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The storm roared on as the heavy droplets of water came down on the roof of the car. Despite the thunder and the storm raging on outside, the tiny child, about four years of age, sitting in the passenger seat said nothing. There was only silence and the heavy rain.

No words were exchanged. No explanations were made or given. They had finally arrived at the mansion. Never in her life had she seen such a huge structure and to a child as small as Anise was, it was nothing short of horrifying; resembling the monsters she imagined under her bed.

Thunder boomed and lightning flashed angrily across the sky. Anise had never been more terrified in her life than she was now, but her father's last and only words to her during the car ride on the way there echoed in her ears, "No matter what Anise, do not search for the beast or else a terrible curse will befall you."

At such a young age, Anise could not understand what he meant, but at the time, she could find no logical reason as to why she would ever want to find a 'beast'. Also, she was afraid of punishment so surely, she thought she would have no trouble following her father's orders.

After her father had unloaded all her bags out onto the pavement where she stood in front of the huge doors, under the rain, he got back into his car and without so much as a glance in his daughters direction and drove off. Anise felt her eyes welled up as she screamed for her Papa to come back. It was no use. He couldn't hear her. He was too far away and even if he could hear, Anise was sure that he wouldn't have returned anyway.

Wiping away her tears and putting on a strong face, she summed up all the courage she could and knocked on the large doors as hard as her little hands would allow her. She was too tired now to be afraid and too cold and numb to care about much of anything. All she wanted was to sleep and let her dreams carry her away.

With a loud creek from the aging wood, the doors opened and she was greeted by a young looking man (more like a boy) who quite actually resembled her father; the lab coat, glasses, nerdy physique, well except, of course, for the warmth that painted this man's face with the kindness and hospitality that her father's face was always devoid of.

"You must be Anise," he smiled at her, pulling her and her luggage into the large house and out of the rain, "I'm sorry about what's happened. I'm Itsushi." Giving her his bigger hand, he motioned for her to take it which she did.

"I-it-shushi," four year old Anise murmured, having much difficulty in pronouncing his name which she later on ended up shortening to, "Sushi".

Walking quietly up the stairs, her hand in his, he ushered her to what would be her room from now on. It was a very spacious room with a bookshelf taller than her full of novels on one wall, a full desk with a lampshade on one side and in the middle a bed that could fit four people, covered in pink satin sheets. She stared up at him, her big red irises silently asking him if this really was her room.

He smiled again and gave her wet head a pat, "Yes, this all yours. The master insists that you have the best." She really couldn't believe that. Never in her life had she had such a large and extravagant room. "If you need anything just call," his smile never leaving his young face. Anise silently wished that this person, Sushi - kun, would never age and become hard the way her father did.

"Do you need me to help you bathe?" He asked the four year old, surprised when he got a sure "no" with a shake of her head. "I already know how to bathe myself. Papa taught me. I also know how to read and write and fix my bed on my own." The tiny pinkette said with utmost pride. She was not only independent and very self sufficient, but also strong willed and outspoken, Itsushi observed.

He smiled, amused by the light in the tiny child who had just been left here by her only parent. Kneeling down to muse her hair, the smile on his face fell just the slightest, turning into a stern, but still gentle look. "Anise, there is only one rule in this house. Do you think you can follow it for me?"

Anise, caught of guard by the sudden change in his mood nods wordlessly, wondering if she maybe made him angry. "Okay. No matter what, do not go to the third floor study inside the library or to the rose maze in the back garden, alright?"

"This house and every inch of it is yours to roam except for those two places, do you understand? And never, no matter what you hear from anyone, never search for the master, alright?"

Scared by his words, but trusting the person who'd shown her kindness when she needed it most, she nodded, promising to him that she would never go to any of those places or look for this 'Master' person. After Itsushi is sure he can count on her to keep her word, his smile reappears and Anise is relieved by the warmth that is once again there. He leaves her to her chambers with a soft goodbye and the click of the door locking as he leaves.

After her bath, Anise plops onto the warm pink sheets and wraps herself under the covers as the rain and roaring thunder continues on. For the first time in her life, she was afraid of thunder and that night was the first night she began crying herself to sleep to the sound of it.

Hello everyone! Thank you for reading. This is my first ever Barajou No Kiss fanfic, so I hope it was okay. Sorry for the lack of editing. I currently have no one who is interested in editing my work, so I'm sorry. Good or bad feedback is greatly appreciated. So Review, Follow or favorite! Thanks so much!
-R.