Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or the characters. I don't own Amaya, she's Paris'. I own Akemi & the other Kamikaras. That's it. Oh, and I own my soul, the last time I checked…..


Chapter 9: The Question Game

"What?"

Akemi could not believe her ears. If he knew about her singing…he must have…

"I was there, at The New Tomorrow the night you auditioned. I thought it'd be a good opportunity to hear some cool bands," Hatsuharu said slowly, in a somewhat drawling voice. He seemed to be bored with the subject.

"Please don't tell anyone!" Akemi squeaked nervously. He looked at her quizzically, not quite understanding the sudden anxiety that had taken over. "My mom and dad don't know about it," she explained, "and if they find out both me and Amaya are in deep trouble. So I would-"

"Don't worry. I won't be telling anyone," he said slowly, gazing at her with glazed eyes. She was unsure what it was that look meant. That is what made her most nervous.

"So…you liked it?" She asked. He nodded.

"Yes. Not really my style of music, but yes. You and your sister have a realistic air about you when you perform. Everything is down to earth," he said as he sat down, obviously not wishing to leave the room until they were done with their conversation. Akemi followed his suite and sat down as well.

"Thanks. We weren't all that great though. We put the audition together at the last minute, because I wasn't sure I was gonna go through with it. I'm glad I did," she couldn't help but smile at the memory of only a few weeks ago.

"That song you sang alone was powerful," he said softly, his calm voice making her more and more comfortable. "Is that how you really feel?"

Akemi hesitated in answering. Once again, she was sharing her open thoughts with someone she barely knew. But he seemed like a friend somehow, even though he was distant.

"Yes," she said quietly. "That's how I feel sometimes. Amaya's the outgoing one. She's a star, shining so bright and beautiful that it nearly blinds the rest of us. I'm just in the background."

"Yes, it is a familiar feeling. I suppose we all feel that way at times. I myself am forced into the shadow, behind Yuki. He's the brightest star of the Sohma family. The rest of us just don't add up," Hatsuharu told her honestly. She drew her breath in slowly, the shock of his statements numbing her brain.

Was that really true?

Just in observing, she could see that Yuki did not feel like the brightest star. He had reluctant feelings, as everyone else did. But she had never thought it possible that Amaya, her family's brightest would feel that way…

"Maybe those of us in the dark just need to find our own light," she said softly, "find something that we can call ours and shine just as much. Then maybe we wouldn't feel so weak…right?"

Hatsuharu smiled. "Right."

She stood up, a brilliant smile upon her face. "Thank you, Hatsuharu-san!"

"Haru."

"Hmm? What'd you say?" She asked, in confusion.

"Please just call me Haru. That's what everyone calls me. Nobody really uses my full name," he stood as well, towering over Akemi's small figure.

"Alright," Akemi said tentatively, "I think I can do that. Thank you, Haru." He grinned at her, making her stomach lurch nervously.

"You're welcome."

"Akemi, Ha-kun, come on! We're gonna eat cake now!" Momiji popped his head in the door and looked at them curiously. "Why do you have to take so long?"

"Sorry," Akemi said apologetically, "can you forgive me?"

"Jawohl!" He said happily, pulling her and Haru into the kitchen.


"Tohru, this is the best cake I've ever tasted!" Akemi said happily, letting the sugary substance dissolve in her mouth.

"Thank you Akemi, but really, I'm not all that great of a cook!" Tohru said modestly.

"She's so modest! How do you put up with it?" Amaya asked, putting her hands up in frustration. Shigure shrugged.

"I guess it's because we all love her so much. She is a wonderful person; I don't know why she doesn't want to show it more. You should!" He said enthusiastically. Tohru blushed in embarrassment.

"No no no! I'm not all that great of a person!" She said, feeling flustered.

"Tohru, there isn't anything wrong with pointing out your strong points. It's not like your bigheaded about it. Don't feel bad about yourself just because you're good at something," Akemi told her smiling.

"Hey, let's play a game!" Amaya said happily, "I've got an idea! We all sit in a circle and one person asks if they were something in a certain category, what would they be. Then everyone goes around the circle and answers why they'd be that certain thing. Me and Akemi used to play it a lot when we were younger."

"Yea, it's a fun game," Akemi agreed. "What do you guys think?"

"I think it sounds like a girly game to me," Kyo said in disagreement.

"And you'll play it all the same if you don't want that big mouth of yours knocked off your face," Uo hissed.

"You wanna make something of it?!" Kyo yelled at her, his temper rising.

"Just sit down and play, you stupid cat," Yuki said with a sigh.

"Don't call me a stupid cat you damn ra-"

"I don't get it!" Amaya declared. "Why did he call orangey a stupid cat?"

"Because cats are stupid, useless creatures and Kyo acts like one," Yuki muttered darkly.

"I have a cat," Amaya sniffled, "and Snowball's not stupid, or useless." Yuki shifted uncomfortably, along with the rest of the members of the room (except Momiji, who was not paying attention. He was too busy stuffing his mouth with cake)

"Act your age," Akemi hissed annoyed. She turned to Kyo. "Please Kyo, can we play? It'd mean a lot to me and Amaya." Kyo scowled slightly, then sat down.

"Fine," he mumbled irritably, "if I have to play, then I'll play." Akemi gave him a silent look of thanks. He rolled his eyes.

"Ok, Amaya can start." Akemi said, nudging her sister. Amaya immediately stopped pouting and perked up.

"Yay, my turn!" She put her finger to her chin in a thinking motion. "Oh, I know! If you were a hot pocket, what flavor would you be?" She asked brightly. Akemi face faulted.

"Is that the best you could come up with?" She asked. Amaya bobbed her head up and down.

So the game went on. Akemi could tell that everyone liked it, including Kyo.

"Ok Akemi, it's your turn!" Tohru said happily.

"Hmm…alright." She thought for a moment. A lot of good questions had already been asked, all the way from flowering plants to hot pockets. Suddenly she thought of a question. "If you were an animal, what would you be?"

The room was in an awkward silence. Everyone except for Uo, Hana and the Kamikara sisters were in a nervous state.

"Good question Akemi!" Amaya said, a very large smile across her face.

"I'd wouldn't want to be any other animal than human," Hana said softly, "but if I had to be, I suppose I'd be a something strong and sneaky. A panther, perhaps."

"I'd be a fish," Uo said with a grin. When asked why, she shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Cuz they're free, I guess. I mean, if a fisherman catches them, that's their own damn fault, right? Other than that, they're able to go wherever the want. Hell, they could cross the entire country if they wanted to. I don't know, I just always that they were cool."

Akemi smiled and nodded. "What about you Amaya?"

"I'd be a sparrow!" Amaya replied.

"Why?" Kyo asked outraged.

"Cuz, they're pretty," Amaya said childishly.

"No," Kyo disagreed, "Peacocks are pretty!"

"Peacocks are vicious!" Amaya argued.

"Sparrows are vicious!"

"They're pretty!"

"No, Peacocks are pretty!"

"They're vicious!"

"SPARROWS ARE VICIOUS!"

"NO, THEY'RE-"

"Amaya!" Akemi said harshly, bringing her sister back to her senses. She and Kyo were screaming at each other at deafening tones. Other than that, they were close to violence.

"Fine! I'll be a fucking peacock! Are you happy, asshole?!" Amaya yelled irately at Kyo.

"Earmuffs!" Momiji said loudly, putting his hands over his ears. Amaya sighed.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly. Then she turned back to Kyo and said haughtily, "What about you? What would you be?"

He was extremely reluctant to answer. Yuki smirked defiantly. "Go ahead," he said, "tell them what you'd be."

"A cat," he mumbled very softly under his breath.

"What'd you say?" Yuki asked him.

"You know damn well what I said! I'm not repeating it!" Kyo yelled, nearly deafening Yuki.

"No, I really didn't hear you, please speak up, Kyo," Akemi said, in a more dictatorship-like way than usual.

"A Cat! I'd be a cat, okay?!" He snapped. The entire room was silent. Akemi blinked.

"That's cool. I like cats," She said densely, "Yuki's turn."

"I'd be a rat. Not because they're sneaky or anything, but because they really aren't understood as well as they should be," Yuki said coolly, "Shigure's turn."

"I'd be a dog, of course. Dogs are loyal, strong, handsome, obedient, noble and so much more. Dogs are the best!" He winked and gave a peace sign. Amaya shuddered.

"Don't do that again. I don't care what your smoking…never again." She perked up after threatening the writer. "Okay, who's next?"

"ME!" Momiji said enthusiastically, "I'd be a bunny! Bunnies are cute and soft and sooo cuddly, like me!" Akemi giggled at his antics.

"I just want to hug you sometimes!" She said, reaching out for him.

"Miss Kamikara, I don't think that's such a good idea," Yuki said suddenly, "he won't let go of you if you say its okay. Tohru knows from experience, right Tohru?" She nodded in agreement, catching on to Yuki' sudden cover.

"Alright," Akemi said, her face pouting, "It's Haru's turn." The rest of the Sohmas raised their eyebrows in surprise, since she had addressed him so casually.

"Well, I would be a cow, I suppose. To me, everything is black and white, and I'm not really all that fond of zebras," he drawled, turning to Akemi. "You're turn."

"If I were an animal," Akemi said slowly, "I'd be a redwing blackbird."

"Why in hells name would you be that?" Kyo asked bluntly.

"Kyo! That's not nice! Don't be so mean to Akemi!" Momiji whined at him. Amaya sighed.

"Don't ask her for an explanation. It'll take her a good 15 minutes, trust me I've heard it before. Let's just move on to the next question, okay?" Amaya said wearily. She questioned her sister's motives as to why she asked that question of them all. Was she looking for attention, or had she honestly just asked the question?

"Oh, but I want to hear why!" Momiji complained, "Please tell us, Akemi. Please!"

"Oh yes," Tohru agreed, "I really would like to know. Will you tell us?"

Akemi shook her head. "No really it isn't important. Amaya's right it's not worth hearing-"

"Oh come on Akemi-kun! We really want to know!"

"If she doesn't want to tell anyone," Haru said quietly, "I think we should respect her wishes and drop the subject. Don't you agree?"

Akemi gave him a silent glance of thanks. "I agree."


Lola: Ok, so I didn't get to Kagura. Oh well. Next chapter. Shrugs

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