Twill: Hey, I kinda left this hanging for a while. Sorry! And I'm also surprised. I didn't think I'd get reviews until I got going with more main chapters and stuff. Well, if you haven't gathered yet, this is a story about the beginning of the zodiac members we all know and love, and their loving guardian. Not all of them may be featured, but I'll try to put in appearances and stuff at least. Of course, you can persuade me to feature someone if you love 'em by reviewing! This is mostly revolving around Kureno and Akito though, so they might be there too. Enjoy!

Kyo: And she naturally has roped the characters of the series into doing her bidding. -growls- Twill doesn't own it, thank god.

WARNING! If you didn't see it in the prologue, here it is again. THERE ARE SPOILERS FOR THE MANGA/ANIME/STORY IN THIS FIC! SPECIFFICALLY ABOUT CHARACTERS (if you don't know them all yet) AND CONTENT REVOLVING AROUND CHAPTER 97.

Once you're all up to speed, please come back and read my story. I'll love you ever so much.

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The Witching Hour

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"Following the lines of fable in the old zodiac tale of Kami and Juunishi, one Sohma member is destined to be the light which guides the cursed animal carriers. As there is an ox, a rat, and all the rest, so too there must be a God."

Kureno stared up at his mother from beneath his bed sheets and blankets with wide eyes. She would always read him a story before tucking him in, and so the practice was no different. However this story seemed far graver and he knew, in part, that it was because he was involved. The other reason, he could only guess at.

She tucked away the slim, silvery book and smiled tiredly down at him. Kureno smiled back and yawned, snuggling down and preparing for sleep. The sun outside was almost beneath the horizon.

"Goodnight, my little chick," his mother whispered, placing a soft kiss on his forehead. "Sleep well. Tomorrow will be bright, early, and busy for you."

--

At dawn, Kureno's eyes sprung open. He sat up and instinctively looked toward the sun, watching the first rays of light creep lazily over the horizon. It was early. He quietly slipped out of bed and padded into the dark hallway.

His mother would be sleeping, he knew, and he tried desperately to stay quiet. She had explained once that he was always the first one up because he was the rooster. They crowed at dawn to wake the other animals for a new day. Kureno never crowed, though he imagined it would be fun to shout out the window at the sun. He was always silent, though, to let his mother sleep.

In the shadowy living room of their small estate, Kureno took his place on the window seat, looking up at the pink and orange clouds dotted across the sky. Outside the world was quiet and no birds were chirping yet. That was his favorite thing, chirping birds early in the morning. It made him feel special, like they were saying good morning to him.

As he watched the lightening sky, Kureno daydreamed. He hardly left the house, his mother teaching him everything he needed to know in the comfort of home. He could only remember being out a few times, one memory only a bright smear of light with someone looking down at him. The rest were really only brief occasions, when his mother needed to go out and could get no one to watch him.

Kureno dreamed about the other animal children that the story talked about. He wondered what they looked like, how they acted. Did the rat like cheese? Did the dog enjoy fetching things? Could the dragon breathe fire?

A sudden, high-pitched wail broke him out of these dreams. Something was happening outside, though he wasn't sure what it was. There was crying, and it must've been loud for him to hear it. Kureno pressed himself against the window in an attempt to see what was going on. It was out of sight. The small cry continued.

Finally, unable to bear the curiosity any further, Kureno stood and went to the front door. He hesitated only a moment before opening it and running outside. He was still on his family's property, so his mother shouldn't get too mad. Besides, she wouldn't have to know if he got back in time.

Kureno scampered through the grass, dew sprinkling across his bare toes. He followed his ears, the dawn forgotten, until he found the source. It was a big house, bigger than any he'd ever seen. The crying was coming from inside. Kureno approached slowly. He found a window and pressed up against it to see what was going on. Inside laid a woman with long black hair, breathing heavily. Beside her was the family doctor, holding a small bundle in his arms. The crying came from there.

Kureno watched as the woman refused to accept the wailing bundle, instead watching as the doctor put it in a nearby crib. Only babies need cribs, he thought, guessing at what the bundle was. And then the woman spotted him.

She said something to the doctor, who left the room in a hurry. Kureno jumped when he appeared a moment later, outside. The doctor called out and Kureno walked to him, following along when the doctor took his hand. He was led to the room with the woman and her baby, though the crying had stopped.

"Good morning," the woman didn't smile as she spoke. Kureno mumbled a response. "Is your name Kureno?" He nodded. "Why are you wandering around outside, Kureno?"

"I woke up and heard the crying…" The doctor seemed startled, but the woman merely nodded.

"I supposed you would have. You are the rooster after all. The others probably heard it too, though they would be sleeping." She glanced briefly to her silent child. Kureno followed her gaze.

He didn't understand why, but something drew him closer to the baby. He carefully peeked into the crib through the bars at the little bundle, swathed in pink. "It's a girl."

"No, Kureno." The woman's voice was quiet, and he turned to look at her. "The doctor made a mistake. My child is a boy. He is Kami, after all."

Kureno blinked in surprise. Just like in the story!

"I think you should go home now." And the doctor led Kureno away.

He smiled to himself, remembering the story. So he's going to lead and protect all of the animal people, even me. It seemed such a grand prospect, having a Divine Protector. Kureno couldn't wait until the little baby grew up.

--

Inside his quiet house, Kureno sought out the storybook from the night before. He settled on the window seat and traced his fingers over the words and pictures. There was the ox, carrying the rat up to heaven first. The cat was sleeping away happily on the next page, unaware of the party going on without him. And the rooster was there too. Kureno imagined it was him, traveling with the other animals to see the baby Kami, who had gotten older and would protect them.

But Kureno didn't know any of the other zodiac animals. He had only ever known about himself. Did his mother know who the others were?

Quietly, he crept towards the room that was hers. A little voice inside his head told him that he should wait, that his mother was tired and should sleep, but his curiosity was greater than the little voice and told him to keep going. The door swung open with a quiet murmur.

It was dark inside his mother's room, and had been for as long as he could remember. Kureno shuffled carefully across the carpet to the edge of the bed, peering at her sleeping face. "'Kaa-san," he whispered. Tentatively, he reached a tiny hand up and over, poking her shoulder.

Her eyes blinked open slowly and she sat up, swinging her legs over the lip of the bed, nearly sending Kureno tumbling to the floor. At the sound of his stumble, she turned and swept him up into a hug. A moment later, she was cradling a small chick, swathed in over-sized pajamas and peeping in surprise.

Unnoticing, Kureno's mother slowly lifted from the fog of sleep. She gazed about her darkened room, wondering what had woken her. Then she noticed the peeping, and looked down.

"Oh, Kureno…" She cuddled him gently against her cheek. "I'm sorry. I kept you by my bed when you were a baby, to quiet you when you woke up so early." Kureno tilted his head in question. "Old habits die hard."

"I'm sorry for waking you."

Shaking her head, his mother carried him and his pajamas down the hall to the kitchen. "It must be something important that you want to know." He was set on a chair gently. "Ask away, it's what I'm here for."

"Okaa-san, have you met any of the animals besides me?" Wiggling in his pajamas, Kureno tried to see his mother over the table in his way.

Surprised, she considered. "I've seen a few of them, but I'm afraid the only one I've met is you." She began pulling food out for breakfast. "Where does this question come from?"

Kureno pulled his shirt back over his head and smoothed down his fluffed hair. "Please don't be mad…" His mother waited for him to continue. "I heard crying when I woke up and I went to find it. I saw Kami born."

Silence filled the room.

A small tapping broke the quiet as his mother considered what had just been said. It wasn't that she minded Kureno's bout of exploring off by himself, which she did, but rather what he had discovered. The current head of the family had, despite precautions, been revealed as pregnant and as all the cursed animals were alive, albeit some barely born and some old and failing, this child could only be God.

"Kureno, tell me exactly what happened."

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Sohma Ren paced silently in her room, casting sharp glances towards the cradle in the corner. I don't have time for a child, for… it. Her doctor watched nervously from the doorway, wishing that she'd get some rest.

"You lied to me." Ren stopped to glare coldly at the man. Her eyes watched as he seemed to shrink and wither in her gaze.

He dared to respond. "How could I lie?" Timidly he approached the sleeping baby. "You can't deliver a child and not know what sex-"

"My child is God, ruler of the cursed. He is male, nothing to do with this pink nonsense you've swaddled him in." She snatched away the blanket and the child, startled, began to cry.

"Ren…"

She threw the cloth at him, furious. "I won't let you pervert my child, doctor. You will not breathe another word of your lies to anyone." Ren continued to ignore the crying which had grown louder as she raged.

The doctor turned to go, not wishing to stay but a cool hand stopped him.

"Inform the rest of the family that my son has been born, and of his role. And also," Ren smiled to herself, "bring back the rooster."

--

Kureno waited nervously as his mother considered his morning's outing in the kitchen. He hadn't thought she would be so upset over a trip that had barely been fifteen minutes. And it was to see Kami!

He jumped to his feet when the door rang.

His mother was talking to the doctor from earlier when he peeked around the corner to see what was going on. Both of them didn't seem to be that happy.

"Your son has been asked for by Ren."

"If it's about this morning, Kureno told me about it. He didn't know." She seemed desperate, sad. Kureno wondered what was possibly wrong with what had happened. Wasn't he supposed to meet the person who would protect him, even if he was just a little baby?

"That's only part of it. Your son has been home schooled his entire life and has never been off the grounds save once or twice but he hardly understood what you were doing." The doctor sighed. "Ren wishes for him to keep her son company while he grows up."

"I don't understand…"

"It is her wish. You can't go against it."

Kureno slide behind the corner when his mother started to cry. He never liked to see her cry.

"At least tell me his name; his Kami's name."

There was a pause, and then, "Akito. His name is Sohma Akito."

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Twill: I admit, this wasn't a great chapter for revelations and gasping moments. But it's cute Kureno action! Who doesn't love that? Akito has to grow up a bit before things really get going, and since this is a fic that could happen! Start voting now! Oh, I also apologize if some stuff is inaccurate. I am not all-knowing when it comes to the manga details, so bear with me. If you see a mistake, go ahead and kindly point it out. I'll fix it, say thanks, and learn! So review away my pretties, and your little dogs too!

Shigure: I'm not sure if I should be insulted or flattered.