Disclaimer: I do not own KOF or any of the character's in this fic. I know, I'm as shocked as you are.
K' kicked a rock down the steps in front of the temple, his hands in the pockets of his pants and a dejected look on his face. It was the day of the Hanami festival, and his parents had decided to take him and his sister to the Byodoin Temple to watch the cherry blossoms. His mother had even made him put on a suit, and wet and comb his messy silver hair to the side. If his friends saw him like this, he would be dead. Of course, their families had stayed at home in downtown Kyoto for the holiday, so they had all gone to the arcade to play the new Street Fighter game that had recently come out. K' would be the last to play it. He closed his eyes and heaved a sigh. Man, parents just don't understand.
K' wandered down to the lakeside and picked up a few stones, skipping them on the clear blue water, which reflected the temple behind him. Each stone caused ripples, distorting the reflection in the water. He felt like destroying it, he was so angry at having been dragged down to the stupid temple on the weekend. K' reached down and grabbed one big stone and tossed it into the water as far as he could. A big splash erupted in the center of the small lake as it made contact with the water and then dissipated into ripples. K' knelt down and wrapped his hands around his knees, watching the ripples disappear and the smooth, even surface of the water return. Then he noticed his reflection mirrored in the waters he was staring so intently at. He looked… goofy. K' messed up his neatly combed hair, returning it back to its usual state. He then unbuttoned his jacket and untucked his shirt. His mother would scold him later for it, but he didn't care; he just felt so restrained. Then, K' paused, noticing that another reflection had moved into view in the water. Eto… K' turned around him to see a little girl, about three years younger than him, perhaps five years old, the same age as his sister, standing behind him watching him in awe with wide violet eyes. K' slowly stood up, looking about for her parents, but no one else was within sight. His eyes returned back to her. She was dressed in a traditional kimono for the festival and clenching tightly a pinwheel in her hands. She had long, straight blue hair and pale skin, reminding him of a doll. K' slowly raised his hand in a gesture of hello, a curious and confused look on his face. "Ano… ohayoo."
The little girl continued to stare at him with wide eyes and then suddenly, without warning, she started to cry, wailing on the top of her lungs. K' winced and covered his ears. This definitely wasn't helping his day out any further. "Maa, maa don't cry. I'll help you find your parents," K' reassured her. Her wail waned down to a sniffle as she rubbed her eyes. Jez, what a baby. K' lowered his hands from his ears and searched the pockets of his coat, fumbling for something, hoping to find it before she burst into tears again. K's annoyed look yielded to a sigh of relief as he pulled out of his jacket what he had been searching for, a sucker. "Here." The little girl opened her eyes to see K' holding out the sucker to her, an offering of appeasement. She happily took it from him and popped it into her mouth. Apparently, her parents had never taught her about that not taking candy from strangers rule. K' ran his fingers through his silver hair and sighed. Yare yare. What have I gotten myself into?
Kula sneaked up along side of him and grabbed his free hand, her big violet eyes staring up expectantly at him and the end of the sucker sticking out of her mouth. She didn't even bother to take it out when she spoke. "Wha's yer name?" Dash let out a loud sigh and scratched the back of his head. He'd better play along. "My name's K'." The little girl took the sucker out of her mouth, her tongue and lips had turned blue from it. "My name's Kula," she said in reply, even though he hadn't asked her what her name was. K' smiled back painfully. "Sou desu ne?" Like he didn't already have enough trouble with one little sister, it seemed that he had inherited another for the time being. "Play tag with me K-kun?" K' bent over at the waist so that he was her size, about to explain to her that they had to go find her parents. He didn't feel much like babysitting today. "Sorry kid, but…" before he could finish his sentence, Kula poked his nose with a sticky finger and giggled. "Tag, you're it." Before he could protest, she had already dashed off in the opposite direction. K' reached out to grab her, but she was to fast for him. His bangs fell over his eyes as he grumbled in irritation, trying to wipe the sticky off of his nose with his hand. What a way to be spending a Saturday afternoon.
K' stood back up, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and started walking in the direction that she had run. He looked around the grassy shore, but didn't see her. She had to be hiding behind one of the cherry trees. He scratched the top of his head, his other hand on his hip while he looked around. But which one? It was then that he heard the sound of giggling coming from a nearby tree. He snickered as he put his hands back in his pockets and strode over in the direction. He poked his head quickly around the trunk of the cherry tree, with the intention of surprising her. "I got you now!" he yelled as he lunged to grab her, but she wasn't there. K' scratched his head with a confused look on his face. I could have sworn… and then he heard her playful laugh again. K' looked up above him, only to see Kula's pleased face staring back at him as she sat in a low tree branch, her pink kimono camouflaging her among the sakura blossoms. Pretty clever for a kid. Kula smiled at him and tapped him on the head. "I win!" she triumphantly declared. K' looked a bit confused. "I thought I was it…" he trailed off. It was no use trying to argue with a five year old. And then he heard a dreadful sound. The branch began to crack. He stood still, unsure whether he should grab Kula or run out of the way, but before he could make a decision the branch collapsed on top of him.
Several minutes later, K' came to. He groaned painfully and opened his eyes to see Kula's chibi face. She was preoccupied with poking him with a stick, uncertain if he was dead or not. Her eyes then caught his face and noticed that he was awake. Her cute curious look turned back into a large smile… but she was still poking him with the stick. K' facefaulted. "Stop poking me already, I'm not dead." Kula blinked and hid the stick behind her back, smiling innocently. She then looked at him a little closer, her face inches from him. "You sure?" K's eyebrow twitched in irritation. She hadn't said it to be funny, she was really clueless. K' stood back up painfully, while brushing off his black suit. Then he noticed something. "Ano… wasn't there a branch around here?" K' said, looking back at the spot where he had been lying down. Kula just smiled back at him. "You're silly K-kun." Kula then stuck her sucker back in her mouth and looked at him like nothing happened. K' just excepted that it was gone; his day was hard enough to comprehend already.
Kula looked up at him and tugged at his sleeve like she had something important to say, either that or she really had to go to the bathroom. "K-kun!" she whined insistently to get his attention. K' rubbed his head and looked down at her. "What is it Kula-chan?" Kula looked at him with her kawaii violet eyes. "K-kun, will you be my boyfriend?" K's head fell and somewhere a bell was hit in the background. He ran his fingers through his silver hair as he tried to explain to her. "Kula-chan, I'm too old to be you're…" He stopped, noticing those eyes were beginning to fill with tears. Remembering the wailing episode from earlier, he had no wish to reenact it. K' sighed and gave in. "Fine," he mumbled to appease her. Kula beamed. K' shook his head in exasperation, quickly searching for a way to change the subject. "Come on let's go find your parents," he said as he took her hand, but Kula immediately pulled it away. She then raised both of her hands and looked up at him expectantly. Oh god, now she wants to be carried. K' knelt down on one knee in a compromise. "How's a piggyback ride?" Kula's eyes grew wide as she ran over and climbed onto K's back, throwing her arms around his neck. "Hold on tight," K' warned her as he stood up slowly, looping his arms around her legs.
K' walked along the lakeside until he reached the temple stairs, which he began to climb. This wasn't so bad. She seemed to have quieted down the past couple of minutes. Then, as if to refute him, he felt his hair being pulled on top of his head. He closed his eyes and winced. "Ow, ow! What are you doing?" he craned his neck back to look at her. Kula wore an upset frown on her face as she pointed to the top of his head. Nani? K' looked at her a bit confused, until he realized something about her. Her sucker was missing. K's eyebrow began to twitch again in irritation. Her parents had to be saints to put up with all of this. He then let out a sigh. No reason to get mad. I can get it out. After all, she's just a kid. She doesn't know any better. K' quickly jogged up the rest of the stairs and stopped at a drinking fountain at the top. He deposited Kula on the ground and ducked his head under the cool waters. Kula sat down on the ground, in the dirt, looking up at him as he washed the sticky out of his hair and slowly removed the sucker like it was a delicate operation. He set it on the edge of the drinking fountain as he continued to wash out his hair. When he finished he ran his fingers through his hair, trying to return it to life, when he noticed Kula had stood up again and popped another sucker into her mouth. He squinted one eye trying to keep water from getting into it as he dried. "Kula, where'd you get that sucker…" Dash asked her as he came to the realization of where she had gotten it. Ew… Why do little kids always have to put gross things in their mouths? He thought, completely ignoring the fact that he had done similar things himself only a couple of years ago. He wasn't even going to bother fighting with her over it. He was exhausted.
"Kula-chan! There you are!" K' turned around to see a tall, slender couple standing in front of the glaring sunlight so he couldn't see their faces. The woman knelt down with her arms outstretched as Kula ran to her. "Mommy!"
K's parents were standing along side Kula's. Apparently they must have been looking for them both. After all, it was getting late and the light was beginning to die. K' dejectedly stuffed his hands in his pockets and skulked over to them, his bangs covering his eyes. He didn't want anyone else to get the impression that he had been hanging out with a little kid all day long. Before he reached them though, Kula came running back. She stopped before him, panting, her little legs had run as fast as she could to him. "K-kun I have to go home now," she informed him, while bowing to him politely. K looked at her and smiled warmly; she had begun to grow on him after all… at least he'd miss her. He reached out and messed up her straight blue hair. "Well I guess this is good bye then ne?" Kula frowned and bit her lip as K' kept his palm on top of her head. "Demo… I don't want to say good bye K-kun." K' removed his hand from her head and rubbed his chin. He would miss her, but he didn't exactly want her to follow him home either. Better to come up with something to appease her. "Well then Kula-chan. How about 'Until we meet again?' Kula's face brightened significantly at the suggestion, and she nodded in agreement. "Until we meet again K-kun!" and with that, she ran off back to her parents. K' watched her go and a slight smile crept over his face. "Hm."
Many years later…
K' strode down the street, patrolling the area near where he lived. It was a hot, Kyoto summer day, too hot even for K'. He felt like he had crawled inside an oven and set it on blowtorch. It probably didn't help him either that he perpetually wore black leather. K' ran his fingers through his shaggy silver hair as he let out an exasperated sigh. There had been no new leads on NESTS for days now, and his blue hair nemesis who was perpetually trying to kill him had seemingly disappeared, which consequentially upset him for several reasons. The few moments that they had shared together, when she wasn't trying to kill him… well it made the times when she was trying to kill him worthwhile. They both had been used by NESTS, and he was willing to bet, she had lost her past much like he did. He felt sorry for her, and deep down, he secretly wanted to rebel against them with her at his side, but he was sure it was Foxy and Diana who were holding her back. He didn't want to push her either way; she had to make her own choice. K' looked at the ground, his bangs covering his eyes as he kicked a rock that flew off to the side and into a nearby alley. A solemn look graced his features. What would he do if she didn't choose him?
K' was so lost in thought that he almost walked completely passed that alley that day, and he was thankful every day of his life from then on that he hadn't. He had almost stridden completely past the side alley on his right, between two towering buildings when he felt a cold chill caress his cheek. He turned, half expecting to see Kula standing there, but instead he saw something quite strange for a hot day in the middle of July. Snow. And huge drifts of it at that. Curious, as anyone would be, if anyone besides him had actually been foolish enough to leave the comforting air conditioning of their home to room the streets on a day like this, Dash stepped inside the alley, his heat melting the snow with each step he took into the domain. K' grinned. He had never been much fun during winter. Ice sickles melted that had been hanging on the edges of window sills above him and small overhangs on the buildings on either side of him, the water dripping down and drenching his hair. The place vaguely reminded him of when Kula did her Freezing Execution SDM attack, making the whole battlefield her icy palace. He stalked further down the alley, his hands in pockets, curiously looking about his surroundings, searching for the source. And there he found it as he expected. Kula…
She lay in the snow, her pale skin almost blending in to its whiteness. Her blue hair clung to her shoulders, the purple outfit she so often donned was torn and tattered. Her eyes were closed, for she was deep in a blissful slumber, something she must have been badly in need of from her apparent condition. The streaks from icy tears remained on her cheeks and slow, shallow breaths emanated from her blue tinged lips. K' knelt down on one knee, the snow melting away beneath him, and extended his gloved hand to caress her cheek. His bare fingers touched her cold, smooth skin. Her skin felt like he thought it would. Kula snuggled against his hand, a soft moan coming from her lips. She was so heart wrenchingly beautiful, it pained him to see her like this. What was she doing here anyways? Well, it doesn't matter. I'm taking her somewhere safe.
K' slid an arm underneath her back and another beneath her legs at her knees. He prayed to the gods above that she wouldn't wake. The last thing he wanted was for the dangerous tigress that she was to attack him in this position. He lifted her from the ground and stood up, her body in his arms and her head fell against his bare chest. K' bent his head and looked down at her, his face blushing severely at the feel of her bare skin against his. Maybe now they'd have their chance. And with that K' started back towards the direction of his apartment, a slight smile on his face and his love in his arms.