A/N: NO THIS IS NOT ABOUT COMMUNISM
In 1868, when Haruka Tsuruya was twelve years old, she and her family immigrated to England. She never understood the reason for this, although she knew very well that her father didn't seem satisfied with Japan for some reason. Being a wealthy family, society treated them with more respect than they did other Asian people living in England, and as such, the family often found themselves invited to balls and other social events, and even hosted some of their own from time to time, which were attended by many.
Meanwhile, back in Japan, the Asahina family lived a mundane and ordinary life, and despite them being closely related to the Tsuruyas, they weren't much richer than most people living there.
One day, in 1872, the Asahinas were invited to England for a family reunion. Upon arrival, they were greeted with open arms, and the first hour of the visit was spent catching up on events that had transpired during each family's absence. Eventually, they decided to walk to the local park together, due to the pleasant weather.
It was in that park that strange events began to transpire.
Mikuru Asahina, the youngest child of her family, was not a very sociable person, and so she quickly found herself trailing behind while the others were walking as a group. Because she wasn't involved in the idle conversation transpiring in front of her, she was slightly more aware of her surroundings, which allowed her to notice something that others had missed.
Underneath the shade of two trees, a small, frail looking girl was lying on the grass, seemingly unconscious. She appeared at least a year younger than Mikuru, had short purple hair, and a dress that indicated that she was from a background just as rich as the Tsuruya family. Naturally, Mikuru felt an urge to approach her and offer help, which soon captured the attention of Haruka.
"What are you doing, Mikuru?"
Mikuru didn't answer, as she seemed to be completely engrossed in the simple act of walking towards someone. Haruka didn't find this particularly unusual, as Mikuru had often been somewhat absent minded, so she decided to look where Mikuru's gaze had been fixed.
Haruka let out a small gasp. "Who's that? How did they get there?"
Mikuru continued walking towards the stranger.
Haruka turned back towards the others. "Everyone! Mikuru's found someone, and it looks like she needs help."
Mikuru approached the stranger and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" She paused before moving the hand back and forth in an effort to wake her. Although it took half a minute or so, the girl eventually began to move. She was muttering something under her breath, but the people around her only understood one syllable.
"Su..." Haruka repeated. "Do you think she's trying to say 'Tsuruya'? Maybe she recognizes us..."
"She looks fairly languid," her father said. "I think it would be best if we took her home and allowed her to rest."
With a nod, Mikuru and Haruka helped the girl to stand, each of them taking one of her arms and placing it around their shoulders. Both were quick to realize that the girl was surprisingly light, even for someone her size, which made it considerably easier to support her.
The moment the door was closed behind her, the stranger already began to show signs of recovery, but still needed to lie down nonetheless. It wasn't long before she was able to form a coherent sentence, and she soon found herself faced with many questions, most of them from Haruka's father.
"What is your name?"
"Yuki Nagato," she said.
"So you're Japanese then, like us?" Haruka said in her native language. "You don't really look like it, with your pale skin."
"What happened to you in the park?" Haruka's father asked.
"I have a condition that causes exhaustion when I am exposed to sunlight for an extended period of time."
"Do you know where your parents may be?"
"My mother is dead," she said. "I am not sure where my father could be."
Mikuru frowned as she wondered why Yuki's father wouldn't prepare for an incident like this one.
"How were you separated from him before we found you?" she asked.
"I don't remember," she said.
"This is certainly troublesome," Mikuru's father said. "It doesn't seem as though we have many options."
"Can't she stay here?" Mikuru suggested. "I know there's plenty of room, and it won't be permanent."
Haruka began to laugh uproariously, and although Yuki assumed she was doing so in mockery of the idea, she decided differently upon noticing that Mikuru didn't seem to be offended.
"That would be a wonderful idea!" she said. "But first we should ask: Miss Nagato, would you like to stay here for a while?"
In response to the question, Yuki's eyes wandered around the room, eventually meeting with Mikuru's. When she spoke, she didn't seem happy, but Mikuru suspected otherwise, though she didn't understand her own reasoning for this suspicion.
"I cannot refuse. I am willing to stay in this household for as long as I need to."
A/N: "Let's set this in the 19th century. That shouldn't be a probOH DANG THE BRITISH ARE CRAZY RACISTS WHO ONLY TREAT OTHER RACES LIKE HUMAN BEINGS IF THEY'RE FROM A RICH BACKGROUND. OH DANG TSURUYA CAN'T SAY THOSE MODERN THINGS SHE SAYS. STILL NOT BACKING DOWN ON THIS FOR SOME REASON."
