Why, hello! I hope you enjoy reading my fanfiction. This whole chapter is a little depressing, but the whole story won't stay that way, haha. This story is partially based on the effects of the curse, partially on some romance between characters and partially on school life. Please vote/comment! Thanks.

Chapter 1: A day of rain

"So, what do you suppose this is about? The whole group of us hasn't been gathered together like this for a while," Kyo mused. "Being kneeled on the floor like this brings back memories."

"You know what. It's because of..." Yuki grimaced. "We're all back at the Main house together for, well, you know."

"No, you'll have to fill me in."

"You're so slow, Kyo."

"I am not!"

"Stupid cat."

"Damn rat."

They both caught each other's eye and gave a short chuckle. Kisa giggled. They were still keeping this up, though it had begun to feel less and less natural.

"Whatever it is, it can't be anything good," Hiro muttered. Kisa frowned.

"Way to dampen the mood, Hiro," Haru said. "You shouldn't do that. It makes Kisa feel uneasy."

"Well, I find it rather nostalgic to be back here, all gathered together!" Ayame said in a sing-song tone. "Especially to be reunited with my dear brother after such a long time!"

"As loud as ever, Ayame," Hatori sighed. He glanced out of the window at the slowly darkening grey sky, filled with menacing cloud. "It's going to pour down soon."

"Are you okay, Kyo?" Tohru asked, concerned.

"I keep telling you, the rain doesn't affect me anymore. Trust me, I'm fine," he said, his expression softening when he spoke to her.

The door to the large room opened, and because they were all knelt down, Akito looked taller than usual. She entered with Shigure, wearing a pale green Kimono and looking dangerous, like… like she used to, a long time ago.

Akito Sohma stood and observed her audience intently, watching their faces. Some, like Yuki, appeared tense and nervous, and some faces were confrontational, like Rin's. Whatever the expression, they all looked directly at Akito, kneeled down on the floor with rigid backs and hands resting in their laps.

The entire 'original' Zodiac had been gathered together this day to discuss the recent 'problems' they had been having with the curse. Also present were all the spouses and partners of the Zodiac, like Machi and Arisa, both of whom looked very uncomfortable, and were sitting close to Yuki and Kureno. They all knew what was going on, but no-one, not even Akito, had even an inkling of why. They thought the curse had been broken, but apparently not.

Shigure gave a concerned glance in Akito's direction; Akito looked… like the old her. The bad-tempered, insecure Akito, the one they all both feared and revered because of the bonds of the curse, the one that the younger members believed was male. Shigure had thought it was all over, that everyone had been able to put the past behind them and start afresh. Things were running perfectly until one day, not long after the curse broke, he had fallen ill, he transformed into his dog form. Akito had been shocked and distressed, and since then, their relationship had steadily been growing more strained. Even he couldn't tell what was on her mind now. It was all murky, uncertain.

"You all know why you're here…" Akito began, clearly trying to restrain herself. "There's been… a small hitch. It seems the curse has not broken."

Rin growled. "Damn right- seven of the Zodiacs have regressed back into the curse!"

"Silence!" Akito snapped, looking dangerous. "Seven of you sat before me have been… re-cursed in the past five years or so. The other six animals of the Zodiac… have manifested in the six children born in those five years, to six couples here."

Tohru looked at Kyo with knowing eyes. Their first child, their daughter Haruhi, had been born several weeks ago, and Kyo had felt the despair of a Zodiac parent when he had tried to hold his child, and she had transformed into the bird from the Chinese Zodiac. It had been difficult, but they felt like they were managing.

"Shigure, Momiji, Kagura, Ayame, Hatsuharu, Hiro, and Ritsu- you have all been struck with the curse again, so you all know what that means."

"We have to live in the main house again?" Hiro uttered in disbelief, having sensed this would be coming.

"Yes, and you alone. It is clear that the curse will not break, even with the help of an outsider, which is just as I predicted. So, I want all Zodiac members, including the new children, to live in the main house… in confinement! Without their families!" Akito said, her voice steadily rising in volume until she was shouting.

"No!" Hiro yelled. He took Kisa's hand in both of his. "I won't leave Kisa. Even if I do get to take my son, the horse, with me, I can't leave Kisa behind."

"You're not taking my daughter!" Kyo protested. "This is stupid- you don't got to overreact to this! Living together in confinement? It's mad."

"Kyo…" Tohru mumbled sadly. "I don't want Haruhi taken away from us. She'll lose the most precious... precious things."

"And the cat kid especially… I am rebuilding the cat compound and the isolated room… for the bad ones. Ayame and Mine, you'll have to give up your daughter, the cat, for this."

"We can't!" Mine cried. Ayame put his hand on her shoulder in warning.

"So, all the Zodiac members are being taken away from their families to live in confinement. What do the rest of us do?" Yuki asked, who, up until now, had remained silent, holding Machi's hand. Give up his daughter, the tiger? He couldn't.

"I couldn't care less," Akito sighed. "It seems you've all gotten disobedient. I may have to re-educate some of you."

"But, we're adults, you can't hold us!" Hiro shouted, getting a sense of hopelessness.

Nothing, nothing could break the bonds of blood between God and the Zodiac. He wanted to protest more, but the words Akito spoke now pierced his soul and pinned it to the ground, forcing him into submission. Words that would normally be brushed away, when said by Akito caused a pain in his heart that wouldn't subside.

"BE QUIET!" Akito roared, and she tore over to where Hiro was knelt. She grabbed Hiro by the hair and shook him violently. He was powerless to resist.

"No!" Kisa sobbed, and she put her hand out to stop her. Akito slapped it away, seething.

"You can't do anything about it! These are bonds of blood- they can't be broken. A fine job you did, Tohru Honda! Ha ha! You only managed to break the curse temporarily- you failed! Now how do you feel? Accomplished? Happy? No! Because you- can't- do- a thing! And you never will- these bonds are unbreakable!"

"Akito!" Shigure yelled, and ran over to restrain her. "Akito, this has to stop."

"Shut up, dog!"

"But, Akito… Akito, we're… Have you forgotten these past few years? You were just learning how to live again!"

Everyone was a little surprised. No-one had really seen Shigure so emotional about something. Then again, this was a momentous day for not only him, but everyone else.

"You are nothing to me now, but a dog. Now kneel!"

Shigure had no choice. He knelt to the floor in defeat. His dream of Akito happy and curse-free had been crushed. Now he would be on the same level as the others, living isolated in the compound for the rest of his days. He had thought they were happy, spending each day, slowly healing, sat beside each other and smiling. All the times when they had embraced, when they had kissed and slept side by side, were all going away, steadily becoming nothing more than a memory.

Everyone in the room looked either devastated or furious. Arisa was completely confused. Kureno had only recently divulged to her the secrets of his life so far, like why the first time he visited a convenience store was when he was twenty five, or that his curse had actually been broken since he was a teenager. This family was crazy. All the ordinary people were flummoxed by the Sohmas' ways.

"So… All those members with Zodiac children, get them, now. They're being looked after by the servants, yes? Then go and get them, and bring them here. After that, the only ones who are allowed, no, obligated to stay are those who are cursed. Parents who are cursed can stay, however, I will be asking Hatori to erase their memories of them.

Those who aren't… oh, who cares? Say your goodbyes and get out of here!" Akito spat.

Tohru and Kyo rose slowly, Tohru crying quietly into Kyo's chest. Yuki had his arm around Machi, who stared despondently at the floor. Ayame held Mine's elbow and guided her to the door, whilst Haru, Rin, Kisa and Hiro all exited in a small huddle.

The people who returned were Ayame, Haru and Hiro with all the Zodiac children. Haru was shaking.

"Why hell is this happening?" he burst out, holding his son-the rat- to his chest, and Kureno and Arisa's son, the dragon. "Dammit, why?"

"Careful Hatsuharu, you don't want to turn black with those two in your arms," Akito casually reminded him.

Ayame was pushing a large pushchair with the three girls- the bird, the tiger and the cat- inside. Hiro held his son, the horse.

Haru placed the sleeping toddlers on the floor and punched the wall nearest to him. "Rin! I had to leave Rin! Yuki, Kyo, they all had to leave their kids! This sucks, you bastard!"

The bird, the youngest at one month old, began to whimper softly, and the four month old cat and six month old tiger moaned in response, like they were communicating in their sleep. The one year old rat boy was sucking his thumb, blissfully unaware, the two year old dragon and horse doing the same, like magnets. Hiro glanced down at them. Mad, he thought, Zodiac bonds like that already. And they're so young, too.

Rain began to pour outside, slapping hard on the roof above.

The Zodiacs who remained fell to their knees, with no tears, their jawlines hard in steely endurance. Haru's face was desolate, and his now barely restrained rage had gone past the point of violence.

"Well," Akito said, "Ready to… start again?"