Haru stared at the round clock that sitting on the wall in front of the classroom. 'Five more minutes...' he thought blankly. He had been counting down the hours and now it was almost time for what he considered would become some strange adventure. As the teacher dragged out the days' lesson longer than need be, Haru stared at the map in his lap.

The annoying bell finally rung and Haru grabbed his things. If he was going to get to wherever he was going he knew he would have to make haste.

"Sohma-kun, wait!"

Haru stopped in his tracks, then slowly turned to face a girl whose name was Akane. She had dark brown hair that stopped to rest gently on her shoulders and freckles that Haru had imagined playing connect-the-dots with many times. "Yes?" he asked.

She fidgeted. He didn't miss that her freckles seemed to be spreading redness all across her cheeks. "Um...just that..." she sucked in a deep breath, then from behind her back she pulled out a small box. "P-please accept this..." Akane whispered. She bowed her head down and held out the box to him. He shrugged and took it.

Before he could open it though, Akane ran out of the classroom. He stared at the trail of smoke she had left behind before finally opening the gift. Inside was a pair of black earrings, much similar to the ones he was already wearing. Haru closed the box, then stuffed it inside his satchel. He wondered briefly why Akane would give him such a gift- he never really talked to her...but he was never mean to her either...

He would've pondered over it a bit more if he hadn't remembered what he was supposed to be doing. 'Great...I'm running late already.'

The white haired Sohma ran out of the classroom- and straight into Momiji. They collided into each other and ended up on the floor.

"Ow!" Momiji said, rubbing his head.

"Sorry, you okay," Haru asked, extending his hand out to the blond and pulling him up.

"I think so...but Haru, aren't you supposed to be getting somewhere? Huh, huh?" Momiji poked Haru's shoulder and wriggled his eyebrows around. "Huh?"

Haru nodded, picked up his stuff again and continued his jog out of the school- this time careful not to bump into anyone. When he was out of the school, he pulled the map out of his pocket. He blinked; it was wrinkled...very wrinkled. It was going to be even harder to read the damned thing! Yet he swore to himself that he would make it to his destination.

"Even if it kills me," he mumbled, before heading west just as the map instructed him to- or at least, what he thought was west.

"Okay, that's the last balloon," Tohru said when she was able to inhale again. She smiled and looked around the establishment. Every Sohma she had met so far (other than Akito) was there, just for Hatsuharu! Her stomach bubbled with happiness. Haru was going to have the best party ever.

At the moment, Yuki was pummeling Ayame to death and Shigure was begging for Yuki to stop. Hatori was standing not too far away from them, counting down the seconds until it would be necessary for him to interfere. Kyo was being chased all around the house by a merciless Kagura. Hiro and Kisa were off to the side, having a small conversation with Momiji about something that only the bunny and the tiger were interested in. Ritsu was apologizing frantically to Kami-sama, once again, for his existence.

Tohru looked up at the clock- it had been a half hour since school had ended, so she figured Haru would be there any minute. When he got there, it was decided that everyone would hide behind something and they would all jump out and give a big, "Surprise!"

She clapped her hands together lightly and said, "Okay everyone! Hatsuharu-san should be here soon! So let's pick our hiding places!"

Haru would be there soon. After all...the map would lead him straight to Shigure's house, right?

Haru looked around at his surroundings. It was forty-five minutes since he had left the school and now he was thirsty, hungry and tired. He glanced down at the damned map, balled up, then tossed it over his shoulder. It had been no help to him and he figured that it was only a burden to carry it. Then again...he sighed and picked it back up again. Saying that he was lost was an understatement and he would need all the help he could get just to get home.

The troubled boy was in wide open space with nothing but grass, a huge tree, some kids chasing some butterflies and their parents- not to mention a couple making out. Haru decided to go sit under the tree instead of asking the couple if he could join them in their little session.

He sighed and tilted his head back. A little nap might restore his senses...then he'd just go home and eat something. He closed his eyes and paid attention only to the cool breeze ruffling his hair and caressing his skin.

Peep, peep

Haru opened his eyes slightly. What had that sound been? He looked for the kids who were playing earlier, but only saw the two teenagers swapping spit. 'What kind of freaks make 'peep' sounds when they're-'

Peep, peep.

'What the hell?' Haru blinked and looked around. That sound...it hadn't come from the couple. So what was it? That's when he noticed it. He stood and dusted the dirt from his leather pants. He looked down.

A little bird was laying on the ground right next to its nest, causing Haru to wonder what type of idiot bird wouldn't make a nest strong enough to hold its baby in. He shook his head and bent down close to the bird. It's little left wing seemed to be halfway ripped off. Haru's stomach churned.

He slid his jacket off of his shoulders and sat it onto the ground next to the bird. Then he scooped up the injured animal and sat it gently onto the jacket. Finally he picked up the jacket and the bird and stood again. The bird chirped crazily and Haru rubbed the top of its head with his finger.

"Quiet down Bingo, I need to think..." Haru told it. Yes. He named a bird Bingo. Now he only needed to figure out which way to go.

Plop.

Haru rubbed his assaulted nose and looked up at the sky. It was darkening and the clouds were the same color as his eyes. He could even hear a distant rumble. 'Great...just great...'

"Um...why isn't Haru here yet?" Kagura asked. She looked at Kyo for an answer and Kyo rolled his eyes.

"Don't look at me! It's not like I made him get lost!"

"Y-you think he's lost?" Tohru asked.

"That's a high probability," Yuki admitted.

"But he has my map!" Momiji cried. Everyone stared at him...

"Let me get this straight," Hatori said, eyeing Shigure, "You let Momiji draw Hatsuharu a map?"

"Well..." Shigure said, "I thought it was pretty well drawn."

More silence.

"I can't believe I'm being dragged out in the rain- for an idiot cow who can't follow directions to a house he's visited damn near hundreds of times!" Kyo yelled. "Why the hell didn't you just tell him to go to Shigure's house?"

"I..." Tohru looked away from the enraged cat and sighed. "We wanted to be suspicious about it...so it could be a surprise."

Kyo's eye twitched.

"Stop yelling at Honda-san, it wasn't her fault," Yuki said. That only managed to anger Kyo even more. He opened his mouth to say something just as a roar of thunder sounded through their ears. Immediately after that, water came tumbling like little pellets of death. Yuki held his umbrella over Tohru's head- leaving poor Kyo to get soaked.

"Thanks! Oh no...Kyo-kun, did you forget your umbrella?" Tohru asked.

Kyo muttered a 'yeah' and started to walk ahead of Tohru and Yuki. He hadn't known that it was going to rain and now that damn Yuki was taunting him with a dumb umbrella when he knew how the rain always made Kyo feel. 'I'll get him for that...'

"Here you go Kyo-kun."

Kyo blinked when he could no longer feel rain beating down on him and looked up to see the light blue umbrella. He looked back at Tohru, who was holding the umbrella above his head.

"I noticed the clouds on the way out and stuffed an extra umbrella in my bag," she explained with the smile that only she could possess.

"Thanks..." Kyo mumbled and took the umbrella from her hand. He would've held it above her head but Yuki was still occupying that job. He cursed the rat for stealing his opportunity to do something nice for Tohru...

Haru was running- to where? He didn't know. His best bet was to find some type of shelter for himself and Bingo. The bird wasn't getting too wet since he was covered in Haru's jacket but it was hard to keep him covered without squishing him. He, on the other hand, was soaked so badly that his clothes stuck to him uncomfortably and his hair was swinging in front of his eyes, making it hard for him to see.

He slowed to a stop and looked this way and that. Now, he realized, he was even more lost than he had originally been! In front of him was what appeared to be a small church. At first, Haru had mistaken it for a house. But when he entered it he found pews and a stage.

Just ahead of the stage was a group of people huddled together. Haru wasn't the type of person to disturb busy people, so he silently took a seat in the last pew and watched them and listened to their chants. Bingo was resting peacefully in his lap. Haru stared at Bingo- at first, he didn't occur to him that anything was wrong. Then he poked the small bird. It didn't move, nor did it make a sound. Haru's eyes widened in realization.

He tapped Bingo again, a little harder. "Bingo?" he whispered. "Bingo, wake up."

Bingo was silent. "Bingo!" Haru jumped up with the little bird in his hands. The group of people looked back at him. "Bingo! Hey, wake up! There's no way in hell I carried you this far for you to die on me!"

The group of people gasped when Haru swore, then whispers were sent among them. Slowly, they made their way toward Haru. "Um...excuse me sir..." one of the said.

"Maybe we can be of assistance?"

Haru stared at the small group that had gathered around them. They were dressed in all white hooded cloaks. He stared at them, and they stared at him. They noticed his white hair with black roots, then gasped and started to whisper among themselves.

Haru held Bingo close to him and tried to not lose his temper. "Hey...you said you were going to help," he reminded them.

"Oh yes," the speaking man said and cleared his throat. "It's just that...you look like 'The Leader.'"

"The Leader?" Haru said, blinking. He smirked, "Yeah...yeah...I'm your Leader guy."

"Haru!"

"Hatsuharu-san!"

Kyo's ears twitched as Yuki and Tohru called Haru time and time again. He knew it was a bad idea to have a birthday party for that cow in the first place! Why didn't anybody listen to him?

"Tohruuuuuu!"

"Oh! Did you guys hear that? It sounded like-"

"Tohru! I found you!" Momiji cheered as he ran down the sidewalk, his little yellow umbrella in hand and Hatori not too far behind him.

"Yup! But...aren't we supposed to be looking for Hatsuharu-san?" Tohru asked.

"Yeah, but I found you first," Momiji replied. Yuki and Kyo smacked their own foreheads.

"What an idiot," Kyo mumbled. "I say we just go home and let Haru find his own way home!"

Thunder split through the groups' ears. "The storms getting worse..." Yuki stated.

Suddenly, the sky went ablaze with a sky covering lightening bolt. "Look out!"

A cloud of smoke covered Hatori as Tohru lifted herself off of him. "Oh no..." She looked down at the little sea-horse beneath her.

"Fire!" Momiji yelled. Tohru gasped and looked to her side. Indeed, that bolt of lightening had set a light pole ablaze. Tohru screamed as the thing started to wave as if it was a pine-tree, then squeaked when she felt a hand go under her belly and hurriedly pulled her to the side just as the pole came crashing down. Luckily, she had had Hatori in her hands.

Yuki gently released Tohru from his gasp as Momiji and Kyo ran towards them.

"That was a big one!" Momiji cried. He spread his arms out for dramatic effect and just as he did another lightening bolt came crashing down to the side of Kyo. The cat yelled and flung himself away just in time.

"What the hell? Someone up there's trying to kill us!" Kyo yelled. As if arguing back with the carrot-top, thunder boomed again.

"Let's get outta here!" Kyo yelled, grabbing Tohru's free hand and running with her to wherever he thought safety would be.

"Waaiiiiiiiit! Kyoooooo!" Momiji whined, running after the Honda and Kyo. Yuki looked up at the sky.

'Someone has it out for us...' he thought. BOOM! Yuki sprinted away just as the sky went ablaze again.

Haru stared down at the basket that Bingo was lying in. In the end, they couldn't help poor Bingo. He was dead, and there was nothing anyone could do about it except give the bird the proper funeral. Haru turned to look at the body long mirror the group, who was now dubbed The Followers, had left him with. They had also given him some new clothes- a black suit with shiny black shoes and a little black bow tie.

He was apparently their leader, so he was instructed to 'lead' them. Haru had no idea what they meant by that, but hey- it was better than being outside in the thunderstorm. So he picked up Bingo's basket and he eased his way out of the room and back into the sanctuary. He was surprised to find it pitch black.

Then a bright light was cast down upon him. Haru squinted and shielded his eyes with his arm. "What the hell?" he mumbled.

"Oh Leader of the great old tribe!" A voice boomed. "You have finally returned to us!"

Haru sweat dropped. This was getting freaky...

"Please, step forward."

Haru took a step forward and waited. 'If they try some funny stuff I'm killing them- Bingo funeral or not.'

"Hey! Can't we just have the funeral already?" Haru asked the anonymous holder of the strange voice.

"Oh...right..."

All the lights were suddenly back on and Haru could see that the Followers were all standing in front of him. "And I'm hungry." Haru said. "Why don't you be courteous and get your leader some food?"

"Sorry!" a woman apologized and scurried away. Haru smirked. Hey...if you're going to be the Leader, why not live it up?

A/N: (sweat drop) I don't know why this ended up so random. I get a plan in my mind and then it vanishes as I'm writing... I'll try to be a little more serious next time., if possible...which for some reason I doubt.

Oh yeah! And Akane gave Haru a gift cause she has a crush on him and it's his birthday! Kinda obvious though...