Chapter One
It was a sunny, crisp morning. A girl, about the age of 15 was sitting on the dew-covered grass. Her long red hair swayed in the wind and at her waist she carried a sheath, which held a katana. "Hoshi! Hoshi!" said a voice behind her. She turned. "Akemi, what have I told you about coming to bother me at Hideaki River?! Now go!" she shouted fiercely. Akemi let a tear escape. "Ok." she said softly and slinked away. Hoshi followed the Hideaki River into the Shin Ai Forest. She sighed and sat down slowly on a rock, a few feet from the edge of the river. "Stupid jerk." she said in an exasperated tone. "I hope he dies." She was thinking of Daichi, her supposed friend. "That imbecile." she said gritting her teeth. Suddenly, hearing a branch snap, she quickly unsheathed her katana. "Who is it?! Go away whoever you are!" she shouted furiously, tears spilling on her long, sky blue kimono. "Do not fear, dear, sweet Hoshi. It is I Kichiro. Soon, my dear, you shall be mine" said a faraway sounding voice. "Who the heck are you?!" she said, slashing on a branch need the edge of the woods in her anger. But it was too late. Kichiro was gone. Far away, in another land, hell was rising.
In a huge, stone palace in Kyoto, a young man, named Kichiro, sat in a large throne. "Sai! Bring me wine! Now!" he said fiercely, voice booming. "Yes, master." said a small, obedient girl with brown hair, pulled back into a long plait, some strands hanging loosely about her face. "Would you like anything with it?" she chimed in. "No. Just get it. Now!" he roared. Minutes later, Sai came back carrying a tray with a bottle of wine and a glass perched on it. She set it down on the floor, and carefully poured a bit of wine into the glass. She handed it to Kichiro shakily. A drop spilled onto the magnificent silk robes of Kichiro. "Aaaaaaargh!" he said, clearly infuriated. "Take her to the dungeons! Lock her up for 5 days!" But Sai had a request. "Please.wait! Can-can I know what year it is?" she said tears flowing shamelessly from her large brown eyes. "Stupid child! Take her away!" said Kichiro, his blue eyes glinting dangerously. The guards obeyed. They dragged her off, tears still flowing from her. When the guards had reached the dungeon the taller of the two shooed the other away. "Go now, Jiro. You left your katana, besides I want to deal with this one." said the tall guard, his brown hair covering the corners of his cold, grey eyes. "Oh, alright, Kenji. But, remember. Lord Kichiro is always watching." said Jiro, then with a swish of a cloak, he was gone. "The date is July 25, 1980, child." said Kenji coldly. "Today.is my birthday." whispered young Sai, another tear escaping her eye. Then, she walked into the dungeon cell and sat in the corner, atop a filthy mattress. Kenji locked the steel door and as he walked away he felt a very odd feeling. Something he had never felt before. Sympathy. Compassion. Love, for the small child.
Chapter Two
Hoshi sat near the edge of Hideaki River, where she spent many of her days, mourning, and crying. Today she sat there, on the grass, just staring at her reflection in the clear blue water. Only 1 moon before, had Daichi caught her crying there. She had thrown him in, and ran off, deep into the forest. Luckily she made her way back. Hoshi could have stayed there if she wanted. Daichi would have taken care of Akemi. There was no one else to take care of her. Hoshi and Akemi were sisters, orphan sisters. They had no family at all. Daichi would arrive every night, making sure she and Akemi were okay, and that Hoshi didn't go far into town, to the night club and leave Akemi there all alone, for she was only 7. Very abruptly, Hoshi stood almost like she was in a trance and walked into the Shin Ai Forest. Deep into it, into the very heart. There she stood, and suddenly began crying. She buried her face in her hands. Then her eyes snapped open. Her hands were covered in blood, and she quickly ran out of the forest, stopping at the river. Hoshi let out a sharp cry. Her face was not tearstained. Instead, it was bloodstained. "No! No! No!" she shouted. Then from behind she was pushed. It happened so fast. One minute she stood there screaming, the next she was in the depths of the water, now tainted red. She swam to the surface and grabbed the slippery grass, digging her fingers into the dirt. She pulled herself forward, and when she lay on the bank she was breathing hard. She willed herself not to black out, but she did.
Kichiro sat in his throne, covered in new midnight blue robes. "She is unconscious! Go! Get her!" he said eagerly and Kenji stopped dead. "I'll get her, Lord." he said. Kichiro eyed him curiously. "Alright..Be quick about it, though!" he whispered, dangerously quiet. Kenji ran off eagerly.
It was a sunny, crisp morning. A girl, about the age of 15 was sitting on the dew-covered grass. Her long red hair swayed in the wind and at her waist she carried a sheath, which held a katana. "Hoshi! Hoshi!" said a voice behind her. She turned. "Akemi, what have I told you about coming to bother me at Hideaki River?! Now go!" she shouted fiercely. Akemi let a tear escape. "Ok." she said softly and slinked away. Hoshi followed the Hideaki River into the Shin Ai Forest. She sighed and sat down slowly on a rock, a few feet from the edge of the river. "Stupid jerk." she said in an exasperated tone. "I hope he dies." She was thinking of Daichi, her supposed friend. "That imbecile." she said gritting her teeth. Suddenly, hearing a branch snap, she quickly unsheathed her katana. "Who is it?! Go away whoever you are!" she shouted furiously, tears spilling on her long, sky blue kimono. "Do not fear, dear, sweet Hoshi. It is I Kichiro. Soon, my dear, you shall be mine" said a faraway sounding voice. "Who the heck are you?!" she said, slashing on a branch need the edge of the woods in her anger. But it was too late. Kichiro was gone. Far away, in another land, hell was rising.
In a huge, stone palace in Kyoto, a young man, named Kichiro, sat in a large throne. "Sai! Bring me wine! Now!" he said fiercely, voice booming. "Yes, master." said a small, obedient girl with brown hair, pulled back into a long plait, some strands hanging loosely about her face. "Would you like anything with it?" she chimed in. "No. Just get it. Now!" he roared. Minutes later, Sai came back carrying a tray with a bottle of wine and a glass perched on it. She set it down on the floor, and carefully poured a bit of wine into the glass. She handed it to Kichiro shakily. A drop spilled onto the magnificent silk robes of Kichiro. "Aaaaaaargh!" he said, clearly infuriated. "Take her to the dungeons! Lock her up for 5 days!" But Sai had a request. "Please.wait! Can-can I know what year it is?" she said tears flowing shamelessly from her large brown eyes. "Stupid child! Take her away!" said Kichiro, his blue eyes glinting dangerously. The guards obeyed. They dragged her off, tears still flowing from her. When the guards had reached the dungeon the taller of the two shooed the other away. "Go now, Jiro. You left your katana, besides I want to deal with this one." said the tall guard, his brown hair covering the corners of his cold, grey eyes. "Oh, alright, Kenji. But, remember. Lord Kichiro is always watching." said Jiro, then with a swish of a cloak, he was gone. "The date is July 25, 1980, child." said Kenji coldly. "Today.is my birthday." whispered young Sai, another tear escaping her eye. Then, she walked into the dungeon cell and sat in the corner, atop a filthy mattress. Kenji locked the steel door and as he walked away he felt a very odd feeling. Something he had never felt before. Sympathy. Compassion. Love, for the small child.
Chapter Two
Hoshi sat near the edge of Hideaki River, where she spent many of her days, mourning, and crying. Today she sat there, on the grass, just staring at her reflection in the clear blue water. Only 1 moon before, had Daichi caught her crying there. She had thrown him in, and ran off, deep into the forest. Luckily she made her way back. Hoshi could have stayed there if she wanted. Daichi would have taken care of Akemi. There was no one else to take care of her. Hoshi and Akemi were sisters, orphan sisters. They had no family at all. Daichi would arrive every night, making sure she and Akemi were okay, and that Hoshi didn't go far into town, to the night club and leave Akemi there all alone, for she was only 7. Very abruptly, Hoshi stood almost like she was in a trance and walked into the Shin Ai Forest. Deep into it, into the very heart. There she stood, and suddenly began crying. She buried her face in her hands. Then her eyes snapped open. Her hands were covered in blood, and she quickly ran out of the forest, stopping at the river. Hoshi let out a sharp cry. Her face was not tearstained. Instead, it was bloodstained. "No! No! No!" she shouted. Then from behind she was pushed. It happened so fast. One minute she stood there screaming, the next she was in the depths of the water, now tainted red. She swam to the surface and grabbed the slippery grass, digging her fingers into the dirt. She pulled herself forward, and when she lay on the bank she was breathing hard. She willed herself not to black out, but she did.
Kichiro sat in his throne, covered in new midnight blue robes. "She is unconscious! Go! Get her!" he said eagerly and Kenji stopped dead. "I'll get her, Lord." he said. Kichiro eyed him curiously. "Alright..Be quick about it, though!" he whispered, dangerously quiet. Kenji ran off eagerly.