The idea for this fan fiction has been generously donated by FairyMei33. Lots of love!
Chapter One: The Human's Story
The sun slowly sank into the sea, lighting it on fire. A young girl sat in her mother's lap, watching with amazement.
"It's so pretty, Mommy!"
The redheaded woman laughed softly, and embraced her daughter as the young man next to her smiled thinly.
"I've never been fond of the sun, but I admit that watching it set is a sight to behold. Haru; come here."
The tiny brunette pulled an angry face.
"You forgot the magic word."
He chuckled, amused at the three-year-old girl's spunk.
"Please come sit on my lap, Haru."
This time, the little brunette happily hopped off her mother's lap, and held her arms up to the dark man, who gently picked her up and set her on his lap. After a minute or so, the girl shivered.
"Why are you always so cold, Paul? Do I need to get you a blanket?"
He laughed again, and wrapped his arms around the little girl firmly.
"Why would I need a blanket when I have this nice and warm little companion?"
She giggled slightly, but he could tell that she was a little cold. He sighed, and set about the usual task. He kissed her hair softly, and then gently pressed his lips to her little neck.
Without warning, the little girl suddenly slapped him, outraged.
"No biting, you meanie! Mommy, Paul bit me! Tell him to be nice, or I won't sit on his lap anymore!"
The young mother stared at her dear daughter, shocked beyond words, as was the young man, who was now feeling his cheek with one hand; stunned that it actually hurt, although the little girl was hardly muscular.
"Haru, apologize for hitting me."
She glared at him, and managed to slip out of his arms in order to run back to her mother, keeping one hand to her neck as a little pink began to show between her tiny fingers.
"Not until you apologize for biting me! I'm not your dinner, so keep your teeth to yourself!"
The dark man stared at the young child, scarcely believing that she was disobeying him. Was it possible? He had waited so long…
He looked at the mother.
"Naoko, find a cat or dog, and bring it to me. I want to see if Haru can talk to one."
Unlike her child, the woman immediately jumped out of her seat, and started running off. Haru watched her go with horror.
"No, Mommy! Don't leave me with mean Paul!" She tried to run for her mother, but then Paul ran in front of her, and leaned down in order to gaze into her scared and angry eyes.
'Yes, I should have seen it sooner. Haru is the one I've been waiting for.'
"Haru, if I apologize for biting you, will you apologize for hitting me?"
She bit her lip, still distrustful of him.
"Yes, but only if you never do it again."
He laughed, pleased by her spunk.
"Trust me, Haru; I will never bite you again."
'For there is no need to.'
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Haru's life had always been on the predictable side. An only child, living alone with her mother, in an ordinary neighborhood in Tokyo. Physically, the only thing that ever seemed to change about her was the length of her body, as she continued to grow.
About the only thing that had ever seemed extraordinary about her was the fact that her mother was a little more protective of her than her counterparts. Campfires and pets might as well have been part of a fairy tale, for all the meaning they had for the young brunette.
In fact, the girl had never personally come in contact with an open flame, due to her mother's fears. But oh, how they seemed to reach out for the girl, in small doses in her science class when they had to heat water or chemicals. Sometimes, if Haru could somehow manage to keep everyone quite, she could almost hear the flames speak, though their voice was weak.
'Beware… beware…'
As to what she should beware, Haru never had a clue, although she dearly wished to tell someone about the voices, if anyone would bother to listen. If her life had continued the way her mother wished, nothing out of the ordinary would have ever happened to her daughter until she was fully grown.
But then, in her eighteenth year, Haru made a decision that would change her fate to one far from what had been designed for her.
Haru saved a cat from a terrible death, and then fell in love with a very special doll.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"I should be back around noon, Mom!" Haru cheerfully said as she walked out the door, her mother barely nodding, looking over fabric swatches.
"Have fun with Hiromi, Sweetie!" As soon as she heard the door close, the red-haired woman smiled, and set down the patch into the design covering the table. She looked at it, wondering if it would tell the story she hoped it would.
Her daughter had grown wonderfully over the past year. Now a high school graduate, she was out of the house more, doing job-hunting with Hiromi, to find a way to pay for college.
Naoko didn't have a clue on what to tell her daughter, when she found a job that felt right. Because it wouldn't matter what the job was, she couldn't keep it. Haru had a different destiny in store for her; one that had been determined years before.
The phone rang, just like she knew it would. Grinning, she picked the device out of its holder.
"Yoshioka residence."
"Hello, Naoko. It's me."
The red-haired woman laughed.
"I figured it would be, Paul. How much is ready?"
"Nearly everything. I assume you'll bring her in a week?"
"Of course. I gave my word that I would."
"Good. Now, I must ask; is Haru still…"
Naoko cocked her head, waiting for him to finish his thought. Too much had changed about her daughter since he had last seen her to just try to assume what he meant.
"You know; crushing on that Machida guy?"
Naoko laughed again.
"Oh no, she got over him almost eight months ago. She's a bit calmer now, more thoughtful. I think she'll please you quite a bit when you see her again." She could hear a sigh of relief.
"That's wonderful. This would be much more difficult, if she were in love with someone else. How much does she know?"
The redhead smiled thinly, having done her best to keep the girl ignorant.
"The stories are just that to her. I've been keeping her away from animals, but she knows she can talk to cats. She doesn't have the slightest clue about what Creations are, or what they mean. Don't worry; she'll be able to do her part, and there's no need to scare her beforehand."