If you listen hard enough
Chapter One
AN - Eichiro Oda and Fuyumi Ono are the masters, not me. This is something I've had spinning around in my head for quite some time. Hopefully I'll be able to explain everything properly, but if there's anything confusing, then please let me know, and I'll try my best to explain!
"It hurts, onii-sama!" She whimpered. "My body is turning white!"
"It'll be ok! Tou-sama is the greatest doctor in all of Flevance! He'll save you!"
…
"What are those noises, onii-sama?"
"It's – a festival! You know how Flevance loves festivals! You stay here, I'll go and see if they can't keep it down for you, ok?"
"Ok!"
…
Brother didn't come back, and the noises only got louder and louder. Fire licked up the walls, smoke choked her lungs, and the whiteness hurt. Faraway, she heard Brother screaming…
Taniyama Torao shot up, sweating from the remains of her nightmare. Looking around the tiny room she shared with her sister, she ran a hand through her wild bed-hair, taking deep breaths. Shaking her head to clear it, she made her way to the bathroom and washed her face, before moving to the futon opposite hers, tapping her sister lightly on the shoulder.
"Mai?"
"Tora?" The other girl mumbled. "Did you have a nightmare again?" Torao sighed; her sister moved over, mumbling, "Just get in, dummy. You don't have to ask."
By morning, she had managed to grab perhaps another two hours sleep, and had almost banished the dream to the back of her mind. It had, of course, been ten years.
As usual, Torao was up before Mai, showering quietly before making breakfast for the two of them. She was halfway through making lunch when Mai finally came out, dressed in her uniform and still only just awake.
"To- Tora, are you walking with me today?" Mai mumbled around a yawn.
Grinning a bit, she shook her head. "I'm tutoring that Watanuke-ya in English and Kokoyaki-ya and Mizuada-ya in Science before school, and I have kendo and Fusao's tutoring this afternoon. Sorry, Mai, you're on your own again today."
Pouting, Mai nodded, moving to make tea for the both of them as Torao finished the lunches.
"I wish you didn't have to be so busy." Mai whispered quietly over breakfast.
Tora sighed. "You know I have to, if I want to keep going to kendo. The money Okaasan left us goes towards food and rent and electricity. The school covers our tuition. Something unnecessary like sport? I have to come up with that on my own."
"I could try and get a job, too!" Mai exclaimed. "That way it's not all on your shoulders!"
Torao smiled at her sister sadly. "It's good of you to offer, but jobs are hard to find. I earn enough from tutoring, and the Senseitachi at the dojo cover what I can't match anyway, so don't worry about it. Tonight, I promise I'll spend more time with you. Ok?"
Mai sighed and agreed, though it was obvious that she was still put out. Tora smiled, ruffled her sister's hair, before moving to the front of their small apartment, putting on her shoes, and leaving quickly. She had to get to the Library before Watanuke-ya, otherwise she'd never hear the end of it. Mai was the late one, not Torao.
Translations:
Okaasan – mum/mom
Senseitachi – more than one sensei, tachi is used at the end of a word to denote the plural