Long chapter this time. This one is also a bit more lighthearted than the others...sort of. Iknow it seems random now, but there will be explanations in later chapters. Stick with me. ;

Anju sat on her windowsill, sighing heavily as she watched the torrential rain outside. Her cuccos were scattered everywhere by now, and surely were all soaking wet. While she wasn't allergic to her new breed, she didn't really want to go out, get wet, and then have to present her damp, feather-encrusted form to her lover- er….Kafei.

As she realized what she had been thinking, she groaned and let her head fall forward onto the cold glass of the window. Her thoughts had been mixed lately. Kafei seemed nicer than at first, and some nights she almost looked forward to her trip beneath the well! There had even been a few nights where she had sat before a mirror for hours, preening…so that she looked her best…despite the fact that she was going to be…well…raped.

Was it even rape anymore? She didn't fight it at all these days, and she didn't even really mind it that much. She didn't particularly like how he itemized her all the time, as opposed to acknowledging her sentient being, or respecting the fact that she had feelings on the matter, too… but…it wasn't as much of a bother as much anymore. She still cried every night, but that had become more of a …habit. She had to deal with it anyways, so why fuss so much over it?

Resurfacing from her moment of deep thought, Anju turned away from the window and let her eyes fall upon her reflection in the mirror. At this, her spirit was dampened. She looked different now – she was more skinny and her skin was very pale…not the attractive kind of pale. It looked…cold; pasty almost…as if she were a corpse. There were circles under her eyes, and on her arms and neck there were bruises, cuts, and bite marks. Her hair had obviously not been cut in a while, and thus was the slightest bit longer than it normally was. Aside from that, though, it was a very rich red now – not faded in the slightest; probably from her total lack of exposure to sunlight.

She smiled at that rather optimistic observation, her slightly blue lips curling upwards at the corners. It was a genuine smile; something she was beginning to learn again, though only recently.

"Anju." Her thoughts were shattered at the sound of her mother's particularly unhappy voice breaking the former silence of the room.

Here it comes. Play it cool. Nothing is wrong…

"Yes, mother?" Anju asked sweetly, turning to face the woman, smile still on her face…though this time it was forced. Her mother stood at the doorway, arms folded across her chest, a steady glare fixed on her daughter.

"Don't give me that sweet little smile of yours, Anju. I'm not falling for that one again." Anju did not obey, but instead tilted her head to the side.

"What do you mean?" This seemed to enrage her mother, her eyes narrowing menacingly as she took several rigid steps to the window where Anju sat.

"I saw you last night. I watched you leave the house when you thought everyone was asleep, and then I saw you go into the well."

Anju's smile finally made its exit, and she felt like someone had just punched her in the stomach with a bag of ice. Widened blue eyes looked up to her mother in shock. How was she supposed to respond to that? What was she supposed to tell her?

"I…don't know what you're talking about."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, young lady. I'm not dumb. And I know that wasn't the first time you've gone down there at night."

Anju gulped, probably audibly and then brought a hand up to adjust the neckline of her vest. Her mother had her in a corner.

"Look at yourself! You're deathly pale, and you have…hickies all over your neck and shoulders!" She put particularly emphasis n her disgust towards that one particular word, and Anju cringed and brought a hand up to cover one of the more prominent ones on her neck. As if it would do her any good to hide one out of…one hundred, "I know there's a boy, and I know what you're doing down there, Anju. Though why you'd choose the bottom of the well baffles me, but well or not, it needs to stop. Now."

Anju had to try really hard not to smile...or laugh. Her mother thought she was having an affair with a random village boy, and that the well was only a meeting spot for their wild escapades. Though it wasn't really funny, the irony was what amused her.

"Who is it?" Her mother hissed after no response from Anju. The girl just stared dumbly up at her, and the woman then grabbed her chin and forced her to look up at her, "Who is it?"

"You don't know him," was the best response she could come up with on the spot. That, too, almost made her laugh. Her mother obviously didn't find it amusing, though, as she only growled in response.

"If this continues, Anju, I will make a point of getting to know him, and I will make sure that he doesn't want to get to know you further."

At this, Anju couldn't help but giggle slightly. The mental image of her mother taking on Kafei was too funny.

This apparently sent her mother off the edge…again.

"What is so funny!"

"Oh…its 7:00, I have to go."

"You're not going anywhere, Anju."

"Hmm." She moved to stand up, removing herself from her mother's grasp easier than she thought she could.

"Anju, if you walk out that door-"

"-then I'll walk out that door." She didn't even let her mother finish as she sauntered out the door, then made her way towards the well in the still-pouring rain.

Well…that had taken more courage than she had ever felt in her life. But she felt liberated somehow…even if we she was walking towards another…

"Rape."

"What?"

"Rape, Kafei. Rape. Rape is not good. If you like a girl, you don't rape her."

"What the hell do you know about any of this? You're dead!"

"That's your fault."

"Who ever said I liked her?"

"Your face does. Every time she leaves, it's that same forlorn expression on your face."

"You're reading too much into things, Alan. She's pretty. I don't like her like that."

Kafei was seated on his throne, having a surprisingly humane conversation with one of the many redeads that roamed the bottom of the well. Well, in actuality, the redead was speaking via a series of groans and screams, but obviously it was normal for this kind. Kafei understood it because…he was raised in it.

"You do." Alan leaned back against the wall next to Kafei's throne, "Because she reminds you of your mother."

At this Kafei fell still and silent. After a moment, he turned to face the redead, burning glare in his eyes.

"How dare you!"

"How dare I what? You killed me for nothing, Kafie; I think you owe me a few." At this, Kafei grumbled and sat back in his seat.

"She sort of looks like her I guess."

"Sort of? Kafei, she's like a clone of your mother…only without the blue hair."

"I didn't kill you for nothing, idiot." Kafei was trying desperately to change the subject, but he was obviously jittery, as he kept running a hand through his hair.

So…Anju did look like his mother…a lot. Not to mention she was gentle...and kind…and beautiful, and everything his mother was…but she wasn't going to leave him as his mother did. She was his.

"You killed me for a stupid reason, then. And now my skin is falling off and I lose body parts regularly. My profession is apparently trying to stop the Hero of Time from kicking your ass by jumping on his head and trying to eat his brains or something. I can't even talk anymore. Listen to me, I sound like a train wreck! Now tell me that's not a horrible lifestyle."

"It's not a lifestyle, idiot. You're dead."

"YOU'RE IMPOSSIBLE." Alan threw his hands up into the air and shrieked in a frustrated manner, though it was to be taken as more of a groan. He was just about to proceed with his lecture to Kafei when both of them heard the beginnings of footsteps in the distance, "She's coming. Don't rape her, Kafei."

"I'll do what I want."

"Exactly, so don't rape her." Kafei had just opened his mouth to retort angrily, but before he had the chance to actually say anything, the door slid opened and a particularly wonderful looking Anju stepped in through the door. Alan snickered, but it was actually more of a disturbing and crackly groan. Anju shivered at this, and then moved to the opposite side of the room.

"Look what you've cursed me to, Kafei. A life where people are afraid of me. Honestly, and then you get mad at me for trying to help you…" Sighing, Alan shook his head and then moved to exit the room.

It was then that Anju noticed there were no metal bars over the door today. Even after the redead left…there were still no bars. Blinking slowly, she looked back to Kafei, who was looking off as if in thought. Angry thought

Blushing slowly, Anju approached him, and then found herself sitting on his left knee. Her hands were folded in her laps as she looked at him as if she was expecting something out of him, a faint blush still spread across her cheeks. He then moved to rest his elbow on the arm of the throne, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger for a few moments before turning to force a smile at Anju.

"Good evening." He said…sort of sweetly, through gritted teeth. She smiled in return, nodding.

"Hello…"

He began to tell her to undress, but then he stopped himself. He began to undress her himself, but then he stopped. Don't rape her. Don't rape her.

So to further prevent himself, he folded his hands in his lap and forced another smile.

"How are you?"

Anju blinked, but didn't respond. That was a first. Kafei never asked her those sorts of things. Usually the only question he asked her was would she rather face him or the floor, and half the time he didn't even listen to her answer.

"…tired.." She responded honestly.

"Well don't think that's going to get you off of the usual." He nearly cut her off, then paused to collect himself, "I mean…well…do you want to do something else tonight?"

She blinked again. Something else? What else was there to do?

"Like…what?"

"Like…" He began, before looking up to her sheepishly. For the first time, Anju saw him blush…and this made her smile.

"…….." He began to smile, but it faded, followed shortly after by his blush, "…undress."

"But..Kafei, you-"

"What did you call me?"

"….Master…"

"Undress. Now." Anju whimpered, but then obeyed.

Growling, Kafei practically threw her down on the floor, then moved to crawl on top of her. She was his. He could do whatever he wanted with her.

…and then, for the first time in weeks…Anju truly cried.

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