A/N: Hi all! I'm sorry I haven't updated in forever and a half. I've just been...Kinda busy. I'm in Highschool and exams are right around the corner. Please understand! I've finally got some down time, so this is what results, more chapters! I've been struck by boredom, and I have an idea, so yeah, it works. Also, a little shameless advertisement: Read my friends stories if you're into Shounen-Ai! He's pretty good! He's pockyfrikkencrazy4bois, so yes... What was I going to say? Don't remember...Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

RECAP

"Sorry for yelling at you… And Thanks for the salmon." We all sit down, Yuki-kun glaring at Kyo-kun for yelling at me.

"Itadakimasu!" We start eating. Tohru and I serve the rice and leeks. Kyo-kun eats his salmon quietly, still slightly mad at himself. Yuki-kun and Shigure-san are eating happily.

"This is really quite good, Shizuko-chan. You're a pretty good cook." I blush the slightest bit.

"Thanks. I didn't do much though…"

"That might be true, but Yuki's right. You are good at making food. Don't you agree, Kyo?" I turn to Kyo-kun. I hope I made the salmon right.

"Yeah, I guess." That's all he comments. I hope that means that the salmon's alright. We continue eating in comfortable silence and I contemplate my new discoveries. Maybe I'll learn more at the main house. I hope so!

"So, Shizuko-san, while we're waiting for Hatori-san to come pick you up, why don't you tell us a little about you're life at home?" Tohru asks me with a smile. I look down at my hands, which are folded neatly on my lap.

"Anou..."

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, Shizuko-chan," Yuki-kun tells me.

"No! That's not it! I don't mind, really!" I tell them, waving my hands in front of me, laughing a little. "Well, while I was living at home, I had a personal tutor, whose name was Ms. Matsu. She was kinda strict, but I was able to keep up with the curriculum, so I didn't have much problem with her. Also, after my lunch break, I would have karate practice. I think I got pretty good at it by now!" I say with a smile.

"So, you take martial arts, too, huh?" Kyo-kun asks me, his voice trying to mask any curiosity, seeing as curiosity killed the cat.

"Uh-huh! I believe I'm a black belt. Well, uhm, what else? Well, the grounds I lived on were really big, about two acres. "

"W-wow! That's so...big..." Tohru says in awe

"Heh heh, I guess so. Well, that's pretty much it...Oh! That's right! The photo albums! In my father's study was a wall of photo albums of our family. That's how I was able to recognize the three of you. I used to ask my father about the people in the pictures, and that's how I learned about everyone. They were the generation before of us. I think they may have been cursed, but I can't be sure, since they wouldn't talk about it. "

"I see, that's fascinating. Who knew?" Shigure-Nii-san says. I nod slowly and look around at everyone, wanting to see what they all think.

"You're parents might have been part of the previous Zodiac?" Yuki-kun asks.

"Well, maybe. I'm not all too sure, though. I can't say anything definite."

"I understand. The only way to know for certain is to ask someone from that generation." I nod. Suddenly the doorbell rings, which startles me slightly.

"Ah! That must be Ha'ri!" Shigure-Nii-San says, smiling as he goes to answer the door.

"Hello, Ha'ri! Come in and have some tea!" We hear Shigure-Nii-san saying from the entry way.

"Shouldn't we get going?"I hear a masculine voice say, supposedly Hatori-san's.

"Yes, yes. I guess you're right. I'll go get her." Shigure come back into the living room where we all were. "Shizuko-chan, it's time for you to leave!"

"Well, I guess I'll be seeing all of you later! I'm going now," I tell all of them as I stand.

"Take care," Yuki-kun says with a smile.

"Come back safe!" Tohru says happily.

"Yeah, be careful," Kyo-kun says in a gruff manner, not looking at me.

"I will! See you!" I walk out to the entry way where I see a man standing there, waiting. I bow.

"So you're Shizuko. It's nice to meet you. I'm Hatori Sohma."

"H-hai! Nice to meet you too."

"Let's get going now." I nod and follow him outside to the car.

We pull up in front of a huge elaborate gate. I see a little nameplate on the outside. It says "Sohma"on it. I guess we're at the main house, now. I get out of the car and Hatori-san follows soon after. He leads me inside. I gasp in awe. It's absolutely huge inside! I see a pond, and rows of houses. They seem to go on forever.

We walk down the path and soon enough I see a overwhelmingly big mansion in view. I guess that's the main main house. We approach it and soon enough we're in front of it.

"Shizuko, you can go sit in the seat. I need to make sure Akito is ready to see you." I nod and sit, still pretty much overwhelmed. I hear the sound of talking and rushing around coming from behind the doors along the corridor I'm sitting in. After another few moments, Hatori comes back.

"Akito will see you, now. He's not doing too well, so make sure he doesn't get overexcited, alright?"

"Yes sir!" I say and turn towards the door. I feel something...hostile coming from beyond that door. Hatori looks at me and I blush slightly before opening the door and entering.

The place I enter is absolutely beautiful. It's a room where all the screen doors are open and the cherry blossoms are floating in from the outside and covers the beautiful wooden floor. In one of the doorways, I see a boy, not too much older than me, sitting with a bird perched on his finger. I slowly approach him before sitting in the proper seiza style. He looks at me from the corner of his eye and smiles slightly.

"So, you must be Shizuko, the one whose parents locked her away for thirteen years."

"Y-yes." I bow. "You must be Akito-san. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"No, the pleasure is mine. I've finally be able to meet you. No one in this family has seen you in thirteen years outside of your parents. How do you like the outside so far?"

"Oh, well, it's definitely been interesting. The first people I met as soon as I was in the city were Yuki-kun, Kyo-kun and Tohru."

"Ah, yes. Tohru..." He seems to say her name almost hostilely. "Besides that?"

"Well, I've met some of my cousins who my parents have talked about, including you, Akito-san."

"Don't be so formal. We're family. Just call me Akito."

"A-are you sure, Akito-sa- I mean, Akito?"

"Yes, I'm perfectly sure. Now that you are outside of you original home, though, you understand that things will not be easy for you. It's in my understanding that you've never transformed before."

"Yes, that is true. I've never been hugged by a member of the opposite gender other than my Father."

"Ah yes, your parents. Did you know they were both previously of the Zodiac members?"

"R-really? I didn't know that..."

"Well, they were. There is something else you should know. Shizuko-chan, you are not the only tiger in the Zodiac in this generation."

"Really? I didn't know more than one person could be the same Zodiac animal."

"Normally, no. But this is a very special case. You are not an orange tiger, even though your hair is orange, and I believe your parents had a hand in that. You are a Snow Tiger, meaning you are a white tiger. Your hair is really white, however, for their own sake, I suppose, your parents have been dying your hair orange since you were little, so you would not be an outcast among the Zodiac, although now everyone knows, since Kisa-chan, the other tiger, has naturally orange-brown hair." I have really no idea what to say to that. Not only am I cursed, but I've been cursed differently than anyone else before me.

"I... I... Are you... I mean..." I stutter, unable to form intelligible words.

"It's alright, I understand that this may come as a shock to you. However, we have other things to discuss, such as living arrangements."

"Y-yes...You're right."

"So what are your accommodations for the moment?"

"Oh, I'm staying at Shigure-Nii-san's house, but only until I can find something more permenant."

"Well, there is no rush. Besides, I believe it may be better for you to stay with them, at least for a little while longer, since they are the ones you have the most connection with. If all works out, that may be your permanent home."

"R-Really? Thank you so much, Akito-sa...Akito. But...What about my parents?"

"I'll talk them into letting you stay. And you can go to Yuki's school, which happens to be co-ed."

"Thank you so much! You don't know how much this means to me!" I have to restrain myself from hugging him, so I smile brightly, and he smiles back. He actually reminds me of Yuki, his appearance and his kindness.

" Don't worry about it. It will be my pleasure. Anything to help a family member," he says with a sincere smile.

" How did it go with Akito?" Hatori asks me as soon as I leave Akito's room.

"They went well. I found a few things out, like my parents were part of the Zodiac and that I'm actually the Snow Tiger. Also, I'm allowed to live with Shigure-Nii-san and the others and I'll be going to Yuki's school."

"I see, well, I'm glad that was it. Akito didn't get overexcited, did he?"

"No, he didn't. Our talk was pretty quiet."

"Good. I'll be taking you back to Shigure's house now."

"O-okay..."

"Shigure-Nii-san! Yuki-kun! Kyo-kun! Tohru! I'm home!" I announce as I walk into my new home. I walk into the living room, where Yuki-kun, Kyo-kun and Tohru are, watching an anime called Mogeta.

"Oh! How did it go?" Tohru asks, seemingly worried.

"He didn't...do anything to you...did he?" Yuki-kun asks, his voice filled with concern.

"He better not have..." Kyo-kun says defensively, worry and concern in both his eyes and his voice.

"No, no. I'm fine. We just talked. I found some things out, and my arrangements for living have been set."

"Oh, that's good. What did you find out?"

"Well, first off, my parents were actually once members of the Zodiac, though I'm not sure which."

"I see. Well, at least you know that the Zodiac curse was passed down directly from both of your parents, which explains why you never transformed around your father," Yuki-kun says and I nod.

"What else did you find out?" Kyo-kun asks.

"W-well...It's true that I'm a tiger from the Zodiac. Just...not the one that was expected, seeing as there was another year of the tiger born."

"That's right! Kisa-san! But, then, how does that work out for you, Shizuko-san?" Tohru says, curious as I was. At this point Shigure-Nii-san joins us, but doesn't interrupt and listens.

"Well...I am actually the Snow Tiger."

"Really? That's unexpected. I didn't know that could happen," Shigure-Nii-san responds.

"Neither did I," Yuki says. " That's definitely strange."

"Then how come your hair's orange?" Kyo-kun asks the obvious question...once more.

"Well, Akito told me that my parents had been dying my hair orange since I was little. My hair is actually supposed to be white."

"Wow! That's amazing! Not that you had your hair dyed, but that you are a second tiger with white hair!" Tohru says excitedly.

I smile at her and the rest of them. I still haven't told them the other news, about where I'm living and going to school! Although I won't mention the hate I thought I heard in his voice when he spoke about Tohru.

"Guys, that's not all! Akito said that I'll be living here, and if all goes well, it can be my permanent home!"

"Really? That's wonderful!" Tohru says as happily as I feel.

"As long as you don't add to the destruction of my house, I don't mind!" Shigure-Nii-san says.

"Well, I'm glad that we'll be able to spend more time together, Shizuko-chan," Yuki-kun states, smiling at me. I smile back.

"I am too! Tohru, I hope you don't mind that I'll have to share your room with you..."

"Of course not! I don't mind at all! That means that there will be another girl in the house!" We smile happily and laugh a little.

"So, where are you stuck going to school?" Kyo-kun asks in a way I know he's not trying to sound rude.

"W-well, Akito said Yuki-kun's school."

"That's where Honda-san and Kyo go to school as well, Shizuko-chan."

"Really? That means we'll all go to school together! That's wonderful! I'm so glad!" So many good things have been happening recently. I can't wait to see what will happen now that I'm out into the real world!

A/N: So, what did you all think? Did I do well? I hope so! I kind of need ideas now, if any of you have any for me. I will dedicate chapters to those who do. Oh yes, this chapter is dedicated to Lee Totema for reviewing with the idea for Shizuko to be a white tiger. I really like the way that worked out! Please review, my readers. I need to know if this is even worth doing anymore, if anyone really cares. If not, then I may just stop updating all together. The more motivation and ideas I get, the faster the updates will be, so please, my lovely, lovely readers, review and I will...give you ...S'MORES!