WARNING: This fic has a rape scene and violence, and isn't intended for general audiences. Only proceed if, and only if, this sort of thing does not bother you.

Full Moon

Kanna swung her shopping bag as she walked up the sidewalk.
The September evening was warm, despite the onset of autumn. Turning down the street to the theatre, she whistled happily. The day had been great.
She had been surprised by a birthday party. She hadn't even remembered it was her birthday, which made it all better somehow. Presents, her friends and best of all, a great lunch! Ichirou had even called from Paris to wish her a happy birthday. Yup, the day was good.
The streetlights sprang to life as the last edges of light disappeared from the evening sky. The moon was heavy and orange on the horizon, only a couple days from being full.
This has been a great day, she repeated to herself again. And the night will be great too! A new play to start, where I play a woman! Gotta love that! "Yes indeedy do," she chuckled out loud.
Something hit her with the force of a freight train. Falling into a hedge, she was momentarily dazed. She touched her head gently, and felt wetness. Blood?
Somebody grabbed her, and pulled her further into the hedge. Her head spinning, she resisted, but not with her usual strength. When she felt hands at her waist, she began to fight.
"No!" she cried, struggling. The hands were strong. She heard the rip of her pant, and felt the sudden coolness on her thigh.
Realization struck her, and she began to fight in earnest.
Her fist swung out, and she felt a satisfying shock down her arm as it connected with a face. The man grunted, but didn't let go, and his grip on Kanna's hip became painful.
With more strength than Kanna could imagine, she was shoved into the dirt, and the rest of her pants were ripped away. She tried to kick, punch, bit and inflict damage, but the guy never let go. She felt nails dig into her skin and a fist hit her in the jaw.
Stars swam through her vision, and distantly, she felt the pain of nails raking over her stomach, teeth biting the arm she was weakly trying to fend him off with.
When the pain of the penetration hit, she cried out in terror and anger.

Kanna woke in the hedge.
It was full dark, and the moon rode high in the sky.
She blinked back tears as she realized what had happened to her.
Struggling to sit up, she felt pain everywhere. Her right forearm had a ragged, torn bite, and her body was covered in scratches and blood.
Carefully getting to her feet, she cried as she pulled what was left of her clothes around her. She limped home in sort of a daze, trying not to think. Tears flowed down her cheeks, and she started at every noise.
What seemed like hours later, she got to a side entrance of the theatre, and let herself in.
"There you are!" she heard a familiar voice call out. She didn't exactly register who it was speaking, and turned around. A girl... in a gown, with auburn hair...
"Kanna?" the girl faltered, peering through the semi-darkness.
"Kanna?" she parroted, her voice rough with tears. Dazedly, she slid to the floor, dimly hearing the girl yelling. Mercifully, the world turned black, and she slid into unconsciousness.

The sun warmed her face, and she slid her arm over her face. Morning already?
What happened hit her, and she drew a ragged breath.
"Kanna?" an accented voice asked softly.
Kanna looked over at the woman sitting next to her. Pale, blonde, green eyed, Maria was one of the most beautiful women Kanna had ever known. To people not knowing her, if was an icy, cold beauty, but Kanna knew there was warmth and kindness in her. She was Kanna's best friend.
"Maria? Oh, hell, Maria," Kanna tried to hold back tears.
"I am sorry, Kanna. I know that it is not enough, but I am truly sorry."
"I don't even know what happened, Maria. I didn't see anyone! And I don't think he was all that big! He was so strong! I couldn't fight him!" Kanna's tears began to flow. She could feel burning pains all over her body. "How bad is it?"
"You were bitten on the arm. The skin was punctured. You look as if an animal was let loose on you," Maria told her evenly. "You have scratches down your legs, over your stomach and hips. We wanted to take you to the hospital, but you kept asking us not to."
"Imagine that. I don't remember it. I thought I was out cold," she laughed weakly. It sounded strained to her ears.
"Kouran still wants you to go in if just for a tetanus shot. Kanna, you know we're here for you?" Maria touched her arm softly, looking sad.
"Maria, I never thought I'd be... raped," Kanna struggled with the word. "I'm big. And strong! He WASN'T! Maria, how could this have happened to me?" Kanna cried out, covering her face with her hands. "It's inconceivable."
"He must have been very strong," Maria said softly, touching Kanna's hair. "It is not your fault."
"No," Kanna shook her head. "I know. It's some hormone imbalance in the guy."
Maria laughed softly, carefully hugging Kanna.
"Don't be afraid," Kanna murmured after a few minutes of comfort. She could sense Maria's fear. Almost smell it on her. Her power had never worked like this before, but perhaps it took an emergency like this to bring it out. "I'm not going to flip. I'm strong; I'll bounce."
"I am frightened anyway."
"I've been through the ringer before."
"This is different. It is not an enemy trying to kill you. It is a nameless, faceless person who hurt you cause you were there."
"I know. That's why I'm not going to do anything dumb. What if it had been Leni? Or Iris? Then I'd get really upset. I'm bad off, but I won't break. I'm also hungry."
Maria laughed. "Trust you to think of food."
"My stomach is thinking, not me," Kanna pouted cutely. Her stomach growled. "And it's getting mad. I smell bacon. And ham. And pancakes. Yum."
"Good nose," Maria smiled. "But it is too late. It's after noon, and we already ate a few hours ago."
"Talk about lingering scents," Kanna grinned, sitting up carefully. "Ah, at least the pain is starting to go away. I'm feeling better than I was earlier."
"I will get you food. I think Kouran was thinking of cooking chicken and rice for lunch."
"YUM!!!" Kanna grinned widely.
"I will go get her moving on it."
"I want one of those cookies."
"Cookies?" Maria looked puzzled.
"I smell peanut butter cookies," Kanna nodded. "Please?"
"I will try," Maria gave Kanna a warm smile as she left.

Kanna sat back after Maria left, and tried not to give in to a wave of depression. She was built of sterner stuff than that. She knew that most rape victims -and she really hated thinking of herself as a victim - blamed themselves for it. They decided they had done something to attract the attention of the perpetrator.
"Big word, Kanna. Perpetrator," she shook her head. "Hey, Sumire," she called.
"How did you know I was here?" Sumire peeked around the doorway.
"I dunno. Smelled ya!" Kanna said jokingly, trying not to worry. She had smelled her.
"Ha ha. Trust you, Kanna-san, to out of your way to ruin the first day of our new production!" Sumire said in her haughty tone.
Kanna blinked for a moment. "Hell," she sighed. "And I played a girl for a change." She knew Sumire was being snotty to keep herself from panicking. She could smell the fear in the air, an almost palpable scent. "I'm ok, Sumire."
"Are you... sure?" Sumire sounded like a lost little girl.
"Yeah. Thanks, by the way."
"For what?"
"For keeping your head, and getting help right away. I wasn't to up to it, ya know?" Kanna joked.
Sumire drew in a breath of relief. "I was frightened."
"Lots of people would have frozen, though. Enough of that, though. What happened with the play?"
"We told the people that one of us had an accident, and it would be postponed until a later date."
"Fairly accurate," Kanna nodded. She scratched her bitten arm absently. It was starting to itch.
"Don't scratch. You'll hurt yourself more."
"I'm alright, Sumire. Better move. Maria's coming down the hall," Kanna added. "With peanut butter cookies!"
"Here we are," Maria called, coming back into the room.
Sumire moved to the side, looking perplexed.
"You were right, Kanna. Sakura baked this morning. Peanut butter cookies, and I do not think they are burned. Kouran says that lunch will be ready in about 20 minutes."
"Whoo hoo!" Kanna cheered. "Cookies AND Lunch."

Kanna insisted on going down for lunch. She was hungry, and feeling fine. Except for being hungry, she had added.
The others looked at her, with expressions of 'what do I say?' 'how do I act?'.
Kanna solved everything by sitting down. "Food! Wow, Kouran, this looks great!"
"Thank you," Kouran said, taken aback.
"She probably cooked it on a bun burner in her lab," Orihime sniffed.
"Bunsen burner," Kouran corrected her. "And I did not."
"Bunny burner chicken."
"Bunsen."
Orihime gave Kouran a tiny smile, a twinkle in her eye.
Kanna looked at them startled. She could smell something different on them. When they looked at each other. Like they...
"Bunting?"
"Bunsen!" Kouran threw her arms up in the air.
Desire.
Kanna could smell the desire they had for each other. Kanna leaned over to Kouran. "Hey, Kouran, are you an Orihime having an affair?" she whispered.
Kouran coloured. The red in her cheeks matched the red of the sleeveless Chinese pants suit she wore. "Kanna-han!!!"
Kanna shrugged, looking a little embarrassed.
"What?" Maria looked over.
"Nothing!" Kouran and Kanna crowed in unison.
By the end of the meal, Kanna was worried. She was smelling things that she oughtn't be able to smell. She sensed things that even her, with her heightened spiritual energy, shouldn't be able to since.
The worst part was up in her room, when she took the bandages off.
"What the hell is going on with me?" Kanna asked her reflection in shock. Her dark skin was seamless and perfect without even a scratch to mar it. "Oh, boy."

To be continued