Ch8 - Bloody Memories

Every child is born innocent... Do you know the day you were no longer innocent?

Purpura walked along, left to his thoughts.
He was headed to Kipsy's shop, surely a good assignment had turned up.
Something to take his mind off Rose.
As he walked his thoughts were consumed with how she tormented him as a child.
The first thing that came to mind was when they were five, almost six years old.
It was the day he first met Black.
Though at the time, neither went by their assassin names.

----Purpura memory----
That particular day he had been wearing a pearly purple and white striped long-sleeve shirt.
It was too big, like most of his clothes when he was young
'that just means you have to keep growing' his mother always said
As a child he had felt he would never get any bigger.
His neko ears and tail were prominent features, not that he had any proper control of them.
His tail swished about absently, his ears simply twitching with every little noise.
He recalled sitting outside, next to a tree, picking flowers.
Like many nekos he had been a rather gentle child.
Content to spend his days exploring the forest he lived in.
Once he had a small bundle of flowers, he'd stood up.
It was to be a gift for his mother, whom was constantly busy with the babies.
He turned, and was suddenly tackled, tumbling back over a tree root.
He was on the ground, the flowers scattered.
On top of him was a girl, same age with her hair was the same color as Purpura, and crazy eyes.
She had him pinned down.
"Hi, Day-day!" she exclaimed.
"Get off me, Rose!" he shouted, struggling under her.
Sadly, she had superior strength, or perhaps greater desire.
As a child he often wondered if her being crazy made her stronger.
She laughed, "We should play tag!"
"Okay, fine. I'll be it." He said, not wanting to upset her, and hoping it would get her off.
"No! I'm it!" she exclaimed, before she suddenly bit his shoulder.
"AHH!!" he screamed, and he struggled with all his might.
He was attempting to kick her, hit her, anything to get her off.
Suddenly she let go, and shouted "Now, you're it!" before she ran away.
He sat up, holding his hand over his shoulder.
He watched her run off, before he looked at his shoulder, blood was seeping thru his shirt.
Purpura got up and walked, before seeing a waterfall that fed a river.
He walked behind the waterfall, into a cave.
Deeper inside, the cave opened to a large cavern.
There was a house standing within.
He walked up to the house, and pushed the door open.
Inside there was crying, a baby crying, well three babies crying.
He walked to the left into the kitchen.
Inside an adult neko with bright purple hair was cooking.
The neko was thinly built, clothing a mess, bright royal-purple hair pulled up into a hap-hazard bun.
Purpura just stood there, watching for a moment.
At the table were the babies. Four of them, all but one cried.
They were nearly a year old, and the year had been rough on their mother.
Finally the neko went over with small bottles and gave them each a bottle.
Then returned to cooking, the neko looked exhausted.
Surely four babies, and two five year olds would exhaust anyone, especially as a single parent.
"Mommy...?" Purpura said quietly.
The neko turned to look, before hurrying over.
"Oh no, you're bleeding.
What happened?"
"Rose bit me..."
"I told you to avoid her..."
"She attacked me!"
The neko shook their head, before standing and grabbing a cloth.
Gently rinsing the cloth, continuing to speak. "You two must try to get along."
His mother came back over and pulled his shirt off, and placed the rag on his wound.
Kneeling, his mother continued speaking, "After all, she's your sister.
I know she's... energetic, but that just means you have to help her calm down."
Purpura stood quietly, he never attacked Rose, she attacked him, yet he always got the talk about getting along.
As a child it felt unfair, she was crazy.
As an adult... it still felt unfair.
"Hold that there.
I'll get some ointment." The neko stood, before a pot whistled, and the neko hurried over.
A baby then dropped a bottle and cried, the neko hurried over to help.
Purpura just sighed, he knew where the ointment was.
He'd become rather self-reliant this last year.
He went into the bathroom, and reached on the counter grabbing the ointment.
Considering how often Rose attacked him, the ointment was readily available.
He set the cloth down, and rubbed the ointment on the wound.
He walked back to the kitchen, his mother was holding a bowl of mushy food.
Quietly offering little spoonfuls to each baby.
Their main hunger curbed by the bottles.
"Mommy..." Purpura said quietly, his mother glanced over.
"Oh, I'm sorry, sweetie." His mother returned to trying to feed the babies, but kept talking.
"I'll get the blood out of your shirt.
Go get a new one, and please do your best to get along with Rose."
Purpura sighed, he knew that wouldn't happen.
None the less, he went upstairs.
He looked at the door on his right, that was Rose's room.
He went to the door to the left.
The room was sparsely furnished, just a bed, and dresser.
The sheets were a simple purple color, the dresser painted white.
He went over to the dresser and opened the bottom drawer.
He pulled out another shirt and put it on.
It too, was purple, and too big for him.
He questioned why his mother only bought purple clothing.
He walked out of the room, and went downstairs.
He paused to watch his mother attempt to feed the babies.
They were not co-operating.
He went outside again, eventually he walked out from under the waterfall to the forest.
He looked about, wanting to avoid Rose.
He kept walking perhaps if he walked enough she wouldn't find him.
He finally came to a small clearing.
He sat down not sure what to do with the rest of his day.
"Who're you?" a voice asked.
Purpura jumped, scrambling a bit.
Standing just a couple feet away was a boy.
The boy had dark hair, nearly pitch black, but with a light tint of purple.
Purpura stood up, "Who- who are you?"
He knew the forest was protected thru magic, only those who needed sanctuary could enter.
Only certain species of demons could even perceive the forest, if they didn't need sanctuary.
But ill intent meant the forest itself attacked.
"I asked first." The boy said, a little aggressive, and with an air of superiority about him.
Purpura stepped back a little, he didn't interact much with other children.
And this boy was a little taller than him, and probably older.
The boy stepped forward, reaching out, and Purpura bolted.
The other boy gave chase, as Purpura was running he was suddenly tackled from the side.
Rose was on top of him, and laughed.
"I decided I was it again!" she said as she began to simply beat him.
He just went into the fetal position, this wasn't his day.
The other boy caught up, "Hey, leave him be!" the boy shouted, and ran over.
Rose looked to him, "Get lost!" she shouted, and continued to beat Purpura.
The boy growled, before he jumped and tackled her off.
He jumped off and Rose scrambled up, growled at him, and charged.
The boy quickly summoned two shadows.
One acted a shield, Rose hit it, and stopped dead in her tracks.
She pounded against the shadow in a rage.
The boy then used the other shadow, like a sword and swung sideways.
The shield effortlessly sliced, he hit Rose and she was sent flying.
She crashed into a tree, and was down for the count.
Purpura had peaked to watch, being completely amazed.
The boy huffed, before walking over to Purpura.
"Are you okay?" he asked offering a hand.
Purpura nodded, and took his hand, accepting the help up.
"Who was that?" the boy asked.
Purpura dusted off a little, "My sister..." he said looking over.
She was still out, and Purpura asked "Will she be okay?" 
He didn't like her, but he didn't want his mother mad at him.
The boy looked, "I didn't hit her that hard.
I think I just startled her...
She'll probably be out for twenty minutes."
"Okay. Let's go before she wakes up." Purpura suggested and began hurrying away.
The boy followed, until they reached a good distance.
"Why does she beat you up?" the boy asked.
Purpura looked to him, "I honestly don't know..."
"Hmph, well don't worry about her anymore.
I'll protect you!" the boy declared.
Purpura shook his head, "You don't have to do that.
She's just..."
"Crazy?"
"My mom said not to call her that."
The boy laughed, "Fine, I won't call her that."
The two spent the rest of the day talking, and laughing.
Until the sun began to set.
"I should get home.
I'm not supposed to be out after sunset..." Purpura explained, seeing disappointed.
"Oh... That makes sense.
I'll walk you home, to make sure your sister doesn't attack."
They met up each day for nearly a week.
Periodically Rose would attack, and the boy easily fended her off.
On the sixth day, after midday they were laughing together.
Suddenly the boy jumped up
Purpura spoke, "What's wrong?"
"My caretaker has tracked me down."
He said looked about, "I can sense his presence, but I don't know exactly where he's at."
Suddenly Purpura was grabbed by the throat and pinned up against a tree.
Purpura struggled, kicking his feet, and trying to pry the attacker's hand off his throat.
The attacker was an adult, with dark hair, that had silver streaks.
The boy quickly went and attacked "Let him go!" the boy shouted.
His attacks were blocked by some unseen force.
Purpura's eyes drooped as he struggled for oxygen.
Suddenly he awoke hitting the ground, he was coughing and taking in deep breaths.
Kneeling next to him, the boy was rubbing Purpura's back.
"I have to go back home.
My caretaker agreed to not kill you, if I returned home with him...
Stay safe. I'll return for you." The boy said, and walked over to the caretaker, before they both suddenly vanished.
Purpura got up, slowly, before he walked towards home, rather upset.
He felt heartbroken, that boy had been his first friend, and protector.
Suddenly, Rose was standing in front of him.
"Look what I figured out how to do." She said, holding a little ball of red liquid in her hand.
He barely glanced at her, but instead just tried to walk around her.
She growled in anger and grabbed him knocking him over.
She sat ontop of him, "Where's your guardian?" she asked mockingly.
"Leave me alone." He said as he tried to push her off.
She laughed, "Isn't this cool?" she asked holding the red liquid ball in his face.
"No, now get off me!" he said, pushing her arm away.
"But it's blood! I can control blood!"
"I don't care!" he shouted
She growled in anger, then she grabbed his face.
She forced his mouth open and shoved the blood in his mouth.
He began panicking, as she brought her fingers down his throat, before he managed to finally knock her off.
His mouth and throat were burning.
He rolled over, and coughed trying to get the blood out.
A large glob came out, it kept burning, as he kept coughing, and Rose laughed her crazy laugh.
"To bad your guardian isn't here!" she shouted.
Suddenly Purpura's eyes turned red with rage.
He stood, while clawing his own arm.
The blood coated his claws, before he suddenly charged her.
She was surprised, as he clawed at her.
Ripping her shirt, and clawing her shoulder.
She mimicked him, clawing her arm.
The two were suddenly clawing at each other, blood was everywhere.
The other's blood burned each of them, but Purpura was winning, he was faster and enraged.
Suddenly their mother came running over.
Trees grabbed both children, pulling them apart.
Rose screamed and yelled, kicking about.
Purpura growled and seemed to froth blood at the mouth, as he struggled for freedom.
Their mother waved the tree with Rose off, and the tree moved her to another tree.
They simply transferred her from tree to tree till she was a good distance.
Not that any distance was enough to silence her shouting.
Their mother came over to Purpura who hadn't stopped fighting the branches.
"Sweetie, calm yourself." The neko said, reaching to touch Purpura who snapped at them.
The neko looked distraught, before looking to the tree.
The branches released, and the neko quickly grabbed Purpura holding him in a tight hug.
Purpura struggled, and fought, even bit his own mother in anger.
Eventually he began to cry, and his eyes faded back to purple.
"It's okay, you're allowed to cry." His mother whispered, gently rubbing his back.
He cried for a long time, before finally just sniffling and stopping.
"Better?" his mother asked, sweetly.
Purpura nodded, and stepped back a little, rubbing his own face.
"Now, tell me what happened..." his mother requested, gently fixing Purpura's hair.
"I-" he suddenly started coughing, doubling over as he coughed.
Then he coughed a bit of blood out, Purpura held his hands against his throat, it still burned and hurt.
His mother looked concerned, before gently picking up Purpura.
"Let's get you back home. I'll come back for Rose once she calms down."
In the distance you could still hear Rose's angry screaming.
As his mother carried him, his mother spoke, "I think it's time I told you about your father."
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Author's Note

I was unsure how to properly delve into a memory, so I simply gave it my best shot.