Chapter 15: The Sohma Family Curse

Mateo's P.O.V

"I've heard of them. But what does that have to do with you guys?" The Sohmas all were staring at me with the multiple colors of eyes, making me feel slightly disconcerted.

"Truthfully, it has everything to do with us." Hatori stated calmly. "In the story of the zodiac, God invited all the animals," Kyo snarled slightly, "and the cat," Hatori amended, "to a great banquet." I nodded. "The Rat," Kyo's eyes flashed angrily, and for a second I could swear his gaze had landed on Yuki's. "Decided to play a trick on the cat. He told the cat that the banquet was the next night. So while the cat slept peacefully, the rest of the animals went and ate and enjoyed the banquet. The Cat is not technically a part of the zodiac. Each animal present at God's table was given a month of the year, to celebrate the friendship between them."

"Yup, and the cat was left out, that's why the cat and rat hate each other right?" I asked for confirmation.

"That's right." Kagura said, sending a sidelong look towards Yuki and Kyo who were pointedly ignoring each other.

"Care to tell me where you all come in?" I queried. Yuki gave a sigh and conceded.

"When any of our bodies come under a lot of stress, or we are hugged by the opposite gender, we transform into the animals of the zodiac. Anyone want to introduce yourself?" Silence reigned for a few minutes. Haru spoke up, surprising me.

"I'm the ox of the Zodiac." He said almost absently. "Hence the reason my hair is different colored. It's not died. That really is my natural hair color."

"Guess what I am!" Momiji was bursting with a disturbing amount of energy considering the atmosphere.

"Uh…" I searched for an idea. Then, watching him practically vibrating on the floor, I took a guess. "You're the rabbit?"

"You're right!" Momiji smiled. Hiro rolled his eyes.

Hiro's P.O.V

"This is ridiculous." I muttered quietly. "Hatori's just gonna erase his memory anyway." Kisa squeezed my hand. A warm current hummed under my skin.

"We don't know that. After all, they let Sissy keep her memories." She spoke softly, referring to Tohru. Shrugging my shoulders, I didn't reply. The kid…what's his name…Mateo. He looked at me. Squinting his eyes, he examined Kisa and I.

"Which ones are you guys?" I sniffed slightly, reluctant on whether to tell them.

"I'm the Tiger." Kisa whispered. The kid raised a brown eyebrow. Clearly quiet little Kisa was not exactly what he imagined as the tiger. "Hiro's the sheep." I met the piercing once over I was given before Mateo nodded.

"Tohru, you aren't one are you?" He said, with a smile playing on his lips.

Tohru's P.O.V

"No, I'm not." I responded, flustered slightly. "I've met most of the Sohmas though."

"So who are the Dragon, Rat, Horse, Dog, Rooster, Snake, Boar, and Monkey?"

"Well, Shigure is the Dog, but he's not here presently." Hatori stated. Ayame, who everyone seemed to have forgotten he was so quiet suddenly piped up.

"And I'm the snake."

"You bet you are." Yuki hissed under his breath. I could see Mateo-san fighting a smile.

"Yuki here is the Rat." Ayame continued, ignoring Yuki's glare completely.

"Let me see if I can guess everyone else." Mateo-san gazed around the group of remaining Sohmas.

"Good luck." Kyo scoffed. Rei shot him a reproachful glance.

"Let's see…" Mateo scanned us all again slowly. "Kagura-san, are you the Boar?" She nodded, slightly flushing. "I figured that would be one explanation on why you're so strong." He grinned. "Kyo, are you the Monkey?" Half the room started chuckling.

Kagura's P.O.V

I began to giggle at the idea of Kyo being the Monkey.

"HELL NO!" Kyo's voiced practically made the roof shake. Eyeing it nervously, Tohru-kun tried to calm down my love. "Do I look like a clumsy cross-dresser?"

"Huh?" Mateo's face contorted in confusion.

I giggled again. "Ritsu Sohma, he's the Monkey of the Zodiac. Tohru-kun invited him tonight, but he's staying at the Main House with Kureno, the Rooster."

"Ritsu is…different." Hatori supplied. "If you've ever been to a hot springs up north, then you may have met his mother.

"The slightly creepy woman who always apologizes for everything?" He asked.

"That's right!" Tohru smiled. "Ritsu is her son. He's timid, but he's good." Mateo gave a nod.

"To save more confusion, I'm the Dragon." Hatori stated firmly. "Shigure is the Dog, but he's the one who drove Akito back to the Main House." Mateo nodded.

"Then who is the Horse?" He looked at Kyo. "You don't look like the Horse would."

Hatori's P.O.V

"That's because he's not. He's the Cat." Mateo seemed to be debating something. "If you're not the official part of the Zodiac," I sent Kyo a warning look reminding him to keep his temper under wraps. "Then do you still transform?"

"Yes." Was Kyo's short answer.

"Then whose the Horse?" Mateo glanced at me with large dark brown eyes.

'Rin Sohma.' Rei signed. 'She's a good friend. She's very nice to me.'

"Rin…Where have I heard that name…?" Mateo murmured. Haru shot me a slightly panicked look. He didn't want his girlfriend to be in any trouble.

"I have no idea." I calmly lied. Akito had mentioned her in passing. She was recuperating now that Akito had finally let me tend to the wounds. Rin had been thinking that the answer to freeing us all from the curse was inside Akito's mother's room. That hadn't gone well. Akito had pushed Rin off the roof. It had been touch and go for several days. Haru hadn't left her bedside for a single moment of those days, no matter how many times she insisted she was fine. When she was taken out of guarded condition, I as the Head Doctor of the Sohma family led the procedures to take place on Rin. She was doing better now, especially after she'd heard of Rei's escape.

"So let me get this straight."

Mateo's P.O.V

"So let me get this straight. You're all members of the Zodiac," I ignored the hiss of breath coming from Kyo. "Whenever you are hugged or under stress you turn into the animal you represent?"

"That's about it." Yuki nodded.

"Hmm. That explains why you all are so secretive. Hang on a minute." I turned towards Rei. "I know I bumped into you that day after school. Are you a member of the Zodiac?" She nodded solemnly. My gaze darted between her and Hatori, asking for another explanation. For god knows what reason, I was taking this all fairly smoothly.

"Rei's a not very well known creature of the Zodiac. She's also Kyo's sister." Well that explained the eyes and mannerisms.

"What creature are you Rei?"

Glancing toward Hatori, he gave her a faint nod.

'I'm the panther.'

Sorry I'm so late in updating this! Yipes…I haven't updated it for like at least ½ a year. O.o yikes. Anyway, I've posted two chapters for you're (hopefully) enjoyment. Yes, I know they're short. I'm trying to update everything else so that everything has been updated by the New Year. (Irony MUCH)

So, I hope you like this, and again, so VERY sorry for being so late. Crazy holiday season.

Happy New Year!

~Ri