Tamae sat in the library. She had just come from school. "I can't go back,"
Tamae thought, "Not to that place." She hated the orphanage, or "children's
home" that she had grown up in. She knew her story. It was a classic. Left
on the front step of an orphanage, wrapped in a blanket. The only other
thing with her at the time was a slip of paper with her name written on it.
With a sigh, she pondered what it was that made her hate the orphanage. It
wasn't that the people who ran the place were mean or anything. No, that
wasn't it. The feeling she got when she was there. that unwanted feeling.
That was it. "Why does no one want me?" she often thought. Tamae had grown
up seeing other children crooned over and adored. They were the lucky ones.
Guaranteed a good home. At first, the thought that usually people only
wanted babies or little kids to take home comforted Tamae. She was older,
that was why no one wanted her to come home with them. One day, though, a
thought hit her. "I was a baby once, too. Why did no one want me then?"
After that, she was always reserved. No one at school ever talked to her.
There was something about Tamae that told others to stay away. So quiet, so
guarded. That was her life.
Coming back to her senses, Tamae realized she could never wait the three years that was required of her to leave and start a new life. The orphanage would not let her leave their care until she was eighteen. Or adopted, but that was hopeless. Who would adopt a fifteen-year-old girl? She was no use. Feeling hot tears brimming, Tamae searched for a place where she could be alone. There, that room. It clearly stated AUTHORIZED PERSONEL ONLY on the door, but she didn't care. Running in, she cried and cried.
Tamae stirred as she woke up and finally realized where she was. In the library, the authorized personnel room. Checking her watch, Tamae noticed that it was past midnight. She had gotten herself locked in the library for the night. With a sigh, she looked around and realized the room was full of books. "I have a lot of time to waste," she thought, "Why not?" Tamae was an avid reader and so she wandered the room and pawed through the dusty shelves, trying to find good reading material. Suddenly, a glow caught her eye. There, that book. Tamae picked up the book. It seemed to have a certain aura to it that was so enticing... Running her hand over the worn cover, she noticed the title. "Universe of the Four Gods, eh? Doesn't sound like the type of thing I read, but I do have a lot of time. Why not?" She opened the book and a red glow appeared. Then, Tamae was sucked into The Universe of the Four Gods.
Tamae shrieked as she realized she was floating through a dark space. Then, she was on the ground in a busy marketplace where hawkers shouted their wares and people were fighting to get a good bargain. Quickly standing up, Tamae smoothed her school uniform, looking down at it in disdain. Her white blouse was covered in dirt and her purple skirt looked wilted and rumpled. Sighing, Tamae reached into her pockets. "No money?!" she shouted. Walking on, she found a deserted looking alley and plopped down on the ground. Too exhausted to do anything else, she fell into a fitful sleep. Tamae woke up to the sound of loud voices and exclamations. Still groggy, she looked up to a knife. "I'm dreaming, right?" she blurted.
"No, little girl. Now give me your money!"
"I don't have any! Honestly!" Tamae whimpered as she looked into the face of a big, ugly drunk.
"Liar! Look at you, obviously some rich foreigner. No one around here has clothes like that."
Tamae looked up again and saw that the drunk was wearing clothes from ancient China. Wait a minute, ancient China? Yup.
"Sorry, but are we in ancient China?" Tamae questioned.
"This ain't no ancient China, but it's China."
"Duh!" she thought to herself, "If the people here are in ancient China, they won't think it's ancient!"
Sharp pain shot through her wrist as she heard a sickening crack. Shrieking in pain, Tamae dimly heard the drunk demanding money and realized he had pinned her arm behind her back. Remembering that she was alone and defenseless, Tamae shivered with fear. Then, he dropped her as a huge table hit him in the back of the head. Tamae peered behind the fallen drunk to get a glimpse of her savior, expecting to see a big burly man. Instead, she saw a short guy with longish purple hair, cut short in the back. He was wearing black pants, boots, and a white shirt.
"That's funny," Tamae thought to herself, "I wouldn't have expected such a short little guy to be hitting someone with a TABLE!"
The purple-haired dude who looked around eighteen was trying to help her get up, off of the alley floor.by pulling on her wounded arm! With a shriek of pain, Tamae jerked her arm away.
"Gomen, gomen, gomen!" exclaimed the guy, "I was trying to help you up!" He now scooped her up and was running off with her.
"Uh, where are we going?" Tamae questioned.
"Believe me, if you are from where Miaka is from, which I think you are judging from your clothes, I'm guessing you would never understand!" Deciding not to question this any further, Tamae just sat in the guy's arms, wincing whenever her arm was jolted.
"Gotta get you to Mitsukake!"
"Huh?"
"Nevermind."
"Hey, what's your name?" The thought had just struck Tamae that she had never asked this guy's name. He had saved her life!br
"Nuriko. Yours?"
"Tamae."
"We'll be there soon, Tamae." She trusted him, and was content to wait until they got to wherever it was they were going.
Arigato to all who read my story! Thanks so much! ^^ This is my first fic, so I know it may not be very good, but please review and tell me how I can make it better!
Coming back to her senses, Tamae realized she could never wait the three years that was required of her to leave and start a new life. The orphanage would not let her leave their care until she was eighteen. Or adopted, but that was hopeless. Who would adopt a fifteen-year-old girl? She was no use. Feeling hot tears brimming, Tamae searched for a place where she could be alone. There, that room. It clearly stated AUTHORIZED PERSONEL ONLY on the door, but she didn't care. Running in, she cried and cried.
Tamae stirred as she woke up and finally realized where she was. In the library, the authorized personnel room. Checking her watch, Tamae noticed that it was past midnight. She had gotten herself locked in the library for the night. With a sigh, she looked around and realized the room was full of books. "I have a lot of time to waste," she thought, "Why not?" Tamae was an avid reader and so she wandered the room and pawed through the dusty shelves, trying to find good reading material. Suddenly, a glow caught her eye. There, that book. Tamae picked up the book. It seemed to have a certain aura to it that was so enticing... Running her hand over the worn cover, she noticed the title. "Universe of the Four Gods, eh? Doesn't sound like the type of thing I read, but I do have a lot of time. Why not?" She opened the book and a red glow appeared. Then, Tamae was sucked into The Universe of the Four Gods.
Tamae shrieked as she realized she was floating through a dark space. Then, she was on the ground in a busy marketplace where hawkers shouted their wares and people were fighting to get a good bargain. Quickly standing up, Tamae smoothed her school uniform, looking down at it in disdain. Her white blouse was covered in dirt and her purple skirt looked wilted and rumpled. Sighing, Tamae reached into her pockets. "No money?!" she shouted. Walking on, she found a deserted looking alley and plopped down on the ground. Too exhausted to do anything else, she fell into a fitful sleep. Tamae woke up to the sound of loud voices and exclamations. Still groggy, she looked up to a knife. "I'm dreaming, right?" she blurted.
"No, little girl. Now give me your money!"
"I don't have any! Honestly!" Tamae whimpered as she looked into the face of a big, ugly drunk.
"Liar! Look at you, obviously some rich foreigner. No one around here has clothes like that."
Tamae looked up again and saw that the drunk was wearing clothes from ancient China. Wait a minute, ancient China? Yup.
"Sorry, but are we in ancient China?" Tamae questioned.
"This ain't no ancient China, but it's China."
"Duh!" she thought to herself, "If the people here are in ancient China, they won't think it's ancient!"
Sharp pain shot through her wrist as she heard a sickening crack. Shrieking in pain, Tamae dimly heard the drunk demanding money and realized he had pinned her arm behind her back. Remembering that she was alone and defenseless, Tamae shivered with fear. Then, he dropped her as a huge table hit him in the back of the head. Tamae peered behind the fallen drunk to get a glimpse of her savior, expecting to see a big burly man. Instead, she saw a short guy with longish purple hair, cut short in the back. He was wearing black pants, boots, and a white shirt.
"That's funny," Tamae thought to herself, "I wouldn't have expected such a short little guy to be hitting someone with a TABLE!"
The purple-haired dude who looked around eighteen was trying to help her get up, off of the alley floor.by pulling on her wounded arm! With a shriek of pain, Tamae jerked her arm away.
"Gomen, gomen, gomen!" exclaimed the guy, "I was trying to help you up!" He now scooped her up and was running off with her.
"Uh, where are we going?" Tamae questioned.
"Believe me, if you are from where Miaka is from, which I think you are judging from your clothes, I'm guessing you would never understand!" Deciding not to question this any further, Tamae just sat in the guy's arms, wincing whenever her arm was jolted.
"Gotta get you to Mitsukake!"
"Huh?"
"Nevermind."
"Hey, what's your name?" The thought had just struck Tamae that she had never asked this guy's name. He had saved her life!br
"Nuriko. Yours?"
"Tamae."
"We'll be there soon, Tamae." She trusted him, and was content to wait until they got to wherever it was they were going.
Arigato to all who read my story! Thanks so much! ^^ This is my first fic, so I know it may not be very good, but please review and tell me how I can make it better!