reat
The gentle trill and whoosh noises present in the Kurosawa yard was broken by grunting as Yoshiko lifted the last pumpkin onto the table.
“A harvest of little demons.” Yohane announced, her voice dropping, her arms sweeping out.
Ruby giggled, Hanamaru took the final bite of her pastry, and an unexpected but familiar voice suddenly joined in.
“Perhaps a hazard of little demons.” Dia chuckled as she ruffled Ruby’s hair.
“SIS!!!” Ruby’s squeal split everyone’s ears.
Yoshiko picked up a pumpkin, tapped it and held it to her ear.
“What’s that for?” Hanamaru asked.
“Thankfully, Ruby’s near angelic cry of glee did not damage the orange demon receptacles.”
“Receptacles?” Dia crouched and tapped the closest pumpkin with a knife.
“We must free the demons within.”
“Good idea.” Dia agreed.
“They’re having an event at the school near Hanamaru’s temple.” Ruby hugged Dia, “I missed you, Sis. Mom didn’t know if you were coming home.”
‘It’s a surprise.” Dia winked, “I found some treats I thought the three of you might like”
Dia dropped three sparkly, beribboned bags on the table. Hanamaru approached first, taking one with a gold ribbon and opening it, “Tokyo sweets, Zura.”
“Really!!!” Ruby grabbed for the bag with the black ribbon, but Dia grabbed it first,
“Not that one, that’s a trick.”
“A trick?” Yoshiko glanced up from where she was eviscerating a pumpkin that seemed to be turning into a bewhiskered cat face.
“A trick and a treat.” Dia waved the bag in front of Yoshiko’s nose.
Violet eyes gleamed, “For me?”
Dia dropped the bag, her voice ringing through the backyard, watching Yoshiko’s expression, “A taste of heaven enrobes a flame of hellfire, waiting to descend upon the chosen…” And then Dia, froze, her mouth open, her eyes wide and panicking. After thirty seconds of everyone watching her in amazement, Dia coughed, slammed the bag in the middle of Yoshiko’s pumpkins, muttered, “there” and sprinted toward the house.
“What was that about, Zura?”
“I don’t know.” Ruby frowned.
Yoshiko took out what looked like a chocolate truffle, sniffed it, popped it into her mouth, and laughed. “It can be painful for a mortal to long for a taste of heaven.”
Ruby wondered if Yoshiko might be right.