Disclaimer : I don't own anything…except for my characters, of course!
The Warrior Within
"When darkness closes in…
Do you sense fear?
Look into your heart.
The speck of light still gleams,
Illuminating the path that you seek."
Chapter I : Roses that bloom in darkness (Part I)
Rain lashed at the small window, threatening to shatter its stained glass. The dingy attic shuddered with the rumbling thunder and chilly mist seeped through the many cracks on the wall. She shivered as the cold stung at her skin and snuggled deeper into the blanket, hoping to find some warmth, but only to be embraced by more coldness. She groaned and curled up in bed, wrapping her arms around herself, desperate for some warmth, and maybe, some comfort, when………
"WAKE UP YOU GOOD-FOR-NOTHING LAZY-HEADED BRAT!"
This time she groaned out loudly.
The blanket got kicked off the bed viciously to reveal a head full of tousled lavender hair. A pair of sparkling blue eyes stared at the ceiling, anger and irritation etched all over them. Then she got off the bed grudgingly, cursing the owner of the voice that had shouted at her and presented her with such a pathetic starting of the day. She moved to the window and looked out, the stormy sky reflected on her blue eyes. So, even nature had decided to betray her today. She sighed to herself,
"This just keeps getting better and better."
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"Are you up yet or not?"
A plump blonde woman in her mid forties shouted from the cozy kitchen. She looked up at the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs.
"Goodness gracious, her highness finally woke up! In case you haven't noticed girl, I'm not supposed to play the role of your alarm clock every morning. You're supposed to wake yourself up by 6 am and prepare breakfast for all of us. I will not tolerate any princessy laziness in MY house, you understand, girl?" The woman spat at the newcomer.
The pair of glittering blue eyes met the blonde's brown ones squarely. "Sure. While your spoilt princesses sleep till 8.30. Ironic, isn't it?" she said in a sarcastic tone, while setting the table for breakfast.
The woman's eyes narrowed. "I will NOT be talked to like that in MY house! I am warning you for the last time, girl."
"My name is Yanzi," she said calmly. "And by the way aunt Niya, do you really have to stick that emphasizing "MY HOUSE" label on each and every one of your sentences? I mean, it DOES cause you a lot of calorie-loss, you know? So, I'd rather suggest you put up a huge sign on the roof-top saying "MY HOUSE" in big black block letters. At least it'll save you the shouting!"
Aunt Niya's face turned a dull shade of purple. She seemed on the verge of exploding. Suddenly a sound of cheerful laughter issued from the doorway. A brown-haired boy in his early teens stood there beaming at the older lavender-haired girl.
"Yanzi onesan always manages to bring laughter in our boring lives." he said still laughing hard.
"Thank you Junichi. Such an enthusiastic audience like you only makes my task easier." Yanzi chuckled back warmly. "Although I can't really say that for everybody…" she added thoughtfully casting a sideways glance at the blonde woman.
"Humph," aunt Niya settled herself heavily on one of the chairs round the table.
"Oh c'mon mom, you can't be mad at someone just for having a brilliant sense of humor!" Junichi chirped, plopping down on a chair himself.
"Okay, okay, enough with it," she snapped, irritated at her son for siding with the blue-eyed brat. "Why are you up so early today? And where's Ayumi and Kasumi?"
"Who, the Queens of Buckingham? Like they're ever gonna get up this early!"
"That's not the way to talk about your elder sisters!"
"Right," Junichi snorted.
Yanzi stifled a giggle as she placed the toasts on the table and sat down on another chair, gracefully tossing her knee-long lavender hair to her back.
Which irked her aunt. Come to think of it, everything about this young girl irked the blonde woman.
"I've got football practice today, so I'm up early." Junichi said through a mouthful of food. "Say onesan, do you have kendo practice too? We can set for school together then?"
"Yep, I think that's a good idea, since I DO have practice before classes and--"
"Make sure you get back home before noon to clean the house and prepare lunch," aunt Niya cut in rudely. "I won't be back till 5 pm and Ayumi and Kasumi will be all tired out. Besides, I've invited some guests over for tea in the afternoon, so you'd better not be late."
Yanzi's face clouded. She was planning to hang out at the mall with her friends after school. Junichi noticed the sad look on the older girl's face and looked up at his mother accusingly. Aunt Niya, however, was feeling quite pleased with herself.
"Have I made my point clear?" she asked silkily.
Yanzi sighed.
"Yes, aunt Niya."
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"H-A-I-I-I-I-I-I-Y-Y-A-A-A-A-A-A-H!"
A girl went flying across the room and hit the wooden wall squarely with a sickening thud. She had rosy-pink hair and as she looked up, a pair of hazel eyes framed with long black lashes was revealed. She glared at the other side of the room, where the cause of her rather disgraceful flight stood. It was another girl, with dark blue curls tied in a loose ponytail, slinging a kendo stick over her shoulders, an oh-yeah-look-at-me-I'm-Battousai-the-slasher (!) sort of triumphant smirk plastered on her face.
Which obviously irritated the pink-head.
"NISHIDA, YOU MORONIC LITTLE SHOW-OFF !" she yelled at the blue-haired girl.
"Exactly the reaction one would expect from a sore loser like yourself, Suzume-san." Nishida's smirk deepened, her brown eyes twinkling with mischief.
Suzume simply gaped at her, a bit lost for words.
"HUH?"
Nishida threw up her hands in exasperation.
"Awww, c'mon Su, I just won this block-buster super-duper action-packed match! Don't ya expect me to say something cool or somethin' ?" She pouted.
"How very unfortunate," said a smooth voice from the other corner of the room. "But of course, that's what you get when EVERYBODY wants to be a samurai!" The owner of the voice was a tall and rather pale girl with black hair and deep black eyes. She sat in her Dojo robes watching the other pair fight. A tinkle of laughter issued from beside her where another girl sat. She was a bit skinny and wore glasses. She had dark blonde hair that she tied up in an elegant bun.
"Goodness gracious, Yoko! I was beginning to wonder whether Nishida got a bump on her head or something," she said through muffled giggles. "Don't do anything of that sort again, Nishida. It was pretty scary. You know, YOU talking so formal…!"
"Yeah, yeah very funny, Akane," Nishida grumbled bad-temperedly. "You're all just pissed off 'cuz I'm so awesomely tough and you're not! Yippie!" she started running around in circles swinging the kendo stick madly over her head.
"Riiiiiiight." Yoko rolled her eyes.
"Hey that's all okay, but DID YA REALLY HAVE TO THROW ME THAT HARD ON THE WALL?" Suzume got up rubbing her
head frantically, frying Nishida with her fiery glare.
Nishida sweat-dropped. "Well, um, you see, er, I was, um, sort of trying to imagine you as a ping-pong ball and thought
maybe you'd ricochet off the wall or something. That'd be pretty interesting, ya know…"
"SAY WHAT!"
"Hey, are you guys having a party without me?"
All four heads turned at the arrival of a certain lavender-head. A very dear lavender-head…well, at least to them.
"YANI-CHAN…!" Nishida zoomed up to her and within seconds had her locked in a rather lop-sided bear-hug.
"I missed you ol' buddy ol' friend ol' pal!" Nishida squealed through giggles.
"Like how? You just saw me yesterday!" Yanzi laughed back. "Now if you don't mind, GET OFF ME YA HEAVY SAND BAG,
YER SUFFOCATING ME!"
"WHAT! Are you telling me I'm fat? Let my kendo stick be a witness this day, I shall poke your limbs off with the aid of
ruthless…er, pokes…of this holy stick and—"
"Again too much samurai-obsession!" Yoko rolled her eyes.
All five girls burst out laughing.
"Just like always," Yanzi thought happily. "I always feel at home whenever I'm around these guys. They're the only
friends I've got and hanging out with them helps me forget what I have to go through with aunt Niya everyday." Even
thinking of that particular person filled her heart with bitterness and she remembered what had happened earlier in the
morning.
"By the way Yani-chan, you DO remember that we're going over to the mall after-school today? It's my cousin's wedding
ceremony and you promised you'd help me choose a decent dress for myself." Nishida beamed at her.
Yanzi's heart sank. Nishida was looking at her so expectantly. How could she word it out to her?
"I'm sorry Nish-chan, but I don't think I can go with you guys today. See, I'm not feeling too well and I got this terrible
headache. Please don't be mad," Yanzi lied, desperately trying to keep the false smile at place.
Nishida stared at her for a moment. Then her expression turned grim.
"It's the hag, isn't it?" she hissed.
Yanzi chose not to answer that.
"That aunt of yours is giving you a hard time again?" a look of deep concern crossed Yoko's face.
Yanzi tried to smile, but it looked rather awkward. Finally she gave in and sighed heavily.
"That horrible woman!" Akane growled.
"And her horrible twin daughters!" Suzume added.
"Hey, Junichi's quite ok, though," Yanzi said. "He's pretty adorable, the little guy."
"Yeah, he's cute!" Nishida chirped happily, then instantly became serious again. "But honestly Yani-chan, how long are
you planning to stand that snobbish old hag, anyway?"
Yanzi bit her lips.
"You guys know me better than anybody else. Heck, I was literally brought up by you guys! So, you know perfectly well
that I'd give ANYTHING to get out of that cursed house of my aunt. But circumstances just don't permit. At least, not
yet……"
Everyone was silent for some time. There was no sound other than the howling of the cold wind outside.
"That aunt of yours just gets on my nerves." Nishida declared finally.
"I know. But it's not like I have an option……
Is it?"
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