Once upon a lullaby chapter 19

The rain pattered on my forehead as I walked home from tutoring on a Friday. The rain was getting heavy and I was getting soaked. However it didn't bother me, Kyo may not like the rain but I love it. Just running around in the rain in itself is fun enough. I started to walk towards the entry of the forest when a little girl ran past me. Her golden brown hair bobbed on her shoulders as she ran, tiny little tears streaked down her cheek as she ran. Instinctively I ran after her; I ran until I got to the middle of the forest. I saw her little pink dress, white frilly socks and red shoes scattered across the brown rocky ground. I ran a bit further and I saw her... She was the tiger from the zodiac. She was very small and was curled up in a ball by a tree. I walked slowly towards her, placed her clothes in my bag and stroked her back. "Are you ok?" I asked softly. I heard the soft muffling of her shifting around. I lifted her up and cradled her in my arms. Her sad brown eyes stared up at me crying, as we walked down I didn't say a word... well I didn't have to.

I got in about 11 o clock, yuki, Kyo and Haru were sitting at the table. I walked in soaking wet and Haru instantly jumped up taking the little tiger off me. "Kisa," Haru muttered. "Why did you run off like that?" He asked. There was no answer, he sighed angrily and went and wrapped her up in a towel. I just stood there as he done it when I felt something soft on my head. I turned round and there was yuki holding a towel... I never even noticed him get up.

"We don't want you to catch a cold now do we?" He smiled. Yuki was still trying his best to take care of me but not as much as he was a couple of weeks ago. As he sat down I grabbed my apron and went into the kitchen. There I found Haru searching the cupboards for some food.

"You ok Haru?" I asked taking a pot and pan out of the draw. I'm in the mood for fish, he didn't answer for a second while staring weirdly at a biscuit box. "Haru?" I asked him curiously waving my hand in front of his face.

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine; I'm a bit tired though ive been looking for Kisa the whole day." He sighed.

"Where is she now?" I asked him. He turned to face me, his face was anxious.

"Upstairs sulking. She is like this all the time won't speak to anybody, not eating, not bothered with life altogether... But then she ran away." He opened the box and took a bite of bourbon.

"Why?"

"She was bullied." He said simply, I heard the shuffling of feet and stared to the doorway. There stood Kisa, her face was obviously betrayed. Tiny tears flowed down her cheeks and she ran. "KISA!" Haru yelled. As the front door slammed, he went to run after her but I stopped him.

"Don't, ill go." I said without looking at him and ran out the door. He didn't follow but I couldn't see Kisa anymore. The rain beated against my face, my hair stuck to my head. I constantly needed to brush it out the way. I ran for a while up and down the path of the forest. Then I realised... what if she was lost in the trees? It would take hours to find her maybe days... Then I saw her... she was slunk against a wall obviously week as she had transformed. I went to walk over to her, but somebody else was walking too.

"Kisa love come back home." Her voice was gentle and her dark brown hair was stuck to her face. Is this her mother? "Kisa why didn't you tell me? You could have told me that you were being bullied. Why do you have to do this to me? Don't you care how much pain you cause me?" And kisa's mother started to cry.

"Why is it her fault?" I spoke clearly through the rain walking slowly over to them. "It's not kisa's fault, you can't make false assumptions. She might not have wanted to disappoint you. She might have believed that you would hate her too if she told you the truth. Kisa didn't choose to be bullied; she didn't choose to be like this. It's just the way she is; you need to understand that she wouldn't intentionally do something to hurt you. Maybe all Kisa wants is to be welcomed by open arms, with a smiles. An atmosphere where she can truly be happy. And I bet that you would be their too." I smiled and with a boom of light orange smoke the cute little Kisa appeared. Tears poured down her face as she clung to me, the mother stood there in shock disbelief and a rude awakening. We got Kisa back into her clothes and I gave her a piggyback until we got to the house.

That night Kisa slept in my bed, she wouldn't go asleep unless I was there so I lay a blanket on the floor and soon she was sound asleep. Haru had thanked e and went back home, Kyo brought me up the biscuit tin and yuki just smiled as he walked past. Shigure came in around 3 and all the time I was still awake. Just watching over Kisa to make sure she was ok.

I woke up around 11. Kisa was still asleep but the minute I walked out the door she trotted after me. Everywhere I went she followed. And when I went to school on Monday she wouldn't leave the front step until I came back. It was extremely cute, I loved having little Kisa as my company... but I knew that she couldn't stay like this forever. Momiji had come to visit and made Kisa smile... but still no words. A week passed and Kisa had helped me with all the chores and was still sleeping in my bed, but I didn't mind. Before she went to bed and when she woke up I couldn't help myself from hugging her and telling her how much I loved her. On a Saturday Haru came to visit just as I was about to go grocery shopping.

"Is everything ok Haru?" I asked him. He nodded and held up a piece of paper.

"I need to deliver this to Kisa is that ok?" I nodded and he headed upstairs where Kisa was waiting. As I left the house I looked up and sighed. Not much time left now is there...?

"Kisa?" Haru opened the door slightly. Kisa was reading your guardian angel, because she heard it was my favourite book of all time. Kisi's head went up slightly to acknowledge he was there. "I bring a letter." He declared handing it over, she put down the book and started to read. Yuki came into the door way and he and Haru just watched her. After a couple of minutes she put the piece of pink paper on the bed and curled up in a ball. Haru walked over snatched it and showed it to yuki...

Dear Kisa, I am sorry to hear that you don't want to attend school anymore. You may feel this way but school is a wonderful place to be so you should enjoy it. All the girls and boys can't wait to see you and are ready to welcome you back to our class. Maybe if you could find something good qualities about yourself you might feel better. Kisa there is alot of good things about you, you just need to try and find them. Mrs Pilgrimage. Haru did not look happy; before he could start talking yuki walked over and placed his hand on kisa's head.

"The note says that you need to try and find good stuff about yourself...but who is to say you haven't? It's very hard to find good stuff about yourself when the bad thoughts overpower them. You end up getting drowned in the self hatred and distaste, when that happens you can't possibly find anything that could make you even the slightest bit special. But what really makes you understand is when somebody tells you how great you are, when somebody hugs you and tells you how much they love you for who you are. That is what makes the difference!" Yuki spoke smoothly smiling sadly as kisa's wide eyes looked up to face him. And then she started to cry...

"Y-y-yes..." She stammered in her cute, squeaky voice. "I want to try my hardest; I want to become a better person for her." And she clung to Namis small hedgehog teddy to her chest as she cried. Haru and yuki hugged her as she sat there crying; but after a few minutes she looked up and giggled.

Sigh... I wonder if Kisa is ok. I'm going to be late because the queue was so big, and then the man in front of me kept complaining about the price of cheese! Cheese! I walked over the bridge and looked up to the sky. The rain had let up for a couple of days and the sky was dotted with stars and the moon seemed to get brighter by the second. "Nami one-chann!" A cute voice called down the street. I looked down the road and there was Kisa running towards me in her cream dress.

"KISA!" I yelled in amazement. I dropped my bags as she leapt into my arms. I looked up and saw yuki following slowly with a grin on his face. I couldn't help myself from smiling with him... I wonder if he played a part in any of this... most probably. Oh well I'm just happy Kisa is happy! We parted and picked up the bags. She looked up at me with a smile almost reaching her eyes I clutched her hand and she grabbed yukis, together we all walked home.

"Will you be ok Kisa?" I asked as she walked down the street. She had decided to be strong she would go back to school. To be honest I'm slightly worried... but I also think she can handle this. Over the past 3 days she has became a better person. She is still wary of Kyo but who isn't? I kid I kid! Slowly as she walked into the school gate me, Haru, momiji and yuki turned around and walked to school. And I realised how brave Kisa is... well how brave they ALL are. Hopefully I will be able to be like them one day...

Yeah well I did kind of steal the last part so I won't take any credit for it XD hope you enjoyed it see you next time in chapter 20 xxx