Chapter 1 - Genesis

Genesis/ˈjenəsəs/ - (n) the origin or mode of formation of something

"Schwester!"

In the open hall paths of the Sohma main estate, a short boy with blond curly hair and a bright smile ran up to a young woman who shared similar features with the small teen. Her long blond hair flew up when she turned her head swiftly in time to see her little brother hug her from the side. She smiled gently and her hazel eyes curved up as she pet his fluffy hair. But the wrinkle of paper caught her attention and her eyes drifted to the thing in his hand.

"Momiji? What do you have in your hand?" She asks, curious about how he had obtained that piece of colored paper.

At her question, his smile widens, if that was even possible. Momiji brings up the cute flyer with dolphins and balloons in the background, the paper serving its purpose of looking intriguing to people who would come across it. Her eyes scan across the words. It seems that the flyer was announcing how there would be a cultural festival happening in Kaibara High School.

How nostalgic. The hazel eyed woman remembered her own festivals when she was still a student. But then she remembered the troubles a certain white-haired male had caused for not only her, and so her memory soured. Her facial features remained unphased except for the smile on her lips.

Momiji was looking at her with hopeful eyes, they were practically sparkling at this point. He looked like he had something he wanted to say though.

"Momiji, is there something else you want to tell me?"

The excitement in his chest seemed to almost burst. He knew that his sister would love Tohru, she seemed like a very nice girl that would get along with her.

He nods vigorously before answering. "I met Tohru! At papa's building!"

This takes her back slightly, her eyebrows raising. Why would the commonly mentioned girl within the zodiac be at their father's building?

She bends down to his level and cups his face, circling his cheeks with her thumb. "Oh? What was she like in person?"

He raises his arms and exclaims cheerfully, "Sehr hübsch!"

His older sister smiles at this. Momiji was very good in his judgement of a person's character, so if his first impression was to say that she was pretty, there must be no doubt that Tohru is a wonderful person. His small hands go over her own on his cheeks, keeping them there and enjoying the warmth. "I'm sure Schwester will like Tohru."

"I'm sure I will."

Momiji's eyes travel with her as she straightens back up before slowly lifting her hands from his face. "Momiji?"

He tilts his head to the side with a smile. "Hm?"

"Can I keep the flyer? I can take you there on the day of the festival," she says, pointing at the piece of paper.

He nods with a closed eye smile, handing it over to place it in her hands. It seems like his hope of his sister going outside more might be coming true. For most of her life, she had been holed up in the Sohma compound. The only times he's seen her leave out the front doors before was to go check up on Shigure and Yuki. And she hasn't even been doing that recently, especially since Tohru came into their lives.

After receiving a ruffle on his hair from her, he heads back to his own residence inside the compound, waving goodbye to his older sister. She waves back, a smile on her face at his happy demeanor. A small chuckle bubbles out of her as she examines the flyer more closely. Since when has Momiji been this excited?

Turning her body, she continues on her way to her designated room inside the main house. She slides open the shoji door to her room and sets down the flyer on the desk. Thinking about how she would get Akito to agree to this, her head started to ache. How would Akito react to her request of letting her go off to the cultural festival with Momiji? What drastic measures would Akito require in order for them to go out just one day?

Her ears perk up when she hears shuffling footsteps on the tatami mat flooring. A pair of slender arms wrap around her waist, making her turn around to see the head of the Sohma family looking up at her with a blank face. She sets her left arm around Akito's shoulders and her right one raises for her warm hand to cup the pale face. She sees the dark eyes peer at the flyer on her desk before they narrow into a glare and come back to meet her hazel eyed gaze, demanding an explanation. How dare that rabbit show up with something that would draw her away. She had to stay away from all of them.

Her thumb strokes Akito's cheek, a soothing action as she responds to the silent command. "Momiji brought it with him after picking up the flyer at our father's building. I wish to take him there, but I need your permission first. So, what will your answer be this time, Akito?"

Akito's grip tightens around her and looks away before calming down and ponders, staying silent. Maybe being more lenient right now would be better. Let her enjoy the outside world before locking the cage. Yes, that would be good. Akito finishes the inner monologue and looks up into her deep hazel eyes, those kind eyes that comforted Akito from birth.

Leaning into her hand, Akito offers her a proposition. "You two can go on one condition: I get to go as well."

Her lips quirk up into a smile. "I don't have a problem with that."

For their little trip, Momiji had decided to wear clothes that seemed questionable but they seemed to work on him. On his head was a cowboy hat and he wore a maroon turtleneck with a blue fluffy jacket, khaki shorts, and knee high socks that matched his turtleneck in color. His older sister was wearing a simple, long sleeved purple dress that complemented her naturally light colored features. They were holding hands, waiting. When they heard footsteps, they looked to see that it was not Akito, but someone else.

"Hatori?" "Harry?" The two blondes question the tall man. Hatori was wearing his suit, but without the signature white coat that showed his profession as a doctor. What was he doing here? Wasn't Akito supposed to come with them?

Hatori walks closer to the siblings before explaining the situation with his usual blank face.

"So that's how it is. Akito seemed like he looked forward to this outing," she comments, thinking of the curious and devious glint in Akito's eyes when they were just talking about it recently. She sighs. Maybe it was best that Akito not meet Tohru just yet. Shaking her head, she looks back to her brother and childhood friend with a closed eye smile. "Shall we go then?"

Shortly after arriving at the high school, the trio was receiving stares from everyone within the building. Momiji was looking around, his head swerving in all sorts of directions, absorbing everything with his bright eyes. The two adults follow behind him, keeping a watchful eye on the teen. She looked around herself, albeit not as vigorously as her younger brother. When people met eyes with her, she offered small, closed eye smiles before looking away, so she was unaware of the blushes on their faces.

"Hatori?"

He was looking forward with a stoic look before glancing at the blond haired woman, indicating that he was listening.

"Do you still remember the festivals we held in school?" she asks with a twinkle in her eyes.

Hatori nods silently, thinking back to their high school experiences. A giggle gently flows into her fist as she brings it up to her red lips, multiple heads turning at the melodic sound. "It feels so nostalgic, looking at everything. It's almost like we went back in time."

While the two adults were reminiscing about their past, Momiji went ahead into the classroom with onigiri, a cross-dressed Yuki, and his fangirls.

"Du lieber Himmel!" A sudden weight is placed onto Yuki unexpectedly as two arms and legs wound around his body, making him look back to see the face of the rabbit zodiac. "You look like ein Mädchen!"

The classmates inside are shocked at his sudden appearance. How did this cute kid sneak in and jump on the prince of the class?

"What the heck?" Uotani voices for the rest of the class.

Tohru's cheeks dust over with a little pink and a gasp escaped her lips when she remembers him and the instance of what had happened upon their initial meeting. "It's him!"

Kyo also seems a little taken aback, his facial expression exposing him. "W-what's he doing here?"

"Eh? Do you know him, Kyo-kun?" Tohru asks, not knowing of their relations. Her curiosity spikes at how familiarly he refers to the boy. Was he also a Sohma?

Before he could answer, a deep voice called out.

"Momiji."

A tall handsome man with black hair in a suit walks into the classroom. "Don't wander off on your own."

He's pushed lightly to step into the classroom more by a pale hand and the young woman walks in behind him. "Momiji, you need to be where we can see you. Thank goodness we knew where you would be heading to."

The people inside and outside the classroom blush upon seeing the attractive pair of adults, their height towering over the teenagers.

Momiji had shifted so that he was resting on Yuki's shoulders, his arms lax around his neck. "Ah, Schwester! Harry!"

The two walk closer and the lady greets him with a warm smile. "Hello, Yuki. You look like you're doing well here." She turns her head, spotting bright orange hair, her smile still present. "You too, Kyo."

He doesn't have the chance to say anything back, both shocked and too slow as the female students in front of the older pair fawn over them.

"Are you acquaintances of Yuki's?""So beautiful!""So cute!""So cool!"

Momiji swiftly jumps off of Yuki, landing next to the two adults, his arms raised up and a wink in an introduction. "Guten tag. I'm Sohma Momiji. My sister, Sohma Mayumi and I are half-Japanese and half-German!" he says, gesturing to the young woman, a smile on her face. "And this is Sohma Hatori. We're all related to Yuki and Kyo!"

Tohru turns to Kyo, her hands clasped in front of her. "Are they really?"

The orange haired male is still perplexed at their appearance, his answer a little lackluster. "Y-Yeah..."

The energy Tohru was now radiating was felt by Mayumi, whose lips were quirking up slightly.

Tohru had her hands clasped tightly in front of her as she looked at the new trio of Sohma's. What a lucky meeting! Could they be zodiac members, too?

Hatori then turns to the silver haired boy behind Momiji. Mayumi's eyes follow his, landing on the boy she used to take care of. "With that out of the way-- Yuki, when did you become a girl?" This elicits a giggle from the female beside him as she brings a hand up to her lips.

Yuki is not amused. An irk mark appears on his face at Hatori's question. Why was he the one who had to go through all of this? He didn't ask to be born with a pretty face. "You've seen me naked dozens of times and you can say that with a straight face?"

Several of Yuki's fangirls squeal, their minds going down a dirty spiral. Their faces flush red as evidence of their less than clean thoughts. "Ehhh?!" "Yuki-kun, does he mean...?!"

He shuts them down immediately. "No."

Mayumi brings out a stethoscope, giving it to Hatori who presses it to the appropriate place. "Okay. Now take a deep breath."

"He's a doctor," Yuki reveals, exasperated. "You don't have to examine me here."

"I do, because you broke your promise to come in once a month for a checkup," Hatori refutes him.

Hearing his words, a wave of worry washes over Tohru, less than fond memories coming to mind. She jogs over to the three of them. "Sohma-kun, are you ill?"

"Eh?" Yuki is surprised, hearing the worry embedded in her tone.

Mayumi comes up behind him, setting her hands on his shoulders, making him tilt his head up to look at the tall woman. She was also wearing low heels, adding to her height. "Yuki has bronchial problems."

Hatori nods, adding on. "He had frequent attacks when he was young." He steps a little closer to the girl. "Are you Honda Tohru?"

"Ah, yes! Pleased to meet you." She introduces herself to the two adult Sohma's.

Mayumi offers her a kind smile before seeing something behind her. She lifts her hands off of Yuki and makes her way over to one of the onigiri stands.

Before Mayumi could say anything to her younger brother, a girl cries out in apprehension. "You shouldn't climb up on the sign!"

"Vas?" Momiji was eating an onigiri in his hand, swinging his legs back and forth on top of the metal bar.

"Momiji!" At his name, he looks down to see his older sister right below him, her hands on her hips.

Kyo had also walked over. "What are you doing, you idiot?!" He was going to greet Mayumi, but his plan changed once he spotted the blond boy sitting on top of their stand.

Mayumi heard from her spot, Tohru's anxious and concerned voice when they noticed her brother's current position. That was not the only thing she was hearing. Once Tohru joined her and Kyo in trying to get Momiji to come down, Yuki asked Hatori why they were here.

"Take your complaints with Momiji. He brought over a festival flyer to show to Mayumi, and then Akito wanted to come," he explains bluntly.

In front of them, Tohru and Kyo were calling for Momiji to come down from his spot.

Tohru was raising her arms up and frantically warning him. "Momiji-kun, that's dangerous! Come back down, okay?"

Kyo raises his fist in a threat, not understanding Momiji's way of thinking. "Get your butt down here now!"

Mayumi had her arms crossed under her bust with her lips lifted in a smile. She was pretty amused at this sight, especially since her brother was still staring at them blankly, not indicating that he was actually hearing them.

Yuki's eyes widen and he gasps sharply at this information. His mind spiraled down deep, hearing this. Akito wanted to come? Why? Was it because of Tohru? Mayumi? Perhaps it was both. He shakes his head as Hatori continues.

"Akito has a 39 degree fever, so I used my doctor's veto, but I ended up having to come in exchange. Rest assured, I didn't come to do anything to Honda Tohru." Hatori's deep blue eyes pierced into Yuki's glaring silver ones. His eyebrows were furrowed, intensifying his gaze. "I'll tell you one thing, though: the threatening look isn't effective while you're in that outfit."

The tense atmosphere dissipates and Yuki's irk mark grows in size as he says through gritted teeth. Keep your opinions to yourself."

Momiji had finally gotten off the tall metal bar of their sign at the request of his older sister, who was shaking her head with a smile on her face at his childish antics. She let Kyo haul him behind the curtains with Tohru following them while Momiji was still laughing. "You're such a moron!" Kyo's words do nothing whatsoever to stop his giggles.

Mayumi makes her way back to Hatori and Yuki, but she hadn't even stayed stationery for a minute when she hears the sound of a zodiac transforming and the sees the yellow dust blow out from under the curtain, indicating that the zodiac who had morphed, was indeed her careless younger brother.

"What happened?""Was that an explosion?"

Uotani and two other girls peek in, lifting the curtain slightly. "Tohru?" Uotani calls out. They are faced with an unexpected sight. Kyo was standing awkwardly while Tohru was on the ground with a yellow rabbit hanging from one of her knees and Momiji's clothes scattered on the floor, but no Momiji.

"Hmm? Where did that bunny come from?"

"Whoa, these are Momiji-kun's clothes!"

"That's weird, where would he go without his clothes?"

Mayumi glances down to see a shadow over Yuki's eyes. She then sees the reluctant resolve in his gaze, something she wasn't used to experiencing.

"'Weird?' In that case, I'm weird, too. Wearing these clothes when I'm a boy..."

Mayumi had to admit, this was something out of the ordinary. Where did he get the courage to pull off an act like this? Watching his performance made her eyes widen slightly. So much has changed since she last saw him, really saw him, not just as a checkup.

While Yuki was being praised and glorified, Mayumi catches the sight of Tohru carrying Momiji and Kyo running out from behind the curtain. Hatori and Mayumi both go after them, but not before Mayumi pats Yuki's back as a signal for meeting up with them after.

The five of them are now on the rooftop, away from prying eyes. Mayumi walks over to Tohru's kneeled form with an amiable smile, crouching down slightly and gestures to the bunny in her hold. "Are you good with holding him?"

Tohru nods energetically and she returns a bright smile of her own. "Momiji is a very good bunny!"

At her response, Mayumi's eyes widen and her lips form a small 'o' shape before closing her eyes and laughing softly. She straightens back up and pats Tohru's head as a smile reappears once again. "You're a nice girl, Tohru. I can see why Momiji said I would like you."

Tohru's cheeks flush at the warmth she radiated, but she also felt melancholic at the same time. Mayumi reminded Tohru of her own mom, as strange as that sounds.

A little jealous at the attention they were receiving from Mayumi, Kyo stomps over with a scary glare, his hands on his hips. "You damn brat! Do you even get what you've done?!"

At his reprimanding tone, Momiji instinctively jumps into her sister's arms. "I'm scared, Schwester!" She chuckles at his behavior, knowing he was also slightly just playing with them.

Tohru stands up and walks a couple steps to the siblings, looking at the bunny in Mayumi's arms. "So you're the Rabbit-san."

Hatori looks up and lets his arm go down from pressing his fingers against his forehead. "I can't believe this. It's a good thing Yuki distracted everyone."

Remembering the performance that Yuki had put on to allow them to escape, Mayumi lets out a chuckle. "We should thank him for giving us the chance to get away without raising any more suspicions."

Kyo scoffs, a little annoyed. "For all he complains, I guess he likes his girl--" Before he could finish his statement, he's thrown into the air by the aforementioned male.

Tohru and Momiji stare with wide eyes and Mayumi winces when Kyo lands down.

"Shall I give you an even higher flight?" Yuki offers, his cold fury flowing out. It was strange to Mayumi, seeing Yuki threaten Kyo while wearing that pink frilly dress.

"You damn rat!" Kyo shouts, holding a hand to his nose, which was bleeding.

Mayumi hands Momiji over to Tohru before grabbing a packet of tissues and gently wipes up Kyo's nosebleed. His cheeks heat up in embarrassment, but lets her clean up the blood. "Kyo, if you get injured often, you have to make sure you at least keep a packet of tissues with you," she tells him, patting his head with a closed eye smile and hands him the packet. He nods, still miffed at this mess of a reunion.

She stands up, walking over to Hatori, discreetly handing him the camera before walking back. It was amazing how no one noticed this sketchy transaction.

"Ah."

The two boys turn their attention over to the older male at his sound of realization. "I almost forgot something important. Yuki, Kyo, line up right here."

Yuki lowers his fist and relaxes his hand. "What?"

"Do it."

At his tone, the two boys look at each other before doing as he said. "What's this about?"

Momiji turns to his Mayumi, a question mark over his head as well as Tohru's. Mayumi just smiles at them. "Don't worry."

Hatori looks at Yuki and Kyo with a solemn expression, who look back with equally serious faces. "Fill in the blank: Macaroni and..."

Both of them say, "Cheese" at the same time, just for something to flash at them, signaling that their picture has just been taken. They stand frozen, not believing what just happened. Mayumi's lips were quivering from sheer willpower because she wanted to laugh at how they were unknowingly roped into Hatori's scheme, and by extension, her too.

He moved the camera to the left before explaining the meaning behind his actions. "Akito told us to bring back a photo. See you." And just like that, he turned away from the shell shocked teens. Mayumi followed after him and Momiji jumped onto her shoulder, looking back with a pleased expression. "Bis bald!" She waved to the group, turning her top half slightly. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Honda Tohru." Her gaze travels to the boys and it turns almost melancholic. "Hopefully, we can see each other more, Yuki, Kyo."

They snap out of their daze quickly and Kyo chases after them to the stairwell. "Hatori! Yumi-nee! Get back here!" He still continued to shout after them at the top before eventually following them down.