Kaoru woke to the sound of clattering tea pots in her room. A girl stood before her wearing a shabby gray kimono, and her long brown hair was tied back with a piece of similar gray cloth. She carried a tray of food in her small, delicate hands, and when she saw that Kaoru had woken, her quiet violet eyes became very wide and afraid.
“Oh..Miss Kaoru..Sumimasen. I didn’t mean...”
“It’s okay... who are you?”
The girl looked at Kaoru, surprised for a moment, then calmed down and smiled.
“My name is Natsumi... I’m to be you’re servant from now on... Would you like to eat now?”
Natsumi held out the tray and gestured toward the food. Kaoru looked at Natsumi dumbfoundedly. My servant?...what is this?..I’ve.. never had a servant before in my life..and she’s only my age. How can she..?
“Kaoru-san....you should eat...I mean, you’ll need energy if you are going to be training with the other Stars, and you’re meeting Night today, also.”
“Night? Oh..yes... I’ll eat. Arigatou Natsumi-chan.”
Natsumi started and stared at Kaoru, once again in surprise, before lowering her eyes and stepping back into a remote corner of the room. Kaoru looked at the quiet girl curiously for a moment before beginning to eat the delicious food. When she finished, Natsumi hurried forward and bowed to her.
“You are done, Kaoru-san?”
“Hai...Natsumi-chan...demo..”
“Kaoru-san.. the other Stars will be angry if they hear you addressing me with -chan... I am merely your servant, not your friend.”
“But why? You’re just a girl, like me..”
“No. I am a servant, and you are a Star..my master.”
Kaoru opened her mouth to protest, but Natsumi was quickly pulling Kaoru up into a standing position and deftly removing her kimono.
“You will wear this today, Kaoru-san?”
Natsumi held up the indigo kimono Kaoru had set aside the night before.
“Hai.”
Silently, Natsumi wrapped the kimono around Kaoru and tied her hair with a matching indigo ribbon. Then she took the throwing knives on the table, knelt before Kaoru, and bowed as she handed her the weapons.
“.A...Arigatou Natsumi...”
Natsumi looked up, stunned.
“Kaoru...NEVER say Arigatou to me...I will be punished for it.”
Kaoru looked at Natsumi confusedly and nodded.
“Now hurry and go to the meeting room...the room you were in last night..”
“How did you know I was there...?”
Natsumi looked frightened and said quietly, “Servants sometimes know these things... Please don’t tell anyone I know..”
“ I won’t..Natsumi....chan.. I promise.”
With these last words, Kaoru walked out of the room, leaving a confused Natsumi staring after her.
***************
Yuugure walked with Ralon down the dark hallway which led to the meeting room.
“So Ralon..what do you think of Kaoru?”
Ralon said nothing for a few minutes, remaining sullen and quiet like she usually did, almost as if she hadn’t heard Yuugure speak. Yuugure began to think she had ignored his question, but then she spoke.
“Kaoru is different from the rest of us, Yuugure... Before, we were all outcasts. Me, a hunter isolated in the woods, growing up only with men, thinking that I too was a man. Hebi, a fallen prostitute because she refused to sleep with certain men.....Tora, well..you know how Tora is..a social outcast even with his looks..and you....well, a bounty hunter with no friends and no trust. She, on the other hand, was once loved and cared for. We tore her from that with a curse- an illusion of sorts..Now, she thinks her friends are her enemies and her enemies are her friends.”
“You think we are her enemies?”
“Think about it Yuugure. Night only wants to use her..for whatever sick purpose he has in mind. It won’t matter to him whether she lives or dies. Hebi thinks of her as competition. Tora...I don’t know what Tora thinks..nobody does. You and I are the only ones which accept her.. and even with that, we are all taking part in this trickery... We are her enemy.”
Yuugure nodded silently and sighed.
“I don’t want Kaoru hurt, Ralon..... I don’t want Night to hurt her..”
“I know, Yuugure...I know.”
************
Hebi pulled on her kimono and slipped out of Night’s room. He’d be furious if he found her there in the morning. He loved her company in the dark, but didn’t want to see her in the day. It made her so angry to know that HE had scheduled a meeting with Kaoru today. It only increased the hate that already existed in her for the other girl. Quickly running her fingers through her hair to smoothen it, she raced through the corridors and sharply turned the corners. Suddenly, she smashed into a body and fell to the ground.
“Shimatta! Baka Yaro!!..you..”
She stopped when she realized a sword was pointed at her throat. Looking up, she saw the black attire and felt the dark aura of Tora.
“You were saying, Hebi..?
“Tora..I ...I’m in a hurry..Tora.”
Tora only frowned icily and thrust the sword closer to her so that it just barely grazed her slim throat. Hebi yelped and looked pleadingly at Tora.
“Tora.. PLEASE! I’m sorry.... I didn’t mean..”
Tears began streaming down her face as he moved swiftly and squatted in front of her, his eyes level with her own.
“Please..let me go...don’t kill me....”
Tora seemed to smile and relax for a second, and seeing this, Hebi wildly reached for the sharp pins holding up her hair. Suddenly, Tora’s sword came slashing down and sliced across her wrist. Yelling in pain, Hebi grabbed her wrist and turned white when she saw the shiny red blood racing in little streams down her arm.
“I won’t be the dead one in my bed, Hebi...Next time, Think about what you’re going to say before blurting it out.”
Tora smiled coldly and turned to leave.
“TORA! HEBI!! Help me, please!! I don’t remember where the meeting room is.”
Hebi turned around, surprised, and Tora leaped up in the air, landing with his sword in hand, ready to strike at the speaker. Kaoru, looked at Tora uncomfortably and forced a trembling smile.
“I....sumimasen..I can ask someone else...”
Tora relaxed considerably but did not sheath his sword. He eyed Kaoru suspiciously for a moment and then bowed slightly.
“The meeting room is the last door to your left down the west wing.”
After speaking, Tora walked away and seemed to dissolve into the shadows. Kaoru stared after him for a moment before turning to Hebi.
“Sugoi! Hebi!! What happened? Did...did Tora do that to you?”
Hebi narrowed her eyes and stood up, preparing to leave
“None of your business. Leave me alone.”
“Hebi..wait.”
Hebi stopped and turned slightly toward the other girl. Kaoru rushed forward and tore the indigo ribbon cloth from her hair, quickly taking Hebi’s arm and securing the cloth around her wrist before Hebi could protest.
“There...now...now you won’t bleed to death.”
Hebi looked at Kaoru surprised and almost afraid. Kaoru smiled back and turned to leave.
“Well, I guess I have to go to the meeting hall now.. See you later, Hebi.”
Hebi watched silently as Kaoru disappeared down the hallway. First one tear fell down her face, then another as she whispered to the empty corridor.
“Arigatou..Kaoru-san...You...are truly greater than I...”
End of Chapter 7
NOTE: Sorry, this chapter wasn't as good as some of the others. Like I said earlier, I'm recovering from writer's block so please bear with me.