Before the Angels Fall

Chapter 12~ Nanae's Past

It had a cold, bleak sky, that day, with whipping winds that froze your cheeks, and grass that was in the process of yellowing. Of course, it was this day that happened to be Nanae's birthday. Her tenth, to be exact. Snow littered the ground in misshapen lumps and branches of trees were empty. 

The small family of two only had enough money to survive through the winter, but not enough to buy a present. Fuji managed to scrape meager bits of leftover money to buy a cake, in which they decorated themselves with candles. Nanae knew absolutely no one, apart from Fuji and a kind elderly lady who passed by their house every so often. 

The house they owned wasn't especially large, nor was it a peasant's cabin. Either way, it still felt too empty to Nanae. She was used to large family gatherings and huge parties with a warm fire and heaps of food everywhere. 

Why was it so empty? And where were their parents?

Alas, that was the sad truth of it all. Nanae and Fuji's parents were dead, their family accursed, and they were left alone to fend for themselves, until they stumbled upon an abandoned house with a kind neighbor. 

Nanae knew naught of any siblings or cousins she might have except for Fuji. He was her big brother, her "onii-san" as she liked to call him when they were little. 

Strangely enough, both were descended from royalty, their parents rulers of a kingdom long lost yet never quite forgotten. It was covered in shadow, quite literally, hence the name, "Kurayami". Nanae appeared to have a cheerful, bright demeanor, however, inside, she was broken, to say the least. It definitely is not easy to lose parents at such a young age, but trying to survive, virtually alone, with an ancestry that is covered with ivy.  

The little girl did have a friend. Once. And she had one before. A few years ago, around the innocent age of six. The friend was extremely cute and sweet, innocent and charming. The girl never suspected a thing. Their happiness seemed to go on for forever. Until.....

The sweet girl's mother fell ill with cancer. It was unexpected at the time, being as the mother lived in a healthy family. Nanae was cast in shadow, once more, the label "Kurayami" was freshly painted on her chest. Her friend had also been hearing rumors about the Kurayami family and how they were a family not to be meddled with. 

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY MOTHER?" The screams echoed and then dissipated into the air. 

There was no response. Nanae just stared at the girl she had befriended for so long and closed her eyes. Not again. She won't believe me no matter what I say. There's no point. She just sighed and gave up, not caring anymore about what the girl was screaming about. She probably heard about my family. Why does this keep happening over and over again? Misfortune seemed to be trailing behind Nanae, following her where ever she went. 

Nanae remembered the girls' mother, who was extremely kind and gave Nanae sweets and cookies. The mother even invited her over a few times to serve some tea and ice cream. The two girls would then resume playing cheerily with dolls and other toys that six year-olds enjoy playing with. But, that was in the past. A far away past that seemed like paradise compared to this. 

There's no point. She hates me anyways. She always will. Everyone does. 

"WHY? I THOUGHT THAT YOU WERE HAPPY PLAYING WITH ME AND MOM! WHY DID YOU DO THIS?"

I didn't do it. I didn't do anything. STOP THINKING ABOUT ME LIKE THIS. I'M NOT LIKE THAT. I'M BETTER THAN YOU THINK. 

Nanae desperately wanted to explain to the distraught girl,who was currently weeping hysterically, that she didn't do anything and that it was not her at all.....but at the same time, Nanae realized how pointless that would be. Nothing could change the cute girl's view of her friend. 

"Why won't you answer? Why won't you say anything?" Her whimpers had decreased in volume. Nanae just looked at the whimpering girl with something similar to scorn in her eyes. 

"I didn't do it. Now, if you will excuse me." She turned abruptly and strode out the door of the girl's house. 

Feeling so cold, oh so cold, Nanae arrived at her house. She shivered as the cold draft followed her into the house. Almost as though she were emitting a freezing aura around her. Frigid and cold. Definitely not warm. 

Nanae never knew what happened to the girl, but she could guess what happened to the mom. 

"You are home early," remarked Fuji, setting his things on the kitchen table. "What do you want for dinner?"

"Not hungry."

"What happened? Did something happen with you and Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth. What a fitting name for a innocent, childish girl like herself. Life was not all tea parties and ice cream and cookies and delicious sweets. Elizabeth would learn that later. 

There was no response to Fuji's question. Only a shiver. 

"Are you okay?" His voice was laced with worry. 

 "Of course," she replied. 

"What do you want for dinner?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Do you remember what day it is?"

"What day.......My birthday?"

"Yes! That took you so long to remember....did you really forget your own birthday?"

"There were other things on my mind."

Fuji shot her a quizzical look, but gave up on inquiring. He could never retrieve an answer from his tight-lipped sister. Especially when she was like this. "Well anyways. I got you a cake!"

"Really?!" All the frigidness that coated her emotions melted away immediately. 

"Sorry, it was the best I could do." Fuji placed a small, round cake on the table. "I didn't ask for it to be decorated. I wanted to do it together." He smiled. "But I couldn't get you a present......"

Nanae didn't reply. She just stared at the cake in wonder and glanced gratefully at Fuji. "Thank you......you didn't have to....." 

He hugged her and turned away as she surveyed the cake some more. Nanae was in love with sweets, he remembered, so he bought a nice, creamy cake. 

"Fuji......"

"Yes?"

"Thank you......"

Fuji simply grinned and started cutting the cake, handing his sister an especially large piece. Nanae accepted it with more thanks and dug right in. 

"Do you want any cake?"

"Nope. I'm good." He patted her gently on the back and left to his study. The younger girl sat in her chair, eating the cake as though it were the more delicious thing in the world. This is the innocence of small children. And yet, Nanae barely showed that side of her. 

Overall, this birthday definitely wasn't the best birthday that Nanae had remembered. However, she thought that it was quite fine, after all, it was the best Fuji could do. And she appreciated it. Perhaps she deserved more, deserved more than just a small cake. Perhaps she did. Perhaps she didn't. 

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{A/N: Soooooo........how was it? I might do a little more details about everyone's past, like Ariana and Stephanie and perhaps Isabella and Alex. Sorry I haven't been updating in a while. Writer's Block sucks. :D Oh well. 'k bai!}