Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only.
A/N: This fic is an AU-ish story in which Yuichiro Hyakuya is born female but named and raised as a boy because her parents wished for a son. It will cover her birth, early childhood, life underground with Mika and the Hyakuya orphans up until her adoption by Guren and life with him. I intend for it to be a prequel to the events of the manga/anime but if it goes really well, I will continue it into the main story too. I would like to thank my beta reader and editor ResidientalPsycho of DeviantArt for helping me make this fic possible.
Who She is Within
Chapter 1: An Unwanted Daughter
October 16, 2004
A secret Hyakuya Sect medical facility in Kyoto…
"You're doing really well, Mrs. Amane!" The voice of Dr. Yoshio Kobayashi rang out as he tried his best to encourage the young mother-to-be. "Now, push!"
Thirty-year-old Ayumi Amane bit back her lip as she vainly tried to hold back a scream. The doctor and clinic staff discouraged the noise, but the pain made it damn near impossible. *1* Ayumi had been in labor for at least ten hours, and her entire body bathed in perspiration. Every muscle throbbed like she had been worked over with a stick, and the bright lights in the delivery room glaring in her face wasn't helping either. Her pitiful wailing soon became an unholy shriek that might have scared the wits out of Dr. Kobayashi and his two assistants if they weren't already used to assisting women in childbirth. Only the soothing words of the doctor as well as his two female assistants, one of whom was wiping her brow with a damp cloth, made it somewhat bearable as the young woman was attempting to give birth to her first and possibly only child.
And although she was from a Catholic family, Ayumi herself was not as devout as her parents but ironically found herself praying to God that her painful ordeal would be over soon.
Ayumi and her husband, thirty-one-year-old Shunsuke Amane, had been anticipating this day for nine months (according to the Christian calendar, not the traditional lunar one) .*2* Nine months as in forty weeks. Forty weeks as in two-hundred and seventy-three days, give or take a few. The young couple had been trying for years without success to conceive a child, particularly a son, and had nearly given up because they could not afford the luxury of fertility treatments like the wealthy and well-to-do. That was, until they were approached by a mysterious agent of a religious organization with scientific expertise called the Hyakuya Sect who offered a solution: the sect's doctors would help them conceive the child they desired if they would volunteer for a secret human experiment and speak of it to no one. The Hyakuya Sect also promised the young couple a child that would outshine all others in beauty as well as intelligence and strength. Anyone with common sense would most likely refuse such a shady too-good-to-be-true offer, but the Amanes were so desperate for a child that they were willing to do anything to get one.
Ayumi certainly hoped all this pain would have been worth it.
After another ten or so minutes of difficult labor, her unspoken wish was finally granted. With one last grunt, she finally delivered the baby, breathing in relief as she felt the pain in her body finally start to subside. In her excitement, Ayumi wanted to see her new child right away, but the doctor told her to be patient. He instructed her to deliver the placenta as well, gently pushing on her abdomen as the nurses cleaned the newborn to make it presentable. Ayumi herself also required cleaning as she laid on the bed, surrounded by blood and filth that smelled just as unpleasant as they looked, especially when mingled with her sweat and tears.
The young mother reluctantly agreed. As soon as she found her voice, she asked for her husband, who had been kicked out of the delivery room earlier because he looked about to faint with excitement.
"May I see my husband now, doctor?"
Dr. Kobayashi smiled. "Of course!" Turning to one of his nurses, who had just barely finished cleaning the now-wailing child, he said, "Send the father in after we're done cleaning up here." The young woman nodded and obeyed. As soon as both mother and child were cleaned and at least somewhat presentable, Shunsuke Amane was finally allowed into the room.
The doctor, after removing his surgical gown and scrubbing his own hands and forearms with soap and water, smiled as he proudly held up the couple's newborn child.
"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Amane! You have a beautiful, healthy baby girl!"
As soon as they heard that, the young couple frowned. "What!?" they demanded in unison.
Dr. Kobayashi appeared surprised at the new parents' displeased tone as he lowered the child slightly before cradling her in his arms, the gesture soothing her to cease crying, and they could not tell if it was feigned or if he were genuinely shocked at their reaction.
"What's wrong?" he asked. "Aren't you happy to have such a lovely child?"
"The ultrasound technician told us we would have a son!" Shunsuke said angrily.
Dr. Kobayashi raised a brow. "Well, that may be, but what you have here is a daughter. The ability to choose our children's sex and gender is beyond our control, and I don't doubt that the technician told you the child would be a boy but it seems that he was mistaken. And what's wrong with having a girl anyway? My own daughter does just as well at everything as my sons, and I'm very proud of her."
Although they did not speak to avoid angering the couple further, the nurses nodded in agreement as an awkward silence hung over the delivery room. In an attempt to pacify the new parents, Dr. Kobayashi sighed and said, "Look, I know you're disappointed that your child is a girl, but nobody outside your family and the Hyakuya Sect has to know that, right?" At that, the doctor paused and raised his brows slightly, and Shunsuke could have sworn he looked as though he were trying to stifle a laugh.
As soon as Ayumi caught on to the doctor's hidden implication, she finally snapped out of her sour mood and smiled. "Of course! Why didn't we think of that?" Her husband, on the other hand, was skeptical of the unspoken idea.
"How will we keep the baby's sex a secret? Especially when she gets sick and needs treatment?" he demanded.
"Well, the solution is simple: just take her to one of our qualified pediatricians. They'll be more than happy to keep your secret so long as you keep up your end of the bargain. How you educate and raise her at home, however, is entirely up to you." After making his suggestion, the doctor held his tongue and waited to see how the Amanes would take it, all while trying to keep a big grin from showing on his face.
"Thank you, doctor. We would've never thought of that," Shunsuke said, his excitement returning. "So can we take our new baby home now, please?"
The doctor smiled. "You certainly may!"
SSSSSS
December 25, 2009
"Merry Christmas, Yuu-chan!" Misao Okawa said as she handed her five-year-old "grandson" a beautifully wrapped package topped with a huge red bow before giving "him" a kiss on the forehead. The child smiled as "his" eyes almost glittered with excitement.
Since the day Yuichiro Amane was born, she had been dressed and raised as a boy according to her parents' careful plan. The child's raven hair was medium length with loose strands hanging around her face but still boyishly short. Her beautiful large green eyes were framed with long eyelashes and her cheeks were plump and rosy but even so, no one outside the Amane family or Hyakuya Sect knew that little Yuichiro was anatomically female. Especially since she had been taught from birth that she must only act, dress, and like things that little boys do; the child was only permitted to play with male orientated or gender-neutral toys like toy cars and teddy bears but never dolls or anything her parents deemed too "girly." Anyone who saw Yuichiro merely assumed that she was just a very feminine-looking boy, which was not uncommon, and thought nothing of it. Her parents also gave her a boy's name at her official naming ceremony a week after her birth *3* and took the pains of ensuring that all of Yuichiro's legal documents identified her as male. Keeping the child's true sex a secret for the past five years had been surprisingly easy.
"Thanks, grandma!" Yuu said cheerfully as she gave her grandmother, a kiss on the cheek before running off to her room with her new gift.
Having been dressed as a boy since the day she was born, the child was not bothered by it in the slightest; she also loved her parents dearly and was willing to do anything to make them happy and win their approval. But her elderly grandmother knew that would only last for so long. As soon as Yuichiro was out of sight and earshot, her cheerful expression was replaced by a worried frown as she glanced at her daughter who was sitting on the sofa across the table from her. The two women were sitting in the living room decorated with Christmas lights as well as an elegant tree, having tea and biscuits like the British. It wasn't a traditional Japanese custom, but Misao knew that her daughter and son-in-law had always been fascinated by western culture and traditions and had no problems with it. What she did have a problem with, was how they were raising their "son" and her concern soured the cheerful holiday atmosphere.
Ayumi looked up from her teacup and saw her mother's disapproving frown. Though unspoken, she could read Misao's thoughts as clearly as if they were penned across her forehead.
"Mother, please don't start…"
Misao shook her head. "Ayumi, you can't keep this charade up forever, and we both know it."
"It's for the best. Yuichiro will have a much better life this way," the young mother stubbornly insisted.
Misao stared at her daughter in astonishment. "How?" she asked in exasperation. "How is forcing your child to live a lie 'for the best'?"
"Think of all the opportunities she'll have! She'll be more respected, have more opportunities, find better jobs, and have better pay. It'll be more than I ever had or will ever have as a woman!"
"That is not true, Ayumi, and we both know it. This is the twenty-first century, not the tenth! And how long do you think Yuichiro can keep pretending just because you want her to? You may be a schoolteacher with enough knowledge to educate her yourself, but I still oppose teaching her at home just so you can avoid having her take the physicals at school! She needs to go out and make friends her age! Otherwise, how will she develop the social skills she'll need to function in society?! And it's not just that, even if Yuu wanted to keep pretending, it just won't be possible in the long run; she'll grow up, her body will change, she'll fall in love and with a man, a real one!"
"It's still our decision, mother!" Ayumi shot back, trying her best not to raise her voice, so her daughter wouldn't hear this unpleasant conversation she was having with her mother. "And besides, once she's old enough, we can persuade her to get a sex exchange surgery."
Misao groaned and found herself face-palming in frustration. Deep down, she knew this was likely all her fault. Like Yuichiro herself, Ayumi was also an only child, first born and female. And because of that, her father, Misao's late husband, had treated Ayumi with cold indifference her whole life because he too, had wanted a son and Misao could not have any more children after her. The grandmother could not help but wish she had said something then, at least tried to get her late husband to accept and love their daughter as she was so that Ayumi would not repeat the mistakes of her father, but it was too late.
"You are making a grave mistake, Ayumi," she warned. "Your child is not a pet or a doll to play dress-up with. She may be eager to please you now, but what about in a few more years? You think she won't ask questions, long for the outside world, or want friends? I know your father has not always been fair to you, but even he would never consider making you into something you're not!"
The young mother was silent as if she didn't know quite how to respond. Deep down, she knew her mother was right but could not bring herself to admit it. She desperately wished her husband were here to defend her, but Shunsuke had left for his friend's house this morning to help him with something and wouldn't be back until later in the afternoon.
So Ayumi said the only thing she could think of.
"Like I said, mother, it's still our decision how we want to raise our child."
Misao sighed in exasperation. She knew her daughter was being unreasonable, but, despite her best intentions, there was not much the grandmother could do since Yuichiro was not her child. The ones who had the final say in how she was to be raised were her parents.
"Then, God help her, Ayumi…"
SSSSSS
January 10, 2011
"Mom, why can't I go to school?" seven-year-old Yuichiro asked her mother as she looked outside the window of her mother's car from the passenger side, watching as other children her age were leaving class and being picked up by their parents or boarding buses to take them home.
After Yuichiro was born, Ayumi quit her job as a school teacher to devote herself solely to raising and educating her daughter at home while her husband worked. His own income as a computer technician was modest and it would have been difficult for Shunsuke to support his wife and "son" on his income alone were it not for the money given to them from the Hyakuya Sect, which was twice the amount of the normal "child allowance." *4* The generous allowance allowed the Amane family to live comfortably and keep the true sex of their child a secret since Yuichiro had never seen a doctor outside of the sect since the day she was born. In exchange for the allowance and free secretive medical care, the young parents had to keep the circumstances of their child's birth a secret and give her up to the sect when and if they could no longer care for her.
"Because you don't need to go to school!" Ayumi snapped harshly to Yuu, making her wince and confusing her.
Why was her mother being so mean? What had she done wrong? Not wanting to anger her mother further, the little girl, disguised as a boy, remained silent for the rest of the drive home.
As much as Ayumi and Shunsuke refused to admit it, Misao was right about Yuichiro. Only two years had passed since that unpleasant conversation on Christmas day between the two women and she was already starting to ask questions.
To avoid sending Yuu to school, her parents, particularly Ayumi, had taken it upon herself to educate the child at home. Being a former elementary school teacher, it was no trouble for the young mother to give her "son" a basic general education like she did for her former students, even though Misao did warn her that it would not be enough if she wanted Yuichiro to be accepted into a good high school and college. It was also unfortunate that the Amane family lived near an elementary school because they had to drive by it whenever they left home or drove into the city. And whenever Yuu's parents took her out, they noticed she would stare longingly at the other kids, whether on the playground during recess or when they were coming to or from school in the early morning or afternoon. Whenever they ran into other people outside who saw Yuichiro during school hours and asked why she wasn't in school, the Amanes would always say she was being home-schooled. This often raised many a brow as home-schooling was nowhere near as common in Japan as in the west.
Ironically, it was Ayumi's home education that had Yuichiro yearning for the outside world more as time went by. Not only did she spent a lot of time reading books and browsing the internet whenever her parents left her at home with her grandmother, the child also watched quite a bit of TV, which was almost like her only window to the world outside her home. Cartoons and Japanese shows got old for Yuu pretty quickly and oddly enough, she was more fascinated by western TV programs, made accessible by her parents' satellite cable, depicting life in other countries and cultures, which was unusual for a child her age. One country, in particular, intrigued her like no other: a land that had peoples of many races, religions, cultures, and ethnic backgrounds called the United States of America.
Later that night, when Yuichiro was watching TV with Misao while her parents were out, she found yet another show about U.S pop culture and got excited again. It was the diversity in America that fascinated Yuu most since everybody in Japan looked and thought virtually the same, which she found dreadfully boring.
"Look, grandma! Everybody is so different there! And they have all kinds of good food and weird people! Can I go there someday? To America?"
Misao smiled sadly as she gently brushed her "grandson's" soft hair out of "his" face.
"Of course, my dear. I'm sure you'll have a chance to go anywhere you want someday…"
Although the grandmother tried to be reassuring, she knew she sounded more like she was trying to convince herself rather than her grandchild. Misao knew the circumstances of Yuichiro's birth and disliked her daughter and son-in-law's involvement with the so-called Hyakuya Sect. She always thought their free offer of helping the couple conceive a child with state-of-the-art fertility treatments as well as a generous child allowance and free medical care sounded a bit too good to be true and knew that there must be a catch to it. The sect's promises of Yuu being a beautiful, intelligent, and strong child were true, but the grandmother dreaded to think of what the cost may be in the long run. However, she didn't want to worry or frightened little Yuichiro, so Misao never spoke of it and tried to enjoy as much time as she was allowed with her only grandchild…
SSSSSS
June 7, 2012
"Hey, what's your name? Why don't you come out and play with me?" asked a little boy about Yuichiro's age when he saw her playing alone in her parents' yard.
The Amanes lived in an upscale apartment complex where each unit had a small yard in the back where Yuichiro often went to help her grandmother water and take care of the flowers and other plants whenever she came over. But this time, the child was by herself because Misao had finally passed away a few months earlier, leaving her completely alone and deprived of any company aside from that of her parents. Yuichiro took her death pretty hard as she had adored her grandmother. Misao had often intervened whenever she thought her daughter or son-in-law were being too hard on their "son" with their harsh responses whenever Yuu asked questions about the world outside their home. Now that her grandmother was gone, the lonely child longed for friends more than ever and was only too happy to have another child her age take an interest in her.
The boy standing on the other side of the fence was unlike any other she had ever seen as well as unbelievably cute. Although the shape of his eyes, nose, and face was notably Asian, his hair was the color of sunshine gold like the foreigners Yuichiro had only glimpsed in magazines and TV, and it hung around his head in unruly curls. His eyes were also the most beautiful and vivid shade of blue she had ever seen. No doubt, he must be a hāfu: a bi-racial child of a foreigner and a native Japanese parent. Yuichiro had often heard her grandmother speak of them, but this was the first time she had actually seen one. Maybe one of his parents were like those white Americans she often saw on TV?
"My name is Yuichiro! What's yours?"
"Mikaela. But you can call me Mika! Do you wanna come out and play? I'm with my uncle and he takes me to all kinds of fun places."
Yuichiro frowned as she let her head drop. "My parents probably won't let me," she said sadly.
The other child looked confused. "Why not?" he asked.
"I don't know. They just don't want me going outside too much."
"Really? So that's why I never saw you in school!"
"I guess…"
Before her new-found friend could say anything else, they both heard an angry voice call out from behind them, making Yuu cringe in fear.
"Yuichiro!"
The disguised girl turned back to see her angry mother in the doorway leading out to the yard. Before she could say anything, Ayumi quickly went over and roughly grabbed her by the arm in a bruising grip. She dragged Yuu back inside the apartment and slid the door closed while giving the other child a glare to scare him off.
When they were back inside, the young mother released her daughter. "What did I tell you about talking to strangers?" she demanded.
"But he didn't do anything bad!" Yuu protested. "Mom, why won't you let me out? I want to have friends!"
"You think you can have friends, Yuu? Well, you can't because you're not a normal child! Now, go to your room and don't come out until I tell you!" Ayumi shouted.
Yuichiro had never seen her mother so angry. She trembled with fear as she went back to her room.
Unfortunately, this incident was only the beginning of Yuichiro's problems. Now that her grandmother, Misao, was gone, she was left completely at the mercy of her parents who virtually made her a prisoner in her own home. Not only was Yuichiro forbidden to even go out into the yard alone, her parents did not allow any visitors to their home either. As time went on, the Amanes also tried to prohibit Yuu from watching TV or using the internet when they weren't home and punished her by denying her food and water or locking her up in a closet when she disobeyed. And Yuu often disobeyed because she would rather go without food and water than be denied her only access to the outside world. Locking her up wasn't effective either because Yuu, in a perverse irony, was still able to break the locked knobs with her unnatural strength, the very strength that the Hyakuya Sect promised her parents she would have. Even beating her, which they had begun to do after Misao had passed away, became less effective because of her increasing stamina and endurance that resulted from her unnatural conception.
Everything was starting to happen as her grandmother had predicted and the knowledge that Yuu would soon reach the age where her parents would no longer be able to control her frustrated them further, especially when she grew less and less fearful of punishment and continued to defy them by seeing the blond-haired boy who, incredibly, came back again and again, to play with her when her parents were out of the house.
Taking pity on Yuu, Mika did his best to bring her anything she asked for so long as it was within reason. He often brought her snacks, magazines, books, pictures, and even music CDs that he claimed his uncle had given him. And although they never managed to catch him snooping outside their yard again as he had an uncanny way of knowing when they were out of the house, the Amanes knew that the mysterious blond boy still visited their daughter due to the items that they often found in her room that they knew were not hers.
As if that wasn't bad enough, the Amanes also argued constantly with each other about Yuichiro herself, often late into the night. Their yelling aroused the suspicions of their neighbors, who began to question how they were raising their "son." As time went on, they also had numerous unwanted visits from strangers who asked them uncomfortable questions about what went on in their home in addition to complaining about the racket the young couple was making almost every night.
"If this was China, we could have just killed her as soon as she was born!"
"You were the one who wanted to keep her, Ayumi! Even if we couldn't kill Yuu, we could have still given her back to the Hyakuya Sect!"
"You should talk! As her father, you agreed to go along with my plan of raising her as a boy! And what if I cannot have any more children?!"
"We are better off not having children then a burden like Yuichiro!"
Arguments like these were painful for the little girl to hear, especially with her enhanced hearing, and made her wish she really had been born a boy, if only to make her parents happy. They were often so loud that Yuu swore the entire neighborhood could probably hear them; she certainly could no matter where in the house she was. All little Yuichiro Amane wanted was to be loved by her parents and live a normal life, going to school and making friends with kids her own age. But because she was born a girl, her parents hated her and blamed her for all their problems. And because she was still so young, Yuichiro could not even get out of the house to avoid her parents when they were in a bad mood like older kids often did, so she was trapped at home with them.
Because the Amanes were keeping their neighbors awake at night with their constant arguments, many of them became concerned for Yuichiro, especially regarding the comments her parents made about killing or abandoning her. And unknown to the young parents, someone finally did call Child Protective Services, who sent an agent to the Amane household one Monday morning.
SSSSSS
September 3, 2012
That morning, Yuichiro was watching TV in the living room when she heard the doorbell ring. Knowing that she was not allowed to answer the door for anyone but her parents, Yuichiro called for her mother.
"Mom! Someone's at the door!"
Ayumi, who was in the kitchen washes the dishes, mumbled something incoherent that Yuu couldn't make out before stepping out of the kitchen in her apron, making her way through the living room, and finally answering the door. As soon as she did, Ayumi came face to face with a middle-aged woman she had never seen before.
"Hello? Who are you? I'm a little busy now so can you please make it quick?" the young mother said, trying to be as polite as she could even though it was quite obvious to the visitor that Ayumi wasn't happy to see her.
"Good morning, ma'am. My name is Naomi Tomori, and I am from Child Protective Services. It has come to our attention that your son has not been going to school, and that he has rarely ever been seen outside the house with you."
"Excuse me, but my husband and I are homeschooling our son. And he is being well-cared for, so if you will kindly leave…"
But the agent wasn't satisfied. "Really?" she persisted. "When was the last time you took your son to the doctor? When was his last physical? If I may, I would like to speak to him myself."
"No, you may not!" Ayumi snarled as she struggled to control her temper. "Look, I have my own pediatrician that my son sees for his physicals. I assure you, he's perfectly healthy, and I'm doing my best to raise him properly. Now, I want you to leave my home, and do not come back!"
And before Naomi could respond, the young mother slammed the door in her face. Although relieved that she didn't have to deal with the agent and her unwelcomed inquiries any further, Ayumi knew that it could only be temporary; if they have good reason to suspect abuse, the CPS would definitely be back, sending another agent or even the police.
Upon hearing her mother raise her voice to the stranger at the door, Yuichiro became anxious and ran out of the living room to her own room, ironically locking herself in her closet until her father came home from work.
When Shunsuke finally came home and was told of the CPS agent's visit, he became angry and fought with Ayumi over Yuichiro yet again.
"This is your fault! If you hadn't insisted on keeping Yuichiro home all the time, the CPS wouldn't be on our backs now!" he shouted as he roughly grabbed his wife and threw her to the floor.
"My fault!? If she went to school, the physicals would have exposed her so what else did you expect me to do!?" Ayumi screamed back.
"It was a mistake to let the Hyakuya Sect help us conceive Yuu! She's been nothing but trouble since the day she was born! When we took her home from the clinic, I lost my job and couldn't find another one for four months! Not to mention all those weird people snooping around our home! Yuu is getting stronger and doesn't fear punishment anymore! It's like she's not even human!
"Well, why don't you just give her back to the Hyakuya Sect?! That's what you want, isn't it!?"
"And risk having Yuu telling them that the CPS knows about her now? They probably won't want her back after that, and we'll end up stuck with her until she's eighteen! No, I have a better idea..."
Yuichiro listened to her parents' heated exchange from her room, which was the worst she had heard yet, and started to become frightened, especially when she heard her father call for her. Not wanting to incite his wrath by disobeying, the little girl left her closet and went back out to the living room to meet her parents. What Yuichiro saw as soon as she greeted them almost made her heart stop; her father had a large kitchen knife in his grip, holding it the way those psycho killers she saw in the movies did.
"Dad? What are you doing?" the child squeaked, fear evident in her voice.
"Come here, sweetheart…" Shunsuke cooed. "Daddy will send you to a better place…"
Although her father tried to use his most soothing tone to coax her near, Yuichiro knew that her father's intentions were anything but benevolent. Unlike her mother, he never cooked or did the dishes, so there was really no reason for him to be holding a knife other than for the one that she feared. Yuu finally allowed herself to panic, screaming as she ran towards the front door to get away. Ayumi attempted to grab Yuu and hold her down, but she fought with a strength born of terror, easily breaking away from her mother's grip and thinking only of survival as she quickly broke the lock of the front door and attempted to run out of the apartment.
Yuu had never fought back when her parents got physically abusive before, but this time was different. Her instincts told her that they really intended to kill her, and that she needed to get as far away from them as she could. Unfortunately, Yuichiro did not make it more than a few steps out the front door when she felt a terrible pain in her back and screamed as she tripped and fell to the ground, hitting her head on the concrete with a sickening crack, which was the last thing she remembered before losing consciousness…
SSSSSS
The next day…
"Yuichiro? Are you awake? You're safe now," a gentle voice said.
The little girl slowly opened her eyes and found herself in a hospital room connected to some machines, her body set into a semi-sitting position by body pillows to avoid putting weight on her stab wound. Her head was bandaged and throbbed at the part where it made contact with the asphalt.
"Wh…what happened?" she asked weakly as she tried to get herself into a better position and take a better look at her care-taker. She gave up as soon as she discovered that moving made her injuries hurt even more.
Yuu noticed that she was at another one of the Hyakuya Sect's private clinics. Her nurse was a young man in his mid-twenties. He moved closer before finally answering her question.
"I'm sorry, Yuu, but your parents are dead. The neighbors heard the commotion at your apartment and called the police. One of them witnessed your father stabbing you with a kitchen knife as soon as you ran out the door right when the police arrived. He was going to stab you again when you lost consciousness, so they had no choice but to shoot him; he died instantly."
The devastated child felt tears stinging her eyes and running down her cheeks. She wanted to believe that his was all just a bad dream, but the pain in her head and her back from the knife wound which was now tightly bandaged felt too painfully real to be a dream.
"What about my mom?" Yuu asked as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
His heart filled with pity for the grieving child, the nurse offered her a tissue. "As soon as she saw your father killed, your mother went completely insane and locked herself inside the apartment. Before the police could force the door open, she had set fire to the unit, and it spread throughout the complex, killing her, and injuring many others in the process. I'm so sorry, Yuichiro…"
It took a moment for the Yuu's mind to register what she had just heard and, as soon as it became clear to her, she finally allowed her tears to fall freely. Even after how they treated her, tried to kill her, Yuichiro still grieved for her parents and the nurse could not blame her. In the end, they were still the people who brought her into this world; at least, he would think so if he were in her place.
"What am I going to do?" she sniffed.
"Ah…about that. There is someone here to see you; he claims to be your uncle and said he'll be taking care of you from now on."
As soon as she heard that, Yuichiro was puzzled. Uncle? She had no other living relatives—at least, none that she knew of since her parents never spoke of them or allowed anyone else to come to their house. But her curiosity was piqued and she nodded. "Ok. Can I see him?"
The nurse nodded. "Of course. I'll send for him immediately."
"Thank you," Yuu said and watched as the nurse called for the man who claimed to be her uncle. Whether it was true or not, the child figured she really didn't have a choice who she could stay with now that her parents were dead.
After a few moments of waiting, they heard a knock at the door. When the nurse answered it, he was greeted by a man Yuichiro had never seen before. The mysterious visitor was a tall, slender, and well-dressed man who appeared to be in his early- to mid-twenties with jet black hair and steel-gray eyes. His skin was also incredibly pale as if it had never seen the sun. Whoever he was, Yuu knew he wasn't likely to be her uncle since he bore absolutely no resemblance to either her mother or father. His complexion also made him appear colorless, marble-like. Except that marble could at least be warmed by the sun, Yuu thought grimly. But the little girl said nothing and waited for him to speak.
As soon as he was inside, the man turned to the nurse and said, "Thank you for watching over my nephew. I'd like to speak with him alone now if you don't mind."
"Of course, sir," the nurse replied respectfully as he headed towards the door. "Please don't hesitate to call for me if you need anything."
"I will, thank you."
As soon as the nurse was gone, Yuichiro stared at her visitor for a few moments in silence as if wondering what to make of him before asking "Who are you? You're not really my uncle, are you?"
The man blinked and looked at Yuu for a moment in silence before he smiled, impressed by her perceptiveness. "Very good, Yuichiro. No, I am not, but don't worry… I'll take you someplace where you can be safe from now on, so please trust me."
Footnotes:
*1* Japanese women are strongly discouraged from screaming during childbirth. Personally, I think it's impossible *not* to scream when you're trying to push a 5-10 lbs+ baby out of your vagina matter what anyone says.
*2* According to the more traditional lunar months of exactly 28 days (i.e. 4 weeks), then 40 weeks = 10 months. The Japanese belief that a pregnancy lasts ten months refers back to their original calendar that used these shorter months. So, a 9 month American pregnancy = 9 calendar months = 10 lunar months = 10 month Japanese pregnancy. But the Amanes are Catholic and go by the Christian calendar when monitoring their pregnancy.
*3* Japanese parents participate in naming ceremonies called "oshichiyas." Oshichiyas take place roughly a week after the newborn has entered the world. These ceremonies are extremely intimate, and most relatives and friends aren't invited. It isn't uncommon for grandparents and other immediately family members to make appearances at these ceremonies. The point of the exclusivity is not only to allow the family together time, but to also provide the mother with some much-needed rest, relaxation and recovery time. The babies wear entirely white during the ceremony as a symbol of purity. They are presented with "shodos" during these naming ceremonies. These ornamental plates indicate their names and are typically placed on walls. It's extremely common for children to be their grandparents' namesakes.
*4* Like the US, Japan offers child benefits to single parents or parents who meet certain income requirements called a "child allowance." In my AU fic, the Hyakuya Sect are giving Yuu's parents twice the amount the Japanese government normally does to keep their involvement with them in her conception and birth a secret. The Hyakuya Sect also does not want the trouble of raising Yuu from birth and rely on her parents to do so until she reaches the age where they can experiment on her further and harness her powers.