Chapter 1
Hatred and Her Cousins
"Hatred, that's what I feel. Pity, I pity myself too. I thought that if I love you, you would love me back. I thought that if I told you, you would be mine. I was wrong when I told you. I was wrong that I let you know. I was wrong when I let you feel it. I was wrong, now I know."
Souichirou had broken Aya's heart, now Aya hates everything around her. She felt that she has no use.
(October 16)
"Aya?! Aya!? AYA!!! Where the heck is Aya? She better be warming up for today's drill."
"Captain!!! Aya is not in her room or any part of the house" Masataka-kun said to Maya
"Maybe she's taking a walk outside or something"
"Impossible, I did not see her go outside."
"Well I can't feel her aura… maybe she is outside"
"Hmmm"
They didn't know that Aya had run away… they didn't know that she snacked out last night... Aya went to the Head of Natsumes' House. There live the head of their family and their whole clan. Shiyen is one of their cousins. He is 4 years older than she is. He taught Aya how to fight without using her sense of sight.
"Aya, you are a very good student, you're the only student I had that learned so fast. I think that you're becoming stronger than your sister is. I think that you're now better than her."
"I don't know… maybe I should stay here until I'm fully grown. I still feel the hatred inside my heart and I feel that Nagi Souichirou is still mad at me being childish and I still feel that he is still in love with my sister. I still don't want to see him or even my sister."
"Very well then… maybe Shinyun would like to train you this time. I know that he'll be a lot of help too. Just like me. Do you remember when you are still kids?"
"Remember what?"
"You two were always playing together. You two are very close. You're closer to him than your own siblings."
"Yeah. I remember that. We used to play a lot. Even if it's already night time. Where is he now anyway?"
"Oh. He'll be back tomorrow from another so called adventure of his."
"Soo… he likes to go to adventures huh?
"Yeah… but he'll stay here for two years or until your 18th birthday"
Tomorrow has come…
"Shinyun!!!"
"Aya! Therefore, they told me right. You are here."
"Yeah… I came here just three months ago… senpai-Shiyen trained me then."
"Now that I'm here… I'd be the next one who would train you."
"That would be fun."
The next day…
"Shinyun, lets start now."
"Okay"
... After two months Aya had master Shinyun's technique. Shinyun taught her how to fight with using force. Without touching or going near her enemy, she would injure it and injure it very hard.
"Well, I think I taught you my master technique."
"Yeah. It's pretty hard at first but…"
"But you managed to master it in just two months. Man, Shiyen was right, you are determined to become stronger than your sister."
"He said that to you?"
"Well technically yes, but I don't think that he doesn't mean anything bad or wrong…"
"Yeah, I know that. But still… can I stay here for…"
"Until you have forgiven the both of them?"
"How'd you know?"
"He also told me about that."
"oh…"
"Well I if you want to stay here for longer I think you can. Anyway, you can still learn some fighting techniques from our other cousins. Muxhua can teach you how to use a bow and arrow and I think that would be very easy to you."
"Muxhua? She's the Bow and Arrow Champion of Japan. She's a Natsume?"
"Her mother is a Natsume but her father isn't. Still she is accepted by our family as a Natsume"
There… Muxhua taught Aya how to aim, shoot, and anything to do with bow and arrow. Aya learned it. Moreover, after three months of training, she mastered it.
"Aya! You really shock me! We only started training three months ago and then you managed to master it… I mastered bow and arrow for three..."
"Months? Just like me?"
"Oh no… I didn't learn and mastered it within three months…"
"Then three weeks…"
"No, no, no. I mastered it in three years. Shinyun and Shiyen warned me about you."
"Warned you about me? Am I supposed to be a threat to you? I'm just your student. I can't threat you."
"No, no, no, you're not a threat, you are just a fast learner. That's all."
"Oh… I wish I'm not a fast learner."
"Why?"
"I don't think that eight months is enough for me to forget what they have done."
"Well then, you have many cousins to teach you more martial arts technique."
"Yeah. I guess you right."
Hainun, another cousin of hers, a master of sword fighting in the Natsume House.
Well next to the heads of the family of chores…
"Aya, the rumors in our family about you is true… you really are a fast learner… I guess you really are determined to become stronger… I mean, it's only been 4 months and you have mastered 5 new sword fighting techniques."
"Uhmm, yeah that, well my sister told me that I'm just a little girl and that made me want to become stronger. So, I'm really determined to."
"You can still stay here so that I can teach you more techniques."
"Thanks, I think I'm going to enjoy here."
…Three more months have passed. Aya mastered the entire sword fighting techniques that her cousin taught her.
"Aya, I can't believe that you have mastered the entire Natsumes' sword fighting techniques. You're really better than your siblings."
"Uhmm, yeah, I guess."
"Aya, you have mastered my sword fighting techniques, I think it's time if you go home now and face you sister."
"But…"
"But if you don't want to, Shaikunyu can teach you how to fight with a dagger (short piece of blade)."
"Cool… I want to learn that."
"Well then, you guys should start tomorrow."
Tomorrow had come and Shaikunyu had started to teach Aya her Techniques… Three months later Aya had mastered all Shaikunyu's techniques.
"A-A-A-Aya. You amaze me of your learning. You have been under me for only three months and still you managed to master all of my techniques."
Aya was speechless. For she had never been praised by many people around her. Where in her own home she is always being nagged, she is always being mocked. She thought for once that see really have a use. She can really be loved. She can really be strong.