Anemone
By: oONekomataOo
Disclaimer: Me no own, you no sue.
Warnings: OOCness, Maaya-bashing, mild language, and flirty bats.
Kuro: "Flirty Bats"
Neko: That would be you, Wingz.
Kuro: Feh.
One more warning: I haven't written 1st Person POV in forever, so….yeah. Still getting used to it. Anemone will be written from Kuronue's POV and therefore it will be psychotic. Not that most of what I write in 3rd Person isn't. --.--; Oh, and I apologize for the first chapter, I had to do a lot of boring plot/setting/chara description so it's kinda blah.
Chapter 1
"Moooooom, do we really hafta move?" I whined for the umpteenth time since leaving Kyoto. "I don't wanna go to Tokyoooooo!"
While normally I consider whining beneath me, being a former demon and all, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Point being that I really didn't want to get in a car and drive hundreds of miles only to move into a brand new city where I knew no one and our neighbors would be three hundred years old with a little poodle called Fifi that had an appetite for human flesh. Besides, I don't like travel, I'm an Aries.
In this life and the last.
My mother just laughed at me. Damn her. Damn her and her inability to get upset. Sometimes I wondered if she was the one that wasn't human.
"Quit whining, you sound like a girl," my younger brother, Hiro complained, only to receive a glare from me, and a poke from our younger sister Hana.
Next to her, Irogami (AKA "Iro" or "Spawn of Satan") opened his mouth and yawned…or something. I don't really know; he's a chameleon. Those things creep me out. I'm pretty sure he's bipolar too.
"Ow! What the hell was that for?!" he cried.
A poking war was engaged. Was I ever glad I sat shotgun.
Thump, thump, thump.
Maybe not. Hiro decided to go all out and kick the back of my seat too. Naturally, I retaliated, but we were all thrown off balance when the tiny blue car we were riding in swerved sharply to the left, only inches away from the guard rail.
"All right, children," Hazuki said mockingly. "Settle down or I'll toss ya out."
Spoken like a true mother. I stopped my attack on the brat in back and sunk deeper into my chair. How did I ever go from being a fearless bandit that roamed Makai to an older brother that poked his siblings in the car? Well, technically I did always poke Youko in the ribs (his only ticklish spot) if I didn't get my way, and I was older…I think. I chuckled a bit. Man, I missed my old life on Makai. But if I had to give up this one for it…I don't know. As much, as I hate to admit it, my human family has really grown on me. I have a caring yet slightly crazy young mother and two younger siblings that look up to me of all people (even if they don't always show it).
All and all life's pretty good. Especially once my old powers started to return to me. While I still can't transform into my original demonic self, I can destroy brick walls with my sythes, and look damn good doing it too, I might add. But my wings…
I now know what those little birds in cages with the clipped wings feel like. Back when I was Kuronue, the wind was like a part of me, and now that I'm wingless Kuroji Akatsuki…you can imagine how depressed that makes me at times. There's nothing better than flying across the night sky on a full moon, stealing some rich bastard's treasure with your best friend, trust me.
Thinking of the time we raided a particularly annoying aristocrat's mansion and took his beloved gold-plated monkey statue on a harvest moon, I sank deeper into my chair and drifted off to sleep with a smile on my lips.
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"WAKE UP, ANIKI!!!"
I shot up out of my seat and hit the top of the car. Behind me, Hiro and Hana laughed. I rubbed my head and glared at them.
"Don't bother waking me up unless we're there, dammit!"
The duo giggled again while I tried to get comfortable in my seat. No sooner had I closed my eyes that I was rudely awoken again.
"WE'RE HERE, ANIKI!!!"
I managed to look out the window. Mom was already outside talking to the movers. They had planned this, the little brats.
"You slept for a really long time, Aniki! It's almost like you're nocturnal or something," giggled Hana hugging Irogami on her lap.
Gimme a break, people, I used to be a bat youkai! Of course I like to sleep during the day. Quickly deciding against whacking them both upside the head, I got out of the car to see if my mom needed anything. On the way, Iro flicked his tongue at me. Bad omen. That little bugger shouldn't even be out of his cage.
"Put the lizard back in his cage, Hana," I said before I shut the door.
"He's a chameleon--!" was all I got before the door silenced her voice.
"What kind of crazy family keeps creatures like that anyway…" I muttered to myself while walking over to my mom.
"Perfect timing, Honey!" Hazuki beamed as she handed me a particularly heavy box. "That goes to the second floor!"
Not quite what I had in mind, but at least I'd get to see the inside of the house and get first dibs on rooms.
I kicked the unlocked front door open and glanced around. It was a pretty modest two-story, four bedroom house, but had a lot of elegant woodwork throughout. It was strange to see the place look so empty though, back in Kyoto our apartment was packed wall to wall with everything from pepperoni-scented furniture to embarrassing baby pictures. Speaking of walls, the ones here were painted some kind of crème color and the carpet was blue, which would help me distinguish them in the mornings I came stumbling down the stairs for school. Kudos to Hazuki.
Since I knew the biggest room would automatically go to her, I called the second largest room. I even had my own tree by the window. I smiled; perfect for late night entry. Heading back downstairs, I paused. For some reason, I could sense a particularly strong reiki aura from outside. Nothing I couldn't handle of course, but worth noting nonetheless. Before I went back out, I made sure to suppress my own energy even more. Gotta love that element of surprise.
"Kuroji! Over here!" my mom called from a small group of people on our yawn.
I headed over and immediately regretted it. From out of nowhere, with speed that even a flying shadow would be jealous of, my face was caught in the deathgrip of some strange, over-scented woman with hair so orange I could have sworn she was a carrot.
"Ooooh! Look at him! Such cute little cheeks!" she squeaked.
Who was this woman and why was she squeezing my cheeks? I looked around frantically for help, but received none. Only after Orangy's need to pinch the hell out of my face was finally sated, that I was released.
As I stood momentarily stunned by the awkward experience, I found myself unconsciously rubbing my cheeks. Noting that my brother and sister were doing the same, I guessed that the beast of a woman must have just appeared. I was surprised we were all alive; this lady had more facial hair than most men, a creepy smile, and a body that made Arnold Schwarzenegger look gym-shy.
Where the hell was that homicidal lizard when I needed him?
"This is my oldest son, Kuroji," Hazuki stated with a gesture in my direction. "He's also seventeen, like your son."
Son? Ah, she must mean the two others accompanying the Orange Beast. Didn't notice them, what with their mother slowly draining the life out of me through my soon to be swollen face and all. Now that I got a good look at them, I could tell that it was her son that was the source of the reiki. Sadly, he took after his gorilla mother in looks.
"Oooh, just barely! My little boy just turned seventeen last week! We were amazed he got past seven!" The Orange Beast chortled, flailing her arms wildly.
Somehow I believed her. This guy may have had more spiritual energy than most humans, but he didn't look any smarter than a third-grader. Judging by his face, I'd say it was a safe bet that he was dropped on his head a few times.
"Mom! Don't be tellin' them stuff like that!" he whined. "I'm Kazuma Kuwabara, Number One fighter at Sarayashiki High! Bwa, ha, ha, ha! "
Given that the second half was spoken in a Macho-Buff voice, I assumed it was directed at me. Was I supposed to be…impressed? I noticed that he puffed out his chest and made his reiki increase slightly when he talked. Not that that would do any good for the general public who didn't believe in spirit energy, much less sense it. He was going to irritate me, I just know it.
"And no one cares," interupted the older female as she hit the back of his head. "I'm Shizuru."
I grinned. I liked this Shizuru already. Not romantically or anything, I just liked a woman that could put a macho idiot in his place. She seemed to have some reiki as well, so I'd really have to watch my back, lest give away the fact that I'm not totally human.
"And this is our little Fifi!" Orange Beast excitedly exclaimed as she held up a vicious little poodle in a pink sweater.
Where the HELL was the damn lizard?
Now I'm relatively pale to begin with, but I'm willing to bet my new house that I turned several shades whiter at that moment. I bit my tongue to keep from letting out my nervous laughter for fear that this little monster would bite another part of me.
"We used to have a cat, but…" started the Beast "…but he ran away."
I could swear I heard Kuwabara choke back a sob.
"Smart cat," muttered Shizuru.
"Anyway, we came over to welcome you to the neighborhood!" The Orange Beast proclaimed. "I made you a casserole as well!"
"Thanks a lot!" smiled my mother as the strange smelling dish was thrust into her arms. "You really shouldn't have…"
She wasn't kidding. Orange Beast's cooking rivaled that of Sasquach on crack. Even Hazuki's smile slipped for a second as soon as she got a better look at it. I'm pretty sure that discolored apples and small children don't belong in casserole.
"So what school will you go to?" Kuwabara asked me in an arrogant tone, almost like he was daring me to give an answer.
"Meiou."
"What, that brainy school?" he asked in shock. "I know a guy that goes there, and you gotta be really smart to pass the entrance exam!"
Right. Or just be really good at cheating off your neighbor's paper. But Kuwabara wasn't done interrogating me quite yet.
"Yeah, are you sure you're going to Meiou? 'Cause you don't look like you're all that smart."
"Likewise."
The look on his face was priceless. Hiro bit his lip to keep himself from laughing and Shizuru chuckled. Of course Hazuki cuffed me on the side of the head before I got too cocky. Thanks a lot, Mom.
After talking with my mom for a few more minutes and promising to answer any questions we might have, Orangy and her kids returned to their home.
I brushed my dark bangs out of my eyes out of habit. First impressions suck.
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With the moving men's help, we got everything inside a little before 5:00. Now it was just a matter of unpacking everything. And dealing with annoyed siblings.
"How come Kuroji get's that room! I wanted it!" complained Hiro.
Guess I'm not "Aniki" anymore.
"Then you should have called it first, Squirt," I smirked.
"How could I! That big, orange ape attacked me before I could get in the house!"
"Hiroshi, don't call the neighbors apes," Mom scolded him in a bored tone. "Hana, can you help me with the plates, please?"
Hana went over to help her while Hiro continued complaining from the table. I had to agree with him about the attack part though. There is no way in hell I'd go anywhere near that woman voluntarily without having complete confidence in my demonic powers. I was just surprised that neither Hiro or Hana seemed scarred for life.
"Quit sulking, or you'll never get a girlfriend," I laughed as I walked by Hiro and ruffled his hair. "They'll all say 'Omigawd, that Hiroshi Akatsuki is soooo scary-looking! I had to pay off the teacher from assigning him as my lab partner! His older brother's really cute though! Tee-hee!'"
All I got was a scowl for my schoolgirl impersonation. I just grabbed a bag of chips and sat down opposite of him, azure eyes gleaming, smirk in place.
"Maybe. I guess you'll just have to tell me what they're like when you have to get up and go to your school's orientation thing tomorrow."
I choked on one of the BBQ chips. Crap. I had totally forgotten about Meiou's "Welcome Week" for freshmen and transfer students. Starting tomorrow, I'd be forced to get up early for the rest of the week and go to Meiou, where a school guide would show me around and explain all the rules and regulations that I'd probably break before the end of the first month. That's just inhumane, making my summer break shorter like that. School wouldn't even officially start for another three weeks!
Noting the newly-formed scowl on my face, Hiro lost his own and grinned at me. I threw a broken potato chip at him.
"Stop eating those things, boys! I'll have supper ready in a few minutes!" called Hazuki from the kitchen.
Hiro and I exchanged a worried look. Now, I love my human mother and all, but the woman just can't cook. She's sweet, thoughtful, and funny, but she burns water in five seconds flat. Hell, even she knows she's no Emeril. She keeps Pizza Hut, King Wok's and other local delivery places on speed-dial after all.
"Uh, mom? Why don't we just order something instead?" Hiro offered. "Y'know, to celebrate moving in and all!"
"Yeah!" I agreed. "You've been working so hard today! You should really rest up for your new day on the job tomorrow…"
Hazuki walked into the dining room carrying a familiar looking dish in a set of hot pads.
"Relax, boys, it's not one of my recipes," she huffed. "I just warmed up Mrs. Kuwabara's casserole for us."
Even worse. Just serve us arsenic straight from the bottle and save yourself the trouble of doing dishes.
"There's no way I'm eating this," I stated. The squirt nodded his head in agreement.
"And why not?"
"Because I value my life?"
"Hiroshi!"
"I'm sorry, but I stopped eating eyeballs a long time ago."
"Kuroji!"
"Look, I made a salad!" Hana beamed as she came out with a large, glass bowl. Our savior!
"Honestly, you kids…" Hazuki sighed, running a hand through her long hair.
"Please don't eat it Mom," I pleaded, poking the strange substance in the yellow dish, cringing when it seemed to recoil from my fork. "You'll die."
The head of the household stared at it for a few more moments, and then sighed again with a smile on her face.
"If anyone asks, it was delicious. Kuro, call Pizza Hut, I'm going to go bury this stuff."
We all cheered.
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The rest of the night went on without too many problems. We unpacked most of the boxes, stuffed our faces with pepperoni and double cheese, held a funeral service for whatever the Orange Beast had killed to create her casserole (My money was on her husband), and retreated to our separate corners of the house.
Feeling a little antsy, I decided it was time to explore the neighborhood. At ten o'clock at night; axe-murderers be damned.
A tumble down the stairs broke my confidence. A solid wall broke my fall (and possibly my spine).
"Owww…."
I looked up to see Irogami decamouflage himself at the top of the stairs and toddle off.
"You little bastard!" I shouted. "I'm going to skin you alive and turn you into a damn purse!"
"Kuroji, is that you?" a voice called out from the living room.
"Yeah Mom, I'm going on a walk!" I yelled down the hallway as I grabbed my coat out of the closet. Casting one more hateful glare at the stairs, I walked over to the door.
"Okay, Honey! See you later!" Came the reply.
That's one of the things I really loved about my human mother—she understood when I needed to be alone for awhile. It could be eleven o'clock at night, and she wouldn't raise an eyebrow if I grabbed my jacket for a little midnight stroll. Secretly she might worry, but she never said anything because she knew how important my alone time was. I couldn't help but smile.
I opened the door and savored the small breeze that hit my face. Tokyo was definitely a little chillier than Kyoto was at night. Not that I minded, of course. As long as there was a breeze, I was happy. Now if only I had my wings…
Just as I did in Kyoto, I let my feet take me wherever they wanted while my mind wandered. Since I seemed to be in the Lands of Surburbia, I doubted I'd find a forest to roam for at least a few miles. Oh well, I had time.
I passed by soon to be sleeping houses, stores closing up for the night, and the occasional nightwalker (Guess I wasn't the only freak out this late after all), until I stumbled upon a park.
Ignoring the closed iron gates, I took a few steps back and started running at them. It was only about eight feet tall, no problem for my youki-enhanced body. I easily cleared the metal bars and landed without a sound.
"Oh yeah, I still got it."
Walking around the park, I took a slower pace to take everything in. It was strange, all the rocks, trees, and other plantlife echoed Makai. I had no idea why, but this place seemed so familiar to me for some reason. Heck, I half expected Youko to appear beside me and laugh at my current incarnation.
Sitting on a nearby bench, I gazed upwards at the sky. It wasn't easy to merge with a ningen fetus, but I was desperate. There was no way I would let a little thing like death separate me from my best friend and the only lifestyle I'd ever known for hundreds of years. Besides knowing Youko, he'd probably blame himself for my death and give me hell for it when we'd meet again. I snickered at the thought of a whiny-emo Youko Kurama lecturing me in the afterlife. Or maybe…
…Maybe he forgot all about me.
I shook my head to clear it. Sure it's been almost eighteen years since I died in my original body, but that doesn't mean that Youko would just forget about me…..right?
Ugh. Stupid brain. This is exactly why I try not to overthink things. True, my original plan had been to leave the Ningenkai once my current body was strong enough, but then my family came in and….well, Kurama's a patient guy, and we were both orphans since we were kids in Makai, I'm sure he wouldn't blame me for staying with the family I'd only dreamed of for just a little longer…
Okay! Enough of all this self-doubt shit! I told myself as I jumped off the park bench. Somehow I would find Youko again and until then, I'd live as Kuroji Akatsuki: sexy student by day, handsome devil by night! Or something like that, I thought as I brushed the longer strands of my bangs from by eyes.
"Damn," I muttered to myself as my feet hit the pavement on the opposite side of the iron gates. "I need a theme song."
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After I came back home from my walk, I could hear Kuwabara talking loudly near an open window. I really pitied the person at the other end.
"I'm telling you, Kurama, he's just weird!"
Kurama? That had to be some kind of strange coincidence, yet I found myself sneaking closer to his window to hear.
"He looks kinda funny, and he goes on walks in the middle of the night, and his energy's really weird, like he's hiding something! I think he's a vampire or a...a...I don't know what!"
So he noticed my energy after all. But 'looks kinda funny?' and 'Vampire?' I don't know whether to be insulted or not, especially considering his own appearance.
"Well, yeah, I guess I did see him outside this afternoon…no, he didn't turn into dust or nothin'…But you haven't met him! Even Sis didn't think he was totally human!"
Shit. Bad news travels fast. I thought I did a pretty good job at masking my ki. Apparently these two are used to dealing with demons. Which makes the prospect of him knowing Kurama even more likely, and—
I stopped listening to the oaf and slapped myself mentally. There's no way that Youko Kurama would be wasting his time in the Ningenkai, and there's even less of a chance that he would affiliate himself with morons like Kuwabara. What am I doing out here anyway? I have better things to do than listen to my neighbor's phone conversations. Plus, this would be really bad if some kind of act of God happened and I was actually caught spying on Kuwabara.
Sticking close to the shadows, I slipped away from the Kuwabara household as the boy bid farewell to his friend.
Shouldn't stay out too late, I had school tomorrow after all.
----------------------------------------- END: Chap. 1
::A/N::
Thanks to everybody that read this! Once again, I'm sorry about the boring first chapter, things'll get more interesting when Kuro' goes to school. I have another Kuro Comes Back fic called -shallow sleep- in the works, and will probably switch off updating them (along with my other crap) as soon as I get that up.
Translation Corner------------------------
I tend to include foreign words in my fics, so you can see definitions here. If you see something that's wrong, let me know so I can fix it.
Kuro (Jap.) "Black." Chances are whenever I use this in Anem, it's just as a nickname for either Kuronue or Kuroji.
Kuroji (Jap.) "Being in the black." I thought it kinda fit him, plus I can still use "Kuro" as a nickname.
Akatsuki (Jap.) "Daybreak"
Hazuki (Jap.) "August, the eighth month of the year" or "Leaf Month" A traditional Japanese name. Her name will make more sense later on.
Hana (Jap.) "Flower"
Hiroshi (Jap.) "Good Man"
Irogami (Jap.) "Colored origami paper" (Iro means "Color")
Aniki (Jap.) "Big Brother." This is one of the informal ways to say it.
Youkai (Jap.) "Demon"
Youki (Jap.) "Demon-Energy"
Reiki (Jap.) "Spirit-Energy"
Ki (Jap.) "Energy"