1AN: This is written in first person and is Zakuro's thoughts on life and herself and all that makes her up. Look for other pieces in Reflections for each of the characters.

Reflections

Part One: Zakuro

Side story of Amazon Storm

By

Ragemoon

And

DarkGoddess1

Sometimes, when I look back on my life, I get mad. I get mad at my father for leaving and I get mad at my mother for beating on me and then I hate my father's family for abandoning me and my sisters and leaving us to fend for ourselves. No wonder we're all so freaking screwed up. Sometimes my anger makes me incoherent with rage and I just cannot think or reflect on the past without seeing deep red in front of my eyes.

And just as I thought my life couldn't get any worse...I met the love of my life. I met the one person that started me to heal. To become myself and not to become a clone of my mother. Not the unfeeling monster that I sometimes feel like I am. It's going to take years before I can arise from the ashes like Sakura but arise I will and I'll finally be happy. Who did I meet that started these wheels of fate in motion?

I met Cam. Cameron Wantanabe.

Cam is so many things to so many people, but to me, he is my savior. He is the one that saved me from the dark path I was on. When I met him, I was in university and working part time as a hired ninja assassin under my mother's employ. I hated being an assassin. I hated taking lives...but it was either that or lose my sisters. Mother always knew just how to pull my strings. She could play me like every instrument in the band. She knew how to make me sing whatever song she wished to hear and in the sadistic way she did, she enjoyed every fucking moment of it.

Then, one day, he literally walked into my life. . I still cannot believe this is all real. I cannot believe that I am with such a caring man. He surprises me everyday. He makes me feel whole and so loved.

Cam had come by Tokyo University to study abroad in computer sciences and he and I were in the same class one day. Something about him just caught my eye and I know I caught his. He caught up with me while I was on my way to the Nintendo headquarters where I was interning. We flirted and talked and before either of us knew it, we had a date.

Before I knew what was happening, we'd been dating for two months, but then, Cam had to go back to America. We were determined not to lose touch and after he left Japan, we continued to talk over the Internet, thank god for it!

Then, one day, not long after Sakura's disastrous engagement, I received a FedEx package at work. Inside was a beautiful engagement ring and a note from Cam asking me for my hand in marriage. I was so surprised I stood there staring at it then it all fell into place for me. Of course I said yes and decided to leave everything behind to marry him. I was thrilled. I may have been leaving home, but at least I would be with someone who loved me.

Since then, much has changed. I went from having three younger sisters to having six younger sisters, including Arashi, who I do like even if we have a rocky relationship, and I found out that two very close friends of mine are also my family, Retasu and Sae. I am growing as a person and my relationship with Cam is changing my whole outlook. I want everyone to be happy.

I just wish Yuriko would stop being such a baby at times. Her soul mate is out there she just is too impatient to find him. I know he will come into her life like her element. Until then, she has to wait.

Cam saved me from becoming my mother. He made me truly look at myself and what I do to others. He made me realize that if I kept on this road, I would loose Arashi and everyone else. Losing my little sisters would be terrible, especially Arashi. She has such power she scares me. She is so much like me it drives me crazy with rage at first. Though unlike me she appears to have such control unless of course you mess with her men then she quicker to anger then even I am.

Some nights, Cam and I sleep in the same bed and not have sex, but we cuddle up close together and simply enjoy one another's company. When I'm alone with him, I feel completely safe and secure. I trust him completely and I know he'll never hurt me. And when I feel that way, I tell him that I love him and he smiles and says, "I know."

Then he pulls me close and kisses me and I feel like I'm floating on a cloud. That no one could bring me down. No one, not even Mother.

I'm different around him. I am a better person because of him and his presence in my life. He accepts me for who I am and encourages me to change.

And he loves me all the same.