Chap. 1-New Strangers and Even stranger Circumstances
Shigure's house was quiet as normal....Okay...Quiet considering that it was about one in the morning, but quiet just the same. However, the forest was not so quiet. The surrounding animals had been thrown
into somewhat of an uproar, although the cause was not quite clear at the time. It was because of the continuing disturbances that two very tired, very grumpy souhmas...and a normally happy-go-lucky Shigure
emerged into the kitchen each from their different rooms.
"What the crud is all this racket for?! Can't they just shut the heck up!!!"Muttered a very disgruntled Kyou.
"Awe....How cute little kyo-kyo is when he first wakes up...Warms my soul to see such a loving and caring individual as yourself greeting the new day...Brings a tear to my eyes..."Shigure spoke in his most
mocking tone that he could muster.
"Will both of you shut up and listen..."The princely Yuki hissed, looking at the back door.
Sure enough, the forest had erupted into sound. All the animals seemed to be terribly shocked about something. The message that a stranger was in the forest was passed from animal to animal and finally
to the three listening Souhmas.
"A stranger?! What the heck's a stranger doing in the freaking forest anyway?! I swear..Let's just kill this one...Then no one else will come around...heh heh...And we'll be all alone and no one will bother us
again!"Kyou growled, clenching his fists in victory as the other two Souhmas stared at him in a slight state of fear.
"We can't do that, idiot..."Yuki muttered, walking closer to the door.
"Will you stop calling me an idiot!!!!"The cat spat back, his neko ear popping out as he hissed.
"When you stop acting like one I won't call you idiot, idiot."
"I can take you down right now rat-boy! One more word and I swear I'll...."
"You'll what?"
"WHOA! WHOA! Can't we concentrate on getting rid of the stranger first?"Shigure popped in standing between the two. They simply glared at him and nodded. "Good....Now let's go..."
Opening the door, the three cousins made their way through the forest following the advice of the animals that spoke throughout the way. They were expecting to find something of monumental importance like
a robber, an escaped convict, a mass murder, or perhaps a door-to-door salesman, but what they did find rather shocked the three dashing wardens of the estate. For, laying on the ground next to a rather big tree
was...a girl...Or...better said, a young woman with golden hair which was put back into a rather messy bun. Covered in a black cloak, it was quite hard to notice anything else distinguishable about this woman accept
her hair.
"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!!!!"Shigure piped in hopping up and down. "Can we keep her? Please!? Please!? Please!? I need a pet!!!!"
This remark brought Kyou's fist into the side of his face.
"Get your freaking perverted mind out of the gutter!!!!"He growled, his neko ears popping up again.
Falling to the ground, the dog spirit hopped up again with a more serious look about his face. "I wonder what brought her here? She does not appear to have any injuries...It's like...She simply passed out..."
"It does appear to be that way....Still....It's quite unusual that anyone would be back here...Let alone..Passed out back here.."Yuki stated, looking over the girl.
"Are the animals saying anything else about her?"Kyou inquired, looking about the forest for other people.
"No....Just...Saying there's a stranger here.."Shigure stated, tilting his head to look at the girl. "Well...I don't suppose we can leave her out here all alone....Who knows what will happen....So...Who's going to
pick her up?"
"Not me..."Kyou growled, turning to Yuki as did the dog spirit.
"Why me!?"
"Because..You're the prince...Just pick her up...."Shigure stated, motioning to the girl.
"Fine..."The mouse stated, bending to pick up the girl. Reaching his hands around her, he was very suprised to say the least when the Poofing sound was heard and he was not the one who poofed.
All three stood staring at the cloud of blue-ish smoke before them.
"What the bloody...."Kyou started, but stopped as the smoke cleared before them.
There...WHere the girl had lain was a pile of clothes and in the midst of them...A golden colored fox.
"Did she just turn into a...Fox? I could have sworn she was a girl..."Shigure stuttered slightly.
"She was a girl..."The equally shocked, and non-rat, Yuki confirmed from his position sprawled out on the ground at the inuspirit's feet.
"Does that mean...She's a Souhma?"Kyou asked, studying the girl thoroughly.
"If she was..She wouldn't have changed when Yuki tried to pick her up....."Shigure spoke breaking a slight silence.
"Then...What is she?"Yuki asked, looking at the girl with a slight horror and interest rolled into one.
"I don't know...But we need to get her back to the house...For if she is indeed not normal.....Then I have a feeling that she was running from something..."The dog stated, scooping up the fox into his arms and
wrapping it in the clothes that lay in a pile on the ground.
"Someone..Chasing her?"Yuki inquired, quite confused as to why Shigure had become so serious all of the sudden...It wasn't like him afterall.
"I don't know....But arent' these simply adorable lacey underwear....."He stated in his usual tone.
"Baka Dog!!!"Kyou hissed slamming the side of his face again.
"Idiots..."Yuki muttered as he shook his head and rose to his feet. To think..He thought that Shigure was having a serious moment. He should have known better than that, but what Shigure had said was
quite plausible. If she was different than it would be quite understandable if she had been running from something. He looked around once more at the place they had all been gathered. Perhaps Shigure was just being
stupid, but something about the air...Just wasn't right. Ignoring this, he followed his two cousins back to the house.
Sliding open the door, Shigure set the fox on the table just as it changed back. Luckily for the fox and unluckily for a certain ecchi inu, Kyo had thrown his jacket over the girl just in turn.
"I hate you..."The dog whined.
"Perv..."Kyou growled, smacking him again.
Tohru, awoken by the loud yells and slamming doors, walked into the living room. "What are you guys doing up so....Who's that on the table?"She asked, walking closer and sitting next to Yuki.
"We found her in the forest.....And we have no idea who she is...."Yuki explained.
"...And they won't let me keep her.."Shigure whined, rubbing his sore cheek as Kyou hit him one more time.
"She can transform also..."Yuki continued, looking towards Tohru.
"Oh...That explains why she only has Kyou's jacket on...I was wondering..But I didn't want to ask..."She stated, her face flushing a deep crimson causing Yuki to laugh and Kyou to scowl. "What does she
change into then?"
"A fox...A golden fox..."Shigure stated, looking over the girl.
"Really!? That is so neat! I love foxes! But....There isn't a fox in the zodiac...."She spoke in a confused tone.
"There isn't....She isn't a Souhma...."He replied, as they all sat staring at the girl.
"Then...How can she transform?"
"I don't know....I suppose we'll have to ask her that when she wakes up..."Shigure answered, looking at the clock. "Oh my! It's two in the morning! You kids had better get to sleep! You have school tomorrow,
ne? What would they say if you fell asleep in class! Don't worry! I shall stay here and protect the fox..."
"I do not trust you to protect the fox....."Kyou growled, glaring at the dog.
"Scout's honor! Nothing will happen I swear!"He replied, lifting his two fingers to his head and saluting.
"Shigure won't do anything.....But we can't miss school!!!!! To bed!!!! I won't let you down mom! I promise!!!"Tohru yelled, rushing up the staircase as the other two followed slowly.
"Shigure...Don't make us have to kill you...."The mouse spoke, disappearing beyond the wall of the stair case.
Of course, Shigure would not do anything. He was much more of a talker than a doer. The jokester that happened to joke at all the wrong times. He looked over the girl once more. She appeared to be older
than his fellow roommates. If he had to guess she was probably in her twenties. He had to wonder what would bring such a strange person into his house. Or why she had been running in the first place. She seemed
kind enough, like she had nothing to hide, but, then again, that's the way that all appear in their sleep. It wasn't long before the inu noticed that the kitsune's clothes were indeed on her, so, there had been no need for
Kyou's jacket at all. He laughed to himself and threw it off for a better look. He had not noticed it before, but she appeared to be carrying weapons. Two rather large swords and around her neck...Was a dog collar with
spikes on it. He moved his hand along the spikes and just as he did, the most ironical thing that could happen happened, she awoke. Darting backwards off of the table, the fox huddled in the corner. Shigure jumped
slightly as this happened.
"Are...Are you okay?"He asked after a long silence, regaining his words and walking towards her.
"Leave me alone....I didn't do anything to you...Please...Just leave me alone!"She yelled, covering her face with her hands.
"I wasn't going to hurt you...I just..."He started but was interrupted by the fox.
"Leave me alone! You're like them! Just leave me alone!"
"Them?"The inu inquired. "Who is them?"
"Please...Leave me alone..."The yelling had turned into a kind of whimpering at this point.
"Me and my friends saved you from the forest....We brought you here to be safe....Whoever 'them' is they can't hurt you here.....So could you at least do me the favor of telling me your name?"
"My...My name?"
"Yes....Your name..."
"N...Nira..."
"Just Nira? No last name?"
"..I..I don't know my last name...."
He managed a smile. If she did not know her last name, she obviously wouldn't know what she was or how she could transform. It would be pointless to search her further and probably much too frustrating to
her.
"That's okay....Do you know how old you are then?"
"...27..."
"..I think I like you already...
"..Huh?"
"..Nevermind...Never you mind...."He finished with a laugh.
She dismissed the akward moment and looked up at him. He did not appear to be of cruel intentions. In fact, she could not detect anything else in his face but that of the utmost kindness. He was indeed
very different than them....Very different.
"What is your name?" She asked as she finally mustered up the courage to speak.
"Shigure...Shigure Souhma...."He replied, noticing yet another distinguishing feature of the kitsune, her dark green orbs. He was for a while, slightly enthralled by them, but noticing that he was staring, he
turned to look at the door. "I get the feeling you will not tell me who 'they' are.."
She simply shook her head and paused for a second as a thought crossed her mind. How had she gotten here? He must have...Carried her...If he did then...That meant that...He had seen her other form?
"You know what I am then?"She asked, looking at the floor as if she had suddenly found it very interesting.
"A girl?"He laughed, turning back to her.
"No..I mean...You must have carried me here, right? Then you saw my other form?"She asked, still studying the floor.
"Oh...The fox..Yes...Yes we did...."
"And...You didn't just drop me and run?"
"No..Why would I do that?"
"Because...Humans aren't supposed to do that....I'm different..."
"Different? Perhaps...Perhaps, but me and my family are different..So it doesn't particularly bother me..."
"You mean..There are others of us that can change like this?"
"Well...In my family there are...I don't know about where you came from or if it's the same, but living with me here happens to be a rat and a cat transformer...And I'm the dog..."
"You can transform too? Really?"
"Yes..My family was cursed and now some of our members turn into animals of the zodiac and a cat when hugged by a member of the opposite sex...."
"Wow....There are other freaks too..."
"Whoa...Who you calling a freak!?"Kyou asked, popping out from behind a door, causing the kitsune to duck for cover yet again.
"I thought I heard someone listening in on us..."Shigure stated. "I thought it might be our little kyo-kyo.."
"Don't call me that baka Inu!"He growled from the doorway.
The fox looked upwards again to discover what smelled distinctly like a cat. She watched as he chased the dog around throwing things at him. Though she could hardly say it felt as though they hated each
other, more like two brothers fighting. She could sense the inner bonds of love. She tilted her head to the side as her thoughts began flowing faster. Perhaps....She could stay here...And be part of this...Family, and
perhaps she would never have to go back to 'them' again. Maybe she could finally....Be free.
Shigure's house was quiet as normal....Okay...Quiet considering that it was about one in the morning, but quiet just the same. However, the forest was not so quiet. The surrounding animals had been thrown
into somewhat of an uproar, although the cause was not quite clear at the time. It was because of the continuing disturbances that two very tired, very grumpy souhmas...and a normally happy-go-lucky Shigure
emerged into the kitchen each from their different rooms.
"What the crud is all this racket for?! Can't they just shut the heck up!!!"Muttered a very disgruntled Kyou.
"Awe....How cute little kyo-kyo is when he first wakes up...Warms my soul to see such a loving and caring individual as yourself greeting the new day...Brings a tear to my eyes..."Shigure spoke in his most
mocking tone that he could muster.
"Will both of you shut up and listen..."The princely Yuki hissed, looking at the back door.
Sure enough, the forest had erupted into sound. All the animals seemed to be terribly shocked about something. The message that a stranger was in the forest was passed from animal to animal and finally
to the three listening Souhmas.
"A stranger?! What the heck's a stranger doing in the freaking forest anyway?! I swear..Let's just kill this one...Then no one else will come around...heh heh...And we'll be all alone and no one will bother us
again!"Kyou growled, clenching his fists in victory as the other two Souhmas stared at him in a slight state of fear.
"We can't do that, idiot..."Yuki muttered, walking closer to the door.
"Will you stop calling me an idiot!!!!"The cat spat back, his neko ear popping out as he hissed.
"When you stop acting like one I won't call you idiot, idiot."
"I can take you down right now rat-boy! One more word and I swear I'll...."
"You'll what?"
"WHOA! WHOA! Can't we concentrate on getting rid of the stranger first?"Shigure popped in standing between the two. They simply glared at him and nodded. "Good....Now let's go..."
Opening the door, the three cousins made their way through the forest following the advice of the animals that spoke throughout the way. They were expecting to find something of monumental importance like
a robber, an escaped convict, a mass murder, or perhaps a door-to-door salesman, but what they did find rather shocked the three dashing wardens of the estate. For, laying on the ground next to a rather big tree
was...a girl...Or...better said, a young woman with golden hair which was put back into a rather messy bun. Covered in a black cloak, it was quite hard to notice anything else distinguishable about this woman accept
her hair.
"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!!!!"Shigure piped in hopping up and down. "Can we keep her? Please!? Please!? Please!? I need a pet!!!!"
This remark brought Kyou's fist into the side of his face.
"Get your freaking perverted mind out of the gutter!!!!"He growled, his neko ears popping up again.
Falling to the ground, the dog spirit hopped up again with a more serious look about his face. "I wonder what brought her here? She does not appear to have any injuries...It's like...She simply passed out..."
"It does appear to be that way....Still....It's quite unusual that anyone would be back here...Let alone..Passed out back here.."Yuki stated, looking over the girl.
"Are the animals saying anything else about her?"Kyou inquired, looking about the forest for other people.
"No....Just...Saying there's a stranger here.."Shigure stated, tilting his head to look at the girl. "Well...I don't suppose we can leave her out here all alone....Who knows what will happen....So...Who's going to
pick her up?"
"Not me..."Kyou growled, turning to Yuki as did the dog spirit.
"Why me!?"
"Because..You're the prince...Just pick her up...."Shigure stated, motioning to the girl.
"Fine..."The mouse stated, bending to pick up the girl. Reaching his hands around her, he was very suprised to say the least when the Poofing sound was heard and he was not the one who poofed.
All three stood staring at the cloud of blue-ish smoke before them.
"What the bloody...."Kyou started, but stopped as the smoke cleared before them.
There...WHere the girl had lain was a pile of clothes and in the midst of them...A golden colored fox.
"Did she just turn into a...Fox? I could have sworn she was a girl..."Shigure stuttered slightly.
"She was a girl..."The equally shocked, and non-rat, Yuki confirmed from his position sprawled out on the ground at the inuspirit's feet.
"Does that mean...She's a Souhma?"Kyou asked, studying the girl thoroughly.
"If she was..She wouldn't have changed when Yuki tried to pick her up....."Shigure spoke breaking a slight silence.
"Then...What is she?"Yuki asked, looking at the girl with a slight horror and interest rolled into one.
"I don't know...But we need to get her back to the house...For if she is indeed not normal.....Then I have a feeling that she was running from something..."The dog stated, scooping up the fox into his arms and
wrapping it in the clothes that lay in a pile on the ground.
"Someone..Chasing her?"Yuki inquired, quite confused as to why Shigure had become so serious all of the sudden...It wasn't like him afterall.
"I don't know....But arent' these simply adorable lacey underwear....."He stated in his usual tone.
"Baka Dog!!!"Kyou hissed slamming the side of his face again.
"Idiots..."Yuki muttered as he shook his head and rose to his feet. To think..He thought that Shigure was having a serious moment. He should have known better than that, but what Shigure had said was
quite plausible. If she was different than it would be quite understandable if she had been running from something. He looked around once more at the place they had all been gathered. Perhaps Shigure was just being
stupid, but something about the air...Just wasn't right. Ignoring this, he followed his two cousins back to the house.
Sliding open the door, Shigure set the fox on the table just as it changed back. Luckily for the fox and unluckily for a certain ecchi inu, Kyo had thrown his jacket over the girl just in turn.
"I hate you..."The dog whined.
"Perv..."Kyou growled, smacking him again.
Tohru, awoken by the loud yells and slamming doors, walked into the living room. "What are you guys doing up so....Who's that on the table?"She asked, walking closer and sitting next to Yuki.
"We found her in the forest.....And we have no idea who she is...."Yuki explained.
"...And they won't let me keep her.."Shigure whined, rubbing his sore cheek as Kyou hit him one more time.
"She can transform also..."Yuki continued, looking towards Tohru.
"Oh...That explains why she only has Kyou's jacket on...I was wondering..But I didn't want to ask..."She stated, her face flushing a deep crimson causing Yuki to laugh and Kyou to scowl. "What does she
change into then?"
"A fox...A golden fox..."Shigure stated, looking over the girl.
"Really!? That is so neat! I love foxes! But....There isn't a fox in the zodiac...."She spoke in a confused tone.
"There isn't....She isn't a Souhma...."He replied, as they all sat staring at the girl.
"Then...How can she transform?"
"I don't know....I suppose we'll have to ask her that when she wakes up..."Shigure answered, looking at the clock. "Oh my! It's two in the morning! You kids had better get to sleep! You have school tomorrow,
ne? What would they say if you fell asleep in class! Don't worry! I shall stay here and protect the fox..."
"I do not trust you to protect the fox....."Kyou growled, glaring at the dog.
"Scout's honor! Nothing will happen I swear!"He replied, lifting his two fingers to his head and saluting.
"Shigure won't do anything.....But we can't miss school!!!!! To bed!!!! I won't let you down mom! I promise!!!"Tohru yelled, rushing up the staircase as the other two followed slowly.
"Shigure...Don't make us have to kill you...."The mouse spoke, disappearing beyond the wall of the stair case.
Of course, Shigure would not do anything. He was much more of a talker than a doer. The jokester that happened to joke at all the wrong times. He looked over the girl once more. She appeared to be older
than his fellow roommates. If he had to guess she was probably in her twenties. He had to wonder what would bring such a strange person into his house. Or why she had been running in the first place. She seemed
kind enough, like she had nothing to hide, but, then again, that's the way that all appear in their sleep. It wasn't long before the inu noticed that the kitsune's clothes were indeed on her, so, there had been no need for
Kyou's jacket at all. He laughed to himself and threw it off for a better look. He had not noticed it before, but she appeared to be carrying weapons. Two rather large swords and around her neck...Was a dog collar with
spikes on it. He moved his hand along the spikes and just as he did, the most ironical thing that could happen happened, she awoke. Darting backwards off of the table, the fox huddled in the corner. Shigure jumped
slightly as this happened.
"Are...Are you okay?"He asked after a long silence, regaining his words and walking towards her.
"Leave me alone....I didn't do anything to you...Please...Just leave me alone!"She yelled, covering her face with her hands.
"I wasn't going to hurt you...I just..."He started but was interrupted by the fox.
"Leave me alone! You're like them! Just leave me alone!"
"Them?"The inu inquired. "Who is them?"
"Please...Leave me alone..."The yelling had turned into a kind of whimpering at this point.
"Me and my friends saved you from the forest....We brought you here to be safe....Whoever 'them' is they can't hurt you here.....So could you at least do me the favor of telling me your name?"
"My...My name?"
"Yes....Your name..."
"N...Nira..."
"Just Nira? No last name?"
"..I..I don't know my last name...."
He managed a smile. If she did not know her last name, she obviously wouldn't know what she was or how she could transform. It would be pointless to search her further and probably much too frustrating to
her.
"That's okay....Do you know how old you are then?"
"...27..."
"..I think I like you already...
"..Huh?"
"..Nevermind...Never you mind...."He finished with a laugh.
She dismissed the akward moment and looked up at him. He did not appear to be of cruel intentions. In fact, she could not detect anything else in his face but that of the utmost kindness. He was indeed
very different than them....Very different.
"What is your name?" She asked as she finally mustered up the courage to speak.
"Shigure...Shigure Souhma...."He replied, noticing yet another distinguishing feature of the kitsune, her dark green orbs. He was for a while, slightly enthralled by them, but noticing that he was staring, he
turned to look at the door. "I get the feeling you will not tell me who 'they' are.."
She simply shook her head and paused for a second as a thought crossed her mind. How had she gotten here? He must have...Carried her...If he did then...That meant that...He had seen her other form?
"You know what I am then?"She asked, looking at the floor as if she had suddenly found it very interesting.
"A girl?"He laughed, turning back to her.
"No..I mean...You must have carried me here, right? Then you saw my other form?"She asked, still studying the floor.
"Oh...The fox..Yes...Yes we did...."
"And...You didn't just drop me and run?"
"No..Why would I do that?"
"Because...Humans aren't supposed to do that....I'm different..."
"Different? Perhaps...Perhaps, but me and my family are different..So it doesn't particularly bother me..."
"You mean..There are others of us that can change like this?"
"Well...In my family there are...I don't know about where you came from or if it's the same, but living with me here happens to be a rat and a cat transformer...And I'm the dog..."
"You can transform too? Really?"
"Yes..My family was cursed and now some of our members turn into animals of the zodiac and a cat when hugged by a member of the opposite sex...."
"Wow....There are other freaks too..."
"Whoa...Who you calling a freak!?"Kyou asked, popping out from behind a door, causing the kitsune to duck for cover yet again.
"I thought I heard someone listening in on us..."Shigure stated. "I thought it might be our little kyo-kyo.."
"Don't call me that baka Inu!"He growled from the doorway.
The fox looked upwards again to discover what smelled distinctly like a cat. She watched as he chased the dog around throwing things at him. Though she could hardly say it felt as though they hated each
other, more like two brothers fighting. She could sense the inner bonds of love. She tilted her head to the side as her thoughts began flowing faster. Perhaps....She could stay here...And be part of this...Family, and
perhaps she would never have to go back to 'them' again. Maybe she could finally....Be free.