A/N: As a birthday present (from me) I'm giving you the first chapter of the story that will be starting next week - Not That Simple. This Friday the last chapter of Haunted will be postedso I don't feel too guilty giving you only a taster of Not That Simple. As usual, this was based on a fairy tale and, as usual, this eventually drifted off. Warning: I may be a little cruel (ahem, crueller than usual) to my characters. Please don't kill me; I feel it is necessary for the characters' development.

Also, I really loved writing this story and I want it to be good. So don't be afraid to point out anything that doesn't make sense or needs tweaking. I may struggle to correct it in this story (as it's all written and everything) but it'll really help me with future stories. Although, some apparent plot-holes may be explained later on, so be patient with me.

And with no further ado, read on!

Catsafari. =^^=

ooOoo

What separates the butterfly from the moth? If the butterfly was lost in its chrysalis state, might it not be mistaken for the latter? And if even the butterfly thought herself a moth, then who would see her true nature?

Who will teach her to fly?

x

Chapter 1: People like Us

"Haru! Haru, don't wander off!"

The five-year-old brunette simply giggled and carried on chasing the pretty butterfly, trying to catch it in her young hands as it flittered teasingly out of reach; her thoughts far away from the dreary city-centre surroundings around her. Focused only on the pretty flying thing that was too quick for her to catch.

"Haru, stay near the stall!"

The butterfly alighted on a low wall, beating its gauzy wings lazily in the summer breeze. Still giggling, Haru slowed down, cupping her hands in preparation for the catch.

"Haru!" This time the clipped tone of her mother broke her from her game as a hand landed on her shoulder. The command startled the butterfly and it took off again.

"Look, mummy – a butterfly!" laughed Haru, pointing to the disappearing pair of glistening wings. Her face fell a little as she realised it wasn't coming back, but nonetheless she turned breathlessly around to face her mother, waving in the direction of where it had gone. "Did you see it? Did you see the butterfly?"

Naoko Yoshioka sighed; tucking one red strand of hair behind her ear with the action. "Yes Haru. Now do you remember what I said about being safe?"

Now Haru started to look guilty, rubbing her foot into the ground as she cast her eyes down. "You said not to wander from the stall," she muttered.

"Yes. And do you know why that is?"

"Because it's not safe for a child to be running around by herself," Haru replied in tone that suggested this was a well-covered topic. "I know."

With another sigh, the redhead mother swept her daughter into an affectionate embrace. "Yes, you do. Try not to drift off in future; I can't keep an eye on you and the stall."

With one last glance back to where the elusive butterfly had disappeared to, Haru allowed her mother to take her small hand and lead her back to their stall. It was deliberately set to catch the eye, covered in small handicraft items – most of them knitted or quilted – set in bright and patterned colours. Haru sat down on the low ledge behind the stall, letting her feet absent-mindedly kick at the air as she watched her mother quickly return to her vigil of manning the stall.

"Mummy, I'm hungry."

Naoko glanced back from bartering with a potential customer. "Just give me a moment, sweetheart."

Haru glanced down at her feet; swinging them a little faster to take the edge off her hunger. The customer was being difficult; refusing to pay the full amount her mother had set the price at. Giving her feet another bored swing, she dropped down to the ground and moved over to her mother's side. Tugging at the familiar, worn skirt the woman was wearing, she reminded her of her plea.

"Please, not just now Haru."

Haru pouted and peered over the edge of the stall at the well-dressed lady her mother was debating with. There was a visible difference in the style of clothes the two women were wearing – whereas the lady was wearing a elaborate dress made up of a rich red material, her mother only had a simple brown skirt and a tired – but clean – pale blouse.

The lady was obviously becoming uncomfortable with the young child's unceasing stare, because her clouded grey eyes began flitting from Naoko to Haru, regarding the girl with some emotion Haru recognised but didn't know the name of. A few more years would teach her this look was distaste.

"No, if you're not going to budge the price, I don't think we can come to an agreement," the lady said curtly to Haru's mother, sparing one last look to the child watching her. "Good day."

When she had gone, Naoko began grumbling. "Good day to you too, misery-guts. It wasn't like you couldn't spare the extra pennies, was it? It's not like those few pennies dictate whether you'll eat tonight, not like you've ever had to worry about feeding your child..."

Haru tugged at her mother's skirt again. "Mummy, what's wrong?"

Smiling gently as she pushed aside her previous words, Naoko swept up her only child into her arms. "Nothing, sweetie. Mummy's just annoyed that the lady wouldn't pay the full price for the bag."

Haru regarded her mother with her large, soulful eyes. "So something is wrong then," she remarked, taking her thumb out of her mouth to comment.

"No, not at all..."

"You said you were annoyed."

"Yes, I know."

Haru processed this information with as much sincerity as her five-year-old mind would allow. "Mummy, I'm hungry," she repeated finally.

"Yes, I know." Naoko sighed and put her daughter back on the ground. "But we finished up the last of the food this morning, remember?"

"Can you buy some more?"

"I could... but that would require leaving the stall." Naoko glanced at the stall, then at her young child. She shook her head. "And you're too young to be able to look after the stall by yourself. Sorry sweetheart, but can you wait until the end of the day? Can you wait until I've finished with the stall?"

Thumb back in mouth, Haru nodded. The thumb came out. "I'm really hungry," she reiterated.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry."

Again, Haru took a moment to process the information.

"Is there any food in the cart?" she eventually asked.

Naoko now spared a glance to the horse-and-cart that was standing a few metres away, tethered to a post for safety. Then she turned back to the girl. "No, Haru. Can you be a good girl and wait until the end of the day? Please?"

The five-year-old blinked a couple of times, and then nodded.

"That's my girl." Naoko kissed the top of Haru's head affectionately. "Do you want to go and stand with Taro?"

For the moment forgetting her hunger, Haru's eyes lit up and she nodded enthusiastically. She scrambled out of her mother's hold and started towards the cart.

"Just remember not to leave the cart," Naoko called hurriedly. She watched her only child then returned to the stall, shaking her head fondly at the little brunette's carefree attitude.

"Hello Taro." Haru's signature giggle returned as the aging horse lowered his head and nudged her good-naturedly. "No, I haven't got any food on me, sorry." She grinned and stroked the horse's forehead earning a friendly whinny for it. "No, not even being nice will make the food appear magically."

The horse whinnied again.

"Yeah, I'm hungry too. But mummy says we won't be able to get any food until she's finished at the stall." Haru pouted.

Her innocent eyes strayed away from the horse to the butterfly that was hovering overhead. She laughed freely. "Butterfly, you returned!" she cried happily, reaching her arms up into the air as if willing for it to land on her hands. The butterfly seemed to regard her and then drift away.

"No, don't go, butterfly!" Still laughing, she set about chasing it, forgetting her mother's instructions entirely in her pursuit of the pretty flying thing. She half ran, half skipped, as her mind became absorbed by the butterfly.

"Come back!" she cried, giggling as the butterfly still avoided capture. "I just want to play!"

Chase of it led her down an alley and away from her mother. Still she laughed as her feet just followed the creature before her in childish bliss, no longer aware of where she was going. The butterfly flew through a gap in a high, carefully tended hedge and disappeared into the garden beyond.

Haru stopped and started at the barrier separating her from the pretty animal, peering through the gap. It was small, but then, she was small too. With this encouraging thought, she set about scrambling through the thick foliage, trying to spot the colourful blur that would be the butterfly. She finally made her way into the garden and squealed happily when she saw the butterfly resting gently on a brightly coloured flower.

"What are you doing here?"

Reluctant to be distracted, Haru turned to the owner of the voice to see a young boy a few years older than her standing several metres away. "Butterfly," she said plainly, pointing to said insect as a way of explanation. She grinned. "I was following the butterfly."

He didn't take his eyes off her, apparently surprised by the sudden appearance of a small girl climbing out of the hedge. For several moments he didn't answer, but then his face split into a grin of his own. "What's your name?"

"Haru. Yours?"

"Humbert."

Haru giggled. "That's a strange name."

The lad went a little red with indignation. "Well so is Haru."

"Is not."

"Is too."

Haru stuck out her tongue at him. "Humbert's all stuffy and old," she told him rudely. "You sound like my grandfather."

"Well, Haru sounds like a boy's name," he retorted.

Haru was about to open her mouth to snap back a reply, but then stopped. "Really?" Her voice sounded a little hurt.

There was a pause, then the boy hung his head shamefully. "Sorry, my tutor says I should think before I speak. I didn't mean that. Haru's a very pretty name."

"Oh." The tiny brunette seemed to consider this before replying dutifully, "Humbert isn't really that bad."

He smiled ruefully back at her. "But you were right in a way – I was actually named after my grandfather."

Haru took this in, then let her eyes wander to the butterfly. "What's a tutor?" she asked curiously.

"A tutor?"

She nodded.

"It's like a... teacher..."

"Someone who teaches then?"

Humbert nodded, watching the little girl with interest. "You mean you don't have tutor?"

"My mummy teaches me stuff."

"Really? Like what?"

"Like how to cook and clean and stuff." Haru tilted her head to the side. "Is she a tutor?"

The boy laughed. "I don't think so."

"But she teaches."

"It's a little bit more specific than that." He hesitated, then asked, "Can you read?"

Haru made a noise that suggested she was insulted by the question. "Of course I can. Mummy's teaching me."

"Oh."

They looked over each other for a few elongated seconds, perhaps taking in their differences for the first time. Haru tugged unsurely at the hem of her plain brown dress, ignoring the several additional stitches and patches that suggested the dress had been well mended a few times. This was in comparison to the boy's clothes that looked as good as new. Perhaps they were new. Haru couldn't remember the last time she had a new outfit. She scuffed her tatty shoes against the perfectly kept grass at her feet.

"Where's your home?" the boy eventually asked, as if the manners had been well hammered into him.

Haru looked back at the way she'd come. "Out there," she said vaguely. "Mummy and me sleep in the cart usually."

"You sleep in a cart?"

Haru nodded. "We move around a lot and mummy sells her stuff so we can have dinner." With this thought came the realisation that she was still hungry. To consolidate this fact, her stomach rumbled. Not just a short rumble, but a full, ten second long grumble that sounded as if someone had set an earthquake going in her stomach.

Both children giggled.

"Hey, if you're hungry we can get some food," the boy said suddenly.

"You have food?"

"Duh, that's what the kitchen is for."

"Oh. We don't have a kitchen." Haru frowned as she said this, as if wondering why the smartly dressed boy had a kitchen but she didn't.

"Humbert! Humbert, where are you?"

Haru jumped, but the boy just laughed. "That'll be my tutor. That means it's lunchtime. Come on, he'll let you have something to eat."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah."

"Haru! Haru!"

Humbert frowned. "Who's that?"

Haru glanced behind her. "Oh, that's my mummy. She'll be looking for me."

Her mother's calls became higher and more frenzied.

"You should go then; she sounds worried."

"Yeah, I suppose..." Haru looked at the boy and gave a grin. "It was nice meeting you, Humbert."

"Yeah, and you."

Haru ducked through the hole she'd originally entered through and scrambled back through it, although this time was easier as she'd widened the gap the first time she'd gone through. Covered in dirt and scratches, she arrived on the other side, back to the world she knew.

"Haru! Ha–"

"I'm here, mummy."

She found herself seized by a familiar pair of hands. "Oh, Haru, what were you doing?"

Decidedly tired out by her little adventure, Haru snuggled into her mother's embrace. "I was chasing the butterfly."

"Oh... what am I going to do with you? Haru, I told you not to leave the cart."

"I know, I know..." Haru yawned. "But I wanted to see the butterfly."

Naoko sighed and hugged her daughter closer, glancing over her shoulder at the hedge Haru had appeared through. Beyond it could be seen an impressive manor, obviously of someone of high status. She sighed again, trying not to think about how some people at least would be having a decent meal today.

"Do you think I could see him again?" Haru asked tiredly.

"See who, sweetie?"

"The boy."

Naoko froze. "What boy?"

The little brunette yawned again. "Humbert. The boy who was in that garden."

Naoko took another look at the manor. "No, Haru."

Haru's possessive grip on her mother tightened. "What? Why? He said they had food." After a dubious moment, she added, "He said his tutor would let me have something to eat if I asked."

Now out of sight of the manor and all its glory, they arrived back at the cart and stall. Naoko set her daughter down on the back step of the cart and tried to find the right words to explain the complications. "Haru, he didn't know that his tutor would let you have some food."

Haru fiddled with the hem of her dress, feeling like she'd done something wrong, but not entirely sure what. "Well... well," she spluttered confusedly, "it's his tutor. He knows what his tutor would do. Anyway," she added defensively, "why wouldn't he give me something to eat? Humbert made it sound as if they had food to spare."

Her mother bit to her lip nervously. "Haru, not everyone sees other people as equal..."

"Like that lady?"

"What?"

"Like that lady this morning. The one who made you annoyed." Haru lifted her wide chocolate eyes with all the experience of childhood behind them up to meet her mother's. "She was giving me a funny look," she added for good measure.

"Yes, I suppose like that lady. Well, Haru... sweetie... some people look down on us because we're... well, we don't have the same privileges as them."

"Humbert didn't look down on me," Haru said huffily.

"No, sweetheart, I doubt he did. But his tutor might. His family might."

"But what does that have to do with me seeing him? Why would they think that I'm less than them, just because I don't have the same pr- privi- privileges, as them?" Haru asked, struggling a little with the word.

Naoko sighed and drew her daughter into another hug. "I don't know. But you'll understand when you're older. People like the family that Humbert comes from, well, they don't like people like us."

Haru made a face. "What's wrong with people like us?"

Naoko gave Haru a final, sorrowful look, then shook her head. "It doesn't matter. We're going to be moving on to the next town soon anyway, so even if there wasn't the problem about rank..." She shook her head again. "Well, we're moving on anyway. Come on, I seem to have given up on the stall. Let's see if we can buy some bread or something."

ooOoo

Humbert stood watching where the girl in the frayed dress and messy hair had disappeared to, wondering when he'd next get to see her.

"Humbert, I've been calling you! What have you been doing? Everyone's waiting for you."

The boy turned to his tutor – a bespectacled man with dark hair who arrived running and out of breath – and replied, "Just talking, Natori."

His tutor looked around as if expecting someone to jump out at him. "Who, Humbert?"

The boy recalled the girl with her simple clothes and infectious giggle and large round eyes. He smiled a little at the memory.

"Just someone."