Hannah lay back on her bed and closed her eyes. She quickly fell asleep, totally oblivious to the screams and shouts that came from outside her window. She dreamt of running through a forest, laughing and shouting with another figure that, for some reason, she couldn't see clearly. She didn't remember ever having felt so carefree. She spun around and called out to the other person to hurry up. When she turned back, she could see a gap in the trees. She headed for it, not slowing down at all. Running through the gap, she saw a beautiful lake that seemed to glow with an unearthly light. She stopped and turned back. The man, who she felt she should recognize, had reached her and also stopped. He smiled at her, but the smile was sad and regretful. She felt herself becoming more serious, yet she didn't feel in control of her body anymore. He nodded.

"Gomen nasai. There is no other way." She nodded and flashed a gigantic smile at him.

"No problem. It'll be fun." She half turned, but stopped when she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"I will watch over you and be with you when you need help." She nodded, and then took off towards the lake. As she reached it, she leapt high and then plunged into the lake in a beautiful dive. As she fell through the air, she suddenly felt in control again and thought 'Just a minute. I can't dive. Neither can I jump that high. OH NO! I'M GONNA DIE WHEN I HIT THE LAKE!' Luckily for her, she didn't die. Instead, the water made way for her, closing around her and bathing her in heavenly golden warmth. She sighed and relaxed, feeling safe and protected. She still felt herself falling, but didn't worry about it anymore. Then, suddenly, the warmth was gone, and she was left in the dark. She frowned, but before she could do anything, she slipped deeper into sleep.

Takashi Kazuki frowned as he walked through the trees. The situation with the two prominent samurai clans was getting worse. If something wasn't done soon, they would fight, and not stop until only one remained. Then he sighed. Not that he had any reason to care. He had been banished from his clan thirty years ago, for no apparent reason. He had left and become stronger than they could imagine, learning new arts. Still, he worried what damage would be caused to the innocents during the war.

He started at a sound, and spun towards the source, drawing his katana and getting into an attack position. He relaxed at the sight, shook himself and sheathed the sword. He smiled at the picture before him. There was a bubbling stream, which gushed out from under a rock. Next to the stream was a young girl, asleep, with her hand hanging in the water. It had been her shifting in her sleep that had startled him. He walked lightly over to her and knelt by her side. He frowned again. Who was she? And why was she here, so close to the clans? She had no clan symbol, so she obviously had no affiliation to them. He leant forwards to wake her, when her eyes fluttered open. Grey-blue met his own hazel eyes and widened. She shifted away and sat up.

"Who are you?" She sounded panicked and a little bit annoyed

"My name is Takashi Kazuki. I apologize for scaring you, my lady, but I was confused as to why you were sleeping outside and in such a dangerous place. You do not belong to the Dragon or Lion clans, do you?" She shook her head slowly, looking around with wide eyes.

"How did I get here? Last thing I remember was going to sleep in my own room." She muttered to herself, but Kazuki heard her anyway.

"You do not know how you got here? This is more worrying than I thought. Where do you come from? Can you think of any reason why you might have been kidnapped and brought here?" She frowned.

"I come from England. And I can't think of any reason. I mean, kidnapped? Why would someone do that? My family isn't important, or rich or anything." Just then, the two heard voices. Kazuki winced and pulled the girl into a clump of bushes.

"What are you…?" She stopped as she noticed the three who had just entered the clearing. They spoke for a while, and then carried on through the forest.

"Who were they?" Kazuki frowned. How could she not recognize them?

"They were scouts from the Lion clan. This forest has been claimed by them, and so they must have been patrolling, looking for Dragon clansmen. The two clans have been locked in vicious conflict for almost a decade now." Hannah stood and looked around.

"So, which of the two are you with then?" Kazuki stood next to her.

"Neither. I used to be a Lion, but due to certain events, I am Clanless." He sighed. "I suppose you'd better come with me." He held up a hand to prevent her protest. "My honour will allow me to do no less. I may no longer be a Lion, but a samurai's sense of honour is sacred to him and so I cannot, in all conscience, leave a young lady on her own, in a strange country." She shrugged and nodded. He turned and headed off out of the clearing. She followed, frowning.

'I guess we're in Japan then if there are samurai clans. Hmmm. I didn't know that samurai still existed. Still, I guess he does look the part. Ooh, I wonder if he'll teach me to fight…'

"Ano, Takashi-san?" He turned to look at her. "Will you teach me to fight?" He stared at her then smiled.

"I don't see why not. In this age, it is a definite benefit if you know how to defend yourself." Hannah grinned widely and quickly caught up with him. She walked by his side, asking questions about anything and everything she could think about.

Time skip

A cloaked figure stood at the bottom of a waterfall, facing towards it. In front of them was a newly dug patch of ground with a stone at one end. The spray from the waterfall showered over both the grave and the solitary mourner. 'Gomen nasai, Kazuki-kun. If I hadn't have come here, the war would not have started and you would still be alive.' She pulled her cloak tightly around her and turned to face away from the waterfall, looking out over the valley. 'Still, I swear that I will fulfill our dream. I will make a haven here, for those like you.' Hannah sighed and took one last look at the grave of her mentor, protector and lover.

Then, she turned to the valley and prepared to shield it from unfriendly eyes. As she did so, she heard a sound behind her. She spun around and froze at the sight of a man and a woman that she didn't recognize and one man who she definitely did.

The woman had shoulder length pitch black hair, dark eyes and pale skin, and was clothed totally in black. The shorter man had red hair and green eyes and was clothed in green. The third person…was Takashi Kazuki.