Chapter 2

Shigure got up early in the morning, stretching his arms over his head and yawning leisurely. He demanded it of himself to get up, and he walked groggily to his study.

He ran his fingers through his hair once entering his workroom, wondering where to start. Piles upon piles of papers and scrolls littered the floor and everything else. Shigure cautiously made his way to his desk and sat down in front of the only clear space on it. A scribe, Shigure thought, is a much harder job than most would think.

He started where he left off and picked up yesterday's scroll. It was a boring and slow process to re-write an old record of taxes from years previous. He sat in his chair, hoping that the next parchment would contain more amusing words upon its surface. He kept working, scribbling notes and writing records, copying documents that he doubted came from this century.

When he heard the creak of the stairs, he knew that Tohru must have gotten up. He wondered faintly if there was any food left for breakfast. He'd have to send Haa-kun with more money this time.

He leaned back, letting his arms support him upright. He deserved a break. As he listened to the distant clinking of dishes, Shigure's mind started to wander. He couldn't help but keep guessing at what Akito had meant before he had disappeared. 'The end is near.' He had whispered to Shigure, sending shivers down his spine. 'Soon the juunishi shall live together. We'll walk the same path, until each of us dies. It'll be an endless banquet.'

Akito…Shigure hadn't seen him since then. He had thought that somehow Akito must've died…but that would just be wishful thinking on his account. For why would the curse linger, when our god died? No, he thought bitterly, Akito is still out there.

He had disappeared though, just as Yuki has. And Shigure heard that…Kureno had disappeared before that too. He wondered what was happening, but to tell the truth, Shigure was sure that it's all linked together. Yuki wouldn't leave like that, and somehow, someone would've known the reason for Kureno's absence. It all leads back to Akio, he thought darkly.

He's gathering us in, a thought struck him as if sent by a messenger. Shigure sighed and looked around, wondering how he could do that.

"Shigure-san?"

Shigure turned to look at Tohru, who was standing in the doorway. "Everyone's awake," she said, smiling. "Come have some breakfast."

He grinned back at Tohru and winked. "Coming, my flower."

His three cousins were up as Tohru had said, eating. He joined them at the table, a smile resting on his face as Tohru set down a takoyaki in front of him. "It's the last one, Shigure-san; I thought you'd enjoy it the most."

"Oh, Tohru, I'm flattered!" Shigure said dramatically, holding the delicious morsel up in the air. "To think that our little house maid cared so much for me as to give me the last one!" With that, he took a bite, and it seemed impossible to grin any wider.

"Haa-kun," Shigure said, gulping down the last of his meal. "Here's some extra money for the market." He passed Haru an envelope and winked, "If there should be any left, you know what I like."

"As much takoyaki as it will buy." Haru said in a bored tone.

Breakfast continued on in much the same way. Shigure found it easier to be with the company rather than sitting alone in his disorganized study. At the end of the meal, Kyo got up, washed his plate, and went back upstairs to his room. It's where he spent most of his time, nowadays. Shigure thought it was a dreadful waste of time, but what was there to do about it?

"Ah—Shigure-san, Haru-kun…" Tohru said as Haru was walking out the door, and he looked back. "I was wondering…is it alright if I go with Haru-kun to visit the market?" She looked from Shigure to Haru.

"Fine with me." Haru said with a shrug. Shigure chuckled, and said, "Of course you may go, Tohru-kun. But why, I wonder?"

"I wanted to stop by and say hi to Uo!"

"Ah, Uotani-san,"

"Thank you so much, Shigure!" And she left through the door.

Shigure chuckled again at her innocence. It was refreshing to be with Tohru. She lit up the room like a candle. Momiji looked over at him, them being the only two people left in the room. "She's sad." The small boy said.

"Hmm?"

"Yuki's absence…" Momiji said quietly, his voice almost hollow sounding. "Has affected us all."

It was a true statement. Shigure had been noticing it all too much. Kyo's much more silent, and Tohru too, though they all pretended to not notice. Momiji's still always smiling, but his smiles don't seem quite as genuine. Haru…who ever knew what was up with Haa-kun? But it's affected him too. Shigure could feel it. The sadness would creep up on him like a shadow, its unbearable pressure on his heart tormenting him day and night.

"Yes," Shigure said finally. "Tohru is sad."

He returned to his work of deciphering the scrolls and pieces of parchment in his study, grateful to have something to take his mind off of things. But still, the shadow was there, waiting for an opening to his heart.

Momiji joined him soon after, muttering something about Kyo chasing him out of his room. Momiji liked to be with people all the time, even if they don't exactly find the same company pleasurable. So when Kyo forced the blond boy out of his place, the rabbit came to visit him.

Momiji held a rabbit doll. He didn't really play with it; he was far from that age. But to Shigure it seemed that Momiji found comfort in the thing. It was the last thing he had received from his mom before being abandoned in an alley of the village.

Shigure pitied the boy. With his father dead, Momiji's mother could not afford to keep both children. Of course, she got rid of the cursed child, Momiji. She threw that doll at him when she left him in the streets, telling him that she had only loved him because his father had. Momo, Momiji's younger sister, was commanded to never see Momiji again. Hatori found Momiji crying in an alley, and had brought him here. That had been years ago.

Momiji used to go with Haa-kun to the market as well. He found the crowded streets enjoyable, and sometimes people would give him treats just because he could make them smile. But one time, Momiji had encountered his mom there and had never left to wander the market streets since. Now he prefers drifting through the trees of the surrounding forest, or following Tohru around the house, helping her in any way.

But it was Akito who had scared Momiji's mom and told her that the child was a cursed monster.

It always comes back to Akito, doesn't it?

Shigure sighed, and Momiji looked up curiously. He gave the small boy a tired smile, and pretended that it was from work that he was like this. Momiji smiled back and looked away again.

It's all because of this curse, Shigure thought darkly. We could be free, but Akito has us all in his grasp now. Shigure added to himself, I wonder how much better the curse would be if anyone else played the role of god.

They're under a curse. The Sohmas, they are all a different year in the Chinese Zodiac. Shigure was the dog, and being such allowed him to communicate with other dogs—he could even understand a little bit of wolf—and when someone of the opposite gender embraced them, they would transform into that animal.

It was by pure luck that Tohru hasn't noticed.

Shigure continued to work, writing and scribbling and dipping in ink. And throughout all of it, thoughts of Akito and the curse, and even Yuki disturbed him. Hours passed away like that, with Momiji talking to him all the while. Kyo came down every so often, so look for anything left in the kitchen, or to ask a question or something.

"Kyo! Come join us—join us!!" Momiji called when Kyo passed by the door to Shigure's study. Shigure looked up, a little interested.

"Why should I? What are you guys even doing?"

"Oh, Kyo," Shigure said, giving him a dramatically sad face. "It's almost as if you're excluding yourself on purpose. You didn't even ask how my work was going!"

Kyo snorted. "How hard could it be to copy everything down?"

Shigure's eyes glinted. "You think it's so easy? Come help me, then, and we'll see!" Kyo stared at him for a moment before he came over and sat down next to me.

The three Sohmas sat together, as Shigure tried to explain everything to Kyo with as much complications as he could, giving room for Momiji to criticize his work. Kyo was soon very frustrated, until he stood up and started yelling something about how he had never wanted to be a scribe anyway. As he stormed out of the room, Momiji and Shigure started laughing.

Much of the rest of the evening was spent imitating Kyo's work while he tried to actually continue working at the same time. By the time night arrived, we heard the door open, and Momiji jumped up, calling, "Tohru's home!"

Shigure stood up as well, starting to walk out of the study and into the kitchen. Kyo was already there, helping to unload all the food that was brought. "So, was Uotani-san there?" He asked brightly.

"Yes!" Tohru answered, turning around to face him. "We had a great time."

"Wonderful." Shigure said, smiling. "Momiji, do you want to help Tohru with dinner?"

"Yeah, I do!" Momiji squealed, jumping up and down. As Tohru and Momiji left into the kitchen, Haru turned to him and handed him an envelope. "What's this?" Shigure asked, taking it.

"Hatori told me to give this to you."

It was hard to read the expression on Haru's face, as it always was, but Shigure thought that perhaps there was apprehension in his voice. "I see." Shigure answered. Then he left the room and into his study.

He read the letter that was inside, and Hatori's words sent fear into his blood.