New Beginnings.
An azu-fic.

Disclaimer: Sadly… I own nothing… but this little plot. And the few characters I randomly made.. Shoudai however, was the girl Ayumu mentioned in episode 2.. I think that's how you spell it lol.

A/N: Mmh.. .. shrugs OOC, but I love my angsty Ayumu. Rated for some language, angst, and drugs. Enjoy!

XxX

A one and a half year old Ayumu sat on a ragged carpet, chewing on a strip of ripped shirt. She had been happily gnawing on it for sometime now in that hazy small room. Beer cans were thrown on the floor along with dark ashes and plastic bags. A scrawny looking woman in her late twenties sat near her child and giggled numbly. Miyako Kasuga looked at Ayumu and took another long drag from her opium pipe.

While momentarily holding in her breath, the frail brunette pondered, before blowing the smoke slowly into her child's face. Little Ayumu stopped chewing immediately and went into a coughing fit though her mother seemed unfazed.

After the coughing subsided, the two year old whimpered before examining the soggy clump of fabric. Gurgling lightly, the small brunette sniffed the cloth. She took it in her little hands and brought it above her face smiling. "Oh.. Ayummie Ayummie Ayummieeee.. Aww.. You like it.. don't you..?Heheh." Miyako laughed in her scratchy voice making the two year old look to her mother and smile, eyes glazed over.

XxX

"Mummy… Maaaaaamh…'M Hungry!" The four year old Osakan mumbled sleepily to her mother. Her mother who was currently talking to a very tall man in a black fuzzy coat. Quickly distracted, little Ayumu leaned over and sniffed his coat, the fur tickling her nose.

"What .. The hell?" the roguish man asked.

"I'm so sorry Toshiro. S-she's my kid. She's usually quiet, sorry." Miyako bowed deeply, hoping her dealer was in a good mood today.

"Whatever bitch.. You got the money?"

Sighing a breath of relief, the sickly woman gave Toshiro a roll of bills, which she got a small bag of tar like chunks for. Bowing again, Miyako scurried away to her apartment, Ayumu in tow.

Once they arrived, the tall brunette turned around and tapped the child's nose harshly, making her wince. "What has mommy told you about doing things like that?"

"Sorry mummy.." Little Ayumu mumbled sadly. "Mummy? .. When are.. we goin' to eat?"

Miyako paused for a moment before taking out a small fraction of the tar like substance and handing it to her daughter. "There."

Little Ayumu stared at the chip of opium in her palm. "Again?.. Mummy! It tastes nasty, and.. and.. it always makes me sleepy!" She whined slowly, and received a swift slap on her nose. "This is very expensive food Yummie! It's this or nothing!" Miyako snapped at her daughter who huffed and nibbled at the tarry "food". She soon felt light headed and took a nap.

The scrawny woman plopped herself down on the floor and lit up her pipe. The truth was, they hadn't had anything in their compact refrigerator for over a week now. Sighing, the woman looked out the one dirty window of the apartment and daydreamed of America.. She had always wanted to go there..

XxX

"Mum,… 'm home!." The now 7 year old girl shouted into the apartment. She sighed when she noticed her mother passed out on the couch again. Ayumu walked silently into the bathroom and filled the sink. They had been extra mean today. .. She didn't really know why, but all of her classmates took to hating her since the first day of grade school.

Flashback.

"Oy! Kasuga! Gimme the crayons, you're hoggin' them again! Smelly baka!" one girl had shouted to her. She had just started her picture too.

"But.. 'M not done.. With the bird yet..." she muttered causing the girl to scowl. She stomped over to her table and took the box. After reaching her seat she glared. Shoudai.. She thought she was the devil's daughter. ..There was no use fighting her. She had tried that before, only to get a handful of paste in her hair.

She had simply asked her sensei for another box, which he gladly gave her with an oblivious smile. She walked back to her picture and continued to doodle. When she had finished, what started as a blue bird flying in the sky, had ended with it being in a cage surrounded by evil looking cats.

The girl who had taken her crayons saw it and shouted to her friends what a freaky picture she had drawn. "Kasuga's a baka! Baka! Baaaaka!" Her friends had sung when the class let out. Ignoring them, she turned to walk down the street when one of the boys ran up behind her and threw mud at her.

She shuddered and stopped for a moment, then began walking again at a quickened pace. "Baka!" they chanted at her back and laughed.

End flashback

Ayumu dipped her head in the sink and washed away the dirt. After she had finished she walked to the window and stared outside. "Mmh.. .. I wonder what it's like.. to fly.." Ayumu pondered as she began to daydream.

XxX

Now eleven, Ayumu had come to understand the worlds cruelty. She now held many scars from random bullies and asses, and had a strange dull wisdom. She spoke slowly, and thought slowly, but she was a good student when she needed to be.

"OY! KASUGA! Where do you think you're going? You didn't do my homework again! Come back here!" Shoudai shouted at her. She hadn't changed a bit since grade school.

She still ignored her as she chased after her, which didn't last very long, no matter how hard she tried, she never could become fit like her peers. The dark haired girl caught up to her and smacked her head, making her wince.

"…Gomen.. Shoudai. I'll.. I'll do it next time." She replied coldly to her sneer. It had been this way ever since they had gotten homework in math class.

"Good, little bakayarou. Do the extra credit too!" she shouted to her and walked away. The fragile brunette sighed and trudged home. She was once again greeted by the stench of tar and cigarette smoke. Her mother was sitting near the window.

"Okasan.. 'M home." She would always mumble as she walked straight to the bathroom. "Yeah.." was always the reply.

XxX

"NO! DON'T TAKE HER FROM ME! NO! AYUMU!" Miyako screeched at the top of her lungs when the Department of Social Services officers had come.

"We're sorry 'mam. .. But we've gotten multiple complaints from her sensei.. And from the looks of this apartment, you're not a fit for parenting this girl.

"NO!" she had continued to scream as thirteen year old Ayumu walked out of her room with a small bag of her belongings. She looked sadly at her mother who was being held back by one of the men. "YUMMIE! MOMMY LOVES YOU! TELL THEM I'M A GOOD MOTHER! AYUMU!"

"…Gomen..nasi.. Okasan." She mumbled with her head in a deep bow. She gave her mother one last glance before walking out. Miyako's screams didn't dull until they reached the end of the block.

Many of her neighbor's had looked to see what all the noise was about, she saw Shoudai staring at her. There was something in her eyes. ..Pity? She didn't want pity.. Not from that bakayarou.

She turned to glare at her, causing her to startle slightly. "I don't need your fucking pity!" she screamed at the top of her lungs before they put her in a small van.

XxX

She had been in the foster home for a while now.. She was used to the beatings. Fourteen year old Ayumu Kasuga also knew how to avoid them. The small brunette was currently cleaning the room of one of her tormenters. "Cleaning.. Cleaning.. Cleaning.." she mumbled to herself in a slowly light tune.

Her thoughts slowly drifted to her mother.. Her mother who had died a few months ago from an overdose. It didn't really surprise her though.. Ayumu knew that'd happen eventually, so she wasn't even fazed.

"Kasuga! You better be done before supper! That's when the room's get checked you know!" a young man shouted to her from the door way.

"Hai."

Hachiro had hated her from the start. Once again, they all hated her. 'Do I… smell?' she thought to herself and sniffed.

"Nope." She muttered to herself and returned to making his bed.

"Ayumu Kasuga. Please report to the front room. Ayumu Kasuga." A woman's voice boomed over the intercom. "Hmm… I wonder what they want now.." the brunette pondered to herself on the way there.

When she had arrived at the front room, she noticed there was a young couple sitting in front of the head lady's desk. "Umm.. Takara-sama?" She asked, bowing lightly and looking at the couple cautiously.

"Ayumu! This couple read about you in our booklet and want to take- I mean, adopt you!" the Head spoke with a wide smile.

'I bet she's.. glad to get rid of me, huh?' Ayumu thought bemusedly.

"Hello Ayumu! I'm Yuri, and this is my husband Shinchiro. I hope we get along." The woman was sweet.. almost too sweet.

Ayumu nodded slowly and glanced at the two of them. 'I wonder.. What a father'll be like.. Mmh… Never had one.' The brunette shrugged to herself lightly causing the couple to look at her in confusion.

"Ahh.. Mister and Misses Kato.. Ayumu can be a little, how can I say this. Spacey.. At times." Aiko Takara smiled nervously hoping this wouldn't effect their decision, this kid was the worst space case she'd ever seen.

"No no! Not at all, Ayumu, would you like to come home with us now or tomorrow?" Yuri asked sweetly. Ayumu blinked. "I'll go get packed, thank you." She bowed lightly again and left the room.

"She seems nice." Yuri smiled at her husband who shrugged and smiled in return.

XxX

"Have a good day Ayumu honey! Have fun! Be careful!" Yuri shouted to her now daughter. It had only been two months, but she had settled in and now was going to high school.

"Ok.. Bye Okasan!" She shouted and walked down the street.

'Wow.. Tokyo's a lot different than Osaka, huh?' the brunette thought to herself while stopping at a red light. She looked around herself slowly, taking in the new scenery.

'A new beginning..' She mused.

Upon entering the new school, she looked around. It seemed pretty normal.. Suddenly, an average looking girl popped in front of her. Ayumu blinked. "Hi there! I'm Tomo Takino! You're new, what's your name?" she asked in a hyper manner.

"Uhm.. I'm Ayumu.. Ayumu Kasuga. Nice.. to meet you." Ayumu smiled, but was surprised to see a taller girl walk over and take the hyper girl by the ear.

"Tomo! Stop scaring the new girl!" The taller girl growled at Tomo.

"Aw, Yomi! I wasn't scaring her! Honest!" the wildcat shouted back, and soon they were in a full fledge argument. Ayumu looked on bewildered. A few moments later, Yomi had finished it with a smack and Tomo had backed down.

Ayumu was too distracted thinking whether or not she should laugh, to notice Yomi had begun to speak. "Hello?" Yomi asked raising an eyebrow.

"Oh!.. Hi there." The brunette smiled dully when a short girl walked by. "Uhm…Why.. is there a little grade school kid here?" Koyomi smiled and explained the prodigy to her.

"Ooooh.. I see." Was Ayumu's muttered response.

XxX

So the year began. A new chance at life, and Ayumu was quite happy with it.

Ayumu sat at her window watching the moon as it slowly rose into the sky. She smiled, remembering all the times she had done this as a child. From what she could remember anyway.

"I'm happy… But… Why can't I shake this… this… feeling." She looked to the moon for answers but none came. Sighing, she tried to recall the cause of her depression but failed.

"Oh well." She shrugged in her usual nonchalant way. "Doesn't matter much now anyway, huh?"

XxX

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A/N: Hmmmm… This could be the end. … Or I could do a really weird pairing ...Yuri! OO AHH! ... Not sure yet, what do you think? Another chapter… Yay or nay? Either way I hope you liked it . Please review?