Difference between revisions of "A Shadowed Childhood"

A Shadowed Childhood

Part 1 - The Prelude

It has been two years since I last saw my beloved husband and I know in another year I shall join him, wherever he is… Since then I have secluded myself in our old hidden room. This was so I could remind myself to be strong and not cry although my heart was broken because I miss him so… But he still lives… My beloved Leudast Akume Backlight lives in my heart, and in my memories, and that’s why he is not truly dead.

His first friend, besides me, Arekai, his tiger, has also left me, and I am alone living here… The only living demon in the Backlight line besides my children; left this castle, after she wed another demon… Ki Backlight, Leudast’s little sister, my little sister-in-law, will find me dead when she returns to this place, that I know for sure… And if in a year, I do not die; I shall kill myself out of grief. I cannot live without Leudast any longer than another year… I long to see his face…look into those piercing golden eyes…
It’s so nice to see those golden eyes reflected in the crown prince, my grandson. My thrones long ago went to my children; Unmei’s throne is now my son Rémi’s, and the throne that has been in my mother’s family that I reclaimed –Egae- has now gone to my daughter Adair. They were born twins, but are as different as night is from day. Everyone considers Egae a moon, but yet it is not a moon…it is its own planet…the planet that the senshi of Unmei always hailed from, the guardian of its twin planet. That title, too, has gone to Adair. She bears the title, and the title of Crimson Butterfly, well despite finally having become a mother herself.

Natalia, the child of my favorite general, the first kitsune in a long time to marry into the royal family and be taught all of our secrets; she keeps telling me to continue living…pleads with me even. But her parents have long since gone as well…and I don’t wish to continue this lonely existence, watching my grandchildren grow.

Part 2 - The Beginning

I, a young girl about the age of 7 walked through the darkest forest in Unmei. My hair swayed gently with every step I took, my raven black locks just barely brushed my shoulders giving me a tomboyish look. My eyes were the color of the sky at midnight with flecks grey as rainclouds.

Strangely enough, I had grayish black fox ears and I also had a noticeable enough black foxtail that had a silvery tip to it. My name was and has changed since, Kurisutaru Etowaaru Tatari. I was wearing what most human women and girls thought inappropriate and horrifyingly boyish for a girl who seemed to be human when they saw me that day. My black pants had been torn short at the knees and had been stained by blood, which still showed in the darkness of the forest. My shirt had at one time been a black, long sleeved shirt that now had the sleeves torn short at my elbows and also had bloodstains. Around my neck was a black choker with a silver chain attached to a red gem, my black boots had silver blood-stained laces, laced up and tied about an inch below my knees and made me look about four inches taller than I actually was at the time.

Most of the human men and boys found it quite strange for me to be carrying a quiver of arrows (poisoned, of course) and a bow. I was also wearing a belt around my waist that kept the silver and onyx sheath that held my sword from falling off. It was not a wooden toy sword but a beautiful, yet deadly and dangerous black crystal blade – given to me by my mother upon her death.

My dark eyes were cold and full of hate because of something that related to what I had just done. Most of the people in the village I came from knew what I truly was, a half-blood Kitsune, and a dangerous one at that. I seemed to have blood everywhere on my clothing but soon everyone in the Human Village and the Kitsune Village near the Mansion would know why I had blood on my clothes that day.

Part 3 - A New Home

As I neared my home, the Mansion; as it was known as back then, I noticed my twin brother, Kazuhiko; Kazu, as I called him, under the tree that the Demon Prince (as that was my dear Leudast's title at that time) and I used to play under. "Heh, refusal to accept that we have no right living here since Mother and Jager (I spat the name of our pitiful late father, whom I have already told you, was human) are dead. The only one who has the right to say who can stay here is Queen Madeline Blacklight…” I gasped as I sensed someone unfamiliar but very powerful approaching us. I turned my head to see who it was and gasped at what I saw. Javert Backlight, Demon King of Unmei. “Run Kazu! It’s Javert! Get out of here as fast as you can! I stand a better chance of surviving than you do!”

“No…. If I leave you…”
“Mother knew that I would one day be stronger than both Javert and his son Leudast, and I could, if I wanted to, overthrow the Backlight family. Now run away and live!”
Kazuhiko, my wretched twin, opened his mouth to protest but closed it and ran off as I had instructed him to.
As Javert approached me, he noticed I had drawn my mother’s sword. “Insolent child, if it were up to me I would be leaving you for the scavengers. But, since Spica insisted that if anything happened to her that my wife should take her children in… That is the only reason you are coming with me, as your twin is nowhere in sight.” Before I could object to being taken to my new home by Javert, he had taken me to the foyer of the castle I had only visited a few times before.
When I arrived, I noticed that my new “family” was standing there. My best friend, Leudast, was waiting for me with his tiger, Arekai, at his side. His mother, now my foster mother, was behind him, smiling. I smiled at them happily, it was a wonderful sight, and even to this day, I don’t regret going to live with them.

“Welcome home, Kurisutaru, but where is your twin, Kazuhiko?” Queen Madeline asked.

“How should I know? He wasn’t there when I arrived at the Mansion today,” I lied with an innocent tone and expression.
“No wonder Spica wished for me to take her children in.” Madeline sighed as she stared at my clothes. “You already have new clothes waiting for you anyways. Please clean up before you change, it isn’t proper for a young lady with such high standing to be covered in blood.”
“I will, Aunt Madeline.” I replied with a smile before grinning at Leudast. “Do you have nothing to say? So what about all those years you and I got into all sorts of mischief?” The question was pointedly asked, I even smirked at my best friend.
“It’s as if you didn’t think of most of our escapades, Kurisutaru.” Leudast responded with an equally wicked smirk as my own.
“It’s as if you didn’t think those times were fun.”
“You’ll have to tell me your latest escapade and why you look like a peasant boy. You’re also covered in blood. Is it your own?”
“No, it’s not…”
“You can discuss this topic more when you’re not in my presence, you two. For now it’s time for your literature lesson, Leudast,” Madeline instructed.
“Can’t Kurisutaru attend lessons with me, Mother?” He begged. “She always used to attend my lessons at the Mansion when Aunt Spica was alive.”
“Only because you taught me everything you learned anyway,” I reminded.
“Very well, only if she gets cleaned up now and changes into something more fitting to her status as both the foster-daughter of the royal family, as well as a foreign royal born in exile.” Madeline sighed, giving in to her son’s request.
“I would be delighted to Aunt Madeleine,” I answered as properly as I could without laughing.

Soon after, I would return from my new room; incidentally it was just across the hall from Leudast’s, dressed in a very simple but elegant black dress, suitable for full mourning. “Is this suitable enough?”

“Indeed, you look as beautiful as your mother. In fact, you look even more dignified and royal than your mother ever did.” Madeline answered with tears in her beautiful hazel-brown eyes.

“Don’t cry! Mother wouldn’t want us to be sad.”

“How true, my dear.”

I smiled before being dragged to the schoolroom by my best friend, my only real friend.