AN: Gift for Nozomi-chan's 20th birthday! Sorry I couldn't complete this story in time, Nozomi-chan, so I'll have to give you an IOU for the rest ♥ Thanks to Cygnea-chan for being such a great beta!
All of my stories and updates will be posted on Poka-chan's SM crossover website first now. The link is on my profile page. It's a great place if you're looking to read some quality stories. We are always looking for new authors to join. All stories will be approved by moderators first before they are posted on the site to ensure quality. We also encourage everyone to leave reviews that will help each other in their writings. If you are looking for a place for good honest comments, come and check it out, you have nothing to lose.
Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Prologue
"Mommy! Mommy!"
Ikuko turned with a gentle smile towards the little blond girl who came running towards her, hugging a ball of fur close to her chest.
Seven-years-old Tsukino Usagi yelled out in excitement as she finally reached her mother on the other side of the playground. It was a Saturday afternoon, and like all the other Saturdays, while her daddy took his afternoon nap, her mommy would take her to the park to watch her play with her friends until it was time for their afternoon ice cream treat.
"What do you have there, Usagi-chan?" The young mother reached out to pet the soft black fur of the small animal her daughter held with difficulty. She almost felt sorry for the puppy as it yelped in pain while Usagi struggled not to drop the wiggling animal.
"It's 'Gure-chan!" The little blonde exclaimed animatedly, holding the puppy under its forelegs to Ikuko's face. In her excitement, she didn't even care about the tangles in her hair and the brown smudges on her favorite dress. "I was playing with 'Gure-chan in the sandbox, and when I went to hug him, there was a huge poof!" Here the bunny jumped up with her arms wide open to demonstrate how big the 'poof' was. "And 'Gure-chan turned into a puppy!"
"Did he now?" Ikuko smiled indulgingly at her little daughter, not surprised at all by the little girl's imagination. Usagi had such a bright character that she befriended many kids around the neighborhood. It was difficult for Ikuko to remember one Saturday without Usagi telling her excitedly about a new friend she made on their walk home from the park. "And is 'Gure-chan a new friend?"
"Yeap! He was playing by himself, and I thought he looked lonely! We built a sandcastle together!" The little girl hugged the puppy close to her again, giggling as a soft tongue licked her nose.
"That's very nice of you, Usagi-chan," The dark haired woman reached out to pluck the puppy from Usagi's arms as Usagi tried to lick 'Gure-chan in return. "But don't you think that we should find 'Gure-chan's mommy? She must be very worried if you just took him away like this."
"Shigure!" As if on cue, a worried female voice was heard from the other direction. "Shigure! Sweetheart, we have to go!"
The puppy in Ikuko's arms barked loudly at the sound of the voice, surprising the young mother and daughter. The black puppy took the opportunity to wiggle out of Ikuko's loose grasp and hopped onto the ground before running towards the sound of the voice.
"There you are baby, you scared me to death." Ikuko couldn't help but smile at the young woman who ran to meet the puppy halfway. The newcomer's expression mirrored the worry of any young mother, even though Shigure was obviously only a pet.
"'Gure-chan, wait up!" Usagi called out hurriedly, and before Ikuko could stopper her daughter, the little girl was already chasing after the puppy. The young mother just shook her head, she should be used to the little girl's antics by now, but it never seized to amaze her how obsessed Usagi was with cute furry things.
"Usagi-chan!" Ikuko hurried to catch up with her daughter. No matter how many times she taught the little girl not to run off, she never seemed to remember. Usagi was a true blonde in the entire sense of the word, Ikuko thought ruefully. By the time she caught up with Usagi, the little girl was already standing in front of the other young woman and happily cooing to the puppy in the other woman's arms.
"I am very sorry about this. We didn't mean to run off with your puppy like this. My daughter has a tendency of running off with animals." Ikuko bowed and tried to scowl at Usagi. The little girl had enough sense to lower her head in shame.
"No, it's quite alright," a quiet voice replied, so soft it almost got lost on the gentle breeze, making Ikuko's eyes soften. The other woman had short brown hair and the warmest pair of chocolate eyes she had ever seen. "I should be the one apologizing. I hope Shigure-chan didn't cause any trouble for the two of you. He can be quite a handful at times." The two women smiled each other in understanding. "I'm glad that he was able to find such a nice friend…" The young woman paused to look down at the little girl.
"Usagi-chan!" The bunny pointed to herself proudly. "My name is Tsukino Usagi, and I'm seven years old!" She held out six fingers to show the lady.
"Nice to meet you, Usagi-chan, my name is Sohma Yukino," she bent down to smile at the girl at eye level. "Do you like ice cream, Usagi-chan?"
The little girl nodded enthusiastically, making her blond pigtails snap against her back with the rapid movement. "I love ice cream! Especially strawberry ice cream! But I don't hate vanilla and chocolate either, if there's no strawberry left." The little declaration brought a smile on both women's faces.
"Then would you like to come with Shigure and me to get some ice cream? I think I saw an ice cream truck next to the playground. It'll be my treat."
"Oh no, you don't have to do this." Ikuko quickly stopped Usagi before the girl could scream out a yes. "We were going to get ice cream afterwards, too."
"Please, I insist. It's the least I can do. It's hard for Shigure-chan to make friends." As Yukino quietly admit the last part, Ikuko detected a hint of sadness in the soft voice. Strange that Yukino spoke of her pet almost as a child.
"Please mommy! I promise I'll be good," Usagi whined with large shiny blue eyes. The little girl pulled her mom down,so she could tiptop and whisper into her ear. "And I promise I'll only ask for one scoop."
Only a heartless person could refuse such a request. Even at such a young age, Usagi had already discovered her greatest weapon: her cuteness. "Okay, but make sure you behave for Sohma-san, alright?" Ikuko relented, brushing the blond bangs away to place a quick kiss on Usagi's forehead.
"Yatta!" The little girl jumped up and down in excitement. Usagi didn't waste time as she grabbed Yukino's hand in hers and proceeded to pull the young woman towards the origin of the trademark ice cream truck music. "What flavor does 'Gure-chan like, Yukino-san?"
Ikuko shook her head at Usagi's antics before she sat down on a bench that had a clear view of the three as they made their way to the ice cream truck.
"Usagi-chan?" Yukino softly asked at the bouncing child next to her. She held Shigure in one arm while Usagi skipped next to her, holding her other hand.
The little girl stopped her humming to look up with a bright smile. "Yes ,Yukino-san?"
"Did you have fun playing with Shigure-chan?" the young woman finally asked after a lengthy pause. Unknowingly, she chewed her bottom lip in worry.
"Of course! We had tons of fun! 'Gure-chan pushed me on the swings! Then we played in the sandbox, and 'Gure-chan showed me how to build a sandcastle!" Usagi clapped in happiness, and the puppy in Yukino's arm barked along with the little girl. "Then the strangest thing happened- 'Gure-chan turned into a puppy when I hugged him. Does he know magic ,Yukino-san?" The bunny looked up to the young woman in excitement and admiration. "Can he teach me how to turn into a bunny, too?" She giggled to herself at the thought. If she could turn into a bunny then it would be easier to sneak out for ice cream.
"I'm afraid that it was not magic, Usagi-chan," the young mother said sadly to herself. If only it was many people would be happier if it was only magic. "Can you keep a secret, Usagi-chan?" Even though she just met the little girl, something about Usagi lit a small light of hope inside her heart. The little girl was so innocent and filled with joy, something that was sorely lacking within the Sohma family.
"Shigure-chan is very sick, Usagi-chan." She smiled when she heard the little girl's sharp intake of breath. "That's why when he gets hugged by a girl, he turns into a puppy. Can you understand that?"
The blond odango bounced up and down as Usagi nodded solemnly. To a little girl like Usagi, who had no idea what common sense and logic was, it made perfect sense.
"While some people are very kind to his condition, there are also others who are very mean spirited. If those people ever find out how he can change from a boy to a puppy, they will try to hurt him because they are afraid of what they don't understand."
"Yes, I know. Usagi-chan was afraid of Shingo-kun, too, when he was born, but mommy showed me that he was just a baby," the little girl said sagely, remembering how afraid she was of her crying and screaming little brother when she first met him.
"That's why I would like you to keep Shigure's illness a secret, so that no one mean will try to hurt him. Will you do that for Shigure-chan?" Yukino asked seriously, looking directly into the wide blue eyes. Sweat began to gather in her palms. She was taking a big chance here; this would be the first time someone outside of the Sohma family would be trusted with the truth, and it was a seven years old girl. Yet, there was something about Usagi that made Yukino believed that she would be what her son need the most. A friend, someone who would not judge him for what he was, someone who could see pass the curse of the twelve zodiac animals.
"But I already told mommy that 'Gure-chan turned into a puppy." Big fat tears started to fall onto her chubby cheek at the thought that she spilled the secret already.
"That's okay, Usagi-chan, its okay if you tell your mommy. Shigure-chan tells me all of his secrets too." A relieved smile appeared on Yukino's face. Ikuko probably thought that it was only a part of Usagi's big imagination. Even though she only met Usagi less than an hour ago, she could tell that the little blonde could be quite a creative person. "Now which ice cream would you like?"
"Thank you very much for the ice cream, Yukino-san!" Usagi bowed towards the brown haired woman. In one hand, the blonde clutched her melting strawberry ice cream cone (true to her word, she only asked for a single scoop), while her other hand was held protectively in Ikuko's larger one. "Can I play with 'Gure-chan again next time?"
"Of course, Usagi-chan." Yukino smiled at the happy child and waved as the mother and daughter turned around to head back home. "I guess it's time for us to go home, too, Shigure-chan." A quick survey of their surroundings revealed that most people had already gone home; the sun was already setting, as she put the puppy down on the ground.
The young woman walked back towards the bush where she hid the clothes she found in the sandbox. She had never been so scared in her life as when she had discovered the clothes in the sandbox and her son's disappearance. This was the close call. There had been other incidences when Shigure had turned into his animal form in public, but this was the only time when she wasn't there to protect him.
Without the touch of a female, the puppy turned back to a little boy, as naked as the day that he was born. "Okaa-san!" The little boy cried and threw himself into his mom's arms.
"Were you scared, Shigure-chan?" Yukino asked, trying to keep the tears from spilling out she had to be strong for her son's sake.
The small dark head nodded against her shoulder. "I was scared that Usa-chan might hate me."
"I don't think we need to worry about that. Usagi-chan wants to play with you again. Would you like that?" Wiping the tears that were rolling down Shigure's cheek, she smiled encouragingly at him.
"Really? But will Akito-san allow it?" Even at such a tender age, the fear of the master of house was engraved into every cursed Sohma member.
"You know what? It'll be a secret between the three of us. It'll be okay, baby." As Yukino whispered the last sentence, she knew in her heart that was to reassure herself more than the boy she held tightly to her heart. For her son, she would break the most important Sohma law…but it would be worth it, to give Shigure a taste of a normal life.
TBC
AN: This story is also written for the LJ group: 30 Houshin, which is a group dedicated to SM crossovers. It is a low pressure group, so if you're looking for a good challenge and lots of fun, check it out You don't have to be a Usagi fan to join, in fact, the group is currently looking for writers who mainly write crossovers involving the inners and outers. The link is on my profile for those of you who are interested. ♥