Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. Because this fic is AU, there will be differences from the canon story. This is intentional on my part because I want to keep things interesting instead of just swapping Yuu's gender. Please refer to the footnotes at the end. On another note, this fic will cover the time gap between Yuu's escape from Sanguinem until the beginning of the main story. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader and editor, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible.
Chapter 6: A New Family
October 17, 2016
"Yuichiro? Are you awake? You need to get up, we have to treat your injuries before they get infected."
The ravenette slowly opened her eyes to see a young honey-colored haired woman wearing a simple day dress standing above her. What was her name again?
Oh yeah, Guren called her Sayuri. Yuichiro thought as she groggily looked around to find herself in what appeared to be someone's home, her body still wrapped snugly in Shigure's coat as she laid on a sofa. So the events of the last few hours wasn't a dream after all.
Although the room she resided in was well-furnished and warm thanks to the flames from the fireplace, Yuichiro still preferred her run-down home in Sanguinem if it meant that she still had her family from the Hyakuya orphanage. The bereaved girl desperately wished that everything she had just experienced was nothing more than a bad dream and that the younger kids were still there, trying to wake her and Akane up to make them some breakfast.
No such luck.
Not only were her surroundings real, the pain in Yuichiro's back from Ferid's talons as well as her right hand and wrist from the recoil of the revolver she used to blow his brains out felt undoubtedly real as well. Yuu may have been be able to fool herself into thinking that the room she was occupying was an illusion for a moment but her painful injuries destroyed that wishful thinking quickly.
"Where am I?" she asked weakly.
"Guren told us to bring you to his home for treatment because taking you to a JIDA hospital might have raised some inconvenient questions he would prefer not to answer. It's for your protection as well, Yuu" Sayuri answered gently. *1*
Yuichiro was confused. JIDA? What on earth is she talking about?
"His home?"
Sayuri chuckled. "More accurately, our home. I live here too. So does Shigure. And from the look of things, so will you." *2*
"Me?
"Is that a problem?"
"Well, not that I don't appreciate your help, but you don't even know who I am." Yuu answered as she tried to wrap Shigure's coat more tightly around herself, almost wishing she could disappear into it. After everything that had happened to her, the young girl was not eager to trust someone she barely knew so easily.
"True, but this is what my superior has decided. And even so, it's not in my nature to just leave someone in need."
"Oh…well, thank you. It's just that I'm still having a hard time believing that you could be here. I mean, didn't all the adults die from the virus years ago?"
"It's not true, Yuichiro" Sayuri assured. "Though I'm not surprised the vampires would tell you that. I'm sure more children down there would have tried to escape as well if they knew that there were still surviving humans on the surface. Though there are far fewer of us than before."
Yuichiro was about to ask another question when she and Sayuri heard the door being opened and saw Shigure, Guren's other companion, walk into the room carrying a small basin of hot water as well as several clean washcloths over her arm. Like Sayuri, she was also out of uniform and in civilian clothes.
As soon as the older raven-haired woman saw Yuu, she said:
"Good; he's awake. We better start treating those nasty scratches before they get infected."
When Yuu heard that, she started to become nervous.
"Thank you, but you don't have to, really!"
"I'm afraid you have no choice, Yuichiro; this is an order from Guren himself." Shigure said bluntly. At that, Sayuri shot her friend a look of annoyance.
"Shigure, a little tact, please?! This child just barely escaped the vampire city with his life!"
Turning to Yuu, Sayuri apologized for her friend's insensitivity.
"Please don't take it the wrong way. We're both very concerned for you. I know getting treated may hurt a bit but if your wounds get infected, it will hurt a lot more. You may even die."
Yuichiro shuddered at Sayuri's words but she knew the older woman was right.
"Ok…what do I have to do?"
"Well, for starters, you're going to need to remove your shirt" Shigure answered.
After what she had just told her friend a moment ago, Sayuri had to suppress a groan of frustration.
In one ear and out the other… she thought, but held her tongue because she knew that getting into an argument with Shigure was not what any of them needed right now, especially Yuichiro herself.
Yuichiro gasped as soon as she heard that which did not go unnoticed by her hostesses. The woman called Shigure may appear to look uninterested in anything at a first glance but she was much more perceptive than her poker-faced expression suggested.
"Will that be a problem?" she asked curiously, her brow raised.
"N-no!" Yuu stuttered. "It's just…well, isn't there another way?"
Sayuri shook her head. "No, I'm afraid not; there's no way we can treat you if you don't remove your shirt. And besides, it's dirty and covered with blood which could get your injury infected faster. I'll help you if you can't do it by yourself, but it's absolutely necessary."
After hesitating for a moment, Yuichiro finally relented.
"Ok…" she said quietly as she unwrapped herself from Shigure's coat, brought her hands to the hem of her shirt, and proceeded to lift it off her torso. While the girl succeeded in pulling it halfway off, she noticed that the dried blood had made the shirt stick to her back a little.
"Uh oh… I can't get off" she said sheepishly.
"Here", Shigure said as she dipped a washcloth into the basin after setting it down on a table. When the cloth was wet enough, the older woman gently dabbed it on her back to loosen Yuu's shirt so that she can finally remove it. When she felt the hot, damp towel hit her skin, Yuu cried out in pain.
"That hurts!" she squealed as she shut her eyes tightly.
"I'm sorry, Yuu but it's the only way. Just bear with me for a second…" Shigure said gently, trying to sound as reassuring as she could. The older woman knew she had a lousy bedside matter but at least she was making an attempt to comfort the child.
"It's ok, Yuu. I'll help you take the rest of it off now." Reaching over, Sayuri placed her fingers under Yuu's shirt to help her remove it.
That was when she finally noticed the cloth bindings wrapped around Yuu's chest as well as the small mounds they were concealing and was shocked. Shigure noticed as well and her eyes became as wide as her friend's.
"Yuichiro, y-you're a girl?" Sayuri sputtered.
Now that her secret was exposed to these strangers, Yuu had no idea what to say. There was no point in lying or trying to deny it since the answer was so obvious.
"Um… yes" the girl answered as she looked away shyly.
"Why were you dressed like a boy?"
"I…" Yuichiro searched her mind, unsure of how to answer but surprisingly, it was Shigure who intervened to save her from Sayuri's awkward and uncomfortable, though legitimate, question.
"It's ok, Sayuri. I'm sure Yuichiro must have had a good reason for pretending to be a boy. Not like it really matters right now; our first priority is to treat her."
Realizing that her friend was right, Sayuri nodded. They could ask the younger girl questions later when she was out of danger.
"You're right, Shigure. Anyway, let me take that, Yuu."
After her shirt was completely removed, Yuu handed it to Sayuri before asking:
"Is this ok?"
"I'm afraid you're going to have to take your bindings off too, dear."
When she heard this, Yuichiro found herself blushing furiously. Even though Akane and Mikaela had seen her naked before, Yuichiro knew that was completely accidental. She had never stripped intentionally in front of others before, especially people she didn't know. When she saw the younger girl hesitate, Sayuri tried a different approach.
"Please, Yuu, it's ok. You have nothing to be embarrassed about, we're all ladies here…"
Yuichiro hesitated for a moment longer before realizing that Sayuri was right.
"Ok… can you please help me?"
"Sure" she answered before taking one end of the binding and started to carefully unwrap the young girl's upper torso.
Like her livestock uniform shirt, the binding Yuichiro wore to conceal her small breasts was also stained with blood and had to be removed with great care. After she was completely topless, Yuu shyly wrapped her arms around herself. Even though the girl knew there was no need to feel embarrassed, she couldn't help it since this was a totally new experience for her.
"Ok, the next thing we need you to do is lie on your stomach. You can keep your pants on for now."
Relieved that her hostesses were not asking her to take off all her clothes, at least not yet, Yuichiro obeyed and laid on her stomach on the sofa. Now that her shirt and bindings were completely removed and her back was on full display, Sayuri and Shigure were able to get a better, close-up look at Yuu's injuries; they consisted of five deep gashes on her upper back stretching from her right shoulder down to the left side of her lower back, indicating that whoever attacked her did so at very close range. Neither woman doubted that it was the mark of a vampire and although the gashes did not appear to be serious, it was possible that they were deep enough to leave some scarring.
"At least the bleeding has stopped, Shigure said quietly as she dipped another clean cloth into the basin to absorb the hot water. After squeezing out the excess, she said: "I'm going to have to clean your wounds before we can dress them, ok, Yuu?"
The girl nodded as she squeezed her eyes shut again, knowing full well this was going to hurt but that didn't make the pain easier to take when the hot washcloth finally made contact with her bare skin and the cuts that marred it.
Yuichiro gritted her teeth to keep herself from screaming; she knew this was nothing compared to what Mikaela must have felt when Ferid ran him through and sliced off his arm. Thinking about her lost brother didn't help matters much and she found herself weeping tears of grief as well as pain. Yuichiro knew she was lucky to have met people kind enough to take her in and treat her while Mikaela must have died in terrible agony and worst of all, completely alone.
"Mika…" she whimpered softly but not so quietly that Sayuri didn't hear her.
"Who's, Mika, dear?" the older woman asked. "A friend of yours?"
Yuichiro nodded. As she was lying down on her stomach with one side of her face rested against the cool fabric of the sofa, she was sweating from the pain of having her wounds cleaned as Shigure placed another washcloth in the basin to wet before applying to her back again. To the girl's relief, it hurt less than the first time and she was grateful for that, at least.
As difficult as it was, Yuichiro felt obligated to answer Sayuri's question since the older woman was doing everything she could to help her. Shigure too.
"Yes…his name was Mikaela. He was my adopted brother. We weren't related by blood but he was still family to me. It's because of him that I'm even alive now; he was killed trying to help me escape."
"Mikaela…" Shigure said slowly as she pondered over the exotic-sounding name. "That doesn't sound Japanese. Was he a foreigner?"
Yuichiro nodded. "Mika was a hāfu, half Japanese and half Russian. He had hair like gold and the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen. We lived together with the rest of our family in downtown Sanguinem since the vampires brought us underground. Before that, we lived at the Hyakuya Orphanage in Kyoto."
"You mean there were others besides this Mikaela?" Sayuri asked as she applied some antibiotic gel to Yuichiro's gashes, which were now cleaned of blood and any other debris that might cause infection if left alone.
"Yes… there was also Akane, Chihiro, Aiko, Taichi, Kouta, and Fumie. They were all killed when…" the girl stopped as if it were too painful for her to continue. Taking the hint, Sayuri decided not to push the matter further.
"It's ok, Yuichiro. You don't have to tell us anything now. What's important is for you to get better. Since you can't bathe in your condition, we'll just have to give you a sponge bath to get you cleaned up, at least for now. You can use the shower when your injuries are healed enough."
At the mention of a sponge bath, Yuichiro let out a breath of gratitude. Having spent a few hours walking through the sewers of Sanguinem as well as being wounded by a vampire lord before running through a dirt tunnel, the girl could only imagine how dirty she was. Not to mention how unpleasant she must have smelled. But if her caretakers were aware of either fact, they gave no notion of it.
Shigure listened with interest but said nothing as she took the dirty, bloodied washcloths and water basin before quietly leaving the room. When she returned, the older woman had emptied the dirty water from before and replaced it with a batch of new, clean, warm water as well as some new washcloths.
"You can sit here while we get you cleaned, Yuichiro" Sayuri said as she pulled out a backless chair from beneath a nearby table. "But this time, you'll have to take off your pants too. Is that ok?"
After having already taken her shirt off to be treated, Yuichiro found it easier to comply with the older woman's request to remove her pants, especially since they had treated her without any trouble so far. However, unlike her shirt, the girl was able to remove her pants without any help. Like her chest, Yuichiro had only simple cloth binding around her behind and private area. Proper undergarments was another luxury few children had in Sanguinem.
"Do I have to take off my "panties" as well?" Yuu asked nervously.
"Well, yes. But you can cover yourself with this" Shigure said as she offered the younger girl a slightly bigger towel that she brought along with the water basin and new washcloths to protect her modesty as she sat on the chair.
After removing the last of her clothing, Yuichiro found herself sitting almost naked on the backless chair Sayuri brought out for her to sit on. She had Shigure's towel across her lap and found herself wrapping her arms around her chest again as the two older women started to clean her off.
Although the girl wished it could have been under different circumstances, Yuichiro had to admit, at least to herself, that she enjoyed their attention. Back in Sanguinem, Mika often offered to wash her back, just as he had helped the younger boys get cleaned off while Akane assisted the younger girls. But since she had been hiding her sex at the time, Yuichiro always showered alone until her two eldest siblings discovered her secret. Afterward, she finally allowed Akane to help her bathe but only after the other orphans went to bed for the night.
Now that she thought of it, Sayuri reminded Yuichiro of Akane and the thought of her lost sister made tears threaten to spill from her eyes again but Yuu did her best to keep her composure. The honey-colored haired woman had Akane's gentle and patient nature, making Yuu feel inclined to trust her more easily. Not that her friend, Shigure, wasn't kind as well; Yuichiro assumed that she just had to get to know the older raven-haired woman better to truly appreciate her character and would have plenty of time to do that since they were going to be living under the same roof.
"Would you like us to wash your hair as well?"
Yuu was startled from her thoughts at the sudden question and was surprised to find that it was Shigure who asked.
"Well… I would like that if it's not too much trouble for you. Is my hair dirty too?"
Shigure set the washcloth she was holding aside and gently ran her hand through Yuichiro's messy raven hair, feeling the strands between her fingers. As she suspected, they were also caked with dried blood like her livestock uniform.
"Yuichiro…what exactly happened to you before you escaped from the vampire city?" she asked slowly.
Remembering her fight with Ferid, Yuu gasped as she turned her head this way and that, scanning the room for her lost weapon.
"My gun! Where is it?"
"Oh, you mean this?" Shigure asked as she went to a desk in the corner of the room and opened the drawer, pulling out the vampire lord's vintage revolver. Opening the chamber, Shigure found it empty of bullets though she still suspected it had been used recently.
Yuichiro breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes…it saved my life so it has some sentimental value to me."
"I understand, Yuu but it's still a dangerous weapon and I don't advise you to use it again until you've properly learned how to."
"I know. Just please don't take it away from me."
"I assure you I have no need of such a thing. Now let's finish getting you clean-up."
And without any further distractions, the two women picked up the pace and finished wiping Yuichiro down before using the remaining warm water to clean the child's hair. In addition to the water, Shigure also provided a small two- in-one shampoo and conditioner bottle to clean out the impurities in Yuu's messy raven locks. After they finished, the two older women used the last clean towel to get the excess water out of her hair before Sayuri used a comb to straighten out the wet strands. Now that she was finally clean, the child felt much better.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, Yuu" Sayuri said gently before asking "Are you hungry?"
The girl felt her stomach growl at the question. Now that she thought of it, Yuu had not had anything to eat since last night, the two slices of pizza being the only thing she had for dinner before she, Mika, and the others had attempted to leave Sanguinem.
"Can I have some soup and water?" Yuu asked quietly.
"Sure. I should have it ready by the time you're finished getting dressed."
Yuu was puzzled. "Dressed?"
Shigure gave the child another one of her blank looks.
"Would you rather walk around the house naked?"
Yuichiro blushed furiously at the question.
"No! It's just that I don't have any other clothes to wear other than my livestock uniform."
"Well, since your old clothes are bloody and torn up, you can't wear them anymore" Sayuri said as she shot Shigure another one of her annoyed looks.
We definitely need to talk about that bedside manner of hers, she thought.
"What am I going to wear then?" Yuu asked.
"Well, Guren still has some of his old clothes from the storage from when he was your age; I'm sure they'll fit you and he won't mind considering that we weren't really expecting an addition to our household" Sayuri answered.
Shigure seemed confused at her friend's suggestion.
"Why Guren's clothes? Yuichiro is a girl; shouldn't we loan her some of our clothes instead?"
Before Sayuri can answer, Yuu panicked and shook her head furiously.
"No, please! You can't tell him!" she cried.
"Why? What are you so afraid of, girl?" the older woman asked. Yuu couldn't tell if she was annoyed or genuinely puzzled at her reaction.
"I…" Yuichiro began before stopping herself. Now that she thought about it, Shigure did have a point.
She's right. What am I afraid of? The girl was silent for a moment, unsure of how to answer but fortunately for her, Sayuri had a better idea of why Yuu didn't want to be exposed to any more people so soon.
"Shigure, I don't think we should tell Guren the truth just yet, not when we still haven't gotten over the shock ourselves. And looking at her now, I'm guessing our little cross-dressing girl didn't just start pretending to be a boy yesterday. This has been going for a while, hasn't it, Yuu?"
"Well…yes" Yuu confessed.
Shigure stared at the child in question.
"Like how long, Yuu?'
"Since the day I was born."
"What?! You've never worn girls' clothing before?" Sayuri asked incredulously.
"No…"
"And I take it you've never had long hair either?"
"Never…"
"But why?"
"Because… my parents wanted me to be a boy" Yuu finally confessed.
"I figured as much", Sayuri said, not really surprised at the child's confession. "But you are obviously not a boy, Yuu. However, since you've been living as one for so long, we can't expect you to make the transition to being a girl overnight. This is something that's going to take a bit of time."
"What do you mean, Sayuri?" Shigure asked curiously.
"Exactly as I said" her friend answered. "Though Yuichiro is biologically female, gender identity is not something that can be changed so quickly and easily. To attempt it too soon may be psychologically overwhelming. So I believe it's best for her to take things one step at a time."
"Even so, why can't we tell Guren the truth yet?"
"Because knowing him, he may demand that Yuichiro conform to her biological sex before she's ready. And that probably won't be good since it may confuse her too much. So for now, its best he not know."
"I still don't like the idea of lying to him…" the other woman began before Sayuri cut her off.
"Shigure, not telling Guren that Yuichiro is a girl right away is not going to hurt him in any way" she insisted.
Except maybe his pride when he finds out but that's beside the point, Sayuri thought but quickly brushed it off before continuing. "The girl just lost her family last night so have a heart, will you?" Turning to Yuichiro, Sayuri's expression softened as she continued. "You can tell Guren yourself when you're ready. However, should he manage to figure it out on his own…" The older woman did not elaborate further but Yuichiro knew what she meant.
Shigure was silent for a moment as she took all of this in. She disliked keeping secrets from her commanding officer but she also cared for Yuichiro's well-being as well. Shigure may not agree with her friend on everything but could still see the logic in what Sayuri was saying; she wasn't made out of stone, after all.
"Ok, ok, I understand" she finally said. "Anyway, I'll get Yuu some new clothes and you can make her some soup."
Yuichiro sighed with relief. "Thank you so much. Both of you…"
"You're welcome, Yuu."
SSSSSS
"So how is it, Yuu?" Sayuri asked as she sat across the dinner table from Yuichiro and watched the younger girl wolf down the chicken soup she had prepared from scratch.
Although it would have been faster and more convenient to feed the child can soup, Sayuri disliked processed foods, which tended to be high in sodium, and felt that home-made meals were always better and healthier. From the way Yuichiro ate, the older woman could tell that she must be quite hungry for she looked embarrassed every time she made an unbecoming sound while eating.
"Sorry" Yuu apologized.
"It's ok, sweetie, I understand. You've been through a lot and it's just the two of us. Though I would advise you to mind your manners a bit more when you eat in front of Guren." *3*
Yuichiro found herself blushing at the mention of the man who had picked her up and carried her away from Sanguinem when she finally collapsed from exhaustion and pain. She had not seen him since she had fallen asleep in his arms and wondered where he could be.
Putting her spoon down, Yuu asked "Who is Guren? Why did he save me?"
"Well, Guren Ichinose is the commander of the JIDA's Moon Demon Company though you probably haven't the slightest idea what I'm talking about. But he'll explain it to you later. He's also a long-time friend of mine and Shigure's. As for why he saved you, I'm honestly not sure but I know he must have a good reason. Either way, I'm glad he did."
"Oh…where is he? I haven't seen him all day. What happened after I passed out? And where am I?"
"Guren works late sometimes. He had to leave as soon as he brought you here but he called frequently from his office to ask if you woke up yet. If you didn't regain consciousness soon enough, we probably would have had to treat and clean you while you were unconscious which might have been a bit more difficult. As for where you are, this is Guren's home in the city of Shibuya; it was left to him after his parents passed away."
At the mention of Guren's parents, Yuichiro looked down at her soup bowl as her thoughts wandered back to her own parents. It was because of their wish for a son that she was in the predicament she was now. Pretending to be a boy in order to please them was easy enough in her early childhood but now that Yuu was approaching adolescence, it would soon no longer be possible no matter how much they wanted it or how much she wanted it.
But the question was, did she?
"Yuichiro, what's wrong?"
Yuu was startled at Sayuri's sudden question and looked up to find the older woman looking at her in concern which made her realize she was frowning.
"I-I'm sorry…" Yuichiro apologized. "It's just that when you mention Guren's parents, it made me think about my own family, my own parents."
Sayuri raised her brows and tilted her head slightly.
"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked gently.
Though it wasn't in her nature to pry into other people's affairs, especially those she didn't know very well, Sayuri felt that this was a good opportunity to get to know the child her superior officer insisted on taking in since he refused to tell her or Shigure the reason. Although he wasn't an uncaring man by any means, it simply wasn't like Guren Ichinose to take in just any orphan child he ran across. The fact that he showed interest in this particular child had piqued her curiosity.
And to be honest, Sayuri herself thought it would be good for Yuu to get some weight off her chest and she was willing to lend an ear if it would make the child feel better.
Yuichiro, on the other hand, normally did not like to discuss her personal life or background with people she didn't know very well either. Heck, even her younger brothers and sisters from the Hyakuya orphanage whom she had lived with for years, never knew that she was a girl. And if Mikaela and Akane had not discovered it by accident, they probably would have never known either.
But her family was gone now and Yuichiro found herself completely alone for the second time; after her traumatic experience, the young girl desperately wanted someone to confide in and was fortunate enough to run into people who were kind enough to take her in. For it was unlikely that she would have been able to survive outside of the vampire city alone for very long. If infection from her wounds did not kill her, starvation or illness from the cold surely would have sooner or later.
"When I was born, my parents were not happy that I was a girl because they really wanted a boy."
Yuichiro sniffled and paused for a moment as she waited to see how her hostess would respond to such a strange confession. Sayuri, on the other hand, was intrigued that the younger girl was willing to open up to her at all.
"Go on…"
"So since I was born, I have been dressing and living as a boy. Mom and dad would never let me play with dolls or anything they thought was too 'girly'. My grandma never liked the fact that they tried to make me into the son they've always wanted. I often heard her arguing with my mom about it whenever she visited. It's ironic but I felt like my grandma was the only one in my blood family who really understood me. But after she passed away, the situation with my parents grew worse; not only would they never let me leave the house, they wouldn't let me watch TV or use the internet either. But I still did behind their backs anyway because they were my only access to the outside world. Until Mika came to me out of the blue when I was playing in my parents' yard alone one day. He became my first real friend."
"What happened to your parents?"
"I'm not sure, I only know what I was told by the nurse when I woke up in the hospital the day after they had tried to kill me. You see, mom and dad's constant arguments were keeping the neighbors up at night so they finally decided to call CPS. When an agent showed up at my house one day, my mom argued with her and then later with my dad when he came home and found out. Since they knew the CPS was on to them, they finally decided to get rid of me. I was terrified when my father called me out to the living room with a kitchen knife in his hand. I knew right then and there I was going to die if I didn't try and get away from him and my mom."
"Oh my god… what happened next?"
"My mom tried to grab me and hold me down but I got away from her, unlocked the front door to our apartment, and tried to run away but my dad managed to stab me in the back when I was just a few steps out the door, making me fall and hit my head on the ground. And that was the last thing I remembered before I woke up in the hospital. The nurse told me that my dad was shot dead by the police after they saw him stabbing me and that my mom set our apartment on fire after locking herself in. I never saw either of them again. That was when I was seven."
"So who did you stay with after your parents died?"
"There was a man who came to the hospital to see me. He told the nurse he was my uncle and would be taking care of me but when I saw him, I knew right away he couldn't possibly be related to me since we looked nothing alike. He also didn't look anything like my parents either. I haven't thought of him much over the last few years but I remembered that he had really dark black hair and gray eyes. His skin was also really pale like he had never been out in the sun."
"What was his name?" Sayuri asked curiously. The younger girl's description of her "uncle" seemed familiar to Sayuri and she had seen only one man who fitted it.
Surely it couldn't be him, she thought.
Yuichiro sighed and scratched her head.
"To be honest, I really don't remember. He did tell me his name once but since I called him 'uncle' all the time, I've forgotten what it was. Silly, isn't it?" *4*
"No, not really. It's easy to forget the names of people you know if you don't address them as such often enough. Especially since you were still very young when you met this 'uncle' of yours. So what happened to him?"
"I really don't know. He visited me often when I was transferred to another clinic for therapy until I was finally released to his care. The last time I saw my 'uncle' was when he dropped me off at the Hyakuya orphanage. After that, I never heard from him again but I really think he must have died with the other adult humans when the virus struck."
"Could be…I'm sorry, Yuu."
"It's ok. My 'uncle' took me somewhere he said I would be happy. And he was right. When he left me at the Hyakuya orphanage, I finally found a new family, the people who became the world to me. I was also finally able to go to school like I've always wanted and I was so happy but it didn't last. Just two months later, the virus struck and I was captured by the vampires with the other kids and taken to Sanguinem."
"What was it like down there? I've heard stories of the vampire city but I've never actually seen it" Sayuri confessed.
"It was a bleak and often cold place. Though the vampires provided us with food, shelter, and medical care, it was just enough for us to stay alive so they can keep taking our blood. Since we had no calendars in Sanguinem, it was impossible to keep track of the days, weeks, and months, but I knew we had to have been down there for at least a few years."
"And in all that time, you never thought of dressing like a girl?"
Yuichiro shook her head. "By then, I was just so used to being a boy that I saw no reason to switch. Plus it was easier for me to go around the city with Mika without being harassed if the older boys didn't know I was a girl. You see, I never told any of the other kids the truth either. Until the day that Mika and Akane opened the bathroom door while I was taking a shower. And, well, you know…"
Upon hearing that, Sayuri had to stifle a laugh so that she wouldn't embarrass Yuichiro. The younger girl was willing to open up to her so she felt that she shouldn't violate that trust by giving Yuu the impression she was being ridiculed.
So that's why she was dressed like a boy when we found her… Sayuri thought. The younger girl played the part so well that neither she, Shigure, nor Guren had any idea Yuu was really female. It seemed like the vampires who imprisoned Yuichiro never cared enough to make her wear the female livestock uniform. Which came as no surprise since all they wanted from the children was their blood.
"I'm sure it must have been pretty awkward for you. But hopefully, they understood why you kept your gender from them."
Yuichiro nodded. "I don't know what I would've done if it wasn't for Akane. Even though I loved all my brothers and sisters, she and Mika were the ones I was closest to; they were the only ones who knew my secret. I have thought about telling the younger kids eventually but as you can see, I never got the chance. And I never will."
As she said this, Yuu placed her head in her hands and looked about to cry again. Her heart filled with pity for the grieving child, Sayuri reached out and gently stroked her now clean albeit slightly, damp hair.
"Yuichiro…what exactly happened to you right before we found you outside the vampire city? You don't have to tell me if you don't want but I think that talking about it might make you feel at least somewhat better."
Taking her face out of her hands, Yuu wiped the tears that were just starting to form in her eyes with her sleeve. Although it was a bit soon to start talking about the tragic loss of her family, she knew Sayuri was right; holding it in would only make it more painful.
"Mika was tired of living in Sanguinem. And to be honest, so was I, even though I didn't think there was much we could do about it. But Mika wasn't the kind of person to give up so easily. So without telling us, he started a relationship with one of the vampire nobles. In exchange for Mika's blood, this noble would give us things to make our lives in the city easier and more convenient. Things from food and medicine to comfortable bedding, to the quality scissor Akane used to cut our hair."
"And I'm guessing it was this very same vampire noble who betrayed you" Sayuri deduced. She knew very well where this conversation was going but wanted to hear the story from Yuichiro's own mouth.
"I never trusted him. From the moment I saw that noble, I knew he was going to be trouble. Not like I would trust any vampire, but that one in particular really gave me the creeps. I know Mika didn't trust him either; he later told me that he stole a map and gun from the noble after gaining his favor and access to his mansion. That was when I realized he became close to the bloodsucker so he could find an opportunity to finally get us all out of Sanguinem, something I would've never thought of."
"That's very clever of Mika…"
"But not clever enough…" Yuu said sadly. "The bastard had played us all along. He knew what Mika was trying to do and was waiting for us right at the gates of Sanguinem. We played right into his trap and were powerless to stop him as he picked off the younger kids one by one. I tried to shoot him with the gun Mika gave me but I wasn't good enough; all of my shots missed, except for the very last one."
"And that was how you got those wounds on your back, wasn't it? You couldn't have shot the noble unless it was at point-blank range."
"Yes… After he sucked the life out of Akane, I totally lost it and wanted to go after him myself but Mika snatched the gun from me and went after him instead. He didn't stand a chance and was fatally wounded, but he did distract the noble long enough for me to take the gun and finally shoot him: right in the head."
Sayuri shuddered when she heard the younger girl's confession. Yuichiro was only a child, yet her tragic circumstances had forced her to grow up far too fast; at only twelve years of age, she had already shed another's blood in one of the most gruesome ways imaginable. And even though the child's reason was justified, it was still a hard pill for Sayuri to swallow. Still, she felt like she had to know the whole story.
"After you shot the noble…that was when he scratched you?"
"Yes… I tried to get away but wasn't fast enough as you can see. But I didn't care. After I took the noble down, I tried to help Mika but there wasn't anything I could do. His arm was sliced clean off and he had a huge hole in his chest. He obviously lost a lot of blood and we both knew he wasn't going to make it. Still, I didn't want to leave without Mika but he begged me to go and I couldn't say no to him. So I left him there and ran away to save myself like the coward I am."
After she had finally confessed everything, Yuichiro started to cry. Recalling the tragic loss of her family so soon after it had happened had proven too much for the younger girl and Sayuri was starting to regret that she had even asked. Getting up from her chair, the older woman went over and hugged the grieving child.
"Hush, dear, you are not a coward. And Mika was not wrong in telling you to go; there was nothing you could have done for him or any of the others."
"But I wouldn't have lost my family in the first place if only I had tried to convince them to take a different route or go on a different night."
"No, Yuichiro, there is no guarantee that things would have turned out any differently if you had. This noble was obviously very clever and probably had his minions waiting for you at all of the other city exits as well. And he probably would've had them waiting every night until you finally did start to move."
"But…!"
"No buts, Yuu! It took a lot of courage for you to try and take down that noble by yourself but there are other kinds of courage too! Like the courage to accept that there will be situations beyond your control! Mikaela told you to run because he wanted you to live. He obviously loved you very much and gave his life for you. So please don't let it be a needless sacrifice…"
Not knowing what else to say, Yuichiro finally allowed herself to relax in hostess's arms and cry to her heart's content. She was never going to see Mikaela, Akane, or any of the others again. And no matter how hard and painful it was, Yuichiro knew that this was something she was going to have to accept and move on.
"Shh…it's ok, Yuu. I know it's going to be hard but you have to try and stay strong, I promise that you won't be alone. Though we can never replace your brothers and sisters, we'll be your family from now on. We'll take care of you so please don't cry."
"Mmm…" was the child's only reply as she moved herself closer to the older woman's embrace. They had met but only a day ago and Yuichiro found herself pouring out her heart to this person she barely knew. But the girl also had to admit that she found Sayuri very easy to talk to and was grateful for the comfort she offered.
After a few more moments, Sayuri gently released Yuichiro and said "Come on, sweetheart, try to finish your soup. I'll show you where you'll be staying since this will be your home from now on. Shigure and I have managed to patch you up without too much trouble but you still need to take it easy until you make a complete recovery. If Guren gets off of work early enough, you might get a chance to talk to him before turning in for the night, ok?"
"Um…ok. Thank you so much for listening to me, Sayuri."
"You're welcome, dear."
Footnotes:
1. The Japanese Imperial Demon Army is referred to as the 'Demon Army' for short in the official series but often called the 'JIDA' by OnS fans.
2. In the original story, it is most likely male!Yuu lived separately from Guren who probably paid his living expenses and checked up on him frequently. The reason for this being that he wanted to keep Yuu's existence a secret from Shinya, Goshi, and his other subordinates/friends who would often invite themselves over to his house. In my AU, fem!Yuu will be living with Guren, Sayuri, and Shigure so they will have a household of four.
3. Sayuri and Shigure actually refer to Guren as 'Master Guren' in canon but I think that makes them sound like they're his maids instead of his comrades so I've decided to have them address him more informally when not on the battlefield.
4. In the LNs, Sayuri and Shigure actually met Saito twice; he ordered his soldiers to rape them in order to make Guren become a demon faster. I won't reveal any more to avoid spoilers to anyone who hasn't read the LNs. In my AU, I deliberately made fem!Yuu not remember Saito by name so that Sayuri would not be certain that she was taking about him.
