Desolation
A Kyo Sohma Story
A black limo slowly moves down the noisy suburb street. One of the occupants, a small girl, stares out the window. She's about six years old, with shoulder length auburn colored hair and strange blue/grey eyes that at times seem to have a greenish tinge. She watches the families out playing and having fun. She watches as one mother chases her children through a sprinkler. The girl closes her eyes as the chime of childish laughter floats through the air. The laughter that she herself never had. Tonight was the night. The night that would be the point in her life where she will never have the choice to laugh like that. It was time for her to be put in the care of the head of house. And the day after that her training will begin.
Later that night:
Welcome.", says the cold hard voice of the head of house. The small girl nods at her grandmother. "This way.", says the grandmother, walking into a room. The girl follows silently, flinching as the door locks behind her. "You are no stranger to pain.", says the grandmother, watching the girl. The girl nods, carefully even though the statement hadn't been a question. "From now on, until you take over as head of house, you'll be put through more pain than you have ever experienced.", says the grandmother, picking up an assassins blade from a small table. "Give me your right hand.", says the grandmother. The child hesitates then slowly raises her hand up to her grandmother. Laughing lowly the grandmother says, "Good choice.", before a small scream the child jerks back, clutching her hand. The grandmother frowns and grabs the girl's hand, jerking her back, and finishing carving the symbol for cat into the girl's hand. All the while the girl cries, pleading with her terrifying elder to stop.
Kuro comes out of her thoughts abruptly. "Hello? Kuro? Are you living?", asks a young woman, waving her hand in front of Kuro's face. She's about 21 with white hair that's black at the tips. She is wearing black jeans and a punk looking black shirt that has ties up the sides. "What is it Mikako?", Kuro snaps at her elder sister. "Oh, good you are alive. Grandmother is calling for you.", says Mikako, smiling at Kuro's emotionless face. Kuro sighs and stands up. With each dreadful step Kuro makes her way to her grandmother's room. Stopping in front of the door Kuro knocks lightly. "Come in.", comes the cold voice. Kuro silently opens the door and steps inside. "Ah, Kuro. Get over here child.", says Kuro's grandmother from her bed. Kuro walks over and kneels down next to her. "I was calling for you for half and hour. Where were you?", Kuro's grandmother snaps, grabbing a fistful of her long hair. "I was in the garden so I did not hear you." Kuro says, emotionlessly. Kuro's grandmother doesn't say anything, she just glares at Kuro. Kuro stares right back, inspecting the woman. The person who's made her life hell since Kuro moved into this house. "What did you need?" Kuro finally asks. "Nothing. I just wished for someone to visit me. You may go now.", says Kuro's grandmother. Kuro nods, not showing the anger that is boiling inside of her. "Remember that you still belong to me.", says Kuro's grandmother, taking her nails and running them across her face. "Don't forget that I'll be gone for two to three hours very soon. I'll probably leave as soon as you release me." Kuro says. In a sudden movement Kuro's grandmother jerks her hand and slashes a thin line across Kuro's face. Kuro doesn't even wince. She just stares at her grandmother, emotionless. She glares at Kuro and shoves Kuro away from her, releasing her grip on Kuro's hair. Kuro stands up and walks away saying, "Good day Grandmother." Once Kuro's outside the demon's room she quickly goes downstairs and out the front door, stopping only to tell a maid that she was leaving incase anyone asked for her. When Kuro's outside she runs down the long driveway and out the gates. Once out Kuro stops and takes a deep breath of fresh air. Kuro just stands there for a few seconds then starts walking. While walking Kuro wipes away the small trickle of blood that was running down her cheek from the cut her grandmother had given her. Before long Kuro leaves the countryside and suburbs behind and enters the city. While walking Kuro loses herself in past memories once more.
The small girl was once again in the black limo. This time she was with her grandmother and cousin Kiara. Kiara was the same age and has long smokey black hair. The girl doesn't notice as the limo pulls to a stop in front of a large mansion. She does notice however when her grandmother's claw-like fingers wrap around her wrist and yanks her out of the car. "Come on, Akito-sama doesn't like to be kept waiting.", says the grandmother. The child doesn't answer, just winces as the heavy fabric of her grandmother's kimono scraps, brutally, over the top of her hand. "What is it?", asks the grandmother, looking down. "Nothing.", answers the girl. "Good.", says the grandmother, dragging the girl into the house. A servant leads the way to a room and after knocking, shows everyone in. "What took you Kimikoto?", asks a young boy. "My granddaughter took a long time to get up.", answers your grandmother. "Oh, well next time make her get up.", says Akito. "Yes, anyways these are my granddaughters. You already know Kiara of course.", says Kimikoto. "Yes, I do. The other is the next head of house correct?", says Akito. "Yes, she's the one.", says Kimikoto. "It's strange that a cat would take over. Our cat is pathetic.", says Akito. "You don't like cats?", the girl asks quietly. "I loath cats.", says Akito, with an evil, sardonic grin. The girl falls silent once more. Kimikoto and Akito continue the conversation with Kimikoto telling Akito how unsuitable the girl is. With each passing second the girl is getting more and more angry and sad. Finally the girl jumps up and yells, "If you don't like me so much than you shouldn't have taken me as your heir!" With that the girl runs out of the room, then out of the house all together, with tears streaming down her face. The girl keeps running till she trips. She then lays on the cool grass that she fell on, and cries. In the midst of her crying she hears a voice say, "Hey, are you all right?" The girl looks up to see a young boy around her age, mabey a little older. He has short bright orange hair and he is wearing a martial arts uniform. The boy frowns at the girl and says, "Answer me, are you okay?" "Leave me alone.", gasps the girl through her tears. "I'm just trying to help.", says the boy, reaching out his hand. The girl lashes out with her right hand though, trying to hit his hand away. The boy grabs her hand, and unmeaningly holds it really hard. With a gasp of pain the girl yanks her hand away, hurting it even more. The boy just looks at her in shock as the girl cradles her hand against her stomach. He then looks down at the hand that had been holding hers and sees blood on it. "What's wrong with your hand?", the boy asks the girl. The girl doesn't answer, she just whimpers as she hold s her injured hand. "Let me see.", says the boy, gently pulling on the top of her right arm. The girl reluctantly lets him pull her hand over so that he can see it. Her hand was totally covered in blood, obscuring the actual wound. "Here, come with me. Shisho will help you.", says the boy. The girl carefully gets up and tries to rub the tear stains off her face with her good hand. With the orange haired boy leading her, the girl finds herself at a dojo, looking up at a blond man. "Shisho, her hand is bleeding badly. Can you help her?", asks the boy. The man looks at the girls blood covered hand and says, "I can try. If I have to I'll call the doctor." Shisho then has the girl sit down while he and the boy get stuff around to clean the wound. Once all the blood is washed off and antiseptic had been put on the wound, Shisho examines it to see if the doctor needed to be called in. "This is a knife wound.", Shisho states, looking at the girl. She just nods. "Would you like to talk about it?", asks Shisho. The girl studies his face for a few minuets. Then she shakes her head, just as the boy comes back and a black limo pulls to a stop out front. "Here's the bandage Shisho.", says the boy. "Thank you.", says Shisho, taking it and wrapping the girl's hand with it. "Now then, who are you?", asks Shisho as he finishes up. Everyone's head turns as Kimikoto's voice calls out, "Come on, its time to go." The girl's face shows a moment of fear, then sadness. She looks up at Shisho and says, "The next head of house, of the Kioto family." The girl then gets up and starts walking towards the waiting limo. She stops and turns to the orange haired boy. "Thank you for trying to help.", says the girl smiling sadly. The smile is gone before she turns back to her impatient grandmother.
Kuro's thoughts fly from her head as she is suddenly knocked to the ground from running into something. Kuro looks up to see a teenage girl with long brown hair looking down at her. She quickly scurries over to someone else on the ground as Kuro sits up. "Are you okay miss?", asks a teenage boy with shoulder length purple/blue hair. "I'm fine.", Kuro says shortly. "Watch where you're going next time.", says an angry voice. Kuro looks over to see an orange haired teenage boy getting up off the ground. "Think of the devil." Kuro thinks, flopping back down on the ground. "I hope he doesn't recognize me." Kuro thinks. "What were you doing, daydreaming? Hey you look familiar.", says the boy Kuro ran into. "Great I all ways have to jinx myself." Kuro thinks. Kuro doesn't say anything out loud, she just gets up and dusts her clothes off. "Have we met before?", asks the orange haired boy. "Leave me alone." Kuro mutters. "Fine then.", says the boy, growing angry again. Kuro walks off leaving the orange haired boy glowering after her. Kuro wanders around the city looking at various items in store windows. After an hour or so Kuro heads back home. Once she reaches the country road that leads to the gates of her driveway branches off from, Kuro slows her pace down to a slow walk. After only a few minuets of the peaceful silence Kuro hears a disturbance a head of her. Kuro hears an annoyingly familiar voice loudly yell, "WEEeeeeeee...!" Almost instantaneously Kuro hears another person yell, "What the hell!" Kuro then hears a thud and a string of very colorful curses. "Oh, you said a bad word.", says the annoying voice. "Get the hell off me you lunatic.", comes the highly irritated reply. Kuro sighs and walks into sight of the disaster zone. A girl in a very flouncey skirt and ruffly shirt is sitting on the back of the orange haired boy. The girl has very long, dark brown hair and blue colored eyes that have a starburst of hazel color in the center. Besides those two, the same girl and boy from before are there along with two others. A boy with short white hair with black along the bottom half, wearing punk clothes and a boy who looks pretty young, who has blonde hair and brown eyes. He is wearing girlish clothes. "This doesn't seem to be a good day for you." Kuro says, as she approachs. Everyone looks over at her surprised, they obviously didn't know she was there though Kuro had been in plain sight for awhile now. "KITTY!", yells the girl in the ruffles as she leaps at Kuro. "Tenshi! NO!" Kuro yells, before the girl tackles her full force into the ground. "Get off." Kuro snarls, shoving Tenshi away. Kuro gets up and dusts her clothes off, for the second time. "Kitty?", says five voices simultaneously. "Yea, she's a kitty.", says Tenshi, rubbing her head on Kuro's arm. Kuro glares down at her, and moves away. "What she means is that I'm year of the cat." Kuro explains. Everyone except Kuro and Tenshi turns and looks at the orange haired boy who is getting off the ground. "What the hell are you looking at?", asks the boy temperamentally. "We're not sure yet.", says the boy with the white hair. "Oh, shut up Haru.", says the orange head. Tenshi suddenly squeals and dashes over to the girl with brown hair. "I'm going to this school!", exclaims Tenshi pointing at one of the dropped bags. She was pointing at a school uniform that was spilling out of the top. "Along with my brother and all my cousins.", says Tenshi, excitedly. "Well, not all my cousins, some are going to college. "Ah... that's nice.", says the brown haired girl, taking the bag from the now bouncing Tenshi. "Oh, what's your name?", says Tenshi, stopping in mid-bounce to look at the girl. "My name is Tohru Honda.", says the girl with a smile. "Nice to meet you Tohru-san! I'm Kioto Tenshi, and this is my cousin Kioto Kuro.", says Tenshi pulling Kuro over. Kuro was watching the boys to see what they'll do upon hearing her last name. Total disappointment. Only the blue-haired one reacts, and he only stiffens up. He obviously know the last name though not the first names. "It is a pleasure to meet you Tenshi-san, Kuro-san.", says Tohru. Kuro looks at her and nods slightly before walking away again. Kuro stops and leans against a tree where she can watch everyone at once. "Um, sorry Kuro-sama doesn't seem to want to talk today.", says Tenshi. "Its alright.", says Tohru. "So, Sohma, are you going to pick up the spilled bags?" Kuro suddenly calls out to the blue haired person. "How did you know I was a Sohma?", asks the blue-haired boy. "I know a lot of Sohmas, Yuki. I know you as well Kyo. Haru I last saw two days after he was born, and I've never had the pleasure of meeting Momiji, but I've heard plenty about him." Kuro says, looking at each person in turn as she says their name. By now they're all gapping at her. Kuro sighs and shakes her head before turning and walking away calling, "Tenshi, come on.", over her shoulder. She quickly runs over to Kuro yelling, "Don't leave me!" As she slides to a stop next to her, Kuro glances over at her and shakes her head. "What?", asks Tenshi, confused. Kuro just shakes her head again. Tenshi gives up and starts skipping and humming. Kuro and Tenshi soon reachs the mansion again. "Tenshi, who were you supposed to be with today?" Kuro asks as the two of them go inside the house. "Um... Mika!", says Tenshi after a few minuets of thinking. Kuro nods and leads Tenshi through the vast halls to the gym. There they find a teenage girl swinging on an acrobat bar. "Mika." Kuro says. The girl looks down at Kuro then swings up, lets go, and flips to land in front of her. She has short brown hair and brown eyes, and is wearing a white gymnastics suit. "What's up?", she asks. "So where was Tenshi for the last half hour or so?" Kuro asks. "Um...", says Mika, with wide eyes. "She was disturbing some Sohmas and me." Kuro says. "Oh dear.", says Mika. "Exactly. You get to spend tomorrow with her as well. And if I hear you abandoned her or pawned her off on someone else, you'll regret it." Kuro says coldly before turning and leaving Tenshi and a petrified Mika staring after her.