Gentle beams of sunlight touched down on Kaibara High School, highlighting the building a glinting shade of navy blue. Flocks of chattering students zoomed through the doors, thinking themselves much too busy so much as to risk a glance at their newcomer. The girl did not mind going unnoticed. She was not one for bathing in the spotlight anyway. Locks of her rich chocolate brown hair were pinned back with little blue bows. This would have given a very nice display of her face if not for the bangs that hung just above her thinly shaped eyebrows.

Her hands were limp at her sides with a photograph of a women aged in her mid-twenties beaming and shaking a peace sign for the camera. A sagging pointed hat obscured most of the women's hair that came up only just above her shoulders and was a strikingly vibrant shade of orange. I'm here, mom! I'm finally at Kaibara, the girl thought cheerfully as she gazed into the crinkled eyes of her photographed mother.

"Hey," called a voice.

"M-mom?!" the girl gasped, shoving the photograph so close to her face, her nose touched the paper as she looked for the source of the voice. Her mother's voice was quite a bit deeper than she'd last remembered.

"'Mom'? That's a new one," the voice muttered again with an air of irritation, almost as though this person had better things to do than speak with her. She spun around and nearly collided with a surprisingly tanned boy, who flinched back with startle at her sudden movement. It wasn't his dark complexion, or even the crimson eyes that took her by surprise, but the same, flaming shade of rich orange hair that sat messily on his head. Strands of loose hair hung just over his eyes and there were two bits in the back that stuck straight up in opposite directions. This boy's hair, it seemed, was so untidy it defied gravity.

"My apologies if my cousin, here, scared you," said a much gentler voice. Behind the brilliantly orange haired boy stood another boy. His hair framed his face asymmetrically. The right side was the longest and tapered off just to about where his chin was. This boy, like his cousin, also possessed a peculiar shade of hair. His hair most nearly resembled tinsel glinting on a Christmas tree. Unlike his cousin, he had a kind grin pasted on his face. "My name is Yuki Sohma, and this," he said, gesturing with dull enthusiasm to his cousin, "is Kyo Sohma. He's a bit of an idiot, but-"

"I'm not an idiot!" Kyo snarled through gritted teeth, stamping his foot rather like an overgrown child.

Yuki glanced with disinterest at Kyo before continuing, "Are you Tohru Honda?"

Tohru blinked a few times and let out a nervous laugh. "H-how did you know my name?"

Kyo rolled his eyes. "Gimme a break. You're the only kid without proper robes on. Who else would the new kid be?"

Now that the boy had mentioned it, she had yet to see a kid without robes like the two boys had on. They each had a kimono-like outfit draped around them. Kyo, it seemed, had rolled up his sleeves to sit at the ball of his shoulder and had a very deep v-neck. Yuki, on the other hand, had a much tighter fitting kimono with a collar that crept up his neck.

Aside from the difference in the way the boys had displayed the kimonos, the only other difference was the color. Kyo's was an intense, fiery red rather like his hair, and Yuki's, a deep sapphire. With each passing student, she remembered her eye catching the tails of their robes as they flitted passed her. The more she thought about it, the less colors she recalled. Red and blue, she had seen for sure... It was possible there was a yellow... She scrunched her nose, as though the memories might flood back to her by this very action, but all it produced was a slight chuckle from Yuki and a twitching, lopsided grin that lasted only a second on Kyo's face before he choked it back down.

Kyo raised an eyebrow at her and said, "If you're done bein' a whacko, can we get this damn tour over with already?"

"Eh?! Tour?" Tohru repeated, turning frantically from Kyo to Yuki. "Y-you don't have to do that!"

"Yeah, we do gotta do that," Kyo huffed, folding his arms beneath his ribcage. "It's part of my detention, and his crappy student council thing. It's not like we want to."

"Unlike you, I'm happy to show Miss Honda around," Yuki replied coldly.

Tohru's hair swung to the floor as she sank into a low bow. "I'm so sorry to be such a bother!"

Yuki's lips parted in surprise and he reached out a comforting hand, but Kyo's hand enclosed her wrist before Yuki got the chance to rest his hand on her. "If you're so sorry, then what're you waiting for? Let's go already!" Kyo said, pulling her forward with such force, she stumbled to keep up with him.

Yuki gave her a closed lipped grin and walked alongside the two.

As they tore through the hall, a few students here and there stopped in their tracks at the commotion. It must have been quite a sight, the redheaded boy marching down the hall with Tohru in tow and Yuki at her side. Kyo didn't have a need to push past any of his peers. They all scrambled out of his path and quickly went back to their conversations.

"Kyo has a bit of a reputation as a hothead," Yuki said, dropping his voice so low only Tohru could hear it. "Not that I think you'd let that go unnoticed." After shuffling through the long, narrow hallway, Kyo finally stopped at a massive open-mouthed archway. Both Yuki and Kyo stepped sideways to allow Tohru to take in the view of their destination.

A large dome ceiling soaring well above their heads warmly lit the spacious room as it reflected the cloudless, cerulean-blue sky that was illuminating the outside world at this very moment. There were four of the longest tables Tohru had ever seen in her life resting atop the glossy bamboo flooring. Each table proudly displayed a different color tablecloth. Green, yellow, blue, and red tablecloths with patterns that similarly matched the kimonos the boys were wearing elegantly draped the tables. Yuki hesitated at the handsome table with the blue cloth to seat himself, but Kyo kept marching until they hit red.

Tohru felt the grip on her wrist fade away as Kyo plopped himself onto the stiff red bench. She gently lowered herself to the seat directly across from him as Yuki slid next to her.

"Wow! It's amazing how much the tables match your robes!" Tohru exclaimed excitedly.

Kyo muttered something like, "Oh, geez.." under his breath after a tremendously noticeable roll of his eyes, but Yuki simply smiled and nodded encouragingly. "Yes, the robes we wear were modeled for the same very reasons the tablecloths were, to show respect for the founders of Kaibara."

There was a brief moment where the mechanics embedded in Tohru's brain made a click incomprehension. So that must be why they have multiple uniforms! She thought.

"So then, you must have more than one founder of the school!" she said with fascination.

"Damn, you're so easy to please," Kyo mused, rubbing a knot out of the nape of his neck. "The houses are Gryffindor for Godric Gryffindor," he said, pinching his kimono. "It's for the bravest. Ravenclaw for Rolanda—"

"Roemwena Ravenclaw, Kyo," Yuki corrected with a frown. He smiled and gestured to his robes. "Ravenclaw is my house. It symbolizes intelligence, creativity, and learning."

"Right, it's the lamest house," Kyo said, his tone implying the obviously. "The yellow one is Hufflepuff for Helga Hufflepuff. It's the second lamest house for the wusses who are loyal and value justice and all that B.S." Kyo waved his hand dismissively before pointing to the green table. "And that is Slytherin for Salazar Slytherin. They're deceptive, crazy ambitious, and ruthless 'leaders,' apparently. All a bunch of assholes who can't stand not getting what they want.."

"Which is why Kyo nearly got sorted into Slytherin himself!" Yuki chuckled.

Kyo's cheeks burned a fiery red and he slammed his palm down on the table defiantly. "Shut the hell up! I did not almost get sorted into Slytherin and if ya don't believe me, let's settle this like men and fight here and now, Girly-Boy!"

Tohru burst out into shaky laughter. "P-please don't fight! I believe you're in Gryffinfor!" In order to ease the tension Tohru brought up her pointer finger as an idea struck her and she quickly changed the subject. "Those names don't really sound Japanese, though.."

Yuki nodded in agreement. "Oh, they're not. If I had a guess, I would most likely think they're from an English-speaking country, but it's hard to be sure.

"Anyway, after they finished building a school in whatever country it is they originated in, they traveled to a select group of countries and developed a few more Wizarding Schools in their honor."

"But you're a fifth year too, aren't you? Shouldn't you know this?" Kyo interrupted, redistributing his weight on the bench so as to straighten himself up from his slouch.

Tohru's cheeks turned a rosy shade of red that rather matched the table as she gave a timid little nod.

"Then why do ya need all this explained to you in the first place?"

Tohru's chocolate brown eyes sparkled at the chance to speak of this topic. "Oh, because of my mom!" It was very evident Tohru had assumed her sentence would have cleared any confusion from the pair of cousins. Instead, however, Yuki's eyes glanced up at the ceiling, as if to guide him to the explanation and Kyo's eyebrows knitted together as he scratched his head.

"I studied under my mother until I turned 15!" she exclaimed jubilantly.

""You're a homeschooled witch in Japan?" Kyo repeated with raised, unimpressed eyebrows. "I've never heard've that before.."

"My mother was Kyoko Honda!"

Taking the long pause of silence as her cue to give further information, she added, "The Red Butterfly!"

Yuki let out a small coherent ohhh, but the words seemed to only increase Kyo's confusion.

"How in the hell did your mom manage to become a red butterfly?" Kyo winced as Yuki threw a swift blow to the arm at him. "Not literally, you idiot. Correct me if I'm wrong, Miss Honda, but I believe The Red Butterfly is the leader of a famous gang of Aurors, who took down dark wizards on their brooms."

Tohru's eyelids creased over in a smile much like the one her mother had given in the photograph as she beamed at Yuki. "That's right! They say her jacket looked like a red butterfly when she flew!"

Yuki grinned. "Yes, I've heard she was a very talented witch. Your schooling must've been quite something, Miss Honda. Do you mind my asking why you discontinued?"

The usual pleasant smile on Tohru's face faltered at once and Yuki thought he could have sworn her warm eyes glinted with tears before they hid under her shadow cast bangs. Kyo aggressively inclined his head forward, packed a fist into Yuki's bicep, and whispered loudly through gritted teeth, "What the hell did ya say that for, you bastard!? What'd ya have to go and make her cry for?!"

Tohru shot her trembling hands up and waved them back and forth frantically. "N-no!" she sniffled. "It wasn't anything you did, Sohma-san! It's just.. My mother.. passed away about a year ago."

Yuki whispered, "Oh, Miss Honda.." and placed a warm, comforting hand on her shoulder. Kyo's hand twitched a few times, as though seriously debating whether or not to pat Tohru's, but instead, gave her a sideways glance of concern. "A-anyway, she always said how she'd regretted never finishing her education," Tohru let a half-hearted hand flit around her to gesture at the Great Hall they were seated in. "My mother used to be a student here, so I thought, what better way to finish my education than continue at the place my mother learned in?"

She paused to wipe her damp tears with the back of her fists. A strained grin spread across her lips before turning from Yuki and Kyo. "S-so about this house thing! Do you get to pick your house, or-"

"Of course not.." Kyo responded hesitantly, careful to keep his usual snappy voice gentle, as well as avoid meeting her partially swollen eyes. "You don't get to pick your house; your house picks you."

Tohru's mouth hung open for a few seconds, as she glanced at Yuki for an explanation. Though she was nearly certain he would answer this, Yuki simply shook his head with delight.

"Just wait and see. It should be starting any minute now.."