Our Reborn World
CHAPTER 1 - Chance Encounter?
A lone girl skulked from the shadows of the alley into the main street, avoiding detection from the night guards. Her shirt was torn in two places on the right arm from a previous encounter with the guards, whose swords nearly took her arm off that time. Her skirt was short and mostly intact, if dirty. She couldn't remember when the last time she had been able to bathe, and she was filthy and she knew she smelled terrible. The night was temperate but the worn stone of the main street was cold under her bare feet. Anyone who didn't take her for a destitute was crazy and she knew it. And the city of Maghin was not kind to people like herself. At least, most of the town, anyway.
The bakery door was open, the light still on. The girl walked in carefully, making sure no one saw her enter. The baker saw her and smiled, something few people would do to what they considered a grubby street urchin. But Mizuki was not like most people; she understand the girl's plight, and helped out with what she could, a half a loaf of freshly baked bread she shared with her every night.
"Sakura, hello!" the rotund woman said. "I added a little bit of jam that a noble forgot to pick up today!"
"Thank you, Mistress," said Sakura politely. "I know how much trouble you could get in if anyone found out you help me." Actually, her business would probably be shunned by the richer customers, because they held loathing for anyone who went out of their way to keep someone like Sakura alive. Mizuki found that disturbing, but Sakura had always told her not to risk her business for her sake.
"Perhaps I could get in some trouble, yes," said Mizuki. "But I know what happened to you, and besides, without my bread I'm afraid you might waste away before my eyes and I couldn't stand to see that! Soon, you'll be old enough that I can take you on as my apprentice. Seventeen is a little too young, but you'll be there soon enough."
Sakura gave Mizuki a hug. "You are truly kind."
After the bread and jam filled her stomach, Sakura felt ready for sleep and bid good-night to Mizuki. She returned, through alley ways she knew like the back of her hand, toward her home, which was a dilapidated building that had been the victim of an arson a few years ago. It was closed due to risk of collapsing, but it was Sakura's best form of shelter.
It was very dark, and the buildings hid the moonlight from the alleyways. Suddenly, she felt something soft in her path, which angrily pushed her the ground. She fell with a grunt, and strained to see who had gotten in her path. It looked like a kid, about the same age as her. "Oh, I thought you were a guard," the kid said. The voice sounded like a boy's.
"No," said Sakura. She took his offered hand and let him help her up. "Just a common girl."
"Perhaps you can help me," he said. "I am very much like you, I think. We can help each other."
"I don't know..."
"Please. I can tell you are a good person, just from your voice. You must have had something horrible happen for you to end up in this state."
"Well," said Sakura, unsure of her answer. "I suppose we could help each other out a little bit."
"Great!" the boy said. "My name is Syaoran. I don't even remember my last name, its been so long. Hell, I barely remembered my first name."
"I'm Sakura."
"Okay, Sakura, help me steal a pie from that baker."
"What baker?"
"The heavyset woman who owns that bakery."
"Mistress Mizuki? No, she's very nice! We can't! You can't!"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes! I would never steal from her!"
"All right, all right," said Syaoran. "Who can we steal from, then?"
"No one, we can't steal!"
Syaoran laughed, although it was a barking laugh. "You're kidding, right?"
"Umm, no," said Sakura slowly. "I just don't steal. I have to eat from the garbage, but I think it's worth it."
Syaoran said nothing for a moment, then, a touch defensively, "I have no choice." He ran up the alley, then stopped. Sakura could barely see, but had been used to trying to see in the dark, so she noticed him wave his arm as if motioning her to follow. She didn't really trust him yet, but followed anyway, if only for something to do. It would be better than home. She could sleep all day anyway, it didn't have to be at night.
"Here," Syaoran said as she came up to him. "You can stand watch for me while I get some food from this house for my brothers and sisters."
"You have a family?" Sakura asked. Syaoran seemed to hang his head, but it was so hard to tell with the lack of light.
"They're...adopted."
"Well, I guess I'll watch for guards for you, then," said Sakura, finding Syaoran's intent noble, even if the means of going about this intent was not.
Syaoran slipped in through a lower-story window. Sakura didn't know which houses were which alley, only that the people in them were always more fortunate than herself. By the looks of them, Sakura could dimly distinguish two or three stories, meaning they were in the more affluent part of town. It was not quite the house of a noble, but it was still well-to-do. Perhaps a merchant.
Suddenly, Sakura could see the tell-tale light of a guard. Suppressing a gasp, she was unsure of how to warn Syaoran without making a noise. The guard carrying the lit candle turned through the alley, apparently in search. She could almost, not but quite hear him and another guard talking, but she assumed they were here because they heard herself and Syaoran talking. Sakura turned toward the window to see if Syaoran was near it, when he suddenly flew out, surprising her. She yelped, and automatically knew they would be in trouble as soon as she did. Syaoran was surprised himself, especially after Sakura grabbed his arm and dragged him away.
"Hey, who's there!" yelled a guard, and Syaoran swore. "Stop!"
"Come on!" said Syaoran. "Just follow me!" Sakura did not argue, and let him lead her through the alleys as they tried to escape the pursuing guards, who had taken to yelling, "Thief! Thief!" as they chased. Sakura felt she couldn't keep up her pace long, in keeping up with Syaoran, because she could feel her legs giving out between tiredness and fright. Luckily, she didn't have too. Syaoran stopped at a house and went in, dragging her behind him. The room they were in held food supplies, and other assorted items fit for storage. Sakura realized it wasn't a house at all, but a stockroom of a rich man.
"We can't hide here," she whispered when she realized what it was. Syaoran ignored her as he felt along the floor, before pulling up a piece of it, and sliding it aside. "Syaoran?"
"Let's go," he said, pushing her into the opened trap door. Sakura fell a short distance, but, unprepared for the drop, she couldn't land upright and had to pick herself up before Syaoran followed, closing the trap door behind him. "This tunnel will take us to where I live. You are welcome to stay here until its safe."
It was pitch black in the tunnel. Syaoran lit a candle, but it seemed to struggle to illuminate anything. Sakura couldn't see the dirt she walked on. It was a short tunnel, though, and soon the two emerged from it into a room that held boxes, barrels, and...kids. Sakura was taken aback.
Many young faces greeted her and Syaoran, and most rushed up as soon as they recognized him and surrounded him. He told them to go back to bed, which they did obediently. Sakura stood back, amazed at how many kids there were, all from six to fifteen years old, she guessed.
"How many are here?" she asked quietly.
"About twenty-seven," he replied. "It's a lot of work to keep them fed, but I do very well, if I may say so myself." He had a tone of pride. "Now here," he handed her a little sack from a larger one she hadn't even noticed he was carrying. "This is for you for tonight."
"Oh no, I don't need any food. Give it all to them and yourself."
"Trust me, its okay," said Syaoran. "I got a lot from that guy. Looks like he had just started stocking up for a week."
"Thank you, Syaoran." she said. "I think I'll be fine going home."
"Where do you live?" he asked.
"In that house on the outskirts of town, the old blacksmithery destroyed in the fire."
"You're the girl that lives there?" came a girl's voice from the group of small children laying near them, covered in blankets. "Syaoran says..."
"Be quiet, Lelai" said Syaoran quickly. "Sleep now." Turning to Sakura, he said, "Come on, I need to put this food into the other room. Do you mind helping?"
"No," said Sakura. She wanted to find out what he always said, since the little kid had been cut off, and told Syaoran so in the other room, which contained a little stockpile of food that surprised Sakura.
"I just am surprised you live alone," said Syaoran. "Plus, that place could fall anytime."
"I know..."
"You can't stay there forever."
"Yeah, but right now, it works."
"You should stay here from now on."
"Oh, no, I couldn't. You're very nice, but I don't want to be a burden."
"Burden? Hardly. Besides, I need someone my own age to talk to, and I bet you could use someone to talk to at all."
"But..."
"Sakura, I can't see you well in this light, but I can tell your clothes are a mess, and, I apologize in advance for saying this, but you don't smell good." Sakura frowned and momentarily stopped taking food from the sack to hand to Syaoran, but then had to admit he was right. "You look thin, as well. I wouldn't be a good person if I didn't offer you at least a chance to get into better shape. You aren't healthy the way you are."
"Well, I don't like the way you put it, but you're right," said Sakura. "I suppose I could stay here for a little, but I want to help you. Even if it means," she paused to sigh, "even if it means stealing."
"I couldn't feed all of them if I didn't steal. Trust me, I don't like it anymore than you do, but you do what you have to do to survive." Syaoran put some of the food onto a shelf, then said, "But don't tell any of them. I don't want them to think I steal." When Sakura promised she wouldn't, he said, "Now, get some sleep." He tossed a blanket from a different shelf to her. "It was a tiring night." Sakura yawned, finding it hard to argue.
"Aren't you going to sleep?" she asked.
"Later," he said. "Don't worry about me." Even with the lack of light, she felt she could see him smiling. She settled into the first room she had come into, finding the blanket to be warm and comfortable. He had told her not to worry about him, so she didn't, and soon she had dozed off.
****************************************
Continued in Chapter 2
CHAPTER 1 - Chance Encounter?
A lone girl skulked from the shadows of the alley into the main street, avoiding detection from the night guards. Her shirt was torn in two places on the right arm from a previous encounter with the guards, whose swords nearly took her arm off that time. Her skirt was short and mostly intact, if dirty. She couldn't remember when the last time she had been able to bathe, and she was filthy and she knew she smelled terrible. The night was temperate but the worn stone of the main street was cold under her bare feet. Anyone who didn't take her for a destitute was crazy and she knew it. And the city of Maghin was not kind to people like herself. At least, most of the town, anyway.
The bakery door was open, the light still on. The girl walked in carefully, making sure no one saw her enter. The baker saw her and smiled, something few people would do to what they considered a grubby street urchin. But Mizuki was not like most people; she understand the girl's plight, and helped out with what she could, a half a loaf of freshly baked bread she shared with her every night.
"Sakura, hello!" the rotund woman said. "I added a little bit of jam that a noble forgot to pick up today!"
"Thank you, Mistress," said Sakura politely. "I know how much trouble you could get in if anyone found out you help me." Actually, her business would probably be shunned by the richer customers, because they held loathing for anyone who went out of their way to keep someone like Sakura alive. Mizuki found that disturbing, but Sakura had always told her not to risk her business for her sake.
"Perhaps I could get in some trouble, yes," said Mizuki. "But I know what happened to you, and besides, without my bread I'm afraid you might waste away before my eyes and I couldn't stand to see that! Soon, you'll be old enough that I can take you on as my apprentice. Seventeen is a little too young, but you'll be there soon enough."
Sakura gave Mizuki a hug. "You are truly kind."
After the bread and jam filled her stomach, Sakura felt ready for sleep and bid good-night to Mizuki. She returned, through alley ways she knew like the back of her hand, toward her home, which was a dilapidated building that had been the victim of an arson a few years ago. It was closed due to risk of collapsing, but it was Sakura's best form of shelter.
It was very dark, and the buildings hid the moonlight from the alleyways. Suddenly, she felt something soft in her path, which angrily pushed her the ground. She fell with a grunt, and strained to see who had gotten in her path. It looked like a kid, about the same age as her. "Oh, I thought you were a guard," the kid said. The voice sounded like a boy's.
"No," said Sakura. She took his offered hand and let him help her up. "Just a common girl."
"Perhaps you can help me," he said. "I am very much like you, I think. We can help each other."
"I don't know..."
"Please. I can tell you are a good person, just from your voice. You must have had something horrible happen for you to end up in this state."
"Well," said Sakura, unsure of her answer. "I suppose we could help each other out a little bit."
"Great!" the boy said. "My name is Syaoran. I don't even remember my last name, its been so long. Hell, I barely remembered my first name."
"I'm Sakura."
"Okay, Sakura, help me steal a pie from that baker."
"What baker?"
"The heavyset woman who owns that bakery."
"Mistress Mizuki? No, she's very nice! We can't! You can't!"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes! I would never steal from her!"
"All right, all right," said Syaoran. "Who can we steal from, then?"
"No one, we can't steal!"
Syaoran laughed, although it was a barking laugh. "You're kidding, right?"
"Umm, no," said Sakura slowly. "I just don't steal. I have to eat from the garbage, but I think it's worth it."
Syaoran said nothing for a moment, then, a touch defensively, "I have no choice." He ran up the alley, then stopped. Sakura could barely see, but had been used to trying to see in the dark, so she noticed him wave his arm as if motioning her to follow. She didn't really trust him yet, but followed anyway, if only for something to do. It would be better than home. She could sleep all day anyway, it didn't have to be at night.
"Here," Syaoran said as she came up to him. "You can stand watch for me while I get some food from this house for my brothers and sisters."
"You have a family?" Sakura asked. Syaoran seemed to hang his head, but it was so hard to tell with the lack of light.
"They're...adopted."
"Well, I guess I'll watch for guards for you, then," said Sakura, finding Syaoran's intent noble, even if the means of going about this intent was not.
Syaoran slipped in through a lower-story window. Sakura didn't know which houses were which alley, only that the people in them were always more fortunate than herself. By the looks of them, Sakura could dimly distinguish two or three stories, meaning they were in the more affluent part of town. It was not quite the house of a noble, but it was still well-to-do. Perhaps a merchant.
Suddenly, Sakura could see the tell-tale light of a guard. Suppressing a gasp, she was unsure of how to warn Syaoran without making a noise. The guard carrying the lit candle turned through the alley, apparently in search. She could almost, not but quite hear him and another guard talking, but she assumed they were here because they heard herself and Syaoran talking. Sakura turned toward the window to see if Syaoran was near it, when he suddenly flew out, surprising her. She yelped, and automatically knew they would be in trouble as soon as she did. Syaoran was surprised himself, especially after Sakura grabbed his arm and dragged him away.
"Hey, who's there!" yelled a guard, and Syaoran swore. "Stop!"
"Come on!" said Syaoran. "Just follow me!" Sakura did not argue, and let him lead her through the alleys as they tried to escape the pursuing guards, who had taken to yelling, "Thief! Thief!" as they chased. Sakura felt she couldn't keep up her pace long, in keeping up with Syaoran, because she could feel her legs giving out between tiredness and fright. Luckily, she didn't have too. Syaoran stopped at a house and went in, dragging her behind him. The room they were in held food supplies, and other assorted items fit for storage. Sakura realized it wasn't a house at all, but a stockroom of a rich man.
"We can't hide here," she whispered when she realized what it was. Syaoran ignored her as he felt along the floor, before pulling up a piece of it, and sliding it aside. "Syaoran?"
"Let's go," he said, pushing her into the opened trap door. Sakura fell a short distance, but, unprepared for the drop, she couldn't land upright and had to pick herself up before Syaoran followed, closing the trap door behind him. "This tunnel will take us to where I live. You are welcome to stay here until its safe."
It was pitch black in the tunnel. Syaoran lit a candle, but it seemed to struggle to illuminate anything. Sakura couldn't see the dirt she walked on. It was a short tunnel, though, and soon the two emerged from it into a room that held boxes, barrels, and...kids. Sakura was taken aback.
Many young faces greeted her and Syaoran, and most rushed up as soon as they recognized him and surrounded him. He told them to go back to bed, which they did obediently. Sakura stood back, amazed at how many kids there were, all from six to fifteen years old, she guessed.
"How many are here?" she asked quietly.
"About twenty-seven," he replied. "It's a lot of work to keep them fed, but I do very well, if I may say so myself." He had a tone of pride. "Now here," he handed her a little sack from a larger one she hadn't even noticed he was carrying. "This is for you for tonight."
"Oh no, I don't need any food. Give it all to them and yourself."
"Trust me, its okay," said Syaoran. "I got a lot from that guy. Looks like he had just started stocking up for a week."
"Thank you, Syaoran." she said. "I think I'll be fine going home."
"Where do you live?" he asked.
"In that house on the outskirts of town, the old blacksmithery destroyed in the fire."
"You're the girl that lives there?" came a girl's voice from the group of small children laying near them, covered in blankets. "Syaoran says..."
"Be quiet, Lelai" said Syaoran quickly. "Sleep now." Turning to Sakura, he said, "Come on, I need to put this food into the other room. Do you mind helping?"
"No," said Sakura. She wanted to find out what he always said, since the little kid had been cut off, and told Syaoran so in the other room, which contained a little stockpile of food that surprised Sakura.
"I just am surprised you live alone," said Syaoran. "Plus, that place could fall anytime."
"I know..."
"You can't stay there forever."
"Yeah, but right now, it works."
"You should stay here from now on."
"Oh, no, I couldn't. You're very nice, but I don't want to be a burden."
"Burden? Hardly. Besides, I need someone my own age to talk to, and I bet you could use someone to talk to at all."
"But..."
"Sakura, I can't see you well in this light, but I can tell your clothes are a mess, and, I apologize in advance for saying this, but you don't smell good." Sakura frowned and momentarily stopped taking food from the sack to hand to Syaoran, but then had to admit he was right. "You look thin, as well. I wouldn't be a good person if I didn't offer you at least a chance to get into better shape. You aren't healthy the way you are."
"Well, I don't like the way you put it, but you're right," said Sakura. "I suppose I could stay here for a little, but I want to help you. Even if it means," she paused to sigh, "even if it means stealing."
"I couldn't feed all of them if I didn't steal. Trust me, I don't like it anymore than you do, but you do what you have to do to survive." Syaoran put some of the food onto a shelf, then said, "But don't tell any of them. I don't want them to think I steal." When Sakura promised she wouldn't, he said, "Now, get some sleep." He tossed a blanket from a different shelf to her. "It was a tiring night." Sakura yawned, finding it hard to argue.
"Aren't you going to sleep?" she asked.
"Later," he said. "Don't worry about me." Even with the lack of light, she felt she could see him smiling. She settled into the first room she had come into, finding the blanket to be warm and comfortable. He had told her not to worry about him, so she didn't, and soon she had dozed off.
****************************************
Continued in Chapter 2