Goddess Budding

(Chapter 2) Kyo glared at Shigure.

"Whatever. Can it you stupid mutt." he hissed picking up his bag again. "Where's my room? Is it still there or did you let this girl move into it?" He continued his reddish-brown gaze sliding over to look at Li once again.

Shigure shook his head.

"Calm down Kyon-Kyon. I converted my old library into Lifang's room. Your room is still here." the Dog Zodiac replied coolly although his long, LONG fused temper was slowly getting shorter.

Kyo rolled his eyes and stormed away, up the stairs and into his room.

"...And life goes straight to hell..." Yuki murmured rubbing his forehead.

Soon, the dreaded Valentine's Day arrived at Shigure's house and both Yuki and Kyo were apprehensive about attending school that day. On the way to school, Sora and Lifang made plans to make homemade chocolate for Yuki, Kyo, Shigure, Hatsuharu, Momiji and Hatori. And as soon as school went out, Sora and Li ran directly to the Super Market to buy the ingredients. As Sora and Li walked around the grocery store, with Sora carrying the basket, Li hesitated to talk to Sora about something that had been itching at her for a while.
Sora noticed Li's uneasiness and she looked at her friend.
"What troubles you Lichan-san?" She asked respectively.

Li started and looked back at Sora.

"Eh...oh...well...it's not really appropriate for me to ask but..." Li looked away embarrassed.

Sora blinked at Li as she dropped a few packages of baking chocolate into the basket.

"...Yes...?" Sora asked.
"...Do you like Yun-chan?" Li asked bravely.
Sora dropped a bag of powdered sugar and she looked at Li wide-eyed.
"W-Why do you ask?" Sora inquired, picking up her fallen item.
"Because...I see the way he looks at you...the way he acts around you...I think...that he at least likes you." Li replied getting a carton of milk.

Sora shook her head.

"I respect Souma-senpai...but I don't think he likes me like that..." Sora replied seriously as they made their way to the checkout line.

Li looked down at her hands and sighed. She really did think

that Sora liked Yuki and it saddened her to think that Sora might not like him after all.

Later when the girls were done and getting ready to give Yuki, Kyo and Shigure their chocolate, Li took a peek at Sora's chocolate. For Kyo Sora had made one that looked like sardine, thus was Sora attempt at humor where Kyo was concerned. For Shigure, she had made one that looked like a notepad and pen. But the one she made for Yuki was the one that confirmed her suspicions about Sora and Yuki. It was a little chocolate gray rat with violet eyes in side a chocolate heart. Sora had gone so far as to spray paint the rat part with gray-ish colored edible icing and purple colored edible icing.

Li smiled knowingly and took her own chocolate out to the three men. Kyo had just stared at his chocolate for a moment before resolutely taking a bite of it. Looking down at his cat shaped chocolate with surprise Kyo, without delay ate all of it...in one sitting. Li smiled and gave the other two her chocolate. Sora looked at her chocolate and turned red. She was really edgy about giving Yuki his chocolate and almost considered not giving it to him, when Yuki came into the kitchen.

"Oh! Hello Sora-chan...what are those?" he asked looking at the three lavender boxes that contained the Valentine's Day chocolates.
"Um...Those are Valentine's Day chocolates..." Sora replied picking up the middle one and handing it to Yuki. "This is for you Yun-chan."
Yuki looked in the box to see what she had made for him. He turned a little red and smiled at Sora.

"How cute Sora-chan. Thank you." he said putting the box back down on the counter, placing his hands on her shoulders and softly kissing her cheek.
"I've been waiting for a chance to ask you this. And considering that I want to give you a return gift, this is a good time. I've wanted to go to the Sakura Tree Festival for a while now...and I don't really want to go alone..." Yuki said giving her a sensual smile.

Sora turned red and looked away for a moment.
"You...don't want to?" Yuki asked curiously.

"EH? N-No of course I want to!" Sora replied frantically.

Yuki smiled, putting both hands on the counter top on either side of Sora, ultimately trapping her there and he touched the tip of his nose to hers.

"If you don't come along willingly...I'll kidnap you." He said softly. "So you'd better watch out."

Sora flushed such a deep red and she almost fainted.

"You're kidding r-right?" Sora asked.

Yuki slowly shook his head.

"No...I am dead serious. I will not hesitate to kidnap you dear Sora-chan." Yuki concluded picking up his box once again and walking away.
Sora stood there still red. Shigure came in with his box of chocolate that he had received from Lifang and he blinked curiously at Sora.

"Eh? Sora are you okay?" he asked.

"...Yeah...I'm okay..." Sora answered faintly as she handed Shigure his chocolate and leaving Kyo's on the counter, Sora left the kitchen.

Eyebrow raised, Shigure watched as Sora left. He had just seen Yuki leave the kitchen not a minute before, and thus he put two and two together and smiled.

"Everything is falling into place." He said deviously, as he bit the tip off of the chocolate pencil.

A month later was a day called White Day, when boys who received chocolates from girls, gave gifts back to them. Li and Sora were both a little wary of Shigure. They didn't trust him to give them decent gifts, hence their wariness. Haru had given both girls a necklace and matching bracelet each, Hatori was nervous about giving the girls anything, so he just gave them books (how like Haa-san no?). Momiji surprised the hell out of the girls when he told them that he was giving them both a trip to the Souma owned onsen. Sora and Lifang were so ecstatic that they almost had to have CPR. Kyo couldn't decide what to give the girls, so he settled for actually going with them to the onsen.

The group (a.k.a. Momiji, Sora, Yuki, Lifang and Kyo) all went by way of a charter bus, also Souma owned. Sora was so excited she was nearly bouncing off of the walls, the bus of course. Li was a little apprehensive about the trip. She was going to be stuck in a hot spring with three boys and her and Sora were going to be the only girls there, or so she thought.

After the bus had arrived and the driver told them that he would be back around noon the next day to pick them up, they entered the front door of the inn.

"Wow! What a pretty little inn!" Sora gasped looking around at the inn, hearts in her eyes.

"Oh yes, how pretty!" Li agreed also looking around.

"Oh I feel so spoiled!" Sora laughed taking Li's hands into her own. "I feel like a Princess!"

Li smiled at her best friend, clutching her hands tightly but gently.
"I feel the same way!" Li squealed happily.

Kyo rolled his burgundy eyes at the two girls.

"Oy. Don't get so excited. It's just an onsen..." he muttered touchily.

Yuki contracted his violet orbs at Kyo and karate chopped him in the back of the neck.

"Silence, Stupid cat-san." he said dangerously as he walked by going into the main lobby.

Kyo in turn narrowed his eyes at the Rat Zodiac.
"Yes, Your Royal Pain-In-The-Ass..." he muttered ill temperedly.

As soon as the rest of the group entered the lobby, a woman with long black hair done up in a bun, who looked ill and was wearing a kimono came around the corner, hanging onto it, almost as if for dear life.

"W-Welcome to my humble...inn..." she whispered as she gazed at the five who stood stock still in the middle of the inn's lobby.

"She's the concubine!" Momiji said cheerfully smiling at the woman.

"That's concierge Momitchi." Yuki rectified the young Rabbit Zodiac gently.

Abruptly the woman moved away from the corner of the wall quickly and was suddenly in Sora and Lifang's faces.

"MAKE YOURSELVES AT HOOOOOME!"She shouted unexpectedly freaking the two girls out.

Li squealed and clung to Kyo tightly.

"Oh my god!" she cried.
"YES MA'AM!" Sora wailed clinging to both Momiji and Yuki.

"Our concubine is in the Souma family too." Momiji explained as the woman led them down the halls to their group room. "Her body is weak so she lives here for medical reasons."

"Hmm...I see." Sora said nodding at Momiji's words.

Li, Yuki and Kyo were all looking around guardedly, as if expecting another violent hostess to jump there innocent group.

"Please forgive me young masters and young mistresses. I'm sorry for scaring you." said the hostess apologetically.

"It's okay..." said Sora looking at her kindheartedly. "Being so weak...this must be hard on you Okami-san."

"Ho, ho! That's not the case..." explained Okami. "Normally, there's someone else who acts as Okami in my place. I guide the delinquents, from the shadows, so to speak. But today since the young masters are here..."

Kyo looked at Okami, a slight sweat drop on his forehead.

"Basically that means that you aren't the Okami anymore." He said flatly.

"Uh...um, please don't push yourself." Li said kindly.

"Yes, yes! Your health is the most important thing." Sora added.

Okami gave the girls a slight, happy smile.

"My, my...what kind girls...thank you." she smiled. "I had hoped that Shigure-bocchan would come too." she added. "Is he busy with work?"
"Shigure-bocchan? Isn't he too old to be called "young master"?" Li gasped.

"Oh...about that Okami-san. He has a deadline coming up." Yuki said looking at Okami.
Hmmm...I know she's a member of the Souma family... Sora thought to herself as they continued down the hall. But I wonder if Okami-san knows about the Chinese Zodiac...! Could she be a member of the Zodiac as well!

"This way." said Okami. "Come, come. Your room awaits."
When they entered the room, Sora and Li's eyes amplified.

"It's sooooo big!" Sora gasped looking around the large room that contained a few couches, a table, a bookcase and a ping-pong table.

"Sora-san, Lifang-san. Your room is next to the young masters..." said Okami softly turning to the young girls.

"Ah yes!" Li smiled.

Kyo's maroon eyes widened and then narrowed again.

"Don't tell me...I'm in the same room as that damn Yuki...?" Kyo sighed furiously.

"You get along as poorly as ever, I see." Okami-san laughed pleasantly. "Don't worry. You can separate the room with a screen."

"THAT'S NOT THE PROBLEM!" Kyo growled fire lighting in his eyes, "In a classy place like this, I really shouldn't have to share a room with Yuki!"

Momiji walked over to Kyo and pointed up at him suspiciously.

"Kyo's just saying that...because he secretly wants to share a room with Lifang!" He said impishly.

"EH!"Kyo gasped, stunned.

Yuki looked at Kyo scornfully.

"Disgusting." he said pointedly.

"And YOU Yun-chan! YOU want to share a room with Sora!"

Sora and Li both looked at each other blankly.

"Um...ok...ay..." they said in unison.

Yuki turned pink and looked away, twitching slightly.

"Don't push me Momitchi-chan..."

Kyo looked fit to burst as he yelled,

"That's not what I meant! MOMIJI DON'T SAY STUFF LIKE-" Kyo was cut off when Okami went flying into another outburst like the one earlier.

"KYO-CHAAAAAN! TO THINK THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO STAY IN A ROOM WITH A GIRL EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE THE CAT I BELIEVED THAT YOU WERE A GOOD BOY WHEN DID YOU BECOME SUCH A LASCIVIOUS CHILD? OH, HOW FRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHTFULLLLLLLLLLLLL!"
"YOU'RE THE FRIGHTFUL ONE!" Kyo screamed, startled.

"I WILL APOLOGIZE ON YOUR BEHALF I WILL APOLOGIZE TO THE WHOLE WORLD I'M SORRY FOR HIS LASCIVIOUSNESSSSSSS!"Okami shrieked holding Kyo up off of the floor by the front of his shirt.

"OHMYGOD! That's not what I meant! FINE I'LL BLOODY STAY WITH YUKI!" Kyo yelped helplessly.
"...Is she really that weak?" Sora asked looking up at Yuki.

Yuki laughed a bit. "Yeah I guess."
Later after Okami had left to let them get settled, Kyo plopped down in a chair.

"Aahhh...It's finally quiet." he sighed running a hand through his violently orange hair.
"There's still time before dinner so—the bath! Let's Go!" Momiji said to Li and Sora putting a folded up towel on his head and dancing around.
Li and Sora laughed and patted Momiji on the head.
"Okay!" they said in unison.
Yuki who was standing nearby Sora drinking tea and reading a pamphlet about the inn, gave Sora a soft grin.

"Yay! I have a great idea! Let's go in together!" Momiji continued giving the girls a big smile.

"Okay!" The girls said naively, still smiling at the hyper active Rabbit Zodiac.

Yuki and Kyo both froze in what they were doing and looked at Momiji. Kyo jumped off of his chair and gave Momiji a killer noogie.

"You're the most lascivious of all!" He said meanly.
"Waaah! Whyyyy!" Momiji cried pitifully.

"Hey! Be nice to him Kyon-kun!" Li reprimanded, brandishing her small fist as if she would like nothing more than to bonk Kyo across the head.

Sora looked at the three (Momiji, Lifang and Kyo) frantically and emitted a nervously laugh.

"Uh, um, but...Momiji is still so small, I thought-" Sora was cut off by Kyo's perplexed yell of,

"NOW YOU'RE DEFENDING HIM!"

Yuki let out an irritated sigh and shook his head, looking away and he spotted a little bundle poking out of his overnight bag. Slowly he took it out and looked at it. He smiled and looked back over his shoulder at the temper tantrum that Momiji was throwing. His eyes widened at Momiji's crying and he blinked slowly a few times.

"Ho..." He said surprised.

"I'M GOING IN! I'M GOING IN!" Momiji cried flailing his little arms.
Yuki watched this fro a moment before going over to Momiji and taking the younger boy's face in his hands gently.

"...Momiji!" He said firmly but kindly.
Momiji's brown orbs looked up and fastened onto Yuki's purple ones.
"Don't be so selfish." Yuki reprimanded quietly, "You didn't bring Tachibana-san and Otonaka-san here to bother them, did you?"
Momiji looked down at his hands, before putting a finger to his lips, tears in his eyes.
"...Nein..." Momiji admitted.
Then suddenly his eyes brightened.

"Let's sleep together instead!" he giggled, giving the girls a big smile.

Sora and Li clapped their hands and giggled.
Kyo and Yuki both looked at each other.

"...Why do I get the feeling that he didn't understand any of that?" Yuki asked.

"...Possibly because it's true...he doesn't get a thing..." Kyo answered.

A few minutes later, Sora and Lifang were out in the Girls Onsen, looking around in wonder.
"Wow! This is amazing!" Li said unwrapping her fluffy warm towel from around her.
"It is. This is my first open-air bath!" Sora exclaimed, also removing her towel and slipping into the hot, steam water.

"It almost seems like Momiji could swim in it!" Sora continued.

Li nodded also climbing in the water.
"Oh my, my..." said a familiar voice from the onsen entry way.

Sora turned to see Okami-san wrapped in a towel, looking as if she herself were going for a dip.

"Okami-san!" Li exclaimed a happy/nervous tone in her voice.

"How is the water...?" Okami asked her voice faint.

"It's wonderful!" Sora exclaimed swimming over to the side and smiling up at Okami.

"They say this onsen is good for your health." Okami said slipping into the water in-between Sora and Li. "I soak in it several times a day."

"It is isn't it?" Sora smiled wading out a bit further.

"...I forgot to tell you girls this...but...my son is part of the Chinese Zodiac too. Like Yun-bocchan and the others...the spirit of the monkey possesses him." said Okami very softly.

"Oh!" Sora exclaimed as Li sat next to her wide-eyed.
"When I first heard about you Lifang-san, to be honest...I was...uneasy..." Okami admitted, regret in her voice. "...That someone on the outside should know the family secret. I thought it might endanger my son and the others further."
Sora and Li sat staring at Okami mouths slightly open.

"But now I apologize for feeling that way...I am relieved that...you are the one in the know...Li-san..." Okami added smiling at Li.
Sora looked around a bit confused. Why wasn't Okami-san worried about Sora knowing? True, Sora had been living with Shigure, Yuki and (off and on) Kyo-kun, but...wasn't it cause for concern that two people knew that family secret? Because Sora was pondering over this, she didn't notice that Okami and Li were still having a conversation, until Okami flew off of the handle once again.

"IM SORRRYYYYYY! FROM THE WORLD'S POINT OF VIEW HE'S LIKE THAT BUT HE'S VERY PRECIOUS TO ME DEEP DOWN HE'S VERY KIND HE'S MY ONLY CHILD I WILL APOLOGIZE FOR HIM I WILL APOLOGIZE TO THE WOOORRRLLLLLD!"Okami screamed at the top of her lungs while in Li's face.

"SORRY! I WON'T ASK ANYMORE!" Li cried fearfully swimming away from Okami.
And Sora couldn't help but laugh.

"What did you say to Okami-san to make her start yelling?" Sora asked later as she and Li sat in dark gray kimonos and drank tea.

"I-I only asked her what her son was like..." Li replied, looking a little harassed.

Sora smiled a bit and patted Li's hand.

"It's alright Li-chan." she said soothingly.
Li smiled at Sora and then was suddenly dragged away to play ping-pong with Momiji. Sora laughed and stood up looking around for Yuki, but he was no where to be seen.

"Huh." Sora murmured looking around.

Then out of no where, something grabbed her around the waist, the other hand clasped over her mouth and she was dragged out of the room.