Chapter 1
Kiruchi was still sleeping in the escape pod until she entered Earth's atmosphere. The pod was coming apart as it came hurtling down. She woke up sniffling, but she didn't know what was going on. Kushina had made sure that her memory was erased except for her name and training. Three minutes later, the pod dissolved until on Kiruchi, the sword, and pieces of metal were left.
Kiruchi landed softly on a small patch of wilderness in the mountains. Pieces of metal shimmered all around her as she rubbed her eyes. Where am I? She thought to herself. Something else caught her eyes. What's this? A sword's sheath? But how? She kept questioning herself until a large rustle in the bushes disrupted Kiruchi's questioning. "W-Who's there?" she stammered. A lamp was brought down to her face. The bright light made her close her eyes.
"Mishonu, come quick! I found a little girl!" Kiruchi opened her eyes to see a dark browned hair man with gentle eyes looking at her. She looked behind him to see a young woman with black hair running over to see what the commotion was. She knelt down by the man. All Kiruchi could do was sit on the ground, staring at them.
"Hello there. Don't worry we won't hurt you. Where are your parents?" The lady smiled. Kiruchi felt better about these people.
"I dunno. Who are you?" The lady gasped and looked at the man. She whispered something into his ear and he nodded.
"I'm Shikono and this is Mishonu." He saw that she was clutching a sword in her hands. "Is that sword yours?" She nodded. Shikono grinned at her and looked up at Mishonu. "I guess we have no choice but to take her. I don't see any people here.I wonder how she got here. She might have been abandoned then." Mishonu nodded.
"Very well then. Just don't keep running off so that you can go gambling for more money. Besides, I'll have to work harder so that I can receive a promotion. I can't earn too much money being a bank teller. I only get paid 300 yen a week." She looked sternly at him.
"Fine. I'll look for a job too. Now lets get.. What's your name?" He helped Kiruchi up.
"I'm Kiruchi Roujihakuni." She leaped up grabbing her sword and holding a small piece of metal.
"Well Kiruchi, welcome to our family." He smiled at her. Kiruchi smiled as well, knowing that she now had a family.
They arrived at a small house about 30 minutes later. "Well, here we are. Home sweet home." Kiruchi was sitting on Shikono's shoulders when they arrived. Mishonu was examining the strange markings on the sword behind them. Kiruchi jumped down from Shikono's shoulders and ran to the house. He chuckled. "She'll definitely fit in very well."
Mishonu placed her hand on his shoulder. "This sword is very strange.How can a little girl like her be able to even lift this sword up? It's so heavy." He looked at the sword for awhile and picked it up.
"I suppose that is strange. But this is our first time Mishonu, you musn't worry so much." She smiled. Kiruchi ran up to them.
"Let's go!" She tugged on their hands. Kiruchi was eager to go inside. Shikono pushed the door open revealing some rooms.
"Welcome to your new home. Why don't we give you a tour first? Oh and Mishonu?"
"Yes?"
"Can you get Kiruchi some clothes to wear?" Mishonu walked off into the hallway.
"Come on Kiruchi. I'll show you around the house. We'll introduce you to some other kids later." He took her hand and opened a door.
An hour passed and Kiruchi saw most of the rooms of the house including the kitchen, dining room, master bedroom, living room, garden, attic, closet(s), pantry, and training hall. Shikono decided to show Kiruchi her room later. Mishonu walked into the living room where Shikono was showing Kiruchi how to work the television. "Since you're going to teach her how to fight, get her some of the uniforms you used to have. I've found some kimonos that are small enough for her." He left the room muttering "Only some because you're a bit big."
Kiruchi walked to the dining room where Mishonu was placing some kimonos in front of her. Kiruchi breathed in the scent of the clothes, smelling flowers. Kiruchi looked over them carefully and chose a few. She especially loved the black kimono with the red dragon on the back and tried it on. Shikono walked into the room and placed numerous blue, black, and brown training robes. He looked up and smiled at Kiruchi. "You look beautiful in that one." Kiruchi blushed a bit leaving a soft, pink tone on her pale skin. "These should fit.I think. That last person who wore these was that Toshiki boy and he was 7. So, that should be good. Now let's show you your room."
Kiruchi jumped up. "Yay!" She grabbed his hand and looked up at him. He looks like some one I know.she thought to herself. Shikono led her past the master bedroom and kitchen to a door that she didn't notice before. He opened the door and she looked inside. There was a small bedroom all for her! She ran in a stood in the center looking all around her. There was a small bed, desk, and closet to put her stuff on as well. She didn't notice that Shikono was placing two pegs on to the wall.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm putting a small place so that you can put your sword up here." He finished nailing the pegs in and placed the sword on top. "Now you can do whatever you what to your room. And also, keep your room clean. You don't want to live in a pig sty do you?"
Mishonu walked in with the rest of the kimonos that she chose. "We hope you like your new room. It has a lot of things that you'll be needing once you start school and training."
Kiruchi cocked her head at Mishonu. "School? And training?" A large grin spread over her small face. "Hooray!!!" She ran to Mishonu and Shikono. "Thank you so much! I don't know what to say."
"Well, you better get to sleep then. Cause you're waking bright and early so that you can help us with our morning chores. And we'll introduce you to some other kids like Yahiko, Misao, and how about.Soujiro?" Kiruchi nodded her head and wouldn't stop until Shikono put his hand on her head. "Now get some sleep. Here are some more comfortable robes if you want to sleep better. We'll wake you up at dawn tomorrow." He tossed her a faded lavender robe.
Kiruchi put on the robe and started hanging her new clothes. She was almost done when her eyes darted to the last kimono that she didn't see before. It was also a black kimono with a blue dragon in the back and a red symbol that she didn't see before. She smoothed it out. It was too big for her, but it became her favorite. Mishonu came into the room to tuck her in.
"This has been a great night for all of us. It's really late now. So you should get to bed if you want to catch a wink of sleep." Kiruchi crawled into her bed.
"What time is it?" Mishonu looked at the moon. Well, it should be about midnight right now. So hurry and go to bed. We'll see you at dawn." She kissed Kiruchi on the cheek and turned off the lamp.
"Good night.Kiruchi. I'd never thought I would be able to raise a child. But I can try now." Mishonu walked out of the room, into the dark hallway.
To be continued.
Kiruchi was still sleeping in the escape pod until she entered Earth's atmosphere. The pod was coming apart as it came hurtling down. She woke up sniffling, but she didn't know what was going on. Kushina had made sure that her memory was erased except for her name and training. Three minutes later, the pod dissolved until on Kiruchi, the sword, and pieces of metal were left.
Kiruchi landed softly on a small patch of wilderness in the mountains. Pieces of metal shimmered all around her as she rubbed her eyes. Where am I? She thought to herself. Something else caught her eyes. What's this? A sword's sheath? But how? She kept questioning herself until a large rustle in the bushes disrupted Kiruchi's questioning. "W-Who's there?" she stammered. A lamp was brought down to her face. The bright light made her close her eyes.
"Mishonu, come quick! I found a little girl!" Kiruchi opened her eyes to see a dark browned hair man with gentle eyes looking at her. She looked behind him to see a young woman with black hair running over to see what the commotion was. She knelt down by the man. All Kiruchi could do was sit on the ground, staring at them.
"Hello there. Don't worry we won't hurt you. Where are your parents?" The lady smiled. Kiruchi felt better about these people.
"I dunno. Who are you?" The lady gasped and looked at the man. She whispered something into his ear and he nodded.
"I'm Shikono and this is Mishonu." He saw that she was clutching a sword in her hands. "Is that sword yours?" She nodded. Shikono grinned at her and looked up at Mishonu. "I guess we have no choice but to take her. I don't see any people here.I wonder how she got here. She might have been abandoned then." Mishonu nodded.
"Very well then. Just don't keep running off so that you can go gambling for more money. Besides, I'll have to work harder so that I can receive a promotion. I can't earn too much money being a bank teller. I only get paid 300 yen a week." She looked sternly at him.
"Fine. I'll look for a job too. Now lets get.. What's your name?" He helped Kiruchi up.
"I'm Kiruchi Roujihakuni." She leaped up grabbing her sword and holding a small piece of metal.
"Well Kiruchi, welcome to our family." He smiled at her. Kiruchi smiled as well, knowing that she now had a family.
They arrived at a small house about 30 minutes later. "Well, here we are. Home sweet home." Kiruchi was sitting on Shikono's shoulders when they arrived. Mishonu was examining the strange markings on the sword behind them. Kiruchi jumped down from Shikono's shoulders and ran to the house. He chuckled. "She'll definitely fit in very well."
Mishonu placed her hand on his shoulder. "This sword is very strange.How can a little girl like her be able to even lift this sword up? It's so heavy." He looked at the sword for awhile and picked it up.
"I suppose that is strange. But this is our first time Mishonu, you musn't worry so much." She smiled. Kiruchi ran up to them.
"Let's go!" She tugged on their hands. Kiruchi was eager to go inside. Shikono pushed the door open revealing some rooms.
"Welcome to your new home. Why don't we give you a tour first? Oh and Mishonu?"
"Yes?"
"Can you get Kiruchi some clothes to wear?" Mishonu walked off into the hallway.
"Come on Kiruchi. I'll show you around the house. We'll introduce you to some other kids later." He took her hand and opened a door.
An hour passed and Kiruchi saw most of the rooms of the house including the kitchen, dining room, master bedroom, living room, garden, attic, closet(s), pantry, and training hall. Shikono decided to show Kiruchi her room later. Mishonu walked into the living room where Shikono was showing Kiruchi how to work the television. "Since you're going to teach her how to fight, get her some of the uniforms you used to have. I've found some kimonos that are small enough for her." He left the room muttering "Only some because you're a bit big."
Kiruchi walked to the dining room where Mishonu was placing some kimonos in front of her. Kiruchi breathed in the scent of the clothes, smelling flowers. Kiruchi looked over them carefully and chose a few. She especially loved the black kimono with the red dragon on the back and tried it on. Shikono walked into the room and placed numerous blue, black, and brown training robes. He looked up and smiled at Kiruchi. "You look beautiful in that one." Kiruchi blushed a bit leaving a soft, pink tone on her pale skin. "These should fit.I think. That last person who wore these was that Toshiki boy and he was 7. So, that should be good. Now let's show you your room."
Kiruchi jumped up. "Yay!" She grabbed his hand and looked up at him. He looks like some one I know.she thought to herself. Shikono led her past the master bedroom and kitchen to a door that she didn't notice before. He opened the door and she looked inside. There was a small bedroom all for her! She ran in a stood in the center looking all around her. There was a small bed, desk, and closet to put her stuff on as well. She didn't notice that Shikono was placing two pegs on to the wall.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm putting a small place so that you can put your sword up here." He finished nailing the pegs in and placed the sword on top. "Now you can do whatever you what to your room. And also, keep your room clean. You don't want to live in a pig sty do you?"
Mishonu walked in with the rest of the kimonos that she chose. "We hope you like your new room. It has a lot of things that you'll be needing once you start school and training."
Kiruchi cocked her head at Mishonu. "School? And training?" A large grin spread over her small face. "Hooray!!!" She ran to Mishonu and Shikono. "Thank you so much! I don't know what to say."
"Well, you better get to sleep then. Cause you're waking bright and early so that you can help us with our morning chores. And we'll introduce you to some other kids like Yahiko, Misao, and how about.Soujiro?" Kiruchi nodded her head and wouldn't stop until Shikono put his hand on her head. "Now get some sleep. Here are some more comfortable robes if you want to sleep better. We'll wake you up at dawn tomorrow." He tossed her a faded lavender robe.
Kiruchi put on the robe and started hanging her new clothes. She was almost done when her eyes darted to the last kimono that she didn't see before. It was also a black kimono with a blue dragon in the back and a red symbol that she didn't see before. She smoothed it out. It was too big for her, but it became her favorite. Mishonu came into the room to tuck her in.
"This has been a great night for all of us. It's really late now. So you should get to bed if you want to catch a wink of sleep." Kiruchi crawled into her bed.
"What time is it?" Mishonu looked at the moon. Well, it should be about midnight right now. So hurry and go to bed. We'll see you at dawn." She kissed Kiruchi on the cheek and turned off the lamp.
"Good night.Kiruchi. I'd never thought I would be able to raise a child. But I can try now." Mishonu walked out of the room, into the dark hallway.
To be continued.