A/N: Sorry for the delay! Here’s the next chapter! Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I don’t own Fruits Basket!

They set out at dawn, Kyo in the lead. His tail flicked with nerves as he called upon ancient memories to lead the way – far north, he guessed. Yuki rode on his back, where he was slowly growing accustomed to sitting. Tohru followed, carrying Kisa, and Hatsuharu took up the rear. (A/N: Because, as Lightkit pointed out, her opinion needs to be voided, Haru agreed to do it for Hiro.)

Several days later, they found a cave, with many adjoining tunnels. Kyo stepped confidently into the farthest one, and Kisa leapt from Tohru’s arms to free her hands. Hatsuharu, still at the back, made a steady clicking noise that the other’s found reassuring, even as it faltered often in the dark. Only Kyo and Kisa, with the best night vision, were spared from the suffocating darkness, and Yuki, still riding the orange feline, pressed himself closer to his friend. He felt Kyo’s tail flick his ear comfortingly, and he squeezed his eyes closed, putting his trust entirely in his enemy.

When Tohru finally spotted a ‘light at the end of the tunnel’, her hands and knees were scrapped and bleeding from the rough cave floor. Suddenly, as they entered the flame-light cave, there was a sharp popping noise, and smoke erupted from the four Zodiac members. Instinctively, Tohru grabbed her bag and started throwing clothes at them before closing her eyes and waiting for the all-clear.

Back at the cabin, Shigure was pacing restlessly. Night had fallen for the sixth time since their only hope had set out, and he had a bad feeling pricking at his fur.

“Sit down, Shigure,” Hatori told him tiredly.

“You’re making me dizzy!” Momiji agreed. He himself was darting around the room, pent up energy searching for an outlet. Because Tohru had left, they couldn’t go outside anymore, because no one but Ritsu could open the door. Unfortunately, Ritsu had fallen ill with the flu – yes, monkeys can get the flu, or, at least this one can – and was incapable of helping out.

“I’m sorry!” he told them frequently, but Hiro kept telling him to shut up and get better. Cabin fever was building – and Chinese Checkers was no longer enough to keep them occupied for hours at a time.

“Is something bothering you, Gure-nee?” Rin asked calmly.

Shigure kept his worries to himself. He forced himself to ‘smile’ lightly, “just restless.”

Hatori glanced at him, but said nothing.

“Agg!” Hiro snarled, tripping Momiji as he darted past. “I’M SO BORED!”

“So you must be Tohru.”

Against her will, Tohru’s eyes snapped open. Her friends all instinctively moved closer to her, now fully clothed. Before her, an old, decrepit man stood. He was using a cane, neatly carved into a bird with its wings spread. Tohru barely had time to register that it wasn’t the rooster before he began to approach her.

Hatsuharu and Yuki moved in unison, intercepting him before he came to close. “Who are you?” Yuki demanded calmly.

The man looked first at Yuki, then Hatsuharu, then behind them, at Tohru again. “Tohru Honda, you came to learn to become the god of the Zodiac, correct?”

Swallowing, she took a nervous step forward. “Yes… how do you know my name?”

Pushing Hatsuharu and Yuki aside with his cane, he continued to walk towards her. This time, Kyo stepped in front.

The man’s eyes widened – one green, one blue – and he smiled wickedly, showing sharp, crooked teeth. “Kyo Sohma… nice to meet you, kitty.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kyo snarled. The man tapped him on the nose with his bird’s beak. The cat gave a slight hiss and drew back slightly. A single drop of blood formed on his nose.

The man spoke in an evil whisper, “Did you know that no one’s ever brought the cat here before?”

“That’s horrible!” Tohru said, shocked.

The man laughed. It was a scratchy, cruel sound. “Very well, Tohru Honda. I will teach you what you need to know to overthrow Akito. I must say, however, it is very difficult. No one besides a Sohma has passed it before.”

“Ok,” Tohru agreed, undaunted. “I promised I would do everything in my power to help them. What do I do?”

“Let’s start with your friends.” The man decided. “Rat, you’re going first. Everyone else, hide. Rat, count to thirty.”

“What?” Kyo growled in disbelief.

The man rolled his eyes. “It’s called ‘hide and seek’, kitty. You hide, and the rat tries to find you. I knew you were stupid but…”

Kyo opened his mouth, but Hatsuharu spoke first. “Don’t call him that, Old Man.” His voice was angry.

Unaffected, the man looked at Hatsuharu with disgust. “Technically you have been playing for twenty seconds already, the rat is cheating because his eyes are open, and the rest of you are waiting to be caught. Go where ever you like in these caves; they all wind up back here eventually.”