Akito's Sister

Don't own rights, don't cry.

Note: This story take place after episode 26 of the TV series.

Chapter Three

But nobody in the entire main house could predict the outcome when Shigure told Akito what
Ashi had told certain members of his household, without permission.

Akito himself came to Shigure's house.

"Akito, what are you doing here?" Shigure asked as he opened the door.

"I've come to retrieve something." He said. "Is Ashi here?"

"No, I'm afraid she's not. She went for a walk with Tohru to the stream. They should be back in a few minutes." Shigure explained. "Would you like some tea?"

"I don't want any tea but I will come in and wait." Akito told him as he entered.

******

"So how old were you when you went to the hospital the first time?" Tohru asked.

As Shigure had said they were walking to the stream. Since the previous weeks events Tohru had learned of Ashi's past with Akito's beatings.

"I was seven actually. The first time Akito broke my arm Hatori was out of town." Ashi explained. "It was nearly my birthday."

"How old are you again?" Tohru asked

"Four years older than you." Ashi told her. "Akito made me miss the first four years of school, so when I finally started I was four years older than the other students."

"That must be hard, being four years older than everyone else."

"Not really, it didn't matter, I never noticed the difference until someone actually asked." Ashi told her. "Being in school was a big deal for the maids, it meant that I was becoming a part of the outside world. They wanted me to leave."

"Why?"

"They didn't want me around Akito, they loved him falsely and only respected him when he was around. When he found this out he sent them all away and hired new ones, he nearly took me out of school but I told him that I would be able to do things better for him if I stayed in school. It was then that I told Akito that I wanted to stay at the Sohma house, I wasn't going to leave."

"Why did he send you away?"

"I don't really know, he was just mad when Hatori and I asked him if I could go to your school." Ashi picked up a rock and threw it in the stream. "You have to be careful with Akito, how he will react depends on the mood he's in when you ask or tell him things."

Tohru was quiet.

"I know what you told him, and what he did." Ashi told her throwing another stone in the stream.

Tohru looked at her.

"I was there." Ashi explained. "I would have interfered, but when Shigure and Yuki stood up to him like that- I wanted to see what would happen if I didn't. That's probably why he sent me away, because I didn't interfere, I didn't keep you from saying that. He resented you for telling him something like that. But to be honest, it made him realize that the love he receives from the whole family is fake."

"But – why?" Tohru asked.

"Tohru, my only purpose is to allow the pain that others would have received to be inflicted on myself. To provide Akito with someone willing to be punished. That is what I do. Akito only wishes for submission and obedience. But the truth is that he'll never get it, not as long as people have free will. In order to keep him happy and from harming the others both emotionally and physically, I offer him that. Total submission and obedience. I ignore myself, and allow what will be done to be done. I didn't then."

"I don't think anyone could do what you have done." Tohru said stopping.

Ashi stopped and looked back. Tohru was crying.

"But it's sad. I can't believe that you would do that. How-"

"Tohru, I don't need anyone to cry for me." Ashi looked the other girl in the eyes. "Yes, it's sad. And I don't think I could make the decision again and have the same answer. But because I made the choice out of my own free will, and knowing what would happen, I saved others from the some fate." Ashi smiled. "Someday I know Akito will go too far and kill me, but I accept that, as long as it's me and not anyone else"

Tohru stared at her.

"Now you see, it doesn't matter to me, it never has, that my life is not my own. Ritsu told me what you told him. That maybe when you find the right person, you can go on living, for them. I understand what you meant, because I myself live for someone else. I live for the entire zodiac, to give them what Akito wouldn't have given them otherwise; their freedom. Without me they would be stuck in the main house and never be able to leave."

Tohru stared at her. Ashi looked at the stream with far away eyes.

"Because of me they can try to live normal lives. They can even be happy. And I know my sacrifice is worth it."

"How?"

"I look at all of the zodiac now and see a change, something that wasn't there before."

"What."

"They are happy." Ashi smiled. "Maybe, given time, Akito could see that."

When the two girls arrived at Shigure's house after their walk Akito met them outside.

"Hello Ashi." He said. "Tohru."

"Hello Akito." Tohru greeted.

Ashi said nothing in the way of hello. "Why are you here?"

"To come get you." He replied.

Ashi said nothing only nodded and got her stuff.

As she waited for the car Ashi leaned down and whispered something in Tohru's ear.

Tohru smiled. Ashi got in the car and it drove away.

And she was gone.

Nobody knew when they'd see her again.