Hello to Saki's fan, I present you a new series that will (like my other story) Have really erratic update. Its priority will be really low, but hey. "The beginning of an End" priority is low and I almost ended founding the last part of the 4th chapter (I write those short chapters in one go) Whereas I am still stuck in the middle of the next chapter for "Missing power in strict sens" that have the highest one. ( I am finally founding back my muse on this one and it should go up soon) .

I have other projects but I won't publish them until they are more fleshed out .

Now back to Saki .

Disclaimer: I do not own Saki, But I owe her a lot .

A Garden under the Moon

Prologue: The dragon's wish.

Ryuumonbuchi Touka had recently taken an interest in a game named Mahjong She had started playing online before plying with her cousin Koromo.

Like she feared, Koromo beat her flat-out, she should have known better than to play on the day of the full moon.

But it gave her an idea, Next year Koromo and she would be in high school. It was a perfect occasion to make a new start for her reclusive cousin. And for herself too, she had to admit she lacked friend and other contact almost as much as the little girl.

Ah, being the heiress of a big company like hers was hard without having fun sometime.

Yes it was decided, she would dominate the Inter-high Mahjong tournament For the three next year.

But first she had to Find player to make her team.

"Hagiyoshi" she clacked her finger" I will be busy with some important private project for some time, make sure no one bother me... Except if it is Koromo"

"Understood" The butler bowed and disappeared as quickly that he as appeared.

Some people believed him to be a ghost but touka had got used to the skill of the Butler and wouldn't have it any other way.

"Now lets us search for our future companion" She declared to the world before secluding in her room to find information on the prospective player that would accompany her in her endeavor.

...

The first one to catch her eye was a girl her age named Kunihiro Hijime. Her play style was interesting and her record showed a good sense of the game . At least the last time she had played. She would need some training but everyone needed that.

Sadly for her the girl had been banned from playing at the middle school level due to a cheat she had done in the grade-school team tournament.

She was by far the best on her team, but her teammates had lost too many points and the only way for them to go to the national was for her to win that last pressure had made her crack and she used a sleek of the hand she had learned from her Magician of a father.

Unfortunately after they had been declared the winner a judge looked at the record of the camera and her cheating was found out, earning them a chombo that made them dead last.

Her teammates and former friends had rejected her, pinning their defeat on her shoulders. She had never played in an official match again.

It's crazy what you can find out with a good information network.

Touka had immediately wanted her in her team and so had contacted her father. The poor man had trouble with is last magic show and gladly accept Touka's offer of a scholarship in the Ryuumonbucchi Academy in exchange for the girl working for her has a maid.

Once the contract had been signed she had gone to find her new maid hand stated her case.

The girl had easily accepted the fact that her father had all but sold her to Touka, but she didn't understand why someone like Touka had wanted her as a mahjong player. After all she was only known for cheating.

Once they were back Touka gave her a maid outfit and put handcuffs on her wrists relied to an elastic to be sure she wouldn't cheat. Seeing the clothe she would have to wear for the tree next Hajime complained and tried to plead for her freedom.

Fair, and over all curious about how the girl would react Touka proposed her a deal."You will play a game of Mahjong, if you can win, you will be free"

Hajime had first believed she would be playing against Touka but she was promptly proven wrong by her new mistress.

She would have to play against her cousin Amae Koromo.

As she looked at her face the day after Hajime knew she would never forget that Full Moon summer night.

...

During that same summer Touka had used a lot of her time playing online games, there she found two things. The first was a player her age that had really great analytical sense. Like Koromo, Hajime and Touka, Life had not been kind to Sawamura Tomoki, she was now living alone and refused to get out if Hagiyoshi research were right. And there were always right.

So Touka decided she wanted her for her team next year, She maybe be their weak point but she would need her analytic talent to figure out some of their future adversary.

Future adversary like maybe the second thing she had found in her online play.

Nodochi, a player that almost didn't make any error and was classed first on two of the mahjong site she played. Her play style was so logic that sometimes it seemed illogical and Touka had never managed to beat her in a game even so she was herself a high ranked.

Some said she was a Pro or a bot but there by the Game designer as a false high level player, but there was also a rumor that she was only a middle schooler and for some reason Touka was more inclined to believe that one.

The final straw in employing Tomoki has one of her maid had been that contrary to her she had beaten Nodochi for some of her match.

So she had gone to the poor girl house (?) and had almost brought her out by force. When she had promised her they would find friends together her the girl had finally accepted the offer.

After all the real reason behind her plan was to find friend for Koromo and herself, and even perhaps a family.

...

The last one to join them for next year had been a delinquent girl who went by the name of Inoue Jun. The one to find her had been Hagiyoshi, during one of Koromo's outing. The girl had intrigued him and he had directly reported it to his Mistress.

Touka had found her in a mahjong parlor where the tall girl was robbing old men of their money at Mahjong.

After observing two games Touka understood why Hagiyoshi had found interest in the girl and she proposed her a deal.

Seeing as Jun was in need of money she would bet 1M yen on the game. If Jun managed to win more games than her in the next ten games she would give the money to her and go her way, But if Touka won Jun should play with her for the next 4 years.

"Bet'cha I accept, bring the money" was Jun's answer.

Touka managed to barely win the first hanchan but the next three had gone the tall girl way.

On the 5th, 6th and 7th, Touka only saw the record the day after. She had passed after that 7th play that she had apparently won like the two precedents. But she couldn't accept what she saw. It wasn't how she played.

Jun insisted that Touka had won and was already preparing for her work the next day, but the heiress of Ryuumonbuchi couldn't accept a victory that wasn't hers and so they played the three remaining games that she managed to win, as close as the game were.

And so on that first day of winter she had finally completed her team.

...

One year after the start of her plan thing had gone a long way, Touka really considered her teammate as a family and even Koromo had started to open up, but she was still a lone wolf at heart and it would be hard to find someone on her level.

Still they had managed easily enough to go through the regional tournament , earning the honor to represent Nagano in the Inter-High National tournament, in team and even as individual as Touka had gotten the second place of the qualifier.

"Just as planned Touka-oujo-sama," Hagiyoshi had congratulated her.

"Of course, and Now I..., We will conquer all japan" That's what she had sincerely thought at the time, that they really were the best team, even if she knew she wasn't the best player. Nodochi and Koromo were enough of reminder to that.

But on the summer tournament she was swiftly proven wrong as they barely managed to hand on the first place of the quarter-final thank to Koromo before being eliminated by the team that would be runner-up that year during their semifinal.

And the one to lose was her as they got eliminated during the vice-captain match where the fourth was put under zero when she was third. It was what her teammate had said to her as she had once more entered that strange state she so much hated.

But the thing that had truly convinced her that her team lacked something was when she saw the final . The ace of Shiraitodai was just too strong and more than that none of the team that could really pretend to the title had any real weak point.

She liked Tomoki like a sister but they would need to find an other player for next year if they wanted to win.

Strangely the shy girl had come to the same conclusion, saying that she would be more useful on the sideline, helping them understand their foe. A manager of sort.

But where to find that fifth player. And if possible someone who could be the true friend for Koromo.

...

Touka had searched all around with the help of her 'Maids' But there was no signs of anyone strong enough, at least none that could be willing to join.

Still one day of winter the answer had come from the strangest , and also saddest of way. Touka was reading the newspaper when Hajime came to serve her tea. By some play of fate Hajime' eyes posed themselves on the corner of the newspaper where the obituary was and she saw the face of a girl, a middle-scholar by the look of it, that was supporting the photo of her deceased father.

"That's it" exclaimed Hajime, surprising Touka who almost made her teacup fall if not for the unnatural reflex of her butler.

"Hajime, is there a problem? Why did you shout in my ears?" She asked , flustered by the blunder she had almost made.

"Sorry, Touka oujo-sama, but I think I just found our fifth player" Hajime bowed to excuse herself before breaking the news.

".. Huh where? On the paper?" How could you find A mahjong player on the economic or Necrologic page?

"Yes , do you see that girl there, I think she would be perfect" Hajime point to the right corner where the photo that had drawn her gaze sat .

"Why? She lost her father with whom she was living, that make her like all of us at the point that life seem to like hurting her. But how can you be sure she knows mahjong?" Touka couldn't help but think she may be right when she saw the eyes of the girl.

She only had seen one person with those eyes. And this was when she had first come to know Koromo. At first she believed it was the eyes of some that just lost their parents but she had so other since that time and never she had so those same eyes that were looking into elsewhere why still piercing you.

At least not till she saw that photo.

And that was why Hajime next phrase didn't surprise her at all."That face, I would remember it everywhere. You remember you said that you found me through my grade school game record right?"

"Yes , but... Did she play there too?" She had gone through those same records more times she could remember but only Hajime had really taken her in. How could she

"Yes, she was the girl I lost too, she didn't seem to be strong but no ones ever managed to take the first place from her, even my cheat only made me first because I was south and she was west"

"You seem to remember that quite clearly for someone who said she wanted to forget" Touka was getting suspicious.

"Could you forget playing against Koromo on even a half-moon once in your life? Hajime answered with so much seriousness that it made Touka really think about it.

"No, I don't think anyone could, are you saying that she is like Koromo?"

"She wasn't playing seriously and in the end the chombo gave East the first place. I don't think she ever played after that but you should find that quickly enough. The first time I played against Koromo I knew I already felt something similar, now I am sure it was her, What's her name?"

"Lone daughter of Miyanaga Tojiro. Miyanaga Saki"

...

The next day Touka had come to the Miyanaga household, The girl's mother was still alive and had come to the burial, but she seemed to be distant with her daughter and when she Touka had gone inside she had overheard her talking about sending Saki to a pension as she could not take care of her. That was when she decided to intervene.

"Sorry, are you The Mother of Miyanaga Saki?"

"I am, what do you want with my useless daughter?" Touka saw the young girl in the corner of the room twitch and that was it. She would take the girl under her care no matter what.

"I represent the Ryuumobushi Academy for girls, and we would be interested in offering her a scholarship in our school" She employed the tone she used when making deals with hard to deal with concurrent, to make sure to get her point across." I just overheard you were unable to take care of her I believe it would be perfect for her.

"And where is the catch, there is always one and I can't fathom how that ever equal girl could catch the eyes of such a prestigious institution" The mother was clearly more worried about possible catch for her than for her daughter.

"She will have to work as a maid for one of her elder students and will be asked to join the same club as her."

"I suppose it is to pay a part of the scholarship, and it would do her good, where do I sign?"

"Here"Hagiyoshi appeared from behind her with the contract, that she immediately signed, without even asking what the job exactly entailed , nor which club her daughter would go in.

Touka took the contract and went to the girl who just got enrolled in her school.

"You are Miyanaga Saki right?"

The girl simply nodded in aquiesment

"You understood what just happen ?"

Once more just a sign of her head

"Don't worry, from tomorrow on you will live with us and I am sure you will make friends. I, I lost my mother three years ago and Koromo who you will be under lost both her parents"

That last bit got a word from the diminutive girl "That's sad...how is she feeling"

"She mostly got over it but she still feel bad when she think about them, that's why I want someone like you to be her friend, I believe you are the only one who can" Touka did not see any reason to lie to Saki.

"Can I really, I don't have any friend of my own and I don't have any redeeming quality" The girl was really gentle. When hearing she could help someone she had immediately talked more.

" Yes, and you do have one talent that will be most useful when dealing with Koromo" Touka continued her explanations , Saki suspended to her lips. The mother had gone out during the conversation and it would be for the better or she would have heard the next bit." I need you because you are the only one that could match Koromo at mahjong"

Saki seemed to slum down when hearing the name of the game."So its mahjong"

"Yes , I do not know why you stopped playing but I , and more importantly Koromo need you to play mahjong. Would you not help her" Touka got out a photo of her cousin. She was so cute that no one could say no to a photo of her.

"cute.., Can I really help her if I play mahjong once again?" Saki eyes were fixated on Koromo's. Had she felt it too? That they were almost the same. That was something had been sure of the moment she had seen Saki .

"I believe so, but you will have to give it your all. Do you accept?"

" I will try. I can't live here any more after so I should at least give it a try" Touka would have preferred more enthusiasm, but it would go back in time , after all the girl had just lost her father, and it seemed she was at odds with the rest of her family.

"Well prepare your bag, Today start your new life" Touka shout with enthusiasm while getting up

"Heeeee" Saki shout out in surprise, wide-eyed.

...

Until next time.

So is it any good? Please review it encourage me to continue.

Fragment of Ring