A/N: Ok, this is the same story as "Sorcerer of Hell", aka "I'll always be there". Fanfiction deleted my story because of..uh...the rape scene in the second chapter i suppose...anyhow, this is practically the same story except I made some changes and added some more...meaningful stuff to it. :P Oh yes, i changed the title again because it fitted better with this version of the story. Gomen for all the confusion!

Prologue

"Tell me a bed time story mother, please?" whined a little girl with bright emerald green eyes.

Nadeshiko smiled at her daughter and said, "Alright, but afterwards you have to go straight to sleep."

"Hai!" squealed the little girl. She had always loved her mother's stories.

Nadeshiko made herself comfortable on the edge of her daughter's bed and said to her daughter, "Have you ever wondered why locking fingers is a sign of promise?"

Her daughter shook her head.

"Well there's a story which goes like this:

"Once long ago when dragons roamed the skies, there lived one princess with long silky black hair and deep blue eyes. She was beautiful and wise; therefore, princes from every country came to ask for her hand in marriage. The princess did not know who to choose, so she set up a simple task. She would hold out her pinky finger and place it behind her back. Whoever guessed which finger she held up, he would become her king.

Many princes came to try for task, but none succeed. Finally, it was left to five princes from five different countries.

The first prince held up his thumb, the princess shook her head but smiled at him grateful and said, "Thank you."

The second princess held up his forefinger. The princess shook her head and moved on.

The third held up his middle finger, and the princess, highly offended, slapped him and demanded for him to be taken away.

The fourth prince held up his ring finger but the princess just waved him away.

Finally, last but not least, the fifth prince. He held up his pinky finger.

The princess held up her finger and locked it with his.

They smiled at each other and they were instantly married.

Five peaceful years passed until the time when the prince had to out to war. The princess locked fingers with him and said he had to come back to her, no matter what. Their locked fingers will be the sign of promise. The prince nodded and left reluctantly, leaving the princess in distress.

Another five years passed and the prince still hadn't returned. Finally, after a month, the prince was announced to have been dead.

The princess was horrified and cried herself to sleep every night, thinking of her lost beloved.

But she must have a king.

So she set up the task again, and the princes all came to be tested. Not one held up their pinky finger.

Then a beggar came to the kingdom. The guards tried frantically to kick him out but the beggar would not budge. The princesses told them to let him in, everybody should have a chance.

The princess stepped up to him with her hand behind her back and smiled encouragingly.

The beggar raised his pinky finger.

The black haired princess looked at him with shock. She raised her finger shakily and the beggar locked his pinky with hers. He was her long lost prince.

That night, the prince woke up suddenly. He watched the princess with a sad look in his eyes and hurried out the door.

The princess woke up and ran after him. She watched as he slowly faded into the night air, glints of tears clouded his eyes as he waved goodbye.

A spirit can stay in the human world for 49 days, and that day, was the 49th. The prince came back to keep his promise.

The princess ordered her palace guards and knights to search for the king's body. They found him.

The princess lay down beside him. She picked up a bottle, drank it, and then locked her pinky finger with his.

She died."

Nadeshiko finished her story and whispered softly, "And that is why, locking pinkies is a sign of promise."

She smiled down at her daughter whose eyes were shut tightly, a small smile on her little face.

Nadeshiko held up her pinky finger and locked it with her daughter's. She said, "I promise that I'll always watch over you, Sakura."

Weeell thats the prologue for this version. The 'pinky finger story', as i call it, is taken from a korean movie called "Windstruck". i just looove that movie cause its so funny and so touching, i cried in several places. -sniffle- and if you can, you should really watch it! i love the soundtrack as well...ok, please RR!