Narrator POV
There was a scratching at the door, and Torhu went to open it. There, was her child-hood pet, Rain. Rain was a shapeshifter of sorts. She often shifted from a cat that looked like a mountain lion, into an actual mountain lion, then a while later, back. Right now she was a cute little cat.
"Rain! Oh my! Its been such a long time!" Torhu was shouting. She hadn't seen Rain after Kyoko died. She swept Rain into her arms and gave her bear hug.
"Ok, Toe, put me down." Torhu did, not surprised as Rain had spoken many time when she was a child. She didn't talk in front of others, except her and her mom. Rain turned into a mountain lion, and after Torhu sat back down, she curled up next to Torhu.
"Hey, Toe, remember when Kyoko nearly burnt those New Years Cakes to a crisp? You had to redo them while Kyoko and I cleaned. By the way, NEVER put a dirty washcloth in your mouth. It's just plain disgusting."
Suddenly, Torhu burst out crying. "Torhu, you know your mom would want you to cherish those memories instead of looking sorry as them." Rain was up rubbing Torhu's shoulder with her head.
"I know. I am just so happy to have someone here. Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure have left for their family's events." Rain lay back down next to Torhu.
"They're coming back, Yuki and Kyo, you know," Rain said after a few minutes of looking at Kyoko's picture. She didn't move. Torhu went to get water for the two boys. Suddenly, the two such boys ran through the door. They were huffing and a puffing. Torhu handed them the glasses of water. They looked surprised.
Torhu went to sit down next to Rain. The giant cat moved slightly for her friend, then when Torhu sat, she settled down again. They lunged toward the cat. Yuki grabbed Rain's head, and Kyo pinned Rain down. Again she did nothing. She just yawned.
Yuki Pov
"Chill out, I'm not going to hurt her," the cat said. Suddenly the cat's head shrank until it was no bigger than any ordinary house cat. I was dumbfounded. I looked at Miss Honda, whose was smiling so big, her eyes had to shut. The cat simply got out of my hands and walked out the door, and stopped.
"See ya later toe. Your mom asked me to keep an eye on you, and I have. I will continue to do so." She then turned to us, as in Kyo and I, and said, "If you two or Shigure really get out of line, you will really hear from me." She did the opposite of what she did earlier.
She grew and leapt at the two of us. She growled and bared her teeth, as mountain lions do, and let out a terrible noise. She shrank, nodding to Miss Honda, and walked out the door.
Narrator POV
"Rain, wait!" Torhu was chasing after her friend. The cat stopped to look over her shoulder. Kyo and Yuki were following her. "Can you stay with me for New Year's?" Torhu asked.
"Sure, but can I show you something first?", asked Rain. Torhu nodded. "Stay here", was all she said. She ran in to the bushes, disappearing. They waited for about a minute before a girl slipped out of the woods.
She was wearing a brown t-shirt that matched her tawny brown hair that, at the ends of her hair, and at the scalp, turned midnight black. She was also wearing jeans with holes in the knees.
"Toe, sorry I couldn't tell you earlier, but Fog's orders." The girl ran up and hugged Torhu.
"Rain, You were a Zodiac?", Torhu asked confused.
"Miss...", Yuki struggled for her last name, though he thought it was Sohma.
She looked at her feet and said, "I-I don't have a last name. All secondaries are sent out on the river after birth. Fog is my foster mother," and Rain looked up. "Lets get inside before we all catch a cold. But, I do have tea for that."
They all walked home in silence. The quiet was interrupted by Kyo. "Wait your foster mother, did she used to own a dojo?"
Rain looked at him, "Yeah, she taught me everything she knew. She said the only other kid that good was Kazuma Sohma, after stumbling across her dojo." She smiled at the memory. "If you want, I can show you where she taught me. I taught Torhu everything she knows", and Rain looked back at Torhu.
Rain sent a kick meant to hit Torhu in the jaw. She dodged and grabbed Rain's ankle, twisting it. Rain landed on her hands, and sprang up, waiting. Kyo's kick almost hit her in the head, but grabbed his ankle and twisted it. Torhu came rushing, grabbed Kyo's head, and tried to kick Rain in the jaw.
"Rain". She paled, dropped Kyo's ankle, stood to attendance. "I have raised you better. Those were the sloppiest fighting moves I have ever seen from you." An old woman in worn pants and a black shirt and cardigan came rushing out of the woods, kicked Rain in the face, flipping in the air, but she landed on her feet. Rain didn't move after again standing to alertness. The woman came again and punched and slapped and kicked Rain until she had blood coming from her nose, mouth, and a finger that was bent oddly in two different places.
The old woman stopped, "I except better from you next time", she said, then spit on her foster daughter. Rain stood again.
"Yes, Fog, I will try harder to work on not being so sloppy."
"Louder!" The old woman kicked a leg, and everyone heard a snap as Rain's leg broke in two. Rain didn't move or even blink.
"Yes, Fog, I will try harder to work on not being so sloppy," Rain shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Good", Fog said. "And clean your self up. You're a mess." She left into the woods. The was a poof and the lion stood in Rain's place.
"Rain, Who was that, why did you just stand there, and where are your clothes?", Kyo, Torhu, and Yuki asked.
"That was Fog, or to me and you all, Old Mother. You MUST call her that everytime you see her. She is harsh, and does not accept lousiness. You let her beat you up, or you will regret it. This was minor, all considered. My clothes are in a bead on my bracelet. It's made of rare river stones, but the special beads are extremely rare. Only seconds." Rain slowly explained. She had shrunk.
They walked home, but Rain limped. They all started to look back at her. She changed back. Out of nowhere she had a wooden crutch. Torhu asked to stop and help, but Rain's eyes answered. No, I am hurt, but I can still kick your butt, they said.