Unfading Memories
Author Notes: Thank you all those that came to Chapter 1 of my RK fic. It really touches my heart *sobs* Arigato! Enough of me, let's get on with the fic and hope you will enjoy this one also.
Legends:
"Speech" *Thoughts*
Disclaimer: I don't wish to do anymore get it? So don't ask me already! I have already put one in my prologue so I won't put it up anymore. There!
Unfading Memories- Chapter 1
Panting heavily, Misao paused to catch her breath. Smiling, when she saw that she had managed to reach the gates just in the nick of time. Smoothing her clothes, she stepped in and bowed to the two guards at the gate. The two guards recognized her and gave her a small smile. Returning the smile, Misao turned to the left of the castle, and when she saw that no one was watching, gently pushed the bush covering the trap door and lifted the trap door. She quickly closed it and walked down the small uneven flight of stairs before finding herself in a dimly lit corridor. She turned to her right and came across a huge wooden door and pushing it gently stepped into the kitchen smelling the familiar smell of food cooking.
"Good! Misao you're back from your day off and not a minute too soon too." came the somewhat irritated voice of Anji the head cook. "You are very lucky. Had you come back later, you would have found yourself just like this pig here," and to emphasize his words, Anji chopped off the head of the pig on the chopping board in front of him. Gulping hard, Misao muttered a sorry and rushed of to find her friend, Kamiya Kaoru (who at the moment was washing the plates).
"Welcome back! How was your day off?" asked Kaoru, as she rinsed the plate in her hand. "I was worried that you might spend too much time at your grandfather's and even more time admiring the field of flowers in front of his house."
"Kaoru you know me too well already! And yeah, I guess you were right. I was almost late coming back if Jiya hadn't reminded me." Misao replied grinning sheepishly at her friend and at this, the two good friends laughed and continued to wash the huge amount of dirty dishes.
Later that night.
"Ne, Misao have you ever wondered why you came to work at the palace?" Kaoru asked as she lay in the thin mattress which she shared with Misao in the room shared with the other servants who worked in the kitchen.
"Uh.Actually, I can't quite recall what it really was but now that you asked, I think I can sort of remember. As you know, me and my brother were orphans who were looked after by our grandfather, Okina. My brother was about 17 and I was 7. He knew that Jiya was not exactly in the pink of health and took it upon himself to earn money for the family. At first both me and Jiya were very happy when he found a job and I knew he enjoyed doing his job. This continued for about 7 years until Aoshi contracted that strange illness of his. I tried every doctor in town, but the doctors were too scared to go near him. The doctors told us that his illness was contagious and we have to stay away from him. Aoshi was the sole breadwinner of the family. I didn't really listened to them and although Aoshi was placed in an abandoned house far from the town, I continued to go see him and bring him food."
Misao took in a deep breath and continued, ignoring the slight pain in her chest as she recalled her brother's illness. " It was horrible. He got this terrible fever which never seem to leave and he lost his appetite day by day. Finally one day, he just went like that in his sleep and I found him smiling and deep down I knew that it was for the best. At least he was now rid of the pain and I know that he would e watching down from above alongside my parents" said Misao happily even though Kaoru could see the tears in her eyes threatening to spill.
Sighing, Misao continued, "It came at the worst possible time. I caught a bad cold and Jiya was so scared that I would end up like Aoshi that he used up all of his life savings to get me treated." As Misao spoke of her past, an uncomfortable look appeared on her face. Seeing this Kaoru immediately said, "Misao if you don't want to say this then you don't have to."
"Daijobu! I want too. Besides it makes me feel better telling someone. Somehow, after quite some time, I managed to recover but the amount of money Jiya had spent on me was all gone and I knew that I had to get a job. So, at the age of, I enlisted the help of my two older cousins, Okon and Omasu to come sometimes to look after Jiya. Afterwards, I got the help of one of the family's old friend, Sakamoto Mayumi, who's son worked as a gardener at the palace. Lucky for me, I managed to find work here at the palace in that very same year and I've been working here ever since." Misao finished a now relieved smile gracing her lips.
"But somehow after working here for so long I realised that well, that there was something wrong in the palace. There seemed to be some sort of caste system. We, those who work in the kitchen have never really gone out of the kitchen before and have never gotten to know the others working here. Have you ever realized it too? I mean, we even have different sleeping quarters as them! Those who work in the kitchen never really mix around with those who work outside the kitchen and even they seem to have different sleeping quarters from us. It's so weird. How I wish I could work like those who work in the castle's gardens. they are SO lucky.I wish I could be like them. maybe I can even finally get to see the royal family. I heard the prince is very handsome." she swooned as Kaoru thought of what her friend said.
*It is true what Misao says and no one who has worked in the kitchen has ever seen the rest of the castle. Our uniforms are also different from the rest!* Looking at Kaoru lost in her thoughts, Misao just smiled and muttered a small "oyasumi nasai" and lay down on the mattress and slowly drifted off to sleep.
Aware now that Misao had gone to sleep, Kaoru stared at the sleeping form of her best friend. She would help her friend fulfill her wish. After all, you only turn 16 once and she knew what it was like. As she thought about it, the 18-year old smiled and went to sleep. *I know what to do.*
A/N: Revised and improved! (I think) Hope that you guys enjoyed this version. Leave your reviews and then you can come and meet me in the next chapter. Ja ne!
Author Notes: Thank you all those that came to Chapter 1 of my RK fic. It really touches my heart *sobs* Arigato! Enough of me, let's get on with the fic and hope you will enjoy this one also.
Legends:
"Speech" *Thoughts*
Disclaimer: I don't wish to do anymore get it? So don't ask me already! I have already put one in my prologue so I won't put it up anymore. There!
Unfading Memories- Chapter 1
Panting heavily, Misao paused to catch her breath. Smiling, when she saw that she had managed to reach the gates just in the nick of time. Smoothing her clothes, she stepped in and bowed to the two guards at the gate. The two guards recognized her and gave her a small smile. Returning the smile, Misao turned to the left of the castle, and when she saw that no one was watching, gently pushed the bush covering the trap door and lifted the trap door. She quickly closed it and walked down the small uneven flight of stairs before finding herself in a dimly lit corridor. She turned to her right and came across a huge wooden door and pushing it gently stepped into the kitchen smelling the familiar smell of food cooking.
"Good! Misao you're back from your day off and not a minute too soon too." came the somewhat irritated voice of Anji the head cook. "You are very lucky. Had you come back later, you would have found yourself just like this pig here," and to emphasize his words, Anji chopped off the head of the pig on the chopping board in front of him. Gulping hard, Misao muttered a sorry and rushed of to find her friend, Kamiya Kaoru (who at the moment was washing the plates).
"Welcome back! How was your day off?" asked Kaoru, as she rinsed the plate in her hand. "I was worried that you might spend too much time at your grandfather's and even more time admiring the field of flowers in front of his house."
"Kaoru you know me too well already! And yeah, I guess you were right. I was almost late coming back if Jiya hadn't reminded me." Misao replied grinning sheepishly at her friend and at this, the two good friends laughed and continued to wash the huge amount of dirty dishes.
Later that night.
"Ne, Misao have you ever wondered why you came to work at the palace?" Kaoru asked as she lay in the thin mattress which she shared with Misao in the room shared with the other servants who worked in the kitchen.
"Uh.Actually, I can't quite recall what it really was but now that you asked, I think I can sort of remember. As you know, me and my brother were orphans who were looked after by our grandfather, Okina. My brother was about 17 and I was 7. He knew that Jiya was not exactly in the pink of health and took it upon himself to earn money for the family. At first both me and Jiya were very happy when he found a job and I knew he enjoyed doing his job. This continued for about 7 years until Aoshi contracted that strange illness of his. I tried every doctor in town, but the doctors were too scared to go near him. The doctors told us that his illness was contagious and we have to stay away from him. Aoshi was the sole breadwinner of the family. I didn't really listened to them and although Aoshi was placed in an abandoned house far from the town, I continued to go see him and bring him food."
Misao took in a deep breath and continued, ignoring the slight pain in her chest as she recalled her brother's illness. " It was horrible. He got this terrible fever which never seem to leave and he lost his appetite day by day. Finally one day, he just went like that in his sleep and I found him smiling and deep down I knew that it was for the best. At least he was now rid of the pain and I know that he would e watching down from above alongside my parents" said Misao happily even though Kaoru could see the tears in her eyes threatening to spill.
Sighing, Misao continued, "It came at the worst possible time. I caught a bad cold and Jiya was so scared that I would end up like Aoshi that he used up all of his life savings to get me treated." As Misao spoke of her past, an uncomfortable look appeared on her face. Seeing this Kaoru immediately said, "Misao if you don't want to say this then you don't have to."
"Daijobu! I want too. Besides it makes me feel better telling someone. Somehow, after quite some time, I managed to recover but the amount of money Jiya had spent on me was all gone and I knew that I had to get a job. So, at the age of, I enlisted the help of my two older cousins, Okon and Omasu to come sometimes to look after Jiya. Afterwards, I got the help of one of the family's old friend, Sakamoto Mayumi, who's son worked as a gardener at the palace. Lucky for me, I managed to find work here at the palace in that very same year and I've been working here ever since." Misao finished a now relieved smile gracing her lips.
"But somehow after working here for so long I realised that well, that there was something wrong in the palace. There seemed to be some sort of caste system. We, those who work in the kitchen have never really gone out of the kitchen before and have never gotten to know the others working here. Have you ever realized it too? I mean, we even have different sleeping quarters as them! Those who work in the kitchen never really mix around with those who work outside the kitchen and even they seem to have different sleeping quarters from us. It's so weird. How I wish I could work like those who work in the castle's gardens. they are SO lucky.I wish I could be like them. maybe I can even finally get to see the royal family. I heard the prince is very handsome." she swooned as Kaoru thought of what her friend said.
*It is true what Misao says and no one who has worked in the kitchen has ever seen the rest of the castle. Our uniforms are also different from the rest!* Looking at Kaoru lost in her thoughts, Misao just smiled and muttered a small "oyasumi nasai" and lay down on the mattress and slowly drifted off to sleep.
Aware now that Misao had gone to sleep, Kaoru stared at the sleeping form of her best friend. She would help her friend fulfill her wish. After all, you only turn 16 once and she knew what it was like. As she thought about it, the 18-year old smiled and went to sleep. *I know what to do.*
A/N: Revised and improved! (I think) Hope that you guys enjoyed this version. Leave your reviews and then you can come and meet me in the next chapter. Ja ne!