Disclaimer: I don't own Samurai 7.

Precious Petals

~ Chapter One ~

Ningyo Okamoto stood in the doorway of her house and stared wide-eyed at the approaching machines. She gripped the front of her shirt tightly in her right hand. "Oh no, they're here!" I couldn't sleep at all last night. I had a feeling they'd come today.

Migiwa Okamoto, her husband, protectively pulled her close. He then turned to the young woman reading a manga, held out his hand to her, and spoke. "Tonbo!"

Tonbo Okamoto yanked her head up and her eyes met her father's. "Y-Yes?"

Her father stared at her with a serious expression. I have to protect my family! "Hurry up and run to the nearest line of trees and do not hesitate or look back."

Tonbo stared at him in confusion. "What? Are the bandits here?"

Her father reached for her hand, grabbed it and pulled her up. "Just go!"

She nodded. "R-Right!" Just as she ran out the back, she heard her mother scream and froze. She squeezed her eyes shut and struggled not to hold her breath. Please, please don't let them see me! She pressed herself hard against the outer wall of the house in an attempt to blend into the environment.

"There's one more," one of the machines said to the others.

"Where," asked the machine nearest the one that just spoke.

Tonbo didn't wait to hear the answer. She knew they knew where she hid and she opened her eyes and ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Adrenaline pumped through her and she ran faster than she ever thought she could and she didn't stumble. Everything slowed as her brain calculated the distance between her and the nearest line of trees. Her ears tuned into every sound around her and her brain calculated the distance between her and the bandits. Her normal side stich and leg muscle pain vanished. She didn't breathe heavily as she normally did. She just knew the bandits would chase her and she wanted to get as far away as possible.

Sweat slid along her flesh and drenched her clothes. Every time the wind blew, it felt nice and cool. The nearest line of trees quickly came into view. The moment she entered the woods, tree branches scratched at her exposed flesh and tugged her hair loose of her single ponytail.

A huge drop came into view and she stopped and stared down into a ravine. She noticed entwined trees just before the ravine. Hmmm…Maybe I can slide down on my butt? Then again, what's to say that those entwined trees will hold my weight?

A gust of wind flipped her bangs around her forehead and she heard the sound of machines nearby. Terrified the bandits would catch her, she took the chance. At first, she tried to carefully walk down the hill, but then her feet slid out from under her and she fell on her bottom. She scooted herself forward until she slid easily along the slope.

At the bottom of the slope just before the ravine, she clung to the entwined trees. When the sound of machines came closer, the entwined trees became her monkey bars. She tightly held onto the portion of entwined tree above her as she hung between the top of the ravine wall and the portion of entwined tree to her left.

The not so smart bandits flew over her.

She stuck her tongue out, only to get a taste of dirt. She grimaced as she buzzed her tongue and spit. "Yuck!" Dirt dropped onto her hair and into her eyes. Youch, it burns!

She slowly blinked. "Phew!" That was a close one.

The entwined trees once again became her monkey bars as she carefully positioned herself as to where the drop wouldn't be too far. When she dropped, she landed on her feet, but the impact caused a painful shock.

I have to find Katsushiro! She limped her way along the length of the ravine.