I would not be left behind again. I would be at the banquet, one way, or another.
Chapter Twenty-nine- Miyako's Pov
I silently snuck through the alleys, keeping out of sight of the all the night wanderers, even though there were few.
Then I finally reached a hill, a hill that overlooked the entire Sohma house, the house that caused me my worst pain, the house that contained my worst fears, the house that was my nightmares.
With one deep breath, I quickly leapt from the top of the steep hill, gracefully landing on top of the thin fence that lined the property, without even making it shiver.
I then quietly skirted around on the fence until I could easily jump from it to the roof, and from there, I was all set. From the roof, I could survey for the best place to observe the banquet.
I could also see something else, someone else should I say. Someone with an orange mop of hair who was tiredly leaning up against a tree. In Vietnam, this would be his year instead of the rabbit, but I wasn't going to tell Kyo that, it may just make him more miserable.
Poor cat.
But I didn't have time to stop, nor did I really want Kyo to know I was there, it could only worry him that I would be possibly caught.
There was no modern glass skylight, nor a conveniently angled window.
But there were two large double doors, two double doors that were open, right across from a rather large and leafy tree.
Perfect.
With one easy leap, I landed without a sight or sound on the thin branches, and gracefully leaned down against the bark. I was so light by nature, that the tree had no problem supporting me.
With that, I let myself relax, and look at the banquet, right behind those two double doors, that I was now on mere feet away from.
I took off my black mask to see the sight in front of me more clearly.
It was magnificent. Really, really, magnificent.
Everyone was there, or at least, I guessed everyone was there. I didn't actually know everyone in the zodiac, but there was a dancer in the front, so that must be the rabbit, and then Shigure and Yuki were all sitting at the table. Lining the rest of the dining hall were assorted people, a man with long white hair next to a man with dark hair that was swept over one of his eyes, Ayame and Hatori, a boy with sandy hair next to a girl with orange hair and golden eyes, a teenager perhaps a little younger than Yuki with black and white hair sat next to a girl older than himself with long, long dark hair. And there were still more.
But they were obscured by the tree, and I couldn't move the branch without a risk of being noticed, and no matter how small that risk was, I couldn't afford to take it. But there was one who I could only wish was obscured.
No, she was in front of my very eyes, her glittering necklace almost shining just to taunt me, as if it knew I was there.
I hated that necklace.
Suddenly, Ren stood up, blocking my view of the shimmering enemy. "Excellent performance Momiji." Her sickly sweet voice flooded the night.
The rabbit dancer, Momiji, bowed and then sat down next to Shigure, smiling.
Ren sat back down to, much to the relief of a teenage boy who looked to be older than Kyo and Yuki by at least a few years, but he wasn't old in the least bit.
When I saw his face, the sharp chin, the dark eyes, they all seemed, familiar.
He frowned at Ren and she merely ignored his glare.
Then Shigure stood up. "To the year of the rabbit!"
"To the year of the rabbit!" Everyone cheered.
I smiled at this, everyone seemed so, comfortable. Like they were in a group that they fit in with, the zodiac.
Even Kyo and I, we belonged in a strange sort of way. We were the outcasts, the hated few. But it was where we belonged; it was where we would probably stay until the end of time. It was our own group, the group of outcasts.
Just then, I was pulled out of my thoughts by a crash. I looked up to see the dining hall completely stilled.
Ren was standing up, her hands balled into fists, staring at a whimpering Shigure.
"How dare you make the toast?" She screamed.
Yep, that was the Ren I remembered.
Everyone stared in confusion.
"It was my turn to make the toast this year idiot!" Ren glared at him, her high pitch hurting not only my ears, but I'm sure my brother's as well.
Anger welled inside of me, nobody yells at my brother.
And then, she lifted the knife that was next to her at the table, and drew her hand back to throw it.
Nobody had time to react; nobody really saw the violent outburst coming in the first place. Ren usually sits dutifully next to her son, silent throughout. But they don't know Ren like I do. They didn't listen to her complain about never being able to speak at the banquet, about never getting a chance to introduce the new year, about being "left out of all the fun".
So of course nobody saw it coming.
Nobody, except me.
And as soon as I saw Ren, the person I hated most in the world, the person that hurt me most in my life, lift the knife, and was about to hurt the one person that was my true family, that was the one I cared for most of all, not just anger took over, instinct took over too. The instinct of the fox, to fight to the death, to protect family and friends at all cost, to hurt those who hurt those who they care for.
All the anger and instinct made me do one simple action, one simple movement. The agility and ease of the fox let me fly towards the open doors; the keen eyes the fox used to spot the hardest of prey caught the flight of the knife. The fast reflexes the fox bestowed to my body allowed me to grab the knife in the middle of my own flight, and the anger I felt let me land easily on the mother of the god and hold the knife to her throat without flinching.
"Table's have turned, haven't they Ren?" I whispered to her.
