Akuma no Ha

Amai's Backstory

Amai was a little girl like all others, but little did she know at the age of 8 her life would change forever...

Amai was a little girl growing up on her parents farm. Her parents were not the most wealthy, though they were not extremely poor either. Her parents had a small shop selling fruit, flowers, and really anything off her land. One day in June it was getting pretty late. Amai had stayed up past her bedtime. Amai always recalled her mother telling her not to go out after dark.

"Amai, my sweetie you must never go out after dark, demons will be waiting." her mother said seriously.

"Okaaaaaayyyy mom.." Amai said, rolling her eyes, walking back to her room. But she was sick of her mom's rules! So Amai decided to sneak out past her bedtime. But this was a mistake.

Amai walked outside, it was about a little later than dusk. She went to her favorite cherry blossom tree to read and draw. "Hm...I guess I'll draw our cat, Mochi!" She said out-loud thinking no one would hear her. Amai began to draw her cat when she heard some rustling from above her, she looked up into the pink cherry tree leaves to see glowing yellow eyes, it was.....the fast demon! He fell out of the tree onto Amai, attacking her, scratching at her arms, legs, her whole body. "

You little runt...." He said before walking off.

"I...yo..." Amai muttered laying there, bleeding out. About 4 minutes later she heard footsteps approaching, then getting faster, it was her mother!

"Sweetie! Amai! You're alive! Come with me!" Amai's mother quickly grabbed her, running off as fast as she could.

Turns out that demon had gone back for Amai's father, attacked and mauled him in front of her mother, then proceeded to eat him. So her mother ran to find her daughter slaughtered, but still alive. 

"W-where am..I...?" Amai said attempting to sit up, then she realized she was in a hospital bed! She looked around and saw doctors looking at her, she then turned to her left and saw her mom and mochi!

"Y-your awake!" Amai's mother hugged her, immediately crying, along with her cat lying on her stomach.

"What happened..?" she asked, her voice weak, then she coughed. "You were in a coma for 1 year.."her mother said wiping her tears pointing to the date.

It had been a hard day working in the field. Amai sighed, not excited for another day of working in the rice fields. She looked over to a small tree that reminded her of her father. Amai bit back the feeling of sorrow and sadness. Her mother had been buried next to her father. She looked into the setting sun, no longer able to long back her tears. Amai sobbed, why her.....? Why had her mother died 2 months earlier, from a fatal sickness. Now losing everyone she ever loved she fell to her knees sobbing. Why had this all happened to her at such a young age? Why her? An only child, with no one to turn to at the time she needed it the most...Amai sat there continuing to cry, when she heard footsteps approaching.

"Are you ok?" said a gentle voice from in front of her. Amai looked up to see a beautiful lady in a butterfly-wing-pattern haori, with butterfly hair clips, and the most gentle eyes she had ever seen.

"Ye-...no..I'll be alright soon enough.." Amai sat up, the woman helping her up to stand, she then asked her what was wrong. Amai told her everything. At that moment she needed someone like that to help her get on her feet again.

"Im Kanae Kocho, the flower pillar." the woman said said smiling at Amai.

The lady then asked Amai if she would like to be her Tsuguko. Amai had lost all hope when she was crying earlier, so she said yes. This lady seemed to be so nice and she had helped her accept her parents' deaths throughout the next few moments. Amai then gathered the few things she had, her mother's pink haori with flower petals in white details at the bottom, and her wooden katana Amai's father had given her by her father before he had died. Amai looked back at that tree one last time, holding back the fear she had. Now following the lady off to her new home.

"This is Butterfly Mansion, you are free to find yourself a room here." Kanae smiled, giving her a tour of the mansion, showing her the backyard with the pond.

"This is my sister Shinobu." she said, leading her into Shinobu's room. Amai looked around and the walls had been decorated with many little photos. Amai then got to her room and put her stuff down. It was now almost 10 pm. So she laid down to sleep. Holding all those memories from her family with her like a burden as she slept she finally felt..peace..