Warning: long chapter! This is also unedited (because I was so excited to get it out here! I'm going to regret it though XD) so please excuse all of the typos or awkward wording.
another Warning: the transitions between scene may be sudden and confusing, so please bear with me~ thank you!
Well guess who's back! That's right, your new narrator! I just finished my potty and snack break so I'm ready to get cracking on the rest of Ayano Kagami's past. This is my favourite bit; I love describing all the scenes cause they're super bloody and horrific! I hope you guys have an iron stomach because things are about to get messy. Literally! Huh? What's that?
Oh. You're still wondering where the other guy went. Don't worry about him, you have a better narrator now! But I case you're wondering, he's slumped in the corner with a massive bump on his head; I'm pretty handy with glass bottles. He'll come to eventually. But it'll give me enough time to explain how Ayano changed from the brown-haired Muse of Kakuse Island to the runaway candy-haired teen. Remember, this isn't for the faint of heart!
Hey you in the back. Yeah, I'm talking to you! Cover that kids ears when it gets all gory, won't ya? Better yet, kick the kid out. Like I said before we don't want anyone's insides on their outsides. Now. Are you ready? Grab a cold beer and sit your sorry hides down; it's time to wrap up the Tale of Ayano Kagami! Continue on, if you dare!
Ayano didn't realise the monster was inside her head until five days after her birthday.
When the girl consoled to her Father about her Birthday the man had immediately scorned it, saying that he already had plans and they weren't to be trifled with. "It'll be apart of your training." He told her. "Turning six is an important occasion for my little Prodigy!"
Of course Ayano had expected this! But standing in his shadowed office in front of the massive oaken desk, she felt hopelessly small. Her Father was a handsome, dark man who demanded utmost perfection and he found 'friends' to be a waste of time. "Why waste hanging around people when you could train and practice?" His shadowy voice would echo. "It's hardly beneficial to have friends. They simply hold you back and tear you down."
The clearest memory of Her Father always seemed to be the same; a dark-haired man with a fair jaw and cat-green eyes standing behind a desk, the surface littered with papers and artefacts. He was one for professionalism and constantly wore a light grey suit with a blue tie tucked neatly away. Sometimes Ayano wondered if he wore the blue because of Mother.
The five-year old was called upon by Father in the grey hours of the day to 'train'. Most of the time she didn't remember her training. Father would demand that she 'meditate' and 'clear her mind'. Other times he's shove a pair of headphones (similar to Tsubasa's) on her head and play music. Ayano would black out immediately and not remember a thing afterwards.
Then Ayano would end up in her bedroom, with the moon ripping through the curtains and no idea of what occurred. It was strange! But little Ayano didn't question her Father's orders because he was Father. For the moments that she did understand (or remember) her training, he simply sat at his desk and ordered her to perform for him.
The day before her Birthday, Ayano was in His study. Father sat at his desk, cool and distant. His hands were folded neatly in front of him and all of his papers and artefacts were well organised. The clock behind him ticked slowly, softly. It was so quiet that Ayano could hear the bubbles from the massive fish tank in the corner. Barely moving his lips, Father delivered the first command of the day.
"Sing."
Without hesitation Ayano opened her mouth and sang. Father never gave inclination to what he wanted to hear. In fact, he held no interest in what she sang! It could be wordless; a complex melody that rose and fell like the valley winds in the spring. It could be a ballad; a sad mournful tale or a hearty jig. Ayano could mimick the sound of sea-spray on the rocks or the secret whispers of the grass if Father asked her to. She could also recite the most complex ditties at his command. But she wasn't allowed to stop at her own accord. Only when he raised hand was she to silence her ever-present tune and wait for the next command.
Nobody could sing the way Ayano could. It was her forte; the thing her soul understood more than anything else! She composed melodies from the bottom of heart, representing Kakuse Island with her cherub voice. She mimicked the sloping rolls of the Valley. She mimicked the hum of a butterflies wings. She mimicked the harmonies of The Town Square and its bustling activities! All with her own voice.
Oh, how Ayano Kagami would sing like a lark until her vocal cords bled! On many occasions this would happen; her spit would turn crimson after five hours and coat her lips with its stickiness! But she would continue on. Only Father had control over her voice. The man would lift his hand, cat-green eyes gleaming in the half-light as Ayano would scramble to clean her mouth. Father would allow her temporary relief from singing before the next command was issued.
"Play."
Any instrument in the room needed to be played, and Father had quite the collection! Wether it was the Grand Piano tucked away near the window or the guitar handing on the wall, Ayano had to play it. Again, Father never cared about what she played. As long as it was perfection! As long as it was fresh, new and unheard of! That was what he wanted.
Ayano's nimble fingers could drag your protesting heart out of its shell and play it rapturously! Like her voice, her hands knew exactly how to tempt and woo the mind; to make you feel happy. To turn the happiness into melancholic angst. And then back to unrelenting joy! Playing the emotions of people was child's play to her! It was one of her many talents. The piano, the lute, the drum, the flute, the trumpet, the chello, the violin, the guitar! She played them all and more, bringing them to their fullest potential!
Yes Father! No Father! I shall play until my hands are mutilated with scars and calluses, Father! And so, the Musical Prodigy would play until her fingers were covered in calluses and her hands were frozen in different playing positions. This was the life of Ayano Kagami; to train, to submit, to break.
And it was all she knew.
But tonight? The night before her sixth Birthday? Everything was about to change.
Ayano opened her eyes to the soft interior of her room. Exhaustion infected her mind like a drug and she fought for clarity, shifting through the thin fabric of her nightgown. How did she get in here? The curtains billowed gently against the window sill and the moon hung behind them. Immediately she knew two things. It was midnight and she had just finished training with Father!
The five-year old closed her eyes for a moment and rubbed her face sluggishly. Everything was surprisingly silent tonight; Her sisters would stay up late and fill the house with unbelievable noise! But something was off about the silence and Ayano couldn't pin it. Was it the fact that crickets weren't chirping away outside or that the nightjar's call wasn't drifting through her window? No.
Tomorrow was her Sixth Birthday! A rush of excitement made her sit up. She was going to be six soon. Tiny bubbles of jubilation bounced around her stomach and she giggled aloud at the thought! She was going to see Kale and Hisao and have a private day with them; just her two friends! Then her Father's voice echoed through her head. "I have plans for your Birthday, Ayano. It's all for the purpose of your training."
Ayano's happiness dulled. Right, of course. Father had 'plans' for her today.
Her miserable thoughts were interrupted by a thump from outside. Instantly Ayano jumped out of bed, her body on high alert! Quickly she glanced around her room before noticing a pair of scissors on her bedside table. She took them and clicked them a few times just to make sure they worked. They made a nice sharp sound! Good. It was a common thing for burglars and thieves to break into The Kagami Estate. They came because they were drawn by rumours; artefacts worth millions, the floor tiles embroidered with silver and the beautiful daughters of The Music Hunter! All promising to the untrained ear! And so men and woman would do their best to break into The Mansion's beautiful interior.
Shame that nobody notified them of the monsters lurking through its hallways!
As much as Ayano should be afraid, she was actually happy! This was the only time that The Kagami Daughters would work together without distain for each other. Ayano would pair up with the Twin's or Tsubasa to set traps and kill the thieves that broke in; all the while slipping in and out of the shadows as one! They never treated her badly then! They were a team! But the next morning everything would return to normal. Quiet as a mouse the young girl slipped out into the hallway. Everything was drenched in shadows and moonlight, making it look ethereal. Grasping the scissors in both hands she made a fierce yanking motion. The object snapped in two! Ayano grinned. Now she had weapons!
She never heard him coming. But she could never forget the smell of rubber closed around her mouth, or the stab of pain as a needle was injected. The five-year old dropped like a stone in the man's arms, her body frozen stiff. But her eyes rolled in her sockets fearfully! The man slung her tiny body over one shoulder before walking down the dark hallway towards the Unknown.
Ayano was greeted with bright blue lights as she was placed on a metal table. She was panicking; what the hell was going on? Who was this man? Everything was blurred and coated in chips of light, making it impossible to figure out the situation.
But then she heard laughter.
Dread flooded her veins and her body shook on impulse. She recognised that laughter! It meant no good for her, it was a sign of pain and suffering. It was Mei, the second youngest! The man continued to move around her, moving metal trays around the room and muttering to himself. Ayano felt like she was going to be sick! This couldn't be good for her, she needed to escape! Gritting her teeth the little girl tried to move her sluggish body but to no avail. She was completely and utterly exposed to this man and she couldn't do a thing about it.
"Ayano-chan is going to be so surprised, huh?" Mei's voice chirped out of view. Someone scoffed and another voice joined in. "I agree with Mei! This will be a show-stopper!" The five-year old recognised Kyoto and Tsubasa's trade-Mark voices; Tsubasa's scoff and Kyoto's stage reference. Ayano didn't have a clue as to what they were talking about; but the dark intent that swept through the room was unbearable.
Suddenly the man appeared at the opposite end of the table, right next to her legs. The drug had worn off slightly; the man's mouth was covered with a doctor's mask and his hair was neatly pulled back under a cap. A squeal was heard followed by, "It's starting! It's starting! Let's watch!" The man tightened the rubber gloves on his hands before rummaging around on a metal tray.
"Alright," his tone was grey. "Let's get this done. Oi, you two. Come hold her down." Rough hands pinned Ayano to the table and gripped her skin. Her stomach lurched; no no no! What was happening? Everything was going to be ok, wasn't it? This was a bad dream! Ayano feverishly tried to convince herself as she struggled against her two sisters.
But the real fear settled in when the man began to pry open her legs!
"No!" Ayano cried out. Something hit her in the face and another pair of hands pinned her legs down, spreading them apart. The man nodded to the unseen figure before tediously lifting up her nightgown to expose her lower half. "Hmmm..." He hummed. "Let's get started!" He pulled down her undergarments and that's when Ayano really began to struggle. She bucked her legs and thrashed around the the metal table, hissing, fighting, trying to prevent it. But there was no stopping it. It was Fate.
"Someone sedate her!" He yelled. A sharp sting pricked her leg and Ayano slowed her frantic struggle, swept away by the drug. Everything was a haze from that moment onwards; she never noticed the sharp tool slicing open her lower stomach, or the blood dripping off the man's gloves. She didn't heed the hands gripping her tiny body as the man inserted a small circle around her future. She didn't feel the sharp clamp of a ring inside of her like a vice.
The thing that makes a woman a woman stolen from Ayano by a different kind of thief. The young girl wouldn't learn about it until later, and she would beat her head over in grief when she learned the truth!
Mei's face loomed over her own, a large grin tainting her lips. "Sorry not sorry, Ayano-chan! It happens to the best of us I guess cause Tsubasa and Hisano had it done too!" Ayano didn't catch the rest because a wave of pain hit her like a sledgehammer. She doubled over and clawed at her lower stomach. "The drug is wearing off." Someone said. Then everything was dominated by a sick, excruciating pain.
Little Ayano knew she had lost something, but she didn't know what it was. The fact that she didn't know made the sick feeling worse! Ayano didn't leave the Kagami Estate the next day to visit Town Square. Kale and Hisao were far from her mind as she lay in her room festering away like a sore wound. Her lower body ached deeply to the point of intense nausea. She couldn't get out of bed without having a spell! The lonely misery that little Ayano held crawled around inside her heart, brushing against her soul and sanity as if to taunt her.
In this time, each of her sisters came by to 'grant their best wishes' for her birthday. Taunts, cruel jeers and laughter was Ayano's gift for her sixth birthday as she lay there in her aching state! Poor doll. Things couldn't get more dreadful! Oh, but you know how it goes ladies and gentlemen! On with the show, as Kyoto Kagami would say!
It was a week later when the monster inside her head made it's move.
Five-year old Ayano was far from looking human. In fact, she looked a little like the fourteen-year old Ayano of the future! Dark hanging circles bulged from beneath her eyes and her flesh was a sickly olive colour. Her once soft chestnut hair hung in greasy strands around her face. She resembled the living dead! Her sisters began to grant her this nickname.
And all the while Ayano talked with the imaginary friend in her head, telling it everything she felt. Confusion, maddening desperation, fear, lunatic theories. What had she lost? What had they taken? Why did she feel like a part of her was missing? "Please tell me, dear friend." Her heartbroken whisper echoed the lonely hours of the night. "I've never felt so alone!" The voice would respond with the same words; the same phrase like a broken record.
Look outside and dream of the stars, Ayano-chan. They are your answer!
Ayano would follow its instructions in haste; she wanted a release from the pressure inside! So she would open her window frantically and gaze at the wide, diamond-speckled sky in hopes of the answer. Her olive skin would burn in their blue light as she bathed in the stars. But no answer came forth. And it's mystery plagued her like a disease! That is, until Kale appeared at her front door.
Ayano selfishly wished that Kale never existed. Why did those soft blue eyes and duckling feathered head love Ayano so much to the point of visiting her? It was her Sister's fault that Kale had been able to get inside so easily!
Ayano's misery deepened when Kale had tottered towards her on stump legs, accompanied by Mei and The Twins, gazing around in awe at the lavished place. The sickly brown-haired girl knew. She knew that this was the thing that would break her. She wanted to scream at Kale! Run, you foolish little duckling, run! Your end is here in this Mansion because of me!
"Kale, you've come to visit!" Ayano choked on the words but kept the smile of her face. Kale couldn't distinguish the words individually but she recognised the voice! Turning around she saw Ayano; her beloved, delightful Ayano with her soft brown hair and twinkling laugh and bright voice! Kale cried out in pure joy as she stumbled towards her good friend with stubbled hands reaching out.
Ayano welcomed her wearily; fearful of what Kale saw, fearful of those soft blue eyes seeing the darkness inside of her. Fearful that she would see the imaginary friend that knew more about Ayano than Kale did. Jealousy? Sweet Kale couldn't feel such a emotion!
Mei, Chika and Anya held themselves back. Out of pity or sadistic pleasure? Ayano never knew, and still doesn't to this day. Kale's tiny deformed hands wandered around Ayano's face and her mouth dropped. "Ayano-chan didn't visit us on her birthday!" She signed sadly. "Me and Onii-chan thought you had forgotten us, but now I know why! You're sick!"
Ayano let a faint smile ripple across her face. "Yes, I got very sick on my birthday." She signed back. "It's really bad Kale. I don't think I can go back to The Town Square again." Kale shook her head furiously and her golden locks bobbed. "It's ok, Ayano-chan! I've come to give you the presents that me and Onii-chan got you!" She signed gleefully.
She plopped two boxes into Ayano's callused hands. Ayano clutched them close to her chest and stared at them. To be honest, she had never gotten presents before! Not properly wrapped ones like this. For the first time in a week warmth crept back into her body at the gesture of her friends. "I'll open it in a moment!" Ayano signed to Kale. "I wish to talk more with you!" Kale's chubby cheeks turned pink at this and she giggled.
Then Mei stepped forwards and the warmth vanished. "Wait!" She signed desperately to Kale, her aquamarine eyes aglow. "I wish to ask a favour of Kale-chan!" Both Ayano and Kale gawked; the little duckling giggled delightedly while Ayano felt horror. How did Mei know about hand signing? Had all of her sisters known about Kale and Hisao? The damage that her sisters could do...
"Of course!" Kale signed back, her fingers fumbling in excitement at the prospect of another friend. "Anything for Ayano-chan's big sister!" Mei's dramatically large eyes narrowed darkly at this, a small sneer on her lips.
"Ayano has told us that you play the violin!" Mei signed slowly. "And quite well at that! The rest of Ayano's sisters have composed a musical piece for her but we think that it would be a real treat if you played it!" If Kale glowed before, she shone like a beacon now! Her face lit up and for a second it was like staring at the sun; a source of pure light and warmth that had Ayano longing for more.
"Yes!" Kale chirped out loud. She was so excited that she had to use her shaky voice to express her happiness. "Yes, I will!" Mei laughed and smiled. "Fantastic!" She shot a look at Ayano who returned the glare. Sniffing, the dirty blonde whipped around to face the Twins. "You, grab the music sheet! You, go and find a violin! There's one hanging over the mantle in the Living Room." She ordered briskly. The Twins dipped their heads and vanished, reappearing like ghosts with the items in question.
A music stand was set up for Kale and adjusted to her proper height. The music sheet, crisp and scented with dusty memories, was placed onto the stand. A small oaken violin was thrust into Kale's stubby hands before the Trio backed away. Mei smiled at her handy-work. "We will leave you guys alone now!" She signed cheerfully. "Make sure to tune the violin a bit, Kale-chan! It's a little rusty~" with that, the fashionista flounced off with the monotone twins in pursuit.
Kale laughed breathlessly before glancing at Ayano. "Sisther is real nise Yano-chan!" She voiced aloud, her mouth struggling with the words. Ayano smiled at her and did her best to hid fear. What was Mei going to do while Kale played the violin? Set a trap? Block the door and flood the room? She tasted hysteria on her tongue and deeply wished she could talk to her imaginary friend inside her head! As if hearing her plea, a voice whispered in the depths of her mind.
Ayano-chan. Meditate, just like your training sessions with Father.
Ayano frowned. What a strange thought! Where did Father come from, in the midst of her chaotic thinking?
Ayano-chan listen to me now. Do it before you regret it later!
The five-year old sighed deeply, which was ignored by Kale as she began to tune the violin. The blonde pressed the instrument against her ear to hear the vibrations, noting each hum as she turned the knobs. "Couldn't hurt." Ayano whispered to the voice inside her head; the imaginary friend. Taking a deep breath of air she began to relax her body.
The brunette melded into her Meditation; it was such a common request from Father that performing it was easy! The familiarity of warmth coating her body and swirling around her made her worries fade slightly as she stood calmly in front of Kale. Maybe, just maybe, she was being paranoid. Mei couldn't possibly be planning something; she was bound to give Ayano a break!
"Yano-chan, finitsht!" Kale's bright voice made her open her eyes. Ayano felt much better! The familiar action was enough to bring her to a stable sense of mind and she smiled brightly at Kale. "Go ahead! I'm excited to hear you perform!" Ayano signed with her hands, keeping her calm meditation state. Kale beamed right back with glowing blue eyes before adjusting the violin against her chin. "The peece is called, Sonatcha of Dakness! Violin solo!" Kale stumbled over the large words the best she could before giggling at her clumsiness.
Ayano's skin flushed ice as the words entered her mind, causing her calm meditation state her vanish completely. Sonata of Darkness? No. No no no no. The words swirling and cascaded through her veins along with rumours; Sonata of Darkness composed by the King of the Underworld himself. Causing death and injury, torture and pain to the player and the listener.
Kale, sweet innocent Kale, wavered on her feet as she brought the bow up to the violin. Blinded by panic, weak with fear, Ayano crumpled to her knees and tried to force words of warning out of her mouth. Her throat was convulsed shut! She couldn't speak!
As Kale placed the bow against the string and slashed downward once, a horrendous scream shattered Ayano's skull. It wasn't her own mindless scream, it wasn't a blind shout from her own thoughts; it was foreignly similar to the voice of her imaginary friend that had accompanied her so many times in the night.
MEDITATE! MEDITATE YOU FOOL! The Voice roared through her body and in response, a flare of liquid heat coated Ayano's body. The events that occurred afterwards were something from a horror film.
The first thing was that Kale's violin began to melt; it was like hot wax burning into her soft skin, dripping over her body and patterning the floor with long gooey strands. Kale's expression was one of innocent pain. She had no idea what was happening or why it was happening! But it hurt!
The second thing was the sound itself; it was too much to describe! One could not describe the Sonata of Darkness in anyway without stating the facts. It was immorally unholy, the very sound a painfully corrupt sin. It ate away into the young children's ears and burned deeply into their hearts. It was the most shameful, appealing, cruel, lurid, disgusting, heinous piece that Ayano had ever listened to and to this day she had not heard something of this piece since.
It physically hurt to be in the room with the music! The pain, blistering hot and unforgiving, reaped Ayano's body brutally as she struggled on the ground and gasped like a fish. Her ears burned; it travelled deep inside her head and set alight to her mind. Her skin bubbled and spasmed as she lay there, screamed. Endlessly screaming!
But Kale. Soft, weak, innocent Kale was in a far worse place than she was. With no meditation to protect her from the affects of the music she was in the hands of The God of Darkness; and he desired nothing more to savage the innocent one's with pain and misery!
Kale's screams didn't sound like screams. They were shrill, tortured sounds! Like the sound of a bird shrieking as it collided with its enemies. It was inhuman and torturous. It was so violent, Kale's screams, that Ayano stopped her own wailing and watched with wide innocent eyes. She didn't notice that her Meditation was still taking place, the one thing that was protecting her from the devastating affects of The Sonata of Darkness!
Kale's flesh was boiling and bubbling like wax, pooling down her body like she was a candle. Her eyes bulged hideously as she screamed and rolled sound on the ground. Red, thick, pulsing lines began to grow and fester under her skin and around her head as Kale began to burn, burn, burn. The small duckling rolled so that she was staring at her best friend.
Ayano could never forget the look in Kale's blue eyes. They were wild and desperate, desperate for the coolness of water, of ice, of hope! They longed for Ayano with a painful desperation, glazed over with pain and suffering. Help me! Kale's small stubby hands reached for Ayano as her body was wracked with spasms. Help me, please!
The thick, pulsing red lines finally reached Kale's face and began to grow. Kale screamed. She screamed and screamed and Ayano desperately wanted to cover her ears! But then everything froze!
The screams hung in the air like a chandelier and the room fell silent. Kale was breathing heavily and clawing at the ground in a state of panic. "Yan-" she coughed up blood and shuddered. Ayano couldn't move. She couldn't think! Her sanity had been rattled to the point of hysteria and she crouched low to the ground in blind fear.
Then the large red tubes in Kale's skin pulsed. And the little girl's head exploded.
Blood. There was so much blood. It sluggishly moved across the floor in soft waves and lapped at Ayano's hands. The smell was lurid; salty and sickly. Kale's little body didn't look like a body anymore. Ayano, completely shattered, stared at her hands for a moment. They were dyed deeply with red. Everything was Red.
The smell of it was Red. The taste in her mouth was Red. The touch of the sticky substance was Red.
And Ayano began to scream Red as she rolled away from the body of her best friend. Tears streamed and her face contorted into a loud wail of anguish and fear! No. No! Ayano clawed at her skin, her face, her head. She ignored the boils and the high pitched ringing in her ears, the sting of her scalp and the pain in her eyes. Everything was a haze. Everything was gone! "Go away!" Ayano screamed loudly, making the windows on the house shudder. "Go away! Get out, get out, get out!" The Voice in her head continued to talk to her desperately but the six-year old wouldn't listen. She was too far gone to be brought back.
The next six months past in a blur of voices, fear and pain. Ayano was constantly in a state of pure delirium whenever she was awake. Her dreams were flooded with the same images; Kale's head erupting into a mass of blood and flesh, the screams, the voice. Some words stuck out to the young girl through her hysterical state.
"Your daughter is in remarkable condition, considering the trauma she's gone through." A voice complimented, studious and professional. "The Sterilising Operation was a success; the access path inside her uterus has been completely cut off! I'm not sure what happened to her eyes and hair, though. It seems that whatever trauma she had experienced has drastically manipulated the melanin gene inside her eyes and hair follicles!"
More voices melded and cascaded around her as Ayano drifted in and out of reality.
"She knows about the thing inside her head."
"She looks even more like a freak now!"
"More training; she needs to become stronger!"
"She'll never be the same again."
"Sterilising Operation; mainly used for woman who don't wish to have children! Such a young girl, I wonder what made her choose this Fate?"
In and out. Up and down. Ayano didn't care about it anymore. The days turned to weeks and months as she rose up and down and twisted her mind inside out. No questions were asked; she was numb. She never flinched when her Father ordered her to kill the Doctors and Psychiatrists. She surrendered her body to the whims of her sisters who enjoyed nothing more than tormenting her. Bury her alive! Feed her chemical concoctions! Make her run on broken glass! Crush her hope to escape!
"I'm not supposed to say sorry, Ayano." Hisano's voice echoed eerily in her mind. "It's always been Father. Father's orders to do all of this. Please don't think badly of us."
And every day Ayano would robotically go through the motions, taking whatever came at her. Training, abuse, guilt, hatred, the commands the spiteful cruelty. "Father's orders. He always knew about Kale and Hisao!" Mei would giggle, kicking Ayano repeatedly while she lay there, blank and still. The Voice In Her Head would accompany her thoughts at night. Ayano knew, somehow in the midst of her madness, that it wasn't her. The Voice was a being that they had created; Multiple Personality Disorder is what the Doctors had called it, giving it a professional and controlled name. A form of pure insanity!
Was Ayano crazy? Hearing voices inside her head? Yes. She had excepted this a long time ago. But she hated The Voice deeply; if The Voice could save her, then why didn't it save Kale? Her own thoughts would answer, 'your fault your fault! You worthless creature!'
The stars are your companions, Ayano-chan. Listen to their song.
The night air would bring the storm inside to a calm lull. The stars, so wildly scattered in the deep blue, so gentle and tiny, would drown Ayano in memories of bittersweetness. She hated the stars. She loved the stars. She needed the stars.
They were so far away! They didn't have to live with the guilt of murder, of submission. They were alone and blazing together at the same time! They symbolised memories, tragedies and cold beauty. "Please take me away from here." Ayano would whisper, in rare moments of the night. "Please. I want to be far away, just like you." The stars twinkled with laughter, but never granted her wish.
Eight years. Eight years of mourning, regretting, numb with the decision that living was torture. Eight years of wandering aimlessly and never leaving the Kagami Estate.
Ayano's desire to break free didn't wake for eight whole years. That is, until five days after her fourteenth Birthday!
The young teen sat in her room with her back facing the door. It was midnight; the Mansion was full of dark shadows that Ayano had befriended. But inside her room, everything was soaked in starlight! Crudely cut stars plastered the walls and pictures of birds hung around the star-burnt bedroom of the Young Muse. A mass of music sheets filled with half written melodies coated her floor like snow. Her obsession with stars, birds and music had grown over the years.
Pale, milky white eyes stared lifelessly up at the sky outside her window. Her dull, purple coloured locks hung in knots and tangles. Her body was abused with open sores, wounds, burns and smudges of dirt and debris; she had abandoned taking care of herself years ago!
"Hello." She murmured tonelessly to a lone star outside her room. "Where are your kin? Are they shy tonight?" The lone star glittered coolly and the Muse blinked. "Of course." She replied. "It's alright. I would hate to shine on Kakuse Island as well." Ayano rubbed her eyes, ignoring the massive bags and the grease of her unclean skin. She didn't want to move. She didn't want to breathe. What was a girl to do, lost in her loneliness?
Ayano-chan.
A half-hearted sneer curled her lips. "Monster." Her tone was filled with the breath of life, but drowned in hatred. "Get out of here." The Voice was talking again, trying to fill her mind with nonsense. It was the spawn of her Father; he had placed The Voice in there to watch over her!
Ayano-chan. Please! I'm your best friend! Listen to me!
"Liar!" Ayano snarled. She grabbed her sheets and began to knead them between her hands, her wild opal eyes twitching insanely. "Liar! You killed Kale!" A soft sigh echoed through her mind, like leaves tossed in the wind.
Ayano-chan. You need to wake up.
The purplette paused, hysteria lessening. "Wake up?" She whispered. "I don't have time for your mind games!"
Let me take over. You won't feel a thing! I'm strong enough for both of us. Remember the promise I made? Let me take over and I'll free you!
The word 'free' sent shudders down Ayano's spine. Freedom was a myth. It didn't exist then and it didn't exist now! She scoffed, releasing the sheets and leaning back. "I just want to fly away like the stars." She told The Voice. " I've killed before. I can make a person's eyes explode with my voice. I can seduce the most difficult man with my songs. I know more than twenty different ways to snap someone's neck. I've killed over a hundred people, and yet I'm still trapped!"
Father has been training us separately. I need you to trust me, Ayano-chan! You've learned more than you realise and if we want to escape we have to work off each other.
Ayano shuffled uncomfortably. This information wasn't new to her; Father had a particular way of summoning the 'other' Ayano. He would place headphones over her ears and play a certain song. It was almost like The Voice was a dog! Come and go when I call on you! But other than that, The Voice drifted aimlessly around her head without an outlet.
Until now.
I'm sure I can break free. I just need total control! He's been throwing information around foolishly while I'm out, so I know a thing or two about the house that you don't!
"Alright." Ayano snapped. "I get it! If we work together, we can both get out of here." She paused and stared up at the sky. The lone star twinkled softly, almost encouraging to take The Voice's hand and escape. "Are you sure you know what to do?" She asked after a moment.
Positive! I made a promise, which is to be strong for you. But some stuff you'll need to do by yourself. Start suiting up! If we're going to escape, we have to leave Kakuse Island!
For the first time in eight years, a glimmer of excitement flickered inside Ayano's chest. She scrambled from her sheets and began to wander around her room, muttering incoherently to herself. She grabbed a couple of books (full of doodles on birds, stars, and lyrics) and observed the crows nest she called her bedroom. It was absolute trash! To the naked eye it was a chaotic mess. But everything was well placed and organised in Ayano's eyes. She gritted her teeth. If they decided to burn away everything when she left...
Let's go! We need some proper clothing. I suggest second-hand clothes from Tsubasa; you remember the junk that was wheeled down to the basement?
"Right!" Ayano muttered. She knew exactly what The Voice was talking about! She bolted out of her room with the footsteps of a ghost. The shadows carefully guarded the girl that got to know them, concealing her from the moon. Soon Ayano came to the bin of used 'trash' by her sisters; the things she used to give away to the Kakusean people. Memories threatened to overwhelm her but her continued on her search. Ayano rummaged through the clothes, old toys and items until she saw what she wanted; a massive, dark trench-coat! It would be perfect for holding her journals with its many pockets!
She put it on over her nightshirt and short skirt-like pants, slipping up the large glossy buttons before stuffing the journals away. As her hands brushed over one of the pockets, something caught her attention. An elastic band; thick and ready for use! Without a second thought Ayano began tying her knotted purple strands into a pony tail. Twisting her head from side to side, a faint sneer of satisfaction curled her mouth. Perfect! She seemed ready for a long journey.
Use your hearing! Someone might come!
Ayano hastily pressed her ears against the wall, slipping into her Meditation. At once the map of the Mansion appeared in her head along with the sounds of her wandering sisters and Father. Every one seemed preoccupied with themselves except for one; Hisano Kagami. She was in the West Wing with her birds again! Probably feeding them a late night snack. "All clear." Ayano whispered to The Voice.
Not exactly. The weakest point of the house is the Bird Dome.
Ayano gritted her teeth. Dang it, the monster was right! The Bird Dome was made of glass; it would be easy to break out through there. Deciding not to think about the challenge, Ayano turned and ran towards the West Wing. "Of course," she huffed quietly as she glided through the dark halls. "You have a plan for this? Hisano controls everything in the Bird Dome. They will attack me on sight!"
Once we're in there, do that weird screeching thing that Father taught us! Let me handle the rest, alright Ayano-chan?
Ayano scoffed again, but pressed onwards. Either she was going to escape with a million cuts and bruises or die insane! She might as well go for it. She was done with living this way! The entrance to the Bird Dome came into view and without hesitation she launched herself at its doors.
Wood splintered! The hinges creaked! Ayano's bare boot smashed through the oaken doors mercilessly! Ignoring the splinters, Ayano dashed inside the Bird Dome without regarding the noise she was creating.
And there! The birds nesting in the artificial tree's screeched a warning to their master before fluttering low in attack. Feathers danced leisurely around Ayano as she avoided the swoops and dives of the birds trying to injure her. One caught her on the cheek and she hissed, swiping at it fiercely. Now or never!
Breathing deeply, Ayano released a high-pitched note that echoed through the Bird Dome. The birds fluttered in confusion and screeched to their Master! But as Ayano's voice rose higher and higher, the glass began to waver and crack. Ayano paused, her breathing coming in ragged gasps. This was it! Her last note was so high that it could have mimicked the stars themselves! The entire room shattered into pieces; ice rain hailing down to wreak havoc on the birds and anything that stood underneath it.
"Ayano!" Hisano's voice, laced with pain and fury, made the fourteen-year old whip around. The woman stood there with cold green eyes and sophisticated brown locks in a bun, ignoring the glass that hammered down upon them. "How dare you!" She shrieked. "How dare you!?"
Ayano-chan. Let go of yourself, I'm here.
Something smashed into Ayano's skull. She screamed, clutching her throbbing head. It hurt so much! Why did it hurt so much?! The edge of her vision began to fade into darkness as she struggled to get a grip on reality. The last thing she saw was Hisano launching towards her, before she blacked out.
The next thing she knew she was standing outside the Kagami Estate. The West Wing was in flames, she was wearing hiking boots, her hands were soaked in blood and a small bird was sitting on her head. The purplette blinked serenely at the sight in front of her before she realised where she was. She was outside! In the fresh air!
Tada! Told you I could handle the rest! Now run, run fast Ayano-chan! Go and take the test that every restless soul wishes to take!
And so Ayano ran. She cascaded through Un Valley like a phantom of the night, her feet remembering every trail, every foothold that she had ever taken to get to the TownSquare and beyond! She ignored the sticky scent of blood coating her body as her hysterical, jubilant laughter filled the night. The bird that had been sitting on her head was flying above her and churring away; the ever faithful Nightjar!
"Look at the stars!" Ayano shouted, her eyes flashing in the dark as she bounded through the Valley. "Do you see them too, Mr. Nightjar? Do you see them?" The Nightjar trilled above her and she giggled. "I see them too! I'm going to run far way from here Mr. Nightjar, and I'm going to become the most powerful Hunter you've ever seen! I'm going to take the Hunter's Exam!"
There she was; The Legend of Kakuse Island. She sparked feat in the ones who crossed her. She was a terrifying creature to behold! Her hands stained red, her pale eyes all-seeing, her mad laughter bouncing through the Valley as she made for her escape!
The stars, the stars! Breathe the starlight in and out! She was alive and she was running like a madman! The Hunter's Exam, the tradition that her family carried out. She was going to take it and become the strongest Hunter in the world! "Strong enough for both of us!" She echoed the promise of the Monster inside her head.
Yes, she was crazy! A lunatic, insane! With The Voice in her head and killer intent in her wake, Ayano did her best to block out the one friend she didn't want; Lonliness. "Keep moving, keep moving." She whispered in the dark.
Don't think about Kale's burned body, the ground drinking her blood and begging for more.
Don't think of Hisao, driven mad by the loss of his sister. Searching constantly to the point of anxiety and depression.
Don't think of the Ayano that she used to be, before she was tossed away into the storm of her mind. Don't think. Keep moving! What was she supposed to do?
I'm here for you Ayano-chan. I will be here, in your head, forever and ever!
The Voice inside her head was a monster. Her sisters, her siblings were monsters. Her Father was a monster. His business partners; Hisoka, The Phantom Troupe, The Mafia. They were all monsters because they didn't help Ayano!
"I'm a monster." Ayano whispered, dementia lacing her words. "I'm a monster. Why am I monster? I don't want to be." She couldn't change the past. She could never change what they had made her. Insane. Sick. Lunatic. Batty.
Happy Birthday, Ayano Kagami.
Happy Birthday!