Lucky

Yet another new story.

I own nothing. Feedback is welcome.

I didn't believe in destiny. Fate, Providence, call it what you would, I thought it was for fools who couldn't stand up for themselves and relied on a higher power that didn't even exist to comfort them instead of facing their problems head on. I still believe this, though less vehemently. I am relatively sure now that there is some force that drove chance into a particular twist, that shifted probability into the favor of some and stole luck from others. More so even than I now can.

Luck back then was a... touchy subject for me. While I would deny that it existed to any that asked I had made a name for myself in school and work places. Jinx. I dropped things, tripped, caused pile ups that shut down entire stair wells. As far as many were concerned I was bad luck, and should be avoided lest it rub off on them. Every year for my birthday someone would slip something to me in what I viewed to be cruel jokes; rabbits foot, four leafed clover, horse shoes, jars of crickets, amethyst worry stones and even a bag of acorns once.

I wasn't the biggest fan of luck. I had a bad center of balance, my nerve control wasn't always the best and I occasionally didn't notice small things, that was all. As far as I was concerned I made my own luck. It never mattered or struck me odd that even without cheating I could always predict which side a coin would land on or that I won poker every time. It was just happenstance, coincidence.

There was no such thing as fate, I was positive.

Now, not so much.

God or Jashin or Thanatos or who ever was in charge of death has one hell of a sense of humor, as I discovered on January 15th, 2014, when a van for Diamond Shamrock Moving Company struck me. I hadn't even been Jay walking!

As I lay on the pavement, blood pooling from a crack in my skull, I could see a little white rabbit standing stock still on the sidewalk, unnoticed by the horrified crowd that stared at my prone form. As darkness crept into my vision, clouding over the edge that little white rabbit turned around and hopped away, fluffy tail twitching behind him. Numbly I reached a hand out to try and catch him, for purposes I do not know.

The world went black and the voices, frantic and terrified, gave way, the sirens, distant and desperate, faded.

Then there was darkness.

And in the darkness I waited.

I would rather not go through the humiliation and terror that awaited me when those long months of waiting were over, as I am sure that your imagination can come up with what happened between the screaming, blood and bright, blinding, freezing light.

Birth isn't pleasant no matter what side of it you happen to be on.

On October the Tenth I was born in Konoha General Hospital as Keiko Senju, Female, 2.67 kg. daughter of Kaname and Seika Senju, who were 41 and 32 respectively. I was their third and final attempt at a child. I had one older brother, Kohaku, who was small and sickly, and an older sister, Koharu, Kohaku's twin. None of our births had been easy on our mother, leading her to be ill for several months after my birth. Consequently my first few months of life were spent in the strong arms of my father or the smaller grasp of Kohaku. Koharu I don't think liked me much.

Now before I go further I would like to say this;

If ever you are reborn, take a lot of time to observe. When you first find the light of day you will not see more than small blurs of color, nor will you be able to pick up very many sounds. Do not worry, this is quite normal, as humans are all born prematurely. If we don't get kicked out after nine months is up though it will put so much strain on the mother that she and child will die, so premature it is.

Listen carefully, figure out the language. In my case it happened to be Japanese of all things. It was difficult for me to understand, given that I was in fact very much an American. Or was. It's all relative.

Soon enough you will begin to pick up words. One you will notice will be said with more force, higher pitch, and more often than others. It may even be pronounced strangely.

Keiko. Keiko-chan. Imouto.

Fear not. This is your name. Hold it close and do not forget that you are no longer who you once were. You have a new life, a new name, and another chance.
You might have siblings, like I did, they will pronounce their name very slowly and try to get you to say it back at them.

Kohaku. Ko-ha-ku. Anata wa sore o iu koto wa dekimasu ka, Imouto? Can you say that, little sister?

There is a family competition to see whose name you speak first.

Mama, Papa, Kohaku, Koharu. Chichi, Haha, Aniki, Ane.

Who ever you say first automatically is your favorite, whether this is true or not.

Koharu.

They will then have you thrust upon them for baby sitting or be the envy of the others, who you should do your best to speak of as soon after as you can.

Kohaku. Chichi. Haha.

By the time you can talk you should be able to see as well. Take a look around, see what's happening, where you are, look for context clues.

There were trees. The walls were paper. Chichi, father, has white hair and black eyes. There are strange markings on all of the walls, a thin line and crescents coming off both ends. The house is huge, stretching out for whole blocks. We five are the only ones there. Chichi carries a sword around. There is very limited technology. The air is warm, the sun shines often. Koharu and Kohaku go to a school called the Academy all year round. I am not allowed outside on my own.

Take note of these context clues. Do not dismiss them.

Chichi has an odd headband he wears often. It has the lead symbol on it. He must be a cosplayer. On occasion I sit on his lap and I'll smell copper. He won't let me in the room down the hall. I get in once and it's full of sharp things. Chichi isn't happy.

The first year is the most important. Gather all the information that you can.

They tried to teach me funny hand games. I paid little attention, wandering around instead and looking at the pictures on the walls.

Do not make assumptions. Wait until you have access to a library or the internet to decide where and when you are.

This was japan, I must live with a very old family in the sixties. Funny, their clothes are a little closer to 2000s.

And above all else, when the truth finally hits you, do not panic.

Happy birthday to your, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Keiko- The world exploded. People screamed. I was slammed to the ground by a sudden increase in gravity. Dark, oppressing terror choked me and I did the only thing that I could. I screamed.

Stay calm.

Kohaku grabbed me and ran, Koharu's hand in his. They were both like mother, I noted through the din or horror that tried to consume me. Brown hair and eyes on both, pretty lips and sharp cheeks. Was I like them? Was I pretty? They told me so. Did the giant fox over the walls think I was?

Do not freak out.

Giant fox. Giant fox with nine tails. Ninetails. Kyuubi. Chichi smelled like blood, the walls were marked, the twins went to the Academy, there was a room of weapons I wasn't allowed in.

It will be alright.

It is October 10th. The day of the attack on the hidden lead village. Konohagakure.

It will be-

I am not where I am supposed to be. An explosion rocks the world and I scream in Kohaku's arms, the wrongness of everything slams into me all at once and the horrible, awful oppression of the intent to kill, to slaughter, strikes me from the giant fox. Kohaku jumps off the ground, clutching me tight. Chichi and Haha are nowhere to be seen. Debris comes flying at us from all around. The beam of a shattered house is falling towards us from above. I stretched out my hand as if to catch it, knowing my brother too slow and not focused enough to see the threat. There is a flicker of violet at the edges of my fingers. He trips. I go flying and the beam strikes the earth. There is a sickening crunch.

alright.

As of now people know me as Keiko Senju, and I am the last of my name.

"Quite the hand you dealt that one. Are you sure she can handle it?"

There was a scoff. "She'll have to."

"We'll see if her luck holds up."

The way my luck is running, if I was a politician I would be honest. - Rodney Dangerfield