Lece: Sorry it took so long! Thanks to those who reviewed! Now here's the next chapter!
CHAPTER TWO: The Curse
-Next Morning-
Kristal awoke and leaned up. She looked around the room. Slowly she got out of bed and went downstairs. Kristal entered the kitchen and saw Kakasaryu.
"Oh Kakasa-kun! What are you doing?" Kristal asked.
"Cooking breakfast of course. Are you feeling any better?" he asked walking over and placing a hand on her forehead. "Feels like you fever's gone."
"Oh don't worry, I feel much better." Kristal replied.
"That's great! Now anything you want for breakfast?"
"Just some eggs will be...ah!"
Kristal slipped and Kakasaryu leaned into catch her.
"Krissy!" he said as he caught her.
There was a puff of orange smoke and a loud thud.
"Are you alright in here? I thought I heard a boom." Shigure said as he entered the kitchen.
"I'm so sorry!" Kristal said as she leaned up pulling Kakasaryu with her.
She looked down to see if he was alright but was shocked to see an orange cat in her arms. Shigure paled a bit as the cat sweat dropped.
"Oh no! I turned you into a cat! Shigure help!" Kristal said as she went to stand again.
She slipped on the rug this time and fell forward onto Shigure. There was a blue puff of smoke and another thud. Kristal leaned up to see a black dog in Shigure's robes.
"Oh no! Not Shigure too! What to do!" Kristal said as her arms were going in all directions.
"Krissy please calm down!" said the cat.
Kristal stopped and looked at the cat. Her face was pale.
"They can talk too?!?" Kristal said as her eyes started to spin. "This is all too much!"
"Kristal please just calm down. You don't want your fever to come back." the dog said.
"AH!" Kristal said as she threw her hands up.
There was a puff of pink smoke and the dog and the cat were surprised. Kristal's gown lay on the kitchen floor.
"Krissy!" said the cat.
Something started to move within the gown. The cat and dog watched anxiously. Suddenly a purple mouse came out of Kristal's gown. The mouse just sat there with it's face in it's paws.
"Oh no! I transformed!" said the mouse.
"Kristal, do you understand what's going on?" the dog asked.
"Yes, the Sohma family is cursed and certain members change into the 12 animals from the Chinese Zodiac plus the cat. Dad's the rat just like me." the rat explained. "But he didn't tell me that you two are cursed."
"Well then you understand that when we change back we'll be naked." the dog stated.
There were three puffs of smoke and all three were normal. Kakasaryu and Shigure quickly turned around so Kristal wouldn't see them. Kristal quickly threw on her gown while the other two got dressed.
"Alright, Krissy why don't you go get dressed for school. Then met us for breakfast." Shigure suggested when all three were fully dressed.
"Alright, I'll be back." Kristal said as she ran for the stairs.
"She can transform but not from a hug." Kakasaryu said when she was gone.
"This is strange, I better call Yuki and find out what's going on." Shigure said.
"She's probably like my mom and sis. Transform from a kiss."
"That may be the case, but I want to know why he didn't tell her about the other members of the zodiac."
"Things will get interesting from here." Kakasaryu stated as he stared at a bracelet of black and white beads around his wrist. "Who knows what will happen."
All three sat around the table eating breakfast.
'This explains a few things, so Kakasa pushed that fanclub girl because he would transform. He didn't want her to find out about the curse.' thought Kristal as she ate silently.
"Kristal..." said Shigure.
"Yes?" she replied.
"You now know that Kakasa and I are members of the zodiac. We didn't know that you were a member or had any knowledge of the curse. But now that you know, you have to be even more careful at school." Shigure said.
"I understand, I'll do my best!" Kristal said.
She earned a smile from both Shigure and Kakasaryu.
"We better hurry or we'll be late." Kakasaryu said.
"Oh right! See you later Shigure!" Kristal said before they went out the door.
Shigure sighed and got up. He went to the phone and dialed at number.
"Oh hi Akira, is you father home? Good, may I speak with him. I'll wait."
"..."
"Oh Yuki, how are you this morning? Still trying to wake up? Well I have some questions that concern Kristal.
-After school-
"Shigure we're home!" Kristal said as they entered the house.
"Hey you two." said Shigure. "Could you come in here for a minute?"
"What's up Shigure?" Kakasaryu asked as they sat down at the table.
"Well, I had a talk with Yuki and Kyo today. About what happened this morning." Shigure started.
Kakasaryu and Kristal listened quietly. Shigure looked at them before continuing.
"Yuki didn't know about Kakasa being part of the zodiac and Kyo didn't know that Krissy was cursed. But why you don't transform when you're hugged is strange. Yuki said that you transform with a kiss to the cheek."
"That's right, I can hug dad and he doesn't transform. Why's that?"
"It appears that the curse passed onto you when you were born. Same goes for Kakasaryu, Kyo's curse passed onto him."
"Then what about my mom's curse?" Kakasaryu interrupted.
'His mom's curse?" thought Kristal.
"Well since you mom is a decedent of the cat, the curse passes onto the child but also the mom carries the curse as well. You are what we call a Carrier for that curse. When you have a child, that particular curse could pass onto the child.
"Meaning even though I myself am not the bearer of that curse my child may still be cursed?"
"Yes, there is a chance for that."
"I'm sorry, Kakasa-kun...your mother is cursed?" Kristal asked.
"Yeah but it's nothing like the curse that we bear." Kakasaryu replied.
"Kairi carries the worst of the Sohma curse, she is a ryuneko." Shigure stated. "The Dragoncat...like the name says, she has two forms. A ryu form and a neko form. But not's the half of it. She goes into heat like a cat for three days once a year."
"How does she transform?" Kristal asked.
"To transform into her neko form, she can do it willingly or when she's kissed. To transform into her ryu form, she must be beaten to the point she breaks." Shigure answered.
"You do know about the story of the zodiac, right?" Kakasaryu asked her.
"Yeah mom told it to me when I was little. I tell it to Akira now."
"Well Krissy, Yuki and Kyo never got along. That was until Tohru came into our lives. She was able to get them to finally open up and become friends." Shigure said.
"So the rat and the cat are mortal enemies?" she asked.
"You could call it that but it's hard for the cat to actually get along with the rat."
Kristal looked down at the table and she then slammed her fist down on the table making Kakasaryu and Shigure jump. She then stood up suddenly, fire in her eyes.
"Who said that it had to be like that?! Why can't the cat and rat get along!? If they set aside their differences and look at the good in each other...they can get along!" she yelled. "People shouldn't judge too much on the past for they won't see what's coming in the future! Times have changed! Who ever said that the rat and cat couldn't get along should be knocked in the head!"
Shigure and Kakasaryu sat shocked and wide eyed at Kristal's outburst.
"I can't stand this! I'm going to make dinner then I have to work until eleven. If you need me I'll be in the kitchen." Kristal said as she left the room.
The other two sat there in silence letting everything soak in.
"I think Kyoko Honda just came out." Shigure said.
"I think she's right." Kakasaryu said.
Shigure looked at him. He was staring at the beads again. His eyes were shining and there was a faint smile on his face.
"Why can't the cat and rat get along? We won't know until we try."
Shigure smiled. "That's right."
"I'll go pick her up from work tonight."
"That's a good idea, a pretty girl like her shouldn't be walking home alone."
"It'll give us some time alone to talk."
Shigure shook his head as Kakasaryu left the room.
"This will turn out interesting. Krissy's more like her grandmother Kyoko that Tohru."
-Late that night-
Kristal sighed as she changed out of her work clothes. She worked with two older ladies. They were chit chatting but something they said caught her attention.
"Did you see that tall glass of water standing outside?"
"Listen to you, do you know what you're saying?"
'Could it...?' thought Kristal.
She walked outside to see Kakasaryu in tan pants, a red short sleeve button up shirt and tennis shoes. Kristal smiled and ran over to him.
"Kakasa-kun!" she said to get his attention.
He smiled when he heard her call his name. His eyes were shining.
"Hey Krissy, I came to walk you home." Kakasaryu said.
"Oh thank-you, you make me feel special." Kristal said.
He just smiled at her making Kristal blush.
"You ready?"
"Yeah."
They started to walk in silence.
"I believe in what you said earlier." Kakasaryu said breaking the silence.
"I just had to vent a little. I always wanted the rat and cat to get along. If there was a year of the cat fanclub...I'd join it!" Kristal said.
"I wish I could be more like you..."
Kristal looked at Kakasaryu in a funny way.
"The way you let out your feelings. I could never do that."
"Of course you can, everyone can do it."
"I have a hard time showing my feelings...especially around you."
"What do you mean by that Kakasa?"
He stopped and took Kristal's hand. Kristal blushed bright red. She could hear her heart.
"I like you a lot Krissy. But it's more than a friend feeling." Kakasaryu said as he leaned in closer to her.
"Kakasa..." Kristal said as he came closer.
Kakasaryu kissed her cheek. Kristal closed her eyes and when she opened them she was looking up at Kakasaryu. He leaned down and picked up her clothes.
"I'm sorry about that." he said looking at her.
"It's alright. I don't think it could get any worse." Kristal said.
Lighting struck and then it started to pour down rain.
"I spoke too soon."
"We better hurry home before the storm worsens."
"This is bad!" Kristal said as she changed back.
Kakasaryu turned and handed her-her clothes. Kristal dressed and grabbed his hand. She pulled him along.
"Where are we going?" Kakasaryu asked.
"My secret base! I have to protect it from the storm!" Kristal replied.
"Secret base?"
They ran out into the woods near the house. Soon they ran up upon a garden.
"Here, help me put this tarp over it." Kristal said as she unfolded the tarp.
"So this is your secret base." Kakasaryu said as they started to nail the tarp down.
"My little vegetable garden. I like fresh veggies when I cook so I planted this garden like my dad's when he lived here."
"I see. About earlier...I come on too strong..."
"Oh it's alright, at least now I know how you feel."
"Your not scared?"
"I'm a little confused but who knows what life throws your way."
"You're such a nice person."
"Oh! I can't be that nice! I have a bad side!" Kristal said her arms going in all directions.
"Everyone has their own kindness, you're just too nice and you don't even notice that you are." Kakasaryu said. "I may seem kind all the time but I have a hard time expressing myself."
Kristal looked at Kakasaryu. He smiled at her with a smile she had never seen before. She couldn't help but smile back.
'Mom, I don't know what this feeling is but my heart is pounding. When I'm with him, I get this feeling. What is this feeling? I just want to be with him...all the time.'
"Alright! We saved the garden!" Kristal said.
"Yes but we're a little worse for wear." Kakasaryu said.
"Okay, let's see what's ready..."
-Back at the house-
Kristal came out of the kitchen with the plates. She sat them down and Kakasaryu paled.
"Hope you don't mind stewed leeks. That's the only veggie that was ready." Kristal said as Kakasaryu stared at the plate. "Kakasa-kun, is something wrong? You're pale."
"Oh no, it's nothing." he said.
"He doesn't like leeks. Just like his father." Shigure stated.
"Have you ever tried them?" she asked.
"Come to think of it. I haven't. Mom only made them when I was out with dad." Kakasaryu replied. "So I don't know what they taste like."
"Well, here's your chance."
Kakasaryu slowly got a bite and slowly put it in his mouth. He chewed and looked surprised.
"They're good..." he said.
"Don't let Kyo hear you say that." Shigure said as he started to eat.
Kristal smiled as she watched the other two.
'Well mom, it seems I fit in here. And what ever this feeling is...I like it. I want to get to know Kakasa some more. He likes and dislikes. And maybe...the rat and the cat can get along. Once that happens, who knows what will happen.'
"Hey Krissy can I have some more?!"
"Kakasa! Save some for me!"
"Oh be quiet you pervert!"
"Shigure's a pervert? Kakasa-kun, tell me why!"
'Well, it looks like things will be interesting...'
To be continued...