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Scarlet Memories

Reminiscence 24 – First chase

"Be strong, Lucifer," Was what Gale Altair said to him before leaving him in Ryusei Gai. But Kuroro was still too young at that time to understand the real meaning of his words. He never thought that world he would be facing is so much different from the world he had grown into, so different from the gentle, loving and protected world that he wished he could go back into. But to his dismay, Kuroro could no longer be able to go back into that peaceful world.

The new world that he came to face was harsh. It took him so much to survive. Although the council head took him under his care, the council head never really cared about him, he never cared if he's hurt, nor if he's sick. For the few months of his stay in the god forgotten city, he was left alone to wander on his own. He was never given comfort, nor did he receive any of his basic needs. He was completely left alone on his own.

The time he went out of the vicinity of the rundown building of the council, he was almost caught up dead by the wandering group of citizens who knows nothing, but to get on the weaker citizens. At first, the group greeted him kindly as they walked over him, asking him if he was a new in the place and told him to join their group and come with them when he gave an affirmative nod to their question.

In his innocence, little Kuroro agreed to come with them. Only when they arrived in a secluded area that the group showed their true color and their real objective was to rub little Kuroro of whatever he has. But to their dismay, the little novice has nothing with him that they can use, making their effort useless. With that in mind, the group beaten him up until they were satisfied, leaving the little Kuroro unconscious. He was lucky enough that a child, only a few older than him, found him. The child brought him to his group's hiding place helped him to recover. If that child did not find him, he would probably die in hunger and thirst, since he cannot move his body for days.

Little Kuroro remained with the all-children-group until Raffgier, the council head, took him and brought him to the other group made up also of children. But those children are different from before. They are trained and their trainers are no other than the council members. For the years, Kuroro stayed with the group and he became strong, very strong that he decided to cut ties with the council and created his own group, along with the other trained children, promising to himself that while he was looking for the Kuruta tribe's whereabouts, he would hunt down Gale Altair. With that, the Genei Ryodan, also known as spiders, was built.

Just a few months after the Genei Ryodan was built, he found the Kuruta tribe's whereabouts in a secluded place, very secluded that it took him so much time and effort to find it. Nevertheless, every effort he did show it worth as he met the little blonde Kuruta. He was so glad, glad to know that the Kuruta clan still exists, glad to know that they are still living, healthy and happy.

But Kuroro was also sad at the same time. He was sad because of the feeling that he doesn't belong to the Kuruta tribe anymore. To make it clear, he doesn't deserve to be with them anymore. He is an outcast. He no longer deserves to be called a Kuruta. And so, with empty contentment, he left the forest without even entering the village, without even showing himself to the other Kuruta people, but promising to himself that he will protect the Kuruta people and the village from whatever harm that may befall over them.

To Kuroro's total dismay, he was unable to keep that promise…

It happened when he was 21 years old. That time, he was walking toward the entrance of Ryusei Gai when he saw Gale Altair approaching him in a hurry with a dark look on his face. Wait, approaching him? No, he's not approaching him. That cannot happen as Gale Altair has been running away from him for years. He must be going out somewhere. But, what's with that look?

"Gale," he called as the man, his father, stopped in front of him.

"Kuroro," the man acknowledged, with the dark look in his eyes lightening a bit.

"It's been a while," Kuroro said, eyeing his father. "What made your mind to show yourself now, Gale Altair?" he asked in a mocking tone.

A smirk formed from Gale's face. "Aren't you glad to see me, Kuroro? After all, I am the reason for making the mafia your target, isn't it?" he asked. Right since Gale left him in this place, he never returned again and instead, he made himself an acquaintance of the mafia families. No. he did returned once. It was the night after the council brought him to join the other trained children, telling him about his mother's eyes, telling him that if he wants to get them, he has to survive the Ryusei's trials.

"Where did you hide them?" Kuroro asked in a monotonous voice, stating the scarlet eyes of his mother.

Gale's expression returned from being dark and became even darker as he felt some presences approaching them from the outside of the city. "This is not the time for that Kuroro," he said, turning his gaze behind Kuroro.

Kuroro did not ask any further as he also felt the presences. Turning around toward the direction of those presences, he saw a group of people in black ninja outfit and a boy in his late teen, in black long-sleeved, buttoned shirt and black trouser, running at such speed toward them and only stopping in front of them.

"What is-," Kuroro did not continue his question as the group in black suit arrived.

"Kuroro Lucifer, isn't it?" the teenaged boy asked, and turning to the older man, "and you must be Gale Altair.

"So, what are you here for?" Kuroro asked, eyeing the teenager coldly.

The boy smirked at his question. "I just want to play with you, and I'm sure, you will gladly accept my invitation," he said as he gestured for someone to come forward. One of the blank ninja behind him stepped out, bringing with him a wooden box and gave it to him.

The boy took the box and immediately opened it, taking the double cylinder that it contained, making Kuroro's eyes widen in surprise.

"You are-," he said, clutching his fist tightly, seeing what the double cylinder contains. It was… a pair of scarlet eyes.

Gale on the other hand, narrowed his eyes as he looked at the boy in suspicion. He's sure of it. They are here to avert him from his real purpose, but since Kuroro is here too….

"Tchi!" he exclaimed silently. He's taking too long for his purpose. His time is running out.

"If you want to get this, then, catch me if you can," the boy said as he disappeared and reappeared at a distance.

"Don't listen to him, Kuroro!"

But he's too late as Kuroro left him and started chasing the teenaged boy.

"Tchi!" he exclaimed for the second time. "This is not the time for playing a tag," he said to no one in particular, and looked at the black ninjas in front of him. "How troublesome."

~o~

It's been hours since the nonstop chasing had begun, but Kuroro was not even able to get closer to the boy. The boy must be using a teleportation skill as he always disappears and reappear here and there.

They are now far away from the entrance of Ryusei Gai and just entered a lush forest. But then, the boy suddenly stopped and turned to face Kuroro.

Upon realizing the boy's action, Kuroro made a halt at a distance away from him.

"Can I ask you something, Kuroro?" the boy asked. "It is only less than a day from here to Rukuso Province. Isn't it?"

"What are you trying to do?" Kuroro asked in a contained anger, sensing a threat to the Kuruta people.

"Being angry, are we? Why is it, Kuroro? You don't even know at least one of them, do you?"

Kuroro did not say anything; he just kept silent, waiting for the boy's next word. What does he know about the Kuruta? What does he know about his relationship with them?

"Are you really just visiting that village to see them? Or, you also wanted to get their scarlet eyes?" the boy continued.

"What's the point of asking me those questions?" Kuroro asked this time. "What do you know about the Kuruta clan?"

"What if," the boy continued asking, "The people you teats as your second family, killed the clan you are protecting, what you would do, Kuroro?"

Just hearing those words made Kuroro's eyes widened in horror. Was he trying to say that the Ryodan are attacking the clan? Kuroro's eyes narrowed as he glared at the boy in full anger. "Remember this day, kid. I'll get back to you," he said and immediately left the boy on his own.

~o~

With the fastest speed that his nen imbedded feet can give him, Kuroro ran to the nearest airport, taking out his phone from his pocket and dialed a certain number.

Toot, toot, toot, were the sounds that he heard from his phone. "Busy?" he asked. Then, instead of wasting his time for another call (from which he will probably hear another busy tone), he immediately went to the ticketing office and did whatever means he can just to get a plane ticket for the next plane to depart.

Upon the airplane's arrival at its destination, Kuroro immediately left and ran with all his speed. Even though the airport where the plane landed is the nearest to the Kuruta village, the distance is not actually that near. But Kuroro did not bother to think how far he would have to run, he just continued running and running toward the direction of the mountainous area of the province.

But then, from a certain distance, a smoke suddenly came into view. Kuroro immediately noticed it, but he continued anyway.

As Kuroro arrived at the mountain nearest from the village, what greeted him made him horrified. The village that he was trying to protect is on fire. Clutching his hands in a thigh fist, Kuroro continued in his track as he went down to get closer to the village, hoping that this would not be the end for the Kuruta clan. There, he found… a little girl, standing in front of the burning village.

"Mama! Papa! Everyone!" Kuroro heard the little girl as she shouted, but then, the fire blaze toward her direction. "No!" the girl shouted. Fortunately, Kuroro acted immediately; otherwise, the girl would suffer from severe burnt.

The little girl panted at the sudden happening. She was surprised by the blaze of fire and from the hand that suddenly grabbed her arm, but she was also glad with that hand. That hand, or to be exact, the hand's owner was the one who saved her after all.

The little girl looked at the person beside her to see her savior's face.

"Onii san?" she asked in surprise as she saw the familiar young man beside her. The man was looking at the fire intently with anger obvious on his face.

After a few seconds of just staring at the fire, Kuroro decided to find out if there are still survivors out there so he started to walk toward the fire.

"Huh? O-onii san, where are you going?" The little girl asked. "Wait! Please, don't go!" she pleaded as she grabbed Kuroro's left arm to pull him back, doing the same thing he did to her; only that, she doesn't have the strength to do so.

Upon the little girl's action, Kuroro stopped from his track and looked at the little girl clinging to his arm.

"Don't worry," he said as he raised his free hand to place in on top of the little girl's head and started to caress her hair, "I'll be back, okay?" he assured her.

The little girl nodded, letting go of her savior's arm. "I'll wait for you then." She said.

Kuroro also nodded to the girl for reassurance, then, he dashed off and headed to the burning village as he protected himself with his nen.

Even though protected with nen, Kuroro can still feel the heat of the fire. He can't see anything and he can't get himself closer to the houses. But as he pushed himself further into the village, he heard the girl shouted, calling him out.

"Onii san! Onii san!" Kuroro immediately got back to where he left the little girl, but when he arrived, the little girl is nowhere to be found. All Kuroro's hopes were gone. He cannot accept it, that the Kuruta tribe is gone. He doesn't want to accept it, but he has to. Kuroro gritted his teeth in anger.

"I'll definitely get back to you, Kid," he murmured to himself and left the still burning village.

At the top of the nearest mountain stood Gale Altair, watching the village in his dark gaze as the fire continued blazing until the snow started to fall, slowly killing the fire and covering the ground. The blazing noise of the fire turned into a gentle silence of the snow, leaving an eternal calmness and rest to the spirits of the Kuruta people.

AN: Other than 'light bearer,' Lucifer can also mean 'morning star.' On the other hand, Altair is the brightest star in the constellation Aquila. (But the naming is just a coincidence. Haha!)

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