magic bracelet."

Hatori pointed to the beads still in Momiji's hands. "Some time ago, six bracelets were found on the Sohma grounds, where renovation was being done. That is one of them, and it is not Kyo's. We know this because there has never been any mention of another bracelet for the cat."

As Hatori talked Momiji slipped the beads onto his wrist. A chill went up his spine. He felt different, but he didn't know how. "The only conclusion we have come up with is that at one time, all of the members of the zodiac had to wear bracelets to keep their true forms hidden. Without them they turned into beasts much like the cat's true form."

"But why don't we now?"

"As I was about to say," Hatori sighed. "This is where Akito comes in. As the leader of our family he bears the Sohma curse. This was determined at his birth. It seems that this person…is a sort of sacrifice to the vengeful spirits. He carries the negative chi given off. We guess that at some time, there was no leader of the Sohma family curse to carry this weight. Hence, all of the members wore bracelets." A creek of wood outside the doorway caused a break in the conversation. Hatori ignored the noise, but Momiji glanced around uncomfortably. This place and conversation made him nervous.

"Are you saying that, without Akito," Momiji continued after a moment. "We would all transform into monsters like Kyo?" He immediately regretted saying this.

"Well, in more simple words, yes."

"Why doesn't the…sacrifice of Akito help Kyo?"

"We can only guess that it is because the cat is not part of the zodiac. Or perhaps the burden of another spirit's revenge would be a quicker more excruciating death to the person chosen to bear it…more so than that which Akito is already experiencing."

There was silence after this, and Momiji took the beads off his wrist and handed them to Hatori. The rabbit traced circles onto the floor with his index finer. "…So, if we all wore beads, then Akito wouldn't have to die?"

Hatori looked down in surprise at Momiji. Again, the inner workings of the child's brain had shown themselves to be very perceptive. This part of the theory was never stated. Even the previous Sohma doctor had not told Hatori this. It had taken him two days of pondering to figure it out. It had taken Shigure three years, not to mention Ayame. It was the cold underlying guilt running through all the previous members of the zodiac. //If we sacrificed, perhaps someone else wouldn't have to.//

"Perhaps, Momiji. We are not even sure if the beads would work anymore, or if that *was* their original purpose. But that is the lesson you must learn from this. Why we must obey Akito, no matter what we think, because there is a bond between the zodiac members and the leader of the Sohma family. It is because of us he suffers."

Tears gathered in Momiji's eyes and slowly slid down his cheek. //It is because of us…// He didn't particularly like crying, especially in front of the solemn Hatori. But he couldn't stop. He supposed it had always been in the back of his mind; it was the zodiac members' fault that Akito was consumed by his sickness.

Hatori slid out of his chair and hugged the young blonde, who was crying on his floor. "You mustn't feel guilty for something you cannot control. Just remember to be grateful for the life you are given."

***

Akito stood frozen outside Hatori's door. Fine-tuned ears had picked up an interesting conversation. But ten minutes of spying had revealed things he didn't know how to comprehend.

Akito had been told these things when much younger than Momiji. As a child he had sat on the floor, quiet as death, and listened to the same things Hatori was saying now. It had been one of the few times in his life when he had faced a situation with a stoic face. Quietly he sat as he was told he was meant to die so that others could live. Akito had wanted to cry then, but he was fulfilling his purpose in life. Tears couldn't change the things that had and would happen.

And now as he stood and listened to the rabbit crying… Momiji was crying for him. Only one person had cried for him before, and those were tears of pity. She couldn't understand. No one could…

This had gone on far too long. Akito didn't need anyone to cry for him. He had come to terms with what was happening to him a long time ago (even if it had turned him into a bitter, twisted person).

"You mustn't feel guilty for something you cannot control. Just remember to be grateful for the life you are given." The words made their way through the door.

"The life you are given," Akito said to himself with a sneer. He forcefully opened the door.

"Do you like what you're given? Is it wrapped in paper with a nice little bow?"

"Akito!" Hatori got up from the floor, where he had been comforting the rabbit. Momiji, on the other hand, stayed on his knees and looked down at the floor, eyes open in surprise.

"I asked you a question!" Akito crouched on the floor and put his hand under Momiiji's chin. The rabbit's eyes were made to look into Akito's.

"Well?"

Momiji was shaking, as much from his crying spell as from fright of Akito. "Ye..Yes, I like my life!"

"What!?" Akito smacked the blonde, and Momiji fell to the floor. He slowly got up, hand on his red cheek.

"I'm so grateful for the life I live. It may not be the happiest I could have, but it is what I was given, and for that I will live everyday." Momiji quickly jumped up and wrapped his arms around Akito.

Before Akito knew what was happening, he was being hugged. "What..What are you…"

"Thank you, Akito."

"Get off of me!" He pushed the rabbit away. Hatori was still standing by his desk, just watching. "Get out now!" Akito yelled. Momiji scrambled up.

"Wait, Momiji." Hatori tossed something to the rabbit. "Don't catch cold."

Momiji took the umbrella and ran out into the rain with it still closed. Akito turned on Hatori. "What do you think you were doing telling him those things? I don't like people nosing into my business!"

"Technically it's his business too, Akito." Hatori sat down and lit a cigarette.

"I don't care! *I* tell you what to do!"

"And from now on I won't tell anyone the details surrounding the family secret without your permission. However there is one problem." Hatori looked up at Akito. "I'm not psychic."

"What is this insubordination?!" Akito waved his arms. "What is going on?"

"Just so you know, I can't tell Momiji not to tell people."

"What?"

"You'll have to tell him yourself. I'm sure he won't mind."

His rage having passed, Akito leaned against the far wall of Hatori's office and slid down. "I don't think he'll tell anyone."

"Maybe you should talk to him anyway." Hatori was busy at his desk again, but he continued to talk to Akito.

"Since when do you tell me what to do?"

"Doctor's orders then."

Akito adjusted his kimono and started to get up. "Thank you for the advice, *doctor*," he sneered. He opened Hatori's door, which he had slammed shut after he had entered the office. Akito was in the hallway when Hatori spoke to him again.

"It's interesting being thanked for something. One is never sure how to feel or what to say…especially when it's never happened before." The door to Hatori's office slowly slid shut, leaving the doctor once again by himself.

Oh, that was tough to write. I hope you liked it though ^_^ Feel free to review! I tried to make it longer and put some sort of closure to the chapter. (It's not longer in pages, it has a lot more paragraph density) I actually wrote more, but it was about Haru and Kyo, so it'll be next chapter.

That's it for now. Oh, I don't own Fruits Basket or Emily Dickinson. I *do* own the right to say I thought up the title "Falling Leaves" before some certain other people who have posted stories with similar titles. It just seems suspicious that such a similar title would be written…Oh well, imitation is the highest form of praise.