Just to put it out there, I don't own crap. The only thing I own is my imagination, and that's exactly nothing but crap. So, enjoy this pile of crap. ^_^
I think the first time I saw him he was only six, though I can't really remember. I have known him for so long now, I just can't remember!
"Well, maybe this'll help." I heard a familiar voice and felt a thin needle penetrate the skin on my left arm.
All the memories of the first time I'd seen the little strawberry came flooding back.
"WAAAAAAAH!" I heard splintering wood and tearing rice paper. I immediately ran out of the training room to see what had happened. I saw nothing unusual, though I did see a neon orange puff coming up from the wreck.
"Oof!" The head of a six year old boy sprouted from under the puff, and angry eyes latched onto my own.
From the start I knew he was different.
A few weeks later, after getting the door to my family's dojo restored, the same orange hair could be seen in the window of my office. I was teaching a class, so his registration would have to wait. I saw it bob up and down, and I realized the kid was trying to watch me teach my sword class. I deducted that he was trying to pick up a few tricks and techniques so he wasn't so clueless when he started.
As soon as I had finished my class, I set my bamboo sword in the corner of the training room and walked over to the hidden door to my office. I slowly closed it behind me and grabbed a navy blue jacket beside the door to battle the cool temperature.
"So, are you interested in joining little guy?" I addressed him with a cheery smile.
"Yeah, why else would I be here?" He harbored the same scowl as the first time I saw him and he crossed his arms in arrogance.
I looked around for a parent, guardian, someone who had come with him but I found none.
"Where's your mommy?"
"Don't got one." This took me back a bit, because the last time I had seen him he had been rescued by a woman across the street who claimed to be his mother.
"Well, do you have a daddy?"
"Nu-uh." He shook his head and I could tell he was holding back tears at the memory of his parents. I wasn't going to push him any farther than he needed to go.
"Do you at least have somewhere to go at night?" By his dirty face and raggedy clothes, I suspected this answer would be a no as well. "You know what, don't answer that one."
"Whatever." He rolled his eyes, and I sympathized with him slightly because I had been a street rat without a family until my brother brought me in about fifteen years ago.
"Do you want somewhere to stay?" I leaned forward onto the desk and tried to look as comforting as possible.
He looked slightly astonished at first, but then he went back to scowling and said, "Sure, fine, I guess."
"Well, there's a start." I lifted my voice and gave it an encouraging tone.
He looked up at me again. "Are you gonna teach me or what, lady?!"
"Okay, yeah, sure. Just, try not to be so loud in here. You can let it all out in classes, if you want." I sensed a dark aura beginning to encircle the boy, and saw a small bit of black bleed into the whites of his eyes.
"God, you've gotta be kidding me! One sec lady, I gotta go to the bathroom!" He rushed out of the room, darkness trailing him as he went.
"Um... Okay."