Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognise, Scarlette Fléau is mone though.

Chapter I

To Scarlette Fléau, the world was quiet here. A phrase which here means, that there was peace and tranquility as she looked over the city from her high spot in the tree on top of the hill.

Though she knew for a fact the world was anything but quiet, but before she had to go and hand herself over she thought that she might as well enjoy her last moments of freedom watching the sun set over the slowly silencing city. The wind pushed a few strands of her silver and grey hair into her eyes which she slowly moved away. She knew that there was no way to stop what had been coming. Her Grandma had protected her as best as she could. It was not enough. She could see that now, now that her life was about to change forever.

Scarlette watched as the last few rays of sun died down and stepped forward, her hand grasping tightly onto the branches above her.

"Caché aile." She whispered for what felt like the last time and felt the slight pain as small wings sprouted from her back, tiny in size but strong none the less, she let go of the branch and fell down from the tree and from the hill. Her wings let her fall then as they caught the wind they supported her and helped her glide upwards too high for people from the city to see. The humid smell of the clouds and the slight lack of oxygen made her head spin, but she could still see the lone building far from the other end of the city that she was already at and she flew quickly, agreeing to be there by twilight.

Scarlette felt her hair fly far around her head and sighed taking in another deep breath before speeding slowly down to the grounds which the giant mansion lie in wait. Her eyes looked up at it and the massive traditional compound and her eyes cast down as she whispered,

"Peau." Her wings quickly vanished and she took slow steps to the front door. Her eyes felt slightly damp but she couldn't bring herself to cry. Not until she was alone.

"Welcome Fléau-san." A stiff voice said, Scarlette looked up and saw an old woman opening the front door for her. She said nothing but bowed slightly and walked into the mansion, her head bent low to hide her features.

"This way please." The woman curtly said again before leading her down the twisting hallways.

"Akito-sama is waiting for you in here." She said opening the door, showing the room, which had one dimly lit lamp. The man Akito had been kneeling in front of her. Scarlette entered and knelt down also, bowing low. She felt his hand tilt her face up and tried her best not to spit or glare at the dangerous and twisted man in front of her who had dragged her out of her home.

"Ruby eyes and hair like white silk...gifted with flight and water, cursed with fire and hate. The messenger of heaven. How very lovely to meet you." Scarlette kept her eyes straight forward having heard of such thing from her grandmother, who had the curse before her.

"Bonjour Akito-sama." Her grasp on the Japanese language wasn't strong and her thick french accent slipped through. Her voice was soft and high, it reminded Akito of the birds he kept locked up. He smiled at the cruel thought and continued to talk.

"The other zodiac members will be here soon, so lets talk before they get here. How was your flight Scarlette-chan?" He added on a sweet tone at the end tilting his head and a fake smile plastered across his cruel features. She kept her features still and stone like.

"Good, Akito-sama." He smiled placidly again, continuing.

"I'm so very glad you could come, I haven't told the other zodiac members who you are, your my little secret. But you are fully aware of the curse and they will know that. You will be staying with Shigure who live's a good distance from here, but quite near the school. Unless of course you would prefer to stay with me?" Her grip on her knees tightened slightly but she kept her face calm.

"Whatever you think best, Akito-sama." He smiled at her again and was about to say more before there was a soft knock on the door. Akito stood and motioned for Scarlette to do the same.

"Enter." The door shifted open and 13 fearful looking people stepped in. Some raised their head to stare at Scarlette, others kept their head low, out of respect and but what looked more like fear to her.

"Welcome my zodiac, today I called you here because I wish for you to greet a long lost family member, Scarlette Fléau." Some more of the zodiac raised their heads in curiosity and stared at the girl who hid behind her hair.

"Shigure, you have a few spare rooms, so I can't see why you could put up our newest family member." The man he addressed nodded but kept quiet too.

"Miss Fléau knows about the curse so there's no need to be shy around her. She has just agreed to move here from France, and doesn't have a full grasp of our native language, so please try not to use big words." He ended with a laugh and Scarlette's fist tightened.

"Well now, that is all, so you may take you leave, but Shigure and Hatori stay behind I wish to have a talk to you both. Scarlette you may wait outside." Scarlette nodded and bowed before taking her leave like the rest of the zodiac. Four other boys, looking to be the same age as her had also stayed, standing outside the imposing room, none of them saying a word. She waited silently, her eyes keeping to her knee length boots, not wishing to talk to any of them if they were anything like Akito. After a few minutes both Hatori and Shigure emerged and Hatori turned his eye to Scarlette and pulled her large bag off her shoulder and took it with him, as an indication to follow she left with them, as they all piled into Hatori's large car.

The drive was silent none of them not knowing what to say to the young girl as she stared out of the window and thought, not wanting to converse with any of them either. After 20 minutes the car pulled up a drive and Scarlette hurriedly opened the door and grabbed her bag and hoisted it up on her shoulder quickly making for the main road. Deciding to get out now, she could hide.

"Leaving so soon?" Shigure asked her, she stopped and turned to him.

"If you don't want to be here, you can leave but you have nowhere to go, France is a very long way to walk. Akito has men placed everywhere, the police see you and they'll know its you and bring you straight back. Then you will be punished." He looked into her eyes softly as the self realisation hit her.

"It's not worth it, now come in and let's get you warmed up." He reached out an arm to her back and pushed her inside. Scarlette respectfully took off her shoes and walked inside, finding the first room with a sofa in it and sitting. She thought where she could go, she never had any friends and she knew getting home would be tricky, she could fly but the flight would be only half as long as if she walked, and that would take a long time. With no money and no food it wasn't worth the risk. A friendly girl's voice snapped Scarlette out of her thought's as she looked up through her hair and saw a brunette girl a little shorter then herself smiling and offering her tea.

"Hello! I'm Tohru Honda, I'm staying here with Shigure too! Would you like some tea?" The refreshing sound of someone being genuinely kind stopped her in her tracks and she opened her mouth to speak to the kind girl.

"Bonjour, I'm Scarlette Fléau, it's nice to meet you Honda-sama and yes please, I would like some tea." Tohru raised her hands up in defence.

"No really, Tohru's just fine!" She exclaimed modestly and poured Scarlette a cup.

"Yes, Tohru-sama." Tohru frowned a bit, not comfortable with being called sama one bit, but didn't want to hurt the girls feeling again and let her be.

"How long will you be staying here, Miss Fléau?" Tohru asked struggling to grasp the accent in Scarlette's last name.

"Until Akito-sama tells me different I suppose." Scarlette told her between sips. Tohru smiled and watched the girl for a moment, whose hair was still covering her ruby eyes.

"How long will you be staying here Tohru-sama?" Tohru smiled and said,

"Until, Shigure asks me to leave, I try not to be a bother but I really enjoy living here!" She looked so sincere Scarlette couldn't help but let a small smile flutter across her lips. She placed down her cup and stood smoothing her skirt.

"Thank you for the tea Tohru-sama. I shall be outside if you need me." Tohru smiled and opened the door for her bowing to each other as they left. Scarlette found the backdoor and the porch easily and stepped outside looking sadly at the August leaves. She sat down and stared at the sky, feeling caged. Her thoughts drifting to home and her poor Grandma. She felt hot tears slip down her cheek but brushed them away without a second thought. No more tears, she promised herself what's done is done, I can't show weakness in the face of adversity. À vaillant coeur rien d'impossible. (For a valiant heart nothing is impossible.)

A leaf fluttered down by her thigh and almost startled her. She picked it up and stared at it hard, her eyes trailing the pattern she wished to create.

She started at the leaf a few seconds and placed it down next to her. A chill wind had started and the black sky looked like it had been littered with diamonds. Scarlette leant back and stared at this wonder, so at least this city has some perks. She must have been out there for a long time because she heard a tentative knock on the door and it was slid open to reveal a timid Tohru with a steaming cup in her hands.

"You've been out here for 2 hours now Miss Fléau, I thought you might like some tea?" Scarlette smiled and stood taking the tea from Tohru's soft hands.

"Thank you Tohru-sama, I'll be coming in now." Tohru smiled and stepped aside, letting Scarlette pass her. As Tohru went to close the door she smelt smoke, she looked and saw nothing on fire but her eyes cast down to where Scarlette was sitting and saw something shining slightly in the moonlight. Tohru bent down and saw it was a leaf from the tree, but it was burnt, there was a heart with an intricate design embezzled into the centre.