Hi, guys! I really hope this story fleshes out the characters of Oma and Shu, because their story in the actual series was so vague. I have no idea how long it will be, but this chapter is relatively short. Hopefully you all enjoy it! ^.^

Disclaimer: Alas, my name is not Mike nor Bryan.

Shu

"Shu, come back here! Shu! You have a village to look after! Your people need…"

The young warrior ignored his father and rounded a bend, where the suffocating elder's words were much more difficult to hear. He smiled to himself and hummed a little tune, an old lullaby his mother used to sing to him. Something about peace, he thought, trying to remember the words. Not that peace matters in this world. No, not to people like his father. Not to the people of the Raiquen, and certainly not to the Chantrea.

His favorite spot loomed above him. It was perfect for thinking and watching as his village bustled about, though he never dared look over the other side- that territory was forbidden. The grassy green hill was alive with spring wildflowers, and after a short climb, he was able to behold the cherry trees on top in all their budding splendor.

For once, Shu was not impressed by their beauty. His humming stopped abruptly. A more incredible specimen had captured his eye- a young woman with long black hair who gazed at him with wide eyes.

Oma

She was sick of it. Sick of the endless war, sick of the horrid stench that pervaded every home. It had taken an entire month to pluck up the courage, but she knew she had to leave. She couldn't bear to stay in this land of the dead and the dying.

That early spring morning, she gathered essentials, stuffed them in a knapsack, and snuck out of her father's cabin. Daybreak wasn't far off. She knew she would have to be quick to get away before-

"OMA!" Oh, no… "Oma, where are you going? Darling? Come back! OMAAA!" The young woman leaped into a full-out sprint as her mother screeched at her back. She couldn't bring herself to stop until she had reached the top of a far-off hill- the hill, she realized with a jolt. The final boundary between her world and theirs. Curiosity niggled at her spirit, but she forced herself to sit and rest for a moment.

There was absolutely no way she would look over that hill. Not a chance. No, she told herself sternly. She stretched and stood, decidedly against even the tiniest peek into enemy territory. Do they live like us? Maybe they eat different foods! What if they dress differently? As these important questions took over her thoughts, her body inched closer...and closer…and closer to the edge of the hill. When she realized what she was doing, she hopped backwards and shook her head, warring with herself. Curiosity killed the saber-toothed moose-lion, Oma. Think it through!

Just as she was about to tear her own hair out, a young man came sauntering over the ridge. Her pale hand dropped to her sides, and her breath caught. He couldn't be…But he had to be...Spirits, why did these things always happen to her?