Part One

~ The Beginning of the End~

Chapter One

(13 Years Later)

Sakuno wasn't fully aware about what was going on. One moment she had been sitting on her bed, brush in hand as she braided her hair. She had already showered; her new school uniform was on being nicely pressed that very morning. Then, an ear piercing shriek came from across the hall. Jumping, panicking a little and not sure if she should check on Tomoka or not, she finally decided to be brave.

Shakily, she opened her bedroom door and peeked out into the hallway. Tomoka stood in front of her bedroom door, face a bright red and her entire upper body was soaked.

"WRAUGH! VICTORY! YOU BETTER GET BACK HERE!" Tomo screamed at the top of her lungs taking off in the direction that the apparent guilty party had taken to escape.

Looking around a bit more Sakuno saw that the other house girls had also been awoken by all the commotion. The room to her left and the only other one on this side of the hall was occupied by eighteen year old Mero. Said girl stood outside her door rubbing her eyes sleepily. She had actually just laid down having planned on sleeping until eleven when she would have to get up and prepare to go to her college classes for today.

Across from Mero, to the right of Tomoka was Victory's room. Victory was the second youngest girl here being fourteen years old. She went to the middle school section of Sakuno's and Tomoka's school. She was apparently already up and ready. She probably got tired of hearing Tomoka's alarm clock again. (It was rather loud and annoying.) Victory was a huge animal lover. She, besides Sakuno, was the only one who could approach their cat Karupin.

Karupin was the only pet allowed in the house. They had actually found her a few weeks back, a cold wet kitten trying to hide under bushes to avoid getting wet. The girls, out on a walk had decided to take her home hiding her in secret for days until Okaa-san had found out about her. Taking the kitten in her hands checking Karupin fully, she decided that she could stay.

A few days later, after her eyes had fully open, Karupin started to avoid the girls, vanishing whenever anyone besides Sakuno and Victory tried to touch or approach her. And so, she had become their cat.

Briefly wondering where said cat was she watched as Cho and Sakura, they were the only blood related sisters in the house, wandered out of their room, which was on Tomoka's left side, and down stairs to go eat breakfast.

Sakura was the youngest girl being eleven and Cho second oldest being seventeen. Apparently Cho had guessed the same cause of this morning's disturbance as Sakuno.

"I don't blame her," Cho told Sakura stifling a yawn as the neared the stairs. "That damn alarm clock is very fucking annoying."

Sakura chuckled nodding her agreement and then they were gone. That's when Sakuno realized that she was the only one left in the hallway and her hair wasn't done yet. Shaking her head, she went back into her room and went back to getting ready for school.

Victory was panting. She had finally lost Tomoka in the garden and decided to wait behind the tool shed before trying to leave the premises. After all Tomoka would most certainly be waiting to take her down. She had thrown a bucket of ice cold water on the girl as revenge for Tomoka having talked so loud on the phone last night. The walls were thin and she very, very loud. It was totally not a good combination and Victory had ended up staying up all night not having had any luck with blocking the noise out.

Sighing she sat down. It was around six am and Okaa didn't drive them to school until seven. She would be there for a while.

Victory played with a lock her black hair almost distractedly as she opened her school bag and pulled out her sketchbook.

She might not have been the best artist ever but she was still pretty decent.

Her birthday had been recently and everyone had almost gotten her the same thing. She now had three new sketchbooks, two new Warriors books and a set of drawing pencils and coloring pens.

She had been grateful. As the newest adoptee at the house she hadn't had much possessions with her after almost everything she loved and cared for had been destroyed in the fire that had consumed her family and house.

She shuddered as the memories of a heavily dark and bright sky passed through her mind's eye, the smell of burning wood and smoke burning her nostrils.

Shaking her head she looked up at the dark sky.

The sun would be up completely soon and the darkness gone.

To be honest, the dawn was probably her most favorite part of the day. After all that's when the dark would be changed and molded to light that brought the heat and warmth necessary for survival.

When the light would come and bide adieu to the unknown and fear that came with the dark. She pondered on this for a few minutes before the breeze that was chilled against her face woke her up from her dreamy state.

Finally dawn broke, the birds singing their songs of welcoming and Victory soon spotted some of the owners of such lovely music. She started drawing her headphones plugged in.

Not even ten minutes later had she dosed off into a peaceful sleep.

Mero yawned before falling back onto her bed. It was always something with those girls. But, even though others would find it rather annoying, she found it amusing. In fact she wouldn't have it any other way. Mero had been the first of all the girls to be adopted by Okaa. She had been six at the time when her father had killed her mother and younger sister.

She was never the same after. The police had gone by her school just a few minutes before class was about to end to pick her up. The few days after that were a blur as she was put into foster care as her grandmother couldn't take her and her father's family wasn't know to her.

Not even two weeks later had a woman said she would adopt her.

Mero had been dressed in her best clothes and told to sit still. She had been taken to the big office in the front of the building and left alone for a few minutes as the adoption agent went to get Okaa.

She sat in a huge arm chair, her legs never even reaching the floor. She kicked her legs back and forth, back and forth and then the clock rang twelve just as the agent (Kikio) and Okaa walked in.

She tried to fight the urge to turn but her yearning over came her. Her eyes widened as she saw the prettiest lady ever. Okaa saw she was looking and smiled kindly, her teeth whiter and straighter than most.

"Hello," Okaa said extending her pale, small hand. Mero smiled2, reaching over the arm rest so she could grasp the hand.

"Hi pretty lady." Behind the chuckling Okaa Mero saw Kikio face palm herself.

"Well, now that you've met why don't you take a seat Miss Sayanagi and I'll be back in a minute with refreshments." Kikio smiled at Okaa and gave a warning look at Mero before leaving the room.

Once Kikio left Okaa took a seat.

"So, your name is Mero right?"

The girl nodded blond hair bouncing.

"Well Mero, I want to ask you something. Is that okay?"

Again the girl nodded.

"Not much of a talker, are you?" Okaa had said, seemingly more to herself than to the girl. "Mero, what is it that you dream of exactly?"

Mero blinked confused. What did her dreams have to do with anything?

"Mero?" Okaa was looking at her full on now, her eyes a surprisingly pale violet. They had a look of seriousness and curiosity,

"W-well…I dream of many things. But, there's always this…dragon. He's in all of my dreams"

"Really. And does he talk to you?"

Mero giggled remembering her favorite buddy.

"I can never get him to stop." She admitted truthfully a smile on her lips.

Kikio decided to go in at this point and not thirty minutes later was Mero packed up and ready to go.

The smell of rain and wet dirt stirred in her memory and she drifted off to sleep once again.

Sakuno was finally done. Her hair was in its usual neat braids but she had used a new ribbon that Sakura had embroidered for her especially. Sakuno had been the third adoptee after her grandmother, who was a toymaker, had died about four years ago. Losing her parent nine years previously and with no aunts or uncles on either side, all her grandparents now dead she ended up in foster care.

The only things she had been allowed to take from the house were her clothes, books, and few toys. Her grandmother had had a will apparently in which she left her house, toy store, all the toys she had made, a beautiful chest, and all the money in her savings to Sakuno. But, as Sakuno was not yet eighteen she had no right to anything just yet; she only had the chest out of all the things listed in the will.

She treasured that chest with her whole heart. It looked very old and was locked. Apparently Sumire hadn't left her the key. Sakuno didn't mind in the slight saying time and time again that the chest would open when it's time came. Nothing they did would speed up the process. She honestly didn't know why she said it but something in her told her that that was the honest truth and that she would just have to wait, keep faith and watch.

And that's what she did. Besides the chest she still had her Ryoma doll. He was a one of a kind doll her grandma had made for her baby granddaughter years and years ago. The story behind it was that Ryoma was a powerful warrior sent from the far off planet of Seishun to protect the Princess.

The story never ceased to amuse and ensnare Sakuno and while no one else believed the story she held onto it and let her imagination run wild with it. More than half of her diaries were filled with the stories she had wrote about Ryoma and the others saving the Princess time and time again.

Her doll went everywhere with her. No matter where it was. It was strange because there were instances when Sakuno would remember leaving Ryoma at home but he would be in her bag the second she opened it.

I was almost like he was magic.

Speaking of Ryoma, she made sure he was put securely in her bag, his white cap on and nice. Smiling at the doll she closed her bag and joined the others down stairs.