ChapterO2
A/N-Sorry it took me a while, but my computer had a virus and I ended up loosing everything on my computer, absolutely all of my stories were gone. So I had to copy them from the net and then continue so it's taken me a long time to update.
But other than that, thanks for those who reviewed and read my story, I'm glad you like it.
Cheers.
Normal POV
Soi fon exhaled and untangled herself from the 4 year old gently, putting a hand under his head for support as she took her hoodie and replaced it with the backpack. She then wrapped the bundle of blankets closer to his small body and got up to stretch her stiff arms and legs. The 19 year old then went into the public toilets to wash herself briefly and wiped her face dry with her sleeve and walked out.
Taking one last look at Akio sleeping peacefully with the occasional snore and scanning the area quickly, she went off into the city.
It was only a couple of minutes past seven yet people were hurrying this way and that to get to their destinations on time. Soi stopped in her tracks to actually lift her head up and take in the scene of her everyday life. The buildings, the people and the atmosphere had not changed for 7 years. Not one bit.
Those lonely thoughts continued to plague her mind but she was woken from her reverie when her body collided into a taller, firmer one. The crash sent her stumbling back a small way and stepped to the right, ready to move on and walk away when she spotted a pair of shoes where she was supposed to be. In fact, there were now four pairs of shoes peering up at her and her eyes hardened.
Looking up, she found four men standing before her, all older than her she noticed; sizing her up.
They were her type of people, those that lived in the streets.
The man she bumped into had menacing brown eyes and well-built body that screamed out 'run'
"You ain't gonna say sorry brat?" he demanded
Soi cut her eyes to his clenched fist and the anger radiated off him in strong waves and she frowned.
It was just a bloody accident.
He took a step forward and she took one back on reflex.
"Scared?" he mocked,
The girl's jaw tightened and he noticed.
"Ahh…now we're angry"
"Come one, you wanna say something don't ya? You feelin fire in your body, so much you wanna hit me?"
The raven haired girl remained silent.
Soi could do this all day, years of practice had her perfect absolute silence.
She hadn't spoken a word in 7 years.
"Why don't you say something!"
He was loosing his patience, not that he had much to begin with.
The man turned to his friends, or brothers, Soi wouldn't know.
"why don't we teach the twerp how to say sorry" he grinned, showing uneven yellow teeth.
Her brows furrowed as they took steady strides towards her, one reaching for her shoulders and digging his fingers into them.
She simply shrugged him off and batted his arm away with ease.
With a click of his fingers, one had her arms twisted behind her back and another cracking his neck and knuckles in front of her.
"You sure got some fire to ya bitch" one sneered.
Without warning, he struck at her stomach with enough force to feel winded.
Fist against rubs, plain and hard.
Their wicked laughter reached her ears in hollow echoes, she wouldn't fight back unless she was protecting something or someone.
And there was no scream of pain from her, not even a pant to show that oxygen wasn't quite reaching her lungs in time.
She wouldn't give them that satisfaction.
But Soi's head snapped up when the violence stopped, only to have dirty hands lift the hem of her hoodie to her stomach ands he snapped.
Memories came crashing into her mind of that night, flashes of shadows against the walls.
The images of knife impaling flesh and pleading screams were burned into her head.
Their voices bought her back to attention and hr body moved of its own accord. She watched as her leg kicked at the man's stomach and he doubled over wheezing for air. The 19 year old then pushed her elbow back harshly into the chest behind her, and saw her attackers either in shock or in pain.
And she ran.
The remaining two collected themselves, getting over the fact that a kid barely even twenty had beaten someone five years her senior. They followed after her, humiliation still hanging about in the air, they wouldn't let it go just like that.
But Soi didn't let her thoughts disrupt her and continued running, keeping a safe distance ahead of them thanks to her daily training.
She didn't have to be thinking it to know it or remember it because it stuck to her mind.
It was today, the 7th of June.
It was today.
Akio peeked through an open eye to see Soi gone and sat himself up slowly. He then folded the blankets clumsily and rammed it the backpack, hugging it to his body and trying to push it further in with his stomach.
Little fingers pulled the zip closed with some difficulty before the 4 year old slipped the backpack over his shoulders and trudged off.
He knew today was different from all the other days of the year, he had seen it happen three times in his life. Even if he was too young to understand the situation, he knew it was today because Soi would be extra quiet. Not that she talked at all, but Akio could read her face but on the 7th of June, it was different.
Too different.
Akio looked up at all the people brushing past him in the streets, not even sparing a glance at the smaller boy.
"Excuse me mister" his voice squeaked, pulling at a man's shirt sleeve.
The man looked down at him with a frown,
"Yes?"
"Soi-chan look after Akio, Akio want to buy big muffin for Soi-chan but Akio only has this" he pulled out a five cent coin (sorry, but I'm writing in Australian dollars cos I'm Australian)
"And Akio want to-"
"No" he pulled his arm free from Akio's loose grip.
The 4 year old looked shocked, hurt.
"B-But Soi-chan is really upset, and-and she doesn't tell Akio but Akio knows. Akio wants Soi-chan to smile and-"
The man walked off half way through the sentence and Akio stood in the middle of the path, tears brimming his eyes.
"No one do that to Akio before…" he murmured.
He wanted to buy the raven haired girl something special to see her smile.
The boy ran off to another woman waiting for the bus.
"Excuse me" he tried again, hand tugging gently at her pants.
He was ignored as the bus came and he was pushed to the side as more people crowded around the doors.
The only thing he could see was a sea of legs and he pushed his way out with a panicked look in his blue eyes.
"Why no one listen to Akio?" the 4 year old asked, standing against the now empty bus stop.
Small droplets of tears fell from his eyes and slid down his cheek to the tip of his chin, he wiped them away for the first time, but more liquid replaced the trail.
"Akio wants to see Soi-chan, Akio wants Soi-chan!" he sobbed.
The boy stood by himself, tears streaming down his face as he babbled on with everyone walking past him.
They were all too busy to care when a young woman of 24 looked at the boy with sympathy in her eyes and made her way over to him.
She kneeled down in front of Akio and wiped his cheeks with the pad of her thumb.
"Hey there sweetie, are you lost?" she asked softly.
Akio's face crumpled together, signaling a tsunami of tears to come.
"What's your name?" she tried a different approach.
"Akio" he choked out.
"Ok then, Yoruichi's gonna pick you up and look for your parents ok?"
"Yoru-ichi?" he finally looked up at the woman.
"That's me!" Yoruichi grinned, picking the boy up.
He held onto her as she carried him and she rubbed his back in a soothing manner until all she could hear was a small hiccup once in a while.
"Yoru-chan has purple hair" he murmured in awe.
The woman only chuckled in response before pulling the boy away to see his face.
"Where are your parents Akio?" she asked gently.
Akio buried his face in the purple haired woman's shoulder,
"Akio only have Soi-chan, Soi-chan went to get Akio food but Akio want to get Soi-chan big muffin" he explained, hands fanning outwards.
The 24 year old's face softened,
"Alright then, where were you supposed to wait for Soi-chan?"
"At home!" Akio said.
"Where is that silly?" Yoruichi smiled, ruffling his hair.
"The park, our park!" he clapped his hands together.
But something caught his eyes and he tried to free himself from the woman's embrace so she let him down carefully.
"What's wrong, did Akio get hurt?" she made to check him but Akio dived onto the floor in between the sea of people and Yoruichi followed, eyes wide with worry for the little boy.
"Akio?" she picked up his small body.
He suddenly turned in her arms,
"Look Yoru-chan, Akio has more money to get big Muffin for Soi-chan!" he exclaimed, proud as he held out the twenty cent coin for Yoruichi to see.
"Yoru-chan go shopping with Akio" he took her hand in his and tried to pull her with him.
Soi POV
I stepped back into the park only to find it completely empty, there was no Akio running to me.
What was going on, where was he?
The blankets and our backpack were gone, did something happen to him?
Not caring about the fact that I was the opposite gender, I ran into the men's toilet to look for Akio but all cubicles had the doors wide open.
Frantic beating began in my chest and it was all I could hear as I ran back into the city, looking for the only reason I still dealt with life.
Where are you…Akio?
I lost count of how long I had been walking around looking for Akio, I even went back to the toy store to the soft toy section but didn't find the 4 year old I was looking for.
My fists were clenched tightly.
Why didn't I take him with me? Why did I leave Akio in the park? Nothing's ever happened in the past 3 years so why now?
If something ever happened-
"Soi-chan?...Soi-chan!" a bubbly voice called from behind me.
I spun around to see Akio with a wide grin in place and something resembling a cupcake in his hand. His other hand though, was surprisingly occupied with a slender dark hand.
I eyed the woman with briefly, noting purple but was all I cared to notice when Akio flew himself at my legs. I bent down to pull his body close, protectively and a relieved sigh escaped my lips.
Akio wrapped his arms around my neck in a tight embrace and it warmed my heart a little.
"Akio bought something for Soi-chan!" he said, pulling away from my hold.
My breathing and heartbeat calmed down as the little boy smiled at me.
"Akio got a big big muffin for Soi-chan. Lookie!" he cupped it in both hands for me.
My hands shook a little as I took it from him and tousled his hair in thanks, not knowing any other way to express the way I felt.
Normal POV
Yoruichi watched the scene unfold before her eyes, the girl had on loose clothes that made her figure look appear smaller than it already was.
Panic was shining bright in the raven haired girl's eyes but calmness now radiated from her as she held Akio in her arms.
Anyone could tell she genuinely cared.
"Yoru-chan, come!" the purple haired woman looked down at the boy now pulling at her hand.
Yoruichi smiled and let him lead her to the girl where he dropped her hand and showed all his teeth in a big smile.
"Soi-chaan! Yoru-chan carried Akio round shopping!" he sounded so happy, so content.
"Shihouin Yoruichi" she introduced herself, holding her hand out.
She wore a cat-like grin.
And it was then that Soi had a better look at 'Yoruichi'.
She was absolutely…flawless with smooth caramel skin, stunning yet unusual purple hair pulled into a high ponytail and piercing gold eyes.
The 19 year old frowned down at her dirty pale hand.
The goddess took the younger girl's hand in hers in a firm handshake, expecting her to her her name.
And she waited.
But nothing came.
"Akio calls Soi-chan 'Soi-chan', but Yoru-chan can call Soi-chan…Soi?" Akio scratched the back of his head, a little confused.
Just a little.
"So, it's Soi?" the 24 year old raised a brow.
The raven haired girl gave a nod in reply.
There was silence for a brief moment which Yoruichi spent figuring out why the girl didn't talk, well, wouldn't talk.
It's been almost five minutes since she first saw her yet her mouth had never opened, the only one talking was Akio.
"Come on Soi-chan, eat my muffin, eat my muffin!" the 4 year old begged, jumping up and down beside her.
This chapter was slightly longer, and I know there are mistakes in there, but I was just too, I don't know upset bout loosing all my other stories that I didn't really go over this chap much.
But please review and tell me what you thought about it, I'd really like to know.
Cheers.