Chapter One
Like Woe
“Mom! Mom! Where’s my lucky dog tag?! I can’t go to school without it! I’ve got tests in almost all my subjects!” Sagi, now fourteen, was rushing though her room, tearing it apart looking for the special dog tag given to her by her first friend that gave her indescribable luck at anything.
“Sweetie I haven’t seen it.” Karin was walking through the house, trying to make sure everyone was ready for school. A giggle came from another girl and Sagi looked at her.
“Agh! Ageha give that back!” She was jumping to try to reach the lucky charm of hers but Ageha, the tall usagi senior girl with grey hair, was quite the match to the younger Sagi.
“But I don’t wanna. It’s just a stupid trinket, not lucky or anything.” Ageha was not one to be nice to the younger usagi and taunted her a lot.
“Ageha-onee-san! Give Sagi-onee-san back her lucky charm!” Yelled the now youngest usagi of the Kurobokusto clan, Kisara. The young girl was not even in fourth grade but had the confidence of a girl in junior high. She had silver hair and deep red eyes and was able to make any member listen to her.
“Seriously Ageha-chan. It’s not nice to Sagi-imouto-chan. Give it back.” Miasma, now a junior in high school, was of course protecting the same child who she fourteen years ago had brought to the house.
“Fine. Here.” Ageha tossed the dog tag to the freshman and walked out the door, book bag over shoulder.
“Humph. Ageha you Baka-atama.” Sagi steamed and wondered, yet again, what Ageha had against her.
“Don’t worry about her Sagi.” responded Kokoro, who was old enough to be a junior in collage but was only a sophomore for he had spent a year abroad. “She always saw you as the illegitimate child.”
The eleven year old, Ichigo who shared eye color with Sagi but also had the same color of hair, lavender asked. “What’s i-lil-legitimate?” After Kokoro told her she retorted, “Sagi-onee-chan isn’t someone else’s child! She’s not i-lil-legitimate!”
“Don’t worry. It’s just how she treats me.” Sagi comforted the young child who was now flustered for the treatment of her onee-chan.
“Let’s get to school.” Miasma said and left. Sagi followed close as did many of the younger ones.
“Mother, we need to tell Sagi of what is needed.” Kokoro pressed unto Karin, who massaged her brow.
“I know, I know my son. Soon but not today. Not today. Too much stress on her might cause her will to live to break.” Karin shook the words she spoke into her son who nodded.
“Yes mother. But soon, else you let Almeria fall into even deeper woe than it is.” Kokoro added and walked off to head to school. At Kaibara Preparatory High Sagi had just left the car followed by her almost triplet brothers Roku, Yuki and Yusei.
Roku was fifteen with sticking up red hair with brown eyes and brown rabbit ears. He was not the same age as the other two but they acted so in sync to be triplets.
Yuki and Yusei on the other hand were twins in personality almost alike but with very different looks. Yuki had blonde hair that also stuck up funny with lavender eyes and yellow rabbit ears. Yusei on the other hand had black and yellow hair that stuck up funny on the sides with red eyes and ears to match.
“Yo Sagi, you ready for that test in Bio?” Roku asked and she sighed.
“Ugh don’t REMIND me! I fell asleep on my books for all the subjects I had tests in!” Sagi laughed, remembering the drool spot on page 250 she would have to explain to Mr. Kamigara. ‘That will be fun...’ She thought as she tiredly undid her locker.
“Yoooooooooooo SAGI!” a feminine voice yelled in her ear and she screamed. A laugh rose from the voice and Sagi turned to see her friend since preschool.
“Tenshi-chan! My god you scared me! Don’t do that!” Tenshi Judo was a girl with long black hair and ocean blue eyes with black angel wings that sprouted from her back. She was of the Judo clan, a family of angels and the two had been friends as long as they could remember.
“I always know how to scare you.” Tenshi teased and Judai walked up laughing followed by Maru who was also laughing.
“Gods, she really got you that time!” Judai was of the Misaki clan, a family of inus, who had brown hair that trailed to her back and green eyes. She wore her dog ears proudly for she was the only one at KPH that should have been in eighth grade.
“Now Judai-puppy, don’t be mean to Sagi. She fell asleep on her books studying last night and is very stressed out.” Maru was of the Aritama family, a clan of dark angels who’s bi colored grey blue hair contrasted his eyes enough to make single and proud Judai fall for him.
“Ehhh? How do you know that? Stalker!” Sagi gasped, a blush bright on her face. She had no clue that Maru could tell that.
“Sagi-chan. When Tenshi scared you, you dropped your bio book and it has a wet spot on it. One would believe you drooled on it, asleep on your books.” Judai explained but Tenshi was smirking and you could tell she was about to make a perverted crack.
“Unless you really loved learning about DNA so much you screamed its name...” A fist aimed and met its mark on Tenshi’s cheek who cried in pain. “Owwwww! Akuma! Wha wazzat for?!” Tenshi’s whines were not reaching the girl who sighed in annoyance.
“I really get tired of hearing you crack perverted lines about Sagi and biology. If there’s anything that would happen to, it would be to her english books.” Akuma smirked as Sagi’s face went bright red, almost as deep as Maru’s eyes. Akuma was of the Yuusuki’s, who were a clan of demons and a very anger-prone bunch of demons at that. She had blue eyes that if she was angered turned black and silver hair that turned red in the presence of pain...or lust, she had added.
“Ooh you do have a point.” Tenshi put in. “What with that boy in English she sits behind.”
“That’s not funny!” Sagi gasped, face turning a deeper red every second. “Nor is it true for that matter!”
“Do you even know his name?” Kuro, one of the neko twins asked. The neko twins Howaito and Kuro were very different even though they were born of the same womb time. Howaito had white hair and blue eyes and preferred to write stories and stay inside on sunny days or dance in the rain. Kuro on the other hand was a brown haired, red eyed, sports cutie who preferred to run outside and detested rainy days.
“Well no but his hair always smells like rainwater...” Sagi was drifting into a dreamy, in love mode which got popped like a bubble by the ringing of the school bell. “Damn bell.” She growled and Judai laughed.
“We better get to class. Come on Sagi, we’ll be late to English.” Sagi nodded and grabbed her books for English quickly. “By the way, you DID fall asleep on your bio book right?”
“Well no duh! See the bags under my eyes?” Sagi retorted jokingly and Judai laughed again. Sagi could feel a glare upon her but shrugged it off thinking it was one of her friends.
It was later in English when she found out her rainwater crush’s name. Mrs. Pickett, a transfer from America, was going on about Shakespeare when the vice principal came in. At first, Sagi thought it was so he could check on the new teacher’s progress but then he said something.
“Jun Irokutso. Your father is calling you, he said there was an important matter of business for you to attend to. He said it was for...government purposes.” Well the words got the class fluttering as the rainwater smelling boy in front of Sagi stood and asked pardon of the teacher.
“Um-Uh sure.” As he left she muttered something about the japanese being so polite she didn’t know what to say sometimes and that this was nothing like school in Toledo.
Meanwhile Sagi’s mind was racing. ‘His father is royalty?...His name is Jun...What an amazing name...Irokutso where have I heard that before?...’ Before she could put a hold on her thoughts the bell rung and she had to dart to the next class and yes, a biology test, as well as explaining the drool mark. ‘That will be fun...’
By the end of the day, Sagi felt ready to pass out. Her dog tag gave her luck but it almost didn’t help today. Mr. Kamigara had yelled at her for the drool mark and she had failed a test in algebra again. She finally got home and praised sweet air conditioning, for it was very hot even though it was the middle of September.
“Sagi?” She heard a young girl voice calling her name as Kisara walked in the room she had plunked down in to do a “crap load” of homework. “Karin-Okaa-san wants to see you.”
“Right on my way.” She smiled at the young girl who quickly departed. “Great, Baka-sensei probably spilled about my test.” She grumbled about how her algebra teacher needed to taste a fiery grave as she made her way to her mother’s office. When she got there, she heard Kokoro talking with her mother.
“Mother, I’ve gotten a message from Rouyn. We need to tell Sagi of the truth about her origin today. I don’t care if it will cause her will to live to break. She needs to hear this!” ‘Rouyn?...Truth of my origin?...Need to hear this?! What the hell?!’ Sagi had gotten lost until she heard Kokoro speaking again reading off of a letter.
‘Dear Kokoro,
We are unfortunately writing to tell you the time is past come for you to tell Sagi of Almeria. Please hurry and let her know the truth for Almeria is hanging in the balance!
Sincerely, Rouyn’
“Fine. I’ve sent for her anyways. She should be here any moment.” her mother replied. ‘Omigosh are we not from Earth?!’ Sagi gasped inwardly then shook her head. ‘No, I’m jumping to conclusions.’
“I’ll go see if she’s near.” She heard Kokoro say and open the door, which she was kneeling in front of, so it slammed into her head.
“Ow! Kokoro-Nii-San! Baka Atama!” She cursed and held her head, upon which a minor bump had risen.
“How much did you hear?” He asked suspiciously. ‘Well...all of it. Ya butt-muncher!’
“Only I’ll see if she’s near.” he relaxed and Sagi was ready to act at any news that was handed to her by her mother...or who she thought was her mother.
“Sweetie there’s something I have to tell you.” Karin looked down as she said this. “You aren’t of this world.”
“WHAT?!?!?!?!” Sagi yelled, surprised. She couldn’t remember of anything else. Only the family she had now. “T-That’s impossible!”
“Search your feelings young one, you know it is true. The evidence is here!” Karin yanked Sagi’s wrist forcefully and pulled up the sleeve on her arm to show a black birthmark that looked like a rabbit head. “Earthly usagi’s never have birthmarks.”
“Then...where am I from?” Sagi asked slowly, confused very much.
“A world beyond this one. Almeria.” Karin explained and Sagi’s eyes grew wide.
“But if I’m from Almeria why am I living here?” Sagi asked confused.
“It was unsafe for you to live in Almeria. There was a law set by King Irokutso that any female born with lavender eyes would be killed and if the mother tried to hide the child they would be severely punished.” ‘King...Irokutso?’
“Wait but that means-” She cut off eyes growing wide at the realization. ‘I HAVE A CRUSH ON MY ENEMY’S SON!!!’ Her heart was beating fast and the world was seeming to grow black but she shook it off and looked at her “mother” angered. “Why didn’t you tell me before?!”
“Because we were told to keep you until you could defend yourself in Almeria. Only if a girl is fourteen can she properly defend herself in such an area.” Sagi’s eyes watered.
“Does this mean that....I’ll never see my friends again?” She thought about losing Tenshi, and her perverted jokes; The light and dark neko twins Howaito and Kuro; Dark angel Maru and Demon Akuma; She couldn’t leave them.
“Well not quite. You see they are also from Almeria but they are also not aware of it. I’ll need you to invite them over so I can tell them.” Sagi nodded silently still shocked at the news. She walked to the room she came from in a daze and looked at her homework, spread out on the couch. She shook her head and picked up her phone. It rang three times and went to voicemail.
“Hey its Tenshi-chan or Angel as my brother calls me. I can’t come to the phone right now cause it’s most likely on silent and I forgot about it! Ha ha! Anyways leave a message after the beep kay? I’ll see if I can remember its on silent before you forget what you wanted to talk about!”
“Hello? Tenshi-chan? It’s me Sagi, you have your phone on silent again. Anyways can you come over to my house? It’s important. Thanks.” She hung up the phone and began to call Judai.
“Hey it’s Judai-chan, can’t come to the phone cause I’m babysitting! I’ll be off at four so leave a message and I’ll call you back!”
“Judai, it’s Sagi. After you get off can you come over to my place? There’s something important to be said. Thanks.” She hung up and called one of the twins.
“Hey it’s Kuro and Howaito. If you got this recording then it means that neither of us could come to the phone. Howaito is probably writing her next big book and Kuro is most likely playing sports. So leave a message and mention who you want to talk to and that person will get back to you!”
“Hey both of you. Can you come over to my house when you get this? It’s important. Thanks.” She called the others and got voicemails as well. After she hung up the phone on the last call, she curled in a ball and sobbed. She had never felt so alone. She really was the illegitimate child. She really was the one who didn’t belong.
The bell rang and Sagi sat up, wiping tears from her eyes. She ran to the door and opened it to see all her friends smiling, happy to see her and she smiled.
‘They really are always there for me...but how will they take the fact I’m not of this world?’
Prologue
A savior born
It was a dark night, so dark for the twin moons that shone upon that world of Almeria were both not shining, hidden behind storm clouds. A girl of sixteen with rabbit ears looked out at the night as she held a small bundle in her arms protectively.
‘Trouble is brewing…’ The words echoed in her mind as she clutched the bundle closer to her. Muffled coos came from the bundle and the girl moved a bit of the blanket to reveal a small baby girl with deep lavender eyes and rabbit ears. A tear escaped her blue eyes as she remembered that she would have to hide this baby and keep it secret from the King. There had been a law when the present king of Almeria took the throne. He had a dream the night before his coronation that a babe female with lavender eyes would reclaim the normally matriarchal throne. So in hopes that it would never happen he issued a law that all girl babies with lavender eyes would be killed.
The girl knew her baby was doomed and it was the one who would save them all, she knew from visiting the oracle. But she was waiting for a special knock on her door, the saving grace of her newly born child.
A knock sounded on the door and she froze hoping it wasn’t guards. “Ms. Kanawha. It’s Kare. I brought help.” She breathed out a sigh of relief and opened the door quickly ushering in the two. One was a young neko haneyou, merely fifteen and the other was a hunched over kitsune that had nine tails, signaling old age.
“Thank god you two are here.” The usagi female breathed out as she held her child close. The older kitsune, named Kare reached out to touch the usagi teen.
“Kaye don’t worry. We know of a world beyond this one where your daughter Sagi will be safe. The world is called Earth and we’ve found an adoptive family for her. My friends, the Kurobokusto clan, a family of usagi. There she will be safe.” Kaye, the said teen, relaxed under her old teacher’s light touch. The father of her child walked up to her and held her close.
“Kaye, I hope you are alright with giving Sagi up.” His cat like ears twitched as he held back tears, trying to stay strong. Kaye nodded and held back a new round of tears.
A knock resounded on the door and gruff voices yelled, “Open this door, Kanawha! We know you’re in there! Give up your child or you shall be executed for disobeying the King!” Kaye froze and quickly handed over the child to her old teacher.
“Take the child to the new house. She shall be safe there. Hurry my teacher!” The old kitsune nodded and hid Sagi under his thick coat, placing a silence spell on her. He ran out the back door and hid himself. Kaye opened the door and the guards attacked her.
“Where is she? Where is the forbidden child?!” The large guard was choking her and another holding back her lover.
“Kaye!” The neko called out to her.
“Rouyn! Don’t worry about me! My day is come anyhow!” Rouyn struggled to escape from the guards grasp.
“Where is the forbidden usagi child, wench?!” The guard yelled once again, tightening his grip on Kaye’s neck.
“I...don’t have her....she died after birth!”
“YOU LIE! A man next door doth heard cries from this house last night! You’ve been hiding her!”
“Anon I do not lie! She is dead!” Kaye cried out again, “My heart was hurting and I was crying in anguish for her death!” The kitsune teacher came back into the room bringing a decoy child.
“Guard, this bundle is the child you are seeking. Not a beat of a heart stirs through the child.” The guard checked the decoy’s pulse and, seemingly satisfied nodded. He dropped his hold on the teen.
“I pray you. If you give life to another girl with lavender eyes, there wilt be hell to pay!” He left and Kaye curled into a ball and sobbed.
Rouyn kneeled down next to her and calmed her. “Kaye, Sagi shall be safe upon earth and when she can defend herself we shall reveal to her the true origin of her self.”
“But when shalt we reveal such information?” Kaye asked quickly.
“Fourteen Earth years from now.” The old kitsune teacher replied. “I shall take Sagi now. Say your goodbyes, my pupil.” Kaye scooped up her child and Sagi cooed in her arms.
“Goodbye my daughter. I shall see you another day.” A tear escaped her eyes and she kissed her child on the forehead one last time
“Then let us away.” The couple holding the usagi child left through the portal and left Kaye in the world they came from. “Are we there?”
The portal slid so that it was only visible on the ground as the pair stepped into Modern day Japan. “We must find the house of the Kurobokusto clan right away.” Rouyn nodded and looked around, noticing a small, three year old girl with blonde hair and red eyes who also had yellow rabbit ears tipped with red.
“Is she a Kurobokusto?” Kare looked over at the girl.
“Yes. She is the youngest of the Kurobokusto clan, namely Miasma. We can give the child to her. Although she’s only three, she’s much older than she seems. She will be able to take the child.” Rouyn walked up to the girl and she looked up.
“Sir? Do you want something?” Kare asked her even though he knew the answer if she was of the Kurobokusto clan. “That I am.”
“Can you take this child to Karin Kurobokusto? It is very important and we have not enough time to deliver her ourselves.” Miasma nodded and held out her arms to take Sagi.
“Ok! I’ll take her to Karin-Okaa-san!” She held the baby and Rouyn and Kare left to the portal when her back was turned. “Wait sirs-” She turned and there was no one there. “Where...? I better take her to Karin-Okaa-san.” The girl ran for a while, making sure not to drop the bundle she was holding and soon came upon a big house. She knocked on the door and a boy of seven with rabbit ears and green eyes came to the door.
“Miasma? You’re home early.” The boy said and Miasma nodded.
“It’s important Kokoro. I need to see Karin-Okaa-san.” Kokoro nodded and lead Miasma to a large room. “Karin-Okaa-san?”
“Miasma? Is there something you want?” A young woman of merely twenty one with red and black hair and rabbit ears looked at the young girl.
“As the leader of our clan I was sent to deliver this to you.” Miasma held out the child and Karin held it and unwrapped the blanket. The usagi child cooed and Karin gasped, noticing a note.
‘Karin, This is Sagi. She must be kept by your family until she is fourteen. Only then can you explain the world of Almeria, from which she came. Please keep her safe and help her to grow into a wonderful girl.
Sincerely, Kaye, Rouyn and Kare.’
“Karin-Okaa-san? You know the sirs?” Miasma asked curious as to the usagi child came from. “Where is Almeria? Is it a city?” Karin held the child close and replied,
“I’ll tell you when you are older.” Miasma nodded and walked off.
“Welcome to our family, Sagi Kurobokusto.”
