~The Caged Tiger~

Chapter One

I do not own Kuroko No Basket

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"I will not accept that bastard child as a potential candidate! Are you insane? He's a disgrace to this family, to me. Haven't you already tarnished this family's name enough, child?"

"But mother, he's your only grandson."

"I don't care, he's a menace, a nuisance. He shouldn't have been born."

At the tender age of three, Kagami Taiga was taught to never raise his voice in front of the Head of the family, even if she was belittling him before him. He stood silently with his head held high and lips shut tightly as he watched his grandmother and mother discuss. Beside him, a younger girl quietly stood. She was younger than him by a year, but she was still his sister nevertheless. With soft brown hair that framed her heart shaped face that contrasted the shade of his two toned wild hair that was gelled slickly back. One her face, she held a set of mocha brown eyes. She was Suoh Kyoko, and he was Kagami Taiga.

They came from two different worlds, yet here they stood in the same world now. Another thing he knew, even though they didn't have the same last name or father, they still shared the same mother, and both of them were okay with it.

A slam that echoed off the dinner table alerted everyone in the room as Kagami winced, his eyes turned to see his grandmother rise from her seat at the head of the table. "Fine, I shall take them both on as potential candidates and take them both under my wing." She said. Her cold eyes staring at Taiga and Kyoko.

He was told to respect her by his father as the Head of the family was someone that held high power, and Kagami used to exclaim that the Head of the family was a 'King' or even a 'God'. But here he stood, and he saw no such thing. This woman wasn't a God, or even a King. No, all Kagami saw was a monster as everyone in this house strongly feared her.

The Suoh family was a traditional noble family. One that endorsed itself with class and success. Young Taiga was neither those things in the eyes of his grandmother, fortunately, neither was Kyoko.

He could still remember the days he spent in the dark room, haunted by the memories of being locked inside a cage for failing to reach grandmother's standards in whichever task she had set out for him that very day. He would cry, tucking his head and legs closer to his body for comfort and warmth as he whispered softly to himself. As a young child, he knew he never wanted this, but his mother had wanted him to become a potential heir. When he had asked his father, he simply replied that it was a way for repenting for her mistakes. At that time, he didn't understand. He didn't understand why he had to suffer? Why he had to endure all this pain if its his mother's fault?

"Taiga," he heard a soft whisper as a small hand slipped through the metal bars of his cage and lightly tapped him on his shoulder. "I'm here for you." Kyoko assured him as he took her hand and clasped it tightly. He gave it a squeeze.

"Thank you."

During those times, at least he still had a light to his darkness, someone he could rely on.

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He had always wondered why his father never lived in the main Suoh house. He wasn't even living on the Suoh family estate, and he only got to see him on the weekends when his mother would bring him to a park, or some other local public place. He had tried to ask his mother but he got a simple reply, "Because you're special." She had told him with a skins false smile. "But never tell anyone else alright," She said, placing a finger between his lips. "And don't ever ask me again, okay?"

Kagami nodded. "Okay."

It didn't answer his question, but it did make him happy that his mother had called him special. So he decided to ask Kyoko's father, Uncle Ukyo. Uncle Ukyo wasn't his father but he still was kind to Kagami to some extent. When Kagami had asked him, he had paused to answer before saying, "You don't need to understand that now, Taiga," he faked a smile, Kagami could tell. It was just like mother's. "Just go play." He then obidently nodded and ran off to play in the morning, his only time of freedom as grandmother's lessons often started after lunch.

But he was still curious about his father's situation, and deicded to ask Kyoko. The girl, while playing with her dolls, told him to ask grandmother. As the head of the family she should know everything, and why his father wasn't living with them. But he never dared asked. He was too scared to, and didn't dare raise his voice, especially after the incident.

It happened when he was four years old, it was during one of grandmother's etiquette classes, learning to perfect the art of tea brewing and serving. A noble tradition that all heirs must know.

"You pour the hot water over the tea pot, this way, it helps give a bright shine to the pot." Grandmother had told them as she observed Kyoko and Kagami's actions as two pair of small hands each lifted a hot kettle pot and began to pour the steaming water. "Always move clockwise," said the elderly lady. "It's the way the universe moves and it always brings good luck. Remember that." She reminded them sternly.

Kagami placed the kettle down as his grandmother placed a cup before him. With two hands, Kagami lifted the wet tea pot. Despite its small size, it still hurt his frail fingers as the heat penetrated the surface of his soft skin. He winced, but didn't dare raise his voice in front of grandmother. He poured the liquid as his hand moved in a single clockwise swirl, the liquid swirled too. Kagami watched anxiously as the liquid all dropped into the cup. Grandmother nodded in approval as she took the cup back, bringing it out to her lips.

Blowing softly before she took a sip. As she pulled away, she closed her eyes. "Not too hot, the thickness is about right but you used too many jasmine leaves. The taste is unbalanced." She commented as she bowed her head at him, Kagami returned the bow as he had practiced as always. "Better, but not perfect." She told him before moving on to Kyoko.

His sister gulped nervously, her hands shaking as she held the hot pot, wincing as she lifted it. Kagami nervously watched her face, her expressions showed the pain as she lifted the pot. Grandmother had pushed another empty cup forward for Kyoko's tea. Kyoko poured the tea, finishing in a swirl as well, but because she was weaker than Kagami, her hands could not withstand the intensity of the heat. She let out a cry as she dropped the pot onto the table, the ceramic china pot shattered as the tea spilt all over the wooden table as the liquid dripped to the carpets.

Kyoko and Kagami watched in horror as their grandmother rose, her expression darkening as she grabbed her wooden walking cain. "You insolent child, how dare you break that piece of china! Do you know how much that pot was worth? How old it was?" She bellowed furiously, pointing her cain at the cowering girl. Kyoko had begun crying, bringing her thin hands out to cover her face.

Kagami ran to his grandmother and clung to her kimono robes, yelling out, "Please stop grandmother, it was an accident." He told her.

The older woman had frozen as she stared down at him with wide eyes. "You dare touch me?" She whispered lowly, her eyes staring at him in horror before she raised her cain and smacked the boy across his face. Kagami's body flew across the room as he abruptly dropped to the ground. "Child, you are nothing but a pest compared to me! And never raise your voice nor touch me." She told him as two servants had suddenly entered the room, coming to see what all the commotion was about. They froze in horror at the scene before them. The Head of the family turned to them, "Bring him to the room, and get me my bamboo cain." She told them. They wordlessly nodded as one servant carried lifted unconscious boy in his arms. "I will teach you to respect me." Her cold brown eyes glared down at Kagami before her gaze moved to Kyoko, who stared, fear streaked across her face as she began to get to her feet.

"Taiga," she whispered, reaching out for the boy. "No, don't take aniki away! Please!" She cried out, finding her voice. "Please! Don't take aniki! It wasn't his fault." She pleaded the servant as she clung onto Kagami's dangling leg. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she desperately looked at the servant. The servant hesitated for a moment.

"You shut your mouth this instant, you banshee!" The Head of the family yelled. "He is not your honorable brother! He is nothing more but a mistake from your mother's foolishness."

Kyoko shook her head, "No he's my aniki -kyaa!" The brown haired girl cried out as she was flung to the ground, a red mark across her left cheek as she looked you to see her grandmothers angered face. Her wrinkled hand raised up in the air.

The elderly lady stared down at her, disgusted, "If you so desperately wish to be treated the same way as this child, then so be it." She said. "Take her to the room as well. They shall both be punished." She told the servant, turning around. "I never intended on hurting you child, but if you so insist on being treated the same as that one then I have no other choice."

Kyoko stared silently as her grandmother walked away, her eyes slowly looked up as the servant carrying Kagami approached her. "No," said Kyoko, scurrying away. "Stay away from me!" She began bashing against the man's hands as he grabbed her. "No!" She screamed. "Mommy!" She called at the top of her lungs. "Mommy help me!" She yelled, her wails echoing through the Suoh Manor as tears uncontrollably fell from her eyes.

Kagami's eyes began to flutter as he turned to see Kyoko trashing wildly about, her tears falling all over her face. "Kyoko?" He whispered in slurred sleepy voice as he turned to see their mother come rushing up to the servant.

"Mother! What are you doing?" She exclaimed, hands flying to her mouth as she watch the servant carry her children away. "Put them down!" She demanded, the man hesitated once more but a single silent look from the Head of the family sealed away his thoughts.

Their grandmother coldly walked, her back turned to her very own daughter, "Teaching them a lesson, Hanare." She replied harshly as their mother began to cry.

"Mommy!" Kyoko called out, her hand outstretched for the woman but their mother didn't take it. Instead, she fell to her knees and covered her face. "Mommy..." Kyoko's crys began to die out. "Mommy! What are you doing? Stop them!" She whimpered.

Kagami stared at his mother as they got further and further away. She wasn't doing anything, she wasn't stopping grandmother.

No, she couldn't.

She was powerless against grandmother.

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'You see that lady over there Taiga,' said his father, pointing over to an elderly woman that stood by the window. 'That's the Head of the Suoh family, your grandmother.'

'Wow, that's so cool, is she your mother?' Kagami asked his father excitedly.

His father shook his head, 'No.' The man replied. 'She's your mother's mother.'

Kagami stared at the lady as she disappeared away from the window. He felt two hands on his shoulders as he looked to see his father, the man bent down to one knee. 'Taiga,' he said seriously. 'I want you remember something,' his father looked at him, and then to the window. 'When you are in this house, always remember that as Head of this family, you're grandmother holds the power. She controls everything, and nobody, not even your mother or Uncle Ukyo can do anything about it.'

'But why?' Kagami asked.

'There is no why, it's just the way things are here.' His father replied.

'Taiga!' He looked to see his mother ushering for him to come. 'Come on, say good bye to your dad now.' She told him.

Kagami turned and hugged his father, the red haired man smiled as he patted his son on his head. 'I wish you could stay with me here, daddy.' He whispered to his father.

'I wish so too, but I can't.'

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They arrived at a dark room, in the middle laid a table. Grandmother stood, a long thin bamboo cain in hand as waited for them. "It seems that I shall have to teach you both some manners." She said. "Leave them here, and lock the door as you leave."

After that day, Kyoko changed.