Chapter Two, Awkward Acquaintances
Fortune cookie say: 'You have the ability to adapt to diverse situations.'
((12:30 p.m., The woods September 1st))

A/N: Thanks Jaime, you're my only supporter so far that has the balls to review. Maybe if I go and review other people's stuff…hm…

Here's the profile of the girls:

Character Profile Overviews

Name: Dion Pritchard
D.O.B: May 2, 1987
Race:
Normal life- Human
Manga life- Half tiger, half Griffin (or hawk, if you prefer)
Skills/Powers/Special Abilities:
Normal life- HUGE music freak, writing, sketching, good at insulting enemies, and comebacks.
Manga life- all of the above plus: ability to fly, hunt, keen hearing and smell, camouflage, and fast running on ground.
Appearance:
Normal life- Medium length brown hair with bright green streaks, just below shoulders, usually pulled back in sloppy low ponytail, though not constantly. Small-rimmed black glasses. 5' 4."
Manga life- Has many tattoos on arms and shoulders. One tattoo on left ankle and lower back. Also has silver lip-ring in center of lower lip. Jet-black hair with single red streak in front, short (about chin-length), usually hanging in face so no one can see her expressions. Wears black button-down shirts with choice of plain red, plain black, plain white, red/black diagonal stripes, or black/white diagonal stripes. With black pants and studded belt. Personality: When she is with her best friend, Dusty, the two are extremely rambunctious. Constantly rambles unintentionally about subjects important to HER, but usually not important to others (I.E., Her favorite band, Green Day). Loves verbally abusing enemies, and prefers it to physical fighting, though has been known to kick serious ass when forced into combat. She is has a short-temper to those that she doesn't respect. Good listener when friends have a problem. Outgoing and carefree. Occasionally gets very hyper. Coffee fiend (LOVES coffee). Cannot go a single day without listening to her music. Loves any kind of rock music, but quite fond of punk, and ska. Because of her unique and slightly paranoid personality, she believes that dogs will one day take over the world. Obsessed with the punk rock band, Green Day, and worships the three members, Billie Joe Armstrong (vocals/guitar), Mike Dirnt (bass/vocals), and above all, Tré Cool (her favorite member), (drummer). Also believes that Hilary Duff is the Anti-Christ. Despises George W. Bush and sometimes gets into heated discussions with others about politics, and current events.
Background/History: Parents divorced at age 9, but are still on semi-good terms. Dad remarried. Met lifelong friend, Dusty, in the 7th grade. Used to be girly-girl, but Dusty saved her from an almost disastrous future and introduced her to the "rock" genre.
Weapons: Retractable claws, sharp fangs, and wields a sword with black-silver handle with small emeralds fixed into it.
Personal Quote: "GREEN DAY OWNS YOU!"

Name: Dusty Lung
D.O.B: February 15, 1988
Race:
Normal life- Human
Manga life- half wolf demon, half Chinese Dragon (and yes, this IS possible, it was rumored that in empirical China, the dragons lured humans into their lairs to mate, thus resulting in the birth of the future emperor who were believed to have dragon like powers)
Skills/Powers/Special Abilities:
Normal life- Archery; music; writing; horse back riding.
Manga life- all of the above plus: Telepathic powers, fire breathing (limited), she is a black belt in martial arts.
Appearance:
Normal life- Straight brown hair usually cut in choppy layers just above the shoulder. Eyes are deep brown, hidden behind a pair of glasses used for seeing distances. She has an average sized body for a height of 5' 6''.
Manga life- Same hair except now it has green streaks. Eye color is normally green but as her mood changes, so does the color of her eye: Brown-confused or trying to figure something out; Red-embarrassed or uneasy; orange- mischievous or hiding something; yellow-sick, unconscious or under a spell; blue-happy, amused or pleased; purple-concentrating, black-angry; gray-depressed. She no longer needs glasses and she has pointed teeth, a set of fangs, and a forked tongue. She also has retractable razor sharp claws. She wears a black T-shirt with "psychiatric Ward" written on it in white letters; ripped, black jeans; Black studded belt and bracelet.
Personality: When she is with her best friend Dion, the two are extremely rambunctious. She does have her mood swings and gets easily irritable. She also tends to be pessimistic. Although it is hypocritical, she labels people (Goth, punk, prep, jock...) and is a sworn enemy to all cheerleaders, preps, jocks, posers, and gym teachers. No one quite understands her metaphorical reasoning; she is a deep thinker and a great listener. Her CD collection consists mainly of Alternative Rock music (Avril can go to Fn hell) and soundtracks to The Lord of the Rings, Wolf's Rain, Fruits Basket, and Dracula 2000.
Background/History: Parents divorced at age 12. She opened up to one person, Dion. She got Dion obsessed with "Furuba"… Every half Demon has their weakness. Let's see what happens on the night of a New Moon...
Weapons: Telepathic powers, fire breathing (limited), hands and feet
Personal Quote: "Humans… What a waste of breathable air."

Now on with the chapter!

Dusty's eyes glinted blue.

"I don't know why, but I feel so happy!" she exclaimed, spreading her arms wide and spun in circles under the light of the full moon.

Dion rolled her eyes.

"Jee, I wonder." There was an awkward silence.

"Maybe it's the moon." Dusty looked up at the celestial sphere with a grin. "I can't explain it. It's as if I'm…powered up or refreshed or something." There was a green aura emitting off of her and she raised her head high into the air and let out a howl.

"What was that for?" Dion laughed. Dusty shrugged.

"…So… What do we do now?"

Dion shrugged.

"Whoa…" Dusty's head began to spin and she felt sick.

Dion whirled around to look at her.

"What's wrong?"

"I…" She hesitated and looked puzzled. "Wasn't there this book called Fruits Box or something?"

Dion looked shocked.

"What? You…can't...remember…" The two of them were puzzled. Neither could remember anything about their beloved book.

A sharp pain burst through the two of them and memories from their past life erupted into flames, quickly becoming replaced by new ones. When the sensation suddenly subsided, their mind's contained the knowledge of their manga lives.

'Dion…this…this is strange…how did we end up here?' Dusty muttered in her mind, clutching her forehead and looking around.

'I could've sworn we were hunting…' Dion searched her surroundings for their prey.

"Damn it! We lost the trail!" Her eyes glowed red with anger and Dusty's flickered to black.

"Calm down! You know what happens when you get angry!" She growled.

Dion sighed and sat on a nearby rock, her eyes returning to her normal color. A crow squawked in the distance, echoing through the quiet forest. The two jumped at the sudden noise.

"Living out here alone sucks.'

Dusty lifted her head to the sky, her eyes blue with delight.

'Cheer up! It's a full moon!"

"We haven't eaten in days! How could I possibly cheer up?" Dion whined.

The two looked up with a jerk at the faint sound of footsteps in the distant wood. They instinctively crouched behind a boulder with predator-like reactions to the surroundings as they awaited the approaching figure.

Dusty cursed.

'I can't believe it caught me off guard! I should've smelled it from miles off!'

Dion's eyes narrowed.

'Don't be so down on yourself, I couldn't smell it either…but now…I can…"

Dusty's eyes glowed red and she shifted her position. Drinking in the sent, she let it wash through her body like a fine wine.

Dion read the pattern of the distinct sent and voiced Dusty's exact thoughts.

'Male. Around our age… And yet…"

'He has a feline sent to him.' Dusty completed as the man/cat came into the clearing.

Kyou was flustered beyond reason. He'd only just stepped into Shigure's house and already he'd fought with Yuki and lost.

"Damn rat…" He muttered to himself, crashing blindly through the forest. Anger consumed him as it always had after his hopeless fights with Yuki. Kyou angrily punched the trunk of a tree, crying out in frustration. The vibration reverberated up the trunk and shook the lofty canopy, sending squawking ravens scattering into the atmosphere in terror. When the echoes of their cries died down, Kyou was left alone in the silent forest.

Why can't I beat him! I try so hard without so much as putting a scratch on him! Why should it be so easy for him?

Because I'm not good enough. I never have and I never will be.

He doesn't deserve it! He just doesn't work as hard as I do to get better! He's such a cheap bastard who thinks he's so much better than everyone else!

That's because he is.

Shut up.

Kyou stumbled upon a clearing bathed in the eerie moonlit twilight. He was immediately knocked to the ground by who he assumed was Yuki who followed him into the woods and jumped him out of nowhere.

Dusty snarled and forced Kyou onto the ground, eyes black with fury and claws fully extended, prepared to strike.

Dion rushed to her side.

"But he's just…"

Dusty's eyes flickered brown as she released her grip on his neck.

Kyou gritted his teeth and brushed his orange hair away from his face as he stood.

"You're just a guy." Dusty was perplexed. The two decided not to question his suspicious sent and assumed he had just been around a lot of cats. Her eyes glowed red with embarrassment. "I mean…of course you're a guy! I didn't mean to jump you like that; I just thought you were someone else…"

What the hell? This isn't Yuki! And why didn't I transform! Kyou's face displayed a looked of utter shock which the girls misinterpreted as fright.

She couldn't be one of the Sohmas, could she?

I've never seen her before…

Dion cleared her throat.

"We didn't mean to scare you or anything it's just—"

"Kyou? Kyou, where did you run off to?" Shigure walked into the clearing. His face lit up as soon as he saw the girls and briskly walked over.

"Kyou! My, my! Do you have quite a catch! There are two of them so I'm assuming you'll share right?"

Kyou sweat dropped and Shigure received several wounds to the head.

'You are so full of it!"

Dion and Dusty sweat dropped.

'What is this guy, some kind of pervert?' Dion laughed in her head and Dusty's eyes glistened blue in her amusement.

Shigure peered at her curiously (and perhaps a little too obviously as he was leaning over.)

Her eyes just changed color…

"Do you two live around here?"

Dion suddenly became fascinated with the ground and Dusty's eyes shifted to orange.

"Well… We kind of don't really have…"

"A home." Dion finished."

Shigure lit up.

"Well, you're welcome to stay with us!' His head received more traumas as soon as the words left his mouth.

"They just attacked me and now you're inviting them over!" Kyou exploded.

Dion's blood boiled.

"We told you that t was an accident!" Her eyes glowed white dangerously. Dusty clenched her arm and stared into her eyes.

"Pudding," She whispered. Immediately the two burst out laughing, Dusty turned to Shigure.

"Where do you live?"

Shigure's house, 1:00 a.m., September 1st

Dion and Dusty took off their shoes and placed them next to the door. Yuki appeared at the hallway.

"Well hello," he smiled pleasantly at the two. 'Who might you be?" He asked Dion. She blushed furiously as she told him her name.

"Dion… What a pretty name! My name is Yuki Sohma. Who are you?" he asked, turning to Dusty.

"Dusty, nice to meet you." Her green eyes shifted nervously at the new environment. "I'm thirsty, where's your kitchen?" Dusty asked, beginning to open random doors, much to Yuki's dismay. She opened a door that flooded her with garbage.

"As you can see, our house has been lacking a proper cleaning in quite a while…"

"I hope you two like house work!" Shigure sung. "After all, we are taking you in!"

"Oh, so you're staying with us?" Yuki smiled. Dion had not stopped blushing from the first time he spoke and his sweet voice merely made her turn an even deeper shade of red.

Dusty invaded her trance.

'It looks like you've been holding your breath for five years! I don't think I've ever seen you blush this much!'

'Shut up!' Dion's eyes began to glow white. Dusty simply turned away and began to work on cleaning up

How the hell am I supposed to get to the refrigerator? Dusty thought with irritation.

'Well, at least we have a roof over our heads now…'

'Yeah, the people don't seem that bad…'

'Maybe…Maybe we can finally settle down for more than a week.' Dion thought to Dusty sarcastically.

'I hope so.'

A/N: OK, the next chapter should be a little more eventful because I've gotten through most of the explaining. School starts tomorrow for the four! Please, I beseech you all who read this: REVIEW!