Chapter 6
997 Words
It was bright. The sun has risen the next day, but it's rays were felt by no one. The hope that lied there yesterday was gone. Shattered. They were helpless. Light that used to shine upon the world shone no more. Scattered. With nothing left.
******
The announcement of Yukino and her family's arrival made many eyes turn towards the family.
Since the royal family of the Fox Clan never participated in any gatherings that they aren't required to attend, they have been inevitably shrouded in a veil of mystery. Causing them to be the center of attention when they arrived.
Whispers and murmurs spread through the huge palace halls as several fingers of young nobles pointed, only to be slapped down by the parents. The royalties however, through the years of etiquette classes learned how to keep their emotions and thoughts under control and off their faces.
The people who were the cause of the commotion simply smiled. The king had a professional yet somehow sly smile. The queen had a bright beautiful smile that blinded everyone who saw it. The prince had a gentle and warm smile, causing many women to swoon. Last of all, the princess had an awkward, strained and forced smile, as Yukino did not like being the center of attention at all.
The Dragon royals were last to arrive and their arrival signaled the beginning of the banquet.
Yukino was quickly dragged to meet her mother's side of the family. The Phoenix Clan royalties.
"Sister!" A red haired and ambered eyed female said with a delighted surprise. "Oh my gosh! Is this my niece? She's adorable!!" The female squealed. She then gave Yukino a hug which Yukino awkwardly returned. "Meet my son and your cousin Kaito, he's a year older than you. Then there's my daughter HuangJia currently 5, and my youngest daughter HuangLi, she's 2." She introduced to Taiyo and Yukino.
"Nice to meet you, too." Taiyo said while Yukino nodded stiffly, wanting to cry at the fact she had already met a capture target.
Taking Kaito in she saw that his eyes were kind of dead. They were dull and unmoving as he simply stared at Yukino and her family taking each of them in before looking back onto the ground.
Kaito had messy red hair, like the rest of the family. His eyes were also red as well. He had an average build for a 7 year old, however if you look closely you can see the muscle under his shirt. Probably from the intense training he gets daily.
"Shut up." Yukino replied in her mind. "I didn't need to know that."
Yukino, Taiyo, and Kaito stood awkwardly together as the adults had their conversation. HuangLi and HuangJia were standing by their mother as the mother showered them with praises and compliments. Boasting to her sister (Yukino's mother) about her two girls' amazingness.
Taiyo tried striking up a conversation. "Hi, my name's Taiyo."
"Kaito." The red haired boy gave a curt response while he eyes looked at Yukino, seeing if she will also mock him for being a male. To his utter surprise, Yukino simply smiled, a real smile before it disappeared.
"Yukino. Nice to meet you cousin." She said another stiff smile graced her face. Kaito saw it too and his eyes darkened. As expected he was just a disgusting thing. "This is awkward…" she said again after a couple seconds of silence.
Kami was relentlessly pounding Yukino's head at how she had to be on the good side of Kaito… and all the other capture targets.
Yukino finally gave in, since she didn't want to scream during a banquet that the most important and prominent figures were attending.
"Can.. can I touch your hair?" Not knowing what to say, Yukino blurted out at the sight of the messy, yet fluffy red hair Kaito possessed.
"Yuki.." Taiyo let out a groan, expecting the sentence to come out eventually. After all he knows his sister loved all fluffy and soft things in the world.
"Please??" Yukino pressed.
Kami was, and continued screaming at Yukino to take back her words. But since Yukino already said it, she simply pressed on.
"Just one touch, promise!" Yukino tried acting like a six year old and looked at Kaito with big puppy dog eyes. "Pretty please with sugar on top." Yukino was internally crying. Her dignity as an adult was shattered.
After Yukino pressed on, with Taiyo trying to stop her, Kaito finally relented. With a muffled squeal she reach he hand out and at first picked the hair before rubbing.
"It's so soft!" She said, her dignity died for a good cause.
Kaito stared at Yukino in a dazed manner as something in his heart melted. His first compliment. As ridiculous as it was, it was the first compliment he has gotten in his seven years of life. Given by a female. He felt himself tearing up.
Yukino and Taiyo quickly noticed and Yukino panicked.
"Don't cry! I'm sorry! I won't touch it again! I promise!" Yukino said, eyes looking at Kaito with worry, while she patted his back.
Taiyo gently soothed the crying boy and these actions caused him to cry harder, his shoulders shaking with sobs that wasn't, or couldn't be heard. Thankfully they were in a corner so no one else saw anything.
No one else besides the other capture targets and a female standing in the center of the room, staring at Yukino with a surprised look, then it turned to shock, and then relief.
A boy with white hair stared at the three with a smirk. Thinking that his juniors will be very interesting.
A boy with gray hair stared at the three, feeling disgusted that a man would start crying for no reason, but hiding his thought with a poker face.
And a female with green eyes stared at Yukino. A smile on her lips. "She's here, she's still alive…"
- Writer
