CHAPTER ONE
Dawn…
This has got to be the most beautiful part of the day…
Still snuggled up in her bed, twenty-year old Yaone sighed happily as she leant on her windowsill, her face cupped in her hands as she watched the sun rise, squinting at the sky as it grew brighter by each passing minute. She smiled to her self, still half-asleep but her mind already racing.
With a day such as this one coming up, it makes this view, all the more picturesque.
Yes, she's been waiting for this day for what seemed like forever, and her whole body tingled with excitement.
Today, she'd finally get to see him again.
Him…
Kougaiji…
Her childhood friend, her soul mate, he was the big brother she never had and always wanted. Ever since she was at the tender age of five, he, then barely ten himself, had taken on the role as her mentor and protector. She, in return, devoted herself, and her absolute loyalty to him. As they grew older however, circumstances had it that they could no longer spend as much time together as they once did. Any chance for a reunion was dearly treasured by both of them.
"Yaone!"
The familiar voice broke her train of thought; her smile broadened as she turned to face the speaker.
"Morning, onee-chan!" She greeted cheerfully "You're up early today"
"Speak for yourself" Her older sister Kanan replied as she entered the room "It's barely six-thirty in the morning and you're already sitting here, grinning like a lovesick teenager…"
She didn't even get a chance to finish before she found a pillow flying at her face.
"What was that?!" Yaone demanded with feigned anger "You're calling me lovesick?!"
Kanan laughed, and sat down at the corner of the bed "So Kougaiji gets back today, when're you leaving to meet him?"
"His plane is due at five thirty-nine in the afternoon" Yaone had long since memorized the information off by heart "So I guess he'd be out by around six…"
"Hmm…well since the trip to the airport from here takes two hours, max, allowing for traffic" Kanan said with a mocking smile "I guess the reason you're up at this hour is because it'll take you ten hours to get ready for this big reunion?"
Oi!" Yaone exclaimed in protest "You can't talk! The last time you went out on a date you spent the entire morning just picking out a set of earrings!"
Her sister just smiled and looked down at her hands, no doubt recalling the details of said date.
"Speaking of which" Yaone leant closer to Kanan "When am I ever going to meet this dreamboat of yours?"
"Huh?" Kanan blinked.
"Come on, don't play dumb!" persisted the younger girl, glad to have the focus taken off her "It's been nearly a month since you've gone steady with this...this…Ha-ka? Hai-ka? Ha-ki?…"
"Hakkai!" Kanan corrected, blushing slightly.
"Well whatever, see that's just my point! How am I meant to remember his name without ever getting to meet him?"
"Well you've never brought any of your boyfriends home!" Kanan argued, then paused to think, and she sighed "But then again you've never been with any one of them for more than a week"
"None of them were any good" Yaone shrugged.
Kanan raised an eyebrow. That's probably because you keep putting them up against your yardstick Kougaiji…she thought. She had half-expected for her little sister's affection for him to grow into something more than just friendship by now, to view him as more than just her brother. Though frankly, she's pretty much given up hope on that.
"Come on, onee-chan" Yaone coaxed "Let me meet him, I promise I wouldn't make fun of him or anything, I'll behave! Promise! Please? Come on! Please?"
"We'll see" Kanan stood up to retreat "We'll see if you can live up to that promise"
"Is that a yes then? Is it?" Yaone asked eagerly.
Picking up the pillow that was previously used as ammunition, Kanan threw it back at the girl still in the bed.
"Quit bugging me and get up! Else you're only gonna get nine hours to get ready!"
With that, she quickly exited the room and shut the door behind her to escape any retaliation, chuckling quietly to herself.
Well Hakkai, you've always wanted to see what my home looks like…perhaps today is as good a day as any…
…
But who can predict the future? For no one can foresee the consequences of their actions. This day…this day that began with such a calm, pleasant and beautiful dawn…was to be the beginning of a thunderstorm more violent than any of them could ever have predicted.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Even though I don't like to put in long notes at the very start of my fics, I figure I should clear a few things up in case anyone is confused.
Obviously, this is an alternate-universe (AU) fic, so there will certainly be inconsistencies with the actual anime or manga:
1) I know Yaone and Kanan had no relationship whatsoever, but here, they've been written as sisters. I have not assigned a last time to either them since neither of them had a last name in the anime. (In the manga it can be assumed Kanan shared Hakkai/Gonou's last name, but not in the anime).
2) I'm also aware that Cho Gonou did not become Cho Hakkai until long after Kanan's death, but here, for simplicity's sake, and also since it's AU, I'm not going to bother with that detail, since there is no good reason why one guy would need two names in this case. Plus most Saiyuki fans prefer the name Hakkai over Gonou, and I do as well.
3) I have no idea what to put down as Kougaiji's last name. If anyone wants to suggest anything, please do, I'm pretty much going to leave out that detail as well. And also, Kougaiji comes from a normal home, as in, his father is not been resurrected and his mother is not sealed in a stone pillar.
4) Yaone and Kougaiji are NOT lovers here (in case you haven't figured, which would be kinda weird), but all things change.
5) And of course, (AU factor once more), they're all human. No demons in this universe.
That's pretty much it for now. Any suggestions welcome. I seem to have a thing for the more under-appreciated pairings of this anime.
More to come soon.
