Hinata's chocolate brown eyes intently stared at Shigure's grey eyes. Yuki climbed down Hinata's shoulder and jumped onto the couch, looking at his older cousin warily.

" What happened?" Shigure asked while looking at Yuki.

Hinata turns her gaze to Yuki.

" I. Um. I bumped into Hinata-san. And I held her close so she wouldn't fall." Yuki explained.

" Ah. How bizarre." Shigure murmured. ' How is it when I hold her, I don't transform?' He internally asked.

Hinata turns her gaze to Shigure, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

" How is that bizarre? What is going on? Why is Yuki a rat?" Hinata asked with her hands on her hips.

Shigure rubbed the back of his neck. " Sit." He motioned to the dining table in the kitchen. " I'll give you some Green Tea. Then I'll tell you the brief history of my family because the actual history is long." He mumbled.

Hinata nodded.

Hinata sets Yuki's clothes on the couch next to Yuki. She walks toward the kitchen and sits down at the dining table. She lightly drums the table with her fingers, getting nervous because she and Tohru currently live in a house where a young boy can transform into a rat.

Yuki didn't move, letting Hinata learn the history of the Sohma Curse through Shigure since he figured that his older cousin could tell it better than him.

' I know Hinata-san said she wasn't disgusted by my cursed form. But, I am worried after she learned the history of the Sohma Curse. She will take Tohru, and the two will leave this place.' Yuki internally speaks.

Shigure poured Green Tea into two wooden tea cups. He grabs the cups, turns around, and walks toward the dining table. He placed a cup in front of Hinata and sat across from her.

" Thank you," Hinata whispered. She grabbed the wooden tea cup and took a sip of the Green Tea.

" You know the Legend of the Chinese Zodiac?" Shigure asked.

Hinata looked at Shigure with a thoughtful gaze. When she was younger, Hinata recalled Kyoko reading her a bedtime story about the Legend of the Chinese Zodiac.

" Yeah. I remember." Hinata nodded. " My sister, Kyoko, will read it to me every night when I was younger." She looked at Shigure with a distant gaze.

" There was a man who had always been alone. The man was thrilled when a friendly cat came to visit, confessed that he couldn't help but be drawn to him, and expressed his desire to stay by his side. Because of his new friendship with the Cat, the man yearned for even more connections. He, therefore, held fun banquets with the other animals. Those animals turn out to be the famed Chinese Zodiac.

The man, who didn't want their friendship or banquet to end, yearned to make his bond with his friends last for eternities. He created a spell by drawing a circle in a cup of water with his finger. This drink ensured that every single one of them would be reborn, and no matter how many times they were reborn, the bond of their friendship would remain." Hinata recited what Kyoko told her.

Shigure took a sip of his Green Tea. " That man was known as God or the First Ancestor of the Sohma Clan." He looks at Hinata.

" How does the Chinese Zodiac explain Yuki being able to turn into a Rat when he hugs me?" Hinata asked with a raised eyebrow.

" You see. God and the spirits of the Zodiac made a promise. It was a long, long time ago. Hundreds of years or more. To be together for eternity." Shigure looked at Hinata with a distant gaze.

Hinata stayed quiet, feeling intrigued.

" No matter how many times they were reborn, the spirits would go to God's side and never leave. They would meet and stay forever. Together... forever." Shigure's gaze darkened, which Hinata noticed but didn't comment on.

" We're bound by that promise even now. Even if we don't remember it, the blood of the Zodiac spirits remembers their God. From the outside, a bond may sound romantic, but if it feels like a burden to those involved, then it's only a manacle. That's why it's a curse." Shigure finished.

" So, Yuki is the holder of the Rat Spirit?" Hinata softly asked.

Yuki felt himself getting changed, causing him to transform into his human form. He grabs his clothes and changes into them, not wanting Hinata to see him naked.

" That is correct." Shigure nodded.

" Are you one as well?" Hinata's chocolate brown eyes intently stared at Shigure's grey eyes.

" Yes. Yes, I am. I am the holder of the Dog Spirit." Shigure responded.

Hinata's chocolate brown eyes sparkled when she learned that Shigure is the holder of the Dog Spirit since she adores dogs and used to have one when she was younger.

" So, that means there are thirteen holders of the Chinese Zodiac?" Hinata asked.

Shigure opens his mouth to say something, but he gets cut off by Yuki entering the kitchen in his human form and looking at Hinata.

" There are only twelve holders of the Chinese Zodiac," Yuki speaks, causing Hinata and Shigure to look at him. " The Cat was never a Chinese Zodiac. But, God had its Spirit get reincarnated alongside us." He sighed.

Hinata frowned since she could sense animosity radiating off of Yuki at the mention of the Cat.

A crashing sound coming from upstairs grabs everyone's attention. Hinata's chocolate brown eyes widened when she remembered that Tohru was in the room sleeping.

" Tohru!" Hinata shouts. She stands up and runs towards the stairs, with Yuki and Shigure following her.

" Hey, Yuki! Where are you? Why is there a chick in your room?" A masculine voice shouts, causing Yuki and Shigure to look at each other.

" It's Kyo Sohma." Yuki groaned. " That Stupid Cat better not have hurt Tohru-san." He bitterly speaks to Shigure.

Hinata runs towards the door, opens it, and looks forward. She saw a fourteen-year-old male named Kyo Sohma with orange hair and orange eyes standing beside a sleeping Tohru.

' Cannot believe Tohru slept through all that.' Hinata internally speaks.

" STEP AWAY FROM HER!" Hinata shouts, grabbing Kyo's attention.

Kyo turned around and froze when he saw Hinata.

" No," Kyo whispered. " It can't be." He shivered, looking at Hinata as though he had seen a ghost.

Hinata walked past Kyo to Tohru, looking at her niece with a concerned gaze. She sighed in relief when she saw no injuries on her niece's face and body.

Kyo stood, looking at Hinata with mixed emotions. He slowly raised his right hand, wanting to touch the older female.

' I saw her. She was dying. How is she alive?' Kyo internally asked.

" What are you doing here?" Yuki asked, grabbing Kyo's attention.

Kyo pulled his right hand back and turned to face Yuki. The two males looked at each other with annoyed expressions.

" I'm here for a rematch, you stupid Rat!" Kyo snapped.

Shigure lifted his head, and his grey eyes widened when he saw the hole in the ceiling. " My house!" He dramatically shouts and weeps since he would be the one to pay for the damages.

" Ugh. What's going on?" Tohru asked with a yawn. She opened her chocolate brown eyes and blinked when she saw Hinata standing by her bed, blocking the view of the three guys in the bedroom.

Hinata turns to the three guys and looks at them with a furious expression.

" Out! You three get out of this room!" Hinata shouts with her left hand on her hip while pointing out of the room with her right finger.

Shigure and the boys turned their gaze to Hinata. They saw fire in her chocolate brown eyes and immediately nodded. They turned and walked out of the room.

" Aunt Hinata? What's going on?" Tohru asked while getting out of bed.

Hinata turns her gaze to Tohru. She looked at her niece with mixed emotions when she remembered they were living in a house where Shigure and Yuki could turn into animals when they hugged them.

Shigure enters the living room and turns to face Yuki and Kyo, standing on the stairs.

" As I said before, I got interrupted. I am here for a rematch!" Kyo speaks while looking at Yuki, his back facing the stairs that leads to the bedrooms.

" I suggest you leave this house before you get a beating," Yuki speaks, looking at Kyo with an annoyed gaze.

" Boys. Boys. Do remember that we have ladies in this house." Shigure reminded his younger cousins.

" And why do you guys have ladies in this house?" Kyo asked.

" It's none of your business, you stupid Cat!" Yuki glares.

" Who are you calling a stupid Cat? You filthy Rat!" Kyo hissed.

Yuki and Kyo looked at each other with an angry expressions. Shigure frowned when he sensed tension rising between the two.

Tohru and Hinata walked out of the bedroom and stood near the stairs. Tohru frowned when she saw Yuki and Kyo arguing with each other since she isn't a fan of drama and arguments.

" Wait! Please don't argue!" Tohru shouts while walking towards the stairs.

Tohru reached the stairs, but her right foot slipped, causing her to fall forward.

" Tohru!" Hinata held her right hand out to Tohru, but she couldn't reach her.

Yuki's dark grey eyes widened when he saw Tohru fall.

Kyo's orange eyes widened when he felt a body fall against him, causing him to transform due to the person wrapping their arms around him.

Hinata's chocolate brown eyes widened when she saw Kyo transform into an orange Cat. She gasped, seeing Tohru falling down the stairs with the Cat in her embrace.

Yuki watched Tohru fall down the stairs with Kyo's Cat form in her embrace. He held his arms out, wanting to stop her fall. He felt her body against his, but that caused him to transform.

Shigure saw Tohru falling down the stairs with Kyo and Yuki's animal forms in her embrace. He saw Hinata with a horrified expression, causing him to move forward and stop her niece's fall, which also caused him to transform.

Tohru opened her chocolate brown eyes and blinked when she felt no pain. She sat up, and her eyes widened when she saw that she was sitting on the floor with an Orange Cat and a Light Grey Rat on her lap.

" Wha-Wha-What?" Tohru stuttered. She looked behind her and gasped when she saw a Grey Dog lying against her.

Hinata returns to reality and runs down the stairs when she sees Tohru panic.

" Tohru!" Hinata calls out, grabbing Tohru's attention.

Tohru turns her gaze to Hinata and looks at her Aunt with mixed emotions.

" They're All Animals!" Tohru shouts, and she faints.