Don't own
As the Crow Flies
Prologue
Long ago when the world was young, god wanted to invite all the animals to a banquet. The Crow who could soar high in the sky was the first to hear the news and was given the task of delivering the news to the other animals.
But when it came time to tell the Rat, the Crow deceived the Rat. For you see the Crow hated the Rat, for the Rat and the Cat were the best of friends and never invited the Crow to join them. He told the Rat the wrong day and asked the Rat to tell the Cat for he was tired from flying.
But the Rat found out the truth, and tried to tell his friend the Cat but the Cat was nowhere to be found. And sadly attended the banquet alone.
When the Rat told God how he had been tricked, God became angry with the Crow and banished him from the zodiac never to return, never to be loved or to love. With his last act he cursed the Cat with a misshapen form so he could never belong as well.
But this small revenge could not calm the hate in his heart. Rage and spite consumed him making him empty inside; to fill this void he began to drain the souls of those filled with love to fill his own lack of love. Eventually this transformed him to the demon Karasu who for centuries haunted the land feeding on the souls of demon and human alike, each new soul made him stronger and gave him new powers, and upon devouring 10,000 souls he would become a god, immortal and unstoppable he would usurp the god of old and start his own zodiac the most vile creatures known to man.
Plagued by Karasu for too long the local lord who had no sons offered to any man who could defeat Karasu would be adopted as his heir and be married to his daughter. Many men answered the call, even armies came but they all fell one by one to Karasu increasing his collection of souls.
When things looked their darkest a lone warrior appeared wielding a magic sword, and with the help of four allies brought the demon down ending the aspiring gods reign. That man was Keoni a ronin with no family; he was adopted into the royal family and married the lord's daughter and thus began the Sohma family line.
But Karasu would not be defeated so easily, his spirit still lingered and with the aid of a dark shaman he cursed the Sohma family and got his revenge on the zodiac that rejected him. He imprisoned the spirits of the zodiac within each generation of the Sohmas, and with each generation one poor unfortunate soul would harbor his own spirit so he could be reborn. This child was the accursed among the cursed.
For centuries the Sohmas lived with the curse and the dark secret of the Crow, so hated was this child that few lived long and soon it became customary that the child be killed at birth as a mercy so it would not have to live as the Crow. And soon the Crow became forgotten to only a few and eventually written out of the zodiac legend completely.
And so 500 years later the story begins…
It was a cold, windy, and cloudy day. Inside the Sohma hospital complex in a secluded a young girl with hair black as night no more than 16 was going through the pain of childbirth. Sitting in the corner was an equally dark haired woman looked on quietly and impassively. She casually looked out the window.
"What a dreary day." She said quietly. "A perfect day for a monster to be born." She new what was about to be born all the signs pointed to it another zodiac. She wondered what animal it would be this time. The woman's thoughts were interrupted by the girls screams.
"It hurts." Strained the girl.
"As it should. You brought this on yourself Reiana, you and that that boy."
"Mother, please I want him here, he deserves to be here, and it's his child."
"I will not have that boy here." The woman stood. "I grow tired of this, call me when it is born." And she walked out of the room. Sitting outside the room were three boys about sixteen, one the cause of the problem. "You hear that boy, she's in pain because of you." she said glaring at said boy, a boy with long silver hair and golden eyes.
"Let me see her." Asked the boy
"No you may not, you defiled my daughter. I only want you to here the pain she's in. After this she'll be sent away and you'll never see her again."
"How dare you, I love her and we'll raise our child without your help if need be." the boy stood. "In fact it might be better if my child never knew you." the woman walked up to the boy and slapped him.
"Ayame!" shouted another one of the boys.
"Hatori, Shigure. Take him out of here, I'll see him later."
"Yes lady Ren." Said the other boy. And they helped Ayame away.
A few hours later
Reiana sat in the hospital bed holding her newborn son; she looked down sadly at him. He was cursed she knew he would be. But fate had dealt her the Crow, the dark secret of the zodiac. She was given a day to say her goodbyes. And what pained her the most was she was unable to even touch her son's bare skin, this was the Crow's curse on his host any skin on skin contact with a non cursed female would change him to a Crow, he would never even be able to kiss a girl.
"Reiana." Called a small voice. Reiana looked up to see a small boy with the same dark hair. "Is it okay if I come in?" Reiana smiled.
"Yes you can Akito." Akito walked closer.
"Is that the Crow, mama says he's evil."
"No he isn't say hello to your nephew Akito." She shifted the newborn to face Akito; he had his mother's hair and his father's eyes. "This is your aunt Akito little one."
"Shh, mama said I'm a boy not a girl."
"Never mind what mama said." She said warmly, Akito leaned closer to the infant.
"So does he got a name?"
"No, mom said that once I name him it would be all the harder to give him up."
"Aww c'mon he's got to have a name, can't just keep calling him baby can you?" Akito screwed her face in pensive thought. "I know, dad said Keoni was the one who beat Karasu a long time ago right. So how bout Keoni; it might be lucky or somethin. You know I bet dad would've let you keep him."
"Yeah." Reiana shifted the baby in her arms careful not to touch him. "So Keoni huh, what do you think kid?" the baby gurgled slightly.
"I think he likes it."
"Then it's settled, Keoni Akira Sohma."
"Can I hold him?" Akito looked up with puppy dog eyes. "Please I promise to be careful."
"Alright." She gently handed Keoni to Akito who cradled him awkwardly. "You've got to support his head.
"Hey there little guy, I'm sorry about what mama says, but when I'm head I'll make sure the Crow gets help."
"And why should that monster deserve help." Akito looked up to see Ren standing in the doorway.
"Mama."
"Give it back to Reiana."
"Yes mama." Akito handed Keoni back to Reiana.
"Now say goodbye to your sister, we are leaving." Akito walked out of the room, Ren turned back and looked at Reiana. "It will be killed tomorrow morning, it will look like a medical complication and you can resume your life." And with that she left. Leaving Reiana sobbing all alone.
Later that night
Reiana was sleeping fitfully, Keoni sleeping in a small bed off to the side. A figure walked up to her sleeping form.
"Reiana." He shook her gently. She opened her eyes and looked sleepily up at the figure above her and her eyes widened.
"Ayame!" without thinking she reached up and hugged him and in a puff of smoke a white snake was in her lap. "Sorry, I forgot. But what are you doing here?"
"We're busting you out a here."
"We?" another boy came into the room.
"Aya is she ready yet."
"Just a minute Shigure." A poof signaled Ayame's change back to human form who quickly got dressed. He picked up bag off the floor. "I brought you some clothes, and there's a suitcase waiting in the car."
"Aya hurry up, Hatori's waiting with the car."
"Just give me a minute to get dressed." She started to slide the hospital gown off her shoulders but stopped. "Shigure please leave."
"Damn." He muttered shutting the door. Ayame politely turned his head as Reiana got dressed, he may be the father of her child but he wasn't shameless.
"I'm ready." Said Reiana, as she walked to the basket and picked up Keoni.
"Good let's go."
"Wait what about the guards?"
"It's covered. C'mon." and they ran out the door.
"What do you mean it's covered you took out the guards."
"Well I didn't." the reached the car outside the complex, Shigure standing there with another man.
"Kazuma-sensei. I was wondering who took out the guards."
"Hello Reiana."
"Hey guys I don't mean to rush you guys but we have to go." Said Hatori sticking his head out the car window.
"Where am I going anyway?" asked Reiana
"You will be going to stay with an old associate of mine, a Miss Keiko Izumi, she runs a dojo in the next town over, she also has knowledge of the curse and can help the child. She is the descendent of two of Keoni's allies and has a lot of knowledge." Said Kazuma
"Thank you so much everyone." She walked over to Ayame and kissed him. "I'll miss you."
"I know, but you'll be back someday, just take of him till then." Said Ayame looking at the newborn.
"I will, Ayame can you hold him for a second." Ayame nodded and took Keoni from her. Reiana reached behind her and unclasped her necklace. "Give this to Akito." And she handed the necklace to Ayame and took Keoni back. She gave him another kiss before climbing into the car. "Bye everyone, and thank you." she said before the car drove of into the night.
Well so it ends, this is a rewrite of my Hit story As the Hawk Flies if you want to check it out. This story will be more serious than my other one with more focus on the mysticism of the curse.