For a few days Sora refused to direct her attention to the land outside. Scared slightly witless she gathered all her time rearranging the large house into something bearable to call a home. After many attempts at moving things she rearranged the furniture back to her original position. All that work for nothing.

Worrying her lip Sora thought of her friends. They had decided only days before her impending move they would come to visit her to help her settle in but, after her little fright in the forest Sora had proposed they postpone their visit a few weeks until she could adjust to the hustle and bustle of the farm town. Reluctantly her friends had agreed much to her relief.

The deer were outside again rummaging through the grassy surroundings. More younglings than the last few days. Rutting season was soon approaching, it wasn't that unusual for the bucks to be so lively. Shivers trembled up her spine as the colts pranced through the grouping of large trees flowing effortlessly in and out of the woodland. Darn it! She wasn't suppose to look outside. Turning her head she tried to finding something entertaining inside.

Readjusting her sitting position for the ninth time in the last five minutes the plum haired woman

huffed. Shoulders sagging into the bar as she played with the little plant in front of her. The vines wilting just slightly as if it too longed to be outside. Even the woodsy scent that pushed her to buy the innocent looking plant was diminishing to the point that all she ever smelled was the musk of old charcoal and oil paints.

How angry her Great Aunt would have been to find out she had used one of the inconsequential rooms of the ridiculously large mansion for something as silly as finger paints.

Wrinkling her nose she tried to delude the smell. Unfortunately the structure of the old house allowed the smell to permeate into the hallways, and if Sora wasn't mistaken soak up into the walls.

Grumpily she teetered the potted plant with her finger. Never pushing it far enough for it to fall. She really needed some fresh air, and real human interaction. Calling any of her friends would send them on a two hour long road trip to make absolutely sure that the unflappable Sora Nagino was truly okay.

"...I need a bigger pot." Clapping her fist into her hand. It didn't take her very long to place the wilting plant back against the bay window. Grabbing her largest backpack from her days at University and changing into something warm enough to keep her cool, but breezy enough to keep her from smothering Sora approached the entryway. At the door she grabbed her most reliable (only) from of transportation. A cheaply made mountain bike she had saved up for her first semester of college. Back then it was liberation from the small enclosed campus and now it would serve as a liaison for her first "true" adventure in her new town.

Picking up the cycle she faced it towards the rocky paths that had brought her to the old white house. She recalled while traveling with the two brothers Mr. Jerry and the other whose name she couldn't for the life remember showing her the hotspots as they drove through the town down to the long pining road that led to her private property. It would be a good ways travel. About three miles before she reached the end of her street and another six miles before she reached the heart of the town.

The thought didn't bother her she longed for adventure and found the scenery to be a pleasant way to manage her time. All along the winding riverbed she counted the many different forms of vegetation she saw. Little speckles of marshland dotted the ever blue sea, every few minutes a cotton tail would curiously pop out from a hearth and follow her bicycle a few steps down the path.

A few miles in, it didn't take her long to realize how friendly everyone in the small town was. Not even at the half way mark of her journey four pickup trucks had stopped asking if she needed a lift to town.

While it wasn't unusual to see all different forms of travel, anything from equine to tractor, the sight of a bubbly young woman biking to the epicenter of town had many a farmhand delaying their chores to offer a lift to the sprightly creature.

Plum tresses danced around her face. The wind was picking up a bit despite the heat of midday. The currents pushing the ever sparkling river closer to the banks spraying tiny sprinkles across her sweating skin.

She expected the lakes to smell mucky and stagnant, but they lingered with the fresh scent of sweet onions and freshly watered grass. Peddling faster the bell tower of a church began to appear. The soft white shimmered a familiar silver in the light of the sun, quickly reminding her of the thing she saw the night before. It tolled. The sound vibrating through her veins. Long and low the bell chimed indicating it to be the third hour. After ten more minutes Sora was close to main street.

Skidding to a stop she hopped off her bicycle. She parked her lackluster yellow bike near a tiny domicile tying the long black chord of her bike lock over a park bench in front of the quaint home. After testing the lock with a couple sharp tugs she hummed in assurance. Shuffling her backpack closer around her shoulders she traveled towards main street. Taking in the sights of the unusually bustling small town She began to wonder the best place to buy a pot.


After a quick bite to eat Sora found herself in a large greenhouse. The sign ushering her in assured her that the place was an actual business and she wasn't impeding on someones residence. "Hello?" The plum haired woman called out. Wiping her wet, sticky fringe from her face. Again she called out surprised to hear no response. Maybe no one was home, but the door was open and the sign wet with condensation also read open in loud red letters.

Taking light steps she made sure not to trample any of the assortment of plants. Sora had never been in a real green house before. All the ones she had ever seen had been incredibly small and cozy. Only a few meters in length, but this place was gorgeous, grand and otherworldly. Every stepped she took the garden seemed to expand.

She didn't know how long she had stayed still in one spot of the tamed wilderness. It wasn't until the incessant buzzing that she noted the number of tiny residences resting against the bark and leaves of the greenery.

On every leafy foliage sat a number fat opalescent ladybugs, they too covered in the warm dew surrounding the room. For a few moments she played with them rolling them on their sides, and then back onto their legs carefully. After a few rounds of rolling the large ladybug would flap its wing and move on to another leaf.

She liked to think of it as a ladybugs version of a tantrum. Quickly she forgot her initial reason for coming to the garden. Too engrossed the happy humms of the insects, and the sweet fresh smell of the millions of different flowers.

Laughter tinkled at her. The sound deep but womanly, startling the red head. Quickly she rose, planting her hands on the table as she barely missed a wobbling insect.

A warm shade of strawberry blonde entered her view as a large garden hat breezed right past her head. Below the twined wicker hat, jovial honeysuckle eyes crinkled. "I'm Sarah." She said. Pushing her large hat off of her head, "and to what do I oh this pleasure Miss?"

"Sora." Bowing subconsciously the young girl responded.

"Sora?" She confirmed. Said woman nodded her head.

Traveling through the flowers the older woman seemed to slip and slide across the foliage much like water running into the sea. She hummed under her breathe imperceptive of the poor left footed girl who struggled to keep chase. "Sora. What a strange name? Are you Japanese perhaps?"

"Ah yes M'am." She squeeked.

Turning Sarah strapped her garden hat back on taming the long bouncy curls, "No M'ams here young lady. I'm not a day over thirty!"

"Ah sorry." Sarah grinned pinching her fingers on her hat as she spun her self, in long languid circles, her pearl dress fluttered behind her forming into a large bell.

"No need to apologize" Smiling the woman grabbed Sora by her peachy hands pulling in her close. "We're neighbors you know." She stated, skipping through the bundles of flowers her slipper covered feet almost dancing across the damp cement. "Well not in the sense that we live directly by each other, I mean we only have a few hills keeping us apart, but beside me, you and my Husband not another soul lives up at those hills." She didn't realize she had snatched her hand away.

Clamming her fingers together Sora gulped, "but how did you know I lived..."

"Up on the hill?" Chimed the blonde. Leaning in, her hat brushing against Sora's forehead, "It's because I know everything." Her eyes glistened as she removed her hat once again pushing her bangs off her large shiny forehead for the umpteenth time. "It's always so hot in here." She muttered. "So balmy, but full of life." A fat red backed ladybug plopped onto her finger and with a little nudging she had it nestled in a bed of roses. "We have a ladybug farm here too. It's actually my husband and I's primary source of income. We outsource them to the local farmers to keep the aphid infestation down. When my husband and I married he already had this family business." Turning towards the frozen woman her eyes burned with warmth as her voice took on a whimsical tune, "I was just a young girl then. Not even a heart beat over twenty. I didn't think I could live my life just selling ladybugs as an insecticide so I started to build this garden. Everything in here is my livelihood. Besides this I don't have much else to do." Turning in a slow circle, she grabbed the him of her knee-length dress, "Well except hear all the chatty gossip of the young girl who has taken late Mrs. Yamamoto's home." Swinging hair around her shoulder she gathered a few discarded tools into her hand, "Also Jerry tends to have a big mouth whenever someone new moves in."

"I actually wasn't aware Mrs. Yamamoto had any relatives besides her sister and thought she was a widow." Sora blinked slowly before swallowing akwardly.

"I wasn't either until just recently. My grandmother had left all her worldly possessions to her son, my father, but my mother and father had passed away a long time ago, so her inheritance went to me. I was only recently informed about it, because of a discrepancy at the insurance company. My grandmother couldn't take care of me when I was younger, she was already very senile at the point. I think that she may have left everything to me as a way of saying that she was always thinking about my future."

"I see." carried the soft whisper. "Mrs. Yamamoto was a very dear friend of mine. She was kind to me during a time when no one else was. I believe if she could have taken care of you she would have wholeheartedly." Sliding her hands through the richly colored tresses the older woman grinned fondly, "I will say you inherited her plum hair. So rich and purple. She liked to watch things grow. Aid in them only when they truly needed it. That's how she developed her garden." For a long moment they stood reminiscent of their only bond.

Grandmother Yamamoto, A woman who Sora hardly even knew and a kindly spinster Sarah respected deeply.

Gripping her spade the blonde florist removed her shoes with her opposite hand. Walking further into the vines and planted trees she called towards the young redhead, "Follow me!"

Grappling roots, Sora made her attempt to trek through the garden but it was somewhat difficult, for every limb that allowed the taller woman to gracefully saunter through the room seemed to close and tangle and deter the young girl. It was after a few minutes, fighting through a line of thorny branches she finally found the lovely blond woman posturing down besides a massive shrub.

A sweet scent entered her nose so pungent it almost burned her senses. Unlike the other plants that were gathered into large stocks and groups this one sat, by itself lonesome. And unlike the others it was not situated inside of a pot. Instead a large square hole was cut in the cement spreading six feet wide on all sides.

"How are you today?" Golden hair fell over her shoulders as the woman cooed to the large yellow spotted bush, tending to it, she patted down the soil, smoothed the discrepancies and pulled at young yellowing weeds trying to overcome the shrub. "This is the first plant I brought here. I can't believe that was over ten years ago. Sora, Do you know what it is?"

Kneeling down Sora petted the the bright puffy petals Tilting her head up she answered Sara, "It's Rue isn't?" A tingling shot through her fingers, minute and quick as if the plant itself was affirming her guess.

A deep hum vibrated through the taller woman's lungs, long brown lashes fluttering down against her cheek. "Yes it is," Sarah Spoke wistfully. "In the language of flowers Rue means grace and clear vision."

"I'm growing a plant." She interrupted just now remembering her objective, "That's why I came down here!" Her voice was a high timbre almost overly exuberant.

Gathering her things Sarah dusted of her dress. Small brown stains marring the white material, but the bubbly woman didn't seem to mine. Placing her hands in front of her she pulled Sora to her feet. "So what exactly is that I can help you with today?"

Grinning at the woman Sora began to tell her about the plant. " I have a plant that I just bought, You see a going away gift I bought for myself. At little selfish, I know. It helps to keep the nostalgia away. I-" Grabbing at her heart her lip quivered, "I want it to be an important memento." Out expelled a deep breathe, her fingers tangling together against her blue crumpled tank top. Like a small child her chin pointed to the grounds, her knees buckled together and her two big toes tapped nervously against each other, "...but I think it's to large for its pot so, I want to purchase a bigger one."

Placing her hand on her chin Sarah thought.

Flickering down the path she directed Sora to a large wall. Large ocean blue eyes Spied through the bamboo counters studying each pot, imagining the medium size sapling Sora described. "I just got a number of pots shipped in a few weeks ago, but I don't know if I have anything over a medium size. Sounds like your little sapling may be stifled if I give him anything to small." Sora glumly sulked. Pinching her bony wrist at the prospect that her little memento may not survive its stay. "Have you thought about possibly planting outside of the house?" Sarah Asked, "Mrs. Yamamoto used to have a garden out there when I was still pretty young. It was very beautiful, one of my favorite places to visit." Long sinewy fingers flicked through the merchandise tapping against the pottery to check for firmness, "It only died because she was getting to elderly to take care of it. She refused to let anyone else help her take care of the garden either." Pausing she looked towards her dear friend's granddaughter. "She was watering that plot of land every day up until three or four years ago. Even when her hands had withered and aged to the point of uselessness that place was still vibrantly growing."

Carefully she watched the woman putting an assortment of pots before her, some overly colorful as if they had been dropped into a vat of candy corn coloring, some depressingly simple in their design and sturdiness. "She died from old age?"

Sarah's fingers stopped, "Oh...you didn't know?"

"There are a lot of things I was never told about my grandmother. I knew she was elderly but I was told she died in an accident." The younger woman whispered softly. Warm fingers pressed against her shoulder pushing her upright.

Bringing her hands back to the rim of her golden straw hat Sara sighed, "She died peacefully, graceful as ever. For a few weeks she was to week to leave her home, just like a plant without water or light she began to falter and wilt. All of us, everyone in town," she corrected, "Were worried that she would live just withering. We didn't want to see her suffer. You see in this place we all worry immensely over each other. Everyone here treats everybody like family." Her voice tinkled pixie-like at the last of her sentence, finding some sort of consolation in the thought. "The night before she died she had disappeared to that forest of hers-"

"The forest on the side of the hill?"

Smiling the older woman repeated, "Yes the forest on the side of hill. After her garden that must have been her most favorite place in the world. I don't know if its just a Japanese-thing, or if she was getting on years but, she always talked about how magical of a place it was. My husband always called her senile because she would talk about this lovely stream that parted through the center of the forest."

A dollop of unease dropped onto the young woman's chest. She heaved a breathe slowly, trying to control the rapid feelings tumbling through her stomach. "-and why is that unusual?" Squeaked Sora, trying to push the large knot tangled in her throat out.

Startled Sora jumped. Turning to the source of the noise she spied a large, but not overly so sized pot sitting in front of her. Designs drawn in delicate silver over an ash gray base. "Simply because, my dear there is no river that flows through that forest." Carelessly she tossed her long wavy hair over shoulder, "I know for an older person that footpath may seem like it takes ages but, it really is only a tiny little walkway."

"Excuse me, Miss Sarah."

"Just Sarah," She corrected.

"Alright then, M- Sarah. Uhmm... You said a while go that we are the only people living on those hills right?"

Firmly the pot sat in front of her, she dusted off with care before turning to look into the shaking, inquiring brown eyes, "Yes, between Me, My husband and you we are the only living people on those hills." Her brows quirked rising high onto her forehead.

Gulping, at the words she was hearing. "Living people?"

Ethereal the beams of light glowed against Sarah's skin, eerie as the translucent green of the nursery tinged her sun kissed skin. "Why yes? Your grandmother was quite fanciful of the ghouls and spirits that lived up there, and us being a small town we like to entertain the stories of unwelcoming poltergeist, tricky pixies and the unusual." Petting the damp plum locks Sarah smiled, her icy blue eyes closing together as wrinkles crinkled at her lashes, "No worries little one, their just old wives-tales and the likes. Now... tell me, how about this pot?"

She weighed the pot in her hands, liking how the weight settled firmly, telling her that the pot wouldn't fall or break during a heavy wind. Nodding her head she followed the woman out handing her a few bills to complete their transaction. Gold rays beat against her skin, the ripe wind traveling about so much different from the stagnant air circulating through the green house. She pushed the hair off the nape of her neck letting the wind caress. The touch meandering and smooth, sending shivers down her spine. The weather in this little town was awfully hot, sticky and windy.

"Mis-" A sturdy stare made her hold her tongue, "Sarah? Do you believe that their may be ghost, or spirits or something or other in that forest."

Blankly the beauty stared. Taking in the quivering lips, wringing wrist and quivering voice. "I...don't say I particularly believe in that nonsense." She quipped, "It's just good old gossip for us old folks to pass around once we run out stories to tell about each other. I mean its not unusual for the young ones to go run around the hills. The kids will come out pretty far just play in that old patch of land. I think their attracted to the fairy tales."

"So..." Began the purple haired woman, Squeezing her hands against the ends of her shirt, "A lot of children play in that area?"

"Well I wouldn't call it a lot, we are a small population size. So only half a dozen or so at the most on any given day. Don't worry the kids know not to tamper or prod at the land. They are very respectful. That's why old lady Yamamoto let them play there for so long."

Heaving a breathe the nervous woman asked one more question, "By any chance do any of the kids have silver hair?"


The ride back home was much shorter than the travel there. Not to say the ride home was easier than the ride to town.

Fumbling with the door latch she pushed the large french style door open with her foot. Numbly she cradled her pot, exhausted she fell into a heap into the closest chair. After getting enough of a breather she scooted forward unfolding her furled form. Smack, She slapped herself in the head. Out of all the places to sit, hopefully no one important would notice that the plushy pristine and more than likely insanely-cost-a-semester-of-her-tuition reclining chair was more brown-tinged than the its original lovely bone white coloring. "Crap." Jumping out of the seat Sora scampered against the wall taking in the scene of her mess.

She was covered in dirt, ingrained into her clothes, smudged on her skin and most definitely caked into her hair. The wonderful few sprinkles of raindrops that had made the ride more bearable created sludge and traction as she tried to petal up the large towering hills.

Slowly, feeling the muscles of her legs aching in protest she walked over to her little sapling. After her initial first day of moving all her furniture by herself, rearranging it twice until it looked semi-appeasing next to her grandmothers stuff, her failed exploration and mid-afternoon bike ride Sora's body was tired. Sliding her booty into the stool she sank letting her body melt into the chilled table top.

"You look refreshed." She spoke poking at the brown stem of the vine plant. "Did you only need a little sun?" She hummed. Then blushed, looking down towards her grumbling stomach. With tiredness came hunger.

Sora put her pot down. Hurriedly, she gathered her favorite wicker chair from the sparse den , placing her only gardening spade onto the sallow little seat, next she laid her new gray-silver pot onto the wicker chair, made a tuna fish cucumber sandwich, brewed a cup of green tea and cut a slice of vanilla-strawberry cake which she also scooted onto her little topsy-turvery chair. Lastly, Sora carefully sat her little plant inside of the pot. Very carefully sliding it into the large hole. Picking up the chair she tested the balance of her little mountain and juggled everything outside. She absolutely didn't want to make a mess. She already, stained a prized possession and turned a guest room into an art exhibit.


"All done!" She sighed, wiping the gathering sweat from her brows. Humming in approval she stared at her handy work. Her little sapling appeared so vivacious dancing in the cool breeze. Dirtied hands she wiped onto her even dirtier pants. Moving slowly she made her way towards the house, sticky in places she didn't want to be. "A shower... a shower sounds nice."

Quickly she walked- hobbled? Over to the front door. With guilty eyes she looked at the awful mess she made. Everything untidy and half done. On top of her wicker chair sat a mostly uneaten sandwich, a tea she barely touched and a slice of cake she wanted to gobble down at top speed, but the need to be clean and fresh outweighed her hunger. Pressing her fingers together Sora bowed her head, "Dear god, don't let the animals eat my food while I bathe." Pressing her forehead to her palms, she quickly straightened up rushing inside.


Grumbling Sora tugged at her newly wrinkled top. "The gods have failed me." She blandly spoke. Eyes prodding at the empty plates. "A clean hit. Everything is gone. Not even a crumb was left." Her knees buckled together and her eyes pinched forward in a mock tantrum. Not one to be depressed for very long Sora slapped her closed fist against her open palm, "No need to be so gloomy on a such a bright and sunny da-" Over her an ominous shadow invaded the soft bathing light of the day, "What happened to the sun?

Before her the warm rays, felt smothering. A shield of gray blocking out the piercing white of the sky. Opening her other palm the curtain tingled against her skin. Heavy threads of hair tangled into her open hands. Seeping between her fingers like water flowing into the sea. Frightened she looked upwards, noting the daunting intimidating figure.

Venomous the apparition spoke, haughty silver eyes bearing down upon her. « Ne me catégoriser pas avec certains rats sales, femme. «


Dun...Dun..Dun ! Second chapter completed, Leon has appeared if only for the last sentence of the chapter. But no worries he is here to stay, at least for the next chapter.

Sorry its a bit wordy but, I really wanted to see Sarah fleshed out. She's a majorish character in this story. Also, heads up this is my first time writing a Kaleidostar fanfiction. I'm really trying to stay in character, but its so difficult, especially in regards to Sora she is so sweet and optimistic, but their times when I want to write her doing something snarky and I have to stop myself and go all Jane Porter, "No,no,no,no This is Sora not May."

Anyways chapters take me a bit longer for this story because I'm still getting use to the characterization. Is what I was getting at, but, I do hope that you guys are enjoying this and continue to read and as well any feedback is appreciated! :) Until next time!