Disclaimer: The usual.
Visiting the shrine on New Year's Day seems to be a Japanese tradition. So I've included this in to sweeten it a bit. The Chinese variation is slightly more interesting. For worshippers of Guanyin, Goddess of Mercy, there's a belief that the first person to offer joss sticks at the temple upon the start of the New Year will receive Heaven's blessing for that year. Result: near-stampede conditions at the temples at midnight. Very exhilarating. Pity the temple attendants when the crowds break through the gates.
Oi! Paramedics!
What happens when Akito gets home? What will his reaction be like?
14. Shrine Visit
"Arisa! Saki!" Both the blond and the Goth girl turned to see not only Tohru, but all the Zodiac-cursed Sohmas. It was New Year's Day. They were all at the shrine. Arisa was wearing a red butterfly print kimono. Saki's was pure black as usual. "Megumi-chan!" Saki had her little brother with her as well. Like his sis, he wore black.
The Hanajima siblings stared at the Sohmas. "I sense a strange wave coming from them…" The psychic girl whispered to her brother. Megumi nodded solemnly. "I sense a curse on them."
"Kyo-kun! Did you take good care of Tohru?" Arisa flicked Kyo's forehead. "Damn Yankee…" Drat! Kyo spotted the shrine cats, all twenty-eight of them, heading his way. He backed off, turned and fled.
Saki approached Rin as she was standing with Haru at the fortune stall. "I wish you warm waves in this year." Rin gave Saki a puzzled look. Haru hugged her shoulder as he took their fortune-slip.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE"RE NOT MEANT TO BE?!" Black Haru roared and kicked over the fortune stall. The attendant fled in terror. The waiting trio of Momiji, Hiro and Kisa backed away. Maybe they should get their fortunes told another day. "Haru!" Rin hit him.
At the offertory box, the remaining Zodiacs were almost done with their prayers…
"Yuki-chan, I prayed that we'll grow closer this coming year…" Ayame sang as he tried to hug Yuki. "Keep away from me, you moron!" Yuki snapped in reply.
"I prayed that they'll allow my books to be sold near schools…" Shigure slapped Hatori on the back. "Feel better? Sorry about your hangover…" I've a jumbo headache… Hatori groaned. Shigure was not helping…
"Sorry, sorry, sorry…"
"Ri-chan, I think the gods heard you…" Yuki tried to coax the Monkey away from where he was kneeling and banging his head against the offertory box. "Sorrysorrysorry…" The kimono-clad Ritsu got to his feet.
"I hope kami lets Akito-san recover soon…" Kureno said sincerely. Yuki looked at the man. "Kureno, doesn't Akito throw things at you?" A nod.
"Lock you in closets?" Another nod.
"Threaten to kill you?"
"Daily." Yuki's eyes widened with disbelief. "Kureno! Akito-san does all those nasty things to you and you're still praying for his speedy recovery? Hatori! Check him for brain damage, pronto! I think Akito beat him up one time too many." Kureno simply shrugged.
Rin came running up to them. She was very out of breath. "Has anyone seen Haru? He kind of wandered off…"
Outside the shrine. "Where's the washroom?" Haru wandered further from his fellow Zodiac. "Think it's this way…"
Three weeks later at the hospital.
Akito sat up in his bed and faced Kureno. As usual, he was angry. "Kureno! Tell me what happened at the banquet." Kureno trembled. He had been visiting Akito as soon as he heard from Hatori that the clan head was out of his coma. Akito had not asked him about the banquet, yet.
"Don't dare you lie to me…" Akito's eyes narrowed dangerously. Kureno fidgeted where he was sitting on the bed peeling an apple for Akito. He struggled with himself. "Did you carry on with the banquet?" Akito's tone was insistent.
I'm gonna get it now. Kureno took a deep breath…
"You what?!" Akito grabbed the drip stand.
Haru was accompanying Rin for her medical appointment at the hospital. Her ulcers had been acting up of late. "How could you let those two bakas oversee the party?!" A roar sounded down the corridor.
At the sound of that angry voice, Haru pulled Rin into an unlocked storeroom nearby. Not a moment too soon. Kureno ran by with Akito, waving a drip stand, in hot pursuit. This scene is so damned familiar, Haru squeezed Rin's hand with a grin.
"Akito-san! Forgive me… Please mind your injuries…"
"Come back here, you imbecile! After all I've done for you…"
"You'll tear open the stitches…"
"Damn you!"
The voices trailed off. Looks like Akito-san's recovering. Oh well... Time to get Hatori to stock up medical supplies.
(END)
Author's Notes:
Ano, this is the late chapter of the fic. Arigato for the reviews. Hope you liked it. Sayonara.