AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know Halloween's been over, but I wanted to finish this story for quite some time. I couldn't gather all my ideas together in time on Halloween night, along with my Kuroshitsuji fic. I hope this story isn't cheesy or stupid because of my silly ideas and if it is, sorry XD. But, it's here now so enjoy and review please ^ . ^
It was that time of year for the Sohma family. Halloween had arrived, and everyone was preparing for the traditional Sohma masquerade celebration, hosted by Akito. It was customary for each member of the Chinese zodiac to attend the reunion with their outfits, and family members were more than welcome to join. That being said, Tohru Honda was no exception being a part of the holiday fun. She was the one who has changed the Sohmas' lives in more ways than one. And she was just as excited about the Halloween party as her friends. Her joyous smile widened as she examined herself in front of the mirror. Adjusting the white bunny ears on top of her head, she took one final look at her outfit and headed out of her room.
Her three friends, including her boyfriend Kyo, waited for her downstairs. "Okay guys, here I am! I hope I didn't take too long for you to wait", Tohru said cheerfully as she came in the living room. Kyo, who dressed as Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach, glanced at Tohru and found himself hypnotized by her adorable, yet arousing costume. He never thought she could pull off being one sexy playboy bunny. Her ruby bodysuit fitted well on her curvy body, the top showing a noticeable cleavage. Her long, slender legs were in black stockings, and her ruby pump heels matched perfectly. Tohru wore a black choker with a small red heart at the center, and she wore white lace gloves. Lastly, her white fluffy bunny ears completed the attire. Her medium length hair was neatly combed down, and her face looked more enchanting with her make-up.
Kyo didn't notice the blush on his cheeks while staring at his girlfriend, almost at the verge of getting a nosebleed. Tohru smiled at Kyo, walking up to him with her hands folded in front of her. "Um…Kyo? Do you like my outfit? Is something wrong with it?", she asked shyly, blushing herself. It took him a few minutes to snap out of it and answer.
"Uh, no, nothing's wrong", he stuttered, looking away and still blushing. "You look…well, you look—"
"Oh don't mind him, Miss Honda. It seems his helpless brain has malfunctioned even more", Yuki interrupted, walking up to Tohru. His James Bond costume made him look divining, a true 'prince charming'. He smiled gently at her. "Of course, it's a shame that he doesn't even have the sense to commend on a beauty like you. You're outfit is daring and seductive, but still beautiful".
Tohru smiled back and blushed more. "Th-thank you Yuki", she answered.
"Hey! Care to say that again, you damn rat!", Kyo barked, glaring at Yuki. "I don't need a stinkin' pretty boy smartass like you to be the first commenting on my girlfriend!"
"Then speak up before someone else comment on what's yours, stupid cat. Though it still puzzles me how she puts up with you this long", Yuki replied emotionlessly. Kyo walked away from the wall and balled his fist.
"Why you son of a—"
"Now boys, we don't wanna tear our costumes to shreds already, do we? We still have a party to go to", Shigure stepped in. His Dracula outfit matched his perverted character. Being the 'dog' that he was, Shigure was known for lusting after the opposite sex. It wasn't surprising that he chose to wear a costume that made him look darker in a charming, thrilling way. His raven silk hair was greased back, leaving a few strands hanging loosely in front of his dark eyes. His long cape flowed behind him as he walked. Shigure picked up Tohru's hand and placed a soft kiss, one of his fake fangs showing when he smiled. "I must agree with Yuki. Never have I seen my flower, Tohru look so…delicious", he commented sultrily. Tohru giggled innocently. Shigure pulled her closer, his nose almost touching hers. "So delicious, it makes me wanna have a bite to eat….", he whispered. "Mind if I have a nibble?".
That's when Kyo made a death glare at his idiotic cousin, raising his tightened fist. He would've loved to slash him with his 'Zangetsu' if the sword wasn't a fake. "Step away from her, you perverted asshole", Kyo said venomously.
Shigure chuckled, waving his hand up. "No need to get violent, now. I'm just jealous that you have such a precious pearl. Well, let's get going. We don't want to upset Akito by being late".
Kyo groaned and picked up his fake weapon, walking beside Tohru. "Seriously, these Halloween parties are nothing but a pain in the ass. It's nothing but the same crap each year; we dress up in stupid costumes, eat, pray, and play those cheesy games".
"Oh but Kyo, masquerade parties are always fun, especially for Halloween", Tohru corrected him cheerfully. "Besides, this is a really special party, since it's my first time attending the Sohma Halloween Tradition…with you Kyo", she finished softly on the last part.
Kyo's hardened face softened a bit by the sound on how Tohru said his name. He shifted his eyes on her, seeing her nuzzle closer to him. Kyo cleared his throat nervously and took her hand. "Yeah, well, ya got a point. Let's not waste time as it is". Yuki rolled his eyes at Kyo's softy reaction.
"Stupid cat", he mumbled. Kyo made another glare at Yuki.
As Shirgure opened the door, a group of other friends already arrived. Uo, being a girl ninja, wore short black shorts, black knee high boots, a black halter top underneath a red short-sleeve kimono shirt, black fingerless arm warmers, and red headband tied around her blond hair. She also had a fake katana placed behind her back, attached to her sash. Hana wore her regular gothic robe, only letting her long raven hair down and wore black make-up. Haru wore his Terminator costume, Hiro wore his Full Metal Alchemist costume, and Kisa wore her witch outfit. But Momiji was the first one in front of the group, running up to Tohru and greet her first. His little vampire cape flew as he leaped at her.
"Tohru! You look so cute as a bunny, just like me! And I'm a little vampire this time, heeheehee!", he shouted happily.
BAAMM! Kyo hammered his fist on Momiji's head hard, stopping him from jumping at Tohru. "You idiot! Don't you know better not to jump at her like that by now? You can't transform at a time like this when we have a party to go to!", Kyo snapped. Momiji glared at him.
"Waaahhh! Tohru! Kyo is hurting me again!", he cried.
Tohru bent down and patted his head, placing a soft kiss. "There, there now. Kyo, please try to be a little nicer, ok?", she asked.
Kyo snorted and crossed his arms. "Whatever. Let's go to the damn party already".
"Oh, that's what I wanted to talk to y'all about. I'm not going to the party". Everyone turned to him, a little shocked and curious.
"What? But Momiji, you know Akito expect everyone in the Chinese zodiac to be there. Why you're not coming?", Yuki stated.
"I know, but here's the thing; I'm not going because I got some searching to do", Momiji replied. Yuki raised his eyebrow.
"A search? What are you talking about?"
"It's a search for 'The Riceball Ghost' ", Hiro answered, crossing his arms irritably. He rolled his eyes. "We had to hear this story all the way over here".
"The…Riceball Ghost?", Tohru repeated confusedly. "I've never heard of the Riceball Ghost before".
"That's because in Momiji's head, it actually exist", Haru added.
"Oh, but it does! The legend of the Riceball Ghost has been around for centuries in our curse of the zodiac. According to history, this ancestral samurai was also a part of the Chinese zodiac centuries ago. He died on this day, Halloween, but his spirit lives on and takes the form of his favorite food, a rice ball. They say on Halloween night, the Riceball Ghost appears in each house of the Sohma family. No one knows when he'll appear, but he'll make his visit before Halloween ends at midnight. Then, he leaves seven gold coins as gifts. Seven represent as a lucky number. It's a sign of fortune! I don't know if he already reached the rest of the houses yet, but he might be on his way here now!", Momiji explained. Everyone continued staring at him dumbfounded and stayed silent.
"Sooo….food appears out of thin air and leave you guys with some money?", Uo asked.
"He's not just some food! He's the Riceball Ghost! The spirit of history's greatest samurai warriors!", Momiji defended. "I just learned all of this from Akito, and I'm determined to see the Riceball Ghost myself. Akito told me that if by any chance you're lucky to spot the Riceball Ghost, he'll grant you with more luck besides the seven coins. Akito already spotted him earlier today. So he said it's okay if I don't come to the party this time ".
Kyo smirked and snorted. "Ha! Don't tell me you really believe in that stupid crap, do ya Momiji? Akito basically have you wrapped around his finger. I swear, you fall for everything".
"He does exist, and I'll be the one to see him! I dressed up because I still wanted to for Halloween. But since I came all the way over here to tell you I'm not going to the party, I was wondering if it'll be okay if I stayed here. I don't want to miss any moment for the Riceball Ghost. There's no telling when he'll appear".
"Momiji, seriously, you rather stay here at home alone then go to the party with us, just for some story?", Shigure asked.
"For the last time, it's not just some make believe story. So can I stay here for the rest of the night, please?". Everyone looked at each other, then back at Momiji confusedly. Tohru felt the need to break the awkward silence and be supportive as usual.
"Well Momiji….if you actually believe what you say it's true….then I guess it's not a bad idea to wait for the Riceball Ghost", she said.
Momiji smiled at Tohru. "Thank you Tohru! I knew you would understand! Don't worry, by the time you all come back, I'll show you that the Riceball Ghost arrived with your seven lucky gold coins!". Everyone kept their awkward faces.
"Tch. Whatever. If you want to miss out on the fun, it's fine by me", Kyo shrugged. "Well come on y'all, let's go".
"O-okay then. Bye Momiji, and make sure you stay in the house. There's food in the fridge in case you get hungry later", Tohru said.
"Oh I will Tohru! Bye and have fun at the party! Tell the rest I said hello and that I'll come to the party next year!", Momiji waved as he saw his friends walk away from the house.
It was now 11:45pm. Momiji paced around the entire living room, constantly looking at all the furniture each second. He looked at the clock. "Halloween's almost over. I can't believe he hasn't come yet. I've been so alert all night, I'm sure I haven't missed him", he thought. He paced around the room some more, then went upstairs to check every room. He immediately came downstairs, worrying he'll miss his opportunity to catch the Riceball Ghost. "Surely he'll come, right? I mean, Akito said he existed. It's been around in the Sohma history for years. I have to see him with my own eyes".
After walking around the living room and searching for ten more minutes, Momiji decided to sit down by the living room table. He rested his head on the table, growing disappointed. "I guess…I guess Kyo was right after all", he said softly. "But why would Akito lie to me? Did he really made it all up? I really thought there was some kind of cool Halloween legend behind our ancestral history". Momiji's brown eyes grew more disappointed and lower his head.
Then suddenly, he felt some kind of presence by the open window. The white curtains moved gently by the wind, hiding a small circular shadow behind it. Growing nervous, Momiji slowly got up and walked to the window, seeing the tiny shadow behind the flowing curtains. 'Could-could it really be what I think it is?', he thought as he began smiling. His eyes started twinkling. 'It is! It has to be! He really came! The Riceball Ghost is real after all!'. Before Momiji stepped any closer to the window, the door suddenly opened for Kyo, Tohru, Yuki, and Shigure to come in.
"Heehee, that sure was a fun party!", Tohru exclaimed, hanging onto Kyo's arm. "Oh thanks guys for letting me join you! I definitely can't wait for next year!"
"Tch, yeah well, the fun part was when 'Terminator' and I finished our final score once and for all", Kyo said. "I told Haru I could kick his ass anytime in kick boxing".
"Ah, not to mention seeing most of those lovely ladies with their appealing outfits", Shigure sighed. "Did you see me capture their hearts with my vampiric charms?"
"Yes, and we also saw how most of them slapped you for not watching where your hands were going", Yuki said matter-of-factly. Shigure giggled, rubbing his nape.
Momiji turned around and ran toward the four friends. "You guys! You're just in time to see him! He finally came! I saw him behind the curtains over there!", he cried. The four looked at Momoji and then at the window, only to find no one or nothing behind the curtain anymore.
Yuki looked back at Momiji. "I'm afraid you mistaken it for a small animal or something, Momiji. There's no one there at the window".
"What?". Momiji turned around and found the Riceball Ghost's shadow no longer there. "No…he's gone now. You guys must have scared him away when you barged in…", he sniffed. Momiji's excited tears fell into a verge of tears. Tohru bent down and placed her hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay Momiji, don't cry. We're sorry if we scared your friend away. It's not too late to catch him next time".
"No I won't! Halloween is practically over! I would have to wait til next year for the Riceball Ghost to come back! I basically missed my own Halloween and the party, just to get disappointed for finding him, especially when I was so close just now!". Tohru hugged Momiji to calm him down. Yuki and Shigure looked at Momiji's disappointed face, whereas Kyo crossed his arms and turned his head.
"Hmph. I told ya not to believe what Akito said. Maybe this will teach ya not to fall for stupid tricks and keep coming to the party instead.", he grumbled.
"Kyo, please", Tohru said, glancing back at Kyo. "You're not really making things better".
"Please what! Why take his side? He made himself miss Halloween over some dumbass Riceball legend crap! He has no one else to blame but himself". Momiji continued sniffling on Tohru's shoulder until he glanced up at Kyo. His eyes then widened, for he couldn't believe what he saw. The Riceball Ghost stood on Kyo's right shoulder, his soft body barely touching him. The ghost smiled with its small little mouth and winked with one of his beady eyes. Momiji let go of Tohru and pointed at Kyo.
"Kyo…Kyo, it's him! It's the Riceball Ghost Kyo! On your shoulder!", he yelled.
Kyo blinked dumbfounded. "What?", he asked. He looked down at his shoulder and found no one. "Just what the hell are ya trying to pull? Don't try playing mind games with me!"
"Especially when his brain is unstable as it is", Yuki added.
"Shut the hell up, you damn rat!", Kyo barked back.
"No! He really was on your shoulder. You didn't feel him? He was really there and…he winked at me", Momiji smiled again. "I saw him. I really saw him. The Riceball Ghost does exist! Yay!"
"Oh brother", Yuki and Shigure both said, sighing and rolling their eyes. Tohru looked at the window and spotted a tiny bag on the small table. She walked and pick up the bag. A few dangling objects were inside the little brown pouch.
"Um, Momiji…are these the seven gold coins you was talking about?", she asked. Momiji spun around and ran to Tohru. He took the bag and opened it. His eyes glistened more and his smile grew wider.
"Oh my gosh. These are the seven golden coins! Just like in the legends!", he shouted. "You see, guys? The Riceball Ghost left this for you as a sign of good fortune coming your way! Someone's gonna get real lucky!"
"Yes, but I think it's you who's going to have the better luck Momiji", Tohru said and patted his head. "You're already lucky for seeing the Riceball Ghost, just like you said"
"Wow…where the hell did the money come from?", Kyo asked, scratching his head.
"I don't know, but something tells me those are some valuable coins that's worth a lot of money of course", Shigure replied. "I say let's make some more good fortune and sell them at an auction".
"No, no! You're not supposed to sell the seven gold coins. These coins tell you that fortune will come to you naturally, not you making your own good luck. You're supposed to cherish them as souvenirs and guidance", Momiji explained.
Kyo sighed again. "You know what? I'm really sick of hearing any more of this Riceball crap. It's been one hell of a long night. I'm going to bed". He turned around and headed upstairs.
"Oh, well, goodnight Kyo. Love you!", Tohru called.
Shigure then yawned and stretched. "Yeah, I agree with the rowdy cat. It is getting late. And you guys have school tomorrow. Let's all head on to bed".
"Goodnight Miss Honda, Momiji", Yuki waved and headed upstairs behind Shigure. Tohru took Momiji's hand and walked him upstairs.
"Come on Momiji, since it's so late, you can spend the night with us".
"Okay Tohru", Momiji said and smiled. He then turned his attention back at the living room window while going up the stairs, watching the white curtains move gently by the night wind. He looked down at the bag of coins.
"Thank you, Riceball Ghost. I knew you were real", he whispered happily.