Tears of the Innocent
She starred out her bedroom window calmly, seeming to take childish pleasure from the sun rising above the mountains to the east, painting the clouds bright pinks and oranges. Causing shadows to stretch themselves westward as if they could escape the white hot rays that would destroy them, only to be birthed to life again as soon as it set. Kiku's mind was on anything but the sun, however much she would have preferred it to be there. She was thinking about her life, how her mother had died trying to defend her, how Rikimaru had done the same, and how someday, her father or Ayame might again risk themselves aswell. Everyone sacrificed themselves as if she mattered, but she didn't think she was very important, she was just another twelve year old, regardless whether she was a princess. If any other child had been born in her place, they would be treated with the same respect, everyone rushing to their rescue as if they were the offspring of a god.
She pretended to be a child, to still be that dependent little girl that couldn't understand what was going on, mostly to try and convince herself that it was all a dream, that everything that had happened in her short life was all in her head, now…
A low whine broke through her thoughts and she looked down to see the Akita puppy her father had given her as a present the night before. His fluffy black face looked up at her playfully, his short curled tail wagging enthusiastically, the white fur on his body sticking straight up, making him look like nothing but fluff and legs. She smiled and bent to pick him up, still wondering what to call him as he happily licked at her face and she couldn't help but laugh in spite of her earlier thoughts.
"Atleast I can control where you go boy, I don't ever have to lose you for no reason, I'll always have you." But by the love she could read in his animal eyes, and the way he trailed at her heals where ever she went, she knew that if it ever came to her life, he would gladly give his for hers and count the price a small one.
She felt hot tears coming to her eyes, why couldn't she be normal like other children, their friends didn't die because someone wanted them to get to their fathers, they didn't have to wonder who would sacrifice themselves next for their safety. She buried her head in the puppies fur and cried freely, the small animal titling his head to the side and whining in confusion, almost asking if it was something he had done and Kiku held him tighter.
"Kiku?" She started and turned, her short, dark hair fanning about her with the motion, her tears falling form her eyes and landing silently on the floor; she forced an innocent smile, the kind expected of naïve children.
Ayame raised an eyebrow at her telltale signs of crying, but didn't say anything, she, of course, knew better than anyone not to press someone into revealing their emotions. "Breakfast is in a minute, I just came to see if you were out of bed." She smiled lovingly at the girl, walked foreword and knelt to give her a reassuring hug. "If you ever need someone to talk to…" she let herself trail off in suggestion.
Kiku nodded and pulled away from her embrace to place the puppy gently on the floor, Ayame followed the movement and then looked a Kiku's face as the young girl watched the puppy shake out his damp fur with a sigh. Then her eyes landed on the water drops on the wooden floor and she reached out her index finger to touch one, it's wetness sticking to her finger and forming a second salty drop as she brought it up for her inspection.
"You know," she said in a whisper, placing that same finger between Kiku's eyes and then trailing it down her nose to stop at her lips. "The tears of the innocent are always the saddest." Then she smiled before Kiku could respond and looked at the puppy who was looking at them and wagging his tail back and forth.
"What will you call him?" She asked, cocking her head to the side as if considering one for herself. Kiku thought back to the undying loyalty she'd sensed in the puppy and suddenly had the perfect one.
"I will call him Rikimaru." She announced with a smile, the puppy gave a high pitched bark and they both laughed softly as he pawed the ground playfully.
"A fine choice, and an honorable one. Shall we go down to the dining hall now and claim our meal, I must admit I'm famished and I didn't get to sleep until late last night."
"Why is that?" she asked, taking the hand her adopted older sister offered her and walking beside her, the Akita puppy trailing faithfully behind, stepping on the bottom of her robe that dragged the ground and tripping over his own over-large and awkward feet.
Ayame smiled enigmatically, "I'll tell you why I'm up at all unholy hours of the night when you tell me why you cry when your alone." Kiku smiled and shook her head and they continued the rest of the way to the hall in satisfied silence. She licked the salt of her tears from her lips and wondered, were the tears of the innocent sadder than the tears of a warrior? and vowed to ask Ayame that next time they were sure that they were alone, for now, she was just content to be with the people she considered family, happily living the life she had between traumatizing events and being kidnapped. She sighed inwardly so as not to attract anymore attention from her "sister" and thought, are mine the tears of innocence? But figured that question wouldn't be answered until she was no longer innocent. And by that time, I will no longer care.
A/N: Sorry if it seems a bit lame, the idea just came to me and I had to write it down, well I hope you enjoyed it ^_-
I need your guys' help on something! If I were to do a series about Kiku branching from this one when I'm finished with my other major fics, what would all of you think? Does it sound like a good idea? Give me your feed back please.
OUTTY
~*ayame_kayori*~