"What are you doing?" Kyo demanded, causing the others crouching at the door to jump with wide, startled expressions. Tohru's face flamed red at being caught as she opened her mouth to rapidly explain why she was snooping near the principal's office, while Yuki looked mildly annoyed. Haru, upon seeing that it was only Kyo, relaxed and leaned against the wall, an expression of disinterest on his face.
"Kyo!" Momiji exclaimed, jumping from behind Tohru with a wide smile. Kyo blinked, not having noticed the other boy until now. "Please don't rat us out!"
Yuki sent Momiji a look at that statement, but said nothing.
"We just need to break into the principal's office," Momiji continued in a rush. Kyo blinked, understanding that simple choice of words rather than Tohru's nervous babbling. The girl blinked before nodding rapidly to Momiji's simple explanation.
Kyo frowned, folding his arms. "Why?"
"The principal took Momiji's camera," Haru said simply.
Kyo cocked his head. "So?"
"There's a video of Shigure," Yuki stated without looking in his cousin's direction, trying to open the door.
Kyo snorted. "Of him doing what? Flirting? Acting like the Dog he is?"
"No," Yuki said mildly. "Of Shigure turning into the Dog."
Kyo's eyes widened in horror as the words and the magnitude of the situation sunk in for him. He turned sharply to glare at Momiji, orange eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why would you take a video of that?" he snapped, outraged at how careless his blond cousin could be.
"It was funny because Ayame brought a dog whistle and wanted to try it out on Shigure," Momiji defended. "I recorded it on my camera when Shigure turned into the Dog and I wanted to show it to Thoru. I didn't think the teacher would take my camera from me and give it to the principal!"
"You were watching the video in class," Haru said simply, staring at Momiji. "What did you think the teacher would do?"
"Idiot!" Kyo snapped, shoving past his cousin and trying frantically to open the principal's door. "Are you trying to blow the family secret?" He growled, kicking at the door in frustration. "Locked," he grumbled.
"Thank you for pointing out the obvious for us," Yuki said, eyes narrowed as he stared at the stubborn door.
"We tried picking the lock," Tohru said, holding up a twisted paper clip. "But it didn't work."
Kyo glared at Haru. "And why are you here?"
"I'm the look out," Haru said simply, shrugging.
"Some look out you are," Yuki grumbled. "You didn't warn us that the stupid Cat was here."
Kyo growled. "Watch it Rat-boy."
"Please don't fight," Tohru said quietly, aware that an argument between Yuki and Kyo would escalate into a real fist fight if they were not stopped.
"Why don't you kick the door down?" Momiji asked Haru, looking at him. "You're strong, you could kick it down!"
Haru blinked. "I can't kick that door down."
"Sure you can!" Momiji said. "Just like that time you trashed the classroom when Rin dumped you!"
Haru's eyes narrowed dangerously, and he visibly stiffened.
"Or we could have you turn into Black Haru and you could kick it down!" Momiji continued. "We just need to comment on your hair-" Momiji was swiftly cut off by Yuki's firm hand covering his mouth with a loud 'slap.'
"We do not need an uncontrollable Black Haru added to this mess," Yuki said, glaring at a struggling Momiji.
"But lunch is almost over," Momiji protested when Yuki released him. "And we still haven't broken the door!"
"Well, we can't leave the camera and risk having the principal looking at the tape," Yuki said.
"Hey, Yuki," Haru said suddenly, kneeling on the floor and sticking his fingers beneath the door. "We only need one person to steal the camera back, right?"
Yuki blinked. "Yes, I guess we do. Why?"
"You're small as the Rat," Haru said. "Tohru could hug you, and you could squeeze under the door and unlock it for us."
"Where he can be a naked human for all to see?" Kyo commented with a snort. He jerked a finger at Tohru. "We've got a woman here."
"We've transformed plenty of times in front of her before," Haru stated.
"I've never seen anything!" Tohru squeaked, embarrassed. "I swear!"
"And getting that camera back is more important than our modesty," Haru continued.
"Have you no shame?" Yuki demanded, running a hand through his hair in exasperation as he looked upward.
"I'll close my eyes!" Tohru said helpfully, turning red.
Yuki looked flustered when he glanced at the girl, yet a thoughtful look came across his face as he pondered the hastily formed plan.
"Better make a decision quick," Haru said. "Lunch ends in ten."
Yuki sighed. "Alright," he said. He looked at Tohru, holding his arms out with a small smile. "Miss Honda, if you please?"
Tohru nodded quickly, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around Yuki. She felt his arms encircle around her before a puff of smoke filled her vision and her arms were filled with Yuki's school uniform and a tiny, silver rat.
The next few minutes were spent with Yuki squeezing through the small space of the door and into the principal's office. His rat nose twitched as he stared up at the looming door before him, and he could hear the others on the other side, waiting for him to turn back. He sat down, waiting and hoping his transformation back into a human would occur rather quickly this time. After a few minutes went by, he began to feel agitated, and his tail twitched with impatience.
"What if he can't do it?" Kyo asked as they waited on the other side.
Haru glared. "You think Yuki can't open a little doorknob?"
Kyo returned the glare. "You know what I mean!" he snapped. "What if it takes too long for him to transform back?" His attention turned to Tohru, who was sitting on the floor with Yuki's clothes. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"Oh!" she said, looking up and flushing. "I'm folding his clothes," she said.
"I can see that," he stated. "But why? Darn Rat won't care."
"Um," she stuttered. "Because it's...I thought it would be helpful!"
"Hey," Haru interrupted. "Who's the look out for the principal?"
Everyone froze as they all looked up with wide eyes, before looking to see someone striding down the halls of the school. Kyo swore while Tohru, Haru and Momiji scrambled up.
Meanwhile, Yuki's rat ears perked up at the sound of frantic whispers and rapid footsteps. He sat up, creeping toward the door with worry.
"Yuki," Haru said through the door. "The principal is coming. Hide!"
Panic began to fill Yuki. The principle was here? Now? Why was he early? Surely he couldn't have been the Rat for a full ten minutes! These thoughts ran through Yuki's head as he ran toward the desk, wondering what to do.
"What do we do?" Momiji asked as they scrambled down the halls.
"Beats me," Haru said blankly.
"Come up with something!" Kyo demanded. "If that darn Rat turns back into a human, there will be a lot more explaining required then a stupid video, and we do not need this reaching Akito!"
Tohru twisted her hands nervously. "Maybe we could just...talk to the principle while Yuki gets away?"
All four teenagers watched with growing dread as the principle approached office. Momiji, while looking back, tripped and fell forward. Tohru let out a surprised squeak and instinctively went to catch him, only to realize too late what she was doing and what such an embrace would mean for the cursed cousin.
A cloud of smoke filled the hallway, and Tohru was left holding the yellow Rabbit while Kyo was smacking his forehead in annoyance.
"Idiot," he muttered.
"Well," Haru stated. "This got a bit more complicated."
Tohru turned red in embarrassment was she held the transformed Momiji. "I am so sorry!" she exclaimed in a rush while Haru grinned in amusement.
"Stop grinning!" Kyo snapped at his cousin. "This is not funny! This is all a stupid disaster! The darn Rat is going to blow our secret, the stupid Rabbit couldn't keep his arms away from Tohru-"
"Actually," Momiji said. "Tohru was the one to embrace me."
"And now the whole secret is going to be known!"
"It will be if you keep shouting like that," Haru commented. "And when did you care so much about the secret anyway?"
"Rabbit," Kyo growled, ignoring Haru. "Stop nuzzling Tohru!"
"But she's upset," Momiji defended as he nuzzled a flustered Thoru's cheek.
"No need to get so worked up," Haru said with a sigh. "It's not so bad-"
"Eek!" a sudden voice screamed as students filled the hallway. "There's an oversized rat in that girl's arms!"
"And it's chewing her face!" another screamed.
"A rat?" a familiar voice demanded. "Chewing my Thoru's face? I'll kill it!"
Kyo's eyes widened in horror. "It's that Yankee!" he exclaimed.
"It's bad," Haru stated, grabbing Tohru's hand. "Run," he said, rushing down the halls with Kyo running after them. Where Arisa was, Hana was not too far behind, and they did not need the wave girl to sense Momiji's familiar waves on the Rabbit.
In their sudden panic and fear, they completely forgot about the predicament Yuki was left in.
In the office, Yuki pressed himself up against the desk as the principal sat down. Yuki swallowed nervously, looking at the once again closed office door. He was currently coming up with possible excuses to tell the principal as to why he was in the man's office in the first place.
As a naked human.
Who showed up out of nowhere.
He banged his tiny Rat head against the desk in frustration with a small squeak. Who was he kidding? There was no way he could explain this situation. He was a dead man.
His ears twitched at the sounds of screaming coming from the hallway. He looked up with mild interest, wondering what could have happened to cause such a commotion. Apparently, the principal was wondering the same thing as he got up from his desk and opened the door. Yuki moved to the side of the desk to avoid being seen, crouching low.
"What is going on?" the principal demanded as a student rushed by.
"There's an oversized rat chewing at a students face!" came the shrill shriek.
Yuki frowned. A rat? They couldn't be talking about him, could they? He wasn't chewing on anyone's face! And who was the unfortunate student they were speaking about?
"A rat?" the principal demanded, stepping out of the office. "Where?"
In that moment, a puff of smoke overcame Yuki and he found himself as a human once more on his hands and knees. But luckily, the principal seemed way too busy with the screaming students to notice the oddly colored smoke at his desk. Yuki stayed still and frozen as he heard the door shut, and only then did he move.
He scrambled up, hastily pulling open the many drawers of the desk. His eyes kept flickering over to the closed door worriedly, hoping the principal would not show up at the last minute. He looked back as he opened up one more drawer, sighing in relief when he found Momiji's camera, the one that caused this whole mess in the first place.
He snatched the camera up before rushing towards the door, snagging the principals long dark trench coat at the last minute. He hastily put it on to cover himself, quickly buttoning it up before yanking the door open and rushing out into the chaos.
In the midst of all the chaos, Tohru was running as Haru dragged her along while she was still holding Momiji and the pile of clothing. She felt terribly guilty from running from her two best friends, but she understood that having the Sohma's family curse being found out would be bad enough.
Not to mention, she knew Arisa would kill Momiji for mistakenly believing that the Rabbit was harming Tohru.
Haru was dragging her towards the doors of the school, causing her eyes to widen. "We're leaving the school?" she blurted out.
"We have to," Haru said. "Skipping class ain't a big deal anyway."
Tohru let out a horrified gasp at the thought of skipping class, but Kyo was gripping her shoulders and shoving her forward. She yelped, feeling a moment of terror well up inside of her at the thought of skipping school and breaking her promise to her mother.
"Miss Honda!" a familiar, welcome voice exclaimed, catching her attention. She looked up in relief to see Yuki rushing towards them.
"Yuki!" Haru exclaimed. "You got the camera?"
"Are you wearing the principal's coat?" Kyo demanded.
Yuki showed the camera to them all while glaring at Kyo. "I wasn't going to run down the halls naked, stupid Cat."
Kyo huffed. "Your fan club would have died right then and there," he muttered, causing Yuki to scowl.
"Might not have been a bad thing," Haru said with a grin.
"Knock it off Haru, or I will disown you," Yuki warned as they pushed the doors open.
"Eeek!" another scream rang out. "It's Prince Yuki! And he's wearing nothing but a trench coat!"
Several screams that only increased in volume caused the group to freeze in horror.
"Run!" Yuki shouted, shoving everyone out the doors and into the outdoor sunlight.
In that moment, Mayuko happened to look out the window with a frown. "Why is Miss Honda carrying a rabbit with the Sohma's?" Her frown deepened. "And why is Yuki Sohma wearing the principal's coat?" She rubbed her forehead tiredly as she reached for her phone. Dialing a number she knew by heart, she waited as it rang. "Hatori," she said when the person she was calling answered. "Heads up, but you might want to take an aspirin or two for today."