Chapter 1: A fresh start
Author: XxArtemisxX
Editor: lady sovereign
A/N: I'm so relieved that first chapter is up. I can't believe I finished it. I can just hope that you like it. Please review.
Lady Sove(Rei)gn: And we'd like it if you didn't flame. This is a FaixOC fic, which means that all Kuro/Fai fans are meant to stay out. We don't read and flame your fics, so please try to show us the same courtesy.
Me: Time for the disclaimer. Should I read it? Or would anyone else like to?
FWR: I'd like to!
Me: Anyone? Does anyone want to read the disclaimer?
FWR: I said that I want to read it!
Me: No one? Seriously? Well, then I guess that I'll have to read it.
FRW: But —but —
Me: Disclaimer — I love TRC, and I obviously want to own it. But the fact that I'm writing a TRC fic means that I sadly don't.
Rei: The song below is Unwritten by Natasha Beddingfield Enjoy the chapter.
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten
I pressed my fingers on the glass window and squinted outside. It was raining and the night's darkness was cloaked by a thin veil of fog. These mystery shrouded foggy nights were becoming more frequent recently. But I didn't mind. The fog would be helpful if a certain someone had to make a quick escape, that someone being me.
Sometimes the weather lingered on till morning. That was when I had the real objection. It hadn't snowed. Just the damp rain. I had to show up in school, soaked from head to toe for months.
The rhythmic whir of a car in the distance brought me back from my internal musing. Headlights slowly flickered to life, first just a tiny speck of yellow that grew bigger as the car advanced.
I picked up the two bags on the floor and bounded for the front door. The car slowed to a stop right in front of the porch. The woman in the driver's seat turned and smiled at me.
"Chitose-san!" I grinned back and got in beside woman.
"Did you say goodbye to your foster family? Where are they anyway?" she asked.
"They're out for dinner."
"They didn't stay to say goodbye?"
I gave Chitose a meaningful look. She sighed and turned on the ignition.
"I'm sorry about them. But you know that they almost caught you last time. We could only find this family in the last moment."
"I understand." I said softly. I remembered what had happened the last time. How I had been almost caught by the Tricksters. Chitose had just managed to save me but…
I shook my head and concentrated on the road ahead. It was just seven in the evening so there was a whole lot activity on the streets. I felt a little relieved. They wouldn't be able to attack me right in front of everyone else. And of course there was Chitose but she had got a little hurt while rescuing me from them the last time.
"How's your arm?"
Chitose just looked on at the road. "It's fine. It's healing."
"So," I decided to change the subject, "who am I staying with now?"
Chitose's smile returned. "You'll like the Kinomotos. We picked them carefully. You're going to have a sister and a big brother. They'll take care of you, I promise."
I smiled weakly.
"Your new brother, Touya," Chitose continued, "is one of our tricksters. He doesn't have a sprite yet, so…"
"No." I looked at Chitose, "Are you tired of driving me around from family to family?"
She seemed surprised. "Why would you ask that?"
I bit my lip. "I just…you keep trying to pair me up with one of the government's tricksters…"
Chitose glanced at me for a second and returned back to the road. "It's not that. I'm not tied of you. Yuki, I just want you safe, okay? And if you're paired up, they'll have no reason to come after you. You won't have to keep running anymore."
I knew that what she was saying was the truth. I really would be safe if I agreed to team up with one of the government's tricksters. I wouldn't have to keep running anymore. But I just wasn't comfortable being paired up.
"By the way, Yuki," Chitose spoke again, "there'll be a few other sprites with you in school."
I blinked, surprised. "Really?"
It was unusual for more than two un-bonded sprites to be together, hell, even two were dangerous. Tricksters can sense our aura from a real good distance. If two sprites are there in one place, the aura is stronger and more easily detectable.
Chitose could feel my unease, "Don't worry," she assured, "You're going to be in the safest possible place for un-bonded sprites. We have a few of our bonded as well as un-bonded tricksters across the place. And best of all, we have Yuuko with us."
"Wait, Yuuko as in Yuuko Ichihara? The Yuuko Ichihara?"
Chitose nodded. I could only stare at her. In some point of our lives, all sprites eventually team up with a trickster. But Yuuko Ichihara was one of the oldest sprites and she was still un-bonded.
"I thought that you deserved some peace after what you've been through." Chitose smiled.
I didn't say anything. We rode in silence for the rest of the way. The rain started in again, pouring heavily to match my mood. I leaned my head against the window and closed my eyes letting the memories flood in.
I opened my eyes again when the car slowed to a stop. The rain had subdued to a subtle drizzle and the drops of water gleamed silver in the headlights of the car.
"We're here." Chitose announced.
Standing on the front porch were four people, who I assumed were my new 'family'. On the left was a tall man with brown hair and glasses on his eyes of the same color. Beside him was a woman with long, wavy hair and a smile that lit up her features. Mr. and Mrs. Kinomoto, I guessed.
Standing, leaned against the doorway was a tall guy who looked bored. I knew that he had to be Touya. Right beside him was a girl about my age, with short auburn hair and jade eyes. She was smiling in welcome. Seeing this little welcome group of what was to be my new family, for some reason I felt that everything was finally going to be okay; that things were going to get better, and maybe, maybe some of the old scars could be healed.
It was as I imagined for a short time. Then, everything fell apart without a warning. I wished that I hadn't been such a fool then. Maybe I could have prevented this from happening.
Maybe…
But somewhere in my heart, I knew. I knew that he would have tricked me eventually. I could never have escaped. And now, even as I lie in here, waiting for my fate, knowing that for the past months, I had been living a lie. A perfect lie that he had fabricated, I still can't bring myself to hate him.
Because he was the perfect trickster and I had walked right into his perfect trap.
A/N: I'm sorry that this chapter is short and not all that good. It's that I have a real bad cold and to top it off, writer's block! I swear, this can't get any worse.
Rei: But despite the fact that Artemis did a horrendous job with this chapter; we'd appreciate it if we received reviews. Maybe that'll take off the writer's block. Thank god that I don't have to face that problem, I'm just the editor.
Me: And a bad one at that! You only bother to read the chapter after I've already posted it!
Rei: Whatever. At least I read and edit it. Otherwise, you'd still have all those typing mistakes on your fics.
Yuuko: Anyway, in order to make sure that they get reviews, Artemis and Rei have decided on bribes for each chapter.
Fai: For anyone who reviews the first chapter, Watanuki-kun will be cooking a three-course meal and I will make any desert for the reviewers of their choice. Just type in what you'd like me to bake for you along with the review for the cute ladies.
Me: Kyaaaaaa! Did you hear that? He thinks I'm cute! ^_^
Fai: *whispers* Now, I just think that you're creepy.
Me: Hmm? Did you say something, Fai?"
Fai: No… ^_^
Me: Alright then, that's it for now. If you want the next chapter fast, what you have to do is…
Real easy. You just have to
Enter a few words that'll let Rei and I know that you like our fic.
Very simple!
I will post the next chapter soon. So, please…
Everyone, you know
What to do, it's nothing too big, simply REVIEW!
