It's a Secret

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By: Ryoko

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Track 00:07:00

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"Hatsuharu-"

"You don't deserve to get her back. Ashura doesn't want to go, after what she told me I fully understand why. I won't leave her alone now."

"This is none of your business Hatsuharu-"

"She's MADE it my business. Anyone that hurts children deserves to be punished."

"Stop it, Hatsuharu."

"Shut up Hatori!" he snapped, now finally raising his voice. "I don't intend on letting her get hurt again. You wanna go to the police? So be it. Go ahead. MAKE. MY. DAY."

"I'm scared daddy . . . I'm scared." Ashura whimpered in his ear. He placed a hand on her arm in reassurance.

Tired of the situation, Hatori decided it was time for discipline.

"Hatsuharu. Give me the girl."

"They don't deserve her. They hurt her more than you could ever imagine."

"That's their problem. No matter WHAT you do, she will ALWAYS be THEIR child. Now give her to me."

Kyou appeared in the doorway next to Yuki. Hatori glanced over the two at the neko. He narrowed his eyes at Hatsuharu.

"This is your last chance. I need her back." The doctor demanded. Kyou nodded, moving closer to the two.

"I DON'T WANT TO GO! Daddy!" Ashura yelped, clinging tighter.

Hatori nodded solemnly.

In a split second, the physician stole the girl from the boy's arms and Kyou had dealt a somewhat hard hit to the back of the teenager's head, knocking him out immediately.

Lifeless, he fell backward into the older juunishi's arms.

"Here she is." Hatori handed the girl, crying and screaming, to her father.

"Daddy! Daddy! Help me! Daddy! I don't wanna go back! Daddy!" She kept screaming as the couple got into their car and left without a word.

"That could've been so much easier than it really WAS." The doctor sighed, turning to Kyou.

"Thank you." He glanced up at Yuki.

He stood in the doorway, trembling in anger and almost unable to control himself. He just wanted to lash out and KILL Hatori, but another part of him wanted to break down and cry or scream or ANYTHING but what he WAS doing.

"How could you . . . ?" he whimpered softly, clenching fists. That was all he could choke out before he ran out of the house like lightning.

***

"You little BRAT!" another slap. "How DARE you run away?! And how DARE you tell anyone! How DARE YOU!" Her mother screamed at the top of her lungs. "Oh you will PAY you little brat. Just wait till we get HOME." She laughed quietly, sitting back in her seat.

"Just calm down Deena. At least we found her."

Ashura held herself tighter, still shaking furiously in fear. It hurt . . . everything hurt badly, yes, but her heart hurt more. She rested her head on the car door, staring blankly out the dirty window at the gloomy atmosphere.

It would just be so easy . . . all she had to do was open the door and jump out like she did last time . . . but something was keeping her from doing this.

What was it? She didn't know.

'I'm a coward. I'm too scared to do it now. I want daddy. I hope he's okay.' She thought, wiping her eyes dry of tears.

The car parked in front of a familiar brick building. It was rundown, but the three still called it home. Well . . . the TWO. Ashura wouldn't go in. She refused, first by not getting out of the car until her father reached in and pulled her out by her hair, and then when they came to the front door, she began to scream bloody murder at the top of her lungs, screaming nothing but fear.

She was dragged in by the silvery locks and thrown onto the concrete floor, scraping her arms a little. She didn't even get time to breathe before the beating began.

The physical pain was easy to ignore by now, for the child. All she had to do was fade away, into her own world, as both of her parents pounded at her, burned her with their lighters. She sat there lifelessly, letting them slowly drain the life from her.

'Daddy . . . help me . . . '

***

When Hatsuharu came to, he wouldn't speak to anyone. The second he could move, he left the house, still without a word, and disappeared into the woods.

Soon coming to the pond around six or seven miles away from the house, he collapsed to his knees, letting out every tear that felt like coming out.

No matter how hard he'd fought to keep her, he still lost her.

"Forgive me little one. I'm . . . sor . . . ry . . . I'm sorry. I tried." He whimpered, holding his stomach like it would help stop the pain in him.

"I'm sorry too."

"Huh?!" He gasped, spinning around. "Yuki?"

"I'm sorry. I really should've stopped Kyou or helped you a little, at least. I'm sorry I just stood there and let it all happen . . . but . . . I was frozen . . . I-"

"Don't worry about it. I get it." He sighed, looking away. "How long have you been gone? I didn't see you when I woke up."

"I left as soon as she did."

"Is Tohru with you?"

"No. I believe she's still out shopping with Kagura. Unless she got home after you left."

"Mmm . . . Yuki?"

"Yes?" He moved closer and took a seat on a rock close to the younger juunishi.

"Do you think I was wrong? In trying to keep her from any more pain?"

"No. That's why I think I got angry with Hatori too. When he took her away from you . . . I felt like I could kill him. I hated him so much . . . just for doing that to you . . . but I think it actually went deeper than me seeing that . . . I think I, TOO, wanted you to be her father. She was always so happy around you. Nobody else." He stared away toward the pond. "You should've saw her when she was taken into that car. She was screaming for you, crying and screaming with agony. She really didn't want to go. Do you think they'll be better parents to her now?"

"Never. Yuki, abusive parents never get better. They always get worse. I'm worried about her. I just hope she's alright."

"Same here." He sighed, lowering himself onto the ground and pulling Hatsuharu into his arms. "I'm sorry."

***

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