This chapter is a filler. It does give insight on Ayano Kagami's past before everything went down hill, so bare with me. Thank you for all the support! You guys are the best :)
i don't own HunterXHunter but I do own Kakuse Island and everyone living on it (lol). Kakuse Island, as most of you know, doesn't exist in the anime or manga. This includes Ayano and her family as well as her friends!
thankyou again!
Am I doing well? I mean, as your story teller for this tale?
I know that it doesn't come off like it, but I'm insecure. Speaking can be difficult and I want you to enjoy the story to its full extent! I've listened to the Fabricator's and Chronicler's of Kakuse Island. I've sat in taverns and hid in the shadows while observing narrator's, bards and Yarn Spinner's.
It's all in the motion of your hands! It's the way your pronounce the words! How can you make the tale seem alive? Those are the questions and aims of a Story Teller.
It's been my dream to become Un Valley's greatest Wordsmith. My family has always respected my work! And this is the biggest story I have yet to share. No, I'm not one of those Fibber's who desperately create foolish stories. This story is real. All of it is real! And I have the honour of sharing it with you!
Huh! Says the one who's lying to the audience.
W-what?
You've got to be joking. You're seriously telling the story like this?
Hold on. Who are you, exactly? I didn't see you come into the story!
Let's just say that I'm going to be replacing you. So shove off!
Hey! Who gave you the authority-
Who gave you the authority to keep talking? Look. You're narrating this story all wrong. Who would want to hear you blab about the happy stuff? This story is tragic, violent and dark. There is no happy ending at the end of this book. I'm going to start from the beginning; the tale of the brown-haired Muse!
But you're missing the point! There are happy things in this book too! You can't just blot them out like its nothing. Besides, I'm going to fall behind in the story! The next part of the tale is about how they run through the-
Look, Mr. Storyteller. You've explained how the heroine has suffered. But does the audience know of her childhood? No! Maybe you're nervous to talk about the gory bits. Maybe you're nervous to talk about your sister. but I'm not. I'll give them the side of the story they will never forget!
Now hold on. I don't want to bring my little sister into-
Bye bye now!
Lllll11ett g0 of M€€£¥%‰!1!1!1!1!1111111110101
Now, my lovely listeners! Let me make this clear. If you can't handle abuse or sadistic violence, this isn't your story. We don't want your smelly insides on the floor while I'm talking, it'll distract the others! I'm going to tell you the story the little Cherub Girl of Kakuse Island, the companion that she lost and the monsters that were inserted into her head. What's wrong, feeling upset? Don't tell me you're concerned about the wimp! You shouldn't get attached, it's not good for you. Alright alright, he's not dead. Take that frown right off your face cause I'm just getting started!
Welcome to Ayano Kagami's Nightmare. Listen carefully, if you dare!
Ayano never loved anyone more than Kale.
Everyday she heard the same words repeated over and over again. "Miss Ayano, Miss Ayano, Miss Ayano!" It was the curious chant that filled her head every time she sang on the corner of Sentaku Street. Eyes full of respect and humble politeness would trail her wherever she walked.
It was nice to have the attention! She got to know the village folk, although their relationship consisting mainly of dipping heads and carefully spoken words; nothing but small talk. But out of the million's of faces one caught her eye. And she loved Kale ever since.
Miss Ayano, Miss Ayano, Miss Ayano. Yes Miss. No Miss. Thank you Miss.
"Yano-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnn!"
Ayano loved that voice. She loved the way it spoke her name. Looking away from the woman she was talking to, the brown-haired girl raked her gaze over the crowd. Where did the voice come from? Where was her Kale?
"Kale!" She called. The valley wind, her gentle servant, swept her words into the air and dusted them over the people.
Two figures appeared in the crowd; two that drastically stood out to the young Muse. Both were walking slowly and looked through the waves of people. When they heard Ayano's voice, both of them whipped around. The smaller one gave a cry of delight and tried to run over to the girl. "Kale!" Ayano called again and rushed over. "Kale, don't exert yourself!"
The taller figure was holding Kale back. "Listen to Ayano-chan." He scolded the small girl. Kale was shuffling in his arms with a look of desperation. She wailed softly into his shirt, grabbing it with her stubbed fingers. Ayano reached the small girl and threw her arms open. "Kale!" She cheered.
Finally breaking free the small girl hurled herself at Ayano. "Yano-chan! Yano-chan!" She chirped over and over again. Both girls smothered each other in an embrace, laughter coating their bodies like an infectious disease. The brown-haired Muse was careful to avoid the twisted, pale legs of Kale as she picked her up and spun her around. Kale was a mistake. That's what the people whispered as she wobbled down the streets. Kale was nothing more than a birth gone wrong.
"Oh what a tragedy! Her Mother died before she could see her child!"
"It's a good thing she didn't. Just look at the ugly thing!"
"Her Father must be embarrassed to have such a creature in his house."
"I'm surprised he hasn't sold her off to the Workery. She may be lame, but it doesn't matter what state the workers are in!"
That was the title that Kale carried.
A mistake.
A tragedy.
A burden.
But did Ayano care? Of course not! Being scorned was apart of her daily agenda (not by the villagers of course) and she hated the way people stared at Kale!
Kale was a sickly child to begin with. Born with disfigured legs, her body was weak and fragile like porcelain glass. She was extraordinarily pale; the children of Un Valley were baked by the valley sun. Because of her condition she was forced to stay inside most of the time. When Kale wished to explore she shone like a beacon in the darkness when hobbling through The Town Square. This only drew more stares.
Her left leg was twisted in a strange manner; Kale's foot was disfigured and facing the opposite direction. The other leg was normal save for her foot. It was nothing more than a slab of flesh; she had no toes. Kale was also missing a pinky finger on her right hand. This of course deterred the girl from trying to carry out daily tasks. But despite her pathetic condition, she was bright and determined to do the same things every 'normal kid' did!
What troubled Ayano was the fact that nobody saw past the disfigurement. Everyone only saw Kale's lame feet and hands! This greatly frustrated the girl, for she adored Kale to the utmost extent. There was much more to pale, sickly Kale than people realised! Did nobody see the bright energetic smile that lit up Kale's face despite the gossip? Didn't they see her short blonde hair, soft and fluffy like the feathers of a baby duck curl around her face? Didn't they notice her large blue eyes and chubby cheeks?
So what if she was pale like churned cream? So what if she couldn't run and play like the other children? So what if she took forever to walk down the street?
Kale was more than that. She was a ball of bright sunshine that was determined to go through life doing the impossible!
Ayano loved it when the small girl curled into her arms. Her fluffy short blonde locks puffed around her face and tickled Ayano's cheeks. Her big blue eyes would glow with wonder and child-like curiosity. The determination in Kale's voice made her the most loveable little thing to walk Kakuse Island!
"Yano-chan!" Kale chirped. "Hans hans blease!" Ayano pulled away from the little girl and giggled. Oh, did I mention that Kale is partially deaf as well? Because of this, she had problems with speech. Most of the time nobody could understand her, so her family members taught her Sign-language at a young age. Being the clever five-year old that she was, Ayano had grabbed all of the books in her Father's Library about Sign-language in order to communicate with her friend.
"How is my little ducking today?" Ayano signed to Kale. The blonde giggled at the mention of her nickname, her fingers curling to form words. "Me and Onee-chan came to hear you sing!" Ayano felt warmth burn in her silver-lined heart. She looked at the second figure; Kale's big brother Hisao.
Hisao had fluffy blond hair like his little sister and cobalt blue eyes. He was well-tanned from the sun like the other Kakusean children and liked because of his long agile legs. He was good when it came to sports like Hush-Bush and Wolfskins; running and jumping were needed for these two games. Almost everyone wanted Hisao in their group when it came to Wolfskins! And because of his popularity, the children treated Kale well.
"Well, I've got a special song for both of you!" Ayano signed to the duo. Both siblings smiled widely. The Muse singing a special song for them? What a treat! Excited, Kale placed a stubby hand on Ayano's throat and pressed gently. It felt slightly uncomfortable for the five-year old Prodigy but she knew that it was the only way her friend could hear. Kale had a never ending thirst for music! And since she couldn't hear very well, she got her fix in other ways; feeling the vibrations through the air!
"Sing blease!" Kale's mouth struggled with the right pronunciation. Her baby blue eyes glowed with unseen energy as she gazed up at Ayano. The brunette grinned from ear-to-ear and began to sing for her best friend. When the words emptied from her mouth and into the air, the people stopped and stared. Ayano's voice was fresh water cascading over clear-stone diamonds, cool and sweet, refreshing! The sound left it's melancholy touch on the passer-by's soul before drifting on to the next victim.
Up on a hill, somewhere near the sea,
Sit three little birds in a waxen tree
A bluebird, a thrush, a chickadee
Three little birds in a waxen tree
Three little birds, feather wings free,
Singing at the top of a waxen tree
A chirp, a tweet, a chip-chip chee
Three little birds in a waxen tree
A small group had gathered around the trio, curiously murmuring to themselves as they listened. The soft words hit some so hard that they gazed into space, losing themselves to their minds and hearts. Kale's bright blue eyes never left Ayano's green ones as she mouthed along to the ballad. Hisao grinned, his dark eyes glittered fondly at his little sister.
Ayano leaned closer to Kale, ignoring the jab at her throat. "You know the rest, don't you?" She signed. Kale let out a huff of laughter. Of course she knew the rest! Letting her hand fall from Ayano's throat she clasped her hands together and belted out the rest. The ballad changed; from cool sweet memories to a hearty jig that got everyone dancing!
Chip-chip chee,
Thrum, tip, three
Singing in their nest in the waxen tree!
Singing hum away-o, hum away-o
Sing with me
Hum away-O Hum away-O
Waxen tree!
Despite Kale's struggle to grasp the tune, her voice was rich for a young girl! Ayano helped her along by singing with her, grasping her hands and twirling her as much as the lame legs could allow. The ditty rippled through the crowd as people began to tap their feet and sway. Warmth was shared between glances and soon people began to sing along. Kale laughed and pulled Hisao along with her. "Dance now!" She cheered. For the most confident boy in the Valley he seemed absolutely flustered! But he obliged to his sister's wishes; who could deny little Kale?
Ayano, Kale and Hisao.
Hisao, Kale and Ayano.
These two children, the lame and the ordinary, were Ayano's everything! She did her best to visit whenever her family would allow. With fond eyes watched as Kale pursued a musical life through violin. Hisao invited the brunette to played roughly with his group of friends. She was there when Kale broke down crying about her condition, asking if she was ever going to be beautiful. She was Hisao's comfort when one of his friends left the Island to never return.
Their Father would welcome Ayano into his home like she was his own daughter; Ayano wished for nothing more than just that! What a dream that would be! It seemed like heaven just to be amongst their family. What would it be like if she shared their home forever?
When Hisao told her of his strange obsession of complex words, Ayano was delighted. At first he was shocked by her enthusiasm. "You're a Music Hunter's daughter!" He stumbled over his words. "What is so exciting about wordsmithing to you?" The brunette grinned cheekily at him. "Words are apart of music too you know! It gives the artist a chance to voice the song!" She told him.
At one point, Kale declared that she was going to become the world's greatest violinist. "I'm going to learn Javvanese and travel to all the important places!" She hand-signed to her two friends. "And play for the fancy folks too! Then I'll become rich and popular like Ayano-chan!"
Hisao tousled Kale's duckling fluff before signing, "You'll have to practice lots before you become as good as Ayano-chan. You should ask her for advice!" Both siblings cocked their heads at the brunette, who flushed at the attention.
"Well, I know multiple instruments," she signed hesitantly. "I can play the piano, flute, harp, violin, chello, lute, guitar and the trumpet. I can also sing notes G7# to G#10 in Soprano. Though I've never tried to go beyond that." Hisao's mouth dropped and his fingers fumbled to speak. "That's not possible! It's...it's not human! Are you sure you can do that, Ayano-chan?"
Let's just say she proved that she could; by making a dog howl in agony several houses away and birds fly in circles above their house. The sound of glass in the kitchen shattering made Hisao jump in surprise! Kale's chubby cheeks were stretched to their limit and she giggled. "Ayano-chan is amazing! I can't believe she can do such a thing!" She signed. "You're only five too! How did you learn to do that?"
Ayano hesitated once more, before signing, "Practice. Nothing but practice!" She was telling the truth! At least, some of the truth.
Can you hear the bluebird's rich little tune,
echoing over the cornstarch dunes?
Can you hear the Thrush's fleeting cheep,
Sharp and choppy like the storm at sea?
And don't forget the chip-chip chee
Of our good yellow friend, the Chickadee!
The young Prodigy would arrive home after the normal dinner time. The sun, after a long day blazing in the sky, would sink low and bathe the valley in purples and oranges. But a big, brash mansion prevented the sun's dying glow from falling on Ayano as she walked in her home's shadow. The Kagami Estate!
Everything was perfect; from the cut lawn to the decorative shrubberies, to the beautifully crafted ebony-wood doors to the soft creme paint coating the house. The mansion was boldly soft and contrasted well with the rural atmosphere of Un Valley. How proud Ayano must be to live in such a fashionable, comfortable home! She should be pleased with all of it!
But the sight of this well-praised architecture never brought the girl any comfort. She walked down the road (made with delicate stones in spiralling patterns) past the soft grassy lawns and the intricately cut shrubs of fae and mythical beasts to the great front doors. The doors were laced with gold and silver and these metals pooled across the ebony wood gracefully. Each time she stood there in front of those doors, she changed.
The light of carefree innocence vanished from her eyes. At once her body reacted; eyes grew dark with loneliness, childish mirth flickering from her gaze. Her shoulders slumped and she seemed to shrink into herself.
Because behind those intricately crafted doors lay her six older sisters; the Six Scourge's of her so called 'home'. Ayano knew the cold treatment she was going to receive when she walked through those doors. But it was either this, or face punishment from Father later on! The five-year let out a shuddering breath to release some of her sadness before opening the large ebony doors.
Yes, Ayano Kagami was the youngest in her family! When she was amongst the people she ruled her own actions. But when it came to The Kagami Estate, her six older sisters reigned supreme! And little Ayano couldn't do a thing about it. She knew they all disliked her. Father didn't seem to care what they did to each other, as long as they didn't do anything drastic. But that didn't stop them from doing treating each other terribly.
And Ayano seemed to be their favourite victim for emotional torment!
As the young Muse walked through the large front-room of her house she began to imagine things. Her sisters whispering horrible things about her, the cold looks and sneers they delivered whenever she walked past and the cruel comments about her
friends. Trying to control her misery Ayano made for the large banister stairs. If she could make it to her room before any of them saw her, she would be safe from their mean words!
Better yet, she could go to her Father's Study! She could distract herself with explaining what she wanted for her birthday! She was turning six in three days and both Kale and Hisao wanted her to spend the day with them. The girl knew that Father wanted to throw a massive party (mainly a grown up one to show her off) but this year was going to be different. Ayano was sure of that!
"Oh look! If it isn't Father's little Prodigy!" The familiar sugar-coated voice of Mei caused the brunette to stop in her tracks. Dislike and misery flooded back into Ayano's veins as she glanced around to see the second-youngest of the family; Mei Kagami.
Mei was twelve years old. But I'm sure you know by now that age was no barrier to knowledge and wisdom for the Kagami Household! Mei was a thought-provoking, well developed young lady with many clever ideas. She knew of her clever slyness and she relished the whole business.
She 'exercised' this cleverness by using traps and snares (with words and emotions alone) to drag Ayano deep into the pits of despair and self-loathing. Of course, you would think that Mei was a bookworm. On the contrary, my dear listeners, she was a walking fashionista with the world on a silver platter!
Mei's appearance never took after Father. She had more of Mother in her, which was one of the main reasons why Ayano disliked her and hated herself. How could someone as cruel as Mei get the looks of their sweet Mother while little Ayano was stuck with their Father's genes?
Ash blond hair snaked down to her shoulders, framed by an aquamarine gaze. Her round face and soft cheeks made her look childishly mature, granting her the title 'Blooming Sun' by the locals. Mei's hair was cut to the latest fashion (she had over a thousand issues of YorkFashion lined in her room) and was wearing her favourite outfit; a soft dandelion shirt with a earthy green eight-block skirt and black slippers. Ayano didn't understand her adoration for the big city fashions; 'Pastel Vintage' was the latest trend apparently.
If Mei had already found her, the others were likely to join in soon. Chestnut bangs covered her forest green glare as Ayano made a move to go up the stairs. A high-pitched giggle was heard and Mei darted forward, tapping a manicured nail on her shoulder. "Aw, lil sis?" She cooed. "Where are you going? The others want to welcome you back home!" Suddenly two tall girls blocked Ayano's view. With a squeak (mainly of dismay) she stumbled backwards. Who could it possibly be? She looked up and felt dread coat her skin. Of course, the twins!
Chika and Anya stood tall against her, monotone face's peering down at the five-year old. Both adorned the same outfit and the same look; bored blue eyes that were dull and lifeless framed by light brown locks. It trailed lazily past their shoulders to their chest in soft braids, finished sweetly with two blue bows. The outfit consisted of average female Kakusean attire; beige homesteader dresses with aprons and grey slippers, the fabric made of soft wool and linens handcrafted by the best in Un Valley. The duo blinked in unison and leered down at Ayano.
"Welcome back home-" Chika stated.
"Ayano-chan dearest." Anya finished.
Both were fifteen years old, practically the middle children of the Kagami Family. They mostly kept to themselves and often wandered the mansion together. They had a strange obsession with guitar picks and acoustic strings; mainly electric guitars in general. You would think of them bland with the way they dressed! Ayano didn't like them much either. They weren't as bad as Mei when it came to mistreating her, but they were prone to hitting or pinching the little girl.
Ayano shuddered visibly. "Good A-afternoon, Onii-Sama." She stuttered while trying to look as insignificant and worthless as possible. An old trick in the book for Ayano; if she appeared small it would prevent their worst! Mei hummed lazily and picked at Ayano's clothes. "Really, Ayano-chan? You have a poor choice in clothing you know." She said. Her aqua eyes flitted up to the twins. "Ne, Chika-nii, Anya-nii? Should we give her some advice?" She asked brightly.
The monotone look in the twins eyes shifted. "Why not have-" Anya contemplated. "A bit of fun?" Chika finished coolly. It was almost like the Trio shared the same thought; three pairs of hands latched onto Ayano's dress and began to tear away the fabric.
Ayano yelled in astonishment as the dress was viciously ripped away, thread by thread. Mei giggled in delight as she tugged at the clothes. "What's wrong, lil sis?" She sang. "We just want to help you with your clothes!"
Ayano squealed as cold air hit her skin. Instantly she regretted making the noise; it would carry to the other siblings lurking in the house! Deciding to make a run for it without her dress, Ayano slipped past Chika and Anya and dashed towards the West Wing. But not before Anya raked her nails down the bare back of the five-year old.
The young Muse ran as fast as she could, her skin hot with embarrassment as she bolted through the mansion naked. How utterly humiliating! Hopefully she wouldn't run into-
"And now, please give it up for, Ayyyyaaaaaanooooo Kagamiiiiiiii!" Artificial shine blinded Ayano as a massive spot-light landed on her face. Oh no! Ayano covered her body the best she could but it was no use. An amused chuckle echoed around her followed by a soft sigh. "What's this? Our little star seems to have been striped of her shine!" Heat danced across Ayano's face as she tried to avoid the spot-light. She knew exactly who was behind this; Kyoto!
A lithe figure descended from the chandelier above and landed with a thud before Ayano. Dramatic lights of fluorescent pink and blue twinkled around her as a luscious cape was tossed. "Looks like The Little Prodigy is just a joke, folks!" The teen narrated to an unseen crowd. More lights and smoke appeared, all enunciating the nakedness of Ayano and the bold magnificence of Kyoto Kagami.
Kyoto Kagami was a eccentric seventeen year-old with too much time and a whole lot of money. She spent most of this time learned the arts and mysteries of stage lights, smoke machines, trap doors and all the rest of them. If you wanted a classy and bold entrance, Kyoto was the one to talk to! Due to her dramatic flair, the teen had completely changed her hair-colour. Instead of dirty blonde her hair was a bold russet and orange; her own handiwork after she declared that she was going to 'stand out' from her sisters. And, she was the only sibling with Heterochromia; a disease where both eyes are completely different colours! She proudly sported both her Mother's soft blue eyes and her Father's snake green ones.
Face paint was her latest obsession and Ayano knew why; Hisoka Marrow had had a major influence on Kyoto recently and the brunette didn't like it.
Kyoto leered from the neon lights and grinned at Ayano. "Well, let's give the girl some grace ladies and gentlemen!" With a wave of her hands coloured smoke began to pour from unseen machines. It coated Ayano's bare skin with its thick murky substance and she felt temporary relief. That is, until she realised that she was blinded by the smoke!
Anxious, the naked girl turned in circles. Where could Kyoto be? The faded lights and the smoke threw her senses into disarray as she stumbled around in confusion. Unfortunately, Ayano was too distracted to notice two figures slipping through the smoke towards her.
A pair of hands grabbed her wrists and tugged her backwards. The brunette squealed as a massive pair of headphones were shoved onto her ears. What was this? What was going on? Then the music began to blare at a incoherent level of noise and she shuddered in pain. Loud tortured screams and distorted sounds rocked through Ayano's head as she desperately tried to claw the headphones off. The noise was deafening! She recognised the music and an inkling of fear pooled in her veins.
This was Tsubasa's music.
Tsubasa Kagami was the second eldest of the family; eighteen years old and exhausted of living in the mansion! She took the dramatic route years ago (to the disapproval of their Father) and had gone through what the paper's called an 'Emo' stage. Ayano had looked up to her because of her cool personality but that all changed when Tsubasa joined in on the 'game'. Ripping the headphones away Ayano tossed them in a random direction. A snarl was heard and suddenly pale hands grasped the pair of headphones. The brunette gasped! Where had Tsubasa come from? Something kicked her in the stomach and the Prodigy fell flat on her butt. She struggled momentarily before leather-studded boots pinned her down roughly.
Ghostly blue eyes framed by eyeliner and mascara glared down at the five-year old, accompanied by a feral glower. "What have I told you about handling my headphones, squirt?" Tsubasa sneered while pressing her foot further into Ayano's bare stomach. Tsubasa's short choppy hair had strips of blue dye and beads woven into the locks. They made soft clinking sounds as she shook her head in disgust. Ayano squirmed under her boot as tears pricked her eyes. "I-I'm so sorry, Onii-Sama!" She cried. "It h-hurt so much!" Tsubasa leaned more into her foot and the five-year old whimpered in pain.
"This'll teach ya, you little brat!" The teenage girl snarled. Grabbed Ayano by her hair she began to drag her across the floor to who knows where. Ayano closed her pale green eyes and prayed to every deity, God and spirit that Tsubasa wasn't taking her to the eldest sister. She jinxed herself. Of course!
With a final kick at Ayano's bare form, the emo spat on her before stomping off to another part of the Mansion. The five-year old lay curled up on the floor and clawed feebly at the carpet in an attempt to dig herself a hole and hide. Tremor after tremor of shivers wracked her tiny body as she attempted to calm herself. Breathe. Just breathe!
"Welcome home."
Ayano finally registered her surroundings and her heart plummeted. Of course. Feeling at her utmost low, she drew her limbs closer to herself and sat up to stare at the eldest sister of the Kagami Household.
They were in a massive glass dome that her Father had dubbed 'The Fowlery'. This room was for the entertainment of the eldest, who adored birds to the point of obsession. It was a quiet obsession. But the room was filled with the rustling of feathers and the clacking of beaks as a hundred birds sat roosting in the tree's.
Hisano Kagami stood tall against the faint sunlight streaming through the window. She was an impressive sight; twenty-years old and a master in her own art. She had done nothing to change her appearance or stand out from her siblings, just like Ayano. Soft brown hair in a strict bun framed a mature face-line and forest green eyes, accompanied by a brown leather jacket and jeans. Hisano watched the five-year old cower on the ground with disinterest. On her hand was a leather glove and leash; a massive bird sat preening on her forearm and Ayano felt real fear. This wasn't going to end well for her and she knew it!
Hisano brushed a strand of brown hair to the side and fixed Ayano with a strict gaze. "You were out late today." She observed and gestured to the sinking sun behind her. Ayano couldn't take the tension anymore! With a wail of misery she burst into tears, her mouth curling unpleasantly as she cried. Hisano neither sneered nor looked away. Instead she walked closer to the humiliated five-year old.
After a moment Ayano looked up at her eldest sister. If she were the same age as Hisano, she would look something like the woman. But as pure luck would have it, she was fifteen years younger than her! "Onii-Sama." She whispered miserably. "P-please don't do anything! I don't want to play the 'game' anymore!" Hisano continued to watch her with blank green eyes. The massive bird stopped preening and fixed Ayano with fierce golden eyes before clacking its beak.
"Ayano." Hisano replied. Her voice commanded the five-year old to silence her sobbing. Ayano did as told and stared up at the woman with fearful eyes, her tiny fingers tugging at her own flesh in rising hysteria.
A faint smile creased Hisano's lips and she sighed. "You know I'm not like the others." She told the young child. Ayano clung to her every word in hopes of redemption from her fate, but she was let down. "But I'm afraid that I can't deny the jealously in my heart. Someday when you're older, you will thank me for this. But you are young now and you won't understand." Hisano raised her arm and the massive bird let out a fearsome shriek. "Now tell me. What type of bird is this?"
Ayano's throat convulsed in fear. "Myrthe Hawker." She whispered. Hisano smiled again and gestured for the young girl to continue. "I-it lifts its prey into the sky a-and drops it from a considerable height. It does this because its beak can't break through the bone to get to the bone meal. It needs to eat mush instead." Ayano finished sullenly.
Hisano stroked the periwinkle feathers of the massive bird. "Right you are." She complimented. "He has already eaten today so he isn't hungry. But," her forest eyes gleamed in what could be mistaken for dark humour. "You know that Myrthe Hawker's love to play with their prey!"
The hawk launched off her her arm and barrelled towards the small form of Ayano with a fierce cry. Large claws the size of daggers grasped her bare arms and dug deep into her flesh, causing the brunette to scream in pain as she was pulled upwards. The figure of her eldest sister became a speck as Ayano and the hawk sped into the air with the wind rustling its periwinkle feathers. Then the Myrthe Hawker released the five-year old and she plummeted to the ground. A scream tore from the Prodigy as the ground came closer and closer, until the anxious fear finally took its toll!
Ayano's eyes rolled to the back of her head as she fainted in mid air.
When Ayano finally came to, she was curled up on her bed spread in her room. The girl could tell that it was somewhere between one and two at night; the moon sliced through her curtains and left a extraterrestrial glow on her naked body. What had happened? The five-year old sat up and winced, at once noticing the vital spots that needed attention; she had numerous piercings on her arms from where Hisano's bird grabbed her. A burning sting told Ayano that Anya's nails had made their mark and the ache in her stomach told her that she was to expect bruising. Her throat hurt too! Ayano guessed that Kyoto's smoke had damaged her vocal cords to some extent.
"Why me?" The little girl whispered to herself in the dark, the taste of misery and fear finally creeping back into her mouth. "Why me?" Gently she removed herself from the bed spread and went to find a wet cloth. Someone had left a bowl of lukewarm water and a couple of paper towels; Hisano's generous kindness for her numerous wounds. Ayano's mouth curled unpleasantly. Yeah right! She began to dab her wounds softly, wincing as the warm water trickled into her gaping wounds. The girls had been kind enough to leave her face unscathed; Kale and Hisao would have interrogated Ayano to no end if she had bruises on her face! Keeping the family life secret was hard enough as it was!
When she finally wrapped the claw marks up (from the hawk and Ayna) she lay on her back and stared at the ceiling. Ayano was absolutely exhausted, lonely, sad, miserable and bitter. What made them hate her so? Yes, she had all of Father's attention but that was no reason to mistreat her right? Tears pricked her eyes and she began to cry. "Why is it like this?" She voiced her pain to no one in particular. "Onii-Sama is supposed to play with me, not hurt me!"
Humiliation is a terrible tragedy, it really is! Poor little Ayano. What a sad life she lived. Having to pretend like everything was perfect when in reality it was very lonely and sad! And because loneliness consumed her small heart every night she found herself talking to an imaginary saviour every night. Ayano liked to pretend that the thoughts in her head were, in reality, tiny people wanting to talk to her. It was a silly thing but when you're five and facing the impossible, her imagination was the only thing to distract her! So she talked to herself and let her thoughts respond.
"Why does it hurt so much?" Her weak voice filled her room. "Why does Father treat me differently?" Then her thoughts would respond.
It's obvious Ayano-chan! You have more strength than you realise. Father know's this and he's always been training you for something greater. Your big sisters failed where you have succeeded!
"How do you know?" Ayano said aloud. The moon framed her small body as more tears trickled down her face. "I'm not strong. I can sing, I can play instruments and that's all! How is that strength?" The thoughts laughed at her like she was being silly.
I'm your strength. And as long as I'm around, you won't need to fear anything.
And so Ayano convinced herself of that every night. Laying in the dark with her sadness staining the sheets, she told herself that even if she had Kale and Hisao, she was the only one who could take care of herself. The little friend that she had lamented to in her head became her nightly routine. Little did she know, poor Ayano, that she wasn't talking to an imaginary friend. She was talking to a monster under the bed! She wouldn't learn until later just how pathetic she was!
Jeez, that was a mouthful. I'm going to take a quick break and get a drink of water before I tell you the rest. A narrator has to have a breather once in a while! Think it's sad now? Just watch. The story gets even worse! Heh, and you thought that the other's had a miserable past. But trust me, there is nothing sadder than tearing apart a young child's sanity!
Nothing!