COPYRIGHT INFORMATION: The characters here only belong to CLAMP, well probably for some of those that I created myself. Other than that, they are strictly the property of the CLAMP manga team of four women and they rock! smiles
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is where my Fanfic really starts. The previous chapter was simply about how Tomoyo got to send him Kurogane away, and also shows his deep thoughts for her too. Anyway, this is mainly the flashback of what happened before or how it all started. Okay, whatever! Just read the chronicle! P
ASSUMPTIONS MADE: 1. Much of the city of Kyoto is Chinese influenced; 2. The people are wearing clothing that are Chinese influenced; 3. In this world of ancient Japan, nobody has red eyes...well...of course besides our famous character )
CHRONICLE TWO: THE OSTRACISEDBOY by xXredEMPTionXx
The night was stormy in the large city of Kyoto where its many districts were designed in a grid-like pattern. In a portion of the nobilitydistrict just outside the palace, there was a large cry of a woman, a woman in labour. She was already exhausted from the many failed attempts to give birth to her child.
"Lady Konoe," the midwife tried to encourage the noblewoman in labour pain. "Please try harder; the baby's legs can be seen already." She gave an encouraging smile to the noblewoman. The other woman only nodded before trying to push again.
Outside the nobility house, a middle aged man came back riding on a horse with the nobility clothing of the late Heian period. Getting down from his horse, he made a dash into the house with the servants bowing down to him, the head of the noble family. As he neared his wife's room, he could hear the wailing sounds of a newborn baby. Joy filled him as he knew that his family could now have a proper heir.
The midwife, however, came out with a forlorn look on her face. The nobleman knew that something bad was going on. "What has happened, speak up," he ordered her.
"Lady Konoe has died of complications, milord," she replied back. "But you have a son now." The nobleman was of mixed emotion.
"My wife may have died, but she gave me a son," he answered solemnly. "But what is so disturbing about it, speak up."
"Apparently, your son does not have normal looking eyes," she replied back lowering her head. The nobleman rushed into the room, with his wife passed away and with the baby boy covered in white cloth. Taking a closer look at his son, he took a step backward disturbed by what he had seen.
"This isn't my son!" He cried out which made the baby cry again. "This is the offspring of a demon!" The nobleman ran out of the room at instance. The midwife came in again, knowing that the nobility would not accept such a wretched offspring of a demon. She looked at the child, with him looking back at her with his fiery red irises.
The midwife shook her head only.
It was a fine sunny day in the central area in the palace. A girl about four with her long black hair came in front of the mirror covered with dragon carvings. She was dressed in a simple pink kimono that was fastened by a simple red sash. Definitely, she was pleased with what she was wearing.
"Oneesama," she cried out back to the older girl sitting at the other side in the room who was being dressed in a blue kimono with a red sash by other chambermaids. "Why can't we just wear our normal clothing to go to the market? After all, we can show how nice our own clothing is."
"We can't let the commoners find out that we are from the palace," her sister replied while using a hand gesture to correct a chambermaid's error in fixing her kimono. "And it'll be fun going to the market too which I heard contains much goods from all over the country."
"But…" the little girl questioned her sister again. "It won't make the people angry…"
"No buts, Tomoyo-chan," her elder sister interrupted. "You'll be able to understand all when you're older." Tomoyo the princess only gave a confused sign in reply. Her elder sister placed a final hair piece in her head of hair to keep it still.
"I am done," she signaled to her little sister. "Let's go to the market now." Tomoyo nodded and ran after her sister who was accompanied by a few other maids who were also dressed in the clothing of the Kyoto common folk.
Can't we just wear our normal clothing there…?
By the time Tomoyo had maintained her thoughts, they were already out of the palace gates. Suddenly, she felt her sister's big hand wrap around her small one. She looked up to see her sister's smile which reassured her of safety. "Be careful outside the palace," the elder princess warned. "It is never safe once on the streets of the capital." They began to walk slowly as they blended into the busy street just outside the palace gates. To her elder sister, walking along the streets of Kyoto was like having to watch out, but to Tomoyo it was just a simple breezy and enjoyable walk.
"It only costs one yen for this nikuman," the seller spoke out as Tomoyo looked at the wooden tray used to cook the meat buns. She looked back at the seller with a sparkling look in her eyes.
"Can I have it?" She was going to ask her elder sister to buy the meat bun for her when she discovered nobody behind her. "Oneesama?"
"I think your sister went to the other store next to this," the meat bun seller spoke in a kindly tone. "Perhaps you should wait for her to come back here when she finds you missing." Before the seller could know it, Tomoyo was already at the edge of his store.
"It's okay, Mr. Nikuman-seller," she turned her head back to thank him. "I'll go get her myself."
"This girl is so reckless," the meat bun seller commented as Tomoyo left the shop. "Was she never trained to be streetwise?" He would never know the answer.
"Oneesama!" Tomoyo cupped her hands together to project her voice at the next store. There was no one there except for the store owner himself who was selling fabrics. He stared at her in shock and surprise since the little girl was alone by herself with no one to guide her.
"Your sister isn't here, little girl!"
"Thank you!" Tomoyo gave a short bow to the store owner. The words of advice from her sister rang in her head.
Oneesama told me to bow whenever someone helped me…
"Where could she be?" the little princess walked along the various stores talking to herself, knowing that it seemed forever to find her imperial sister. "Surely, the city isn't this big, right?" The princess continued to walk along the different shop houses lining the street, with no one along her.
"Take that!" She heard a voice coming from a narrow alleyway, together with the sound of people kicking something. "You stupid idiotic son of a demon!" Curious to know, she ran into the alleyway to find out about the commotion.
"Idiot half-human!"
"Heathen devil!"
The sight greeted the little princess with a group of five boys kicking one certain black haired boy in the centre who had curled up into a ball to protect himself. They were kicking him violently, with much red marks on his arms to be seen. The victim seemed to be wearing clothes she had never seen in such a bad condition, that of torn rags.
"Stop that!" She cried out to the group of boys who were probably much older than her. "How can you bully someone younger than you?" The largest boy, probably the leader, turned and walked towards the princess.
These people deserve to be punished for what they have done…!
"Who are you to ask us to stop?" The eldest boy sneered at Tomoyo, his arms on his hips. The princess stared at him fiercely, with an aggressive look in her eyes. He gave a yawn. "I don't fight girls, ya know?"
"But he doesn't deserve to be…"
"Beaten?" He interrupted. The boy gave a large laugh, suddenly making Tomoyo notice that the boy too was wearing a kimono of a lower quality of cotton. "He deserves it. After all, he is not a human!" The injured boy lied on the hard ground still shivering with fear.
"He looks human to me," Tomoyo stared back at the boy who was beginning to become fearful of this girl younger than him. "And I order you to stop hitting him!" She was starting to behave like she was in the palace.
Oh no! Now they'll know that I'm not a commoner…!
"Order?" The boy gave a loud laugh, followed by the other four boys in his gang. He laughed until he had shed tears from his eyes. "Who are you? Some bigshot?"
"I am a princess!" The only response was that of the five boys laughing away.
"For a young person like you," the big boy replied back suddenly impressed with her. "You're really a courageous and humourous person. I'm beginning to like you!" He placed a large hand on her small shoulder in which she shrugged it off.
"Just leave that boy alone."
"Fine, but on one condition," he responded to her. "If you can prove you do have power, I'll leave him alone but it's your fault if the people blame you." Her stance was not moved at all, in just a calm state.
How can I show him power?
Without knowing what was happening, Tomoyo's eyes began to dilate as she began to think hard. A certain blue aura surrounded her as her mouth began to speak on its own suddenly. In due time, she raised a finger in which a magical lightning bolt shot out electrocuting the boy. He was shocked for a moment before returning to normal.
"Yikes!" He suddenly distanced himself from Tomoyo. The other boys also had a fearful look in their eyes at this strange phenomenon. "You're some kind of monster, aren't you?" In less than a few minutes, the group of boys had ran away deep into the alley frightened by what Tomoyo had done.
What was that…that I had just done…?
She walked slowly to the injured boy. He had short hair for some strange reason, and he was badly injured especially with a bruised eye and an injured mouth. On his body were grey rags that had significantly large holes in it. She knelt down beside him, looking at his face.
He does look cute without those bruises and injuries…
The boy stirred, opening his eyes to reveal blood red irises. Tomoyo gave a draw back at his look. His red eyes alone were already intimidating to her, but luckily he was looking at the sky.
"What's wrong? Frightened?" He suddenly spoke, and got up to look at her with his red glare. "That's right. I'm the child of the devil."
"No you're not," Tomoyo replied back which surprised him. For the first time, nobody had ever said that he was not some wretched demonic offspring. "You…you…you are just special…with those red eyes."
Did she just call me…special…?
"I…I…I saw you being bullied by this group of boys," she spoke a little unable to know what to speak next. "So I decided to save you…" The red eyed boy looked at her surprised.
"It's no point," he looked down at the ground instead of staring at the princess. "Everyone here hates me. I wish I was never born with red eyes."
"It is bestowed by heaven that you were born with it," Tomoyo answered back his pessimism. "Maybe those red eyes had a purpose. They look fierce though."
"T-t-thank you," he stammered for a moment. He had always been shy, and never liked to talk to people since he was always neglected by everyone. "H-how c-can I-I rep-pay you b-back?"
"What is your name?" Tomoyo gave a wide grin that gave the boy a hot flush due to his shyness. She stood near him, noticing that he was only a little taller than her. "Mine is Tomoyo."
"I-I have no name," he replied back to the princess. "People only either call me names like demon or devil or such."
"Can I call you Kuro-chan?" Tomoyo asked still smiling. "After all, you somehow look black to me."
"I don't mind," came his reply. He gave a small smile, but tried to control it. "As long as it is something not bad."
"You shouldn't frown," Tomoyo commented. "You have a very cute smile actually."
She called me cute…?
Kuro-chan's face was in surprise. For the first time ever, no one has ever complimented him to the extent of making him blush or smile yet. Before him was someone who he could really consider close to him.
"Now…" Tomoyo began to speak more seriously again. "Can we go find my sister?"
Kuro-chan nodded in reply. For what they knew, it was the start of a bond that would last for almost two decades…
END OF CHRONICLE TWO
CHRONICLE THREE: LOST IN THE CITY
CONCLUSION: Tomoyo the princess and the outcast Kuro-chan are finding the former's elder sister. However, Kyoto is so big that it is definitely difficult to find her. Meanwhile, a smart plot is hatched to capture the young princess in the city before the imperial guards can find her. Can Kuro-chan devise a plan to protect the young princess from these people, and ensure that he gets her back to the imperial palace? Watch out for next week's chapter, Lost in the City!
GLOSSARY: oneesama – just a honourific term for 'elder sister'; Heian – the ancient period of Japan where Chinese influence was at its highest
xXredEMPTionXx