Mahou Sensei Negima! Fan Fiction ❯ Blessed the Broken Road ❯ The Clay ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: Ken Akamatsu owns Negima

 

A streak of lightening cracked the blackened sky followed by several screams of pain. Rain fell heavily from the heavens creating a silver blinding curtain. The tree's thick branches hovered over a small cave acting as a barrier against the unforgiving storm. A faint orange glow splashed against the weathered walls from inside the cave. The blood-curling screams continued for well over seven hours. However, the musical quality of the rain hitting the vegetation and ground drowned out the pained cries, though just barely.

Inside the small cave sat a beautiful woman, who was leaning back against the rough wall with her legs spread apart. Her heavy breathing increased as she bit down on a dirty cloth. A bird demon was kneeling in front of her. He was doing whatever he could to help along the painful process of childbirth. “You're doing great. Just a few more pushes and it will be all over.” The bird demon coached. “You can do it.” He pressed a kiss to the pale woman's temple, “Push!” The woman readied her body for another push by taking in as much air into her body for strength.

Gritting her teeth on the dirty cloth, she pushed as a high-pitched scream echoed within the walls. The bird demon winced in pain at the sudden strength the human mother possessed. Splitting open his eyes a bit, he witnessed the most amazing moment of his life. “I…I can see it. I can see the head. Continue to push, love.” He watched in awe as the tiny form of demon/human exited the womb. “One more push and it will be all over.” He couldn't stop the smile forming on his face.

The woman squeezed her husband's hand as hard as she could as she delivered one last push. At the sound of the baby's cries, he let out a joyous chuckle as he pried his hand away from his exhausted wife's hand carefully wrapping the child in animal furs. With careful precision, he cut and tied the umbilical cord. “She's beautiful!” He glanced over at his wife. Her hair was pressed against her, soaked with sweat, as her chest rapidly rose and fell. Weakly holding out her hands, she licked her lips.

“I want to see her.” Her voice was full of emotion as tears fell. The bird demon gently laid the baby in the woman's arms. “She is more than beautiful; she is ourdaughter.” The bird demon wrapped an arm around his wife as he affectionately watched his daughter cry. Tiny cherub-like, white wings were on her back and a small fuzz of white hair on the top of her head.

“I should wash her off.” He offered.

The woman nodded as she reluctantly handed back the baby. She lazily watched as her husband poured some water into a bowl. He closed his eyes as he held out his hand toward the water. A red glow surrounded the bowl for a second. Cupping a hand into the now warm water, he delicately washed the baby. Cooing and making funny faces, he was so involved with his work that a light chuckle from his wife startled him.

“What?” He couldn't stop the grin on his face.

“You. You were so worried that you wouldn't make a good father, but you seem to be doing an excellent job already.” Her eyes were drooping.

“I guess it's instinct.” He dried the baby off and placed new animal furs around her. “You should sleep. You must be exhausted.”

“I don't want to sleep just yet. After all these months, I have been waiting to meet her.” Both she and the baby yawned at the same time.

“You have the rest of your life to meet her. Besides, I'm sure she wouldn't want her mother to become sick because her mother refused to take care of herself.” He reasoned. “Look, she's already sleeping.” Two proud parents watched as their bundle of joy sucked on her fist as she slept.

“Maybe an hour nap.” Her eyes slid shut.

He softly chuckled. Standing up, he headed for the hand-made crib. Placing his daughter into the bed full of animal furs, he headed for his wife. He cleaned up as much as he could and dressed her in dry clothes. He picked her up and headed for their bed. After setting her down, he covered her with animal furs. He knew he would not be able to sleep so he crept back to the crib.

He sat on a boulder next to the crib. His smile momentarily disappeared. `White hair and wings…' His eyes watered a bit at the realization, `You will have a hard life ahead of you, little one, but I promise I will do whatever it takes to make your life as easy as possible.' He leaned down and placed a kiss on his daughter's snow white skin.

 

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A man paced back and forth in front of two, closed, rich oak doors as screams from inside pierced the empty hallways. He wanted to be with her, but he wasn't allowed. Every scream seemed to increase his worry. Several times already he had tried to open the doors but they were locked. A crack of thunder sounded nearby. He looked around his surroundings. The rich, marble pillars holding up the mansion to the deep, red velvet carpet softened the footsteps of servants running.

It had been several hours since the contractions had begun. `What could possibly be taking so long?' He wondered. `Could there possibly be something wrong with the baby? What about my wife?!' His panicked thinking caused him to nervously chew on his lower lip.

“No matter how much you pace, it won't help the process along.” Eishun jerked his head up to find Konoemon watching his son-in-law in amusement.

“True but it helps me.”

“Sit down with me.' Konoemon sat on the padded benches placed in the hallways; Eishun hesitated, “Don't worry, son. They'll notify us should they need anything.” Nodding to the logic, Eishun sat down. At times like this, he wished he smoked: anything to help settle his nerves.

“I never knew that waiting could cause so many problems.”

“Trust me; I know exactly what you mean. I've been in your shoes a few times. It never gets easier.' Konoemon stroked his beard, “You just got to believe.”

“That doesn't help much.”

“I suppose not. This is your first child so of course the nerves are extra sensitive. The mid-wife is an expert. She aided in your wife's birth along with others. She knows what she's doing.”

“But it's been over ten hours. What if something went wrong?” Eishun worriedly argued.

Konoemon placed a hand on Eishun's shoulder, “I'm confident that your baby and wife are in capable hands.”

“You're right.” Eishun took a deep breath. He felt himself slowly relaxing. He already knew that he had tensed his muscles too long; he was getting cramps. The two men sat in silence for another hour when the door burst open. Racing to the mid-wife, Eishun prepared himself for any news, good or bad. The mid-wife's expression was unreadable.

“She's expecting you inside. Congratulations! You have a healthy baby girl.” Eishun allowed the news to roll inside his mind for several seconds before he understood her words. With pent up emotions, Eishun hugged the mid-wife in a bone-crushing embrace before running inside the birthing room. Konoemon grinned as he watched the scene inside. Eishun was holding his daughter with a new expression on his face, fatherly pride.

Laughter sprinkled around the room. Eishun had never known such joy before. “Hello, little one. I'm your dad. Welcome to the world, young princess.” Unlike other babies, the princess didn't cry but instead reached out her chubby hands toward her father with a cheesy grin plastered on her face. Her toothless grin increased in size as her father kissed her forehead. Her chubby cheeks nearly closed her eyes with the growing smile upon the princess's face.

“Isn't she beautiful?” The mother watched through half closed eyes at the father and daughter moment.

“Just like her mother.” Eishun bent down to kiss his wife's forehead.

“I'm…so…glad..she's healt….” The woman's voice trailed off. Eishun watched in horror as the noise from machines surrounding his wife began to go flat. He was gently pushed aside as the mid-wife and nurses rushed to resuscitate the still woman. The baby was taken from his arms and he was pushed outside. Alarm flooded through his body, yet he couldn't move. After what seemed like an endless moment, the mid-wife, whose face showed sorrow, once again approached him.

“I'm sorry, sir, but you're wife…” She hated these moments. “You're wife died due to the extreme strain the birth placed on her body. The baby is healthy though...” As if another force was moving his legs, he found himself standing next to his dead wife. The nurses and mid-wife exited the room allowing him to be alone. Sitting next to her body, he held her hand. He then pushed back the hair plastered to her face and traced her features to engrave them into his mind like so many other times before.

Tears slipped passed his eyes fogging up his glasses. “I'm so sorry.” He allowed the tears to fall. They knew of the consequences. Her body was never strong physically. They knew if they got pregnant, she might not survive, but she was so adamant on producing an heir for him. Now, she was dead. He stayed within the room for days. Servants tried to convince him to come out, but he was so overcome with grief that he ignored them. Even Konoemon tried, but the attempts failed. A distant cry slipped through his defenses. `The baby!' He suddenly remembered.

He bolted out of the room toward the crying babe. He entered the nursery to find a wet-nurse trying to feed the young princess. He took the baby within his arms. “I'm so sorry, little one. I abandoned you. Forgive your foolish father.” He held her close. The baby's cries stopped and giggling followed soon after. Cracking a small smile, Eishun felt a bit of himself return since his wife's death. “I promise to never abandon you again.” He kissed his daughter's cheek. “That's a promise from a father to his daughter.”

 

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A few years later…

 

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A small girl of five hid with her mother within the thick bushes. In the distance, grunting noises and clanking steel echoed. The girl watched with wide eyes as her father fought a hopeless battle with five other bird demon warriors. Somehow, the bird tribe found them as they were out gathering food for the winter. The father had sensed their presence and so he ordered his wife and child to hide somewhere. Now, they watched in horror as the bird demon warriors hacked away at the helpless father.

The mother held her fist to her mouth to bite down and stifle her screams. The father glanced to his family as he fell hard on the earth. Tired of their game, the warriors approached him with a determined gaze; he knew what about going to happen. With the last of his strength, he swung his weapon in a desperate motion to buy his family more time. He managed to push them back before getting on his feet and ran in the opposite direction of his family. If he was going to die, he wanted to make sure his family would survive. He knew what the tribe would do if they knew of his family.

The bird tribe detested humans and feared albinism of their kind. `Run away.' He transferred his thoughts to his wife just as he felt a sharp blade puncture him from behind. “Do not worry about your family; we'll make sure to take excellent care of them.” The warrior who stabbed him whispered in his ear before twisting the blade. The father fell to the ground, dead. On his face, he held a fear-stricken expression for the fates of his family.

 

 

The mother half carried, half dragged her daughter through the thick forest. She knew her husband was dead, and she knew that crying was out of her options. She had to think of her daughter's safety. Her husband told her about their daughter's special case. She wasn't going to allow her daughter to suffer through the prejudice that both she and her husband went through.

“Mommy, I'm tired.” The little girl complained as her short legs tried to keep up with her mother.

Without hesitation, the mother picked her up in her arms before darting away. She heard the footsteps nearing behind them. She knew that the bird demons would catch up eventually. She had to find a place to hide her daughter that even the demons couldn't find. The cave was not an option. The tribe had discovered their location a few years ago. The tribe would either kill them, or worse, sell them into slavery. Neither option appealed to her. “Come on, baby. We have got to find a place to hide.” She was tiring. Her body wasn't strong.

“Mommy?” The girl sensed something was wrong. She was getting scared. She had never seen her parents react like this before. The growing amount of fear on their faces when discovering the bird demons arrived. What scared the little girl more was the distinct features between her daddy and the demons. The way they were play-fighting seemed different. Everything was different from her norm. Now her mother's pale face seemed paler than usual.

They were running through the forest. “It's okay, baby; just stay quiet for mommy.” The woman's feet pounded on the soft earth causing her to sink a bit with each step. It slowed her progress considerably. As she ducked underneath a low branch, she felt her foot slip on wet moss carpeting the forest floor causing the both of them to fall and slide down a narrow hill. Screams filled the air from the shock of the unexpected as their bodies hit several jagged rocks and broken branches. The mother tried to protect her daughter as best she could as she noticed the cliff at the end of the hill. `Oh, please no!' She continued to beg silently as their bodies neared the break off point. The woman's heart nearly stopped in her chest as she no longer felt the ground beneath her. A few precious seconds of heart stopping fear registered in the woman's mind before her body collided with the harden earth once more. The mother held onto her daughter, hoping her own body would shield the girl from the impact, but the twigs, branches and thorns cutting and digging into her flesh felt like fingers prying away her arms from her daughter. At last, they hit the bottom and darkness greeted them.

A few minutes later, the girl woke up with an aching body. Crying, she held onto her mother for warmth and security. “Mommy?” There was no answer. The girl looked at her mother as her tears spilled down, soaking her mother's shirt. “Mommy? Wake up!” She moved out from her mother's embrace. Sitting on her knees, the girl looked down at her mother's bleeding, broken form. For some reason, her mother wasn't moving. “Wake up, mommy…” The child shook the woman but nothing happened.

The child looked around only to find herself in unfamiliar territory. “Mommy? Please wake up.” She shook the woman even harder but still nothing happened. A gust of chilling wind blew past them causing the child to shiver from the cold. Instinctively, the child grabbed her mother's arm and moved herself to nestle against her mother's body. Wrapping the arm around her for extra warmth, the girl knew that her mother was gone like her father; they had taught her about death. Snuggling her face against her mother's chest, she pressed herself at much as she could into her mother's warm body. She didn't care if the blood was touching her or that the night was cold; she just wanted to be in her mother's arms. “I'm sorry, mommy.” She closed her eyes.

 

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A five-year-old girl ran through the palace halls as an unseen force chased her. Shrieking with laughter, the girl turned a corner only to run into someone's leg. She fell back expecting impact, but a hand grabbed her arm. Looking up, she saw a tall woman with long raven hair and gentle eyes. The woman smiled down at her. “Are you okay, Ojousama?” The young princess smiled while performing a bow of greeting.

“I'm sorry.” The woman's smile only became bigger.

“It is okay. Be careful next time.” The woman bowed in respect.

The princess bowed once more before taking her leave. Her tiny feet quickly moved down the halls, she checked every corner to make sure the hallways were clear. Grinning like a Cheshire cat, the girl dashed down the next empty hallway. She was having fun with this game. It was a rarity that she could actually have fun like this. Her head perked up when she heard hurried footsteps in her direction. She darted behind the nearby plants.

Crouching low, several attendants passed by her in a panic. “Where's the princess? If we don't find her, we'll be fired from our job! Did you check behind the staircase?” Their voices became more distant as they moved away. The small girl poked her head out from behind the plants with a huge grin on her face. She quickly scooted herself out before running out the mansion. Glancing around her, she made her way into her hidden spot.

Ahead was a thicket of bushes and trees bunched together. She crawled her way past the thorns, twigs, and branches, whose prickly arms reached out to prevent her entry. She knew how to maneuver around these harmful barriers in order to keep her clothing and self from becoming too dirty. She wanted to keep this place a secret. When the attendants would find her clothing torn and herself dirty, she would tell them that she was playing in the garden. Reaching her destination, she found a blanket already lying on the ground.

A smile lit her face. This was where she could let go of everything; a place she knew she was most comfortable. Next to the blanket lay a basket full of items. She pulled out a picture book. The book was one of the few items she treasured because the material entranced her. It was about magic. A beautiful angelic woman went around the world aiding people with her magic. “She's pretty.” She touched the picture of the woman with her fingers. Her father had once told her that angels were created by the good spirits to protect the ones they love, and that her mother was an angel watching her from above.

The distant calling of her name and scurrying footsteps neared making her realize she spent too much time in her secret spot. She had better leave before she really got into trouble. Carefully placing the book into the basket, she crawled through the thicket. She waited until the person in search of her left before she emerged from her secret hideout. Dusting herself off, she ran toward the mansion. “Ojousama!!” She made it to the steps just as the attendants found her.

“Where have you been? We've been searching the entire palace for you. Are you okay? Are you hurt? Why is your shirt torn?” Questions came from every direction as the girl just looked upon her attendants with a smile.

“I'm sorry.”

“Your father has returned and requested your presence.” At this bit of information, the girl's eyes lit up. Without waiting, she ran inside the palace and into her father's waiting arms.

“Daddy!” She held onto the familiar leg of her father. His arms surrounded her small body as he lifted her up in his arms. “I missed you.” Her small arms circled around his neck.

“I'm sorry, sweetie. My trip went longer than expected. I missed you too.” He kissed her cheek before setting her down. “We need to talk.” His facial expression changed into one of seriousness. Walking over to a chair posted in the foyer, he sat down. “I've been hearing that you've been running away from your studies again.”

She bit her lower lip, knowing she was in trouble. She moved her face up to meet her father's eyes, “I'm sorry.”

“Honey, you can't continue doing that. It's not your studies I'm worried about; I hired those ladies for your protection. If something bad happened to you, I would be very sad.” The girl's frown increased at seeing her father's face.

“I'm sorry, daddy….I'll be good.”

“Thank you. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. You're the only thing I have left that's worth living for.” He patted her head.

Tears leaked from the corner of her eyes, “I won't do it again.” Wiping the tears away with his thumbs, Eishun smiled down at his daughter. He stood up, taking her hand.

“You should know that your mother is always watching you, and she would be sad if she knew something bad happened to you. Now, no more tears otherwise you're mother will not be happy, okay?” Nodding, the girl forced herself to smile as she wiped away her tears.

“Daddy?”

“Yes?”

“Could you tell me another story about mommy?” Eishun's smile suddenly became tender as he gazed at his daughter.

“Of course.” As her father told her the stories she had heard hundreds of times, they made their way to the dining hall. The girl's thoughts drifted once more to the picture of the angel in her picture book.

 

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A hard kick in her leg caused the small girl to wake up. A pair of rough hands grabbed her by the upper arm and dragged her away from her decomposing mother. She screamed and fought the intruder, but the intruder was too powerful. A quick jerk from the intruder caused the young girl to yelp in pain. Gritting her teeth, she felt as if her arm was nearly torn from her body. “Shut up, freak!”

“Mommy!!” The girl reached out for her dead mother, but the intruder slapped her before snickering at her poor attempts. The girl stared hard at the intruder to reveal her hatred.

“Soon, you'll know your place. A head-strong slave will not produce a bountiful price. Now, stop your struggling,” the bird demon tightened his grip causing the girl to wince and cry out in pain, “and behave yourself.”

The girl only glared at the demon with hate-filled eyes. She was going to make them pay. They ostracized her family and then hunted them down like animals; now, they had killed her parents and was going to sell her into slavery. Pursing her lips together, she forced herself to remain silent. She tore her eyes away from the demon to watch the other warriors tie a boulder to her mother's corpse before dumping it into the nearby river. A feeling of true loneliness and loss echoed within her body. She felt tears sting her eyes, but she refused to allow her captors to see her cry. She wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of seeing her hurt.

Clenching her fist, she forced herself to watch as her mother's body rapidly descended into the murky water. She masked her face with an emotionless expression. She was never going to allow another person to take something away from her. She refused to become anyone's slave. She was going to become strong. Strong enough so that she would be able to stand on her own two feet to fight her own battles and defend what's most dear to her.

They dragged her to their village. Demons shied away from her as if she had a contagious virus. The demon holding her arm, tossed her to the cold, hard dirt floor in front of a large cave. More caves seem to circle around this main one signifying that the centered cave housed the lord of the village. The girl spat out dust and dirt from her mouth. Placing her knee into the coarse dirt, she began to lift herself up. A hand grabbed the back of her neck and forced her back on the ground.

“Bow, freak! Show respect to the elder!” The demon kicked the girl in the ribs. The girl rolled onto her uninjured side as she held her aching ribs. She struggled to keep herself from bowing but her actions were in vain. The warrior proved to be too strong for her small body. He smirked at seeing the half-demon's bent form. “Great Elder, I have captured the girl.” Pride hung heavily on his tone.

The girl growled in frustration; she didn't know what was going on but she knew these people were the cause of her parent's deaths. A cold, cylinder rod shot out and tucked under her chin, forcing her face up. “This is the half-breed?” An aged voice sounded from an elderly bird demon. His back was bent forward and he had a heavy pair of salt and pepper eyebrows over his eyes. A look of utter disgust showed clearly on his face, “She's incredibly ugly and her hair and eyes are white!” He shot a glare at the now faltering bird demon warrior. “You never told me she was cursed!” The elder jumped away from her with remarkable agility.

He tossed his rod aside, “Burn it! I don't want to own or touch anything this `monster' touched or even breathed on!” His eyes narrowed at the small trembling girl, who continued to glare up at her captors. The elder sneered down at the girl as if she were an infestation. “Hide her! I don't want the entire tribe to be in a panic. The last thing we need is for the tribe to know that `she' exists.” He turned his back to the girl; this was the worst type of insult for a demon to give to another.

The girl felt an indescribable urge to kill. Her blood felt like a river of lava. A surge of power filled her being as she watched the bird demon elder walk away. Without warning, her sight changed to a blurred grey and figures of red bled into the scenery. She felt more of her body moving through the red figures like a snake chasing after its prey inside of a thick forest, ready to strike. She distinctly heard shouting as limbs reached out to prevent her from reaching her prey.

Her body was too small and swift as she maneuvered her body out of their reach, narrowing in on her target. Her small fingers spread out like a spider in mid-air as her hand grabbed a throat of feathers and skin. Her claws dug into the tough exterior and a warm goo oozed around them. The girl tightened her grasp as a deep growl formed from her throat. The need to taste blood was strong; the neck was merely a twig that needed to be snapped. She felt a strong force on different parts of her body pulling her away, but she held on tighter. She wasn't going to allow anything to take her away from her meal. As if a shutter uncovered her sight, she distinctly remembered seeing a patch of green grass before blacking out.

 

 

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Once again, her father was away on business. The young girl stifled her yawn as she forced herself to concentrate on her studies. The tutor had the most droning voice she had ever known. Her eyes drooped. “…and to conclude the lesson, we learn that not all plants can be thought of as peaceful living things.” The tutor snapped the book shut causing the young girl to jerk open her eyes. “I hope I didn't bore you too much, Ojousama.” The tutor sarcastically remarked.

The girl offered a toothy smile while rubbing her eyes, “I'm sorry.” The tutor just raised an eyebrow in disbelief. The child gave her best innocent expression, and the tutor sighed.

“Class is over, Ojousama.” The young girl slowly stood up, bowed, gathered her books and left. The tutor watched the six-year-old disappear as she closed the door behind her. He walked over to the window as the girl ran toward the wooded area to play by herself. A disheartened expression washed over his face as he watched the young princess disappear amongst the bushes. This was no way for a child to live, completely separate from society with no children to play with. She never complained, but anyone could sense the growing loneliness living inside her. Eishun was a good father, but he was always away securing the princess's future. Even within a large estate, the prospect of complete and utter loneliness must be unbearable. The tutor closed his eyes giving off a silent prayer for his princess.

 

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The young princess wiped her dirty hands on her kimono as she sat herself down. She placed her stack of textbooks beside her. Looking to her other side, she dug through the basket to grab the picture book. The edge of the book was worn from the constant handling and the book had begun to automatically open to the picture of the angel. “Hi, Mommy.” Ever since her father had told her that her mother had become an angel, she had started addressing the angel in her book as mommy.

Delicately tracing her finger over the face, the girl gave a pained smile. `No, I can't cry; I don't want to hurt daddy anymore. But…I never knew I could hurt so much.' She brought the book to her face where she kissed the angel's cheek. “I love you, mommy. I miss you so much.” The girl wrapped her arms around the book and held it close to herself. The faint scent of perfume her mother used to wear enveloped the girl's senses.

She had found a half-empty bottle of perfume in her father's bedroom. When she asked him about it, her father told her it belonged to her mother. The next day, her father had a bottle of the perfume for his daughter. The girl had used it to place on the picture in the sense to be closer to her mother.

“I don't like school. It is boring and the teacher smells bad, but I was a good girl. I didn't fall asleep.” the girl stated with pride. The girl placed her picture book on her lap before digging through her schoolbooks for a piece of paper. Her face brightened considerably as she withdrew the folded paper. “Look, I got a `good job' for my writing tablet!” She held the paper in front of her so the angel could see it. The serene smile upon the angel's face never changed, nor did it hold any secret acceptance. The girl didn't mind; she knew that her mother was proud.

 

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Dirty, hot water was dumped unceremoniously on the sleeping girl. Sputtering awake, the girl tried to sit up only to smack her head against the rusted iron bars of her cage. She glared with pure hatred toward the occupants radiating the same amount of animosity and hatred. Her cage was half the size of her height, so the girl had to curl up in a ball to remain somewhat comfortable. The cage was positioned to the side of the village with no shade or protection from the oncoming weather. She tried to remain in the center of her prison or the bird demon children would poke her with branches or spears as another type of torture.

Her body was cramped and sweat was her second skin. Bruises, dirt, and blood covered her entire body. She knew what was about to transpire. Another set of buyers were going to make an appearance. It had been eight months already, and yet it seemed like a lifetime for her. The demon warriors tightened their hold on their weapon of choice as the one in charge of her knelt down beside the cage to unlock it. The girl felt the pressure ease from her body; she was tempted to spring up from the enclosed prison, but she knew better.

If the demon warriors knew how miserable she was in her `home', they would more than likely make her living situation even more uncomfortable. Rough talons grabbed her by the back of her neck and practically lifted her up like a puppy. The girl winced in pain as the claws dug into her already bruised skin. He threw her upon the ground the moment she was out of the cage, looking upon her with disgust and revulsion. He wiped his talons clean with a dirty cloth hanging from his belt.

She hated them. She hated everyone and wanted nothing more than to kill them. After her incident of attacking the village elder, she was beaten and whipped before being thrown into her cage. They wanted to make sure she remained conscious during every beating she received during her stay. After all, it would only be fitting for their `play thing' to experience every type of pain presented to her by her benevolent benefactors. She dug her nails into the hard, compact dirt to release a bit of her pent of anger. She didn't have long to recover from her fall as she heard the dirt shuffle underneath the demon's feet as he walked up behind her and whacked her hard on the back.

It was a polite signal to let her know that she needed to move and quick. Her young body felt on fire as she tried to stand up, protesting with every movement she made. Unfortunately, she moved far too slow to their liking. A swift kick to her side caused her body to roll as she bit back the scream. Both eyes closed as she focused on melting the pain away; she managed to open one eye. It landed on her most recent attacker. The black beady eyes had a glint of malevolent joy. Ignoring her body's protest, she hastily stood up.

With a slight bent in her posture, the girl lifted her chin in defiance, as she waited for the demons to place her in manacles. One around her neck, wrists, ankles, and waist all connected with a heavy twenty-pound chain. The girl pretended the added weight didn't sway her as she was dragged towards the front of the village.

 

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She found herself facing a group of humans. Like so many other potential buyers, she held a hard, guarded stare toward the humans. She refused to allow herself to appear weak in front of them. She turned her eyes upon each human's face in order to memorize their features into her mind. “How much?” The soft voice suddenly distracted the girl's thoughts.

The demon elder, who stood amongst his fellow warriors, studied the owner of the voice. The elder's eyes clearly observed for any obvious clues upon the human's face or body language as to whether they were willing to pay more for the girl. With a gruff voice, the elder replied, “Two thousand.” The human's expression didn't betray its thoughts.

The girl half-listened to the conversation. She knew what would happen in the end. The buyers would refuse to buy her simply because of her haggard appearance and high price. Her eyes wandered on the human haggling with the demon elder. The human wore peculiar clothing she had never seen before. The outfit itself looked as if it were made of layers upon layers of clothing; it was then she noticed something beautiful.

On the hip of the human hung a long, thin sheath made from ebony wood. Her eyes were drawn to the weapon. She unknowingly licked her chapped lips, ignoring the slight sting her tongue created when she drug it across the roughened and broken skin. The familiar coppery taste heightened her senses as her eyes studied the sword. She had never seen a sword of that size before. The demons always wielded enormous swords that were the size of or even bigger than they themselves were.

She didn't know how long she fondly gazed at the sword, but she realized it was long enough for the conversation had ended and the entrancing sword was moving toward her. Tearing her eyes away, she glanced up to find the human watching her with curiosity. The girl hated that look more than any thing. It was a look telling her that she was being sized up to determine whether she was worth any value. The once unguarded look vanished. Her eyebrows furrowed, slanting her eyes downward. With the steeled, hard look born from months of perfecting the technique, the girl was ready for any sort of attack. She didn't care if she would be beaten later.

She refused to allow this human to look down upon her. Tightening her fists in restrained anger, her eyes defiantly challenged the human. `Go ahead. I don't care what you do.' The girl's face clearly showed her pride and stubbornness. The human studied her face for a few more minutes before turning his head to the side. “I'll buy her.” The voice was confident and smooth.

The girl barely stopped her face from displaying the shock she felt wash through her being. `I'm being sold?' The realization slowly sank as she was led back to her cage. She didn't even care about the sneers and rocks thrown at her as she walked through the village. Once inside her cage, the girl allowed herself to come to the full realization. `I'm leaving the village!' An unknown emotion seeped in and warmed her swollen, starving belly.

It took several hours before she found herself walking out of the village gates. She wasn't sure what she felt as every step told her she was getting further and further away from the village. She never turned back for she knew no one would be seeing her off. She still wore the bindings. The sun was merciless with its direct rays and her sweat rolled down her back and face. The manacles rubbed her scabbed skin raw once more. After a mile of walking, the band of humans stopped beside a stream.

The human who bought her knelt beside the stream. The girl noticed with startling clarity the human dipping its hand into the water and bringing it up to its face. The human's eyes never stopped wandering; its guard never was lowered, not even for a drink. The girl rolled her thick, dry tongue in her mouth to gather saliva. She was parched. The water looked so inviting but she knew better than to run to the water. She didn't know anything about these humans or what their reaction would be.

The girl tried to appear indifferent but knew from the look in the human's eyes that he had seen her reaction. “Come.” The command was direct but not threatening. The girl warily approached with distrust; the human's lips quirked in amusement at the stiff posture of the girl. “Thirsty?” The girl's eyes never left the sparkling, bubbling water. The human scooped his hand into the stream and held it out for the girl.

`What is the human doing?' She looked from the hand to the human then back again.

“I guess you're not as thirsty as I assumed.” The hand began to tilt allowing the precious water to descend back into the stream; the girl quickly grabbed the hand without thinking and drank the remaining water. The girl licked the last remaining drop from hand in desperation. Eyes wide, the girl blushed from both embarrassment and anger by her actions. She distanced herself from the human and scowled at the ground.

The human wanted to laugh but knew that type of reaction would be taken wrong and cause more barriers to shoot up between them. Instead, the human grabbed its canteen and filled it with water. It tossed the canteen toward the girl, narrowly missing her by a foot. The girl glared at the human. The human schooled its expression to a bored look. “If you don't want it, that's fine, but this is for the trip. I would advise you to drink your fill before we head out again. We won't be making another stop until we reach our village,” the human warned. It only hoped the girl would lower her pride enough to hydrate herself. The trip would be difficult and the summer heat wasn't helping to alleviate the hardships of the journey.

The girl looked down at the canteen with longing eyes, but she was debating whether she should show herself to be so weak. Her stomach groaned in protest alerting the human of another problem. Sighing, the human stood up, “I suppose we can't allow that to continue.” The human dug into a bag it carried with them. Taking out a piece of bread and a dried strip of meat, the human walked over to the girl and handed the food to her. “Eat and drink your fill. It will be a long journey and I don't want to have a burnt out underling slowing me down.”

The girl looked down at the food with wide eyes. She had never seen such a hearty meal since her parents had died. The demons had always just handed her whatever they felt would be `good' enough for her and that was if they remembered to feed her. She didn't trust this human enough to take the offered food. The human was probably teasing her and would take the food away from her at the last moment.

Sighing, the human watched the girl's eyes as she contemplated her decision. “We don't have all day for you to make up your mind. If you don't want it, I won't force you, but I won't allow you to slow us down because of your pride. So, you either take the food or not. This is your choice. Just remember the speed of our progress is determined entirely on you.” The girl narrowed her eyes as she thought over her choices.

Several moments passed; the human was convinced that the girl was going to refuse when suddenly the small hands snatched the food from his own hand. She was about to take a huge bite from the bread when the human grabbed her thin wrist and pulled it away from her open mouth. Questioning, accusing eyes bore into the human. “If you eat it like that, you'll become sick. I don't know how long it's been since you last ate, but you need to eat in smaller portions and slower. I can't afford to have you sick.” Taking the food from her hands, the human took out a dagger from its belt and cut open the bread. Replacing the dagger, the human laid the dry pieces of meat in between the bread.

Reaching down, the human grabbed the canteen and offered it to her. “Drink at least a quarter of the contents. It'll help the food to go down. Drink slowly.” The girl obeyed, much to the human's surprise. It took a lot of self-control for the girl to not gulp down the water. She drank about half of the water before lowering the canteen. The human broke off a small piece of the meal and handed it to her.

“Chew it completely before swallowing.” It commanded. For the next twenty minutes, the human coached the girl through her meal. Once the food was gone, the girl's eyes become clearer. She wanted more, the human knew, but at the moment, the small portion was enough. Gradually, the human would feed her more, but right now, the human would limit her food intake. Once convinced the girl was well hydrated and satisfied, the human told the girl to refill the canteen.

With haste, the girl obeyed and handed the canteen to the human. “No, that canteen is yours. I have another. That will be your source of water. Do not lose it.” The girl nodded. She was still hungry but content. She didn't know what to make of this human. Never had she ever been fed food like that by the demons. Still wary, she kept herself in check. For now, she would test to see her boundaries and to see if she could break herself out of this prison forced upon her.

 

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The girl wore a pink yukata with sakura petals printed on the fabric. She moved some hair behind her ear as she looked across the courtyard. Few scattered leaves strayed on this forbidden territory and the servants continuously swept through the broad walkway leading up to the main temple to remove the leaves before any great amount of time passed. The girl was sitting on the wooden walkway with her back leaning against the post. She fanned herself off from the sweltering heat of summer.

She never liked the heat. The heat always made her become more fatigued and drowsy. Her hair was done up in a bun with her bangs hanging freely to frame her face. She was a young girl of seven, yet she had the appearance of a young lady. Reserved with a mature face, her eyes drifted shut as a gust of wind blew across her form. A sigh of momentarily relief escaped her partly opened mouth. Beads of sweat rolled down her exposed neck, with the delicate, thin fabric she wore soaking up the sweat.

She was bored once more with no one to play with and her father away on business trips. She would normally be in her secret hideout, but the servants were becoming more suspicious of her activities forcing her to stay away for awhile. It was nearing the evening; the sun slowly descended. The heat didn't seem to sway but only increased in temperature. The bugs pestering her seemed to increase with every minute.

She was feeling a bit withdrawn. She hadn't seen her `mother' in two days and she sorely missed talking to her. With a hint of annoyance, she planted her feet on the white stone floor. With her tiny geta sandals clacking against the ground, the young girl made her way across the courtyard toward the steps leading outside of Konoe property. She had never stepped outside of the palace walls for reasons unknown. Her father always left strict instructions to the staff to never allow her to leave the grounds under any circumstance.

The young girl was always curious about what laid beyond the cemented walls. She was only able to catch glimpses of the outside world. She stopped a few feet away from the gated door. Looking over her shoulder, the girl checked for any servants or bodyguards before making her way toward the door. With firm hands, she lifted the wooden barrier, which lay horizontally against the door entrance. She was almost free.

Biting her lower lip, she managed to free the door. With a soft grunt, she swung the door open wide enough for her slim body to slip through. Her eyes widened as she soaked in the scenery. The dusty streets held a life she never knew. A pair of travelers passed by her and threw her a casual greeting. She bowed slightly in a polite greeting. A toothy smile grew upon her face as she stepped further out into the streets and closed the door behind her.

The sound of the wood hitting wood made its final sound, signaling to the young girl her new found freedom. Not knowing where to head first, she just faced a direction and walked forward. The noises of the city filtered into her ears. An unknown fear grew within her belly but her curiosity outweighed it. She would stop by stands to gaze with hungry interest at the wares and to watch transactions being processed.

The fear within soon diminished as she found herself swept away by the life of the city. She watched and studied her surroundings with earnest. She found herself wanting things, but she held no currency. Her fine Kyoto accent stood out among the merchants and people whenever she spoke. Her kimono was a sign of her upbringing. She soon found herself the center of attention by several people. Unsure of herself, she discovered several items shoved in her face and their sellers begging her to buy from them to support their families. Her fear returned as she tried to escape the masses.

“I'm sorry, but I cannot help you.” She managed to voice to the crowd. She backed further away until her small body hit a barrier. Her hands touched the rough texture as the people closed in on her. Her legs buckled underneath her and she fell to the ground. With threatening, unfamiliar hands reaching for her, the girl brought her hands in front of her as a shield. “Please stop! I'm sorry!” Her small voice pleaded with anguish. She was scared.

Her heart screamed. She wanted it all to go away. Closing her eyes, she tried to melt into the barrier behind her. As if someone had shut off the sound, complete silence reigned throughout the area. She felt strong arms lifting her up. Her small body pressed against a firm chest. With hesitancy, she opened her eyes to glance up at the shadowed form. The evening sun shone behind the stranger giving off a mysterious shadowed appearance.

“Daddy?” Her voice betrayed uncertainty. The body felt different from what she was used to and the scent was not of her father. The form's head slightly bent toward her as if it was looking at her more closely. Her body shivered involuntary from the intense gaze she felt from the stranger. The stranger turned around towards a crowd the girl was expecting to see, but the crowd had backed away considerably. A pathway was parted as the stranger walked toward the palace ground. No hands were reaching. Instead, eyes were full of fear, and the silence was thickened and became more fearful than the loud uproar the girl suffered only moments before.

She turned her eyes back toward the stranger. Amazed that the features of the face remained shadowed, the girl felt a sense of relief and safety amongst the chaotic whirlwind of emotions. The girl looked ahead to find the entrance door opened with a couple of the servants waiting. Dread filled her stomach as she recognized one particular figure. Her father. The expression he wore was enough to make her face deepen into a frown.

Sighing, she clutched unknowingly the garment of the stranger's clothing. She knew what was to come next. Mentally, she prepared herself for the lecture and possible punishment to come. She closed her eyes for a brief moment; the entrance neared with each step. With determined eyes, she snapped open her eyes and pasted a smile. She promised herself that she would remain strong and not cry in front of her father. She must always smile so he would not have to worry about her anymore than he already did. She knew she had hurt and worried him.

She had broken a promise she made a year ago about not causing anymore trouble. She knew he would be disappointed in her. She was going to take the lecture and punishment like she should. Just to smile and not waver. She just had to keep her emotions bottled so she could make her mother proud. Her thoughts drifted to the picture as she closed her hand into a fist, the cloth crumpling underneath her grasp. The entrance was only another yard away.

Steadying her heartbeat down to a normal beat, she gave her father an apologetic smile. The stranger reached the entrance gates and set her down. She stood firm and held her father's stern eyes in determination to let him know she was going to handle the situation like a princess should. She must not turn away but to bear whatever punishment deemed worthy for her transaction. She could see the internal struggle within her father's eyes. With a silent and barely controlled voice, he ordered everyone to enter the estate. The wooden door closed. Its resounding echo vibrated through the girl's fragile body signifying an ending to a moment's freedom. “Come with me.” Her father turned his back on her and started walking down the stone path.

To the girl, the path had never felt so long and lonely. She quietly and obediently followed. Her steps slow and sure, she kept her eyes straight on her father's erected back. It seemed as if he was drifting further away from her. She almost reached out and called to him, but she realized that her gait was slower than his. Temptation ran strong for her to run up to him, but she was in enough trouble as it was. A true lady never ran. A lesson she learned as far back as she could remember.

Stone met wooden steps. She knew the estate well; she didn't need to look down for that first step. Without hesitation, she settled her foot upon the step and lifted herself up for the next. Their destination seemed so long when in fact, the journey took only mere minutes. They reached her father's office of sorts. “Close the door behind you.” His voice seemed more controlled. Once the thin door slid shut, he turned around. A flash of hurt and deep sadness showed itself before being carefully hidden behind a mask of anger.

The guilt grew within her small body. A hand raised itself and flung toward her. His hand found its way on the opposite side of the girl's face forcing her to slightly turn it to the side. A red welt in the shape of a giant hand appeared on her soft cheek. “Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?” His face showed clear disapproval and disappointment. Tears sprung to her eyes, the girl felt herself about to break down, but she knew better. She had to remain strong in front of her father. She turned to face her father once more.

“I'm sorry, daddy. I should not have disobeyed you.” Her voice slightly trembled, but she was a rock. The image of her mother's angelic face once again appeared. `Mother, are you also mad? Do you hate me now?' Her heart felt the overwhelming sensation of depression over the thought. It was bad enough that her father was upset, but the thought that her mother might become disappointed to the point of rejecting her hit closer to home than anything.

Eishun turned away from his daughter. His hands locked behind his back. “You are dismissed.” His order was crisp and the tone clearly read that the subject was closed. The girl slightly bowed and quietly left the office. She pressed her hands over her heart. The need to see her mother pulled on her strongly. She could feel the walls crumbling around her mask. With quick steps, she rounded the corner only to stumble across the stranger, who rescued her earlier.

Offering a quick apology and bow, she departed. The floodgate was weakening with each step until she blindly burst into a run. Her hands clasped the fabric of her yukata around her middle. The hem lifted high enough to keep her feet from tripping over the rich material. The geta sandals slowed her run. They echoed in the hallways notifying anyone nearby of the desperate girl in need of her mother's reassuring smile.

Without a care, she clumsily crawled through the brush to her hideout. Fishing through the basket, she sat down to turn the pages of the book. The image stared back at her, and the small girl broke down crying silent tears. Droplets of salty liquid fell upon the pages. She hugged the book close to her chest in a desperate plea for comfort. “Please don't hate me, mommy. I really promise to never do anything bad again. Just don't hate me.” The girl rocked herself back and forth. She held the cold book against her warm body for the comfort that would never come.

 

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With labored panting and firm hands, a young girl held onto a wooden katana in a death grip. Sweat and blood ran in thin streams down her body. Her hands were blistered from holding the katana. The training was severe and her small body was always sore. Just holding the katana properly was a chore after the rigorous hours of training every day for the last seven months. A brisk wind shot past her. She knew what to expect next. With precision, she brought up the katana to parry the blow that was sure to come.

Unfortunately, the attack was just a ploy. Her eyes widened a second too late as the girl felt a menacing presence behind her. She turned to block the blow, but her sensei's fist snuck through her defenses with a powerful force connecting against her chest as if the impact had passed through her skin and slammed into her organs. A mist of blood sprayed from her gaping mouth as she flew backwards with tremendous force.

Before she could hit any obstructions, the monstrous force dissipated from where it once stood and appeared behind her. The sensei raised its weapon with the moonlight reflecting off of the silver blade. The blade side swept against the girl's back. The wrist of the sensei turned upward to cause the body to shoot up. Branches tore through her skin and scratched whatever intact skin that fell under the tree limbs. Once again, before the girl could become conscious of what was going on, another wave of attacks slammed against her stomach.

She collided with the hard dirt. With her breath knocked out of her body, the girl struggled to inhale air into her lungs. The pain in her chest at the simple action brought tears to her eyes. She dug her nimble fingers into the dirt as she tried to lift herself up. Blood and spit combined fell from her open mouth. Though exhausted, she managed to lift herself up from the ground, but a foot soon shoved her slight body back in place.

She glared up at the figure above her. “After seven months of training, this is as far as your skills go. Your weakness seems to increase with every day that passes. This is a great disappointment; I knew when the master brought you in that you would never add up to anything. What a waste of my time!” The strong, disgusted voice rang through the girl's ears. His words merely seemed to be an echo, and a tiresome one at that. She had heard them all before. She was trying her best, but she knew better than to tell her sensei. She would just receive another source of punishment.

“It would appear that another week is in order.” The girl's eyes increased in size. Her heart froze in her chest. She wanted to protest but her voice was lost on her. She knew the implications of that sentence. This was a fear she suffered and endured more times than she chose to remember. Sighing in exasperation, the sensei placed an iron grip on the young girl's arm and half dragged her away.

 

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Huddled in a tight corner, the girl tried to shelter herself as best as she could from the frigid cold. She was once again thrown out into the wild to survive on her own. It was a way for her to toughen up and become more self-sufficient by thinking of creative ways to survive. Teeth chattering, she rubbed her upper arms with her hands to coax a bit of warmth to herself. The wildlife was nothing new to her, but she still feared the unknown. Her calloused hands rubbed her skin raw and the weather had continued to gradually drop. The young girl wouldn't be shocked if it started to snow. Drawing her hands to her mouth, she breathed on them. A cloud of frosty air dissipated mere seconds after touching her rough, dry hands.

She wasn't going to complain though; she loved the solitude. She loved being away from the hypocrisy the people she met always seemed to throw at her. She secretly wished everyone would leave her alone. If only she could remain secluded within her own company things could be bearable. Her parents were taken from her and then her freedom. She hated every minute she had spent with the bird demons and now she was stuck with these humans. They were no different from the tribe. She was merely a puppet for them to control. She clenched her fists in righteous anger; she wanted to make them all pay for everything taken from her and for everything she never had.

Her narrow brows furrowed in concentration toward her growing hatred and anger. She despised everyone. Her half-frozen body was now in the back of her mind as these thoughts invaded her. Her attention was only averted when a gust of wind blew past her. With her senses alerted, she remained in her vulnerable stance and listened.

She closed both eyes and focused on the source of the noise. Whoever it was, the intruder knew when to move. A gust of wind swept past her. It held the scent of the perpetrator telling her that the creature was about to attack. She kept her body from tensing and her body language didn't betray her knowledge. The air was crisp and the swaying grass was freezing. It made detecting the slight sounds easier. The presence was edging closer. She slowly moved her left hand toward her side.

The familiar touch of the smooth wood under her fingertips signaled to her brain. Her fingers curled around the slender wooden sword's hilt. A hungry growl resonated, echoing all around her. `More than just one?' Her grip tightened. It wasn't unheard of for wild animals to come and disturb her peace, but this presence felt more ominous and foreboding than a wild boar. `Demons?' Her senses became extra sensitive at the assumption.

A dried leaf crunched under the excessive weight of one of her intruders. She had not been in combat with a demon alone before. This was a chance to prove to herself and the dojo of her skills. This could test and all her to discover how strong she really had become. She moved her other hand towards the slip in her outer robe. She felt the familiar slips of paper induced with ki: her ki. Whispering the spell, she slowly removed the paper. The paper doll would now transform to look identical to her. It was to be her double so she could hide and wait for her prey.

Much to her dismay, instead of an identical version of herself, a miniature version of herself appeared. It looked no bigger than her hand. `….' She now had to come up with a different plan.

It was too late. The enemies swarmed in from all directions. Her eyes widened in both fear and shock. Various demons spilled out of the wilderness, seeming like an endless wave of recruits. Her hand trembled as she held her death grip on her wooden sword. Death was now facing her. She couldn't move no matter how much she screamed orders for her body to work. `Is this how it will end?' She managed to look up toward the demons' oversized bodies, hovering over her, ready to kill and more than likely eat her. `I'm sorry, mom, dad. I couldn't avenge you.' She shut her eyes as a tear formed at the edge of her eyes. `I must face it like a warrior.' Forcing her eyes open once more, she faced her impending doom head on with a determined look.

 

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“Ojousama, your father has returned and is requesting your presence.” A servant notified the young girl. The girl looked behind her towards the manservant bowing low. A bright smile shined at the mention of her father. She hadn't seen him in a few months. She immediately shot a hopeful look towards her tutor, who stood opposite of the manservant. With a heavy sigh, the teacher closed the book in his hand and gave a nod. The young girl shot up from her chair and bowed towards the teacher before running out. A stern clearing of the throat stopped her in mid-step.

“Thank you for telling me. Please excuse me.” She then forced herself to walk instead of run. It took all her willpower to not break into a run once more, but a lady never runs. She was to be graceful, patient, polite, and proper. The lessons were driven into her for as long as she could remember. With quickening steps, she arrived at the closed doors separating herself from her father. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door.

“Enter.” She recognized her father's deep voice. Sliding the door open, she peeked inside. It was either a habit she held onto out of rebellion or her just being a girl of seven; even she wasn't sure. His head was bent over his desk as he skimmed through different papers. His frown deepened with every page. Too eager to keep herself in check, she ran into the office and wrapped her arms around her father's middle.

“Daddy!” She squealed in uncontained excitement and joy. Her father was home and that was all that mattered. She had missed him so much. Taking a deep breath, the scent of her father wafted into her nostrils. It was the scent of the road, the wild, and the wind blended into a particular fragrance she loved. A deep-throated chuckle sounded causing her grin to increase in size.

“Control, daughter. Control.” The corners of his eyes crinkled as he fondly glanced down at her. The light rebuke didn't faze her; she nuzzled her face against the rough fabric of his shirt. Patting her head, her father glanced over at the papers on his desk transforming his expression. He reluctantly pulled her away. “There is something important I need to tell you.” The young girl tilted her head to the side out of curiosity. He gestured with his hand for her to sit across from him on one of the seats in front of his desk.

The girl struggled somewhat to climb into the high chair before sitting herself in a proper manner. She smoothed out her kimono before giving her father her full attention. Folding his hands before him, he gave his daughter a long and meaningful look. “After giving it much thought, I have decided that no daughter should be without a companion. I know that you must be lonely living inside the palace walls, but your safety comes first. So, I have decided to assign you a companion. The companion will escort you everywhere you go and will take care of you.” He could tell he had lost his daughter. “In other words, you will have someone for companionship and for protection.”

He watched in slight amusement as the face of his daughter scrunched up in confusion before realization dawned upon her. “Really? I'll have someone to play with?”

“Well, the companion is more for protection than play.” He wanted to make his daughter understand the full concept of the arrangement. He had already looked into the situation and had several meetings concerning the plan. Having a close relationship with a companion could be both a joyful and painful emotion. He didn't want his daughter to become attached in case the worse-case scenario ever occurred. With innocent trust filled eyes, his daughter's smile was infectious.

“But I can play with my companion, right?”

“Yes, but you need to understand that the companion is for protection above all else. Play isn't the main reason for you gaining one. This is to ease my worries when I am away from you.”

“Thank you, daddy.” Her perfectly white teeth flashed at him. An uneasy feeling quelled within his stomach, but the one look from her face was enough to keep it at bay. His daughter was his most precious thing and the thoughts of her future worried him to no end. She was so innocent of the ways of the world. He preferred it that way. In a world where innocence was quickly snatched away, he wanted to keep his young daughter from suffering from the hardships of life as much as possible. It was his right as a father. He acted selfishly in order to keep such innocence from going extinct. He smiled warmly at her. He now felt fully confident that he made the right choice.

 

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White hair splayed around the pillow and tightly clenched fists gripped the bed sheets. Sweat poured from every pore. She was in pain. Dirty bandages coated in sweat and blood rested nearby on a small table beside a bowl of water with a wash cloth hanging off the edge. She opened her eyes; the pale orbs glanced around the room. She slightly panicked in confusion before she realized she was inside her room. A wave of pain laced up her spine towards her head.

A thread of heat seemed to spread out along all her nerves as her chest rose from her breathing. Everything hurt. Her throat was dry and her tongue thick. She wanted some water. Looking about her, she spotted a glass of water within arm's reach. Her pained expression was evident as she noticed how tight she was holding the bed sheets. Her fingers were practically in agony over the long estimated time of her death grip. Her own gasp of unimaginable pain alerted her brain of how badly injured she was as she slightly moved her hand.

She licked her lips, the tongue running once more over dry, cracked lips. Memories of the past evaded her senses momentarily. Gritting her teeth, she tried to ignore the nauseating feeling within her body as she reached further for the glass. Her fingers brushed against the smooth glass. `A bit more.' She coached herself. It was then she noticed that she was only small distance away from the glass before the length of her arm failed her.

Taking a deep breath, she slid her body toward the glass. Her eyes enlarged and her hand knocked the glass over as the girl bit back a cry of utter pain. Although she lay upon a futon, her back felt like she scraped it over a bed of splinters. Hissing, the girl clenched her eyes shut hoping to block out the pain. Her quickened breaths began to lessen as she calmed herself. Looking over at the turned over glass and the precious water soaking into the wooden floor, the girl groaned in irritation.

`What happened?' She lay still, trying to recollect her thoughts. The pain throbbed, but she was used to pain. Thanks to the tribe, she had learned how to block out most pain and to endure whatever abuse she was dealt. She had been beaten before by the humans merely out of her rebellion, but the pain she felt now was nothing like the pain she suffered before. As if a damn had broken loose, she remembered. She was surrounded by demons.

`What happened after that? How did I survive?' She had no recollection. `Did the sensei help me? No, that would never happen. Then how?' The door opened, distracting her from her thoughts. A hard look was directed toward her. Her sensei knelt down beside her. Fresh bandages were in hand.

“You shouldn't be lying on your back. Your wounds would only become worse; they are already infected.” The sensei admonished. The girl glared with burning hatred. Ignoring the expression, the sensei began to prepare the bandages. “Lay on your side.” The order was direct and held authority. The girl found herself in a position of no argument. Struggling, she rolled over. She discovered such a small action could tire her. Her face turned away from the sensei.

Rough hands removed the soiled bandages before applying wet cloths on her back to clean the wounds. The girl wondered just how bad her back looked. From the feel of the treatment, the girl believed her back was shredded. There didn't seem to be an inch of her back that wasn't raw. The sensei's hands were cold and she could do nothing but hiss and bite her tongue to keep back the tears and screams.

After what seemed like an endless torture, the sensei briefly reported it was over. “After what happened in the woods, I believe you may be ready for your next assignment.” The sensei's words randomly jumped into the topic. Confirming her expression was blank, she turned her head to face the person next to her. “It had been in effect before you were taken in, but you will be a companion for an employer.” The sensei noted the girl's eyes flashed with surprise and something else before reverting to its comatose state.

“….” She remained silent in thought, `A companion? What happened in the woods? Did I do something in the woods during that attack? Now, I am going to be playing bodyguard to a stuffy, old person.' Her anger was brewing. She never knew her hatred could go any deeper but she was proven wrong. She was not some toy for her sensei to suddenly decide on its own her future!

“We'll be departing within six months. Your training will intensify and hopefully you're skills might improve a bit. Don't embarrass us with your lack of skills.” The sensei stood up and left. The girl was once again left alone with her thoughts to keep her company.

 

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“…and finally, mommy, daddy said that I am to get a companion. Even though it is for protection, I can't wait for whomever to come. Then I can finally play with them. I'll even introduce you to my companion.” The girl squealed in delight. For the last four months, she had been wondering what kind of person the companion would be. She didn't even know if it was a girl or boy or what age they were. She didn't care. She was finally going to have someone to play with and maybe share her secrets.

The book was pressed against the girl's chest. “I can't wait for the companion to arrive!” Her cheeks were flushed from excitement. “Do you think that the companion will like me? What if they don't like the games I play?” Fear and doubt rolled in her thoughts; the girl pulled the book away from her to look at the picture. “I hope the companion will like me, mommy. I will have to make sure that they will always have fun so they don't want to go away.” The smile appeared once more. “Yes, I'm sure that I can find something that they like so they won't hate me. I can't be sad or the companion might not like me.” Her smile stretched across her features. “After all, daddy always told me that if I smile then everyone will be happy and…you won't be worried about me.” Her smile slightly dropped.

Her lower lip trembled faintly; her large brown eyes looked longingly toward the picture. She missed her mother. The scent of her mother was slowly fading from the book, and she was almost out. Her father was out once more and she had forgotten to ask him to get her some more. Pressing the picture to her nose, she inhaled to get the last of the fading remnants of her mother's presence. Her thoughts entered a plane she tried her best not to wander within.

The memories regarding her mother were near to nonexistent and her father was always away unable to remind her with stories of the woman who gave her life. She was never told how her mother died, only that she died too early for the girl to see the woman's face. “Mommy…I'm forgetting you.” Her voice was weak and broken. “No, no, it's okay. You are always with me….you will never abandon me…” Quiet sniffling and crying echoed within the loneliness of the small enclosure of the girl's world.

 

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“FASTER! HARDER!!” The girl felt the fist colliding with her jaw causing her to fall back and slam into the trunk of a tree. Even with her back healed, the wood and bark dug deep within her back and scars. “You're still weak! After training all this time, your skills barely rose in level, how disappointing you have become to kendo.” The sensei growled in frustration, “I knew the master's choice in this matter was folly, but I had hoped you could prove me wrong. Why not just leave and maybe I can find a student who has the potential.” The sensei had a hand on its hip and the sword's blade rested lightly on its shoulder. The sensei turned around, “Again!” It started walking away. “And try to at least pretend to fight me or I might fall asleep once again.”

Growling in frustration, the girl managed to stand up on shaky legs. She had been training even more ferociously than before. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept or eaten. Her hands bore scars from the hours of rigorous training and her body was wrapped in wounds. Her scars could have been considered a decoration covering her small body. She charged toward the sensei in hopes she could catch it off guard since its back was still turned.

With ease, the sensei merely sidestepped and used its hand to grab the wooden sword. A foot swept under the girl causing her to fall onto her back. Her breath was knocked out of her and she could feel the hard pressure of something pressing against her shoulder blade. Before she could recover her senses, she instantly felt the slap of something hard hitting her stomach. She rolled over clutching her stomach in pain. Again, the weapon hit her this time in the ribs.

The girl tried to crawl away, but the weapon rained down hits upon her body. “Get up, if you can or I will kill you where you lay!” The girl tried to stand but the weapon kept knocking her down. Digging her fingers into the hardened earth, she refused to allow herself to die like this. Blood seeped down from her body. A single string of saliva and blood hit the dirt.

Fire burned in her pale eyes. She channeled together her hatred, anger, and fear to push her body beyond its limits so she could disappear from underneath the weapon's aim. The girl appeared behind the sensei with the intention to kill. The sensei read the move; it brought its knee up to connect hard to the girl's chin before twisting its body to kick the girl in the ribs. The girl's light body flew through the air and the sensei watched with amazement as the girl twisted her body like a cat. Maneuvering her body to slam her feet against the trunk of the nearby tree, she pushed off with all her might. The girl nearly head butted the sensei, but luck favored the more experienced opponent.

It dodged in time and grabbed the girl's ankle as she flew by and swung her away into a thorny bush. The fire died as a sudden pain interlaced within the girl's consciousness. “Not bad, little girl. I guess you're not such a waste of time, but it could have only been pure luck. Now that I know you're capable of more, your training will increase.” The girl struggled to stand but the wave of dizziness caused her to fall. She was already unconscious before she hit the ground.

 

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The long awaited meeting was at hand. The young girl wrung her hands together in anxiousness and barely concealed excitement. She dressed carefully to greet her companion. With her father was standing next to her, the girl nearly jumped in anticipation on the balls of her feet. “Calm down, they will arrive shortly.” She heard her father's teasing tone.

“I just can't wait. I wonder what kind of person my companion will be. I hope they will like me.”

“The companion will love you, I'm positive.” If her father said so, then it must be true. It only made the waiting much less bearable.

 

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“Here, place these in your eyes.” The girl looked down to discover a small container in the strangest shape. It reminded her of a bone, a misshapen bone resembling two dime-sized circles with a narrow stem connecting the two. With suspicious eyes, the girl hesitated to take the offered item. “These are contacts. They will change the color of your eyes.”

Shooting a murderous glare toward her sensei, the girl crossed her arms. She was not ashamed of her heritage since it continued to remind her of her parents. “It is not a good idea to allow others know of your background. If the association knew about it, they would more than likely lock you up or worse.” That got her attention. “Also, we need to color your hair. White hair stands out too much. During your stay, you are to keep up this façade. No one is to know about your demon side. If they do, you will be subjected to treason and severe punishment will be dealt upon you.”

Snatching the container, the girl swallowed as she opened it almost missing what was inside. It looked like it was made out of gel. Swallowing her pride, she closed the lid and glared at the sensei, a signal of her submittal…for the moment.

 

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Dark locks blocked her view as the front gates opened revealing her soon-to-be companion. She tried to brush back the hair, but the wind was persistent. Finally after much aggravation, she managed to tuck the hair behind her ears. Her curious eyes swayed toward the group of guests. `Which one is my companion?' She only saw three adults. A hand upon her head distracted her from her thoughts.

“I need to talk to them for a moment. Can you head to the main temple's courtyard?” He noticed that she was going to object. “I know you're excited, but I need you to wait for a bit.” With a disappointed look, she nodded and slowly headed to the courtyard. Only once did she look back.

 

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The sound of the plastic ball hitting the concrete bricks was what kept her hypnotized. She was worrying constantly over what her companion was like. `What if the companion saw me and doesn't like me. That's what daddy and the companion is discussing….No, I can't think like that. Daddy said that the companion would love me. I have to believe him.' Conviction etched on her face. The constant tennis ball match of her thoughts continued until a soft voice interjected, causing her to lose focus. The ball fell away from her.

“Ojousama, there is someone here to see you.” A servant announced. The young girl instantly turned her attention towards a tall adult, whose presence was intimidating. The adult bowed out of respect.

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Ojousama. I am to introduce you to your companion.” Confusion washed over the young girl's face.

“You're not my companion?”

“No, Ojousama. Your companion is her.” The body moved away to reveal a girl around her age glaring at her. The girl wasn't sure how to react. She unconsciously took a step back from the heavy aura the other girl was giving off. “She will be your protector and will be responsible for taking care of you. If you need anything of her, just ask and she will obey.”

Suddenly remembering to breathe, the girl walked forward. With a smile plastered on her face, she held out her hand. “Hello, I'm Konoka.” The hand remained in mid-air. The smile begun to falter slightly as Konoka saw that the girl wasn't going to shake her hand. The hand slowly descended in its trek. There was a slight jerk from the other girl's body as if she was pushed from behind, and the girl reluctantly met hands with her.

“Hi…” The smile returned full force as Konoka's finger wrapped around the rough hand within her own soft ones and slowly shook it.

“May I ask what your name is?” The girl blinked in surprise toward Konoka. She turned her face away to cover up the emotion before jerking her hand away.

“….” She didn't know how to answer. Ever since her parents died, her name was considered unimportant. In fact, during her stay in both the tribe and the human village never once was she called by her given name and now this girl wanted to know her name? She wouldn't have been shocked if anyone but her parents and herself knew the answer to that question. So, how was she suppose to answer it?

Konoka watched in amazement as a string of emotions played so clearly within the girl's eyes even though her face remained impassive. Even at such a young age, Konoka was considered a prodigy in several fields of life. Human emotions were always something the young princess never had trouble deciphering and handling. With a smile on her face, Konoka retook the young girl's hand in her own and gave it a squeeze. “That's okay if you don't want to answer. You can tell me when you're ready.” The girl's eyes revealed something Konoka wasn't sure how to interpret.

The sensei studied the two's interaction from the moment they saw each other. Private thoughts passed through the sensei's brain like a typewriter. `This should be interesting.' A smirk slowly grew on it's face. Unsure whether this would be a good or bad thing, the sensei decided to simply let the actresses continue on with the play of life and hope to see the conclusion to this story. “Well, I'll leave you two.” It bowed to Konoka and then gave the other girl a warning look.

Narrowing her eyes, the girl watched as her sensei disappeared from sight. `Don't tell me I trained only to become this girl's babysitter…' Grinding her teeth, the girl wanted to scream. She hated being jerked around. A tug on her hand reminded her that Konoka still held her hand. “Don't touch me.” Her voice was low and lethal. She hated this girl. She snatched her hand back and took a fighting stance. A hand roamed over the hilt of her wooden sword hanging off her belt.

“What do you want with me?” Venom practically oozed from her words. She had had enough of people using her for their own games. She was going to take a stand once and for all. She was not going to yield to some rich girl just to be another plaything. What did this girl know of anything? She'd had everything she could ever want yet it was not enough. So, she asked her father to buy her a slave? Hell no! She was not going to allow it to happen. She had some pride in herself. She didn't care if she was going to be punished or even killed. She'd rather take this path than the path of servitude and loss of self.

Konoka's eyes only held curiosity as she watched the girl before her tighten her fingers around the wooden sword. “I thought we could play together. If you want to do something else, we can.” Her heart was beating against her chest with such speed and power the princess feared it would escape her body. The girl in front of her only growled, all the while, pulling out her sword.

“Play? I don't want to play with you nor do I want to do anything else with you. In fact, I want nothing to do with you. I hate you!!” The girl swung her sword toward the shocked princess's head in hope she'd deal a deadly blow. Before the weapon could connect, a hand stopped it in mid-strike. Shooting a glare toward the interference, the girl's eyes widened slightly. Eishun looked down at the girl who attacked his daughter.

“That will be enough.” His voice demanded obedience. “Now is not the time to be fighting.”

The young girl's eyes burned with fury. The emotion she once felt when facing the bird demon elder returned. Her vision blurred grey and Eishun's figure of red bled into the scenery. Her fingers itched to dig into the skin until she reached organs. She wanted this life force to disappear and everyone with him. She crouched low, ready to strike, while her fingers created claw-like images. She bared her teeth as she dove for Eishun, ready to rip out his throat.

With her body taking over her actions, she let loose her control and waited with anticipation for the warm thick fluid to squeeze through her fingers, but instead she felt herself falling. Her back smacked the hard concrete and her eyes snapped out of its trance. A firm hand held her down by the shoulder while the elbow pinned down her chest. “I said that was enough. Now, calm down!” Eishun repeated. The girl struggled against her captor but discovered it to be fruitless. “We need to discuss something vital pertaining to your job.” That grabbed her attention.

“I don't need your job! I'm not going to just allow you to do whatever you wish just because you think you're better than me!” His eyes bore deeply into hers akin to something she was becoming acutely annoyed with. It was pity. A surge of hostile emotion welled up inside of her as she pushed up using her elbows as leverage. His eyes expanded in size from the sudden strength the girl possessed.

“Daddy?” The voice cut through the both of them. Now, reminded of another presence, both pairs of eyes shifted toward the voice. Konoka was staring at the two with uncertainty. Eishun stood up, dragging the girl with him.

“Konoka, I need to speak with her for a moment. Please wait here.” Eishun's grip on the girl's arm never lessened. Konoka watched as both her father and the girl headed towards the main temple. She sat down on the temple steps in contemplation. Everything happened so fast, she wasn't sure what really transpired. She allowed her gaze to sway around the scenery as her thoughts crashed within her mind.

`I hate you!' Those words echoed in her ears and traveled toward her heart at an alarming rate. Slapping her hands over her ears, Konoka rocked back and forth gently to rid herself of those feared words. Swallowing, she stopped as her hands slowly slid down her ears. `It's okay…it's okay. Daddy said she would love me, and Daddy has never been wrong.' The corners of her lips curled upward out of habit. A picture of a smiling angel appeared in her mind. That was right. She promised to always smile no matter what.

 

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Eishun released his hold on the girl's arm. He faced her with an unreadable expression. The girl's eyes didn't shy away but met with a challenge of her own. She was seething because he stopped her. He stopped her from dealing either a killing or highly damaging blow towards the spoiled princess. “I can understand that you may not be thrilled with the position forced upon you, but I will not allow that type of conduct within my home again. You will practice control over your hot-headedness along with your skill.” His voice spoke clear and sharp, “Do not believe that just because you're my daughter's age, I will pardon you from all transactions. Consider this your first and only pardon. Remember that.”

Her eyes steeled with distaste. She wanted to rip this man's throat out, but the display of power he exercised on her revealed that she needed to be careful. “Do you understand?” His voice commanded obedience. She clenched her jaw out of stubbornness. She wasn't going to become someone's plaything just because that girl's daddy was wealthy and powerful. “Answer!” Although his voice had not raised much in volume, the tone sent a trill of fear down her spine.

She practically jumped to attention as her eyes slowly reverted to its normal state. “…yes.” She snarled. She didn't want him to believe for a minute he had scared her. That would only feed his ego and create even more chaos for her.

“Louder! When you answer me, I want to hear `Yes, sir' or `No, sir'. Under no circumstance are you allowed to be separated from my daughter's side unless I request your presence. Your main objective is to protect her. She is ignorant of the lifestyle we mages have created within this world. Even though she, herself, is a mage, she must never know about that part of her life. If by chance she discovers the truth and you are the cause, I will personally deal punishment upon you before handing you over to your masters.” The girl soaked in everything he said. Filing away the threat he delivered, she stood firm. An important lesson she learned early in captivity was to never reveal your weakness to your opponent. Forcing her legs to not tremble, she remained in her spot until he revealed a bit more information vital to her mission.

“Finally, I want you to begin taking lessons with her. I do not want an uneducated companion watching over Konoka. Your training in the sword will not halt, but you will have to learn to balance it with schooling and protecting my daughter. It may seem too big of a task for one so young, but I have heard that you're the resilient type that can manage it. You are dismissed.” He turned away to dismiss her while walking towards another destination.

The girl felt strong surges of emotions swirling within her small, broken body. She wanted to scream; she wanted to kill. She wanted to do something to help alleviate some of the pressure she was feeling within. She was only a seven year old, yet she was forced to deal with burdens meant for adults. She hated them. She hated everything. She wanted to kill everyone. She wanted them to all die.

Her calloused hands were so tightly balled at her sides that her muscles began to cramp painfully. Wincing, she slowly unrolled her fingers. The constant state of their tight constriction made it difficult for her to open her hands once more. She closed her eyes as she remembered to control her breathing. Reminding parts of her body to relax, she felt her shoulders begin to droop and her head titling slightly back. She rolled her shoulders to work out some kinks.

The audible cracks she heard as she flexed her body to rid herself of the tension were almost therapeutic. A sigh of relief escaped her lips. As much as she hated it, there was some truth in what he said. She needed to control herself better. Her sensei had been getting on her all the time for her lack of tactics. She was always rushing head first into things without fully thinking it through. She tried to organize her thoughts.

What she gathered was that her master and employer would punish her should she fail in her mission to protect this girl. `What makes this girl so important that she deserves so much special treatment?' She felt her anger awakening once more at rapid speed. Startled how quickly she had lost her control, the girl took slow, steady breaths once more. `Control, I've got to stay in control. Otherwise, I will never get strong.' With one more steady exhale, she faced the direction of her charge.

 

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Konoka watched a pair of birds playing chase in the sky. The moment one bird tagged its mate, it would instantly change its flying pattern and fly away with the mate close behind. A gentle smile played on her lips. `It must be so nice to fly. No boundaries…an endless vast of sky to travel. I wonder what it would be like.' A crunch of a sandal stepping upon a dry leaf diverted her attention. In front of her stood the girl, her eyes still as easy to read regardless of her emotionless features.

“Hello, again.” She offered a greeting.

“….” The girl refused to meet Konoka's gaze.

Konoka stood up and dusted herself off as she made her way to the scowling girl. Steeling herself, she made a grab for the girl's scarred hand. She felt the girl tense but the girl did not pull away. Konoka's smile warmed. “Do you want to play?” The girl's eyes burned into the ground. Silence hung heavily in the air. Konoka tilted her head to the side slightly before a thought hit her.

Tugging on the hand, Konoka started to jog in a set direction. “Follow me! I want to show you something.” The girl reluctantly allowed herself to be pulled. Puzzled, the girl watched as they ran around corners to end up in front of a bunch of bushes. Konoka turned to face the girl. “I want to show you a secret place no one but us knows about.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. She looked around to make sure it was clear before releasing the girl's hand and entering the hideout.

Perplexed, the girl witnessed an amusing display. If she wasn't so focused on her anger, her face would have cracked into a smile. `A princess is actually getting dirty?' she scoffed, `No doubt, I'll get into trouble if she suffers torn clothing or bruises.'

“Please, be careful when entering.” The soft voice broke through her thoughts. Sighing irritably, the girl pushed down her growing frustration to crawl within the small alcove. Plant life surrounded her being and a sense of nostalgia filled her. Memories of her parents enveloped her thoughts. She took a deep breath of the dirt, listened to the sound of the wind, and the felt the cool, soft earth beneath her hands. It had been awhile since she allowed herself to remember.

For the first time since her capture, she felt herself relaxing. A brief memory replayed before her eyes. It was of her father taking her hunting, of him teaching her how to track and capture prey. “Remember, daughter. Never allow your focus to alter under any circumstance. Even the slightest distraction can cause the difference between life and death. Patience plays a key point when starting out on your hunt. Don't forget, you are not only hunting for yourself but for the ones you care about, so failure is never an option. Understand?”

A more innocent girl's eyes looked up at him. “Yes, papa!” A tender smile briefly visited her face and her eyes became soft. “Papa…” The word escaped her lips before she could stop it.

“Did you say something?” Konoka was already sitting down next to a basket. Embarrassment colored her cheeks. The girl lashed out in the only way she knew how.

“Shut up! It's none of your business what I say.” Konoka's eyes blinked in surprise. She felt her tears sting slightly, but she pushed it back with all her being. A smile spread on her mouth. With her eyes shut and armed with a smile, the girl offered an apology.

“I'm sorry. Come and sit here.” She patted a spot near her. Gritting her teeth, the girl glowered at Konoka.

“Stop ordering me around. I'm not your dog that you can order just because you're some princess!” She felt her self-control slipping once more. She needed to place a lid over her emotions. Breathing hard, her fists shook in barely controlled malice. Konoka watched as the girl before her reminded her of a feral animal. She felt the girl's control wearing thin. She didn't understand why this girl hated her so much. A cold fist of fear grabbed her heart.

With desperation, she grabbed the picture book that held her `mother'. “I want to show you something important. It's my mommy.” She placed the book upon her lap and allowed the book to split open to the correct page. “Isn't she beautiful?” The albino girl looked to the girl with disbelief.

`Is she making fun of me?' Her pupils shrunk in size. Her eyes automatically saw the wings. She bit her lower lip and a trickle of blood slid down her chin. Konoka was too distracted to notice the sudden drop in temperature. She lightly brushed her fingertip across the smooth texture of the page.

“My daddy told me that my mommy is an angel and is always watching me wherever I am.”

“….” Her hair covered her eyes and a harsh breath escaped from her lungs.

“I never told anyone about her, but I thought that since we are going to be friends, that you should know.” Konoka voiced with such confidence.

The girl sneered in disgust at those words. `Friends? I will never be her friend. I wish she would die! I hate her so much. She's had everything given to her on a silver platter, yet she gets bored and requests a play toy. I'm not going to be a play toy so she can find some amusement out of her bored rich life.' She wanted to scream those words to the girl. She wanted to strike her until Konoka couldn't move.

Her fury fueled her blood and she dug her fingers into the earth. The short lived peace she experienced shattered instantly with each word leaving Konoka's mouth and the unbearable urge continued to grow at an alarming rate. The girl snarled before heading back out; she couldn't trust herself to stay with this girl any longer without breaking. A minute later, Konoka followed suit without the book.

Confusion was littered on her face but she didn't voice it. She simply smiled. She made a move to take the girl's hand, but she thought better of it. Konoka took a few steps ahead before stopping. “I..umm…I'm glad you're here. I know that you probably don't like me much but that's okay. Because, I know someday we'll become the best of friends.” Her face was slightly turned to the side.

The emotions swirling within the half demon showed clearly in her eyes. Unsure of just how to react to such a statement, she resorted once again to the only emotion she knew how to properly express. “Let me get one thing straight. By no way will we ever be friends, much less acquaintances. I do not want to have anything to do with you other than perform my job. You're nothing more to me than a mission I have to complete. If it was up to me, I would just allow you to die. In fact, I would kill you myself!! What do you need a `companion' for? Your rich daddy could just buy you friends since that's the only way you could get friends, or is it because no one could stomach having you around so you got your rich daddy to hire one. I hate people like you! You people, believing you're helping the less fortunate through your `charity' when, in fact, you're just doing it to make yourself look better to the public! All you know how to do is to just say, `Give me!' and never once think about the others, who aren't quite as fortunate as you. Even if you were the last person on earth, I would want to have nothing to do-“

“It's not true! You don't know a thing about me so don't say such cruel words. You say how `we' always look down upon you, but you're doing the very same thing you say you hate. That's contradicting everything you believe to be wrong. You're the hypocrite! You say you hate how others look down upon you simply because of your upbringing, yet you're doing the exact same thing. What makes you better than us? I never once looked at you that way. I want to be your friend…” Tears welled up in her eyes. She couldn't stop the damn from overflowing.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. She was supposed to be best friends with this girl so they could share secrets and play together. The image of the angel appeared in her mind, but a frown appeared instead of the smile. The pain in her heart increased. Placing both hands over her heart, she took a few steps back. `No! Stop crying!' The girl in front of her blurred. `Mommy and daddy won't like me if I cry. STOP IT!' The tears ignored her pleas. She turned and ran away. Instead of her hideout where she normally hid, she ran blindly anywhere she could, away from the manor and away from the girl, who rejected her.

 

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A dark, dank world surrounded the girl. Water droplets echoed in the bare room. Hands tied up by rope, the girl's head hung from exhaustion. Her throat was dry and parched. Her wrists were raw from the rope rubbing against her skin. Her body ached with both stiffness and from the wounds. Her eyes were swollen shut and her jaw felt as if it was shattered. The slightest movement only proved to be a wake up call to her senses on her condition.

She didn't even know how long she had been imprisoned this time. It was another punishment placed upon her because of her inability to do anything right. At first, her sensei was hesitant to grant such a request by the half demon, but after much explaining, the sensei understood the main reason behind such a request. Memories rose up in her mind of herself, tied up, and of an unforgiving hand cracking a whip of nine tails upon her small back. Flesh tore with each blow. Sweat and dirt embedded easily inside the open sores. She felt an enclosed fist connecting with her face and body yet she did nothing to defend herself. The crushing guilt was more than enough to weaken her reflexes. She felt she rightly deserved the punishment dealt upon her. In fact, she didn't believe that the punishment she suffered was enough. Familiar flashes of scenes played in her memories. A tear streamed down her cheek mixing with the blood. “I'm so sorry…”

 

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Silence was their game. After the fight, the two just remained in each other's company without saying a word to one another. It was an unspoken agreement to never discuss what happened earlier and to just go on with their lives. Friendship was now a far away worry for the two. It was now a matter of enduring each other's company. The rules of the game were simple yet held so many boundaries to keep the two separated.

The first rule was to never inquire about each other's personal life, the second was to keep the light topics civil, and finally the third was to keep up the pretense so the adults would hopefully separate the two earlier than expected. A matter of pride was the main weapon that shielded them from the pain. It continued for a good four months. Neither relenting nor giving in.

On the sixth month, they found themselves near a stream. Konoka had begun to carry the picture book with her whenever they were alone. She would walk along the bank with the book close to her chest. The other girl walked behind her at a distance and eyed the girl holding the book with annoyance. For some reason, she felt this surge of annoyance whenever Konoka held the book in her hands, tenderly caressing it and talking to it as if it were alive.

Konoka stopped to sit on a dead log. She opened the book and turned it around so the angel picture faced the stream. “Look, mommy. Isn't it pretty? Daddy told me you loved coming here.” The smile was pasted on her expression.

The other girl narrowed her eyes as she witnessed the pathetic display before her. `Is she so stupid that she doesn't realize that isn't her mommy? Her mother is dead, yet she treats that picture as if it were real. And here I thought this girl was crazy. She is on a much higher level than I believed. I almost feel pity for her.' A smirk appeared on the girl's glare. Crossing her arms, she leaned against the tree. A sound of panting and movement alerted the half demon. Her hand wavered over the hilt of her wooden sword. `What is that?' Her eyes darted to the small shadow moving in the bushes nearby.

The small creature darted out and ran toward Konoka. The half demon rushed to intercept, creating a wall of security before the now startled princess. The half demon's eyes widened in shock at the creature. “Woof!”

`A dog?! I overreacted for a dog?!' Her face flamed. She removed herself from in front of Konoka.

“Th..thank you.” A breathless response reminded her of Konoka.

“I was only doing my job, nothing more.” A genuine smile formed on Konoka's face, which angered the girl. Her eyes drifted to the book held securely in the princess's hands. Konoka passed by the samurai to greet the newcomer. The princess knelt down to hold out her hand. The dog warily sniffed her hand before licking. For the first time since she met the princess, she noted the girl set the book down without some sort of blanket or lap to comfort it.

Konoka was distracted, giggling and petting the soft animal. The other girl's eyes were glued to the book. `What is so special about this book that makes her believe that it's her mommy?' She felt her fingers flexing at her sides. Her eyes never swayed from her target. As if her body was under some sort of possession, she moved and swept up the book. Konoka jerked around too late. To her horror, the young samurai held out the book over the stream. “What are you doing?!” Konoka demanded hysterically.

“Your mommy is dead! Why are you pretending this is your mommy when she is dead?!” The girl responded in kind. She didn't understand why she felt like she did, only that she felt it unfair that this girl had something of her mother's to remember her by.

“Please give me back my book! I haven't done anything to you.” Konoka edged closer.

“Get any closer and I'll throw it. I swear I will!!” Konoka immediately halted. “Why are you acting as if this book is your mommy when she is dead?” She repeated.

“Please don't hurt her! I promise I won't tell!! Just don't hurt her.”

“ANSWER ME!”

“Because she's my mommy! She's all I have left! If she's gone…then I will be….” Konoka's voice broke and a choked sob escaped her lips.

“You're stupid if you think this is your mommy. Your mommy died and is never coming back!! NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU WISH IT, SHE WILL NEVER RETURN!” The girl's memories replayed the incident. Her own mother running with her daughter in a tight embrace as they fell and tumbled to the ground. The sound of her own mother gasping in sudden pain before everything went quiet raked once again across her ears. The coldness of the night caused her to snuggle up to her dead mother for warmth, the bird demons appearing out of nowhere to take her mother away and toss her mother in the nearby river. A storm brewed within the girl's eyes. It wasn't fair! It wasn't fair that this girl held something so precious with her as a memory of her mother. Her father was still alive and the girl was never once considered a freak by anyone. She wasn't cursed with an everlasting disease. She would never suffer the ridicule of strangers nor would she ever have trouble fitting in with society. Unlike her, she would always be loved and welcomed with open arms and always held something so memorable as picture of her dead mother.

A faint scent of perfume wafted in her nostrils. The sweet scent reminded her of what a mother would smell like. Jealousy burned deep within her heart. It wasn't fair that this girl had everything, yet she held nothing. She wasn't going to allow it to continue. She would show this girl the true meaning of loneliness. That girl would know what it means to have something important ripped away and tossed away right in front of her eyes.

Her final decision made up, the half demon tensed up her arm that held the book. Konoka seemed to sense the girl's intentions and ran towards her. With a mighty heave, the girl threw the book into the rocky stream. The currents were strong enough to carry the cursed book down with an alarming speed; a blurred form momentarily dashed by her and jumped into the water. The girl watched as Konoka tried to swim toward the book that was itself too far gone. Yet, she continued to try in earnest to reach the book.

“MOMMY, DON'T LEAVE ME AGAIN. I'M COMING!” The water rushed into her mouth drowning out her voice. The girl was sinking. The half demon continued to witness the girl struggling to stay afloat and grab the book that was so dear to her. A burst of remorse filled the girl. Konoka dipped under the water and bobbled back up and once again fell prey to the unforgiving waters. When she didn't come back up, the girl was struck with a panicked realization.

`She doesn't know how to swim?!' She waited to see if Konoka was just playing, but she never came back up. Before she knew what she was doing, the girl ran toward the river and dove in. She swam toward the spot she last spotted the princess and kicked and fought the currents. Her breath was reaching its limit. She surfaced to take another supply of oxygen before diving once more. She searched frantically for the princess.

`Where is she?!' She couldn't find the princess anywhere. Her body was tiring. She swam around some more until she caught sight of a thin sliver of black. She swam with all her strength toward it. It was her! A sense of short-lived relief flooded her. The currents were pushing her away from the drowning princess. `No!! I can't get to her.' She pushed to her limits and managed to grab a handful of cloth. She tried to wrap her arms around the girl but to no avail. The currents and her body resisted her silent plea.

`I've got to get her to the surface!' The currents were pushing the princess away and under the surface while she was being pulled away from her target. She felt her legs cramping from the excessive exercise. She was so tired. Her muscles screamed and burned. Her eyes were stinging and she knew her limit was almost up. Her hold on the princess loosened. Her breath was almost out. She slowly closed her eyes and her body began to relax. Then a strong arm encircled her waist and she felt herself being pulled up. She forced her eyes to gaze at whoever it was that rescued her. It was a shadowed figure that reminded her of someone she once knew before blackening out.

 

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Air was forcing its way into her lungs. A pressure pushed against her chest and air once again flowed within her. She felt her stomach turning and water quickly exploded out of her lungs and leaked out of her mouth. She turned over to release the rest of the water from her body. Gritty dirt rubbed her raw skin. She winced at the sunlight shining into her sensitive eyes. She immediately shut them. Coughing was heard next to her. Memories of what transpired reminded her of her position.

She looked to the side to find Konoka gasping for breath. Someone was patting her back. Konoka looked to be in pain. She wasn't leaning over nor was she able to hold herself up. Someone was doing it for her. Guilt entered the half demon's eyes. A towel was thrown over her shoulders as she sat up. “Can you stand?” A rough voice asked. She didn't even turn to face the speaker. She nodded. “We are heading back to the main house.” She felt a hand grabbing her arm and pulling her up without a care. She didn't even cry out in pain.

She deserved every punishment deemed upon her. The princess was being cradled against the chest of her father. She was still coughing and her arms seemed to be hanging. They rushed to the main house where Konoka was placed inside her room. A doctor was already there waiting for Konoka. The girl believed she would be questioned by the adults, but she was instead placed outside of Konoka's room, waiting for the doctor's complete check up. She felt accusing eyes on her; she didn't challenge them.

It felt like hours until the doctor stepped out. A worried expression covered his face. `She can't have died!' Fear struck her heart. The doctor took a deep breath before reporting.

“She is very fortunate she's alive, but the incident practically took everything she had. If she wasn't rescued in another minute, it would have been too late. I don't want her to do anything strenuous and rest is a top priority. Her body is very fragile and the shock has taken its toll. She can't even move her limbs now and she is experiencing pain in her body. I honestly didn't expect her body to react this badly.”

The girl's mouth was open as she soaked in the information. `I almost killed her!' She buried her face in her hands, `What have I done?' The voices faded out as she turned her eyes toward the open door of Konoka's room. The girl was lying down. She looked to be catatonic. The half demon walked forward. She pushed the blanket around her shoulders further up to warm herself before finding a chair at a desk.

She dragged it next to Konoka's bed. The girl's eyes remained closed. She reached out a scarred hand toward the girl but halted. `I have no right to touch her. I've tainted my hands.' She closed her hand and pulled it back. “…Ojousama?” This was the first time she uttered those words to address Konoka. The titled seemed to roll off her tongue in a natural state. “I'm…I'm sorry.” Her eyes were downcast. “Please don't die.”

A moan was her response but the princess did not wake up. “I promise I'll be better. I won't do anymore bad things. I'll train hard so I can rescue you properly and hopefully repay some of the debt I owe you. I know what I did was bad, but I wanted to hurt you. It just wasn't fair…” Her voice shook. “I promise I'll make it up to you, and when you wake up, I will properly greet you as a servant should address her Ojousama.” She stood up and bowed slightly.

She walked out of the room to face the shadowed figure. The person, who bought her from the demon tribe, she knew she disappointed and she knew she would be punished. The expression on the figure's face revealed great anger. “Let's go.” In a subservient manner, the girl lowered her eyes and followed the intimidating presence. Eyes followed her as she exited the palace walls. The girl stopped shortly as she took a step outside of the main gate. She turned around to find a pair of brown eyes watching her from her bed. The half demon squared her shoulders and nodded her head out of respect before turning around. She was going to make good on her promise and maybe become strong enough to protect that girl.

Konoka had another coughing fit. She tried to cover her mouth, but her arm refused to rise. Fear and confusion etched across her face. She had woken up to a gentle presence, which disappeared before she could stop it. `Mommy?' Her eyes opened and immediately drew to the window that was big enough to see out without sitting up. She turned her head to find the girl looked up at her from outside. Unknown emotions played within her small, fragile body as she watched the girl disappear.

 

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The half demon woke up from the cold, icy water thrown on her. Her arms felt dead. The nightmare once again was disrupted. Hard eyes faced her. The sound of leather twisted within an eager hand. It was time for her punishment again. She had to learn her lesson. She almost killed her charge and she wasn't advancing like she should. She had it coming. She would face it. It had been seven years since then. She would learn her lesson and become stronger. She refused to allow herself to become weak. She now had a purpose. She had someone to protect.

Her will was overpowering as she continued to remember the small girl she had hurt. She managed to open a swollen eye. It gazed upon the shadowed stranger. An obstinate grin formed on her already broken face. It hurt to do that much but she was going to endure it. She had to embrace all the pain so she could protect. The hand rose with the whip, slapping against the hardened cement floor. A wet splash resounded in the alcove of the room. Droplets of blood, sweat, and feces rose slightly from the whip's intrusion. She readied herself as the nine-tail whip flew towards her broken body. She clenched her jaw as the strips of leather dug into her already opened flesh.

 

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Konoka was sitting at her desk writing the last words on a piece of paper. Her legs were too thin to support her body as she stood up. She reached out a hand to grab the desk. The cane rested against her bedpost. She refused to use it. She grabbed a bottle of pills and popped one inside her mouth. A glass of water followed suit. She closed her eyes as the pill made its way down her throat. She hated medicine. She closed her eyes to rid herself of the temporary dizziness. The accident was some time ago, seven years to be exact, yet her body had not recovered. She looked out the open window as a gentle breeze brushed passed her. Her fragile hand gripped the edge of the desk tightly.

She had finally convinced her father to enroll her in private school. Of course, he relented since her grandfather was headmaster. She was still to be imprisoned in her gilded cage but at least she would be around other girls her age. It was an all girl campus, but she wasn't going to complain. She had just finished filling out the application. All she had to do not was get better before the summer ended. It had been some time since she had last been around someone her age since that time… She shook her head. No, she wasn't going to remember. `I'm sure she has forgotten all about me.' Her legs wobbled underneath her. She had to sit down once. She wasn't worried though. She suffered from these spells every so often. Something about the accident caused her body to weaken greatly, but it was okay. She continued to smile and show everyone that everything was okay. Even if she didn't have her mother's picture, she would always remember the promise she kept. It was the only thing she had left of her mother now.

 

 

 

Thank you for reading, please feel free to leave a review to tell me your thoughts. In fact, I strongly urge it! Also, I am combining the manga, anime, and my own imagination to create this story. So, if you see something that either does not belong to the anime or manga storyline or both then you'll know it's from my own imagination and nothing was recorded incorrectly.

 

AN: Now, I have a special treat for you. I am selling my Editor to the highest bidder. I will begin the bid at $5! She comes completely assembled, but I give strong warning to the winner. Please read the description below.

 

Editor's description: Strong personality! She has a mind of her own. Short-term memory loss. Can be prone to procrastination. Strongly advised not to meet at an airport unless you're willing to wait. She has a tendency to phase out and begin to talk to her invisible friend. She has a pet peeve of you guessing the right names to the songs she plays. Beware of any songs related to a giant singing alligator. If she starts to break out in song, RUN!!!!

 

Warning! Warning!! Warning!!! All sales are final!!!! No refunds, no complaints, and no returns. Be very careful when handling the Editor, otherwise she will correct your mistakes either through IMs or phone. If this happens, simply mute her and go about your day. The insanity chip placed within her head is permanent. Turn off cell phones and unplug your phone while asleep or you will pay the ultimate price of 3 am phone calls!!

 

Please leave your bids in your reviews. Once the deadline has arrived, I will collect your pay and you can have her. I only accept paypal method of payment, and shipping cost is $20 FIRM. Remember, all sales are final. I do NOT want her back, so to protect myself, I will send a false address when mailing her. Enjoy!

 

Alas, as an all powerful and all truthful speech that Reba gave to Barbara Jean that hit too much to home, I will transmit it to my Editor. “No matter where I go, or who I meet, and how many times I change my phone number, you will always hunt me down like a dog.”