Prologue:

Hi, my name is Tanomi Sohma. I am 17 years old with green eyes and raven black hair that falls to my lower back. I love movies and I read many books but then, that's all there has been to do in my life. I'm not allowed outside, it's Akito's orders. I am to stay in my room until Akito see fit. The only people I have had contact with through out my life have been my three ba-bas: ba-ba-tori, ba-ba-gure, ba-ba-aya, and, of course, Akito. I have only met my brother once, but never my real parents, though I never did think much of it, it is the curse. The curse that bound the Sohma family with the Chinese zodiac, the curse that plagues me as well. Yes, I am part of the curse, but my part in this tale shall be revealed later on.

Normal POV

"Tano-kun." Hatori knocked on the door, so as not to infringe on what little 'life' she had.

"Mmmmh…" was her muffled reply as she buried her head in her blue pillow. Hatori opened the door, turned on the lights and walked over to the bed.

"Come on Tanomi…" he shook the lump on the bed in an attempt to wake the sleeping girl. "It's time for your lessons." He told her in his ever-stoic voice.

"Ten more minutes, ba-ba-tori? Please?" She pleaded nuzzling the soft fabric of the pillow beneath her head.

"No, you've slept long enough." He pulled the dark blue comforter off her, flooding her closed eyes with light.

"Noooooooooooo…" she reached for the blanket that was stolen from her. (Hatori a thief, who knew.)

"Get up and I'll tell you what Shigure called about." He said and her eyes shot open as she sprung from her bed getting in a sitting position.

"What! What did ba-ba-gure say!" She said excitedly now wide-awake and at the ready.

"We'll discuss it after your lessons." He gave her a book and sat down next to her on the bed. She had a desk but she normally only used it for homework Hatori assigned her. She told him she liked learning things in a more comfortable position and sitting on the bed was much more comfortable. Hatori didn't argue, only agreed as long as she got her work done. Hatori wasn't the hardest teacher but at the same time not the easiest. She had trouble with English and writing though her ideas were interesting and many would make good novels that Hatori wouldn't mind reading.

"What are we doing today?" She asked flipping through the pages of the big textbook.

"We will be starting Antigone, page 692 I believe." He watched her flip through the pages, and put on his glasses, until she finally got to her destination.

"What's this one about?" She asked.

"Do you remember Oedipus?"

"That's the one where he killed his father and married his mother?" She questioned.

"Right. Well he had four children."

"Oh right and Eteocles and Polyneices killed each other in battle!" she exclaimed remembering.

"Well this one's about Antigone and Ismene." He explained.

"Okay…" she nodded and followed along as she and Hatori took turns reading and she asked questions. "So…" she began at the end of the second act, where they were stopping for the day.
"What did ba-ba-gure say?" She asked holing Hatori to his word.

Hatori chuckled lightly at the grin now taking residence on her face. Shigure hadn't come to see her in a good while and she had been worried, the same goes for Ayame. "He asked about you." He said simply, a smile playing on his handsome features.

"What did he ask? What did you tell him? Is coming over?" She asked full of curiosity. Shigure had normally come to the main house once a week to see her but ever since Kyo came back he hadn't come. She had only seen him at the New Year's celebration and only for a short while at that. She was told that he had come earlier but did not even bother to say hello to her while he was there. This he could not deny because she had heard his voice for her self, she would know the voice of her ba-ba-gure anywhere.

"He asked how you were, and I told him you were fine. He then told me to tell you that he was sorry for not coming to see you in so long. He claims to have been busy with writing. But that's why I asked Akito if it was all right if you stayed the weekend with him…" he paused to let her take in what was just said.

When realization dawned on her, green orbs filled with tears widened, in fact Hatori wasn't sure the reason she had tears was because she couldn't widen her eyes anymore or because she happy. "What did Akito say? Can I go?"

He smiled. "Yes." He stated simply with a light chuckle hinting in his voice.

"Really!" She looked at the doctor with a surprised look on her face. "Thankyou sooooooooooooooooooo much!" She hugged the taller man. He smilled at her and hugged her back.

"You had better go get ready." He said. She released him nodded and began to run to her closet. She got to the middle of the room and stopped dead in her tracks.

"What do I pack in?" She asked innocently.

"Oh." Hatori said remembering that she had never had any reason to have anything to pack in. he left her room and came back with a back pack. "Use this. It's Hatsu-haru's back pack from last year."

"Hatsu-haru?" She looked at the back pack now in her hands. "I know I've heard that name before..."

"He's the ox."

"Oh yeah I remember now!" She said with smile. "I don't think he likes me though." Her smile faded as she looked down.

"Why is that? You've never met him. Have you?"

"Well one day Akito summoned me and I was walking down the hall to his room, and a guy with black and white hair came out. He looked at me then slammed me into the wall. after that I got in trouble for being late meeting with Akito..."

"Did you tell him what happened?"

"I asked him 'who was the boy with black and white hair?' but he seemed to get mad at me for asking... he said that he was he was the ox and then he said I shouldn't have known that unless I snuck out with out his knowledge." She looked up to Hatori with tears at the brim of her eyes. "I told him I had just seen him in the hall but he didn't believe me."

"I see." Hatori put his hand on her head knowing i comforted her. "That was the day you broke your arm." He said with a frown.

"Yeah. That was first time i had gone anywhere out of the house!" she said excitedly. "And now I get to go all the way ba-ba-gure's house!" She spun around and ran for her closet then turned to see Hatori. She glared at him. "I need a little privacy if you don't mind.." She told him.

"Right." He left the room.

"Now, what to pack?" She asked herself. "Hmmm. Oh! I need to pack this. And this." She began putting things in the backpack she felt she should bring. "Well that should be good. I guess I should bring an extra pair of clothes just in case." She said as she walked into her bathroom that was connected to her room.

She changed into something comfortable and got out to find Akito sitting on her bed. She looked at him, at first a little surprised, then a big smile covered her face and she ran to her older cousin arms wide. She hugged Akito as tight as she could.

"Thank you so much for letting me go!" She squealed.

"Listen to me." Akito pulled away. "You're not allowed to tell anyone how you are related to the family curse, unless..." there was pause as if Akito was trying to think of what to tell her. "They ask you directly what role you play. All right?" The head of the family asked her an eerie smile curling on the lips of the fear of most of the Sohmas.

Tanomi's chin was caught in soft pale hands about the same color as her skin. "Okay." She nodded a little shakily.

"Good." Akito's hands slid from her chin down to her wrist making Tanomi shiver. "Now, you should get going. I'm sure Shigure's waiting for you." She nodded, grabbed her new backpack and ran down hall.

"Okay! I'm ready!" She called down the hall as Hatori stepped out of his room, keys in hand.

"Then let's get going." he turned and walked down the hall to the front door with Tanomi by his side.

"Um...ba-ba-tori?"

"Yes?"

"W-what's ba-ba-gure's house like?" She asked nervously putting her shoes on. (Which were obviously made by Ayame Sohma himself.)

"Just a normal house." He stated unlocking the door.

"What's normal?" She asked putting her backpack in the back seat.

"I guess you're right." He chuckled. "Shigure's house is... well it's different."

"How?" She asked putting her seatbelt on.

"Well for starters Shigure lives there." He started the car.

"How is that different?"

"Shigure's different."

"How?" She persisted.

"I don't know. He just is... he and Ayame." He stared out the windshield watching the road.

"I guess I just don't understand how you find them so different. But then I don't have a constant variable to compare them to." She was all but talking to herself.

"Making real life a science experiment are we?" He chuckled as he came to a stop a red light. "What about me? I'm somewhat normal."

"Again, define the word normal." She stared out the window in awe as she saw the wisps of colors flying by the window.

"Well... I'm the closest to a constant you're going to find in this family."

"what would happen if..."

"If?" He questioned pulling into the parking lot of a fast food restaurant to talk to her before they got to Shigure's house.

"If... I fell in love with someone other than the rat?" She let her hair slide down to cover her face to hide the blush now engulfing her face.

"Um... it would be the same. Though, no one's ever done that before." He took her chin between his index finger and thumb lifting her head so she was looking at him. "Why?"

"I don't... I don't want to be part of this curse." Tears formed in her eyes.

"No one does."

"never mind." She pushed his hand away.

"What's wrong?" he asked firmly.

"nothing."

"Tanomi..." Hatori tried to get her to tell him what was wrong.

Her breath was shuddered but she said nothing. She didn't want to, couldn't tell him. He wouldn't understand what was wrong, he didn't have that part of the curse. Though he could; he is a seahorse after all... she chuckled to her self as she thought something similar.

Whilst Tanomi was trying to rid herself of the feeling of depression Hatori started the car up again driving towards Shigure's house.

For a first time car ride Tanomi was... well she was extremely calm about it. This was basically because she had so much on her mind. First of all she had to stop thinking depressing thoughts. She didn't know how anyone else's life was so; again she had no constant to compare her life to. For all she knew she had a really good life. Oh wait! Didn't Hatori say something earlier about someone that wasn't a Sohma living in Shigure's house?

"ba-ba." She started. "Who's the person that…Akito doesn't like."

"You mean Tohru-kun." Hatori glanced to the young lady sitting next to him. She nodded looking out the windshield. "She's a very nice girl despite what ever Akito told you. She's a friend of Yuki and Kyo."

"Kyo." She mused. "He's the cat. Akito said I'm not allowed to speak with the cat." She stared at the hands in her lap.

"Do what you want. I'm not going to stop you; that's Shigure's job now." He said as they pulled into Shigure's drive way. There sat an anxious dog also known as Shigure awaiting the arrival of his favorite little flower…besides Tohru that is. Tanomi opened the car door only to be glomped by her black haired ba-ba.

"Tano-kun! I've missed you so much!" Shigure said clinging to the teenage girl. Hatori got her bag.

"I've missed you too!" She hugged him back. "Why haven't you and ba-ba-aaya come to see me? It's been so long."

"Too long." Came a voice from behind.

sorry y'all i'm stopin' there! till next time! oh and i just wanted to know what you thought so please read and review... ano... i'll wait till i get about three reviews so yeah.

ja matte ne!

hugs kisses and ale all 'round

gure's lil inu