A/N: The parts in italics are what is happening with Shigure and Koya as Yuki is speaking. Compare to an anime scene where we see the scene, but still hear Yuki's voice talking from a different place.

CHAPTER TWO: YEAR OF THE DOGS

"Special?"

"That's right." Yuki nodded. "Out of all the members of the Zodiac, not one of them has a duplicate... except for Shigure. We didn't even know it was possible."

"Imagine Akito's face when he found out," Kyo mused, chewing another chunk of riceball.

"He wasn't happy," Yuki went on. "He considered it a break of the Zodiac, a flaw in what was our perfect curse."

Shigure slid open his door, moonlight illuminating his features. His eyes took in Koya's still form already draped across his futon, and he slid the door shut softly. Taking a few steps toward her, he dropped to his knees and placed a hand on her face. The warmth from her skin spread throughout his body, making him shiver, and she opened her eyes.

"But how did it happen?"

"Shigure and Koya are both twenty-seven years old, both born in the year of the Dog. Normally, with us cursed Sohmas, anyone born will not be affected by the curse if their year's animal has a human still alive. Once the current member dies, the first born of that animal's next year will be the cursed one."

"So you were all the first born in your years?"

"Yes. If the previous rat had still been alive when I was born, I would not carry the curse. The same goes for Kyo, and everyone else."

"Except Shigure?"

"We had no reason to believe so, at first. Shigure was born, and as expected, was cursed by the dog. Not many months later, Koya was born. You can see why it was a great shock for her to change into a puppy in her father's arms."

"Koya?"

"Shigure..." Koya sat up, enveloping herself in Shigure's arms, bringing her lips to his in the kiss she had waited to share all night. His fingers twisted her hair, and she smiled on his lips.

"A puppy? How adorable!"

"Yes," Yuki said, chuckling to himself at Tohru's one-track-mind. "It was dangerous from the minute Akito found out. Naturally, he wanted something done about it."

"Done about it?"

"She was an imperfection. If he hadn't known she was going to come along, then she must be wrong, he thought. Something he didn't know was going to happen had to be a mistake."

"What was he going to do?"

"In truth... he wanted to kill her."

"Shigure... should I have come here?"

"Shh." Shigure's adopted tone, more than a gentle whisper, rang in her ears. "Just hold onto me."

He brought his lips to her neck, lowering her to the floor as she gave a small yelp of surprise.

Tohru gasped. She knew Akito was cruel, inhuman even... but to kill a baby...

"Kazuma-sensei's grandfather kept him from it." It was Kyo who spoke. "The one who carried the curse of the cat before me."

"Yes," Yuki went on. "And a surprise to all of us. The man had been imprisoned for what he was, never to be accepted as a true member of the Zodiac," Kyo shifted uncomfortably. "And here he was trying to save someone who was. Why Akito listened to him we don't know."

"So he didn't kill her then?"

"Obviously." Kyo resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Oh, right." Tohru giggled nervously.

"But she and Shigure were kept separate for most of their childhood. More under Akito's orders than anything, they were afraid to bring the two together. But then, when they were fourteen, the year of the Dog came around again."

"The banquet!"

"Right. Akito couldn't avoid bringing them together for the dance. Even against his will, things had to have order within the family, and the dog, or dogs in this case, had to perform their dance. So Koya and Shigure finally met. I was a young boy then, and don't remember any of this, but Ayame is fond of retelling the story."

His smile seemed more like a grimace as he mentioned his brother's passion for vividly recounting tales.

"How could they-"

"They danced beautifully together, or so I've been told, by more people than just Ayame. Even Hatori remembers it. He once told me that I should have seen their faces, should have seen the way they looked at each other. He said it was like they were seeing themselves for the first time, like seeing the counterpart they never knew existed had completed them."

"So they fell in love... just like that?"

"I wouldn't say-"

"They're soulmates?" Tohru squeaked, looking ready to burst with happiness.

"No, they're not." Yuki said, a certain finality in his voice. "Shigure has never believed in fate. None of us have, not when Akito believes our lives should be governed by it. The fact that she is a dog as well may have contributed to it, but Shigure loves her for who she is. He's... a different man around her."

"It's a nice change, if you ask me," Kyo said, swallowing the remains of the last riceball. "He doesn't parade around like an old perverted fool when she's around."

"Akito has never approved." Yuki breathed deeply.

"Why doesn't he want them to have love?"

"He doesn't know that they're in love. We hope he never finds out. He's just never approved of there being such disorder within the family. But as for us loving, he would prefer that we all love him. The fact that we have an alternative to the curse's effects, in that we can embrace other members, angers him. Without it, we would have no option for safe love, and we would have to love him."

"How can Akito think like that?"

"He controls us completely, or at least he would like to think he does. Shigure never speaks of her unless asked, and even then he only tells Akito what he wants to hear. Koya rarely visits Akito. She has a hatred of him instilled deep in her soul, far more than any of us hate him."

"But do the others know?"

"We all know she is the other dog, but only a few of us know how she feels about Shigure."

"Kinda hard not to notice..." Kyo mumbled, rising to his feet to get more riceballs.

"Yes, well, they're very discreet about it in public, you see," Yuki continued to Tohru. "That's why being together here makes them so happy. They don't have to avoid each other, and they can stay stuck together, for all they care."

"So who knows?"

"Well..." Yuki counted off on his fingers. "Hatori knows. Koya gets sick fairly often, more often than Shigure anyway. We suspect that's because the dog has to share two souls, and being the female, its much harder for her to resist the negative effects. It was hard for Hatori not to notice how concerned Shigure was about her all the time, and he's always been able to read Shigure like a book anyway."

"So Ayame must know too!"

"Shigure couldn't contain himself with that one. With Ayame's nature, Shigure practically bragged about it to him. They had fun with that."

"And who else?"

"Momiji, Kisa... they both love Koya. Haru seems to realize what's going on between them, but he never says anything about it."

"So that's all?"

"Well, we don't tell Ritsu much..." Yuki scratched his chin in thought. "And Hiro's a brat, so we don't dare tell him."

"You're damn right that kid's a brat!" Kyo said, stomping back into the room, the platter once again piled with riceballs. "I'd kick his ass for all it's worth if he wasn't so little."

"Kagura knows too." Yuki said, suddenly grinning and staring coyly at Kyo. "Needless to say, she completely understands love between Zodiac members, so we know she wouldn't tell."

Kyo's face darkened. "You damn rat."

"Anyway," Yuki went on flippantly, turning back to Tohru. "I assume we can trust you not to say anything, Miss Honda."

"Of course I won't!" Tohru shouted, raising her fists into the air. "Tohru Honda never gives away a secret!"

"That's good," Yuki smiled, taking a riceball for himself. "I'm glad."

Silence fell between the three for a moment, Yuki and Kyo placidly chewing their riceballs. Tohru picked one up, but stopped as she started to lift it to her mouth.

"So how did it happen?"

"We don't know." Yuki lowered his half of the riceball. "They're just special."

"What's going to happen to her?"

Yuki and Kyo exchanged quick glances. "Nothing, we suppose. They can just go on living, sharing the Spirit of the Dog."

"But... how can they share the Dog?"

"They can't." Yuki said, his voice nearly inaudible.

"Can't?"

"It's never happened before, so none of us really knows what to expect." Yuki swallowed the rest of his riceball, stood up, and stretched. He looked up the stairs and exhaled.

"I think... we should go to bed now, Miss Honda."

"Oh yes," she agreed, jumping up with the platter as Kyo snatched the last two riceballs and glared up at Yuki. "I have to get up early to make a special breakfast since we have a guest!"

"Oh, that's very nice of you," Yuki said, his voice amused. "But I don't think Koya's going to be up so soon."

"Why not?"

"Because Shigure wears her out, that's why," Kyo muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"Never mind!" Kyo shoved both riceballs into his mouth, and headed up the stairs. Yuki watched him go, and stood quiet for a minute as Tohru took the platter to the kitchen and came back, until Kyo poked his head down again.

"It's safe," he said, looking disgruntled. "I can't... hear anything."

Yuki laughed, and took Tohru's hand. "Come now, let's get you to bed."

So Tohru followed him, imagining the wonderful breakfast she was going to have to make for Koya the next morning.

T.B.C...