Ahh! I'm so excited with this! Sorry just had to say this!

CHAPTER 1:

Six year old Tsukino Usagi exhaled into the cold winter air, enjoying the simple gift of nature that allowed her to see her own breathe. She was dressed in a warm jacket that was a very pretty blue, matching, but no where as pretty as, her eyes. The small girl was a little ball of excitement. She was going to the Sohma household for the renowned Sohma New Year's celebration that took place every year. While that was cause for excitement by itself, that was not what made the young girl so very happy. She giggled into her gloved hands. Today, she would be seeing her older brother.

Of course, he couldn't know that she was his younger twin sister or even who she was. Her mother had taken hours explaining this to Usagi, drilling Usagi constantly even on the car ride there. Usagi could watch the boy if she wanted to that badly – and she did. However, under no condition was Usagi to even say a word to the boy. She would be playing with all the normal children of the Sohma household.

Despite her youth, Usagi knew all about the secrets of the inner Sohma family. Her mother had never treated Usagi condescendingly, feeling very compassionate towards the child who had been abandoned by her own real mother. In addition to this, Ikuko felt that Usagi at the very least deserved to know of her brother. This required preparation though, and Usagi had been detailed about how both Usagi's and her brother Yuki's memories would be erased should anything happen between them.

Although this should have disheartened the young girl, (we all know that) Usagi had always been a cheerful girl. Usagi did not think about the fact that she would never be able to truly get to know her older brother, but instead thought about finally being able to see him. After all, the young Yuki had always been a little sickly, perhaps from being with Akito all the time. This would be his first appearance since birth outside the Jyuunishi and their select few other consorts.

The massive wooden doors opened to the festive scene that was the Sohma New Year celebration. Usagi gasped in delight. Her mother and father looked down happily at the young child. While biologically, Usagi wasn't the child of the Tsukinos, she had never been treated otherwise. Her mother glowed with happiness, because her daughter was such a perfect angel, because her daughter was finally able to see her older brother, because Ikuko Tsukino was pregnant and would be having a son herself soon. A son that could hopefully help Usagi get over her lack of a relationship with her real brother.

As Usagi ran through the entrance to the Sohma estate, her mother called out to her.

"Usagi, Mama is very tired," Ikuko shouted to her daughter, "Papa and I will go inside to rest. Play, but remember what I told you…"

The woman laughed to herself, for Usagi was already gone.

Usagi was running topspeed in an unconscious effort to wear down her anxiety. She didn't have to worry about Yuki, he wouldn't be outside until much later given his sickly condition. Knowing this, Usagi ran freely, but had to attempt a sudden turn as a figure about her size walked in front of her path and stopped there.

Too late.

Usagi bumped shoulders with the other child, crashing him into the snow, and causing both herself and the other child to tumble into the snow. It didn't hurt a bit, for the snow was still powdery and fresh. In fact, Usagi enjoyed the feeling so much she kept on rolling in the snow, laughter exploding from her, causing tears to leak from the corner of her eyes. Beside her, she heard a similar noise erupting from the person beside her. When it stopped, Usagi turned to her side and blinked her watery eyes to see a young boy with short orange hair. The child stood up and pretended to act serious, which, though he didn't know, would, of course, never work with Usagi.

"You," he said, addressing her in a gruff voice that he hoped would sound adult, "should say sorry for pushing me into the snow."

"I," giggled Usagi, in her best imitation of him, "am very sorry for pushing you in the snow. I did not see you in time to stop myself from running into to you. But I think you might have had fun being pushed in the snow, seeing how you were laughing so hard, Mr. Grumpmeister."

He glared at her in what she thought of as cat-like eyes, but while this was intended to frighten her, it only caused an eruption of more giggles out of her. She extended a hand out to him in the friendly and cheerful manner that had always been her way.

"I'm Tsukino Usagi," Usagi introduced herself to the boy.

"Kyou," the boy answered her, "Sohma Kyou."

"Kyou-chan," Usagi shouted and grabbed his hand when he hesitated to take hers. She continued to shout his name in different forms and ways, even once in a sing-song manner. "…Kyon-Kyon, Kyo-o-o, Kyoko!"

When she noticed his angry stare, she stretched out a hand to ruffle his hair, and then proceeded to poke his ribs, when she noticed that he had no reaction.

The truth was, Kyou had no idea what to do. Besides his mother, no one had ever dared this close to him, especially a girl. He couldn't give her the chance to hug him, yet he couldn't let his first, and probably only, chance for a friend slip by. Other children had been told by their mothers to stay away from him and even the adults had all avoided him. Even Sohma's who knew nothing of the curse, refused contact with him, knowing without truly knowing, of his curse.

Usagi waved a hand in front of his eyes, then ran behind him and completely covered his eyes. Finally, Kyou arose from his thoughts only to find himself blinded. He flailed his arms, in an escape attempt, only to trip Usagi's feet. Usagi fell into a mound of powdered snow and became entrenched in it. She felt something furry on her chest and grabbing it, she dug her way out of the pile of snow, raising the creature to eye-level.

Kyou, growled in his cat form and looked away. He was in trouble now, for sure. He had been transformed. Fortunately, no one else had seen. Unfortunately, he was trapped in Usagi's hands, unable to move or escape her wide-eyed gaze. He could feel her observing him with the scrutinous eye he had become so used to over time. He looked away and growled. Her memories would be erased; he would be put in even further isolation. His poor mother, he thought. Poor Usagi, he realized, she would probably also be expelled from the house. And having your memories erased was not a pleasant New Year's gift.

"I'm sorry Usagi-chan."

"Wow, I've never seen one of the Jyuunishi before!" Usagi exclaimed gleefully. "And you called me Usagi-chan, does that mean we're friends?"

He looked at her incredulously and began to laugh disbelievingly. He laughed loud and long, and even when he transformed back and was naked in the cold snow, he laughed. He laughed as Usagi turned around, blushingly, to give him privacy. He just laughed and hugged her, transforming himself again. (They're innocent little kids, so get whatever naughty thoughts you have out of your head!)

END

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