Chapter One - Ugly Is Me

Harumi Nobu was normal just like anyother kid at her school. However, none of the other kids saw her as just normal. Harumi had a flaw, and that flaw was ugliness.

Harumi walked down the hall of the large school. A few kids exchanged mean glances as she passed, but Harumi didn’t care. It had always been this way. She figured, at least it wasn’t as bad as when people began taking a notice of her ugliness when she was ten.

Harumi’s footsteps carried her down a long dirt path that lead her to her large mansion-like house.

“Mom, I’m home,” She called as soon as she entered the hour.

“Hi honey,” Her mother’s voice came from within the kitchen. “How was school today?”

Harumi hesitated to answer, searching for the right words. “Oh, same as ever.”

Harumi’s mother walked out of the kitchen, her face looked concerned. She was about to say something, but Harumi cut her off.

“Mom, everyone thinks I’m ugly,” She told her mother. “But I don’t know how that can be possible. I’ve looked at myself in the mirror and I look just as good as any of those hot girls at my school. What’s wrong with me mom?”

“Nothings wrong with you,” Her mother said as she hugged her tightly. “I don’t know what those kids see, but you know what I see?”

Harumi looked up at her mom with hopeful eyes.

“I see a beautiful girl. I promise, you are beautiful. And if those kids can’t see it, it’s because there too shallow to even notice. Why do you think Kazuya thinks your beautiful?”

Harumi smiled. Her mother always said the right things.

“Thanks mom.”

“Your welcome Harumi.” Her mother hugged her once again. “Tezuya is waiting for you in the back garden. You’d better greet him.”

Harumi waved good bye to her mother and headed off to the back garden. Mrs. Nobu took one last glance at her daughter and then headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

“Oh Tenma, why did you cast that spell on our daughter? Did you ever stop to think of the consequenses when you made our daughters life miserable?”

“Harumi! My dear Harumi!” Tezuya called out as he ran to Harumi.

Tezuya was a young lord who came from a far off land. He was betrothed to Harumi and was to marry her unless she disagreed. Fortunately it had never come to that due to Harumi’s lack of confidence in herself. She was even grateful to her father that he had arranged a marriage for her and saw no reason to ever cancel the arranged marriage. Besides that, Tezuya was a strong hansom man of eighteen. His hair shoulder length, but still well kept. It’s dark brown color almost the same as his eyes.

“Where have you been all day?” Tezuya asked as he ran his fingers through Harumi’s light brown hair.

“I was at school, where else?” Harumi told him with a smile.

“At school? Were those kids gossiping about you again?” Tezuya asked in a concerned tone. “How dare they call you ugly. Your far from ugly. You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever known.”

“Oh please,” Harumi looked down with embarrassment. “Do you really mean it?”

“Harumi, how could you ever think otherwise?” Tezuya lifted her chin so that her green eyes met his brown eyes. “Just do me a favor and forget what all those other kids think.”

Harumi’s eyes lightened up. “Okay,” She said with a large smile. “I’ll do it for you.”

“That’s my girl,” He said before leaning in for a kiss.

That evening at the dinner table Harumi still had the thought of her ugliness in mind. So, she decided to confront her father.

“Harumi, you did well training today with Mr. Rai. Your certainly have improved your fighting skills this year.” Harumi’s father praised her. Harumi only smiled for a moment.

“Daddy,” Harumi began in a small voice. Her father looked up at her and smiled.

“Yes sweety,” Mr. Nobu answered before taking a bite out of his piece of chicken.

“Well, I was wondering,” Harumi hesitated for a moment. Would her dad be honest about the question? “Do you think I’m ugly?”

“What?!” The questioned seemed to stun her father, but in someway his shock seemed almost faked. “Of course not. Why ever would you think such a thing Harumi. You’re a very beautiful young girl. Why even Tezuya thinks so.”

Harumi smiled for a moment at her father’s remark. But turning to the peas on her plate she began to wonder if maybe everything that everyone was saying was a lie. After all, no one at school ever called her beautiful. Poor Harumi, she was so confused. Was it her parents who were telling the truth, or the many kids at her school.

That night as Harumi sat up in her bed looking out into the star filled night she began to think of everything everyone had said about her. She wanted her parents to be right. But she also wanted the kids at her school to believe the same way.

Harumi got under her covers and turned her head away from the window. She wished she had friends. She tried to be as nice as possible, but sadly she had none.

It’s been like this for quite some time, Harumi thought to herself. You’d think by now I’d be used to it.

Harumi sighed heavily before turning her head back around towards her window. She gazed up at the sky. The moon was crescent shaped yet still bright. She then looked off into the distance where there sat several hills. She wished she could go far away from where she lived. Leave her hometown and start a new life. And perhaps there would even be a training facility with some of the best fighters in the land. She wanted her parents to be proud of her. So since she couldn’t be beautiful she could at least learn to fight better than any child in the Nobu family generation.

Harumi closed her eyes and let her head seep into the fluffy pillow. Tomorrow was another day and she’d get through it just like any other.

“Tenma, I hate to see Harumi like this,” Mrs. Nobu complained. “She’s a teenage girl and she needs to live like one.”

“Megumi, I’m sorry,” Mr. Nobu replied as he sat at the edge of the bed. “I just don’t want this marriage between Tezuya and Harumi to screw up.”

“Tenma, it’s her choice. You can’t force your own daughter to marry someone.”

“I’m not forcing her to do anything.”

“No,” She corrected herself. “What your doing is worse. She’s living a lie and it’s tearing her up inside. You have to tell her the truth.”

“I can’t.”

“What?!”

“I’m sorry I can’t.” He said loudly. “What’s done is done. She’s almost ready to marry anyways. Once she’s old enough I’ll remove the spell.”

“I can’t believe you’d sacrifice your only daughters freedom and beauty for your own plans!” Mrs. Nobu yelled in anger.

“It’s what needed to be done, Megumi!!” Mr. Nobu yelled even louder. Mrs. Nobu gasped. “I’m sorry, Megumi. But what’s done is done. In time you will come to realize the brilliance of my plan, but as of now all must remain a secret.” He said calmly as he took both of his wife’s hands. “You must promise to never tell.”

“I promise.” She agreed. She loved Harumi dearly, but she had to follow her husband. He knew what was best for the family.

She remembered when he had first placed the spell on her. It was the day Harumi first met Tezuya as a small child. They were both young, but quickly grew to be quite fond of each other.

Tenma Nobu had learned the magical ability, taught to him by his uncle, to turn people ugly. He had no use for the ability accept for amusement while still young. But as soon as Harumi met Tezuya and a marriage arrangement was decided Tenma decided to put his skills to good use. Using the perfected ability Tenma Nobu set a perimeter around his house that when passed made Harumi look ugly. Tenma feared Harumi’s good looks would cause her to rebel against his plans for marrying her off. So Tenma cast the spell and Harumi stayed faithful to Tezuya. His plan worked, but what he didn’t figure into the plan was how Harumi’s life would be affected by the spell of ugliness.