Author's Notes: Well, I'm bored, so I'm putting up this Prologue along with Chapter One. So, this is the start of the real story and I hope you all will enjoy it even though you may want to strangle me for starting another story -sweatdrops- I'm becomign very annoying aren't I? ...yes, depression seems to be the theme lately for me -sighs- Don't worry, I'll be hopping around happily in no time -small smile-
Disclaimer: I own no one. ...no seriously, I don't even own a manga--oh, wait... my sister does.
Caught in the Rain
Darkening of Morning
The door slid open, and a man slowly, carefully entered the dark room before it slid shut again. The man sat himself onto his folded legs and placed his hands flat upon his thighs. He waited patiently, watching the figure before him as it turned to him. A frown was on the figure's face.
"Kazuma," it said lowly, "what is it you wanted to discuss that was too great for a message?"
Souma Kazuma calmly closed his eyes but still had to inhale deeply to keep the disbelief of the situation from getting to him. "I know of your hatred for him, Akito," he said, his hands involuntarily clutching the cloth beneath them, "demo... before my planned return to my home at the end of training in the mountains... Kyou had disappeared."
There was a long period of silence in which Kazuma opened his eyes to see the Head of the Souma family staring at him, shocked. "When did this happen?" Akito asked in such a low voice that the man nearly missed it. "Why wasn't I notified immediately? Kureno!"
Kazuma winced at the sudden shout just as the reply, "Hai, Akito," came. He looked to the corner of the room where the younger man sat. The martial artist was startled that Akito had immediately turned to Kureno rather than wait for an answer.
"Send notice to the others," ordered the Head of the family. "I want that neko found!"
Though Kazuma felt partially relived that Akito was driven to find his adoptive son, he also felt sick. Why ever Akito wanted Kyou found was surely not a good reason. "Akito--"
The young leader turned to him, eyes narrowed. "Why did you delay in telling me this? A week of delay--!"
The martial artist looked stricken, more from his memories of the past week than from Akito's words. "I had thought he had left for time on his own," he explained quickly, worry of Kyou speeding his words. "I took him to the mountains to help him recover from an accident that had happened. He's old enough to fair enough alone--"
"Who're you to decide whether he can be alone or not?" shouted Akito furiously.
Kazuma winced at the tone. It was accusing, as if Akito blamed him for misplacing Kyou. He swiftly bowed his head in submission. "Sumimasen, Akito-san," he said quietly, "I had no knowledge to realize this would happen."
Again, there was a long silence.
There was a shifting sound, but the man didn't lift his head to see what was happening. Then Akito's voice, closer than it had been stated quietly, "Perhaps I should be thanking you for getting rid of that bakemono for me."
When Kazuma finally left the room, he had to have someone call a taxi for him because he no longer had the energy nor strength to walk all the way back to his home alone. Akito's words refused to leave him as he constantly thought of what he had done wrong and where and why Kyou had gone...
The ondori lowered the phone just as the young Head of the family asked, "Well? What did Shigure say? Has he seen anything? Hatori? Ayame?"
Kureno turned to Akito and slowly shook his head before walking over and sitting beside Akito. "None of them have seen any sign of him. They said they would look out for him, though," he answered calmly, knowing that the youth was especially agitated about the situation.
Akito, however, surprised him with a smile in his direction before leaning against him and running fingers down his chest. "Either way," Akito said just loud enough so that the ondori could hear without having to lean forward, "I'm glad that creature is gone from my sight." A dark expression clouded the youth's face. "Though... the others might see this as a way..."
Kureno frowned and looked down at the dark head leaned against his shoulder. "A way?" he questioned, not at all really puzzled but curious as to what Akito would say.
The fingers tracing his shirt suddenly collected the cloth into a tight hold as they clenched furiously. Kureno looked down again to see a visage of pure anger and agony looking up at him intently.
"I will not let any of them leave me," hissed the youth, making the ondori wince. "Let alone that--that accursed bakemono! No. I will not have that. That is why, even though his absence is something I--and others--can appreciate, that neko has to be found." Akito's expression softened. "You understand, don't you, Kureno? Why I can't let them leave me?"
Kureno closed his eyes briefly before nodding. "I understand, Akito."
Author's Notes: Swah! We're done here! Again, I'd like to thank Sousa for inspiring me and I'd like to thank... well... the still-creepy Akito. -grins- Yeah, lameness. I know. O.o' I like the Akito-Kureno part in here -shudders- So creepy... -hides behind chair- Let me be and tell me what you think!
Demo = but
Hai = yes
Neko = cat
Sumimasen = I'm sorry/excuse me/forgive me
Bakemono = monster
Ondori = Bird/rooster
Disclaimer: I own no one. ...no seriously, I don't even own a manga--oh, wait... my sister does.
Caught in the Rain
Darkening of Morning
The door slid open, and a man slowly, carefully entered the dark room before it slid shut again. The man sat himself onto his folded legs and placed his hands flat upon his thighs. He waited patiently, watching the figure before him as it turned to him. A frown was on the figure's face.
"Kazuma," it said lowly, "what is it you wanted to discuss that was too great for a message?"
Souma Kazuma calmly closed his eyes but still had to inhale deeply to keep the disbelief of the situation from getting to him. "I know of your hatred for him, Akito," he said, his hands involuntarily clutching the cloth beneath them, "demo... before my planned return to my home at the end of training in the mountains... Kyou had disappeared."
There was a long period of silence in which Kazuma opened his eyes to see the Head of the Souma family staring at him, shocked. "When did this happen?" Akito asked in such a low voice that the man nearly missed it. "Why wasn't I notified immediately? Kureno!"
Kazuma winced at the sudden shout just as the reply, "Hai, Akito," came. He looked to the corner of the room where the younger man sat. The martial artist was startled that Akito had immediately turned to Kureno rather than wait for an answer.
"Send notice to the others," ordered the Head of the family. "I want that neko found!"
Though Kazuma felt partially relived that Akito was driven to find his adoptive son, he also felt sick. Why ever Akito wanted Kyou found was surely not a good reason. "Akito--"
The young leader turned to him, eyes narrowed. "Why did you delay in telling me this? A week of delay--!"
The martial artist looked stricken, more from his memories of the past week than from Akito's words. "I had thought he had left for time on his own," he explained quickly, worry of Kyou speeding his words. "I took him to the mountains to help him recover from an accident that had happened. He's old enough to fair enough alone--"
"Who're you to decide whether he can be alone or not?" shouted Akito furiously.
Kazuma winced at the tone. It was accusing, as if Akito blamed him for misplacing Kyou. He swiftly bowed his head in submission. "Sumimasen, Akito-san," he said quietly, "I had no knowledge to realize this would happen."
Again, there was a long silence.
There was a shifting sound, but the man didn't lift his head to see what was happening. Then Akito's voice, closer than it had been stated quietly, "Perhaps I should be thanking you for getting rid of that bakemono for me."
When Kazuma finally left the room, he had to have someone call a taxi for him because he no longer had the energy nor strength to walk all the way back to his home alone. Akito's words refused to leave him as he constantly thought of what he had done wrong and where and why Kyou had gone...
The ondori lowered the phone just as the young Head of the family asked, "Well? What did Shigure say? Has he seen anything? Hatori? Ayame?"
Kureno turned to Akito and slowly shook his head before walking over and sitting beside Akito. "None of them have seen any sign of him. They said they would look out for him, though," he answered calmly, knowing that the youth was especially agitated about the situation.
Akito, however, surprised him with a smile in his direction before leaning against him and running fingers down his chest. "Either way," Akito said just loud enough so that the ondori could hear without having to lean forward, "I'm glad that creature is gone from my sight." A dark expression clouded the youth's face. "Though... the others might see this as a way..."
Kureno frowned and looked down at the dark head leaned against his shoulder. "A way?" he questioned, not at all really puzzled but curious as to what Akito would say.
The fingers tracing his shirt suddenly collected the cloth into a tight hold as they clenched furiously. Kureno looked down again to see a visage of pure anger and agony looking up at him intently.
"I will not let any of them leave me," hissed the youth, making the ondori wince. "Let alone that--that accursed bakemono! No. I will not have that. That is why, even though his absence is something I--and others--can appreciate, that neko has to be found." Akito's expression softened. "You understand, don't you, Kureno? Why I can't let them leave me?"
Kureno closed his eyes briefly before nodding. "I understand, Akito."
Author's Notes: Swah! We're done here! Again, I'd like to thank Sousa for inspiring me and I'd like to thank... well... the still-creepy Akito. -grins- Yeah, lameness. I know. O.o' I like the Akito-Kureno part in here -shudders- So creepy... -hides behind chair- Let me be and tell me what you think!
Demo = but
Hai = yes
Neko = cat
Sumimasen = I'm sorry/excuse me/forgive me
Bakemono = monster
Ondori = Bird/rooster
