Darkest Just Before Dawn

RK doesn't belong to me.

AN: Hello, this is the story before for Darkest of Days, and though it's not all that dark, there probably will be some hints of it here and there.

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She always liked the wind in her hair, the fresh sent of the sea breeze blowing at her, and the soft rising of the sun as it came over the ocean and brushed her with its gentle rays. This was the only time of day when she ever felt at peace, as if she was the only one in the world and that was all that ever would matter.

But, that was just a dream, a fantasy that would never come true no matter what would ever happen. No one loved her, her family despised her more then the shit their own bodies created ever time they went to the bathroom. And in her class status, that was bad… So why should she care? Why would she want the love of people who hated her, wanted her dead in the most horrifying way possible? Well, she wanted a family, and a family was a family, any way possible.

Sighing, she stood up from the beach side, and started to leave, just to spot a mystifying red head, sitting not far from her, turn his head away from her and back to the scenery. He had been showing up for the past few days now, staying by himself, but always looking at her with the strangest of eyes--this sexy amber but at the same time a memorizing amethyst.

"Hey," she said, walking up to him, her feet sinking into the sand as she walked over to him. The guy looked to be a few years older then her, about 16 or 17 years old. She was 13, and one of the most smartest women in technology at the time, and wasn't all that proud of it. Her late grandfather had made a big fuss about it, and she would inherit the family's company when her god-awful parents kicked the bucket. Unlike the rest of her family, she had gained the old man's gene of knowledge, and knew things her eldest half-brother was learning about in college during his senior year. And they all hated her for it--smart, good looking, and in charge of a company that she wouldn't have been able to touch if everyone else could have it their way.

"Hi," the red head said back, looking at her for a moment before staring back at the gentle waves hitting the beach.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked, trying to get a conversation going. He had been looking at her for the past week, and now, he just didn't seem to want to.

"Watching the sun rise."

"Not very talkative, are you?" She planted her hands on her hips, and pouted down at him. He looked up and saw her expression, smiling softly.

"No."

"Well, I'm Himura Kaoru, what about you?"

"Yukishiro Kenshin."

"Nice to meet you."

"Same here."

Kaoru made it home before breakfast was served, having enough time to wash and change her clothes, sitting down into her chair and putting her napkin in her lap before her parents walked in, taking their places at the ends of the long table. The meal was served: eggs, toast, and rice, with fruit and vegetables at the center. Cereal was also present, but you had to have what was served in front of you first before you could move onto anything else.

Forks, knives, and spoons were laid out on either side of her, and she picked the right one, years of practice and getting hit on the hand with a ruler if she choose wrong set the right one's into her mind and hands. The meal was delicious, but long, for she couldn't leave the table unless everyone was done, and someone always stayed and made her wait forever until she could leave.

This time it was her mother and her oldest half-sister, her mother's first child, she was her mother's last child, and the only one living at the house who had the blood of both mother and father--the rest were all 'bastards,' having been made with a lover of one of the two. God, the two were talking about nonsense, clothes and jewels they were going to wear to the next festival, one Kaoru wasn't allowed to go to, unless she got a date that was 'good' enough for her parents. It didn't matter if he the meanest man on the planet, or the ugliest for that matter, as long as he had the money and class status, her parents would give her away in a second.

"Kaoru-chan, did you know that your sister is going to go with the Prime Minister of America's son?" Her mother cooed, proudly as she looked down the table to the pale thing with big blue eyes that matched the women's own.

"No, I didn't," Kaoru replied, not sarcastic at all, she cared about her family, even if they didn't care about her. "Good for you, Nanisa-nee, I'm glad you got the guy you've been going after."

"I know, isn't her just cute, with his blond hair and blue eyes?" Nanisa said, gazing off into space with the face of Richard Newton in her head. The girl was in love with his looks and money, and that was just about it.

"He goes good with your beautiful skin." On the inside, Kaoru let loose her emotions, cursing at them with words that would be uncivil for an adult the age of 50! She wanted them to get up and go, so she could leave as well! But no, they stayed there and talked and talked, until two hours had passed and two hours left until lunch.

Her normal hide away was her room, set in the vacant west wing, the place where she watched the sun set over the mountains. She never watched the sun rise from the house, the sea was the place she let herself do that, if not at all cause she wasn't able to get away. That hadn't happened lately, but she knew that soon enough she would be stopped and forced to stay home the rest of the day.

Her room was tidy, with a t.v., boom box, and furniture that was expectable. And there, on her table, was her pride and joy, the HoverBoard JPX, a one of a kind hover board that wasn't like any other. Oh sure, hover boards were around, but this one had a special chip that you put on you skull, any where on you head, and from that chip a matching one was in the board's main computer, where it read your brain waves and followed the commands like nothing else. This was the only copy, and the blueprints were hidden in a place none of her family member would ever be able to get to, her brain. The only safe place for something like that piece of technology.

She side tracked herself from a tempting ride and took out a book she was almost done with and settled herself down into a comfy chair after turning on a classic CD, letting the music fill the room as she read. It was a good book, Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich. Her favorite character was the grandmother, who was always talking about something that would always crack you up!

The book wasn't exactly set for someone her age, but no one cared about what she did or read, as long as she didn't go out and screw every male in sight. But, that wouldn't ever be able to happen, she had a curfew, and spy who would follow her when ever she went out, and a very controlled life, one that wouldn't be broken unless she left the country and ran from her parents arms.

She broke out laughing at a park in the book, Stephanie leaving the guy in the middle of a street in only a pair of socks and a shirt, and going back and giving him his gun before driving off again. The main character had every right to do that, and the poor guy, well; Kaoru hopped the police man was glad he got at least his gun while out on the street.

"Kaoru-san," said a servant, knocking on her door and opening it, to reveal a small woman in a maid outfit. "Dinner is ready and everyone is coming down to eat now."

"Thank you," Kaoru replied, setting down her book and turning off the music. She started to head down stairs, towards another few hours of her day wasted away in hell.

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AN: Well, I hope you liked it, a good start to a story I thought, well, that's me anyway. I hoped you like it, cause it shows life before hand, though, I don't think I can ever write something about what happens after Darkest of Days…I may try, but I don't think it would be any good in the long run. And the book, 'Two for the Dough' by Janet Evanovich, is a real book, and a good one too.

Please review! Thanks!