Rain was falling down, heavily, from the grey-colored sky, hitting the run-down village, looking like it was forever going to fall. Every citizen of the village was a criminal or had some criminal traits. Whether it would be a liars, thieves, murderers, this village had them all. Even their streets all looked like slums, but everyone could care less. The only thing that they seemed to have any pride at all was their Oirans. Yes, they were very prideful of their courtesans. Word has spread that they hold the most beautiful of women in the whole country. Men, old or young, married or not, flocked from all over just to spend their nights with them.

A woman was standing outside at one of these Oirans. She was wearing nothing, but brown commoner's clothing and holding a red umbrella to shield herself from the rain drops. Her flaxen hair was tied into a small, low bun and her skin was pale as the moon. Lips that was luscious and red. She was a woman that any man would desire to have and hold, that would have made almost any other woman happy.

Yet, despite her beauty, the woman looked very unhappy. As if a tragedy had happened to her. The woman was looking up at the clouds with her gloomy, blue eyes. The rain seemed to have fit with her mood perfectly. Right now, the rain drops and she seem to both had something in common. They both have fallen down. She held out her hand to touch the rain, and then cast her eyes back at the ground.

"They were momentary words, weren't they?" She whispered to no one, but herself and the rain with a tear trickling down her cheek. The woman thought back to her past and pondered, had she spoken up sooner then maybe things wouldn't have turned out this way.

Rin was sitting out on a porch, tiredly waiting for her parent to finish some type of "business meeting" inside of a stranger's home. She was bored to say the least. Had she had longer hair then she would have had something to play with, instead she had her short and, in her opinion, unattractive hair, so here she was bored. Rin gave a long, hard sigh, wondering when her parents were going to finish. 'I wonder what's taking them so long.' She thought as she continued to wait.

While she was waiting, two women were walking out of the stranger's house, giggling and laughing about, until they saw a child sitting on the porch. The grin on their faces just grew wider.

"Oh look at this," One of them said. "It looks like we're receiving a new one today."

"Let's hope that she'll make it." Her friend responds. They both giggled, idiotically, and continued on their merry way. Rin stared after them in a confused daze, trying to figure out what they meant by "new one".

Finally, what seemed like decades in Rin's mind, her parents walked out with her father mysteriously carrying a bag full of coins and her mother was smiling wide, nothing like Rin had seen her smile before. Rin wondered where on earth her father could have gotten the bag and why her mother had that kind of smile. He wasn't carrying it around before they had gotten here. And her mother wasn't the type of woman that would just smile for anything. Rin knew that it was hard to get her to give a small smile. It was a surprise for Rin.

At least they were finished, so Rin didn't have to wait anymore. Thus, she let the matter go. Walking behind them was an old, short, plump woman and a tall, buff man, who looked like the old woman's bodyguard. In the woman's hand she had a pipe from which she would inhale the smoke. She was covered in the stench and Rin did not like it. The male had a sword by his side and the serious expression on his face looked like he always had it on. His hair was brown as was his eyes. Rin was intimidated by the old woman and the towering male. As any terrified child would do, she ran up to her father and clutch onto his leg. Instead of comforting her, he just pushed her away, leaving Rin to be shocked at this.

"So this is her?" The old lady asks in a raspy, horrid old voice. 'It must have been from that awful long time of smoking.' Rin thought as she scrunched up her nose. Her father gave a nod that said 'yes'. "She looks decent enough." She was smirking evilly that made Rin even more terrified of her. "This girl will fit right in." With a snap of a finger, her bodyguard grabbed a hold of Rin and swung her over his shoulder. Rin gave a cry of help to her parents, but they just stood there doing nothing. She looked at them, shock that they had not come to her rescue.

"Mama! Papa!" Rin cried out to them.

She reached out her hand to them with tears coming out of her eyes, hoping that they would come and stop this. Her parents turned their back on her and walked away from her life. And this would be the last that Rin would ever see them. When she realized that they weren't even going to try, Rin started kicking and thrashing at the man carrying her. She at least hoped that this would be enough to save herself. Unfortunately, it was useless efforts.

"Let me go!" She begged for the man to release her, but he didn't. Finally, they came to a halt once they were inside and they stopped in front of a door. The old woman spoke.

"Put the little whore here with the other one," She ordered her henchman. "They are sure to be promising."

The man, obediently, nodded his head and, without care, threw Rin inside the dark, cold, room. Rin hit the floor hard with probably some bruises on her now. She looked up at the old woman and saw her smirking again. Rin looked back at her with a deep scowl on her face. She mustered all of her strength to stand up.

"You guys better let me go!" She raced towards them, attempting to throw a heavy punch at the man, only to be thrown back inside.

"Know your place, little whore" The old woman sneered at her as she shut the door with harsh force.

"Whore?!" Rin stood up again, raced to the door, only to find it locked, and began pounding with all her might. She kept on pounding and, eventually, began kicking. Rin at least hoped, out of the kindness of the old woman's heart, that they would open. "If you're going to use big words like that, then at least explain them to me!"

When she realized that they weren't going to open, she let her back rest on the door and slid down to the ground, clutching her knees. She released a long, hard sigh. Rin looked around her surroundings and could hardly see anything in the room. And she doubted that there would be anything or anyone with her. She didn't want to be stuck in such a dark and horrible room alone. Not that she was scared or anything, she just never liked being alone and it would have been okay for her if even a kind stranger was here with her. Yet here she was, left alone in this darkness.

In the darkness, Rin was occupied with her own thoughts. What had she done to deserve this? Was this because of her outspoken and rambunctious personality? Was this some type of punishment that her parents had given her? 'Mama, Papa,' She began to think with sadness as she thought of her parents and buried her face in her arms. 'I'm sorry. Please come back.' Somehow, in Rin's young heart, she knew that they weren't going to come back. That they had abandoned their only daughter. Her small prayer to her parents was never going to be answered.

She should have expected this. Her parents always seemed distant with her, not how a normal parent should act towards their child. She noticed this. Whenever she would want some sort of affection from them, whether it would be a hug, kiss, or even some kind words, they would never give it to her. Nevertheless, she still loved them with all her heart and she couldn't bear the thought of them being separated from her. It was an unfortunate situation for Rin, who never deserved this kind of fate.

Suddenly, a sudden whimper disrupted her thoughts that came from across the room. Rin looked up and saw a small figure that was on his or her knees. The figure looked like it was crying. Rin got up from the floor and started to walk towards him or her. She began to speak in a comforting voice. "Hey, what's wrong?" The figure turned its head and, from Rin could make of it, looked like it was a small girl with high pigtails.

"My parents are dead and I'm in this horrible place with horrible people," The girl weakly responded in a quiet, quivering voice.

"Oh I'm sorry," Rin couldn't imagine the lost of her parents, even if they abandoned her. "But I'm sure this place isn't so bad," She said, trying to comfort the girl. "That old crow is pretty mean, but I'm sure there are other people here who are nicer."

"You ignorant girl!" The girl shouted with tears spilling, hard out of her eyes. "Don't you know what this place is?! This is a place where men defile and hurt women! Of course this place is bad!" Rin was taken aback at the girl's out burst. The girl looked down and brought her voice down to a whisper, "And we're living here for the rest of our lives."

Rin stayed quiet for a moment, a bit surprised that her parents would leave her at a place where men would hurt women. She looked at the girl with sad eyes at first, but managed to muster a small smile. Rin sat along side with her and began to hug her. The girl looked shocked when she felt Rin's arms around her. Even though the girl had snapped at her, it looked to her that Rin didn't care and that she only wanted to comfort her. The girl's tears were able to stop, but her eyes still had water on them and her nose and cheeks was still red. Rin pulled away and smiled, brightly.

"Hey, I won't let that happen to you." Rin says in soothing voice. "I promise to protect you and I'll be with you forever." Rin held out her pinky for her to take and the girl linked her's with Rin.

"I promise to be with you forever too," The girl responded, wiping away her teary eyes.

"I'm Rin, by the way." Rin introduced herself to her with a cheeky smile. She had forgotten to tell her what her name was and here she was making a promise to be with her forever without knowing her name.

"I'm Miku," The girl, Miku, shyly told Rin her name. "So if we get out of here, will we be able to stay together?" Miku asks. Miku knew how this placed works. She had heard stories of these places before and she knew that it would take a long time to leave.

"When we get out," Rin corrected her. "We're staying together forever, just like we promised."

Miku, finally, was able to give a tiny smile to Rin when she realized that she wasn't going to go through this by herself. Rin was happy too that she wasn't alone in this either. It was a blessing that they were able to meet. They at least had someone that they could rely on. Soon a cold breeze entered the room and they shivered. They had forgotten that they were in a cold room. The door that locked them inside the room opened. The girls turned their heads, looking at the bright light that passed through the door as if they had never seen it before. They both cowered in fear, unknown of what was going to happen.

Instead of the old woman that they were expecting, it was a younger, more slender, and taller woman with short, chestnut hair, brown eyes, and a large bust. The woman was wearing bandages wrapped around her bust underneath her simple garments that she usually wore. She bore resemblance and traits of the man that threw them in here. The two looked very similar. She looked at the two children in disbelief as if she never expected them to be here. "Two girls? What are two doing here in a place like this?" The woman let out a small gasp and started to make her way towards them, but Rin stood up and started to shout.

"Stay back!" Rin threatened. Miku was a bit scared of the woman standing before them, all while still admiring her new-found friend's bravery. The woman stopped her tracks, but she gave out a warm smile, which was a small surprise for the girls.

"It's okay," The woman said in a calm voice, so calm that Miku was no longer afraid, but Rin was still hesitant. "I'm the last person here that would want to hurt you." The woman took a seat on the ground and motions the girls to come forward. "Why don't you come closer so that we a can talk quietly? We don't want to get caught by the old hag now, do we?"

Rin was unsure whether or not she should trust her. However, Miku seemed convinced that she was a good person. So she scurried over to her side without a second thought. Rin shook her head and gave a hard sigh. She didn't understand how Miku could just trust a stranger. Than again, Rin had just met her and they already promised to be together. Eventually, she walked over to Miku and the strange woman's side.

"Alright, but if you do anything funny don't think I won't do anything," She sat down alongside them. The woman just chuckled at the child's behavior.

"My name is Meiko. What would yours' be?" Meiko smiled as the two introduced themselves. "Those are lovely names." Miku blushed when Meiko complimented them, while Rin just shook her head. 'What an average thing to say to a child.' Rin commented, still very suspicious of Meiko.

"Your name is very pretty too and you look very beautiful," Miku said, shyly, to Meiko. "I hope that we could look as beautiful as you one day."

"Thank you. And you two are already beautiful. I can see that you two will grow up as fine young women." Miku blushed again at her flattering words, but Rin just sat there in disbelief.

"Yeah right," Rin knew that Meiko was lying and that she wasn't beautiful. Her parents already told her the truth many times. "Miku is, but I already know that I'm not so quit mocking me!"

"Shh," Meiko hushed her. "We don't want the old hag to hear us and I'm not mocking you. If you don't believe me than that's fine, but don't think negative thoughts about yourself."

Rin looked down at the ground, not listening to her lecture. She wasn't in the mood for one, anyways. So far Rin didn't like Meiko, but Miku seemed to be very fond of her. The cold breeze was in the room again and they all shivered.

"Say, why don't we go to my room?" Meiko invited the two girls over. "It's nice and warm. It even has a furnace to keep us warm for the whole night."

The girls, both, nodded their head 'yes', even though Rin still didn't like Meiko, but Rin was willing to go with her if it meant to get out of this chilly room. They stood up and quietly stepped through the hallways, careful not to wake anyone, to Meiko's room. Meiko opened the door to her room, leaving the girl's to stand in awe. Meiko's room was simple with a woven mat on the floor with some high quality blankets and pillows along with it. By them was a nightstand and on top was exotic perfumes and makeup and beside it, on the wall, was a window. A dark wooden table with a teapot and some bowls was at the room's center. On the other side of the room was the furnace that Meiko mentioned. Even if it was simple, the girls were still amazed. This was the most beautiful room that they had seen in their whole lives.

Rin turned her head to look at Miku's reaction of the room and let out a gasp once she saw what she looked like. It was too dark to see what her appearance in the other room was. Miku had rosy cheeks and beautiful ocean-like eyes. Mostly, Rin was amaze at the sight of Miku's hair. Her hair was very long and the touch of it looked like it felt silky, but the thing that amazed her most was that it was the color of teal. It was unusual hair color for a person in the village to have that type of color. Still, Rin believed that Miku's hair was very beautiful. She started to fell very envious of her hair. Miku noticed her staring at her hair and started to feel self-conscious. Rin saw that she noticed her and whispers. "I love your hair." Miku smiled at the compliment.

"Let's go to sleep now, shall we?" Meiko gestured them to come over to the mat on the floor.

Miku let out a small sleepy yawn and began to lay down with Meiko. Rin didn't even realize how late it had gotten until she stared out of Meiko's window and saw the full moon. She let out a yawn as well, walked over to them, and laid down. The two girls fell asleep very quickly, while Meiko was still awake. She began to think about the girls' futures, what was ahead for them, and how fast they would change. Meiko didn't want their innocent lives to be corrupted, not like her's was. At least not yet. She knew, however, that if the girls stayed in this place that it would be inevitable. Meiko looked at the two's sleeping faces and promised to herself that she would had done whatever it took to protect them. Soon, Meiko's eyes slowly started to close, before they completely shut, and Meiko drifted off to sleep.

The morning sun crept into the room, shining its light on three sleeping faces. The two girls were sleeping peacefully in Meiko's arms. They all had a smile on their faces. Unfortunately for them, Meiko's room door opened, which revealed the horrible old woman. Her eyebrows were furrowed when she saw the sight of the three's sleeping form.

She walked over to them and grabbed the two young girls' hair, pulling them away from Meiko. The girls began screeching once they awoke and felt the pain. Meiko awoke at their cries, feeling very angry at the sight. Before she could have done anything, the woman walked over to her and kicked her very hard on her gut. Meiko gasped for air as she clutched her stomach. All she felt was pain. Again, the old woman repeatedly kicked her until she felt satisfied. Rin and Miku watched the horrific scene with wide eyes. They could not believe what they were actually seeing.

Finally, Rin had enough of it. "Stop this!" She bravely rushed over to help Meiko, but was met with a harsh pain at her cheek. The old woman turned her attention to Rin and she was giving her a stare that would have made anyone wished that they were dead. Rin gave a winced, while Miku started to cry.

"Meiko," The old woman said her name in a gruff voice. She looked back at Meiko with stone cold eyes. "You know better than to attempt to hide these girls before their lessons had even begun. You made me very worried when I saw them missing and now I am very crossed with you."

"It isn't right that you're doing this to them you old hag!" Meiko yells. She was able to stand, but she was still hurt so she continued to clutch her stomach. "Do to me whatever you want, but they are children! Leave them out of this life!" Miku and Rin stayed quiet, fearing that if they spoke they would cause some horrible chain reaction. They were at least thankful that Meiko was standing up for them against the horrible old woman. "Children should be happy and carefree, not living in this place of hell! I beg of you let them go!" Meiko was on her knees, begging at this point, with tears forming in her eyes, but they were not falling as if she was refusing to let them.

"They are my property. I shall do as I wish with them." She walked over to Meiko and slapped her across the face. Meiko did nothing, but still maintain eye contact with her. "They will be brought up as you have. But, unlike you they shall know of their place." The old woman snapped her finger and her henchman was by the door. "Escort these girls back to their room and should Meiko follow them then kill them." She ordered without an ounce of remorse as the man nodded his head.

The girls shook in fear with the death threat hanging so they obeyed. They walked towards the man and he led them out the door. Not before Rin caught a glimpse of Meiko. She looked at them with regretful eyes, believing that she had failed them. Meiko then silently whispers to her, "I am sorry."

Rin turned her head back, unsure of what to say back, and continues walking. She was followed by the man, then finally the old woman. The woman stopped her tracks, once she reached the door.

"Did you honestly believe that you could have hid them with you forever?" She said, almost snickering. Meiko says nothing back and hung her head low. "What a foolish girl you are Meiko. If you take those girls underneath your wing, then they are bound to be fools as well. But I won't let that happen. I'll make sure of that."

The woman continued walking, leaving Meiko alone in her room. Once she was gone, Meiko mutters to herself, "I'll make sure that those girls are safe from your evil influence as I promised."

A couple weeks had gone by and the girls had settled into the strange, new place, but they still didn't like the old crone. They understood, unfortunately, that this place was their new home, whether they liked it or not. So they decided together to just make the best of it, even if the old woman would disturb them. They learned that the old woman was their "caretaker" and owner, meaning that they had to listen to her without choice. Miku and, especially, Rin did not like that one bit. The old woman was very demanding and would bark orders at every second. Rin was very defiant against the old hag, but her rebellious spirit was dying down as she began to inflict harsh punishment on Rin. Miku, with her shy personality, was very obedient. She feared that the old woman would give her the same punishments as Rin had, so she stayed quiet.

They had a few rules and restrictions. One of them was that they were not allowed to go outside. Then, one day, Meiko came into their room and told them that she had gotten permission and said that they were allowed to go out if Meiko was there to watch them and they had to stay close by the house. Rin and Miku were elated with the news and were jumping up with joy. 'How long has it been since we've even been outside?' Rin asks herself as she and Miku raced towards the outdoors with Meiko following them. They ran all around the grass, enjoying themselves as Meiko watched them with a smile. Her smile disappeared once the old woman came by her side, however, and her eyebrows furrowed in irritation.

"I'm still against this," The old woman said, before she inhaled the smoke from her pipe. She let the smoke out. "Giving them too much freedom is not good for these girls. They could run away."

"Shut up you old hag," Meiko says in annoyance. "I told you that I would watch them!"

"I have little faith in you," The woman responded. The girls were still playing, not listening to the conversation as Meiko and the old woman watched them. "You could run away with them as well."

"I am bound by your foolish contract," She said and took a deep breath, before saying her next sentence. "I would have no where else to go and even if I did run off and took them with me I would only cause them sorrow and eventually their deaths. I can't have their ghosts haunt me for the rest of my life, no matter how much I wished we could escape this hellish place." The old woman said nothing and walked back in the building, leaving Meiko and the girls.

Rin and Miku were giggling around as they chased each other around. They were having a grand time and for the first time since they came here they were having fun. The girls both stopped their fun for a while to catch their breath.

"That was fun! Wasn't it Miku?" Rin let out a huff then smiled with cheer.

"It sure was!" Miku responded with the same smile. She looked past Rin and her eyes widen when she saw a figure out in the distance and it seemed that it was watching them. The figure walked closer down the path and as she looked closer she saw that it was a boy that looked like he was the same age as them, He had the same colored eyes as Rin and the same blonde hair, but it was tied up in a small ponytail. Miku shook her head to make sure that she wasn't seeing double. When she realized that she wasn't, she let out a shriek. "Eep! A boy!"

Rin turned her head to see what Miku was getting upset about and indeed it was a boy. She walked over to him with Miku, hesitantly, following. They both met and were at respectable distance from each other. The boy studied her appearance as did Rin to his. It was uncanny to how similar they were from each other that they could pass off as siblings. They all stood quiet, before Rin broke the silence.

"I'm Rin," She introduces herself with her cheeky smile, and then turned her attention to Miku. "And this is my friend Miku."

"N-n-nice to meet you." Miku stuttered as she cowered behind Rin. The boy remained silent. He continued to stare at Rin like he was still examining Rin and deciding if he should befriend this girl.

"I'm Len," Len responded as he smiled back at Rin. "And it's nice to meet you too."

"Well Len, do you want to play with us?" Rin invited him. "We could play hide-and-seek."

"That sounds like fun Rin!" Miku, suddenly, overcame her shyness and agreed to Rin's idea. Len looked at them as if he didn't understand.

"What's that?" He asks the two. The girls looked back at him, dumbfounded. They couldn't believe that a kid that looks like he was their age didn't know how to play the most well-known game to anyone.

"You don't know how to play hide-and-seek?" Miku asks in shock. Len shook his head, looking down at the ground.

"Don't feel bad, we'll teach you." Rin said in a reassuring smile. She grabbed a stick off the ground and breaks it into three pieces. "Whoever draws the shortest stick is it." Miku and Len both nodded their heads and drew. Miku was the one who had grabbed the shortest stick and she pouted. She walked over to the door post, closed her eyes, and then began to count, leaving Rin and Len alone. "You can hide with me since this is your first time playing, but if you get us caught, I'll beat you to a pulp." She threatened.

"Understood," Len said with fear, afraid of Rin's threat. They quickly found a place to hide behind the house where some large bushes grew. Rin and Len squatted down and stayed quiet. "Now what do we do?"

"Now we wait for Miku to find us." She answered him. They both waited for what seemed like eternity to them, remaining quiet. Eventually, Rin grew tired of the silence and began to speak. "Hey," Len looked at her, wondering what she was going to say. "How come you didn't know what hide-and-seek was?"

Len looked down at the ground with sad eyes. "My father believes that I shouldn't waste my time in playing games. He believes that I should study for my future, instead. But I don't want that. I just want to play like a normal kid." Rin was surprise to hear that Len hardly had any fun at his household.

"But every kid deserves a little fun, once in a while," She said in sympathetic tone. "Why don't you tell your father how you feel?"

"He won't listen to me, even if I tried." He took a seat down and began twiddling his thumbs.

Rin took a seat as well next to him and started to smile. "Well if that's the case then you can come over when we're allowed to play next time and you can experience more fun!"

"Are you sure?" Len asks, looking up to her. He found it hard to believe that Rin wanted to be acquainted with him and he was sure that her friend was to shy to do anything with him. "I don't want to be a bother the two of you."

"Of course and I'm sure that Miku won't mind."

Len looked at her in disbelief while Rin continued to smile at him. Suddenly, Len's heart beat increases and he begins to notice that he had held a strong affection towards her. His face turns into a blushing mess, once he realizes this. He recently just met this girl and he was already developing feelings for her. Len casts his eyes down to the ground again, before looking back at her and staring deep into her eyes. Her innocent and adorable eyes and smiles just kept pulling on his heart strings even more. The way that she smiles at him just made Len feel contentedness and a happiness that he had never known. She made him wished to spend every day with Rin. A smile appears across his face.

Meanwhile, Miku was having a hard time finding them. Miku tried to find them in all the places that she could have thought of. She searched high and low for the two. 'I wonder where they could be.' Miku thought to herself as she continued to search for them. It was getting difficult to find the two. Eventually, she gave up and walk back towards Meiko, hoping that she would help her.

"Can't find them anywhere?" Meiko asks and Miku nods her head in defeat.

"Can you help me find them, Meiko?" Miku pleads in a small, innocent voice. Meiko walked along with her and was more than willing to help her find the two.

Back with Rin and Len, were both getting tired of waiting for Miku to find them. They kept on waiting and waiting. At least they had each other so that they wouldn't get too bored. The two children talked together about simple things, what were they interested in, how their lives were, and other things like that. Rin learned more about Len's relationship with his father and Len discovered how Rin's parents had treated her and abandoned her at a courtesans' house. She even told him about her self-conscious feelings, how Meiko told her that she had beauty, and that she didn't believe it. Len didn't understand why she didn't believe she was beautiful. He thought that she looked like an angel, but he kept quiet and let her continue to vent. They were getting to know each other real well. Rin and Len were having a pleasant time, enjoying each other's company. And soon, it really didn't matter to them if Miku was going to find them or not.

It was getting late. So late that the sun was setting. They notice how dark it was getting and started to stand to return back to Miku, but they were in awe at the sight. The sunset was the most stunning thing that they had ever seen in their lives. The sky was colored in arrange of pink, yellow, and red with the sun glowing a bright orange, giving off an enchanting effect. It looked like it came straight out of an artistic painting. The sunset was a wondrous sight to see. Rin and Len couldn't believe what was in front of them.

"It's so pretty," Rin stood there, astonished. Len nodded with her in agreement.

He gazes at her awe-struck expression, thinking that she was even more beautiful. Len was able to muster up some courage and says to her. "It's not as breathtaking as you." Rin looks at him with a mixture of shock and disbelief.

"W-what are you saying?" She stutters. "Quiet lying to me!" Rin was shouting at this point and she was on the brink of shedding angry tears. "You, Meiko, and even my parents lie to me. Why are people always lying to me! I don't like it when people lie!"

"But it's true," He says to her, but Rin still didn't believe it. "I know that you don't believe me, but if more than one person says it then it must be true. So trust me when I say that you are beautiful."

She was surprise to hear someone tell her that she was beautiful, again. It touched her heart. Rin never received those types of compliments from her parents before so she always believed that she was just ugly, but now two people, who were not related to her, tell her that she was beautiful. Maybe Meiko was telling the truth, after all? It was a huge surprise for her. Rin didn't know what to say so instead she started to blush.

"Thank you." She was able to respond. They looked back at the alluring sunset and again were mesmerized by its beauty. "I wish this moment would last forever." Rin said softly with Len agreeing with her. He reached for her hand, holding it and she blushed even more when he did.

Their small moment together was short-lived, however. Meiko and Miku were able to find the two and their game was brought to an end once Meiko told them it was getting late and that they needed to get back inside. The children were a bit discouraged at this. They were sad that they didn't have anymore time to play together, but Meiko warned them that if they were late then they would have to face the old woman's wrath. They said their goodbyes to Len and went off. As they walked away from him, Rin looked back at him and saw him smiling, a grand, wide smile. She giggled as she thought of her and Miku's new-found friend.

Days had gone by and the trio played together at every chance they could. Len would come over and the girls would show him all the games that were in their knowledge. Each time he visited them his feelings for Rin would grew as did her's. He couldn't have been happier. Len, for the first time in his life, was having fun and he didn't want to let it go. Rin was happy that they would have fun together and that the old bag didn't bother them. She was also glad that Len would come over. He would tell her compliments every time he did and he was a perfect gentleman. Miku was aware of the two's hidden feelings for each other. She was happy that her friends were in love, even if they didn't know about it. The only thing that worried her was that Rin would leave her behind with Len and forget her promise. She kept quiet though. It was in her nature to stay quiet. Nevertheless, they were all happy together and they never wished for their happiness to end.

It was night time and the girls had finished a long day of playing with Len. They were both back in their room, sleeping away in their warm blankets. Miku and Rin were fast asleep. They looked peaceful as they slept, Rin especially. She was mostly serene, because she was able to spend another day with Len. Suddenly, their door opened and tip-toeing in was Meiko, careful not to make a sound. She places her hand on Rin's sleeping figure, gently shaking her to wake.

"Rin," She whispers. "Wake up." Rin, slowly, opens her tired and sleepy eyes. She sees Meiko with a grin on her face. "Len's outside waiting for you."

Her heart begins to leap once she heard Len's name and her sleepy eyes widen. Without any hesitation, she gets up, without waking Miku, and cautiously walks through the hallways to get outside. Once she's outside on the porch, she sees Len. He seemed nervous. Len was, of course, he was planning on something special tonight. She walks over to him.

"Len," She says sleepily as she was still tired and yawns. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to tell you something." He says, blushing. Len was hesitating to spill out his words. He didn't know what would happen or how she would react. What if something bad would happen? He manages to say the words. "Tomorrow, my father and I will be leaving this town. We're going back to our home." Rin let out a gasp at the news. She was shock and saddened at the thought of Len leaving her. Before she could say a word, Len speaks. "But before I go, I wanted to tell you that I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Len," She gasps. Rin was speechless. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything." He says to her in a sweet, caring voice. Len reached for her hands holding it with tenderness. "Just know that when I'm away, I'll always be thinking about you. I'll be waiting and I'll come back for you. I promise, no matter how long it will take. Promise me that you'll wait for me as well?"

Rin nodded her head with a blush rising on her cheeks. "I promise Len and I love you too."

Len was elated to hear those words spill from her mouth. Words could not describe how perfect this moment was and how happy they were.

A smile and a blush spread across his face. He embraces her, holding Rin tightly in his arms with her hugging him back. They didn't want to let go of each other, but Len took a step away from her. She was saddened by this. Rin never wished for his warm arms ever leave her. He took a moment to memorize every inch of her face, before he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on her lips. It was a surprise for Rin, who never expected it, but it was also very sweet. Her face was instantly turned to red as was Len's.

"Goodbye," He said to her with sad eyes. Len was about to leave when he felt Rin's hand grabbed his own, stopping him from his tracks. She had a tear streaming down her face and it looked like more were going to fall.

"Please don't say goodbye," She whispers to him. "Saying goodbye means that I won't be able to see you again."

"Then I won't say goodbye." Len gave her a soft smile. "I'll just say goodnight." He leaned in closer to her face, again, and gave her a kiss on her cheek. Rin touched her cheek that Len had just kissed.

Her tears stopped falling and she smiled brightly. "Goodnight." Rin says back to him.

After she says this, Len walked away still maintaining his smile. He was determined to come back for her, no matter what would happen. Rin went back inside the house with a blush still on her cheek and her smile still on. She believed in Len's promise and she really would wait for him, no matter how long it took. Quietly, she crept back into her room and into her warm blankets. She thought back on what had happened tonight, the moment kept replaying in her head.

Rin was happy that Len would be thinking about her, even if they were far apart. But at the same time, she was upset that she wouldn't be able to see his face for a long while. Tonight was bittersweet for her. Rin looked at Miku as she slept and smiled. She couldn't wait to tell Miku about what had happened. Rin was sure that Miku would have been happy to hear the news about Len announcing his love for her, but she was also sure that she would be sad about him leaving. Miku had overcome her shyness and was able to become good friends with Len. She would miss him greatly. This would be bittersweet for her as well. A small yawn escaped from her mouth. She had forgotten how tired she was. Rin finally was able to shut her eyes and sleep with a smile on her face.

The next couple of days were hectic for Miku and Rin. The old woman was barking orders around and forcing them to take lessons about the real business of the house. The courtesan business. Rin and Miku didn't want to take part of the lessons, but they had no choice. Meiko was against this from the start. The old woman, however, had the girls blocked off all contact from Meiko. Even the days of Meiko watching them play was removed. The girls hardly ever left the house any more. They didn't mind though, with Len gone, playing outside reminded them too much of him. Rin was very hopeful that he would return to her. But they still missed Meiko, greatly.

One day, Rin was sitting quietly in her own room, bored to death. Just recently, the old woman had even made Miku and Rin stay in different rooms. Rin had no one she could talk to anymore. Her parents, Meiko, and Miku were taken away from her. Almost everyone that she ever cared about was pulled away by the old woman. Rin had hated the woman from the start, but after taking away her small freedoms, she wished and prayed that the old woman would just drop dead.

Suddenly, Rin heard a whisper in the hallway and it sounded like the old woman's voice. Rin could not help herself to open her door to a creak and listens.

"A new customer has come today," Rin saw the old woman talking to her henchman. "And what he has offered was more than the price and all just for to sleep with the child with teal hair." Rin, who was still listening, gasped. She couldn't believe that the old woman had offered Miku so soon. She knew it was bound to happen, but she didn't expect to happen now. "Besides that, it is your responsibility to be sure that Meiko doesn't find out about this. Knowing her, she would object and find a way to stop this. Make sure that she doesn't." She ordered the man. Her henchman gave a bow and nodded his head in understanding. The old woman and the man walked away, continuing their business.

Rin managed herself to shut the door. She was shaking in alarm, still trying to comprehend the words that spilled out of the old woman's mouth. Rin had stayed here long enough to hear the stories of girls' first experience here and it was not a pretty one. The stories that she heard were men taking advantage of them and leaving them with emotional and permanent scars. She tried asking Meiko about her own. Instead Meiko just had the look of fear and a horrible remembrance in her eyes and she wouldn't speak of it. For Rin to see Meiko afraid, she knew just how unpleasant it was.

She didn't want that to happen to Miku. Miku didn't deserve this at all. Rin wanted to save her from the horrible man, who wanted to sleep with her. Yet, she didn't know what to do. She pulled her hands towards her face and began to cry.

Meanwhile, Miku was happily humming a tune as she was doing a twirled dance in her room. Yes, Miku was upset when she was forced to move away from Rin, but she was so bored and sad about being alone and she figured that Rin wouldn't want her to be. So she put on a smile and continued her small dance. Eventually, Miku got tired and plopped down to the floor on her knees. She gave a small innocent giggle at her silliness. Then, her door opened, revealing the old woman and a man that she had never seen before. As soon as she saw them, her smile dropped. The man was older than she was and looked to be in his middle ages and in his eyes, from what Miku could tell, was lust. She was frightened at the older man's gaze that she began to shiver. Miku didn't know what was going on, but she didn't like it.

"She's all yours." The old woman smiled wide as the man next to her began a dark grin. She walked out of the room and shut the door, leaving the two by themselves.

For some reason, Miku wished that the old woman hadn't left. She didn't want to be alone with the man. The man walked towards her and sat on his knees as Miku was. She didn't like that he was so close to her. Before she knew it, the man grabbed her small wrists and pinned Miku down on the floor with him on top of her. Miku gave a cry of pain and her eyes widen as she felt the floor touch her back. Miku, now, knew the reason why the older man was here. She was scared out of her mind right now. Tears were forming in her eyes and began strolling down her cheeks.

"P-p-please don't do this," She begged to him, shaking her head. The man's grin only grew wider as he softly stroked her cheek and more tears fell from her eyes. Miku winced away from his touch. She didn't want this to happen to her at such a young age.

"Ssh, it will be alright." The man whispered into her ear. Miku only shut her eyes in response. She didn't want to see what would happen.

Miku prepared for the worst to come, only it never came. She opened her eyes and saw the man with his eyes widen as if he was in pain. The man fell on his side, leaving Miku to stare at him. Wondering what had happened, she was also relieved that he stopped from going any further. She turned her head, seeing Rin standing behind the man on the floor. In Rin's hand was a small, bloody knife, she was shaking, and her eyes were in horror as was Miku's eyes. Rin had struck and killed the man. Realization had hit her. She dropped the knife from her hand. Yes, Rin had kept her promise to protect Miku. She knew what had to be done and she did it. It didn't matter that she killed a man. All that mattered to her was that Miku was safe. That was how Rin justified it. Yet, she didn't understand why she felt so remorseful and shocked about killing the monster that tried to harm Miku. Miku race to her side and Rin wrapped her arms around her.

"Miku," She said in a breathless, shaky whisper. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Miku nodded her head. "Thank you. You saved me."

"Two girls now?" They weren't saved yet. The man still wasn't dead and he slowly got up from the floor, clutching his wound. He smirked, wildly as he saw the two girls. The man darkly chuckled. "And one of them is feisty. This is a better deal than I thought it was."

He walked over to the girls as Rin grabbed and raised her knife, attempting to strike at him once again. However, the man snatched away the small knife away from them and left the girls defenseless. Rin stood in front of Miku, willingly to use herself as a shield to protect her. The man was about to continue what he was trying to do earlier to them both, before he was interrupted. Then, all of a sudden, his head was chopped off by a sword. His head fell to floor and his red blood was, uncontrollably, spraying everywhere. Rin and Miku looked at the scene in horror. The two girls began puking at the grotesque sight

When they finished barfing, they saw Meiko with a red-dyed sword and the man's blood covering her face. They just stood there in disbelief, not knowing what to do. Meiko walked over to the two in attempt to calm them from what they just saw her do. She had heard the old hag's whisper and she was, as did Rin, planning this from the start. She made a promise to protect them and, like Rin, was willing to do anything to keep it. The girls, even though they were horrified, were more than grateful to Meiko. Before Meiko had even reached them, a figure stood in the door way. The three of them turns their attention to figure.

"You dare," The old woman's bodyguard looked at the scene, before him, in anger. The girls were shaking in fear of the anger in his eyes and they were afraid of what was to become of them now that he found out about the murder. The man's anger was mostly directed to Meiko. "To disobey mother's wishes!"

"Meito," Meiko whispers his name. Meito drew his sword out and aimed it towards Meiko. She raised her sword in defense. Miku and Rin watched the two begin their battle with each other. The swords clashed against each other and they pulled away. Meiko, calmly, put her's down. "If you want to fight then I suggest we take this outside. We wouldn't want to destroy your mother's house."

Meito looked at her, wondering why she would suggest that they do that. He knew that she never would have cared about the house. So, what was her motive? With a quick nod, Meito agreed. Meiko was relieved that Meito agreed. She didn't want the old hag to hear the commotion and find the dead body. They stared into each other's eyes and both knew that this was a battle to the death. The two walked out of the house with Rin and Miku following them. It was dark outside with the moon illuminating the four's figures. The girls wanted to see the two duel and they were hoping that Meiko would win. They watched from the sidelines as Meiko and Meito continued their fight. Miku was extremely worried of what the outcome would be, while Rin was confident about Meiko winning. She had to win.

Meiko stared into her opponent's eyes as she waited for him to strike first and, sure enough, he went racing toward her with his sword ready. He was about to strike the first blow, when she quickly dodges his attack. Meito predicted that it would have been her first move. Meiko then readied her sword and aimed it at Meito, but his own sword, once again, clashed with her sword. The two hit each other's with such force that it pushed them a bit away from each other.

Meito attacks her, as he did before, but, instead of dodging, Meiko responds with attacking back. The two stand in one place, trading feints and thrusts with lightning speed, almost impossible to follow. They had no trouble matching with each other's pace. Rin and Miku were left standing in awe as they continued to watch the two fought against each other. They had no idea that Meiko was such a great fighter, but Meito was a great fighter, as well. 'Where did they learn such great skills?' Rin wonders as she observes them. This fight could go to either one of them.

"Do you hate me this much that you would want to end my life?" Meiko asks of him while they still continued to fight.

"Silence," He ordered her in a calm manner, even as their swords clashed.

"Answer me!" She wanted to hear what he had to say.

"It's because of you!" Meito suddenly yells as he thought back to Meiko's past sin. "That she's gone." Rin and Miku looked at him wondering what he meant. Meiko looked hurt once he spilled out the words, remembering what had happened. "You're the reason why she's gone! I hated you from the moment of her death! Mother told me that it was you who killed her! You don't even deserve to be called my sister!" The girls let out a gasp as they heard the shocking revelation. They were surprised to hear that the old woman's bodyguard was Meiko's brother, though it did explain to how they looked so similar, but they were still confused about Meito's hatred for Meiko. Who exactly was he talking about?

Meiko stopped fighting as did Meito and for a while she remained silent, then she spoke. "Is that what the old hag told you?" Meiko asked with anger in her voice. She was angry that the old hag would have tricked her younger twin into turning against her. Then, she raised her sword at him and continues the fight. "How can you listen to her lies every day and not be brave enough to break free from her? Do you intend to be under her control for the rest of your life?! You coward! Didn't you wish to go see the world when we were younger?! It was your dream!"

"Silence!" Meito shouted, not wanting to hear any more from her. He hit his sword against her's as hard as he could.

The fighting was so intense, blades flying in all directions so fast it looked like the swords were only motions of light. Such complicated moves, with precise angles and cuts. It was terrifying and enriched at the same time. The only sound heard was the metallic clanging of swords and their heavy breathing. They both had sweat rolling down their faces. Meiko and Meito were getting tired, but they refused to give up and they were gasping for breath. She needed to win this fight for the girls' sake.

Meito wanted this to finally end. He looked at the two girls that were watching and began to smirk. Quickly, Meito reached into sleeve, pulling out sharp darts. He threw and aimed the darts at the girls.

"Miku!" Rin screeched as she saw the dart hit Miku's clothing. Miku's eyes widen at her near-death experience. The darts trapped her clothing with a tree that was behind her. Meiko looked at the girls with worry. As she was looking at them, Meito took advantage and struck his sword into her arm. Meiko cried out in pain as she dropped sword, her legs gave way, and sunk into her knees.

"'Don't let yourself get distracted in a fight.' Isn't that what father used to say?" He mused and pulled out his sword from her. Meiko cried out once again. Meiko shot Miku and Rin with an apologetic look. Then, she casts her eyes to the ground, knowing that she had lost. He rose up his sword to strike up the final blow that would kill her. "This is for our little sister and this is the end for you Meiko!"

"No!" Rin cried out for him to stop. Miku was still stuck on the tree as she watched the scene before her, her parents' death replaying in her head.

Meiko was expecting the blow to come, only it never came. Meito felt something grasping onto his leg and, before he could have struck Meiko, he looked down to see that it was Rin with tears streaming down her face. Rin couldn't stand by and watch the death of a dear friend like this. She had to have done something. Here she was.

"Please don't kill her." Rin pleaded with a quiver in her voice. Meito looked at her as if she was joking, but then she clutched harder onto his leg and he knew just how serious she was. "Siblings shouldn't be fighting like this. Siblings should be close and love each other, not wishing for each other's death." More tears came strolling down her face. "Your little sister wouldn't want to see her siblings fight like this. Do this for her sake at least." He gasped when she mentioned his sister. She was right. His little sister wouldn't want this to happen. Meito looked at the girl and what he saw, despite her different appearance, was the spitting image of his little sister. Everything about Rin's personality was like her. He dropped his sword to the ground, tears coming out of his eyes, he fell to his knees and embraced Rin, like his life depended it. He felt his sister's spirit through this girl. She returned his embrace and spoke softly. "Earlier, you said that Meiko was the reason of your little sister's death, but it didn't sound like you listened to her side of the story."

He turned his attention back to Meiko to let her explain.

"It was a customer." Meiko said as she began to cry. Meito eyes widen, once he began to hear the true story. He was always told that Meiko was the reason why their sister, Saki, was dead. But in the end, his mother was lying this whole time and he believed every word. "Our mother offered me to a costumer and our little sister came into the room to save me, but the man killed her instead." Meito then remembered what happened next of the story. "The next day, when I tried to go to you for comfort, you treated me so coldly and I didn't know why. Then you stopped talking to me and when I tried to talk to you, you kept walking away. It hurt me when you stopped speaking to me. With our little sister gone and you shutting me out, I had no one to vent out my sorrow. I was so lonely all these years. And at the same time I felt responsible for her death. I witnessed it and I did nothing to save her! I was her big sister and I failed to protect her!" She and Meito were sobbing hysterically at this point.

He raced towards her and fell on his knees, like she was. Meito wrapped his arms around her and clutched onto her for dear life. Meiko's eyes grew big, when she realized that for the first time in years that Meito was hugging her, and she wrapped her arms around him as well. She smiled when she realized that her brother was with her now and that the girls were going to be safe, for now. Meito began to cry many tears of guilt, remorse, and sorrow. He was so upset about learning the real truth about his sister's death. But, most of all, he was upset that he did this to his older sister. And the guilt was eating him alive.

"I'm sorry." He cried more tears as he begged for her forgiveness. Meito nuzzled his face deep into her neck. "How could I have not known about this?"

"You've never asked." She said while stroking the back of his head in comfort. Meiko lifted his face to meet her and cupped his cheeks with her hands. Meito was sobbing more tears as he was forced to stare at her, remembering all the horrible things that he had done to her. "It's okay. I already forgave you a long time ago. I knew that you were hurt and that you needed time to heal in your own way. So let's move past this already and look to the future."

Meito wiped his tears and nodded his head. Their foreheads touch each other's lightly as they smiled. It was time for them to move on and forget about the past, but not forgetting their little sister. They would never forget about her. The memories that they shared with her would always be in their hearts. Rin smiled at the sight of the two siblings and wiped a tear that had escaped from her eye. It was a good thing that they finally made amends. Suddenly, Rin heard a whimper from behind her. She turned around to see that it was Miku trying to get the darts that Meito threw off of her. Rin had forgotten that Miku was stuck during the heartwarming scene. She raced to Miku's side and got her down to the ground.

The next morning, when it was almost dawn, officials came to the house to investigate about the murder. Even though the village could pretty much do whatever they wanted, there was still some people who enforced the law. Meiko, Meito, and the girls dumped the old pervert's body by the river without anyone in the house noticing. Eventually, someone found the body and reported it to local officials. They were talking to Meiko with the girls standing behind her on the porch of the house. Meiko told the two to let her handle with the situation, so the girls kept quiet. The officials were asking questions, instead of the woman who ran the place, because of Meiko's mother involvement with other crimes and she was never good with officials.

"Do you know what happened to him after he left?" One of the officials asks.

"Not a thing," Meiko answered, keeping her cool. "He came here as quickly as he left and no one saw him."

"You do know that he was an important man in this village," The other official says. "Any lie that you say will be responded with your death."

"Do you think I'm stupid enough not to know this?" She responded with a snarky attitude towards them. "I know of the penalty and I'm not stupid enough to lie about a murder. You can either believe me or not."

Without saying another word, the officials left. Meiko and the girls were able to breathe a sigh of relief once they were gone. Rin, Miku, and Meiko looked at each other as they smiled. It was a small victory. They protected Miku from the man and Meiko had her gotten her brother back. Their attention turned to Meito, who was standing out in the porch with them and he was carrying a bag over his shoulder that contained only his possessions. He gave a small grin at them. The three girls looked at him, confused about as to why he was carrying the bag.

"I've thought about some things over last night and you were right Meiko." Meito began to speak. "I have been neglecting my dreams and for the first time in my life, I'm going to go out and see the world."

Meiko smiled, while the girls gave a gasp. Rin was shock about him leaving so soon, after everything that had happened last night. Miku let out a wail as she began to cry. She never did like goodbyes and she didn't want to say goodbye to a new-found ally. Meiko was happy that he was going to achieve his dreams, but, at the same time, she wished that he could stay and rebuild their once destroyed relationship. Nevertheless, she wasn't going to stop him.

"I'm glad," Meiko pulled him into an embrace and small tears started to spill from their eyes. "Our little sister would have been happy, knowing that you were going to achieve your dream."

"Yeah," He responded. This had been the hardest decision he ever made in his life, but it was what he chosen and he wasn't going to regret it. "I'll miss you greatly, Meiko."

They pulled away from the hug and smiled at each other. Meito walked over to the girls, placed his bag down to the ground, and kneeled to their height.

"Stay out of trouble you two," He playfully ruffled up both of their hair.

"You know troubles always going to follow us," Rin responded with a wild chuckle. Miku was still crying over the fact that he was leaving. Meito looked at Miku with a smile.

"Why are you crying?" He asks.

"B-b-because, because you're leaving!" Miku wailed. She had high hopes that they would have all been great friends and she became quickly attached.

"I'm sorry for leaving so soon," Meito wrapped his arms around the two in a warm hug. Yes, he was upset about leaving the girls, but he put aside his dream long enough and he wasn't going to wait anymore. After all, he wasn't getting any younger. "But I have to see the world. It's my dream."

With a sad nod, Miku was able to stop crying. She understood that it was his calling and he needed to answer it. Miku had somehow managed to escape out of the hug and it was just Meito and Rin hugging. Meito continued to hold onto the young girl in his arms. He wanted just a small moment with the girl that contained his sister's spirit. A chance to be with his little sister once again, was all that he wanted right now. Some small tears escaped from Rin's eyes. She didn't want him to go either, but she knew that this place would only give him sorrowful memories, even if they were people here that cared for him. Even though he was cruel to them from the beginning and they didn't get to spend that much time of getting to know one another, Rin would miss him.

Finally, they were able to let go of each other. He stood up, ready to leave this place. Suddenly, the old woman comes out of the house as she was sobbing uncontrollably. Miku, Rin, and Meiko all looked at her, surprised that she had shown this type of emotion. Meiko knew her, her whole life and she had never witnessed her crying like this.

"Meito!" The old woman screeched. She reached to Meito and held him tightly around his waist. "You can't leave! You're the only man that hasn't left me yet! Please don't go!" Meiko let out a gasp. She had never witnessed her mother beg.

"You made me turn against my sister, who you made me believe murdered your youngest daughter, you managed to talk me out of taking my chance at happiness, and you made me do your dirty deeds as you sat back and watched." He responded coldly. Meito wanted to say and do worse to her, for all the things that she had done, but what would have been the point of it, the damage was already done. There was nothing that he could have done to make it any better. Everything that she had done was in the past and he just wanted to move on. "You've manipulated me my whole life and you expect me to stay with you."

The woman only had her mouth left hanging. Meito then, walked away from his mother and she was just left standing. Meiko was glad that he had finally stood up to their mother. He was free from her clutches. Now, Meito could do whatever he wished to do with his life. She smiled at the thought. The girls were smiling, bright smiles as they watched Meito walked with the sun rising before him.

"Bye-Bye," Miku says and waved goodbye.

"Come back soon!" Rin yelled out as he walked further away from them.

"Thank you," He silently whispers to the girls as he walked away. Even though he was far enough where the girls couldn't hear him, he felt it was needed to be said. He will always be grateful to his three girls that gave him the push to fulfill his dream.

Once he was out of sight, Meiko, Miku and the old woman walked back inside and Rin was the only one sitting out on the porch. She was thinking about all that had happen these past few weeks. From her parents abandoning her, meeting Miku, falling in love and making her promise to Len, and everything that had happened from last night. It was just one dramatic event after another. Was this how the rest of her life was going to be like if she stays at this place until Len finally comes? She was hopeful that Len would come back soon. But the more that she thought about it, Rin realized that if she left with Len then she would be leaving Miku behind. She didn't want that to happen. Rin couldn't just leave her friend like that and break her promise to her. 'I'll just have to bring her with us when we leave.' She concluded with a happy smile.

Rin stood up and dusted herself off. She looked up at the sun rising, thinking back to when she was with Len and they were staring at the sunset. Rin smiled at the memory. It was a memory that she was going to keep in her heart forever. She knew that he was going to come back to her. It was his promise. Rin walked back into the house, hopeful about the future.