"YUKINA HOMURA! As the future Flame Hashira, I demand that you cease this appalling form of breathing at once!" the man barked harshly, tightening the hold on his father's sword.
Yukina turned around, her self-made haori and long swooping locks of hair whipping in the harsh winds, "Let Rekka inherit the Homura name instead! I would rather die than continue this atrocious lifestyle and stop my way of breathing!" she let her hand whip out of her sleeve as she pointed towards the forest surrounding the Homura household, "Besides, Uncle Rengoku already holds the title of Flame Hashira. The Homura will never redeem themselves because of your selfish actions, Father." she seethed through gritted teeth.
Yukina briskly walked back towards her father, only to snatch her grandfather's sword from his hand, "This family doesn't deserve forgiveness after the childhood that you gave Rekka and I. Go ahead, pressure him the same way you did me, see how willing he'll be to stay then. Ojii-san was always a better father than you ever were. You're not even worthy of holding his blade."
The woman then turned around, nothing but her grandfather's blade to accompany her. She left the mansion behind, growling as her father called after her, "Fine! Your winter breathing is a disgrace to this family, just as much as you are!" She left the Homura behind her, it was in the past, "Rekka was always better than you were anyway. Imagine how foolish it would have been to have a woman inherit this family's name." He 'tsk'ed and slid the door to the house harshly.
Rekka watched from the training grounds in horror. His elder sister had just walked away from their father. Granted, their father was being a huge ass, but he was still their father.
The little boy put down his training stick and went inside to ask why Yukina had left. It was only a few days after Grandfather's passing and she had gone into a deep depression. He was the only one that Yukina had even bothered to talk to. As young boy, he didn't know whose fault it was that Yukina left in the first place, they were both yelling pretty loudly at each other.
"Otou-san? Were did Yuki-ane go?" Rekka asked.
The gray haired man looked towards his son, no hint of regret in his eyes, "That disgrace left. Good on her for finally realizing that we wanted her gone."
"What?" Rekka was confused, "Why?"
"She wasn't meant to be a swordsman, she's weak. She could never do anything right." The man then smiled towards his son, a hidden intent behind the seemingly soft grin, "You'll be better than her right?"
"W-what?'
"You'll surpass that little girl right?!" He looked towards the ceiling with a crazed look in his right eye, "That's right! Of course you will! That girl is no longer a Homura!" He then pointed down to Rekka, "You, my boy, are the true heir to the Homura family name! You will be the next head of the main branch."
"But! What about Yuki-ane!"
"Don't mention that wretch's name in this house ever again. She left everything to you and didn't look back. What kind of elder sister leaves her brother behind without saying a word." He bent down and held Rekka by his shoulders, "Listen to me boy, you sister did not care for you at all, if she did then she would have come back to you, but no. She didn't even bother to say goodbye to her dearest brother."
Realizing what his father meant, tears began to well up in Rekka's eyes. He tightly grasped the fabric of his haori, the one that Yukina had made specially for him. He missed his sister, she would always save him from situations like this, but she wasn't here to do that anymore. Did she really not care for him?
"Rekka, you have to become stronger than her," his father stood back to his full height and started to bring Rekka back to the training area, "You will have to say goodbye to those school friends of yours and focus your attention on training. The servants here will teach you all that you need here in the mansion." He picked up two training sticks and tossed one to Rekka, "You're a little older than that girl was when I taught her Flame Breathing, so it'll be easier for you than it was her. You're going to make me proud one day Rekka, you'll grow to be better than those Rengoku folk."
Proud? He'd be proud of him? "Will Nee-san come back if I do? Will she be proud of me too?" Rekka asked, careful not to say Yukina's name.
"Even better, my boy. She'll be afraid of you. By igniting fear in people, you can make them do anything. Remember that, Rekka." He didn't answer he initial questions, but it seemed to be enough motivation for Rekka to continue training.
.
Yukina looked behind her from her perch on the tree. She left so many people behind, but then again, there was more people who hated her than supported her. Her grandfather's grave was still there in the back yard, along with her younger brother Rekka. She was well aware that Rekka would become the heir to the Homura name, but she couldn't risk bringing him with her when she herself had no plan in mind. She was surprised that she even managed to escape from her father.
When she had gotten far enough into the forest she had collapsed. Her anxiety was slowly creeping over her, luckily it decided to wait until she had done her entire monologue about running away. Unfortunately, now she had no one to help her with her panic attack as she struggled to breathe in the snow.
She hoped that after she left, Rekka would realize the twisted ways of their father, but that might not be the case now. She wanted him to become the next heir, but she wasn't positive that her father wouldn't sway him and convince him to grow up into an asshole. She would go back one day and see if her brother changed for the better, it was ideal but it wasn't the only possibility.
She convinced herself that she left for the better. She would have only been a bad influence on Rekka. She was very rebellious when it came to her father, she didn't want Rekka to be the same, otherwise it would have been like two pubescent teens living in the same house, only talking to each other because no one else 'understood them'.
That would have a been a nightmare.
Don't get her wrong, she trusted Rekka deeply and loved him more than anyone else in the household, but she couldn't risk having any interruptions for her plan to cleanse the Homura family of their vicious ways. She breathlessly pulled out a strip of parchment from her haori and a piece of charcoal that she stole before leaving. Hurriedly, she wrote down a short note to her brother, mentioning that she would need a response if he got it. She didn't have time to waste, she was still quite close to the house. If she didn't start running again soon, her father could send guards after her and bring her back. Like hell she was having that happen after months of preparation.
She whistled for her owl and tied the note to his leg, securing it with a blue ribbon. While she was training, she wasn't allowed to have pets of any type as they claimed that it would distract her, so she trained the owl in secret that she found one day when training alone. She was sure that they weren't aware of her having an owl, otherwise they would have already killed it by now. Thank God they didn't.
For now, she was just happy that she was alive and free.
YOU ARE READING
冬
Adventure"It amazes me how you can lower the IQ of any conversation so quickly." "It's a skill very few have." Yukina flaunted. "It's me, I'm that very few." . it's an oc insert :p
