Heya Hiya! You still haven't told me what you think Vierra looks like. :( It's just a bit of fun for me to know what my readers think of her. I'll tell you my view on her after I get at least three descriptions, so please review!

Yuki: Does it matter how a person appears?

SnowyNeko: Not at all! This is purely for my personal enjoyment, Yuki. The reason I neglected to describe her in the first place is to leave room for the imagination.

Yuki: Yes, I imagine you readers appreciate that.

SnowyNeko: I hope they do.

Kyo: But it's so much easier when you know how a person looks.

SnowyNeko: Now, Kyo Kitty, you shouldn't talk like that.

Kyo: Don't call me Kyo Kitty!

SnowyNeko: But… why not? :( *sniff*

Kyo: Wah! Don't cry! I… call me whatever you want...

SnowyNeko: Yay! I don't own any of the Fruba cast, though. Boo!

"Huh!?" Kyo whirls around to face me. "Waddya mean you have nowhere to go?"

"I mean exactly what I say," I tell him, trying to keep a cool head. It's fairly difficult with orange top here yelling at me.

"How can you not have a home? There must be some place other than here!" he storms out, to my relief, slamming the door behind him.

"Miss Carter, surely there is somewhere for you to go." Yuki's collected voice cools the tension in the room considerably, after Kyo's temper had it on edge.

"Afraid not," I sigh, wishing there was. "I woke up in the middle of the forest, no idea how I got here or why."

"So you have amnesia," Shigure concludes incorrectly, unusually somber. "We should be relieved you remembered your own name."

"Is there any way you can think of that we could contact your family?"

I shake my head at Yuki. Well, maybe if you call out loud enough…yeah right.

"Nope. I have their numbers in my cell phone, but I don't just conveniently have it on me." I pull out the pockets in my jeans for emphasis. It seems like only what I had on me came with me. That isn't at all surprising, but it would've been nice to have something extra.

The grey haired boy across from me smiles pleasantly. "You're welcome to stay here until we can get you home," he offers generously. "And if you think it may take awhile, Shigure can sign you up for school temporarily."

"That'd be great," I concede. In all honesty I'm looking forward to the hellhole called school. I suspect it will be the most realistic place people-wise, if not slightly exaggerated. I'll just have to try and avoid the Yuki Sohma fan club. I can only imagine how they'd react to a total stranger living with their 'prince charming'.

"I'll set it up," Shigure says, rising from his seat. Little Tohru finally decides it's her turn to speak. In my opinion, it's a miracle she's stayed quiet for this long.

"Maybe you dropped your phone in the woods and didn't realize it," she hopes optimistically. "I'll go look for it if you want! I know these forests pretty well, since I lived in a tent for a while!"

"Miss Honda, It's dangerous to go alone, especially when it'll be dark soon."

"I'll be fine! Don't you worry! I'll just take Kyo along with me!" She leaves the room with a humorously determined look. She's a hard worker; I'll give her that.

Yuki glances outside, noticing just how late it actually has gotten. He stands so swiftly and elegantly my eyes have a difficult time following the movement.

"I have something to get to as well. Please, take a look around and get to know the place." He nods his head in goodbye before slipping quickly out the door. For a minute, I just sit and stare absentmindedly at the ceiling.

What am I doing? I'm in a world of art, where the regular natural colors are so much brighter, and here I am sitting inside missing the sunset.

After I figure out how to slide the door open, a blast of cool air ruffles my hair. The damp smell of the forest and the scent of pine is truly intoxicating. In a way this world is more real than the one I was born into.

Glancing around, I find a tree near the clearing that seems easy enough to climb. It'll be abnormally dangerous with one of my arms in sling, but I'm right handed, so I'm sure I'll manage somehow.

With a bit of struggle, I hoist myself into the canopy and leaves. I position myself onto a comfortable branch and settle in to watch the sunset. The sky is an astonishing orange, with shades of red, yellow, and even a hint of purple brushed throughout it magnificently. The clouds take the liking of faint smoke, swirling peacefully in the horizon. The ever-calming sound of cicadas rings through the evening in a chorus that leads me to close my eyes.

The near silent peacefulness of it all just…gets to me, I guess. The gentle breeze caresses me lovingly, as if trying to convince me to stay. See? Isn't this world so much better? It seems to whisper.

In a way, it is, but I have mom and dad and Cassidy. They're all waiting for my return, probably freaking out about my disappearance.

I frown.

Is that what happened? Did I simply vanish like a ghost? They must really be horrified. With a firm decision to find my way home as soon as possible, I open my eyes…

…And startle when I see Yuki standing below me, looking up from the ground.

"God! Don't sneak up on me like that!" A slight grin forms on his (too perfect to exist) lips. Geez, manga authors really go all out, don't they?

"How did you climb up there with your injured limb?" he asks curiously. He stares at me questioningly with his sweet violet eyes.

"It was hard," I admit, "but this tree was pretty easy to climb."

"And how are you planning on getting down?"

"That's your responsibility," I tease, balancing on my feet. "Catch!"

His innocent eyes widen when I leap from the branch. More on impulse than anything else, he reaches out to catch me. His arms curl around me when I fall into them, but the comfortable sensation doesn't last long. With a puff, I hit the ground. When I can see again, a giggle surges out of me uncontrollably.

"That's rich!" I exclaim, looking at the clothes that ended up cushioning my impact. "The last thing I expected was for you to disappear! Is this the curse Shigure mentioned?"

"He told you about the curse?" Yuki's voice comes seemingly from nowhere, so I look straight up without anywhere to place my eyes.

"Mmmm, no. I happened to overhear him say something to Hatori. So where are you? It's kinda weird to be talking towards nothing." Silence. If he turned invisible, can't he just pick something up? Or did he really disappear and just his voice remains?

I hold back another laugh. Perhaps, could he have transformed into something and is too self-conscious to show me? This is an anime after all.

"I…you don't want to see me like this…" Yuki sounds embarrassed, so the latter speculation of mine must be correct.

"Yes, I do," I encourage him playfully. "Seriously, it can't be that bad!"

A white shape hesitantly emerges from a nearby bush. It scampers closer before coming to a stop in front of me. My hand goes to my mouth to muffle yet another laugh.

"Okay, it's bad," I chuckle. The cute little rat before me looks up nervously as I attempt to contain my laughter.

"Sorry, sorry," I apologize, catching my breath. "Uh, care to explain, rat boy?"

When he says nothing, I extend my hand to him. After a moment he scurries onto it and I raise him to eye level.

"My family… and I…" he starts off slowly, "we're… closely connected to the Chinese Zodiac. A select few of us… transform…when we embrace someone of the opposite gender. It's fleeting but…"

"I bet it's pretty inconvenient since your clothes don't transform with you." Even though he's a cartoon character, the idea of seeing him without any clothes makes my blush slightly. Still, I meet his absolutely adorable eyes sincerely.

"You…don't find this weird?"

I snort. "No, this is the weirdest thing I've encountered in ages, but what doe sit matter?" I feel the urge to kiss his fuzzy little forehead, but resolve against it. That would end up being plain awkward. I can't pat him while holding him, thanks to my disability, so I set him on my knee and use my finger to lightly scratch his head.

"You're still you, Yuki."

Interrupting the emotional moment is a second puff and I close my eyes immediately. After the clank of a belt is heard, Yuki assures me I can open my eyes. When I do, I admire his porcelain, chiseled chest before he can throw on his shirt.

Then, he kneels down in front of me. His eyes hold the gratitude he doesn't voice, and he lowers his head onto my shoulder. I jerk a tad, but his hand rests on my other shoulder to still me.

"Just…I know I'm asking a lot, but please, just let me stay like this." And so we stay, until the sun goes down and the stars rise high, illuminating the moonless night.

I'm really enjoying myself writing this! That last scene was a joy for me to put into words! I can't wait to write more adorable scenes like it!

Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!