Chapter 1 (Prologue): Rabbit in the Snow
In a small village on the coast of Japan, a young brunette climbed out of her window and down to the cold winter ground. He wriggled her bare feet happily in the sparkling snow before smiling.
"Finally…" she said taking her first step forward.
A small black cat then proudly strode up to her and rubbed its head agenised her pale leg.
"Dakku...You want to come on an adventure with me?" She said kneeling down and petting the cat.
The cat replied with a soft purr before skipping through the untouched snow ahead. The girl blindly followed the cat ignoring the cold and walked into the dark night. The cat and her soon arrived at a river on the edge of the forest. She sat down in the snow and began to look out at the river while the cat came over and sat on her lap. She didn't mid as Dakku's fur was the only thing keeping her warm but she refused to go back now. She looked up at the night sky searching for something new in the stars.
"One day Dakku I'll escape and then we can come out and play all the time…" She whispered while gently stroking him. He then poked his ears up and began staring and hissing at something in the dark. "What's wrong? Is something there?" She said putting the cat down and walking in the direction it was staring. There in the snow was a small white rabbit. She slowly walked up to the rabbit but it didn't move an inch… it just lay there. Small patches of blood then became visible in the snow leading up to the rabbit. She slowly picked it up and discovered what looked like bite marks in the rabbit causing it to slowly and painfully bleed out.
"Poor bunny…" She said stroking it "if only it was spring I could-" she then realised something. She pulled a large tattered book out of her satchel and opened it. There on the page was a small pink flower that had been pressed. She took it out and began picking off the petals and then rubbing them on the rabbits wound. Finally, she removed a bandage from around her arm revealing large red blotches on her arm and wrapped the bandage around the rabbits wound. "That should do it…" She said putting it in a small hole under a hollow tree to keep it safe and warm. By this time the cold had gotten to her and her short kimono wasn't enough to keep her warm. She sat by the tree shivering, too weak to stand and even if she could wouldn't know how to get back home.
"Miya!" She could hear someone call in the distance.
"S-Saru?" She stuttered.
"Miya are you out here?!" He called again.
She worked up all her remaining strength so she could call out one last time "Saru!"
A young boy with large spiked up white hair came running through the trees and up to the weak brunette leaning agenised the tall hollow tree. He ran up to her and kneeled down before sweeping the hair off her face. "Miya! What are you doing out here?!"
She couldn't reply but gave him a sorry look to express her feelings. He looked at her very serious for a moment before picking her up and carrying her back into the village.