Disclaimer: Many characters belong to Square Enix, as well as many of the place names.
This story is basically a fanfiction of a fanfiction, based on "Ame ni Matte" by Lily Silver. The story design and set-up is based around that story. Also, her original characters used in this are Lorna Relson and Marshal Gray will be mentioned here and there. I recommend reading her story, for it is very good, and mine would make much more sense if you did.
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Chapter 2: Visiting
Using her small fists to rub her eyes, Hana sat up. The rain had stopped, and by the light that shone in through the end of the pipeline, she could tell that it was morning. As she packed the blanket away, she felt the paper bag from the evening before. She decided to skip breakfast. On her hands and knees, she clambered out of the small area, into the street. In a brisk walk, Hana headed off to where she had met Kadaj. As she walked up to the wall, she was upset to find that the boy wasn't there. Gripping its edge, she peered around the stone at the house behind it. She took a deep breath. Timidly and carefully, she walked up to the door. Hana used her knuckles to tap on the wood.
Yazoo looked out through the doorway in the kitchen. Did he imagine it, or was someone actually knocking on their door? He walked down the hallway with light footsteps. When he reached the door, he grasped the handle firmly, and pulled.
Hana gasped and stepped back when the door opened. Expecting to stare straight into bright green eyes, she was caught off guard when she saw someone's stomach. She had to tilt her head back to see who it was. The boy that stood in front of her gazed chillingly back. He had a long curtain of silvery white hair that flowed down over his shoulders, and his eyes were a sharp green color with slit pupils (clearly he was related to the boy Hana had met previously). She stated the obvious, "You're not Kadaj." It was just barely noticeable that her knees were shaking.
"No, I'm not," Yazoo answered flatly. He looked her over before going on. "Kadaj is inside."
Hana leaned to one side to look into the dimly lit house. A small head poked out of a room up stairs and stared through a gap in the banister. "Who's talking about me?" Kadaj asked with a very rude and snappy attitude. He jumped down the stairs two at a time.
Keeping a sharp eye on the girl, Yazoo stepped aside to reveal her standing in the doorway. Kadaj stopped his hopping when he saw who it was. Pretending that it was a normal every day thing for little girls to show up at their door, he said, "Oh, it only you," grabbed Hana's arm, and pulled her into the front yard, shutting the door behind him.
Yazoo, quite stunned at his younger brother's reaction, shrugged it off and returned to the kitchen, where Loz was busy cooking lunch. "Who was that, Yazoo?" Loz asked without turning around from the bake he was busy with.
"It seems," Yazoo started while pulling a chair up next t the counter and sitting down. "That Kadaj has found himself a friend." Loz found that his reckless little brother making friends to be very funny, and gave a snort. Yazoo dismissed it and continued," I'm afraid that it might not be good if she..." He was interrupted when Loz snorted again, finding it even funnier that this friend was a girl. Yazoo cleared his throat, and Loz fell silent. "If she were to stick around," he concluded.
Loz stopped what he was doing to look at his brother. "Why's that?" he asked. "It gets the runt out of our hair for a while, doesn't it?"
"You remember what happened last time we trusted someone," Yazoo said quietly. They both remembered vividly when they trusted the inn keeper and her husband...How the men from the lab came and separated them. Loz was sniffling, trying to hold back tears, and doing a bad job. "Don't cry, niisan. I'll talk to Kadaj. Nothing will happen." Yazoo grasped Loz's shoulder comfortingly. The older brother wiped his nose, nodded weakly, and went back to his cooking.
Out side, Kadaj and Hana traded bits and pieces of information about themselves like favorite colors, foods, and things to do; all while tossing a balled up piece of paper back and forth. There was a moment of silence before Kadaj piped up once more. "You know that guy you met at the door?" he asked, getting an affirmative nod from Hana. "He's my niichan, Yazoo," he explained. "And then there's niisan. His name is Loz. You'll meet him later. He's not very nice." Kadaj laughed.
Hana kept quiet for a few seconds. "Don't you have any parents?" she asked softly, afraid to offend him.
"No," Kadaj said bitingly. He thought before saying, "Well, yeah...mother...but she's not here..." His eyes became clouded with tears, and his face showed an expression of deep anger.
"I'm sorry..." Hana said, trying to be comforting.
"I don't need your pity!" snapped Kadaj. He was giving her the fiercest glare he could.
Hana looked at the ground, feeling as if Kadaj's eyes were burning a hole in her head. "So," she said, her voice wavering, "You're runaways, too?" She bent over to pick up the paper that had fallen near her feet. For a split second, Kadaj saw under the back of Hana's collar. Spread out over her shoulder blades was a strange (and frighteningly familiar) black mark. Hana straightened up, seeing the weird look on Kadaj's face. "What?"
"Where are you from, again?" Kadaj asked, quickly changing his expression.
Hana watched Kadaj wearily. "I told you," she said. "I don't know..."
"Oh," Kadaj said. They resumed their game of tossing the paper. The door opened and Yazoo was standing in the doorway. He watched the two quietly for a few minutes. Finally, He interrupted the silence. "Kadaj, come inside," he said, his voice icy and calm.
"Ten more minutes," came the reply.
"No, come inside now," answered Yazoo, his eyes narrowing.
Next came the all-too-familiar pout. "Niichan!" Kadaj whined loudly. "Niichan, you're giving evils again!" His pout was replaced with a smile as he skipped over to the door. Waving good-bye to Hana, he grabbed Yazoo's hand and went into the house singing a made-up tune.
Hana watched as the door was shut before walking out of the front yard alone. With her head held high, she half skipped, half ran down the narrow street. After about five minutes, she bounded into a small pub. The bartender, Mac, watched as the small girl's hair bobbed spiritedly with every step. "Hullo, Hana! You want a bit of lunch?" he asked with a booming, deep voice.
Nodding and smiling, Hana hopped up on to one of the bar stools. The bartender went into the back and emerged again with a plateful of salad. Setting it in front of Hana, Mac leaned on his elbows across the bar, smiling as Hana shoved a forkful of lettuce in her mouth. He laughed and asked, "Why are you so happy today?"
Hana started talking very fast, and with a very full mouth, so all what came out was, "I mfink I mabe a new friemb today." Her eyes glistened brightly as Mac gave her a questioning look. She swallowed and tried again, "I said: I think I made a new friend today."
"Oh really?" the bartender asked, getting the girl a glass of water.
Hana took the water that was handed to her, and took a sip. "Yup," she started again, "He said he's eight, and he lives close to me." Mac smiled at Hana again. When a new customer came in, he went back to business.
Yazoo sat Kadaj on the couch and stared his younger brother in the eye. "What did you tell her?" his voice lacked emotion, as usual, but had all the bite it needed too to get an answer.
"I'm eight, my favorite color's black, and I like to eat scrambled eggs," Kadaj said bluntly. "Why do you care?"
"What did you say about us?" Yazoo countered.
"Nothing. And, I won't say anything either, got it?" Kadaj glared up at Yazoo.
"Yes," sighed Yazoo. "I get it." He sat down next to Kadaj, wrapping a slim arm around the small shoulders. "So, do you like your new friend?"
Kadaj grinned, saying rather loudly (and most likely loud on purpose), "She's better than niisan!"
Loz's voice came from the kitchen, "Oy, I heard that, brat!"
Yazoo chuckled. "Ok," he sighed, "She can continue to visit."
Kadaj nodded in agreement, his light hair flapping on his face. He looked down at his hands, and began fiddling with the end of Yazoo's shirt. "Hey, niichan..."
Yazoo looked down at Kadaj. "Is something wrong?" he asked. His voice just barely showed concern.
Kadaj looked back up, making eye contact, he said, "Did you ever see that door...the one with the weird mark on it?"
Looking away, Yazoo cringed slightly, then nodded. It was very unlike Kadaj to mention the labs.
"What was behind it?" Kadaj asked, doing his best to keep from showing his fear.
Yazoo's gaze snapped back to his young brother's face. "I don't know...why?" he answered. His normal calm faded briefly, but returned.
Kadaj shrugged, responding with a quick, "Never mind."
Hana finished her salad. Not even a tiny scrap was left in the bowl. Lunch at the Double Shot Pub was the only true meal she got each day, so she made sure to clean her plate. She said her good-byes to the bar staff, and made her way to the door. "Hana!" shouted the bartender. Hana looked back. Mac smiled and said, "Bring your new friend here some time, ok?"
"Ok!" laughed Hana. She walked outside. To her disappointment, the rain had started up again. She hurried down the street, running other errands that needed to be done.
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End note: Wooo! Second chapter done! Hope everyone likes the story so far. Please review!
