And the fun begins..note: Kotori loves to sing...I don't any of the songs

Chapter 2: Rodeo

A tall man wearing a light grey robe walked down a dirt path that lead to his home. His black hair waved gently in the wind as he hummed a little tune. Through a couple trees he noticed something out of the corner of his eyes. He hid behind one of the bigger trees and got closer to whatever was down the small hillside. His eyes lit up when he saw two young girls. One was laying down while the other was trying to wake the other up. He got closer to try to listen to them.

"Utari wake up! We're in a strange place." Neko shouted while poking Utari in the cheek. Utari moaned and grunted, then grabbed Neko's wrist.

"Where are we?" Utari growled.

"I dunno! I was hoping you would tell me!" Neko threw back her head and started crying. "We're gonna get eated by bears!"

"Eated?" Utari questioned her grammar.

The man behind the tree grinned. "Oh how unfortunate that these two lost young high school girls are all alone. They should be taken to a home and given food and shelter. They can't stay out here alone, I really should help. It is getting dark after all." He said to himself as he quietly crept down the hill.

"We're.....different." Utari said looking down at her hands. Neko stood up brushing some dirt off her blue jeans and adjusted her red t-shirt. Utari wobbled to her feet and did the same to her black baggy pants and green shirt.

"Crap!" Utari screamed.

"What?" Neko asked

"I ripped my favorite shirt!" She pined. Neko shook her head and looked around.

"Umm...Utari......where's Kotori?" Neko asked in a frantic voice.

"Knowing her she probably woke up before us, ran to find help, found a restaurant, decided to eat and is now cleaning the dishes because she has no money." Utari as explained as she crossed her arms in front of her. "Anyway lets at least find some place to stay before we get eaten or some weirdo finds us...... We'll look for her in the morning."

The man tip-toed up behind them and said in cool, sly tone of voice, "Hello ladies..."

"Ah! Stalker!" Neko screamed as she turned around and punched whoever was behind them. He fell backwards.

"It's ok! I didn't mean any harm. It's just dangerous for two young girls to be out be themselves." He said scooting away from the two girls, as they approached him, hands clenched and eyes glaring. Utari picked up a rock for a weapon.

"Who are you?" Utari asked.

"I'm Shigure Sohma. I was just walking back from getting something to eat when I saw you two lying helplessly in this forest." He stuttered.

"You live out here?" Neko eyes suddenly lit up and she fell to her knees in front of Shigure.

"Yes...my home is just a little ways down that road." Shigure said pointing up the hill. "It's getting dark and you two should really find a place to stay." He smirked.

"We have no place to stay." Utari added.

Shigure stood up and helped Neko to her feet. "Well, then you two can come with me and stay there! I have two more family members that live with me plus a young girl. We would all be happy to take care of both of you!"

"Oh really! Can we Utari? Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaase!" Neko pleaded taking Shigure's hand.

"Hmm....these other two family members....are the male or female?"

"They're male."

"Are they cute?"

"Very."

"Ok we're staying at Shigure's house!" Utari yelled striking a strange pose.

"Okay then," Shigure began walking and Utari and Neko followed, "So are you two single?"

"Why yes we are!" Neko chimed, "Single and looking!" All three of them laughed.

Somewhere in a tree.....

"Hello? Neko? Utari? Anybody?" Kotori yelled into the night. "I'm stuck in this tree! I can't get down.......Somebo-..yay a flower!" Kotori plucked the flower from it's branch and began plucking the pedals. The moon was out and she made herdelf comfortable since she thought this was where she was staying for the night. When Kotori was done ripping out the pedals she climbed to where she could peek out through some branches. The dark blue sky was glittering with stars. Kotori stared at them, wondering where she was, and where her friends were. "I bet they're just fine." Kotori smiled and closed her eyes. "I'm a cowboy...on a steel horse I ride..." She sang out of key as she dozed.

Shigure's House

"Wow Shigure! This is a nice place!" Neko ran to the middle of the living room, did a spin and fell onto the floor.

"Why thank you umm...Neko is it?" He asked

"How did you know?"

"Well I heard you two talking."

"Well that wasn't a very good introduction back there. Let us introduce ourselves properly. I'm Utari." She stuck out her hand to shake Shigure's. He looked at her, then shook her hand.

"You're not from around here are you?" Utari shook her head. "Cause we usually bow when we meet someone."

"Well where we come from, we shake hands!" Utari said. Shigure smiled. Neko jumped up and ran towards Shigure.

"Where I come from we greet each other with a kiss!" She laughed as she jumped on Shigure and kissed his cheek. Shigure stumbled backwards onto the floor.

"I...I didn't transform..." He said. Neko and Utari looked at him strangely.

"Transform?" Neko asked.

"Well I guess I'll tell you. You're bound to find out one way or another. You see the Sohma is cursed. When our bodies come under a lot of stress, or when we are hugged by a member of the opposite sex we transform into the twelve animals of the zodiac plus the cat." Both of the girls stared blankly at him.

"And which animal are you?" Utari asked

"I'm the dog." Shigure smiled.

"I wanna see you as a dog!" Neko shouted.

"Yeah! We can rub your tummy!" Utari added. Shigure was astonished that they believed him so easily, but he smirked at the mention of tummy rubbing.

"I'm tired. Mr. Shigure can we sleep here?" Neko yawned and stretched out on the floor.

"Sure you can! I'll go grab some things for you to sleep on. You might have to borrow some of my cousins clothes to sleep in though." Shigure stood up and walked away to get them something to sleep on.

On that random tree.....

"Oh chitty chitty bang bang...." Kotori sang while throwing leaves into the air and watching them fall. She was very bored and wanted out of the tree. "I'm so lonely....and bored...." She said as she changed positions in the tree. "Oh give me a home...where the buffalo roam..." She started a new song. She then began howling at the moon. Her howling became louder and louder till she heard someone scream. She hunched back into the leaves as she heard some people approach her.

"Ms. Honda its ok. Wolves aren't known to attack people." A clam quiet voice said.

"Um...yeah...I remember someone telling me something like that before." A girl said in a frantic voice.

"Well it sounded like only one...and if it comes I'll beat the hell out of it!" A different boy said.

"You stupid cat! You'd probably run away at the sight of wolf."

"I would not ya damn rat!"

Kotori jumped to another branch to get a closer look to see who these people were. There were three of them. A girl with long brown hair dressed in a high school uniform. Beside her was a tall slender boy with dark grey hair, and striking violet eyes. He seemed clam and collected compared to the one on the other side of her, who was looking around for the sign of a wolf. He had short orange hair, and his eyes were blazing red. Both of them were dressed in black school uniforms.

"Let's keep going." The orange headed boy said, storming off in front of the other two. Kotori got an idea in her head. She backed up to get to a different branch. She scooted over onto that branch and snapped one of the smaller twigs in the process.

"What was that?" The girl asked backing away from the sound. Both of the boys looked around. The one with grey hair looked at the tree, but he didn't notice Kotori.

"I think we should hurry..." The girl said moving a little faster. Kotori, still hidden by the cover of darkness and leaves, moved to a crouching pose at the edge of the tree limb.

"We watch as the lioness stalks her unsuspecting prey..bwahahaha..." Kotori whispered to herself.

"Come on you two!" The one with orange hair yelled. Kotori watched him closely as he approached the tree.

"A little closer my little orange haired, very cute, loud person..." Kotori whispered. She moved closer to the edge her head barely visible from behind the leaves. The girl noticed Kotori's outline, and screamed to the boy, but it was too late. As he walked under Kotori she jumped out of the tree onto his head.

"The lioness has attacked her prey....." Kotori said as the boy threw her off his head, "Unfortunately very strong prey that the lioness could not kill. Alas! She must go hungry!" Kotori fell on her back in on the side of the road.

"What the hell? Who are you? And why did you attack me?"

"Kyo! It's just a little girl!" The girl tried to calm him down.

"I don't care if it's just a little bird! She nearly took my head off!" He yelled.

"At least if she had taken your head off, she wouldn't have had to listen to you yell." The other boy said.

"What was that rat boy!" He yelled back turning to the other boy. He marched up to him and the two began exchanging insults. Meanwhile the girl bent down to Kotori.

"Hi I'm Tohru Honda. The two boys over there are Yuki and Kyo. They really are nice boys, they only fight with each other." She said with a big smile on her face. Kotori stared at them. "So what are doing out here all by yourself?"

Kotori's attention turned back to Tohru. "Well I got lost. One minute I was home, the next I was in that tree." Tohru didn't quite understand, but it was late so she didn't want to bother her with many questions. "By the way, my name is Kotori."

"Nice to meet you Kotori. Where are from?" Kotori looked around.

"Well I'm from....very far away..and I'm really tired." Kotori said. She stood on her feet, shaking a little. Tohru stood up and let her lean on her shoulder. It was awkward since Kotori was taller than Tohru.

"Well then...It's late, I wonder if the Sohma's would mind if you stayed just for the evening.

Um...Yuki, Kyo..?" Tohru said quietly, but they continued to bicker.

"I have an idea." Kotori said running toward Kyo.

"Wait Kotori!" Tohru yelled. Kotori jumped into the air and landed on Kyo's shoulders. He immediately stopped fighting with Yuki and tried to shake Kotori off him.

"Get off!" He yelled. Kotori hung on tight. She wasn't coming off without a fight.

"Weeee! Whoa!" Kotori slid down his back locking her legs around his waist, and her arms around his neck. Tohru ran over to them. Kyo quit moving.

"Kyo...you're still...human." Tohru pointed out.

"That's strange." said Yuki.

"I wonder if she......" Yuki began.

"Umm...Yuki," Tohru started, "Can Kotori stay the night. She doesn't have a place to go and...."

"I understand Ms. Honda. I think it'll be alright, well Kyo may have a hard time." He smiled sweetly at Tohru.

"Get off me dammit!" Kyo yelled running in a big circle.

"Come on Kyo! You can do better than that!" Kotori laughed still clinging tightly to Kyo. "I'm not letting go! Bwahahahahahahaha!" Kyo finally gave up on trying to take her off. Tohru and Yuki didn't try to take her off. After a while Kotori fell asleep on Kyo, as they continued to walk back home.

"Wow! She a very cute little girl when she's sleeping." Tohru smiled at Kotori's sleeping face. Yuki didn't say anything; he only smiled.

"She's annoying. Even when she's sleeping I still can't get her off my back." Kyo complained. "Finally we're home. Maybe now she'll let go."

Yuki was the first to enter the house. As he walked in he found two other girls sleeping in the floor. Both had a pair of comfortable robes on, and were tucked soundly into the blankets.

"More?" He questioned. Tohru walked in behind him.

"Wow! More girls! Maybe they're friends of Kotori's!"

"What! More of them! Just what I need! I'll bet Shigure brought them home." Kyo shut the door behind him. Shigure walked in when he heard them.

"Welcome back you three! How was-..."Shigure saw the sleeping girl on Kyo's back. "Well today must be my birthday! All these girls keep coming out of nowhere!" He said in a high voice. "I'll bet that is the other girl that these two were talking about."

"Who are they Shigure!?" Kyo yelled grabbing hold of Shigure's robe.

"Calm down Kyo! I'm not sure who they are. I found them in the woods, while I was walking home. I couldn't just leave them out there. Exposed to the wilderness. Such beautiful flowers-!" Kyo hit Shigure.

"That isn't what I asked!" Kyo's rage was getting higher.

"Well I know they aren't from around here. One kissed me on the cheek and I didn't transform." He said with a big smile. "And obviously you didn't transform either Kyo. Aww...I think she likes you!" Shigure patted Kyo's head.

"Shigure! I'm gonna hurt you really bad one of these days!" Kyo clenched his fist.

"Kyo hush. I still need more sleep." Kotori muttered, squeezing Kyo's neck tighter. He grabbed her arms and tried to pull her loose.

"Get this thing off me!" He pulled and pulled, but Kotori didn't let go. Yuki walked over to Kyo and grabbed Kotori's ribs. She began to laugh hysterically and she finally let go of Kyo.

"She's ticklish." Yuki pointed out. Kotori fell to the floor, and acted like a limp doll. "You can sleep with your friends over there." Kotori glared at Yuki then looked over to her friends.

"Utari! Neko!" Kotori rose to her hands and knees. She took one step then dropped to the floor. "Oh its too much! My little body can't take it! I need a teddy bear!" Kotori curled into a little ball. Tohru walked over to her and took her hand.

"Come on Kotori. We'll get you into bed. You fell much better in the morning." Tohru grinned and Kotori grinned back. Again she rose to her hands and knees and crawled over to her friends. She fell next to Neko and drifted to sleep. Tohru ran to get Kotori a blanket.

"That one certainly is a handful. " Yuki said as he headed upstairs to his bed.

"Wait till you see the other two awake. I have a feeling things are going to get very interesting around here." Shigure added. Kyo looked at the sleeping girls and didn't say anything. He growled as he too went upstairs. Tohru returned moments later and covered Kotori with a big brown blanket.

"There. Now she'll stay nice and warm." She bowed to them and whispered goodnight. She wished Shigure goodnight then went upstairs to bed. Shigure turned out the lights and locked the doors. He looked back at the sleeping girls. Utari was on her stomach. Neko was curled up while Kotori was splayed out across the floor. He left a small light on for them, in case they needed something. Then he went into his room, and went to bed.

Yay! Chapter 2 done! What do ya think? Please Review! I need encouragement to keep writing!