A/N: Well hello~~~~... How've ya been?... What's up? What's new? I'll tell you what is new. NEW FANFICTION~! Okay, enough of that crap. XD Yes, welcome to my new fanfiction. This is a Yoite and Miharu pairing fanfiction that's AU (Alternate Universe) and rated T (for teens. XD)
Warning! Lots of spoilers!
You have been warned.
P.S. This was made after I finished reading the Hunger Games series. I was curious on how the whole thing would play out and this story kind of popped into my head... So tada~ :3
Enjoy! Ja ne!
Summary:
Thirteen years ago, the Shinrabansou was ripped away from its owner. Forcefully. Without its consent. By an unknown force. Now, the new age has begun. The world has fallen to the new ruler of the Nabari world. Humans have been forced upon each other like savage beasts. In this world, the previous owner, struggling for life like everybody else, meets another who has had his own share of misfortunes.
Chapter 1: Who am I?
The rain has doused my hair into a mop of soaked tresses that dangle in my face. I brush them away to see better, and just as I do, the long waiting has paid off. Before me, at least ten yards away, is a young buck with its mother. I can feel my mouth water at just the thought of having a solid meal for the next few weeks.
I pull my long bow up to my chest and prep it with an arrow. I pull both of them up to my face and take aim. The mother has looked up to check her surroundings while the baby eats some grass on the ground. In my head, I silently pray for them to go to heaven, to be out of this hell. With one even, quiet and heavy breath, I pull back on the arrow.
My hand moves to let go, but there's the sound of cracking branches, alerting the deer and faun that something is there. They are quickly gone, and my breath is let out in an exasperated sigh. My meal ticket is gone. My stomach is already crying at the loss of a few heavy meals. It's only been two days, but the pain is unbearable.
I have to concentrate though. If I don't hunt now, I'll be starving later. Then I remember; there were those sounds. Anything small wouldn't make those sounds, or startle two deer.
'Another human...' I mouth my thoughts, but no sound comes out. I tuck my arrow away in its seethe on my back and pull the bow around my shoulder. I pull a small hand knife from my hand-made pouch around my hip and prepare myself for a fight. I don't know who, or what is there. I'm at a total disadvantage. My only hope is that they don't know I'm here. That would be my advantage.
I quietly move through the branches of the bushes and short trees, being careful of the thorns from the bushes or any poisonous plants. Any of those could easily kill me. I don't have antibiotics for cuts, and nearly no clean water. I don't even know what I would do if I touched a plant that had poison in it.
As I pace through the bushes, I push some branches out of the way to see what it was that made the sound. It was a small animal, which caught me off guard, but what was more shocking was it was feet in the air, dangling by its neck with wire around it. It was motionless. It was dead.
I may have lost the deer, but at least this meal is here for me. I look around, not seeing anything. No one was there. They must have left after setting up the trap in hopes of coming back with results. Well, they weren't going to have any. My stomach growls loudly, and I realize if I don't get the rabbit, my stomach will set off my position.
I jump from the bushes and dash for the rabbit. Once I get there, I work on the wire that's around its neck. It's tight and I'm forced to work on it with my knife. I hiss, having to work as hard as I can, but nothing works. I don't know what this wire is made of, but it's strong. My stomach growls louder, urging me to try harder.
"I wouldn't do that." A voice calls out over the rain. I gasp, stop what I'm doing, and whip around with my knife in hand. There is no one there. I look around more, wondering if I was just hearing things. I'm so hungry it's possible I'm beginning to become delusional.
"If you move around like that, you're going to lose a leg." There's the voice again. I swear it's distorted, because what I'm hearing doesn't sound on the ground. I look up, and sitting on a tree branch is a lanky, skinny boy. On his head is a tan hat, shielding his face from the rain. On his body is a long, black trench coat. His skin is pale and his eyes are dark blue, darker from the shadow of his hat.
I find myself wondering if he's threatening me. He looks pathetically harmless, in fact, he looks just as sick as someone like me who hasn't eaten in days, but he's telling me not to move. If I move, I'll lose a limb. I can easily shoot him down with an arrow, but between the time I pull out my bow and arrow and aim, what could he do to me?
Now I'm just holding still. I glare at him defiantly, but he's looking at me without any emotion on his face. Somehow, it's creepy.
"Well?" I say. He tilts his head and covers an ear with his hand. I'm wondering if he's mocking me, but then I realize he didn't hear me. Somehow irritated to no end, I cover my mouth and shout. "Get down here!"
He hears me that time.
"Okay." He says. "Just don't move. If you move, you're going to lose a leg." Again with that threat. In the back of my head, I'm just itching for the moment he comes down to the ground so I can beat the crap out of him.
He jumps off of the branch and grabs it before he can fall. He looks down at the ground for a moment, and I can tell he's thinking about the decision to jump or lower himself down. It's not a far drop, but anyone who hasn't eaten could easily be weak.
He drops down and grunts when he lands. I see him stagger, and it's verified that he's weak. He pushes himself up by his knees and stands. I see now how tall he really is. He must be six foot two at least.
When he begins to move forward, I can feel an icy chill go up my back.
I don't want to die...
He's going to kill me...
I don't want to die...
These voices in the back of my head have me frozen. He slowly walks over, the thin twigs crunching under him. He's slow, and as he gets closer, I feel my breath freezing. I'm gripping my knife tightly, but I can't seem to raise it in defense.
And then he's standing in front of me. His staring me down. I realize how defenseless I am. He has no weapons on him. Nothing. He's incredibly thin. And yet I find myself at such a disadvantage.
Slowly, his arm leaves his side. It goes past my arm and wraps around my waist. I let out a faint gasp as I'm suddenly pulled to his drenched body. His jacket, what I originally thought was a mix of plastic and fabric so nothing would soak threw, is completely fabric. He shaking as hard as I am, but I'm not cold like him. I'm scared.
Just as I am about to push away, his foot goes past my legs and kicks something behind us. I look over my shoulder to see a cleverly hidden hunting trap.
Now I understood what he meant. Had I taken one step back like he said, I literally would have lost my leg. The trap would have taken my leg clean off. Or worse, it would have just left me trapped, and I'd be forced to take my own leg off.
I gulp as he releases me. I look up just as his eyes look at mine. For a moment, I swear there's a smirk on his lips, but my eyes are trained on his so I can't tell.
"There are traps set up all around this area." He says. He moves to the rabbit, and I watch him pull a small pocket knife from his pocket. Well, he was armed. "Do you hunt here often?" I watch as the small knife, seemingly tiny and useless, cuts through the wire in one swift motion. He takes the little rabbit in his arms and cradles it like a baby.
"U-Um..." My voice is scratchy. I haven't talked to another human in... A long time. I don't know what day this is. It could be mid-week or weekend. In fact, now that I think about it... I have no idea what year we're even in.
He hasn't looked up from the rabbit yet. His fingers are rubbing its forehead and then move down to its tiny, fuzzy chest. He waits unnaturally still and then a smile is on his lips.
"Why do that?" I ask. I'm surprised I still remember basic words. He looks up at me, his eyes covered by the rim of his hat and, now that I can get a better look at him, his black bangs sticking out from under it.
"I was hoping his death was quick. There's no point for him to suffer because he wants to live." The boy says with poeticism in his tone.
So he's just another guy trying to survive. It's a scary relief I feel, knowing that there are others who still have some hope and kindness in the world.
"You should be careful around here. There are a lot of traps. With traps come humans." He turns on his heels, but he looks over his shoulder at me. I'm waiting for something more, but then I realize he's waiting for a response from me.
"Oh, uh... Okay..." Well I did say it has been a while since I talked to someone.
"Don't stay here. The Trackers will be here in an hour." He says and turns away. It's now that he mentions it that I remember them. The Trackers. Trackers, back from twelve years ago, were special ninja hired, trained, raised, or bred to kill. That was all they knew how to do. They had no emotions. Killing was an easy thing for them.
After the sealing of the Shinrabansou for the second time, the Nabari No Ou hired them as a sort of interpreter, but they ended up being the violent sort. They took down anyone who stood in their or the Nabari No Ou's way. Anyone who defied him or went against his wishes, the Trackers would take them down before they could breathe their last breath.
I guess I had been hidden away for so long I assumed they had just vanished. If this boy knew about them, we're they that close? Had he seen them in person? I had never seen one in person before. I had only ever heard about them.
"They're here?" I ask. I trot up to the boy, noticing he is still cradling the little rabbit.
"Yes." He didn't say anymore. I stopped, watching as he got further away from me. Somehow, instead of thinking about him, I was thinking about the food that just got away. Now I didn't have anything to eat. Another night with an empty stomach I guess.
The boy turns around suddenly and looks at me, his face distorted in confusion.
"Was that your stomach?" He asks. I look down, and this time, I hear my stomach let out a low and heavy growl. I guess this is punishment for not being smart.
"Uh..." Again I can't speak. The boy sighs and walks back over to me.
"In my pocket." He says. "Take it." I look at him, then to the pocket he's motioning to. He's too preoccupied holding the corpse to do it for me. I hesitantly reach in his coat pocket, fishing around until my fingers brushed against something foreign. I pull it out and inspect the small, plastic bag now in my hands.
It's been way to long since I've seen real plastic, and forgetting there's something in it, I take a moment to relish the feel of it under my dirty fingers.
Then I see the material inside it. I look to see the big bits of brown mushrooms hidden away behind the plastic.
"No way! Are these real?" I ask, completely astonished. Seeing them, I can tell they are not normally grown around these, or any, parts of the woods. They're made in the city garden domes. They're highly expensive, even for the people who live in the cities. Of course, they can afford it.
"Yeah." He says. "I found them." I hardly believe he found them, but he's offering them to me, and I'm not about to argue with him.
"And... I can have them?" I ask. He nods his head.
"Uh huh. I was going to make a rather big dinner tonight, but I can risk it. You need the food." He explains.
I nearly drool. This isn't the same amount I had planned in the beginning, but the hunger pains in my stomach will surely go away. These mushrooms from the garden domes are genetically altered. They have more flavors in them, and are much bigger than the original. Just one will give me sweet dreams for many nights.
"And I can just have them?" I ask again, looking up with pleading and hopeful eyes. I had never felt so happy from someone's kindness before. At least, I haven't felt this way in a very long time.
"Yes, I already said you could." He looks to the rabbit, then back to me. "I need to go." He says.
"Oh..." Somehow, his words are bringing down my recent hope.
"Be careful on your way back to wherever you're going. Don't get caught in any traps." He tells me. I nod my head.
"Okay." He turns away again and leaves. When he's hidden away in trees, I open the plastic quickly and pull out a mushroom. My mouth is already watering. I don't care that it is dirty from the ground. I'm so hungry that it takes all my energy and restraint to not eat all of it plus what's in the bag. I put the mushroom to my lips and take a moment to simply enjoy the texture and sensation. Then, I eat it.
My eyes water with happiness, but also sadness. There were only three, and now that I ate one, there were two. I'm happy and sad. I wipe my eyes against my wet sweater and sniffle. Such kindness from someone who I had never seen before.
Maybe there is still some hope for this messed up world.
"Hey!" I hear his voice again. I look around, but when I don't see him, I look up. I see him standing on the branch he was on previously. His hand was against the trunk, holding him up. The rabbit was still in one arm.
"Yes?" I ask.
"You're doing it again." He says. I give him a confused look, not understanding him. Then I look down, and once again, the trap is only inches from my foot. How did I do that? I didn't even move!
"Uh... Thanks." I mumble. I move away from the trap.
"Are you going to be okay on your own?" He asks me, tilting his head.
"I'm still alive, aren't I?" I retort.
"Well if you keep moving forward, you'll be my next meal." He says. I stop as look down. I didn't even see the wire near my foot. There are so many traps I have to agree with him. How the hell am I not dead yet?
"I'll be fine." I say. I get now why he's staying in the trees. There aren't any traps up there. Up there he's as safe as a bird.
"You sure?" He asks. I can see him smiling from where I stand. I nod my head as I stuff the plastic bag in my pocket. I need to hide it from sight before I eat anymore. I'm feeling better though. The pain is subsiding. These mushrooms really are good for a starving person.
"Yes."
"Alright..." He frowns. "Goodbye, I guess." He says.
"Goodbye." I know I won't be seeing him again. I say it as kindly as I can, even though I'm not used to it. I will miss him... I think.
"What's your name?" He asks. I shake my head, surprised by the sudden question.
"Huh?"
"Name." He speaks out each syllable. "What is your name?"
"Oh." I look at the ground and think about it. It had been so long since I had the chance to say or hear my own name. Did I even remember it? Did I even know it?
Who am I?
"You know who you are, don't you?" He asks me. I look up to see him sitting on the tree again, his legs dangling and swinging back and forth.
"Yes!" I feel my face flush in embarrassment and agitation. It's then that my name comes back to my mind.
"So what is it?" He asks. I swear he's making fun of me.
"My name is Rokujo Miharu!" I shout at him. I stomp my foot and I see him frown, his head tilting.
"Well Rokujo Miharu. You just got stuck in my trap." I look down just as the wire of his snare tightens around my legs. It yanks quickly and pulls me down to the ground. I smack my head against the ground and grunt as I'm lifted in the air. I dangle for a moment in the air, but it ends quickly when the snare, only made for small animals that won't struggle when their neck snaps, gives way and I fall to the ground.
I hit the ground again, and everything goes blank.
A/N: For this fanfiction, if you want releases on chapters, I need fast reviews. So as of right now, you get one chapter a week. The more reviews I get, the faster I upload. The series is already done on my computer, so I can upload pretty fast. ;)
