xxx A Rose in the Dark xxx

Warnings: mild swearing, slight OOC, sucky writing-ness
Rated: PG-13 (for later chapters)
Pairings: TBA
Disclaimer: Yes, I own nothing. Sad, isn't it? All I own is my character, Kakeru. All things Yu Yu Hakusho related are copyright their creators, and Talim & Ashura are copyrighted to my friends.

"blah blah blah" - talking
(blah blah blah) - thoughts
--()-- – change in scene

Chapter 1: Run, Off to School We Go

A light breeze blew pink cherry blossom petals down from the trees outside. The wispy clouds against the gorgeous blue sky were a very pleasant sight for any eye to behold. Sunshine gleamed down from above, filling everything its rays touched with warmth and happiness. A faint projection of the moon could be seen setting far in the distance. Everything seemed perfect and at peace in the world at that moment. A young girl walked outside the doorway of her small home to greet this lovely day.

(Ah, another beautiful, clear, sunny day! The perfect day to...aw, who am I kidding? Another perfectly nice day that I have to go to school!) The girl thought to herself as she sighed.

Kakeru stood on the steps, looking at all the beauty around her. Her long brown hair floated lightly on the breeze. She stared at the sky and then shifted her violet eyes over to the obscure moon.

(Another faded setting moon...how beautiful...)

A sudden gust of wind almost blowing up her dark violet skirt shook the young dreamer out of her reverie.

(Oh, well. Even if I have to go to school today, at least I get to see my friends. And it's a nice day, so I should let that keep me in high spirits, not bring me down! Who knows, maybe I'll actually enjoy myself, for a change...)

"Ack, I'd better get moving, or I'm gonna be late!" she mumbled to herself.

Kakeru ran back to the door of her house, checked to see that all was in order, grabbed her book bag, locked the door and started towards her school. Meiou High, the high school she attended, was about a 20-minute walk from her home on one of the quietest streets in all of Tokyo. The rest of the city was always bustling around, but her neighborhood was fairly quiet and full of friendly people, which suited Kakeru just fine. It gave her plenty of opportunities to think and dream of the life and love she one day wished to have, even though she knew that nothing exciting would ever happen to a typical girl like her.

Looking down at her watch, Kakeru saw that it was 7:30am.

(Oh no! The bell rings in 15 minutes! I'd better run for it! If I get another tardy, it's "Goodbye outside world" and "Hello detention hall"!)

She began sprinting along the many twists and turns of the sidewalk, being careful not to collide into anyone or anything along the way.

"Crap, crap, crap!! Gotta move, gotta move!!"

When the school was finally in her view she began to slow down a bit, but didn't stop until she was at the large front doors.

(Phew! I have 5 minutes left. Thank goodness, I think I still have enough time to make it to my locker before homeroom!)

She walked in and saw many people lining the hallways, getting their last minute needs from their lockers and running off to homeroom. Kakeru walked the large expanse of the hallway to her locker and quickly trotted over to her homeroom and leapt through the door, mere seconds before the bell rang. Everyone in the class softly chuckled at her usual dramatic, last minute entrance. She took her normal seat in the front of the class near her friends and gave a hard sigh. It was looking like it was going be another one of those days...

Yes, another really short chapter. But it's necessary to slowly introduce characters into the story! lol Anyway, I hope you enjoy my story so far! Please review with your opinion...please...?? And thanks to my onee-chan, Talim, for inspiring me to write, and to any fans I may have out there - thanks for your support!