((Woo! Another chapter is here! Everyone doing well? I hope so! Well, my cat Clyde is out for the night so I should be able to write without distractions! Course it doesn't help to have Pirates of the Caribbean playing to the side of me ;) Hope you all enjoy!--TymetoPretend))

"What?" Was all Kyo could say. How could God have tricked one of the animals? He waited for Raiden to continue on, but right as Raiden opened his mouth a crowd of people entered the small home. Hatori, Shigure, a few house maids, Yuki and the others, and lastly, Akito, all stood behind Raiden who was sitting quietly on the couch. He did not move as they approached him, but he calmly got up and turned around to face him. Akito was the first to speak.

"Why did you leave me Raiden? Don't you know how much that angers me?" Akito said, moving to stoke Raiden's fair cheek. In the blink of an eye, Raiden unexpectedly turned into his bear form.

"What!?" Everyone exclaimed, backing away from the giant bear the took up most of the room in the small area. Raiden bared his teeth and snapped at Akitos still outreached hand.

"Hatori! Shiguri! Stop this beast!" Akito yelled and backed away from Raiden. As Shigure and Hatori moved in to subdue Raiden, Raiden dashed out the room with a speed none of them could have guessed. Shigure and Hatori ran after him, though they knew catching up with him was a slim chance. Akito stood in the middle of the room, looking aghast.

"I've had enough of this tonight. Take me home." Akito said, pointing to one of the house maids who obeyed at once. Everyone who had come from the main house followed Akito back into the dark stormy night. Haru wished everyone good night, along with Hiro who had come along as well. Tohru waved goodbye to them hesitantly, concern washing over her face for them and her new friend Raiden. Kyo came up beside her, carrying a masked face of emotion. He did not know what to make of the new member. He was desperate to hear Raiden's story and what place he had within the Zodiac…..

"Kyo, will Raiden be alright? I hope he dose not catch a cold…Its raining so much outside."

Kyo patted her shoulder awkwardly, not sure how else to comfort her.

"Shigure and Hatori won't let anything happen to him, try not to worry so much."

He tried to smile at her, but seeing the sadness in her eyes made him hesitate.

"Go to bed, don't worry about him." Was all Kyo could say. Torhu gave him a weak smile and followed his orders. Kyo stood alone in the living room, rubbing his head and wondered when he would see the new Sohma again.

****

The rain hit loudly on Kyo's window. The rain made him restless and he was finding it difficult to sleep, even though he felt exhausted. His head weighed heavy in his hands and his eyes throbbed in his skull.

"When will this rain end already!?" He yelled to no one but himself.

"It can't rain all the time. It'll let up soon." Someone said in the darkness of his room.

Kyo sat up quickly, causing his headache to worsen and make him dizzy.

"Who's there?!" He yelled, trying to find the light to turn on. Raiden was two steps ahead of him. He turned the light quickly on and sat on the empty chair to Kyo's desk.

"You could have given me a heart attack! What are you doing in my room?!"

"Yours was the only window that wasn't locked." Raiden said and smiled.

"That figures…..hey, did Shigure and Hatori find you?"

Raiden stiffened slightly in his chair, "No, and I don't want them to know I'm here right now."

"Right, like that won't be a problem. Hiding a missing bear…."

"Kyo, please, I need to talk to you. Especially you."

"Why, what does any of this have to do with me?"

"It has everything to do with you. Our stories are intertwined."Kyo wasn't sure how to respond to his statement, so he sat up in bed, rubbed his eyes and tried his best to look as though he was paying attention.

"How much do you know of the Zodiac story Kyo?"

"That's a stupid question, I know all of it!"

"That's not what I mean…..do you know the story behind the reason to why the cat was left out of a banquet?"

"The rat tricked him." Kyo said in a bitter voice.

"Yes, the rat did trick the cat, but the rat was not alone. God had purposely left out the cat, and his friend, the bear."

"What do you mean?" Kyo asked.

"The story really begins even before the banquet, when God was choosing which animals he would have liked to attend his banquet. He chose each one carefully, selecting only the best of animals to join him in such a bountiful feast, animals who were worthy of being anywhere near God. He chose animals of prestige, the dragon, the tiger, the horse….and he chose lesser animals such as the snake, the rat, and dog and the others which followed. God was especially fond of the cat, for the cat was clever and knew God better than the rest of them. He told God things that opened up his mind to new possibilities, and new things he had never before sought to experience…feelings. God was a man who knew everything, everything but what makes an animal an animal. The ability to love unconditionally and loyally. However, as the banquet drew near, he began to see another side of the cat. The cat went to the other animals in friendship, and he offered them help when they needed it. God thought the cat was taking his animals away from him, and so he asked the rat to tell the cat the wrong day of the banquet. He acted out of jealously, not wanting the cat to have more and know more than even himself. When the bear heard of Gods mistrust and betrayal he went to confront God and demand God to tell the other animals what he himself had done. God had told the bear that he was wrong and that he was making the banquet dedicated to his friend the cat, in honor of his friendship and willingness to love all animals. He told the bear to find the cat and tell him of this great news. While the bear went to tell the cat, God carried on with the banquet without them. Ashamed of his own self to trust anyone, the bear left and was forgotten by the rest of the members of Gods group. And so lies the story of the two outcasts. The bear, and the cat."

Kyo was not sure what to say after the story Raiden had told him. Which was the true version? Why had no one mentioned the bear before now? Why would they keep him away, and leave the cat out? Kyo knew there was something missing from the tale, and he was going to find out what it was, and why Raiden suddenly appeared.