-Start Day 1, March 25th 2009, 3:00 P.M.-
"Emiko, Rini, you need to hide, and keep your little brother hidden. Trust me; everything will be alright if you just listen to me. In the closet you two, now, and do not say a word until I come and get you. Okay?" The comforting sound of my mother's voice meets my ears, but the words are anything but soothing. Sleeping in my arms is my nine month old baby brother, Kiyoshi. My mom is standing in front of my twin sister and I, her eyes wild with concealed fear that does not show in her expression and is practically unnoticeable in the almost nonexistent tremor in her voice. Her long black hair is a tangled mess, and her normally bright blue eyes are pale. She is gripping one of my arms and one of my sisters tightly, looking back and forth between us staring into our identical pale blue eyes for confirmation that we will do as she has asked. Something extremely bad is happening, and I don't know where dad is. My heart is beating loudly in my chest, and my arms are tingling in anticipation. Something is about to happen, but I don't know what. My sister Rini, eight minutes older then I am, nods in response but I'm frozen in fear. My mom shakes me gently as if to urge me to respond.
"Okay, Emiko?" I nod, and she quickly spins me around to face the closet, pushing me forwards. "Go. Hide." I do as she says, and Rini follows as we climb into the closet and close the door. I clutch Kiyoshi to my chest as the door shuts out all light, leaving us in complete darkness. My thick hair, black as the darkness around me, blankets my shoulders while hanging down to my mid back. Rini sits in the exact same position as I, even though we can't even see one another. I close my eyes, and focus my hearing. I hear my mom's footsteps retreating from the door, heading to the front of the house. A chill shoots through me as I hear a loud crash that I can identify as our front door being knocked down. My mom's shrill shout pierces the air as she cries out my dad's name.
"Aaron!" I hear my dad cry out after that, as though being hurt. Rini and I have the same thought, and we can't stop ourselves from opening the door slightly, just enough for us to see what is happening in the front room. A tall man in a black suit is holding a long sword to my kneeling dad's neck and my mom is standing five or so meters away from them in my direction. The man with a sword to my dad's throat speaks in a demanding, deep voice.
"You think you can stop me? You are harbouring two of them. Their foul kind must be eradicated. You will not stand in my way. My blade has reaped the souls of far greater foes than you. It is simply written in my job description to never allow those creatures to live – and not to mention my Boss would come and execute them himself if I were to falter in my mission." We peer out of the crack silently, our eyes simultaneously starting to fill with tears, dreading what we can just feel is to come. My mom stands firm, not moving an inch. My dad doesn't even need to nod a signal. They merely briefly make eye contact, and they both fly into action. My dad manages to escape the man's hold, and is able to land a few blows. The man barely even flinches, countering each hit with ease. In the blink of an eye, the man's sword is embedded into the stomach of my dad. A brief flash of light brightens the room before he slumps to the ground, blood spilling from his mouth.
"Stay here, Emiko." Rini whispers, her eyes flashing with sorrow as they meet mine. "You are going to be fine. Don't let him find Kiyoshi." She pushes me over, and I fall back. Rini charges out of the closet, slamming the door but I catch it with my foot before it closes. I do as Rini says, though I regret it every second I remain hiding. I place my sleeping brother on the floor in the corner of the closet before turning back to watch the horrific scene. My mom screams ferociously at the sight of Rini, doing her best to keep the man occupied by fighting with a fierce combination of Karate and a method of fighting she created on her own. Her lithe body is quick, agile, and hard to hit. Mom taught Rini and I her mixture of fighting, and we are both just as practiced fighters as she is. Rini starts assisting Mom, but it doesn't seem to do any good.
"Leave my sister alone! I won't let you touch her if it's the last thing I do, you monster!" Tears are now streaming down my face, and Rini is fighting with a hysterical fury. Mom can barely keep up with her. Rini is actually able to knock the man backwards a bit, making him have to try hard in order to defend himself. I know how effective her attacks should be, because Rini, our Mom and I have had to take out other enemies in mere moments. Alas, the man is only slightly fazed. Mom's powerful blows to the man's pressure points don't garner the most minor reaction, and the man merely pulls back his sword arm. As soon as my Dad freezes, no longer twitching or struggling, having taken his very last breath, my mom screams in despair. She stops fighting. She just stands there, weeping.
"Please. I know what they are, but it is not their fault. I swear to keep them out of trouble – they will not interfere with your work! You have my word-" I am unable to close my eyes as the tip of a sword suddenly protrudes from mom's back, the sharp blade covered in the blood of two of the people dearest to me. The man turns his full attention to Rini, and my breath catches as I just stare in horror. No. Rin. Please, no. No. Rin, just run, please don't – The man deals a blow to Rini's sternum, leaving her gasping in pain and stunned. Vulnerable. In her moment of inaction, Rini's fate is sealed. Quick enough to leave a blur, the man has slit my twin sisters throat. The world slows as blood spurts out of her wound, and she clamps her hands over it in an attempt to stem the bleeding. She falls to the ground, choking on her own blood. I silently shut the closet door, my sister's command forcing me to come to my senses. Hide. Dread flows through my veins, unable to process what I have just seen. They are gone… and now I'm alone. I squeeze my eyes shut as my heartbeat spirals out of control. My breathing quickens, but I refuse to cry. That can wait for later. Now, I have to stay in control of my emotions, think straight, and act. I push my chaotic thoughts and emotions to the back of my mind, just like our dad taught us. Immediately, my heartbeat slows and my breathing evens out to a quiet and steady pattern.
The heavy silence is finally broken by heavy, loud, slow footsteps. His voice echoes loudly, one that I will forever remember. I place myself in between Kiyoshi and the door, in an attempt at protecting him.
"Little Mundemon, I am not in the mood to play games. I command you to reveal yourself at once." I stop breathing. My blood runs cold. He knows I'm here. He knows I'm hiding. He wants me. He is coming... for me. But, what do I do? What can I do?
"Let us make this easier for you." His booming voice breaks through my thoughts, making me have to stifle a gasp. "If you come out now, your return to your abomination of a sister will be swift and your death will be quick. If I must come and find you, death will be long… and painful." I stay in my spot, not moving a muscle. There is no way I am going to just allow him to kill me. Even if I wanted to reveal myself, I couldn't. I must keep my baby brother safe. My body is frozen, and my mind is slow. I am numb, and my emotions are threatening to overcome me despite my attempt to keep them at bay.
"Well, Little Mundemon, ready or not… here I come." His heavy steps make a beeline for the closet I am hiding in. He… he knows I'm here. I can't do anything… it's over. He's going to murder me. I'm dead. Dead. His footsteps halt outside the door, and I hear his hand twist the door knob. The door swings open, and a rush of air sweeps in along with a gloved, outstretched hand. He grabs the front of my shirt, lifting my petite frame right off the ground. He carries me single handedly out into the front room, before roughly tossing me onto the ground. I land in something wet and sticky, and I know right away exactly what it is. I feel like retching. My stomach starts to heave, and it takes all of my willpower to prevent myself from losing the contents of my stomach. CONCENTRATE! I scream at myself, knowing I have no time left. I am completely at that man's mercy, lying on the ground in a pool of my parent's and twin's blood in such a vulnerable state. At least he didn't notice Kiyoshi… I hear a quiet gasp, and immediately look at the source. My sister, eyes wide in terror, with her own bloody hands wrapped around her slim throat.
"Rin!" I sob, crawling to her. Her heaving, raspy attempts at breathing feel like a stab in my own chest, causing my own breathing to falter. I press my hands over Rini's own, trying to stop the bleeding. Rini's eyes fill with emotion, tears falling down her face. The emotion just flooding her face is love – love for me, love for her twin. "I love you too, Rini. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Rin, I love you so much–" My sister who has never, not once throughout our life not been by my side, is dying. And yet, we each know the other so well, that an entire conversation is held in mere moments in complete silence.
'Emiko, you know what you need to do. Just like dad taught us, okay? You need to save yourself. Protect Kiyoshi. You can beat this guy. No matter that I failed, that Mom and Dad failed, because now all three of us stand with you, on your side. Giving you strength. Now, you have to concentrate. Focus' In unison, our eyes flash a glowing orange, our pupils narrowing to slits. Not a second later, Rini's fade back to normal as the life leaves her. I can feel the heat in her body gather in one spot under my hands, forming into a visible ball of light that then travels up my arms and into my chest, before dispersing and leaving my arms shivering in its wake. My eyes remain glowing, and I move away from Rini with emotionless ease. Anything else is unacceptable, and will no doubt result in my ultimate death. We've been taught relentlessly by our father how to deal with dangerous situations. We've had to learn to block out all thoughts and emotions, and to focus primarily on surviving. Determinedly, I call upon that training and time freezes as I flip the switch in my mind. The change is slow, but as I reaffirm that it is kill or be killed, I can complete the transition. My humanity is locked behind steel doors in my mind, and I fill the newly-empty space with one priority. Self-preservation. My head snaps up, and I immediately take in my surroundings. My dad is lying on my left side, my mom on my right, and my twin is now behind me. The man is standing in front of me, his sword resting in his hands. He looks down at me, his sword not in position to fight. I look up and stare at his eyes, which are a bright greenish yellow. A small part of me is surprised at the reflection of myself in his eyes – my eyes are glowing orange, and my pupils are cat-like slits, but at the same time it is completely expected because I had seen the same exact eyes looking back at me from Rini's face a mere moment ago. Our gaze holds for several seconds in which I sit still, unmoving aside from my calm breathing. Then, he throws his head back and laughs. His laugh says everything: he is enjoying what he has done and clearly intends to continue doing. He is eager to add to the pool of blood on the floor around his feet.
I slowly and steadily get to my feet, now ignoring the bodies around me. I look at him as he laughs, and tilt my head to the side. My face is slack, my glowing eyes now devoid of emotion. I wait for him to stop laughing. Once he does, he readies his sword. His muscles tense as he pulls his arms back to wind up for the blow. I continue just looking at him with my head tilted, completely empty of all human emotion. There is only one word in my mind: Survive.
"You killed them," I say in a normal, if not conversational tone. He falters, before giving a simple reply.
"Yes. Now, it's your turn." The grin returns to his face as he stares at my small, weak form.
"No, it's yours." I move so fast I am practically a blur. With an obscene amount of strength and speed, I dodge the blade and grab the handle of the man's sword. I leap into the air, using the man himself as a springboard, and rip the one-handed sword straight out of his hand. To land on my feet, I'm forced to twist myself into a flip while holding the sword out to the side to avoid cutting myself. Landing behind him, I immediately brace myself and plunge the sword through the back of his head. The blade exits right in between his two eyes, and blood immediately starts pouring down his face. I release the sword handle, and he falls to the floor dead with a thump and a clang as the blade hits the floor. I back away, walking back around the body but I trip over my dad's prone form.
Feeling floods back into my body, and I know that the second I see the bodies of my family on the ground that I will lose all semblance of control. But, I can't stop myself because…
"…Rini? Mom? Dad?" I look, and exactly what I knew I would see is there. I stare for a moment at mom, then at dad. Pain stabs through my heart. My gaze moves to Rini, and my eyes widen. My heart seems to beat even slower than normal, and I grow incredibly cold. Chills run up and down my spine, my body feeling tingly and my skin crawling. I look down at myself, and see that my entire front is covered in blood. Their blood. Rini's. Mom and Dad's…
I pull my dad closer to my mom, and clutch them both tightly.
"Mom! D-Dad! I-I… Are y-you okay? P-please M-mom, answer me! Da-dad, Mom n-needs help. W-we've got to stop t-the bleeding!" I look over their bloody, mangled forms with hopelessness. They are both lying face down… no. Nonono! They can't breathe! They need to be turned over, or they won't be able to breathe! I grunt under the effort it takes to flip them both over onto their backs. I look at mom's face, suddenly unable to comprehend that she isn't going to be okay.
"Mom, m-mom, please, mom! Are y-you okay?" I stare into my mom's glassy, blankly staring eyes as I break down into hysterics. I see my reflection in her shiny eyes, and my own eyes are no longer glowing and are back to their normal blue. I spin around to look at Rini, and my heart shatters into a million pieces.
"Rin! NOOOOO!" The word transforms into a terrible, bloodcurdling scream as I clutch her identical, blood soaked form to my own. Rin's hands have fallen limp, no longer stemming the blood flow from her gory wound. I do my best to cover it with my hands, putting pressure on it and trying to remember any first aid that could help me in this situation – but it's too late. It's just... too late. Tears stream down my face, and my entire body shakes with sobs. I cry out, sobbing loudly once more. I drag her closer to our parents, screaming terribly. I can't close my eyes, and my entire body is tense as I lie there crying my heart out. My gaze rests on the front door, which looks as though it was kicked down with one blow. I stare blankly at the empty door frame, crying until I have no tears left to shed and I am left lying there, between the bodies of my parents and clutching my twin's, completely exhausted. It is at that moment that the wailing of an infant finally reaches my ears. The sound causes something inside of me to clench, and one thought shoots through my mind. My baby. Some sort of instinct causes me to feel a sudden urge to protect my baby – regardless of the fact that Kiyoshi is actually my brother. He is a nine month old child… his parents can no longer care for him… and a bond that already connected us as siblings now strengthens into something more. A possessive urge to go to him and comfort him to stop his crying overcomes me, and I slowly get to my feet and walk over to the closet where he is hidden. I crouch down, reaching into the dark confines of the closet. Found you. I say silently as I gently lift the screaming child into my arms.
"Shhh... It's alright, Kiyo... it's okay, baby..." I bounce him up and down gently, holding him tightly. He quiets almost immediately, much to my surprise. Holding him... just feels... so right. I don't know how to describe the feeling, other then something in my center simply chanting 'mine'. I sit down in the closet, exhaustion overwhelming me. I continue softly bouncing Kiyoshi, and lean my head against the wall. He remains mercifully still, not fussing at all.
A long time goes by, feeling like an eternity to me. I want the warm comfort of my parents, to hold me and promise me everything will be all right, I want my sister to speak, think and move with in synchronization… but all I can feel is a sense of responsibility practically emanating from the little heater lying on my chest. The cold wind sweeps in from outside, the light now completely gone from the once-evening sky; It chills me, the sharp cold biting my cheeks and hands. The cold bodies of those precious to me sit meters away, deathly still even though they should be filled with warmth and love and happiness. They should be the one thing that makes me happy, the one thing that I live for, the one thing that helps me to carry on… but they are cold. They are cold, and… empty. Nothing is there anymore except the shell. The shadow. The echo of what once was.
A foreign anger swells inside me, making me long to scream and yell. It just isn't fair. How dare that man take them from me? How dare he? How could he – how could anybody inflict such pain and cruelty on another person? I bet there are many, many other people that are suffering just as I am right now. All because of evil, heartless, bloodthirsty animals like the one that just took my parents. Took away my child's parents. Protectiveness surges through me, but at the same time, a horrible fear grips me. I can't be responsible for a baby! I'm only fifteen, and our parents just... just... and if I have to take care of him, then something terrible will happen to him too... Tears drip down my face hopelessly, and I cling to Kiyoshi like a lifeline.
All I want is for someone to love me. I want Kiyoshi to have that as well. I would do anything, and I mean anything, to stop someone from feeling the pain I am feeling right now. Losing the closest person in the world to me, my twin sister, then being left as the only person to care for my baby brother. It feels as though my heart has been cut out of my chest using a blunt knife – and filled the gaping hole with acid. It is lucky that Kiyoshi is so young, and he wont be able to remember Rini, Mom and Dad. That way, I can be the person who is there for him without leaving him longing for someone else.
'Stand up. Be strong, Emi,' My sister's voice echoes through my mind. A shudder goes through me as it does so. 'I can't, Rin, not without you!' There is no response, not that I expected one. I know what I need to do, but I simply can't. Not alone. I can't let the man who murdered my family get away with this – and not the man sitting dead on the floor. I grit my teeth as I realize my family was in no way avenged. Rather, the man was merely a footman, meant to do the dirty work of his 'Boss'. He said so himself. I know I can't keep Kiyo and myself safe and taken care of while seeking retribution. He said his 'Boss' would come and finish me off himself if he failed. Well, fail he did, and if his Boss is any more skilled then he was... it is out of the frying pan and into the fire. But, all the same... let this so called Boss come. I will kill him, just as I killed his employee. I will get justice for my family's undeserved deaths.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap tap. Eyes that I didn't realize had closed open, taking in the daunting sight before me. Another man, not too different from the one I had killed not too long ago, stands not one meter in front of me. He was wearing a suit, just like the man I had just killed a while ago, looking like something from an old movie. He had black, straight and short hair, with amber eyes shining brightly from his face.
"Have you come to finish me off, then?" I say weakly, too exhausted to move much. Just a moment before I had been ranting mentally about finishing this man off... if only he hadn't come right this minute... The man smiles, closing his eyes and tilting his head in the process.
"Oh, nothing of the sort! Quite the opposite, in fact. I have come to offer my services, My Lady. I will assist you in what you desire, should you enter a contract with me. I would do anything you order, if you will only give me one thing which you will not have to worry about for a long time. To be precise, you would only need to pay the price once your mission is complete and your time here is done." My eyes widen slightly in shock and relief, and I take a few seconds to take in what he has said.
"What... what is the price?" The man's grin widens slightly, and his eyes gain a glint.
"Your soul, My Lady. Though it is nothing to worry about, because by the time it would be time for me to take it, your journey would be finished." I stare. I stay silent for a full minute before replying.
"Alright."
"As you wish. As a symbol of our contact, a mark is going to appear somewhere on your body. You get to choose the spot in which the mark will be. The more visible it is, the better. Where would you like it?" I shrug my shoulders slightly, somewhat unresponsive.
"I don't really care… you can pick the place." The man merely reaches forward places his right hand over my left eye.
"Now, to seal the contract, please give me your first order." My eyes start to water. My throat closes up slightly, the sorrow I thought I had completely exhausted returning.
"I order you... to protect me and Kiyoshi, and to help me bring the people who were responsible for my sister and parent's death to justice." My voice wavers badly, but I manage to get out each word.
"Very well... My Lady."
In the next moment, my left eye begins burning in pain. I clamp my mouth shut to smother the scream begging to escape, succeeding in muffling it to a mere moan. I squeeze my eyes shut, but the pain doesn't cease.
"Owww... What is happening?" My voice comes out as a mere whimper.
"I am terribly sorry, My Lady. It is the contract seal. It will stop in a moment." True to his word, the pain stops a second later. I fall limp in relief, keeping one arm wrapped around a stirring Kiyoshi, my eyes relaxing. The man closes the remaining distance between us, and picks up me – and in turn, Kiyoshi – up off of the floor.
"What a mess…" He mutters. I whimper as I suddenly become all-too-aware of the dried blood covering my clothes and hands. "Hush now, it's alright. We will go and get you cleaned up right away My Lady. But do keep your eyes closed… we can use your bath, correct? You needn't worry about a thing." I do as he suggested and close my eyes, listening to the soft tapping his shoes make on the wood floor. My head rests against his chest, and one of his arms is hooked under my knees and the other is supporting my back. My hands grip Kiyoshi, ensuring he doesn't fall.
"So, Miss... Emiko, is it? And little Mister Kiyoshi? Quite exotic names for people living in the British countryside. Care to tell me why you were named as such?" I know exactly what he is doing. Trying to make me think of different things than what just happened. However, I go along with it, because I don't want to dwell on my sister and parents…
"They are Japanese names. We come from Japan, at least, my mom's side…" I choke slightly, my eyes filling with tears.
"Ah. How old is little Mister Kiyoshi?" I glance down to the wide awake, but content little boy. Our world just crashed down around us... and you are perfectly at ease.
"He is nine months old, now." I manage, choking on the words.
"And how old are you, My Lady?" I sniffle before answering.
"… Fifteen. We–" My eyes widen as I cut myself off. I breathe deeply, just barely holding back tears, before continuing. "Just turned fifteen last month. But, who are you?" We have reached the bathroom now, and he somehow manages to turn the bath on without setting me down.
"I've had many names, but as to who I am now – that is for you to decide." He sets me down on my feet, and begins to remove my blood caked pajamas. I resist slightly, and he pauses his efforts before speaking.
"My Lady, you are in no condition to bathe yourself. I am here to serve you in every way, you need not fear me." I hesitate, but nod my head in admission. Once my clothes and Kiyoshi's are removed, he assists me into the warm water. He hands me a sponge, taking one for himself as well. I hold Kiyoshi in my left arm, and the sponge in my right. He begins to wash my back, and I start on my front. I am quite short, as my current height has capped at five feet. I still have the body of a child, almost completely flat chested and lacking any feminine curves. That's never mattered to Rin or I, because no matter what we looked like we always have each other. I don't notice as my breathing hitches, or as I start staring into space.
"My Lady, do you have any questions for me?" I immediately grasp at the lifeline offered, and reply.
"You... said you have had... many names. Do you have a... favourite?" He hesitates before replying.
"Yes… I do indeed have a favourite. Sebastian Michaelis." I nod minutely.
"What will happen now, Mr. Michaelis?" He pauses slightly in his scrubbing, his eyes widening.
"Please, My Lady, call me Sebastian. As for what happens now, well… your order was for me to protect you. The best way for me to do so at the current time would be to take you out of the country, and hide you from those hunting you. Off of the continent would be best… tell me, My Lady, do you speak any languages other than English perchance?" My eyes widen in slight shock, but I nod my head.
"We're - I mean, I am fluent in Japanese. I might live in England but my mom was born in Japan, so she taught u- me the language."
"Then that is where we will go. In order to escape the attention of the Reapers, we must completely change your identity. After we have cleaned you up, we must go pay an old acquaintance of mine a visit. He will allow us to escape England unnoticed." Sebastian touches my hair with his free hand, tutting to himself. "You have lovely black hair. It is quite a mess at the moment, unfortunately… I'll have it clean in a few minutes, My Lady." I shake my head side to side in opposition.
"No – can't you just cut it? My mom… she… she always wanted to see it short, but dad always refused. He said it would make me look too boyish. We can use that to our advantage now, can't we? If I must take on a new identity, I can certainly pass as a boy. Besides, it's so much of a hassle having long hair. It's easier to… protect myself… without long hair getting in the way of my fighting. Please, Sebastian?" A surprised look crosses his face briefly, but he recovers quickly and replies.
"Of course, My Lady. Whatever you wish." Once my body is no longer encrusted with blood, Sebastian fetches fresh clothes from Rin and I's bedroom down the hall and helps me dress because I am too exhausted to do so alone. After doing the same to get Kiyoshi clothes, I quickly dress him myself. When Sebastian offers to dress him, I try to hand the baby to him, but something twitches before clenching inside my chest and I end up clutching the child closer to my chest and crouching defensively in front of Sebastian. A feral growl rips from my throat, and I cant help but be shocked at my own instinctive actions.
"As I expected… you have bonded with the child. Relax, I do not wish to take the child from you. As it stands, you will need to learn that I will not harm Mister Kiyoshi, before I can go near him." I find myself able to relax slightly, and quickly do so. Sebastian hands me Kiyoshi's clothes, and I dress him myself.
"I apologize, Sebastian… I don't know what came over me."
"Ah, there is no need to apologize. Once one of our kind has a child, or bonds with one, it becomes raw instinct to protect them. Every one of us knows to never aggravate one of our kind when they have a child, because the measures they can go through to ensure the child's safety can be gruesome to say the least." I stare at him in confusion. Before I can ask a question, he – studiously avoiding going too close to Kiyoshi – sits me down on a stool he pulled out from under the sink, pulls out a pair of scissors, and starts to work on my hair.
"Will you trust me to keep you safe? Will you go along with what I say if it will keep away the prying eyes of the Reapers hunting you? If it will enable you to achieve your goal?" I turn my head to meet his gaze, and in his eyes I see honesty, hunger, and… concern. Worry. That emotion seems to confuse Sebastian slightly.
"Yes… I will. I will do whatever necessary." The soft snipping sound of my hair being cut continues, and I close my eyes. I gasp as the darkness that closing my eyes brings transforms into the nightmarish scene of four dead bodies in a pool of their own blood. My eyes snap open, tears filling them.
"Sebastian…" I cry, whimpering. "I see them… when I close my eyes…" The snipping stops. Sebastian walks around and stands in front of me. He puts his finger under my chin, tilting my head to meet his eyes.
"If you see them, then you ought to make yourself see them happy and whole. See their best moments. See them smiling at you. They would not want you to remember them in their worst moment, would they?" The floodgates open, and the next thing I know I have thrown myself into Sebastian's arms, though taking care to avoid crushing Kiyoshi.
"Why? It's just not fair! Why did that man have to do that? Kill them? Rin! My mom and dad–" My voice breaks, and I just cry heart-rending sobs.
"My Lady," Sebastian says softly. "I finished your hair. If you would like to look at it, along with the contract seal on your left eye, come and look in the mirror." Softly nudging me forward, he leads me to the mirror. Sebastian wipes the tears off my cheek while I stare at my reflection in shock. My short hair looks stunning, giving me a nice gender neutral look. But my left eye – the normally blue iris was covered with a white star with a strange white circle surrounding it.
"Wow… thank you, *sniff* Sebastian."
"Of course, My Lady." He pulls out an eye patch from the inside pocket of his suit jacket, and holds it up for me to see. "Needless to say, you cannot walk around with it in plain sight. May I?" He gestures to the eye patch he is holding, and I nod in consent. He ties it on over my left eye, and the bangs he gave me cover up a good portion of the patch. Taking in my full appearance, I can see that Sebastian picked out a pair of my jeans, and a baggy long sleeved plain green shirt.
"Rest assured, I will acquire clothing for you that is better suited to where we are going soon enough. Now, though, My Lady, please wait here for a minute. I will be back shortly, you needn't be bothered." I nod, and Sebastian quickly disappears out the door.
1...
2...
3...
4...
Sebastian reappears, opening the door wide, and I flinch in apprehension. I dread seeing what lies in the front room again.
"You don't need to worry, My Lady. I've taken care of everything. Now, we must leave. We have already remained here for too long, and more Reapers are bound to come to find their missing colleague. Now, shall I carry you? We must hurry."
"Can I... ride on your back instead?" Sebastian smiles politely.
"If that is what you wish My Lady, then of course. Although it will be difficult for you to hold Mister Kiyoshi that way." I hesitate, but a need inside of me demands I continue holding Kiyoshi.
"Perhaps carrying me would be better, then…" I say reluctantly.
"Very well." He reaches down, sweeping me into his arms. I keep my arms wrapped around Kiyoshi, as Sebastian has a firm hold on me so I won't fall.
Sebastian starts walking, strolling through my home like he owns the place. Soon we reach the front room to see… nothing. The place is completely empty of anything. Sebastian doesn't so much as pause, continuing to march straight through the front door. Outside the door lies rolling fields of grass, and a dirt road that leads back to civilization.
"Hold on tightly, My Lady. Things are about to go quite fast." I tighten my grip on Kiyoshi, and press my face into Sebastian's chest. Wind starts whipping around like crazy, and I am suddenly glad for my short hair. If it was still long, it would be immensely tangled already. Instead, my short hair is just ruffled. I raise my head slightly to look around, but everything is blurring by so fast I have to press my face back into Sebastian's chest.
"It's alright, My Lady. Just relax, we will arrive soon." I nod into his chest, unable to say anything.
Several minutes go by, and I'm lulled into a half asleep state soon enough. The wind dies down, but I barely notice.
"Ah, Sebastian. It has been a while, has it not? And who is this you have with you?" An unfamiliar, young sounding voice asks. My head flies up, and my grip tightens on Kiyoshi because of how it had relaxed a bit due to my previous calm state. In a sudden fit of fear and adrenaline, I push all my weak emotions to the back of my mind, ready to do whatever needed to keep my baby and myself alive. In that moment, my eyes start glowing orange, and my pupils narrow into vertical slits. Of course, one of my eyes is covered my the eye patch, so only one eye's change is visible. A growl bubbles up from the back of my throat, sounding distinctly feral and cat-like.
"Oh, my! You found her then, Sebastian? You got to her before the Reapers did, I see? Oh, and a baby… interesting. That is one thing I didn't know about." The young voice belongs to a boy who looks no older than me. He is wearing a blue, aristocratic suit. His hair is really dark coloured, almost looking blue. His eye is a deep, royal blue, the same colour as his suit. His right eye is covered by an eye patch, the mirror image to mine. His stature is actually practically identical to mine, aside from the colour of his hair and how he is slightly taller than us – I mean me. I mentally wince in pain.
"Be at peace, My Lady. He means you no harm. He is Earl Ciel Phantomhive, and he is my master just as you are now. I served solely him up until forty years ago. He gave me permission to take on other contracts, as the contract between him and I can never be terminated or fulfilled. The circumstances were… complicated." The boy – Earl Phantomhive – laughs.
"Why don't you just say that I grew bored of having you at my beck and call? After all, we are both Demons now. Have been for one hundred and twenty years. It's not like I still need your help." I stiffen. DEMONS? What... they could pose a threat to Kiyoshi. I need to protect him...
"Put me down, Sebastian." Sebastian sighs, but complies. I immediately distance myself from the pair. I get into a fighting stance, ready to defend myself and Kiyoshi if need be.
"My Lady, allow me to explain." Sebastian reaches his hands out to the sides in a submissive position. "Lord Phantomhive, do you have a mirror?" Ciel smirks, nodding.
"Of course, Sebastian. What do you take me for?" He pulls open a drawer in the desk he is standing beside – which I hadn't noticed before this point- and pulls out a hand held mirror. He passes it to Sebastian, who in turn holds it out to me. I cautiously reach out to take it, my emotions still under lock and key making me ready to jump into action at any given moment.
"Look in the mirror, My Lady. Your eye. What do you see?" I robotically bring the mirror up to my face, a small part of me already knowing what I will find. My eye widens marginally in surprise. My eye is... I look up at Ciel and Sebastian, to see them staring at me with identical glowing cat-like eyes.
"Please... Explain." I hear a crack, and I look at the source of the noise in surprise. In my hand, I had broken the handle of the mirror in half.
"Oh... Oh I am so sorry. I didn't mean to, how did I even–" Sebastian steps forward, taking the mirror pieces from my hand.
"It's alright, My Lady. All will make sense in due course. You see... Your mother was very special. She caught the eye of a Demon – and not in the usual way. Lord Phantomhive and I are Demons, though we aren't the mindless beasts that many believe us to be. Your father, he was also a Demon. He fell in love with your mother, and is the first Demon to have a child – or rather, children – with a human in centuries. My Lady, you – and in turn, Mister Kiyoshi – are half Demon and half human." You have got to be kidding me. "From what I understand, you can activate your Demonic attributes when you are in a situation where you feel at risk. These attributes include your eyes changing to that of a Demon, your strength increasing, being able to move at an incredible speed, your ability to ignore your more human emotions, and your agility in general multiplying exponentially." I take a moment to absorb the information, and calm myself down. I set my emotions free from their prison in the back of my mind, and I allow myself to relax slightly. Taking in my surroundings, I finally notice that we are in an office, presumably belonging to Ciel, and it appears we had entered through the large, open window just behind Sebastian.
Upon thinking about what Sebastian has said, I can't deny it makes sense. After all, I have proof in my own actions. But… there is something that doesn't quite make sense.
"The man with the sword, a Reaper, you called him. Does he hate Demons? Is that why he came for me? He called me a… Mundemon. What does that mean?" Ciel steps in to answer before Sebastian does.
"Reapers do dislike Demons, but we cooperate well enough. You are a Mundemon, which is a cross between a human, also known as a Mundane, and a Demon. You are the first Mundemon there has been since several hundred years ago. You are… illegal, I suppose you could say. Reapers hunt those like you when you come around, because you – with almost the same set of abilities as a normal Demon – are not bound by rules. You do not have a Demon's immortality, but you have the ability to eat souls. The Reapers hunt you because you are unpredictable, uncontrollable, and can interfere with the Reaper's work by merely existing. You, and your twin by extension, alter events by merely participating, because by all rights you shouldn't even exist. You have met a Reaper then? With a sword as their Shinigami weapon? The Shinigami weapons are one of the only things that can kill Demons." That was a lot of crazy information… now things make sense. But, I can… eat souls? I shiver slightly in horror, silently swearing to never eat a soul. My heart clenches at the mention of Rini, causing me to flinch. Sebastian steps in to answer Ciel's question.
"Unlike what you assumed, a Reaper got to My Lady, her twin and her parents before I arrived. However, after the Reaper dealt with her twin, mother and father, when he tried to do the same to her, she killed him with his own sword." Ciel and I stiffen.
"My condolences." Ciel says quietly. I nod, blinking back the tears trying to escape. Sebastian makes a subtle movement with his arms, inviting me to come hug him. I barrel towards him, slamming into him without crushing Kiyoshi and pressing my petite face into his stomach. He gently wraps his arms around me, just holding me to him. He has obviously figured out that I like hugging. I manage to hold back tears, merely shuddering as I breathe shakily.
"As you can tell because of the eye patch, she agreed to making a contract with me. As such, it is my duty to keep My Lady safe. The best way to do so at the current time is to change her identity and change locations. My Lady has informed me she is fluent in Japanese, and so I think it would be prudent to choose Japan as our destination. The reason we have come is to ask for assistance in leaving the country, and resources to get to and live in Japan. I am aware of how you essentially control eighty five percent of Britain, and your wealth has only increased in leaps and bounds since I last stood by your side in 1969." Ciel chuckles, nodding in agreement.
"Of course, Sebastian. I will assist you and your Mistress. I can get you on the soonest plane to Japan possible, and here is a card that will give you access to an incognito, untraceable bank account of mine with virtually inexhaustible resources. Of course, you won't want to draw too much attention living extravagantly, so you will need to live and dress as people from the middle class. I do have a home in Japan, but it is a Manor known to be owned by a wealthy English man so that simply won't do, now will it? And, I assume you would both want passports, and an alternate identity for the little girl…" Ciel scrambles around in his desk drawers for a few seconds. "Ah, here they are. I had them prepared before you came – figured I would see you before long. I had one prepared for the other twin as well, but... I can transform it into a passport for the child. And, you're aiming for a male look, little girl? It's all prepared for you. I won't even ask your true name, as it is better to have as few ties to your old identity as possible. However, I will ask you what name you would like to be on the child's passport. Considering I was not aware of his existence, it is safe to assume that the same goes for the Reapers." With me standing beside Sebastian at this point, Sebastian is able to bow in thanks to Ciel after being handed a credit card and two passports.
"You can put down his name as Kiyoshi." Ciel nods, and holds out his hand with the third passport on it. His eyes flash to orange, and a dark cloud forms about his hand, swirling around the passport, before dispersing. He hands the passport to Sebastian, and his eyes turn back to blue.
"Well, it is always nice to see you, Sebastian. Though, it would do you good to brush up on Japanese customs! As is, if you want to get on a plane… the next flight leaves in twenty minutes." Ciel seemingly pulls two tickets out of thin air, and hands them to Sebastian. "You had best hurry…" With a mere nod of farewell, Sebastian sweeps me up bridal style and leaps out the window. I can't help but screech, clutching Kiyoshi to my chest.
"Sebastiaaaaaaaan!" I scream in terror, and he just smirks. A second later we land on the concrete, touching down as gently as if we had floated down like a feather. Thankfully Ciel's window opens up into a relative back alley, otherwise we would be getting a large amount of stares. Sebastian immediately takes off into a sprint, causing our surroundings to blur. Admittedly, keeping my gaze on the blurring surroundings is much more comfortable then switching from having my face pressed into his chest to getting stunned by dizziness. Once I get used to the strange experience, I can't help but smile in excitement. After about a minute of crazy running, we stop in a place just out of sight of anyone that could see us. Sebastian sets me down on my feet, and gestures for me to follow him.
"The airport is just across the street, My Lady, please follow me." I nod in acknowledgement, and follow him as he leads the way down the street to the nearest crosswalk.
"Sebastian, how did Earl Phantomhive know what we needed before we even arrived?"
"It is best not to question such things, My Lady. Lord Phantomhive is… resourceful, to say the least."
Right. Because that's not worrying in the least. I scoff, but keep my thoughts to myself.
Once we enter the airport, I'm struck mute with nervousness. I find myself clinging to Sebastian's arm, wary of getting separated in the large crowd. The large terminal is swarming with people running every which way, each person in a hurry. My heart beats fast, thumping loudly in my chest. This is truly the first time I've been in such a crowded, busy place without Rini right beside me. Crowds bother the both of us, but we have always been able to deal with it together... not anymore, though, I guess. I cling tighter to Sebastian's arm. Of course, Kiyoshi chooses this moment to stop being cooperative. He pushes away, wriggling in an attempt to get me to let him go.
"Down. DOWN." He demands, and I sigh in exasperation.
"Kiyo, stop! Just a few more minutes, then you can go down, I promise. Just ask Sebastian." I poke Sebastian as a way to show Kiyoshi who I'm talking about. He reaches out his small hand and grabs Sebastian's sleeve.
"Down?" He asks, the inquisitive look on his face so adorable.
"Indeed. In a few minutes, if you are patient, you can go down Mister Kiyoshi." Kiyo just nods happily, and resumes gurgling to himself. Sebastian leads me through the crowds, and quickly gets us through security. He passes our three passports to a man standing in our way, and after checking them, hands them back to Sebastian and I respectively, giving me Kiyoshi's. Upon glancing at my passport, I see a picture of myself with my short hair and eye patch with a name under it. My new name; Masato Kobayashi. Or as I will introduce myself to those in Japan, Kobayashi Masato. In about seven minutes, Sebastian is passing our tickets to the flight attendant and she is leading us to our seats in first class. We both sit down in some plush seats, and I am finally able to relax as our cabin is currently empty aside from the two of us. I set Kiyoshi on the ground, and he eagerly starts crawling around and babbling at various things.
"You dislike crowds, do you? Interesting. How do you fair in a classroom setting? In school in general? Are you alright in a public shopping center?" I stiffen at this line of questioning, but reply none the less.
"Well, I've been homeschooled my whole life with Rin… so to be honest, I don't know how I would be in a school full of students. We have always lived out in the middle of nowhere, so I have only been to the mall two or three times. We have a market that we go to for food and the like, but it is a bunch of stalls run by local farmers. We don't farm ourselves, so we had to go to the market at least once every five days. Well… not anymore, I suppose." I start tearing up again, as a picture of my parents and Rini smiling happily as we browsed market stalls comes to mind.
"I… I miss them, Sebastian. I miss Rin. I miss my mom and dad. I can't believe all of that happened just this morning. I… I'm so sorry for being so… weak…" I yawn, and Sebastian pulls a blanket out of nowhere and covers me with it. I curl up in the chair, and the blanket easily covers my small body. I see Kiyoshi contentedly entertaining himself, and something eases inside me and allows me to start to fall asleep. "I promise…" I mumble, "I'll be strong tomorrow. I will be strong… I'll be Kobayashi Masato."
-End of day 1, March 25th 2009, 8:00 P.M. Britain time-
-Start of day 2, March 26th 2009, 4:00 P.M. Japan time-
"Wake up, My Lord. The plane has landed, and we are now in Japan. Your new life, Kobayashi-sama, is about to begin." My shoulder is gently shaken, and I slowly wake up. In my half asleep state, I don't even notice the change in language to Japanese. I am confused slightly by the way I am being called 'My Lord' and 'Kobayashi-sama', but after a moment of confused blinking things fall back into place. My new name, Kobayashi Masato, how I'm pretending to be a boy, and the fact that I have a Demon contracted to obey my commands. Oh, not to mention I'm half Demon myself. I frown as I remember the death of my parents and sister, but I do not allow myself to drown in sorrow. My parents always warned me growing up that it might happen, and if it did, I was to do whatever necessary to keep myself alive. And most importantly, I was told to move on. So, that is what I will do. I will be strong.
"Good morning, Sebastian-san!" I say, a smile on my face. My grin changes to a shocked expression when I take in what Sebastian-san is wearing. Dark blue jeans, and a plain black tee-shirt. In his hand is a paper bag that he presumably is carrying his suit ensemble in. A jolt goes through me as I see a sleeping Kiyoshi in Sebastian-san's arms. A growl rips forth from my throat, and my eyes flash orange.
"Same to you, Kobayashi-sama. Although, perhaps it would be better suited to say 'Good evening' as the time zone change makes it four in the evening. As is, we must be going." Without commenting on my change of mood, he sets Kiyoshi in my arms with a smooth movement. I gently stand up, careful to not jostle him and wake him up. My eyes return to normal the moment Kiyoshi is in my arms. Sebastian-san takes the lead, guiding me out of the plane.
I gape as we dock in the Japanese airport, surrounded immediately by signs filled with the figures that make up the Japanese language. I'm too distracted by the new things everywhere to feel nervous about the crowds.
"Wow!" I mutter, mindlessly following Sebastian-san while turning my head every which way in an attempt to take in everything.
"One would assume that you would be at least somewhat accustomed to these sights, considering your mother was born here." I glance at Sebastian-san, slightly confused at his tone of voice. Figuring that he was asking for information on the subject, I comply.
"Mom taught me all about Japan, and the culture and language. But, I've never actually been here because it holds too many sad memories for her. Her dad died of a stroke in her last year of high school here. Her mom wasn't the same after that, and so she decided to travel and see the world to escape the grief that filled her home. Her mom died a year later, and so she never found a reason to come back. Stayed in Britain, met my dad, had me and Rin-nee-chan. That's the story I've been told, so that's all I know."
Sebastian-san doesn't respond, instead guiding me to an exit. Once outside he quickly finds a rental car station, signing for one in mere minutes. Sebastian-san leads me to a nice, but not an attention drawing car, and opens the back door for me to get in. I hold Kiyoshi with his head resting in the crook of my neck, and his little hands wrapping in the fabric of my shirt. The leather interior of the car is quite nice, and it is quite roomy for a five passenger car. Closing the door after me, Sebastian-san gets into the front seat and immediately begins to drive.
After several silent minutes of staring out the window at the city of Tokyo, I decide to break said silence.
"Sebastian-san, where are we going?"
"Under normal circumstances, I would take you straight to a hotel Kobayashi-sama. But, as you have just woken up, taking you to a hotel to sleep is redundant. If you do not mind, perhaps we ought to go to a Real Estate office and chose where you would like to live. Although Master Phantomhive provided us with enough funds to purchase a grand home, grandeur is the opposite of what you need at the given time. I would suggest a three bedroom apartment or house, which is the average commoner housing when there are only three people. Or if you would like to share a space with young Kiyoshi-sama, just two bedrooms. It is up to you, Kobayashi-sama." My eye widens in shock, then excitement.
"You mean, I get to chose where we live?" My voice gets higher pitched as I excitedly ask the question.
"Yes, Kobayashi-sama. Although you should try not to raise your voice to such a pitch. It makes you sound distinctly female." I jolt slightly, wincing. Pointedly keeping my voice at a neutral pitch, I respond.
"I'm really sorry, Sebastian-san," I definitely can be mistaken for a boy when I talk like that. I mentally pump my fist.
"Oh, don't apologize to me, Kobayashi-sama. It is, after all, your own life that pretending to be a boy could save." Sebastian-san's voice sounds eerily cold and… uncaring for a moment. This shocks me into silence. Several minutes later, I finally gather up the courage to speak again.
"Sebastian-san… are you mad at me?" I stare at the back of his chair, anticipating his answer.
"Of course not, Kobayashi-sama." He says it politely, no longer sounding cold. However… the concern he has shown up until now, as though he genuinely cared for my well being, and not just that of my soul, is gone.
"You know… you don't have to call me Kobayashi-sama. You can call me Kobayashi-san or Masato-san… whatever you want." Not a moment passes before he replies.
"I am a mere butler, Kobayashi-sama. I will refer to my Mistress – or rather, Master – with respect." Something within me hardens slightly. Just the day before, I had been essentially begging this man to care for me. Not in a romantic way, but as a sort of... guardian. I had been in a moment of weakness – and I had latched onto the first person that came to me. A demon, who will eat my soul once my supposed 'mission' is complete.
"Then Kobayashi-sama will have to do, ne?" A mask falls over my face, and not the same mask that I use in dangerous situations. Instead, I remain completely neutral. Using the teachings of my father, I detach my expression from the emotions and thoughts inside my mind. Even though I have now decided to not care for Sebastian-san in any way, I cannot let him know that. At the moment he is ensuring my safety, and getting me into a safe place here in Tokyo... according to the contract. I give him a blank look, tilting my head slightly.
"Of course, Kobayashi-sama."
Silence ensues.
Twenty or so long minutes later, we finally arrive at the Real Estate Office.
Sebastian-san parks with ease, and quickly gets out of the car. By the time it takes me to unbuckle myself, Sebastian-san has opened my door, and is holding out his hand to help me out.
"Allow me, Kobayashi-sama. We have arrived." I take the offered hand with nod, allowing him to assist me in getting out.
Upon entering the building, we are approached by woman wearing a suit. A smile lights up her face as she spots the sleeping baby in my arms.
"Hello! I am Retyuki Solina. Welcome to Ouran Real Estate. Can I help you?" Sebastian-san doesn't reply, so I reluctantly decide to take the reins.
"Yes, please, thank you. I am Kobayashi Masato, and this is Michaelis Sebastian. We have just arrived in the country, and we plan to live here. I would like to look at cheap housing options, if possible." Retyuki-san gives me a beaming smile, nodding.
"Of course, Kobayashi-sama, Michaelis-sama! I you will follow me, we can discuss what is available."
An hour later, I leave Solina's (as she insisted I call her) office with a beaming smile as the owner of a moderate sized two bedroom house in a small neighbourhood surrounded by apartment buildings. It was already fully furnished, and we paid the full cost up front. Solina immediately assumed I am male, which gives me confidence that I can pull this off. She seemed quite taken with both myself and Sebastian-san, of course the sight of Kiyoshi helping a bit, blushing countless times throughout the past hour whenever either of us made eye contact. I don't know what it was that drew her attention to me, but I can understand why she was drawn to blush at Sebastian-san. His short sleeves showed off his finely toned arms, and his jeans made his slim legs quite noticeable. I, myself could care less about what he looked like. I don't know exactly what he is to me or how to deal with it yet, but I know for a fact that there will never be anything romantic between the two of us. And considering I am only fourteen and have been homeschooled as long as I can remember, I really could care less about relationships at this point.
Snapping back to reality upon hearing my name called by Sebastian-san, I glance at him.
"What?" He sighs in response to my question.
"Would you like to go to your new home, Kobayashi-sama?" I lock eyes politely and nod, remembering to keep my excitement from raising the pitch of my voice.
"Yes please, Sebastian-san." Sebastian-san guides me back to our rented car, helping me in before getting in himself. He takes off immediately, only glancing once at the address written on the top sheet of the stack of papers Solina gave us. Sebastian-san had to sign for the house, as I'm not exactly old enough to just buy my own house. We used Earl Phantomhive's card, which was surprisingly easy to use and Solina didn't ask questions after she saw said card.
It doesn't take that long to get to my new home, and when Sebastian-san pulls up in front of it to park, my face is practically glued to the window as I try to take everything in at once. From the nice cobble path up to a nice dark brown front door, to the nice gardens in front of the two big windows on either side of the door. The outside walls are a dark grey, which contrasts with the dark brown almost black front door. The sloped roof above the second floor is all black, with the peaks painted white.
I quickly lean back and unbuckle as Sebastian-san comes to open my door. As soon as the way is clear, I'm flying out the door. I'm soon standing on the doorstep, breathing heavily in exhilaration. This is my house. I chose this place to be mine, and something about that just makes it… special.
"Forgetting something, Kobayashi-sama?" Sebastian-san says from behind me. I turn around and see him holding out the key to unlock the door. He offers it to me, and after shifting a stirring Kiyoshi in my arms, I take it. I turn back to the door and unlock it as a shiver goes down my spine. I wish Rin-nee-chan could be here with me...
"Well, it's certainly not a Manor…" Sebastian-san comments. I merely sigh at his comment, too occupied with examining the inside of my new home to give much of a reply. Aside from the bathroom in the corner of the room, the entire first floor is a wide open space. To the left of the entrance is a nice, decent sized kitchen. To the right is the sitting/living room. Straight ahead is a staircase leading to the top floor. The walls are a soft, light green and the floors are hardwood.
"Kobayashi-sama, would you like to go upstairs and choose which room is yours? I must run out and buy food and supplies to fill the house with. Is that alright?" With only a moments hesitation, I nod my assent.
"Yes, Sebastian-san. But… what time will you be home by?" He smiles with mock patience as he answers.
"I will be back in about three hours, considering the amount of things I need to shop for... but rest assured, I will be home in time to put you to bed, Kobayashi-sama." I blink in shock at the almost-mocking voice he uses, and the next thing I know he is gone. He drives away in the rental car, presumably to return it at some point tonight. Once he is out of sight, I shudder in relief and let the emotionless front drop from my face. I close the front door, not bothering to lock it. Tears drip down my face and my lip quivers, but I make no sound. I turn around, taking one more look at the downstairs, before heading to the staircase. I slowly walk up, feeling as though each step is weighed down by concrete in my shoes. A pain starts growing in the pit of my stomach, making me feel sick.
Rin.
I reach the top of the stairs. There is a bedroom on the left and on the right with a shared bathroom in the middle.
Mom.
I chose the bedroom on the left. There isn't much in it other than an empty bookshelf, an empty armoire, and a bare mattress on a bed frame. A room in which I'll be occupying with Kiyoshi, but no twin to share it with. I place Kiyoshi down on the carpeted floor, since he no longer wants to be held.
Dad.
I wipe my tears with a swipe of my arm across my face, but they just keep falling.
Rin.
Something inside of me cracks a bit.
Flash.
My mom, begging for Rin and I's lives. Not her own, but ours.
Flash.
My dad, the demon, being held with a sword to his throat. He had been tracked down only because the Reapers found out that I exist.
Flash.
My twin sister, telling the Reaper she wont let him hurt me, but getting slashed across the throat by a shining blade for her efforts.
Flash.
The sickening sound and sight of me plunging the Reaper's own blade through the back of his head and letting him thud to the floor.
Flash.
Blood everywhere, four limp and cold bodies surrounding me. Me.
"It is all… because… of me…" I whisper, not noticing my change to English, "My… bloody… fault…" The only people to be close to me… to care for me… they died because of me. Because of what I am. I shouldn't even exist. I'm a monster. A demon with the mind of a human… a demon with the weaknesses and needs of a human. I can't protect the people close to me from the Reapers. But, I can protect them from even being targeted. So long as no one gets close, then no one gets hurt. I'll have no more blood on my… hands... My eyes widen as I feel dried blood on my hands, just like yesterday. I quickly lift my hands up to my face, but I can't see anything on them. But I can feel it… disgusting… I need to get. It. Off. I turn around and run out of the room, turning left and sprinting into the bathroom. I immediately turn on the sink, and shove my hands under the stream of water. The sensation doesn't go away.
"Get it off. Get it off! Get it off!" I hysterically start scrubbing my hands, rubbing and scratching at the skin to try and get it off. I gasp as rivulets of red start dripping off my hands disappearing down the drain with the water. It's working! It's coming off! I keep scrubbing and scratching, and gradually more and more blood starts pouring from my hands.
"Kobayashi-sama!" Two firm hands latch onto my own, stopping their frantic movements. "What are you doing!? You have injured your hands!" Sebastian-san pulls a roll of gauze out of nowhere, and in an instant has both of my hands wrapped tightly. "Have you been at this the entire time I was absent? What has gotten into you?" He grabs my chin gently but firmly, making me meet his eyes. I whimper slightly, but reply.
"I… I have to get the blood off… it's on my hands…" Sebastian-san sighs, before carefully leading me out of the bathroom. He led me to the right, into the bedroom I had chosen. Kiyoshi is sitting contentedly inside a crib, quietly playing with toys.
"Go to sleep, My Lady. You need to rest, you aren't well." He pulls pajamas out of nowhere, undressing me and dressing me at an inhuman speed. He takes off my eye patch, setting it down on a bedside table. The bed is already made with fluffy blankets and sheets but I don't know when that happened… regardless, he tucks me under the covers.
"We will discuss more in the morning once you have slept this off." I just nod, and sleep hits me in seconds.
-End Day 2, March 26th 2009, 9:00 P.M.-
-Start Day 3, March 27th 2009, 8:00 A.M.-
"Wake up, Kobayashi-sama. We have much to do today and much to discuss." I groan as Sebastian-san pulls back the curtains from a window I didn't notice the night before. Sunlight beams in through the window, hitting my closed eyelids and brightening up the room. I try to lift my hand to cover my eyes, but the movement sends waves of pain shooting through my hand. I whimper slightly, and I suddenly remember my break down last night.
"Kobayashi-sama, how are your hands feeling?" I crack my eyes open reluctantly, quickly adjusting to the bright light.
"They hurt pretty bad…" I reply, blushing in shame. Sebastian-san walks over to me, gently picking up my hands to examine them. The blood did not soak through the gauze, which is good. Sebastian-san helps me out of bed before quickly redressing me in a pair of black jeans and a blue short-sleeved cotton shirt. He leads me to the bathroom, pulls out a comb, and sets to work on my hair. I soon look like a presentable fourteen year old boy, and after putting on my eye patch, Sebastian-san starts on my hands. Gently removing the gauze, he examines them closely. The inside layer of the gauze has blood all over it, and my hands are covered in scratch marks and shallow gouges. Sebastian-san gently brings my hands up to his face, before beginning to lick every inch of my hands. I lurch back in disgust, but can't pull my hands away due to his strong hold on them. My disgust changes to shock as a remarkable change overcomes my hands.
"You did quite a number, Kobayashi-sama. I've healed most of the damage, though because of your own Demon blood I cannot heal them completely. Additionally, your Demonic-healing should speed up the process significantly." The wounds on my hands have faded significantly, leaving mostly bruises and tender flesh. Sebastian-san doesn't bother to apply fresh gauze.
"I have prepared a full, Western style breakfast for you consisting of a glass of orange juice, fried eggs, sausages, shredded hash browns, and pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. Kiyoshi-sama is already downstairs, eating. He put up quite a fuss, not wishing to leave the room you were in." My eye widens, my mouth already watering. After shaking myself to bring my mind back to earth, I speedily exit the bathroom, running down the stairs at top speed. Once downstairs, my eyes are drawn to the steaming, delicious looking heap of food sitting at the table in the living room. Kiyoshi is sitting in a highchair next to the table, eating small pieces of strawberry and sausage. I hadn't noticed until now how hungry I am, after not eating anything yesterday. I sit down at the table and pick up the utensils sitting there. My hands throb slightly at the action, but if I hold my fork and knife gently it is bearable.
"Thank you Sebastian-san!" I pronounce, before pigging out on the amazing food in front of me. Rin-nee-chan and I have always been suckers for food.
Several minutes later, I sit back in my chair holding my stomach in contentment.
"I see you have finished. Was everything to your satisfaction, Kobayashi-sama?" I nod enthusiastically, glancing over my shoulder to look at Sebastian-san.
"It was fantastic! You are a great cook."
"Thank you, Kobayashi-sama, but I am merely one Hell of a butler." I shiver slightly at the smug tone of voice, but just force a tiny smile instead of showing my discomfort. Sebastian-san quickly clears the table, before coming to stand by me.
"Earlier you said… we have lots to discuss today. What would you have us discuss, Sebastian-san?"
"Ah, yes. Well, you have several decisions to make. First, is what type of schooling you wish to have. Should you prefer homeschooling, I can teach you everything you need to know. If you would like to attend school in a more public setting, we need to pick a school for you to register in." I chew my bottom lip a bit as I think. The very thought of homeschooling reminds me of my parents and Rin-nee-chan, causing my heart to ache. I think I need to distance myself slightly from the things that so strongly remind me of them. And though it hurts terribly to contemplate doing anything without my twin, I know that I have no choice but to move forward.
"I would like to go to a public school. What options are there?"
"Well, the highest standard of education available within a feasible distance would be Ouran Academy. The greater portion of students attending belong to extremely high class and well off families. Everything available there is the best of the best. That would be my recommendation." I nod in acknowledgement, and wait for Sebastian-san to continue. "The next object of discussion would be creating a believable cover story. People will ask about details of your life, and so you need to develop a story that has truth in it, but not enough to give away anything that shouldn't be given away." Chewing my lip once more, I concentrate.
"How about… an Uncle I had no idea existed named Ciel died, leaving me an inheritance. Using said inheritance, I decide to get top notch schooling… but as I have grown up as a commoner, I don't feel the need to splurge the new found money on an extravagant and superfluous lifestyle. You can be a body guard, or guardian that used to work for my dead uncle… and you have been taking care of me since my parents… you know."
Sebastian-san claps, a smirk on his face.
"Well done, Kobayashi-sama. That is indeed a believable cover story." I try to smile, but it takes effort to do so. "The final order of business… is you. Before you can go out in public without revealing yourself, you need to learn to not show your Demon eyes or strength and speed. In an emergency, using your strength and speed is acceptable of course, and with only a small bit of trouble can be written off as adrenaline. However, showing your Demon eyes is not so easily ignored. Can you try to change your eyes right now?" I nod hesitantly. I close my eye, and concentrate.
"Can I do it without shutting down my emotions?" I ask meekly.
"Yes, of course you can. You need to simply want your Demon eyes to show. In fact, I suggest not shutting down your emotions in public, simply because when you do so you start functioning on pure instincts. Only do that in the most dire of situations. As for your strength and speed, it is much the same. You need to simply want access to it. Now that you are aware of the existence of your skills, you no longer need to channel raw instinct to bring them to the surface."
Eyes. Imagining the slightly warm feeling that spread through my face the last time my eyes glowed… or whatever… I concentrate on recreating it. An image of Johnny Storm from the Fantastic Four comes to mind, giving my inner geek sudden inspiration. Flame on! I open my eye, and look up at Sebastian-san.
"Did it work?" I ask excitedly. I did feel that foreign heat around my eyes… Sebastian-san has a small smirk on his face. His eyes flash, turning Demonic and back.
"Indeed, Kobayashi-sama. Now, see if you can change them back to human." I close my eye again, concentrating inwards. I focus on dispersing the heat gathered in and around my eyes, and slowly the heat lessens before disappearing all together. I slowly open my eye, looking at Sebastian-san hopefully.
"And again, congratulations Kobayashi-sama. You have managed to control it. We will continue practicing until you have it perfectly under control. Now, if you would like to even attend Ouran Academy this year, I need to go and register you. I have taken the liberty of purchasing you a pair of headphones and a device pre-loaded with over a thousand songs. I also purchased a bookshelf for the downstairs, and filled it with current popular novels among your age group. There is a basket full of toys for the young Kiyoshi-sama beside the bookshelf. That should keep you occupied until I return, should it not?" With a wide eye I nod, taking the headphones and Ipod Nano from Sebastian-san's outstretched hand. I glance over at the prominent bookshelf on the other side of the living room and my eye widens further. My eye starts sparkling brightly in wonder at all of the books, and a wide and genuine smile breaks out of my face as my aloof attitude falters in the face of something I love so much.
"Yes! Yes, this will be just fine~" I finish with a singsong tone, practically jumping up and down in place.
"Go ahead, Kobayashi-sama. Don't let me stop you." Sebastian-san smiles politely, and I grin back before lifting Kiyoshi out of the highchair and running over to the bookshelf to browse the books. I put Kiyoshi on the floor, quickly pulling a handful of toys out of the basket to keep him happy. In the back of my mind, I wonder at the seemingly innocent act of kindness from Sebastian-san and feel disappointed with myself at how easily I caved back to my normal, happy, excitable self, but I ignore the prickling thoughts in favor of finding a new world to disappear into. I set the Nano on shuffle, slipping the headphones over my ears. My heart breaks slightly as the first song comes on; Roads Untraveled by Linkin Park.
Weep not for roads untraveled
Weep not for paths left alone
'Cause beyond every bend
Is a long blinding end
It's the worst kind of pain
I've known.
Give up your heart left broken
And let that mistake pass on
'Cause the love that you lost
Wasn't worth what it cost
And in time you'll be glad it's gone
Weep not for roads untraveled
Weep not for sights unseen
May your love never end
And if you need a friend
There's a seat here alongside me.
The song ends, and I quickly turn to the book I picked out, "The Chronicles of Narnia", and start reading.
-End Day 3, March 27th 2009, 11:00 A.M.-
-Start Day 9, April 2nd 2009, 8:00 A.M.-
Five days pass really quickly, with nothing very exciting happening. I manage to hold myself together with no more major breakdowns over 'It', as I have taken to calling it, and I do a whole lot of reading, listening to music and playing with Kiyoshi. I now have a large playlist filled with my favourite songs, and have read a quarter of the books on the shelf. I had Sebastian-san buy a plush reading-chair for me two days in, and it now inhabits the space by my window in my room. However, last night was a bit different. I had a nightmare... and I've been awake for four and a half hours now. It's been a week and two days since that night... and the nightmares have finally started.
I hum, tapping the arm of my chair in time with the beat of the song playing loudly in my ears.
"I'm coming home, I'm coming home. Tell the world I'm coming home..." I sing quietly. I jump as I feel a light tap on my shoulder, spinning around in my chair and launching my headphones off and into my lap.
"Oh, it's you, Sebastian-san. You... startled me." My vision flashes briefly to the Reaper with the sword, but I blink and Sebastian-san is standing before me once more.
"You are already awake, I see. Might I inquire as to why?" Sebastian-san tilts his head slightly in question.
"I... had a nightmare. It's no big deal." My voice shakes and I blush even as I try to brush it off, making it fairly obvious it isn't 'no big deal'. However, Sebastian-san just nods and accepts my answer.
"And you are already dressed, as well. Well, I've come to deliver good news. Your acceptance letter from Ouran Academy came in the mail today. You start school in four days, Kobayashi-sama, on Monday the sixth of April. Congratulations."
I smile politely, and thank Sebastian-san quietly. Having already smelt the delicious hints of breakfast cooking downstairs, I know Sebastian-san cooked me food just like every other meal during the time we have been together.
"Can you bring Kiyoshi and I plates of the food you have prepared, Sebastian-san? I don't really want to go downstairs right now…" I turn back to stare at the open window, gazing at the morning sky once more. I watched the sunrise this morning… it was beautiful.
"Of course, Kobayashi-sama. I will be right back with your meal." I nod without turning around, and instead place my headphones back on. The music lulls me into a half-asleep state. I miss you, Rin. I miss you, mom… I miss you, dad… A single tear slips down my face, before I'm snapped out of it by Sebastian-san arriving with my food. I nod in thanks, wiping away the tear. He places a second plate on the floor where Kiyoshi is sleepily playing. Though my appetite is practically nonexistent, I eat slowly anyways. I don't even notice exactly what it is I am eating, instead focusing on the robotic movement of bringing my fork to my mouth.
Four days until I start school at Ouran Academy… playground for the obnoxiously rich and sheltered. I'm going to have to leave Kiyoshi with Sebastian-san when I'm there, something I am dreading. I've grown comfortable having Sebastian-san around Kiyoshi, but I can barely handle Kiyoshi being out of my sight.
The rest of the day passes by, as monotonous as the morning has been. Upon slipping into bed early, my heart clenches. Three more days… then I will be surrounded by people who haven't a care in the world. I'll have to constantly pretend everything is alright… that I haven't promised my soul to a Demon… that I'm not half Demon myself… and at the same time prevent anyone from getting close to me. I think of the Demonic powers that Sebastian has been teaching me to control, and shudder at the insane amount of strength I can have should I merely want it. I could hurt so many people so easily. I can't let anyone get hurt by me... or because of me. Not again.
-End Day 9, April 2nd 2009, 7:00 P.M.-
-Start Day 12, April 5th 2009, 6:00 P.M.-
Earlier today I was given a tour of Ouran Academy so I wouldn't be left floundering tomorrow amidst crowds of people. I brought Kiyoshi with me, earning some looks from the teachers, but Kiyoshi enjoyed exploring a new place after being cooped up for so long. The whole place is extremely large, fancy and… pink. I had also received my uniform, which I quite liked. It was a nice blue suit, which I actually looked quite nice in. With my short, raven black hair combed neatly, my petite yet not distinctly female face, and my one visible shining blue eye almost the same shade as the uniform I made for quite the handsome visage.
Tomorrow is Monday, the first day of school, and it is sure daunting. For the first time, more than a few people will know me as Kobayashi Masato. Thanks to Sebastian-san, I've gotten a bit used to being called my fake last name, but I have never been referred to as Masato.
"Kobayashi-sama?" Calls Sebastian-san from the door to my room.
"Yeah?" I respond, turning around to look at him.
"Your dinner is ready. It is a Chicken Curry with Rice, flavoured to your preferences. If you will follow me downstairs..." I stand up and walk towards him.
"Ah, thank you Sebastian-san. I would like to go to sleep early today, to ensure I have enough energy tomorrow." Sebastian-san nods.
"Of course, Kobayashi-sama." I follow him down the stairs, helping Kiyoshi with each step. I lift Kiyoshi into his highchair and sit at my place at the table. I help him pronounce bits of words he had been speaking lately, as had become a game between us in the past several days. The Curry is delicious of course, but at the same time it tastes bland as my mind wanders to the nightmares that had been plaguing my sleep every night since the first one a few days ago. I haven't been woken up quite as early as the first night, but I've woken up at about five each morning. Most of the nightmares are just the same scene playing over in my mind, but some of them had my family killed in progressively worse ways, or had me and Kiyoshi killed alongside them. Rubbing my eyes tiredly, I can only hope that I will get a better sleep tonight so I won't be dead tired for my first day at Ouran Academy.
-End Day 12, April 5th 2009, 7:00 P.M.-