I do not own Azu Daioh,this is just my slant on them.

"Death in the family"

Chapter 1:"The day before"

Febuary,20.05

Class reunion of '02.

Or I should say a few hours after the unofficial get together which the girls have every year,Osaka;Kagura;Tomo;Yomi;Chiyo and Sakaki are gathered at a local club reminesing over old times and getting (in some cases) shit-faced.

"YEEEAAA I remember when you smeared glue on Miss Yukari's chair...and I got the blame! ya damn baka!" Kagura semi-yelled at Tomo she was the one getting the most plastered,everybody else was running over some old memory's and just generally having a great time.

"I was thinkin' that ma breast were going to get bigger when I got older...but they didn't...ya think you can give me some Sakaki?" Osaka said as she went into one of wandering random thoughts,for her part Sakaki just smiled and told her she might be able to.

However what she said next stopped everybody cold.And I was wondering...what'd happen if one of us died?" EVERBODY stopped and looked at her on that one,confused she started to panic a bit "wha is it?...is somethin' wrong?...is someone dieyin'? is..." "Your're just going off the deep end again-go back to hugging your husband it seems to be the only thing that makes you sane" Yomi said cutting her off;her speech slurring a little,no one noticed Tomo had darkened some on her side but as quick as it came,it left "she's right-you're still as crazy as a june bug" she piped up grinning from ear to ear.

"But she's not liying..hanging on to that guy of yours does seem to make you sane;and you drag the poor guy with you everywhere"

Kronos the one who the comments were directed at looked at everybody "What? are you suggesting I'm some kind of cure for her?" he said laughing a little,Osaka latched onto him and cooed "Ah they're jus jelous is all 'cos I'm jus so lucky!" Kagura almost choked on her drink;Tomo basically spit all over the table and Yomi gagged and spilled some on her shirt,Chiyo and Sakaki started to giggle and soon all of'em where howling;Kronos looked around the table then at Osaka and shook his head "Boy! these are some wild,crazy friends you have!" she just stared at them with a miffed look on her cute face "I know..I sometimes wondered how I've put up with them!" she said softly-then she started laughing herself,Kronos joined in too...laughter can be that infectious.

They walked out of the club late,at around 11:30 P.M. and they went their seperate ways;Chiyo and Sakaki going with Kagura (who wasn't really walking straight) Osaka and Kronos went via Motorcycle (Kronos didn't drink..he never does) and Tomo and Yomi went together as they lived very close together.

As they walked to the bus stop the crisp,cool late winter air brought the two of them to a more or less sober state.Tomo was in a world all her own and not listening to Yomi;finally she poked Tomo and asked what's up."I was just thinking about what 'ol Osaka said earlier" Tomo said "exactly which one? the girl rambels like a broken GPS sometimes" Yomi said raising an eyebrow;Tomo hesitated before answering "you'know about if one of us died...what'd you think would happen?" she asked "well...I know we'd all be real sad;upset;devistated take your pick-why'd you want to know?" Yomi answered as they arrived at the bus stop.

Sitting down Tomo just looked at her shoes,Yomi looked at her watch "we've got almost fifteen minutes before the bus comes..hope we don't freeze our asses off;now why don't you tell me why you asked about that?" Tomo just kept looking at her shoes Yomi stared at her friend "something's up isn't it?...I've never seen you like this" she didn't get a response right away but Tomo finally spoke up:"Yomi...I've never told anybody this...not even my family..but..I...I really don't think I'm gonna live to be thirty...I really don't" for her part Yomi didn't tease,she just sat there slack jawed,then she found her voice at last "the hell? you're serious aren't you?" Tomo just nodded "when..exactly did you start to think like this?" Yomi asked getting very concered for her life-long friend;Tomo took a deep breath and sat up "remember when I was ten? and fell out of that tree in the park..and nearly split my head open?...after that night I spent in the hospital,that was was when I knew I wasn't gonna make it all the way through life" she smiled as best as she could at her friend but it was plain she was scared.

"Tomo,nothing's going to happen to you,you'll outlive us all...I know it!" Yomi said grabbing her by the shoulders,Tomo just shook her head."no-I'm not Yomi...I..I just should have told you sooner but..I know I'm not." she looked away at the stars when she looked back she was crying "and I want you to know I love you like a sister man...just so I do say it before something happens and I never get to tell you" Tomo hugged Yomi and kept crying.

Yomi did her part to calm Tomo and then steered her onto the bus,all the way back to her apartment Tomo slept in Yomi's lap.Yomi had no idea what to make of this..for the first time in her life she was truely scared for some one in her life.

End-Chapter 1.