Author's Notes: This is intended to be a semi-alternate universe involving Chichiri/Hôjun, Hikô, and Kôran. As I said, it's a semi-alternate universe, so the story won't be completely different. It will start out very much the same as the original story, but there will be one glaring difference that will change the events later on varyingly. When I get to the part recounted in Watase Yuu's story, whatever parts I skip over remain the same as the original. So, basically, I'll be skipping from event to event, just telling the parts that differ from Watase's original. If you want a recap of the parts that I don't write about, you're reading the wrong story and need to go a site that has episode summaries. Oh, yeah, and a warning: this story might get pretty dark in spots, so if you don't like that kind of stuff, stay away.
Yes, I know I spell some of the names funny, but bear with me, okay? Onegai shimasu?
These characters do not belong to me. They belong to the wonderful creative genius Watase Yuu and Flower Comics, as well as all the other companies holding copyrights to this awesome story (I don't know who they all are). I made up names for the main characters' family members, and I'll probably add some new characters as their friends, or something like that. I'm making this up as I go, though.
Anyway, I've babbled for long enough. On with the show, no da!
Love, Life, and Death
By Annie-chan
Chapter One: ChildhoodIt was another bright spring morning in Shôryû, and a young child had just awoken to the light of the rising sun streaming in the window above his bed. He squirmed, trying to get his face to where the offending light didn't shine right in his still sleepy eyes. But, he was soon jolted awake by a sudden remembrance. It was his birthday! He was ten years old today! His eyes shot open, but closed again quickly as he looked straight into the sunlight. Perturbed, he rolled over in the bed he shared with his fourteen-year-old brother, Taiyô.
Funny, he thought. It's always either one sun or the other waking me up. If the sunrise didn't wake him up by shining in his eyes, Taiyô was sure to by rolling over and flopping his arm across Hôjun's face, or something like that. His niisan wasn't the most peaceful of sleepers.
The insistent light out of his eyes, Hôjun crawled over Taiyô, who seemed to be able to sleep through anything, including Hôjun climbing over him to get out of bed. Hôjun wasn't usually delicate about climbing over him, either.
Finally, his feet on the floor, he quickly dressed and ran out the door into the main part of the house. His mother, Sensaisa, was already up, of course. She was busy cooking breakfast for her family, as she always was when Hôjun got up in the morning. His father, Tsuyosa, wasn't in the house as far as Hôjun could tell, so he must have been outside working or something before breakfast. Hôjun's speculations proved right as he heard his father's voice speaking and laughing outside the partially open door with a few other voices, along with the sound of an axe hitting wood.
"Ohayô, Hôjun-chan!" his mother's sweet voice said. "Tanjôbi omedetô!"
"Ohayô gozaimasu, Kâsan! Arigatô gozaimasu!" He noticed that breakfast would still be a while, as his mother had just started it, and he was about to run outside to see if his friends were about yet, when his mother stopped him.
"Go and wake up your brother, Hôjun," she said to her about-to-protest young son. "Your father wanted his help with the morning work a little earlier than usual today, and I have to watch the cooking fire right now."
"Aww, Okâsaaaaaaaaaaaaan," Hôjun whined. Waking up Taiyô was harder than pulling hen's teeth. He was about to go on with his displeasure when he was given one of those Mother Looks that leave no room for arguing. "Okay, okay, I'm going." He went back into his bedroom and debated what was the best method for waking his brother up this time. Shouting wouldn't work, as he had gotten in trouble the last time he tried that to wake up Taiyô. Jumping on his brother's unconscious form probably wouldn't work either, for he had slept through Hôjun blundering over him to get out of bed, and if that didn't wake him, nothing short of throwing him out the window would. Hôjun finally decided on the hold-his-nose-and-cover-his-mouth-until-he-can't-breathe-and-therefore-wakes-up method. Taiyô usually wasn't a happy camper after that, though. Hôjun would have to be prepared for the random payback his brother would almost undoubtedly bestow upon him sometime that day.
After sufficiently bringing his brother to an acceptable level of consciousness, Hôjun again ran out into the main part of the house and succeeded on making it out the front door this time. He noticed that his younger sister, Hanabira, was up and playing with the carved wooden horse their father had given her under the watchful eye of their mother. Hanabira was only two, after all, so she needed constant watching.
As he got outside, he noticed Hikô already running toward him with a big grin on his face. "Ohayô, Hôjun! Tanjôbi omedetô! Kôran will be out as soon as she finishes dressing. What do you want to do? I found a new trail up in the woods! We gotta explore it! Ne? Ne?"
"Yeah," Hôjun replied almost absentmindedly. Kôran had just emerged from her home and was coming toward them. He didn't know why, but he always felt something different for Kôran than he did his other friends. It was like something more than friendship, but he didn't know what. He had asked his parents about it, but they had just smiled knowingly and said he'd figure it out on his own when he got older. That had only served to confuse the poor boy more.
They stood a safe distance away from all the activity in the road and chattered about how they'd go about exploring that new trail. A little bit later, Hôjun's mother called him in for breakfast at about the same time Hikô and Kôran's mothers called them in for breakfast. It always happened that way! They had always wondered if their mothers met up with one another and coordinated their activities. It was just too uncanny.
After the children had eaten and convinced their mothers that they'd be safe on the new trail (Kôran had to use the excuse of being with two boys), they ran up the river to the woods, laughing all the way.*
*Yes, I know it sounds like they're dashing though the snow in a one-horse open sleigh.
They got to the trail and went down, cautiously. Or, if you will, as cautiously as two ten-year-old boys and a nine-year-old girl wished to go. They went quite a ways down until they found a sufficient hiding spot, and staked a "hideout". It had no purpose, really, except the fact that the three kids now "owned" that part of the woods. They spent about as much time there as it took them to get bored and leave the spot until another day, and headed back to town, as it was nearly midday, and all three kids' stomachs were growling. Kôran was a bit distressed, as it wasn't ladylike for her stomach to be growling like it was. Hôjun and Hikô always wondered why she spent most of her time with them if she so much admired proper lady's behavior. They certainly never encouraged her to shy away from such "boyish" activities as they participated in, unless it was a totally unspeakable activity for a girl or a woman, such as engaging in play-fights, as Hôjun and Hikô did from time to time. Still, Kôran was determined to act like a lady, though she didn't always adhere to that determination.
After the midday meal, they again joined up, only this time they went out to an unfarmed field not far from town. The soil on that patch of land wasn't good for much except growing copious amounts of weeds, but the tall grass was perfect for hiding in. They met up with some of their other friends, and they all engaged in a several-hours-long game of hide-and-seek. By the time they had all decided they had enough of crouching in the grass to last for a week, they dispersed to their homes. When Hôjun, Hikô, and Kôran reached the road that held their houses, Hikô saw his mother emerge from the front door of his home to come looking for him. He said goodbye and happy birthday, and ran back home to were his mother was waiting with a light scolding for not coming back a little sooner. When Hikô was inside, Kôran turned to Hôjun and did something he least expected her to do.
"Tanjôbi omedetô, Hôjun-kun," she said. However, instead of just saying "sayonara" and heading to her house, she wrapped her small arms around him in a tight hug. He was surprised, to say the least, but he embraced her back, a slight blush staining his cheeks. They pulled apart and she gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "You're my best friend, you know."
She turned and went down the road to where she lived, and he just stood there, strange, unidentifiable emotions running through him. He remained standing there, staring in the direction she had gone. It wasn't until he heard his father's voice asking if he was going to stand there all night or come inside that he broke his trance and went inside where supper was just about ready to be served. As he went inside, he wondered vaguely just how many people had seen him and Kôran hugging like that.
To be continued…Author's Notes: Yay! The first chapter of my first fanfic is done! How did it turn out? I'd really like you to send any comments you have on it, as it's my first fanfic and I don't know what people think of my writings yet. Mail me at mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai, onegai, onegai shimasu!