Nichibotsu Yugure - Chapter 1 - First Light

Black...
               Black... 
                               Dark...
It was too dark to see anything, Hayate could only process a few thoughts at the time. But for some odd reason he could hear noises-- As though he was outside, birds tweeted, and wind blew gently, these sounds were fading, in and out in and out. 
Crunch... Crunch... Grass, crunching under someones feet as though they were taking steps forward, louder they grew and they came to a halt. 
"Hey, lazy, wake up!" A girly voice spoke, the darkness begun to spread as Hayate opened his eyes, he was half asleep. 
"Did I fall asleep here again?" Hayate asks sitting up rubbing the back of his head. "What're you doing here Lio?"
"Like it's a big surprise you even fell asleep here!" She huffs. "What's with you and napping here anyway? Is there something that you like doing here? On this field?" The girl--- Lio, bends down to look at him almost condescendingly, posing her hands into a fist-like shape and placing them on the sides of her hips. She giggles a little afterwards. 
"What's up? Why're you laughing?" He asks, as he notices her gaze to his hair and sighs, "Great." The boy could just tell that from her looking at him that his hair had been messy, he scruffs it a little then sweeps his hand through the locks, picking up a red headband off the floor with a little insignia on it, smiling, then stretching it forward slapping it onto his forehead. "Why're you here, anyway? I was enjoying my nap."
"Me? I-- Uuuh...." She looks like she spaced out for a moment there, "It was something to do with...." The girl stands up straight and places a finger on her lip as she retraces her steps. 
"Something to do wiiiith..?" Hayate asks gesturing his hands as though he's asking her to figure it out faster, he had to admit that inside the suspence was killing him, she wasn't usually this airheaded. "Come on hurry up! I'm gonna age 5 years before ya tell me!"
"Hey! That's rude! ..Anyway, I remember." Her outburst had him lean back a little as he stood up but once she stated that her steps had in fact been retraced it brought a grin upon his countenance. 
"Nice! Then what was it!" He hops a little as he looks down at the other. She smiles a little at his enthusiasm. 
"Gramps wanted to see us." Lio takes a little bit of the others' smirk and brings it to herself as she felt pleased that she'd said what needed to be heard. Though, she wasn't expecting him to suddenly change his expression into a bland bored one. 
"Gramps? That's it? You mean Esu didn't fall over into a pie or something..? That's a little disatisfying."
"Why would you want that!" The girl says as her posture changes fiercely. "Anyway it's urgent! So we better hurry up!"
"Urgent? You could'da said that at first cause now I'm excited." That dumb grin appears on his profile again as Lio shrugs and walks on turning her head back. He strides once then walks by her side slipping his hands into his pockets, "What's so urgent anyway?" He asks.
"I actually don't know, gramps just said to get you, everyone else is already there." 
"Everyone? You mean I'm last to know! That sucks!"
"Hey! It's not our fault you take your beauty sleep at such random places!" She huffs a little then averts her gaze to the market stalls, food everywhere, it looks beautifully prepared, she wasn't usually one for food but--
"Whoa! Food! Everywhere! I could eat this entire market!" Hayate shouts drooling a little.
"Your voracious appetite will get you nowhere in life."
"I don't care as long as I eat..!" He laughs pretty meniacally for a moment before he hears a noise coming from down the other side of the market.
"TH-THEIF!" It shouts as Hayate and Lio look at eachother before the older, Hayate, boosts off, Lio taking a different direction to try and approach the so-called theif. Within moments Hayate is within reach after pushing people out the way and jumping or running on the market stalls.
"I got you now!" He says as he leaps forward and tries to grab the theif who is holding a small sack that looks as though it's filled with goods such as oranges and apples. Hayate repositions both of his arms during his leap as an attempt to grab the others' leg as he runs, which almost works until the theif slips out of his grip, "Bastard!" He shouts as he tries to get up, wiping his face of rubble or dust that'd found its way onto his face. Despite his failed capture he'd seemed to have gotten a good look at the other.
He's a rather skinny male, with scruffy darkblue hair. Reasonably shorter than Hayate but still taller than Lio, he was wearing torn clothing, brown trousers which are most definitely recycled and worn to pieces, and a blue sleeveless shirt which looks rather new but is still torn and probably only looks new due to the condition of the other clothing.
Hayate moves a brown lock of his hair away from his eyes and then boosts off again but comes to a halt when the theif falls over, seeing a lady-like leg sticking from behind the corner, he turns his head slightly to see from a better angle, and standing there, with a satisfied smirk on her face is a young girl with light brown-blonde hair, she takes her heel and presses it on theifs back, "And that's why you never underestimate a girl."
"Hey hey! Nice one!" The male grins as he walks over, they high five as he walks past her then he turns around, bending down on his knees and looking the theif in the eyes, seeing him struggle. He pulls his cheek a little, "Hmmm.."
"Hey! Get your lousy hands off of me!"
"Lousy? Pretty good hands for someone who almost caught you, I think."
"Almost! Gh! Let me go!"
Lio intervenes, "You're a theif, you really think we just did this for fun?" She pushes her heel on him a little more, being a little cold. But Hayate couldn't blame her. "What's your name?"
"My name..? Why'd you ask such a weird question." The theif raises an eyebrow "....I'm James." He sighs as he loosens his grip on the sack letting an apple roll out.
"James, huh?" Hayate phrases his statement like a question as he pokes James' forehead. "Why don't you come with us?" 
"Why would I--"
"Return the food first." Lio interrupts him and points to a stall with fruits, some of which are missing, and the fact that it was just market hour and they'd already lost so much fruits was no coincidence. The theif looks at her almost as though he wasn't gonna do it, but  one more huff and another press of her heel convinced him that he should probably do it, removing her foot from the other allowing him to stand up she was able to see the way he looked at her once he'd stood up.
It was a rather unpleasant look but he also looked unsure, he was hungry, and he wasn't usually one to give food away just like that, he looks down at his stomach and his expression changes as his eyebrows form a more sad position.
"I've only got some money, but it might do the trick." The brown haired male speaks up from behind him, James turns around to see that he has his hand stuffed down his pockets scramming them for anything that could work, his hand exits the left pocket in a ball shape which he then holds forward, opening the fist he'd left the pockets with and revealing some money, it wasn't that much but hey, this town was full of poor people and it was just enough money for the fruits that James had wanted to buy, he smiles for a quick sec but the smile disappears as he tries to keep his 'cool guy act' on. Despite the quick time the expression was held for Hayate and Lio did not fail to notice."Now go buy your apples and oranges or whatever and we'll all make our way." He reminded James that he in fact still had to come with them for whatever reason.
"Sorry." James says to the shop owner as he drops the pennies onto the counter, the shop owner then shakes her head, "No no dear, it's alright now that you've paid." She seemed rather elderly and James thinks that the only reason he was forgiven is because he was a poor kid. He smiles at her and takes the sack as he starts to walk back.
"Kay! Now we're on our way." Lio says as she gently grabs James' wrist and proceeds onwards. 
"You can loosen your grip y'know." The older male says raising a brow at the girl. He then shrugs. "You're probably wondering why we're taking you with us, right?"
"Yes.. I am. In fact I'm thoroughly confused..." At this point James had ran out of motive to do much, he'd gotten his food but he was being dragged by strangers to somewhere-- He didn't even know where he was going.
"Don't worry, we're basically already there anyway." Hayate slips a hand into his pocket and hunches over a little pointing his index finger towards a fairy large hut. Then Hayate and Lio turn their heads and make a strange expression, as though they were grinning but also knew something he didn't. This made James very scared.  Hayate boosts over and kicks the door open. "Hey gramps we're back!"
"...Gramps..?" James mutters under his breath.
"We brought someone, by the way." Lio speaks up, "We caught him trying to steal stuff at the market, so..... His name is Granes."
"My name. Is James. You dumbass."
"Dumbass!?" Lio tightens her grip on James' arm. 
Crunch.
It sounds like something broke. James is laying on the floor in agony of that grapple. "Why the hell am I even here?" He says as he attempts to stand up.
The elderly man walks into the room, James looks up as he does and notices there's other people around his age in the room, not too many but they were still there. "Why were you stealing, young man?" The old man says sounding very terrifying. James yelps as he looks in Hayate's eyes. Fear. 
"B-Because I have no home-- Or parents, I was hungry! Really-- Really hungry please forgive me I'm sorry I don't wanna die!"
There's a pause in the noise, it's silent. Then a humble laugh comes from the elder. "Kill you? How absurd. It's alright. We'll take you in."
"Take me in?"
"I provide food and shelter for these homeless children, it's almost as if we are family!"
James looks around, he's not got as scared an expression as he had before. 
"So, whad'dya say, James? How about joining us, you don't even have to live with us, you can just pop round for something to eat sometimes if you want to." Hayate says. 
James takes one last look at the faces around him, all smiling his way.
James smiles too, and nods.
----
「best day, best way」
A heart that began to race can’t be stopped anymore
Hope and perspiration continue building up since yesterday
The tale has already begun
Once you cross over the boundary, there’s no turning back
Let’s kick the ground and drive out our weak hearts
"Since there’s already a path right before your eyes,"
That’s the only reason I need to give you a push from behind, right?
(can you get own best way? let’s go!)
"It’s my story!" That’s right, it’s my own story
Since we’re going to sketch it: hope, courage, repeatedly
Even though it can’t be seen, we’re never alone
Someone believes in the you that gives it your all
Let’s hasten the swelling of our hearts, and maybe someday it will reach you
A heart that began to race can’t be stopped anymore
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Next time- Family
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Category:Nichibotsu Yugure