Souma Estate-
Shigure-
Only a few weeks after the rescue of Arisa and Ritsu, it was New Years and time for the Zodiac Banquet. How Shigure had gone so long without thinking about the Banquet, he never knew. In the Dog's house - a place he hadn't bee in for years - Shigure stood in front of a mirror and just stared at himself. He still didn't look like himself and knew that it would take a long while to get used to himself.
When he looked out the window of the Dog's house, Shigure saw the milling throngs of his family, many of whom he didn't know. Not too far from the Dog's house he did see three familiar faces. Ayame was hugging Orcot-san and they chatted happily. Orcot-san was dressed in a nice suit and when he pulled away from Ayame Shigure could see that he was smiling. The elegant young Count D put an arm around Orcot-san's waist before the two bowed to Ayame and walked away. Shigure saw them kiss just before a little blonde boy ran up to them and took Orcot-san's hand.
"You are troubled."
Shigure wasn't overly surprised to hear Count D's voice. It wasn't the younger one, but the one who wore the cloak and had taken Shigure's humanity. "Why did Kagura get pregnant?"
Count D reached out and brushed his fingers against Shigure's hair. "Because it was time for a new Rooster and she was chosen. When one dies, there will always be another. Now that your family has begun to revert to its true nature, nature will do what it will."
"It makes no sense. Why did Arisa-san get pregnant, then?"
"Because she and Kureno had mated. There was already a start and a new Head of your family would short be needed. It did not happen that way with the Pig because there was no already begun fetus with Zodiac blood."
Shigure tried to understand, but it seemed to him that it just wasn't possible. There was a gaping flaw in the logic. "But…"
"Will you tell me that it is not possible?" Count D laughed. "You are a dog and you will not believe in magic?"
"No. It's not that…well, maybe it is that. I just don't understand how it happened. Who's the father?"
"Does it really matter? Long ago, this is the way it always was for your family. A death would signal new life. It was accepted. Everyone cared for the baby."
It was a challenge, of sorts, and Shigure wasn't one to back down. "I've already promised Akito."
"Oh?"
"The baby. I've promised to take care of the baby. It'll be done right, this time." Shigure paused and finished dressing even with the Kami looking over his shoulder. "Tell me, what was my price? There's a price for everyone, Count D said. Kyou suffered pain. 'Tori gave up his hearing. What did I give up?"
"Should you have not asked that before you demanded that I kill your human blood?"
"There wasn't time. What did I lose?"
"Let Akito dance."
"What?"
"Let Akito dance."
Shigure's face drooped. "Ah…that. Yes. Yes, of course. He'll be stronger this year and he's always wanted to have the energy to dance. Why not, eh? Why not?" Shigure wasn't going to be the one to deny Akito. Not this year. It was enough to make Shigure cry, but he didn't. He knew, even better than the Kami, that this would be Akito's last New Year's.
"Shigure! 'Gure!" Ayame called out as he ran towards the Dog's house. "'Gure!"
"My cousin…" Shigure had turned to speak with the Kami, but found that he was alone in his house, again. "Ah, well."
"There you are!" Ayame stopped in the doorway of Shigure's house and looked him up and down, appraisingly. "Well, I suppose it'll do for this year, but I had so little time. I wanted it to be special."
What he was unhappy about, Shigure didn't know. He'd never had a finer kimono. It was, as his always were, gray. Ayame had taken Shigure's change as well as he could, but had rushed frantically to alter the New Year's kimono he'd made for Shigure. It had to be shortened and the shoulders widened. Ayame had fussed and fumed about Shigure's bad timing and how inconsiderate it was for the Black Scorpion to start so much trouble so close to New Year's. They should have waited till afterwards.
"It's beautiful." Shigure reassured Ayame. "I couldn't ask for better." It irked him that his voice had changed along with so much else. His voice was deep and guttural. He sounded like he'd been gargling with razor blades.
"I wish the same could be said for 'Tori's." Ayame pouted, crossing his arms. His own kimono was outlandish, but suited him so well. It was pink and yellow stripes with bold red flowers and gold trim wouldn't have been fitting on anyone except Ayame. "I had to add to the bottom of his, he's gotten so tall! His wrists stuck out of the sleeves. I just couldn't let him go to the Banquet looking like that!"
Shigure laughed, though he really didn't want to. "We're all family. It's not like we'll laugh at him."
"That's not the point! Anyway, I had a few little adjustments to make for Ritsu-chan, too." He'd taken to the childish suffix after Shigure had brought Ritsu and Arisa-san home. He'd cuddled and cooed over Ritsu as though he were an infant, but it was Omi Ritsu had kept looking at. "His hair, poor thing."
"It had to be shaved off." Shigure said. "He had wounds on his scalp and Haa-san couldn't see them well enough with the little tufts of hair left. He looks better with it shaved bald rather than…how it looked." It wasn't pleasant to remember how Ritsu had looked when Shigure and Omi had found him.
"I know, I know." Ayame waved that concern aside. "I don't doubt 'Tori for the world. He just didn't look right being all dressed up with no hair. It didn't look right."
"What did you do? Make him a headdress of some kind?"
Ayame's eyes twinkled. "It had crossed my mind, but there just wasn't time what with 'Tori's outfit needing tailoring and Kyou needed something special."
"You always make Kyou an outfit for New Year's."
"Yes, but this is the first year that he'll join us." Ayame's suddenly threw his arms around Shigure. "Isn't it wonderful? Everything's working out this year! Kyou and Kagura will finally get their dance! Oh, you should see what I've made him. It's just perfect for him…Shigure? What's wrong?"
Everything was NOT wonderful. Shigure hadn't returned Ayame's hug and it made Ayame pull away and look at him worriedly. It had only been a week since his return. Ayame had every reason to worry for Shigure. The rest of the family worried, too. He'd hardly had a moment's peace since his return. Everyone took time to spend with him. Even Rin came and Hatsuharu had confided in Shigure that Rin felt guilty. It seemed she thought her harsh words had helped send him away. It wasn't true. Shigure didn't need a teenage girl telling him how worthless he was.
"Everything's alright. It's just as you said," Shigure hugged Ayame to reassure him. "This is all perfect." He thought that perhaps he should tell Ayame not to hug him anymore, that Hatori might get jealous. Things were serious between them, after all. Ayame even went with Hatori to Momiji's last parent/teacher night. Somehow, Shigure thought that Ayame would only be hurt if he suggested any such thing. Hatori, too, would tell Shigure he was foolish for confusing Ayame with logic. "There's Ritsu, now."
He had come out of his house, carried by Omi. Though Omi wasn't much bigger than Ritsu, he was far stronger and carried Ritsu without complain. Since their return, Omi had been a regular visitor of Ritsu's. They were subtle, but Shigure knew within the next few months, Ritsu would likely invite Omi to live with him if Omi didn't just take it upon himself. Ritsu looked as beautiful as Ayame could have made him.
"Look," Ayame told Shigure, pointing. "Earrings. Just the thing to give him a more exotic look." Ayame pressed against Shigure. "He's going to a therapist, did 'Tori tell you? 'Tori said it couldn't be avoided any longer what with the kidnapping and Ritsu's poor mother. He's thinking of putting one on the family payroll just to take care of us. He says Yuki and Kyou could still use one, sometimes. Ritsu told me the other day that he'll go to university to study psychology. We'll have one in the family."
"It's about time."
It would be the Banquet that Shigure would remember for the rest of his life. Mainly, because there was so much changed. In this year's procession through the estate, for the first time in history, the cat walked with them. Admittedly, Kyou was at the end of their little parade, but he did walk with them. It was the first time in Kyou's life that he wore the ornate costume that was expected of all the zodiac at the Banquet.
Kyou's hair had grown a little longer, perhaps in an imitation of how Kazuma had worn his, and tied back in a neat little ponytail. His outfit, like all those of the zodiac, had been handmade by Ayame and the attention to detail was splendid. It was red with yellows and oranges and the tiniest hint of green in the form of leaves near the bottom.
Before the procession had even begun, there were important matters to attend to. When Shigure and Ayame left Shigure's house, the estate was brimming full with family who'd traveled from all over the world to be there for New Year's. Tradition demanded it.
"Pick up your hem." Ayame told Shigure. "You'll get it dirty and I didn't spend a week on that kimono just so you could soil it."
Count D was at New Year's, though Shigure hadn't heard anyone say anything about him being invited. He saw Count D mingling with the Souma's, shaking hands here and there. It struck him as he saw the other Count D, the one who wore the cloak to hide his face, that they weren't there to socialize. With every handshake, with every casual or accidental touch, the two counts were keeping up their end of the bargain. They were killing the Zodiac blood within the rest of the Souma family. What a simple way to do it.
There was no pain involved, as there had been for Kyou, the Souma's simply shook hands and moved off. Shigure felt a twinge of…something…that none of those Souma's who'd touched the Count D's nor any of their descendants for the rest of time would ever bear a Zodiac child. He should be please, right? Life never turned out well for any of them, so it was a good thing that he knew his family would never have to go through it again. Zodiac children would only be born to Zodiac parents - like Kagura would bear the next rooster. Shigure had no doubt of that.
In their own homes, the rest of the Zodiac were getting ready for the Banquet and slowly began to make their way out. It happened slowly, but, as always, it seemed that the rest of the family had been eagerly waiting for it.
Ayame and Shigure walked passed Kagura's house to find her with Kyou. Ayame had been right in all of his arrogance. Kyou looked magnificent. He was dressed in the colors of the sun. The kimono was a wild array of red, yellow, and orange with bold splashes of gold. It was a splendid match for Kyou's coloring.
Naturally, Kagura had a rough few days with the news of her impending motherhood, but she was a strong girl in more than just her muscles. The yellows and browns of her kimono suited her well, though they were far more understated than Kyou's.
Tohru-
Everything had gone so well. She was happy to see her friends so happy, to see them dressed so finely and to see everyone smiling. Hatori fussed and muttered around Ritsu, but there was no stopping the Zodiac Banquet.
"Can you believe it?" Arisa had one around around Hana's shoulders while they stood and watched the procession. "And you got to see this last year?"
"No." Tohru answered. "I stayed at Shigure-san's house. He didn't think it would be a good idea to have me here." And he'd been right. Akito had been so different, back then. "I've never seen them so dressed-up before." Her eyes landed on Yuki, at the front of the procession. He was dressed fittingly in white and lilac and wore a headdress with spirals of material that fell along either side of his face. "Look at him…" She wasn't aware that she'd spoken out loud until Arisa laughed. "What?"
Arisa put an arm around Tohru and kissed her cheek. "Nothing. It's nothing. You're just so cute."
"I want you to know," Hana told Tohru. "That I'm happy for you. I really am. I think you'll be happy with him."
Tohru blushed, but didn't think to deny anything. It would have been a discourtesy to Yuki.
The three of them stood quietly while the solemn parade wove through the estate. Ritsu was the only one who had to be carried, that job done by Kyou. Poor Ritsu hadn't healed from the torture he'd endured. He couldn't walk, he could barely take care of himself. At last, everyone of the surviving Zodiac entered a small house at the center of the estate. When the last of the Zodiac had gone into the house and the door was firmly shut behind them, the three of them went on to celebrate the New Year. They ate, mingled, and stayed up quite late to watch fireworks.
They all slept at Arisa's house that night.
"Have you heard anything from your father?" Hana asked softly as she brushed Arisa's hair. As Arisa's pregnancy had progressed, Hana had become more and more attentive. The past week since Arisa had learned of Kureno's death, Hana had thrown herself into the role of loving confidant with abandon. She rarely left Arisa's side and was always there when Arisa needed a sudden cry.
"No." Arisa lowered her face slightly, but her voice was weak. "Not once. I guess Kazuma-sensei said something real convincing."
Of course Kazuma was very convincing. He was also very gentle. Tohru believed that Kazuma had done nothing to hurt Arisa's father. In fact, she was fairly certain that Arisa's father had given up custody without hesitation. Arisa was well rid of him, though Tohru would never say that out loud. "Are you happy? As a Souma, I mean?"
"I'm not sure." Arisa leaned back against Hana. "It's funny. Totally different lifestyle. Totally different everything. Some of them are real toads, you know. Not the Inner Circle, but others. Seems they think I'm worming my way into the family. They think a Souma should give birth to next head of the family."
"You ARE a Souma." Tohru told her. "Just like me." How tragic. Just when both of them got a decent shot at life, they had to lose a loved one. Tohru thought that it must be worse for Arisa. Tohru'd had time to get used to the idea of her grandfather dying, he'd been in the hospital for quite a while before she'd gotten the phone call. Poor Arisa had lost the most important person in her life just a week ago. "Are you still going to see the psychologist?"
Arisa stiffened. "I suppose. Not that it will fix anything. They can't convince me that it's alright he's gone. It'll never be alright, but Hatori-sensei insists. I suppose he's right. Ritsu's going with me."
"Good." Tohru felt completely inadequate when she couldn't think of anything comforting to say.
They slept in the same room when they finally did fall asleep. Arisa woke Tohru with a strangled moan and a grunted swear. "Help. Help me!"
Hana, Tohru found when she opened her eyes, was already awake and sitting up. She put her hands on Arisa's stomach and smiled. "This one yearns for the world. It's time."
"Not now. Not tonight." Arisa moaned, her face twisting in pain. "Hatori-sensei said no hospital. I NEED him!" She tried to sit up, but started to cry. "Not now!"
Tohru felt herself freeze up. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't just let Arisa have the baby without any help and it wasn't as if she or Hana knew anything about babies. "Kana!" She shouted as she remembered. "Kana's here!" Tohru jumped to her feet. Yuki had told her that all Souma's went to the estate for New Year's and that surely included Hatori's former girlfriend. The former girlfriend who was well on her way to becoming a doctor. Without another word, Tohru took two steps away from her friends, then shifted into her other shape, that of a nightingale, and flew as fast as she could to find Kana.
Akito-
He was so proud of everyone. So happy that things were finally starting to go right. He watched them dance and felt a warm glow all over himself.
"Do you want to dance?" Shigure, again at Akito's side whispered.
Akito smiled and turned to Shigure. He didn't say anything, but held out both hands and let Shigure pull him to his feet. For a moment, they just stood there, looking at each other. Akito had the energy, this time. He was sure of it. He felt as if he could do anything. But he really wasn't sure what to do. He'd never danced before.
There was nothing to worry about. Shigure was kind and waited patiently until Akito heard the music inside of himself. He heard it every New Year's, just like the rest of his family. The only difference was that then, he hadn't been able to move to the music. This year, his body could follow the music and what joy it was to be amongst his family, just dancing.
"Akito-chan? Akito-chan? Are you ready to go?"
Akito put his arms around Shigure's neck, but looked over his shoulder. There was Yahiko, smiling gently. Akito frowned a little, but didn't move away from Shigure. Shigure always made him feel so safe.
"We must go, Akito-chan." Yahiko stepped closer, but he, too, was dancing. It was, after all, New Year's. All of the Zodiac danced at New Year's. He spun and jumped and threw his head happily. "Look how much you've grown, Akito-chan. We were afraid you wouldn't live this long."
We?
Akito saw her then and his heart filled. "Junko? Ba-chan." Just saying her name again filled Akito with happiness. She was just as he remembered. Her white hair piled elegantly onto her head and her eyes filled with love. The only woman who had ever really loved him.
Junko smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling. "I've been waiting for you, Akito-chan. Won't you walk with me?" She swayed with the music, but held out her hand to Akito. "Yahiko is right. We should go, now."
Go where? Shigure's arms were warm and he'd been gone for so long. He didn't want to leave, not when he finally had Shigure back.
"Shigure-chan will join us soon. We have to go on without him." Junko told Akito, the smile never leaving her face. "He has many things to do, yet. When he's done, he'll come to us."
Everything fell away and Akito felt lost within Junko's eyes. "Yes, Ba-chan." He felt stronger than he'd ever felt and took her hand when she offered it. Yahiko was on Akito's side and put an arm over his shoulder. "You're dead. Your're both dead."
"Don't be afraid." Yahiko put his hand on Akito's face. "Nothing will you hurt. We won't allow it."
"Ba-chan." Akito pulled his hand away from hers and bit his lip, uncertainly. "I've done some bad things." It seems like a terrible trivialization. All the pain he'd given his own family was far more than 'bad things'. "I've done terrible things." He looked at Yahiko. "I killed you. Didn't I?"
"No." Yahiko shook his head. "You never did anything to hurt me. I know you always loved me. No matter what happened after my death, I know you didn't hurt me."
"You don't have to worry about any of that, anymore." Junko took Akito's hand and held it, possessively. "It's all in the past. It's all nothing. We have to go now."
"Where are we going?" Akito asked.
"Home."
Shigure-
Akito went still in Shigure's arms. Shigure stopped dancing and held Akito closely. This was it. He felt Akito's last breath, warm against his neck, and felt Akito's last heartbeat against his chest. Akito slumped against Shigure, dead.
Tohru-
Tohru held the wrinkly, pink baby as gently as she could. Kana-sensei was washing her hands in the kitchen, muttering about stupid traditions and how lucky they all were that Arisa hadn't died. Hana sat behind Arisa, supporting her and patting her hair. "What's her name?" Hana asked, taking a moment to run a handkerchief over Arisa-san sweaty forehead.
The baby was perfect. She was utterly beautiful.
With a good deal of effort, Arisa pushed herself up. She was exhausted from the labor and looked ready to collapse. "Kyoko. My little Kyoko."
Tohru handed the baby back to Arisa and sat back and smiled. Her mother's name. There was no greater honor Arisa could have paid her. Souma Kyoko.
Shigure-
Akito was not heavy. Shigure carried him out of the dancing area to the pillows that surrounded the room. He carefully lay Akito down on the pillows. Dead. After all this time. Dead.
What a price to pay for his humanity! Not Akito's death, that would have happened regardless, but the fact that Shigure would now spend his life without Akito. Before, that would have meant perhaps sixty or seventy years. Count D had said that the Zodiac did not age. They didn't die except for violence. How many centuries would he have to without Akito?
Shigure sat hard on his knees and pulled Akito half-way onto his lap. Everything went sort of numb. He couldn't really think of anything. His ears rang and his vision blurred. The sounds of stomping feet and joyful voices faded into a distant mumble and Shigure's world consisted only of Akito's peaceful face. Perhaps it was long overdue for Akito to find peace.
Slowly, and feeling rather ill, Shigure raised his eyes to the rest of his family. No one had noticed, yet. They all danced and for just a moment, Shigure hated them for not knowing.
Ayame broke away from Hatori's arms to go to where Ritsu sat. Carefully, Ayame took Ritsu up in his arms and carried him to the dance floor where he spun them around until Ritsu began smiling. It was a first for him since returning home.
Ayame passed Ritsu off to Hatsuharu who carried Ritsu to where Rin waited for him and the three of them danced together. Rin swayed sinuously back and forth with her long hair moving behind her as Hatsuharu moved at a faster pace, his head bopping from side-to-side. He moved Ritsu at the same pace, jerking him up and down.
On the other side of the room, Kyou had his arms wrapped around Kagura's neck and she had her arms around his waist. They moved slowly, staring at each other as if there were no one else in the world. Lucky Kyou. He was soon to be a father, even if it wasn't his biological child. The baby would be his. The family would provide for its welfare and support Kagura.
Yuki, strangely enough, let Kisa stand on his feet and danced with her. Hiro was lost in his own little world, dancing with his eyes half-closed and his arms slightly raised. It took some of them like that, sometimes. A spirit would seem to fall upon them and they would tune out the rest of the family for a while.
Partners changed and the stomping of feet grew alternately softer and louder. Kyou danced with Kisa while Yuki took Kagura as a partner. Hiro helped Ritsu to sit by the wall and rested with him. Ayame spun Hatsuharu around the floor while Hatori asked Rin for a more sedated dance.
…Akito was dead.
Shigure wept.
The end
Thank you to all who have reviewed this story, I appreciate it very much and hope you've all enjoyed the story.
