I was running so fast my lungs were about to give out. I felt my eyes bulging as my breath hitched and my feet slapped on the ground. Running usually was easy for me, but my distress and fear took over, making my legs feel like jelly.

"Come back here, doll face," something called from behind me.

I turned only to see my pursuer had turned the corner and taken a shortcut. He was right on my heels as I huffed and puffed my way into a nearby nightclub, hoping that it was my escape.

But it wasn't. In fact, the lights and smoke slowed me down even more. Not to mention the people going everywhere. My chaser but had to grab me around the waist and haul me back outside.

He dragged me out and pushed me against the wall, rubbing himself on top of me.

I screamed several times before he slapped me and kissed exactly where he slapped a couple more times.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I love you. You know that!"

"I don't know you! GET OFF OF ME!"

He pushed himself against me and dragged me to the ground with him. "Oh you will know me. All of me."

And he grabbed my hand and put it on his own crotch, making me rub him. He moaned harshly, and I gagged at the feeling of his hot breath on my skin.

"You're gonna be a fun one, baby," he moaned.

"LET ME GO NOW!" I screamed, hoping to call attention to myself.

"Oh maybe, if you're a good girl and do as I say, princess."

I looked at him sharply. "Don't call me that, you pig!"

My parents had called me that before they'd died. Their passing was ultimately tragic and unseen. In fact, I had no idea mom was even sick. Or, after she died, that dad would take his own life to be with her.

But I guess that's true love.

The man on top of me brought me out of my thoughts as his eyes caught sight of my trembling lips.

He kissed me so hard that I thought my lips would bruise, and then he continued to take off my clothes. I knew he'd succeed, but I wanted to make it hard on him, so I kicked and fought with all my might.

He just laughed and proceeded to take away whatever innocence I had left.

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"Cryin' Amaya, sobs all day," the teens chanted, "but nothin' will ever take the rape away!"

I sobbed into my hands as they surrounded me, pointing and laughing at the girl who suffered through a "thousand rapes". My body was dirty, unclean. And I knew that. But did they really have to remind me every day.

They were teenagers, but they definitely acted like three-year-olds. As their chants got louder, all I could think about was that monster's hands all over my body, touching me where I didn't give permission.

That's when I heard it. Someone was getting the crap beat out of them. When I looked up, I saw my older brother, Akito, punching one of the crowd in the face, his own expression harsh and angry.

I got up from where I was laying and ran over to them, the crowd already running away.

I put a hand on Akito's shoulder; not in a pressuring way, but in a gentle touch.

"Akito," I said once, my voice soft.

He stopped immediately, looking at me and putting the boy on the ground, passed out cold. I smiled at him before kneeling by the boy and pressing the edge of my coat against his bleeding nose.

"It's alright, just stay calm," I cooed to the boy soothingly.

He looked at me wide eyed before falling back down, his head on my lap. I pet his hair while Akito laid his head on my shoulder.

That's when I heard the shouting. I looked up just in time to dodge the fist that was flying towards my face.

"Mr. Brooklyn! Keep your hands to yourself! And Ms. Cerulean, how dare you start a fight!"

I looked up at her. "But, Miss, I didn't start anything," I said, my voice calm and collected.

"Sh-she's right m-miss," the boy who had his head in my lap said, stuttering from the pain.

I pet his hair and told him to take it easy.

"N-no, I'm alr-right. Miss, it r-really was m-my own f-fault. I was t-t-t-teasing her..." his head fell back as he fell into a slumber.

Miss Collinwood looked at me. "Is that right, Ms. Cerulean?"

"Yep. But please don't punish him," I said looking at her.

Akito tensed. Of course, he wanted the boy to be punished as well as the other students who were picking on me, but I ventured around too nice sometimes.

"Amaya," he started, but I cut him off.

"And can we please spend the rest of our day in our room?" I asked in my sweetest voice.

Even she couldn't resist it. "Yes, of course, dear. Take your brother before he hits Gage again, will you?"

We nodded and I grabbed his arm tightly, walking into the orphanage with softly slapping feet, Akito silently struggling against my hold to get back to the unconscious boy.

"Akito," I said softly. "Please, you've done enough to him."

He sighed and looked at me, cupping my face gently. "No, I didn't. I just wanted to protect you and he made you cry before I could."

I grabbed his face, and it looked like we were kissing when I leaned in and pressed my lips so softly against his cheek, he thought it was a butterfly.

I smiled at him. "It's alright, Akito. I cry far too easily."

Everyone thought that Akito and I's relationship bordered on inappropriate. Maybe because I kissed him openly on the lips. And maybe because he growled at any guy who came near me. But I wasn't in that kind of relationship with him.

Akito pressed his lips against mine, and all of a sudden we heard people laughing. And when we looked up, a bunch of them had surrounded us.

"Well, well, well," the front of them said in a snide voice. "Here's the incestors. At it again."

Akito growled and started forward, but I grabbed his hand and kissed his cheek, causing the people around us to growl in disgust.

He smirked at me and we walked on, ignoring them.

Our room was dark and dimly lit as we walked in, his arms around my waist and my head leaning against his chest. I dropped on my bed as he laid next to me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Amaya," I heard him say. "I can protect you... right?"

"Why are you so obsessed with protecting me, Akito?"

He sighed. "I let that man hurt you. I couldn't stop him."

"You weren't even there," I said, trying to understand his logic.

"I SHOULD'VE BEEN!" he yelled against my neck.

I kissed his hand softly and pet his arm. "It's alright, sweetie. I lived."

"You should've been protected," he sobbed.

I turned and kissed his cheeks. "I's alright, Akito! Its fine!"

He sobbed into my hair while I pet his back for a while, until we heard the door open, and in walked our roommate, Susanna. She gave us a glare.

"At it again, incecestors? You're really gross, you know. It's unnatural," she sneered.

I smiled at her. "Really, Susanna, we're not into that. I swear."

"Whatever," she glared. "Headmistress wants you downstairs in her office right now."

We looked at each other before getting up off of the bed. Walking arm in arm, we carried ourselves down the huge staircase and into the headmistress's office, where she and a small, blonde couple were sitting, smiling at us.

"Hello, Akito, Amaya," head mistress smiled at us.

We returned the grin and sat in the empty chairs, all the way in the corner of the room. The blonde couple were picture-perfect Betty-Crocker type stuff. They held hands, smiled like a photograph, and their entire appearance was innocent to the core.

"Ms. And Mr. Koboyashi, it is my entire pleasure to inform you that Mr. and Mrs. Oroshimari have adopted you."

It was like someone poured sunshine on us after living in the dark. We were confused, excited, scared, and happy. Both of us looked at one another, clasped hands, and then looked at our new... parents.

They were... crying...

The mother, named Maki, ran to my and placed her arms around my stomach.

"Oh, you're so precious. We heard about what happened to you! We want to give you both a better life than you have hear."

The father, Haruto, clasped his hands on Akito's shoulders and shook, tears running down his face.

"Son," he got out lowly.

Akito himself had tears in his eyes as he looked at Haruto. They were so different then we imagined. We'd had other Foster Families, but they'd all beaten us... abused us to the very point of death.

These people... we felt them... our parents... as if they were living replicas.

I hugged Maki hard. "Mom."

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Maki and Haruto constantly sent us smiles as the car drove down the streets harshly. We ended up at a Airport.

Akito and I gave each other confused looks.

"Maki?" I asked. "Where are we going?"

She looked at me and gave me such a sincere smile, I knew I would love her soon enough. Haruto answered for her, though, smiling at us in the same way.

"We're going to Japan. Sorry we didn't tell you, but as we understand, you already have passports and ID's."

Akito and I shared similar looks of excitement. In truth, we loved out home land. Not as much as America, but our love was general and infinite.

"Really?" we both said in sync.

They nodded, the tears coming back to their eyes. "Of course. We knew you both love it."

"Headmistress told you?" I asked.

"Amaya," Maki said, smiling. "Beautiful name. Actually we just felt it when we saw you."

"Haha, thank you both," we said between chokes of happiness.

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The plane ride was long, but the drive to our new house was even longer. The tension and excitement coursing through us brought the attention of Haruto to our trembling bodies.

He smiled at us genuinely. Not those phony smiles that our past families gave us. "Nervous?" he asked, his voice low.

We nodded, hands tightly held together.

"Don't be. Now just go up there and pick out your rooms."

We looked at each other. I smiled at Akito and felt him grip my hand tighter, blocking circulation.

I dragged him out of the car and towards the entrance of the house, feeling the Oroshimari's smiling at our backs.

Akito smirked at the house. It was huge, white, and completely perfect, surrounded by trees and a huge garden. The house in itself was practically a mansion, and we realized that our new family was rich; exactly what we didn't want or expect.

Akito and I took one look at each other before racing up the stairs. I beat him, of course, because I'm smaller and have more velocity. I immediately went to the room with the walk-in closet and screamed.

Akito ran in with a look that could kill a murderer but sighed when he saw me.

"A closet, really? You've got me scared out of my mind for a closet?"

I smiled innocently. "Sorry, bubby," I smiled innocently.

He rolled his eyes, gave me a kiss on the lips, and walked out of the room, looking for a new one.

"I found mine, sweetie," he said from his room.

I walked out and found him directly across from me. I frowned. "You don't have to sleep so close to me, bubby. I can take care of myself."

He growled immediately. "No you can't!"

I jumped and tears started to form in my eyes. He gasped and ran up to me, landing a kiss on my lips before wrapping his arms around my middle.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I wasn't thinking! Please forgive me!"

I nodded, hugging him and crying a little, before we heard someone come up from behind us.

"Oh, you two are so sweet," we heard.

I looked and saw Maki and Maruto smiling at us.

"Amaya, Akito, we're so glad you picked these rooms. Your rooms are three from ours!"

We smiled at each other. "When do we start school?"

"Tomorrow, dears. Yes, we know it's so soon, but we really can't help it. That's the last that the Academy is accepting people," Maki gave us sympathetic smiles.

I returned it. "It's no problem, really. Where are we enrolling?"

"Ouran. Ouran Academy."