Rainbow Within the Darkness

Chapter 1 "Came the rainbow, The rain left" It was a rainy day and yet in contradiction, the sun is out, its rays are passing through the bunch of leaves hanged in a variety of trees. In that certain day, there comes a girl, her long—too black, like a darkness within darkness—curly hair dancing along with the gentleness of the wind, her pale green colored dress singing along with the breeze and her eyes shimmers as she look upon the sun rays scaping against the leaves' barrier. Albeit the contradicting mood of the sky, this girl's smile never faded. "Hmmm~..." Just then, she started humming a song only her knows and continued to walk while the raindrops are attacking her. Her bag was on top of her head obviously making it as her temporary shed. Even with the coldness of the atmosphere, this girl never stopped roaming around, looking for a place to stay in for awhile, positivity in eternal, until she finally found what she's looking for. Just two meters away from where she's standing, there lies a Japanese shrine. It was made up of expensive wood. Looking too clean and treasured thus the elegance was visible. In front of the shrine, there's an arc where "The Ishikawa Shrine" was written and underneath it lies some Japanese characters, in the back of her mind, she said 'maybe that's the japanese version of the shrine's name'. But neither her knows the real answer. With no judgement of ones religion and beliefs, even when she's a catholic, she entered the shrine excitedly. Putting her bag back to her shoulder, she then ran towards the shrine's hall, removing her pair of doll shoes as she enter and remained standing just a meter away from the shrine's door. She didn't bother to enter the shrine's inside for she herself doesn't know what lies beneath the doors. Besides, a shed against the heavy rain is already more than enough. Entering a shrine without permission is rudeness. After settling down, this girl took out a breath of relief, leaving her worries along with the merry of the cold wind. To be honest, this shrine isn't new to her. Back when she was young, she often visit this shrine to play or maybe to rest but she never have imagined it to be this beautiful and elegant. It was only this time when she realized it. On the other side, while this girl in green dress's in the depth of mesmerizing the sun, the rain and the shrine itself, a girl, unfamiliar to her also entered the same shrine. Unlike her, she was obviously confident to enter as if she owned the place. She— pertaining to the new comer, was wearing a maroon blazer and a light brown skirt reaching just an inch away form her knees. It was quite high but not too high. Maybe she's a student from one of the four elite highschools in the city! Putting that aside, our girl in green dress doesn't know what to do next, wether she should talk or to just leave. With uncertainty of what to act, she kept staring at the new comer—busy closing her umbrella—until the new comer stared back at her. They both became frozen for about ten seconds until the girl in uniform suddenly "oh!" -ed while her finger pointed straight at the person in front of her. Just then, the new comer took her finger down, maybe she realized how unusual she is, and offered a hand forming a handshake. "I'm Yumi Ishikawa....." She began as she bow down a little and continued, "Don't you remember me?" Our girl in green dress was taken a back. It is rude to say but really, she doesn't know someone with a face like that! With a face looking obviously japanese, she should've at least sense a bit of familiarity if they really knew each other, right? However it is, she really doesn't remember her thus making her think maybe this Yumi was mistaken. Anyway, she still accepted the hand. It's rude not to. "Ah—nice too meet you. I'm Marica Liandro." She introduced herself and afterwards, ask, "Do we know each other?" Yumi was shaken. Thinking back, maybe Marica really doesn't recognize her! And so, Yumi smiled sweetly and said, "I'm someone you know when we were kids. I'm from your neighbor." Hearing that, Marica tried to reminisce, hoping that maybe she'll remember but she failed. She really doesn't recognize her! With disappoinment, Marica shrugged her head and apologize wholeheartedly. Aside from the fact that she knows this shrine belongs to her, Marica doesn't remember anything. I mean, the shrine's name was Yumi's surname and also, the way she walked towards the shrine seemed confident. To the point you'll think she herself was the goddess the shrine is dedicated for. For Marica, Yumi seemed friendly and elegant. The way Yumi walks, moves her hand and talk shows calmness and softness, a natural thing for nobles to do. Although they knew each others name, Marica never prolonged her words anymore, not because she doesn't want to, it's just she really doesn't know what to say. In the middle of silence, "So....what made you come back here, Marica?" Yumi, out of nowhere, blurted out. For others to say, it might sound rude but with Yumi's calm voice, for some reason, Marica find her question relaxing. Marica smiled, showing a hole on her lower cheek, just beside her soft lips and said, "I came back for the rainbow." Her answer was quite blurry, not clear enough to be understood. "Do you want me to call him?" But that doesn't mean Yumi can't understand. On Marica's head, she was surprised. Is she making fun of her? I mean, how come Yumi knew who she was pertaining to? Or if she's serious, is it because they knew each other before or is it because her answer's quite obvious? Neither the two, Marica seemed confused of what to believe in. She just bowed her head down, still figuring out. Upon thinking half a minute, Marica was ready to say no but just as she was about to decline, Yumi talked again saying, "No need to answer, he's here already." Thus, Marica came to panic. That single sentence made her too nervous—her hand shaking; her knees trembling and her heart almost ready to leave her rib cage. Yumi really isn't kidding! To be honest, she was expecting this to happen but she never knew it'll happen in the same day she'll comeback, in other words—it's too soon! "Yumi." It was a young man's voice! "Ran!" Yumi shouted and Marica flinched. Yumi really isn't kidding. "Ran! What made you come so late? Hurry! Come here!" Now her voice is louder and yet it's still calm. The way Yumi talked, it was obvious that the guy was outside the shrine. "Let's just go." The guy contradicted Yumi. Putting that aside, Marica, who was standing beside Yumi, her head was bowed down, was in the middle of calming herself down. Her face was so red and her ears are so hot, for what reason? It's because the guy's voice was so cold, calm, refreshing and yet.....hot. At first, she wasn't able to hear it for he only said a word, which is Yumi's name but now that he said more than a single word, it was clear, clearer than the raindrops itself, that to Marica's ear, the voice was beautiful, almost addicting. "Come on! Don't be like that!" Now, Yumi's voice seemed more demanding and more bossy. The guy exhaled a breath of disapproval and afterwards, followed what Yumi wants him to do. It was when he started walking that Marica's ears wasn't able to hear the loud descension of the ruthless raindrops anymore nor feel the coldness of the breezy wind, all she can hear was a pair of shoes exchanging terms to sound. And the sound dispersed, allowing Marica to realize that the guy was already near them or to be exact, in front of them! "Ran...." Yumi called him again. Marica's ears twitched, that name really feels nostalgic to her. "Yes?" His voice was cold and lazy. "Hmm.... it's Marica, beside me. Do you remember her?" It seems like even the elegant Yumi knows how to feel awkwardness. Anyway, shilly-shally, Marica stopped looking down and up her head. There, she saw a guy, standing opposite to her. Because the shrine was a little higher than the ground, she look down again a little. He was holding a black umbrella, wearing the same Maroon uniform as Yumi, and just staring back at her. This guy is surely the 'Ran' Marica knew, the guy who she was pertaining as a moon. Amidst the heavy raindrops, the cold wind and the sun rays, there comes a guy standing in the middle of a cemented path-coming from the shrine's gate up to the shrine's entrance-, he has a pale white skin, black hair reaching up to his neck and covering some of his forehead, well shaped jaws, thin lips and a sharp—light brown pair of eyes. With his handsome face, Marica seemed to focus only to his sharp eyes and upon staring for about a minute, the first words she blurted out made Yumi cry out of disbelief. "He's not Ran." Chapter 2 "Rainbow comes after a rain" An indisputable day at Kapitolyo de Norte (Capital of the North), comes a bunch of young kids with unclean hands, in majority ages up to five, circling a young girl. That girl have a very dark curly hair reaching just an inch after her shoulders. Her shirt was pink with brown imperfect dots scattered around and on her lower body comes a dirty light yellow short. As she stand alone, unmoved and unfazed, comes another shot of brown dot aimed straight at her. Yes! the brown dots aren't really part of her pink shirt, it was a ball of mud thrown at her by the kids thus making their hands as well as her clothes unclean. That girl was the young Marica. It was supposedly a perfect day, the sunlight wasn't painful, the wind wasn't ruthless, the sky wasn't gloomy and the mood wasn't awkward, that's why Marica went to the nearby park to play. Back when she was still on the way to that park, she wasn't smiling but she wasn't sad either. All she could think of was the peacefulness that the park could provide for her that's why when she arrived, welcomed by a bunch of kids, she was shock. This isn't what she had expected! "Marica!" It was just a meter away from the park when a kid called her name. The truth is, upon seeing them there, the young Marica attempted to leave as soon as possible but when she was about to, it was already too late. Someone already felt her presence. Two of the kids came after her and grabbed both of her arms. Unable to free from their grip, the young Marica surrendered and let the kids do what they want to do to her. And so, the two kids pulled her towards the other kids. It wasn't a long time when the meanest of them, the so called leader came out. "Tryin' to run away, Marica?" He uttered. He was smiling innocently and he was talking normally that if you're from far away, you'd think they're just kids talking like how usual friends does. In other's mind, that's the case but as for Marica, it was different. There's no way she's friend with these bunch of unfair kids! "Are you scared? Just admit it, you are scared, aren't you?" The boy, added. His voice was apparently menacing however, Marica seemed not to apprehend. At times like this, it's really normal to say 'of course, I'm scared' but Marica is different. Even after beaten and made fun for many times for the past two months, she never showed her tears. She never admitted she was scared for in reality, she never did. Aside from anger and disgust, she feels nothing for them. And so, just like yesterday, the other day and the past month, she never opened her mouth nor let her tears go out. "Eion! She's not crying. Make her cry! Make her cry!" Another cried in exasperation. This kid named Eion was the meanest among them. He was too brave to the point everyone listens to him out of fear, of course, Marica is an exception. Behind Marica was a sand box, inside it lies a bucket of water and a shovel. Behind the kids, a monkey bar was to behold. Eion went behind Marica and grabbed the bucket of water, then went back to the monkey bar and poured the water there. It made a mud. Suddenly, the little bossy Eion commanded, "Grab a dirt and throw at her!" And thus, the kid went and took ball of dirt after dirt and attack her through throwing. Of course, Marica was in pain. Who wouldn't, right? Besides, the mud was wet. It'll hurt twice than the dry one resulting in her mind to reckon curses after curses dedicated for the kids, especially to Eion but howbeit awful she feels, she didn't do anything. She's just a kid after all. "Dumb! You don't have a mom!" Eion shouted, again and again and the other kids laugh and yet, the young Marica never fights back. It turns out that Marica wasn't the one who was pissed rather it was the kid themselves. The bullying lasted for a long number of minutes until the majority already got tired and bored. What fun is it to watch a statue, anyway? As the young Marica waits for each of them to consecutively goes away, she just stood up there, receiving every inch of the mud, not talking, not flinching. And when everyone's gone, Marica took out a breath of relief. Now, the calmness of the sky was no longer to be found. As it starts to darken, Marica didn't wait any longer to find something to protect her from the rain. It was a matter of time when the shed itself came to her. Just across the Park comes a shrine. It was steadily standing under the ground. The way the woods are intact together shows the beauty of artistry and the way it was treasured portrays the elegance of nobility however, Marica doesn't seem to notice nor to appreciate the beauty. For her, the shrine was only a house to be a shed against the insolent rain. In any case, nothing is beautiful to her. Without further ado, the young child went inside the shrine. There, just in front of the door, she lied herself down. The rain came and devoured the dryness of the land, rain after rain, thunder after thunder. And when the sky's back to its original appearance, it's time for Marica to go back home. Truthfully, Marica doesn't consider their house a home, it's just she doesn't know how to call it or rather she doesn't know the meaning of home herself. In any case, that doesn't matter to her. For her, the 'home' she was pertaining to was like a prison where she must go back wether she like it or not, or else, the cops itself will come for her. Thus, her journey began. Her destination wasn't that far yet it wasn't too near either. Before she could reach their home, she must first see dissimilar scenarios and pass different people. One scenario was just a hundred meter away from the shrine. As the shrine was like a boundary between the Kapitolyo de Norte (Capital of the North) and another city, it was natural to see trees and plants surrounding the shrine but if you go away from the shrine, you'll come to see buildings like cafes, hotels, restaurants, etc, that'll make you feel more in modernization. Thus, the real Kapitolyo de Norte comes to behold. Back to what Marica had been watching, is a pair of opposite gender fighting each other. It seems like they're couple, or more likely to say, they were back then. One would say, "You bastard! Let me go! You cheater!" Another one would reply, "You witch! You were the one who cheated first!" Of course, witnessing this scenario made Marica and the people around gasp in incredulity; who would believe someone would dare to fight like that in a crowded place like this! Only them! Regardless of what's happening between the two nor the delight—out of entertainment—the people had been feeling from them, Marica doesn't give a mind, besides, she thought—in her home, that kind of fight isn't odd. Hence, Marica continued her journey. She again continued her walk, buildings after buildings, people after people until she finally reached the bridge located near end the center place;wherein the buildings and other infrastructures are located, of the Kapitolyo de Norte (Capital of the North). Across that bridge lies a small subdivision. Therefore, Marica crossed the bridge. The bridge was made up of burnished leather wood, a strong and so tough wood. It was expansive that even ten people could fit in. Underneath the bridge lies a moving water and due to the bridge's location, the horizon can be seen, thus the sunset conquered the whole sight. It was indeed a beautiful scenery and yet Marica never knew its beauty or she just never cared. As she wait for her small footsteps to surpass or to reach the end of the bridge, in her vision comes two different person, doing the same thing she witnessed in the center place of the capital. They were indeed fighting, obviously bickering. The young child took a deep breath before focusing her gaze upon the two people standing, facing each other next to the bridge's end. It took her a minute to clarify and when she became sure of it, her pace grew slower and slower. Even so, it still didn't stop her to surmount the bridge. And so, she reached the end of the bridge. The two people bickering earlier stopped immediately, they must've felt someone's presence. And when they saw it was Marica, they both became frozen. One said, "M-Marica....." It was a woman's voice, stuttering and shaky. "Mom...." It was indeed the young child's mother. "..........." "..........." Silence after silence, still no one dared to talk. The woman squeezed her eyes shut and wiped her tears, then she went in front of Marica, kneeled and cupped the young child's soft cheeks. On the back of her mother stands a man, he was wearing a light blue office uniform, obviously just gotten out of a company somewhere who knows. That man was the child's father therefore, the womans's husband and unlike him, the woman wears a simple piece of baggy clothes and yet even so, she still looks so refined. "Marica.....where have you gone? What happened to your clothes?" Her mother queried. Her voice was calm, her tone was sweet but still, the sadness didn't scaped her words. Of course, it was rightful for Marica to admit the truth but because of what she had spotted, instead, she replied, "I played in the dirt, mom. I played too much." Although the young child's voice sounded so sincere, the woman didn't believed her, she's her mother after all. However, she knew herself that the young child's response meant not to talk about it anymore ergo she put the topic aside. Though she had decided to cut it out, being the young child's mother, she couldn't help but to feel pain as if someone inhuman banged her heart and wondered; how come her child passed through the center place of the capital with her unclean shirt unnoticed? Just what happened with people's humanity? Furthermore, why did people let someone do that to her in the first place? She questioned too much until she was almost gobbled by madness but in the end, she thought, 'it's herself to be blamed for what happened to her child was her fault'. After all, she was the mother and yet she couldn't do anything leaving her in more agony. Leaving that aside, seeing her parents fighting didn't make her stupefied anymore considering these scenario's not new to her presently . There were some days that they'd fight for how long who knows and there were some nights that her father wouldn't go home evidence from another long b****y fight. Thinking that the fights were part of her unremarkable everyday life was indeed a despicable feeling but still, people couldn't do any less but to show sympathy towards the pitiful child. Specifically, she was neither the cause nor the one responsible for the dispute, she was herself the victim. "Let's go home, mom." Nonetheless, the child don't want anymore argument. She just wish to go home. The woman nod her head gently and embraced her child delicately. She then caressed the young child's dwarfish back and took a peck of kiss on her head afterwards. Now that she had calmed down, she again stood up from her knees and grabbed her child's little fingers. Upon facing her back, she saw her husband's human just looking at them both. His eyes were sorrowful and for some reason, the woman couldn't do anything anymore but to feel anguish of everything. She felt an unforeseen melancholy and when they passed through her husband, she then said, "Let's end this." Her husband's eyes grew wider. He became frozen, besides, being able to do nothing but to watch his family leave gradually was really indeed a heartsore. While looking at his most precious gems slowly but surely departing, all he could do was to let his pain conquer him. At last, he became sore. When the night came, Marica, together with her mom finally reached their home. In front of them lies a two story house, beside her was a car. The house was beautiful, I could say. The exterior itself was surely designed by a well known architect and undoubtedly, the engineer was one way better. But, even though the house screams of classiness and refinement, if it's no different from a prison, would you rather stay than to choose one whose simpler? Maybe yes, maybe not. Anyways, the two of them entered the house. Upon entering, the cold feeling also entered the two of them.