Savage and Graceful Beginnings

"The Ki-Tanean soul is strong, but the body shall be stronger or the tribe shall fall to the outsiders, therefore the Ki-Taneans will train from the time they are small children. The Ki-Tanean skill will become greater over time as well this way"

--From the sacred text of the Ki-Tanean Tribe

Relena was allowing the other Ki-Tanean women to prepare her wedding to Zennimaru, not letting anyone suspect anything. She still acted like she hated the idea but had accepted it, so everyone believed Aleu had succeeded in convincing her to go through with the marriage.

"Relena, you are going to be so beautiful in this dress," Maura, Relena's grandmother said, bringing out the wedding dress to see how it fit Relena. It had been her dress at one point, and later Candy's.

"I suppose," Relena said. What she was thinking was bite me, grandma. I know you're thrilled with this. Won't you be sad when you wake up tomorrow and find out I'm not here? By then I hope to be miles away with Aleu.

"Relena, I know you don't like Zennimaru. Your mother acted the same way when she was going to marry your father. She grew to love Jaden though, and you might grow to love Zenny someday," Maura said.

"Yeah, right," Relena muttered. She couldn't wait until it was night and she and Aleu could go begin their new lives in the outside world. Nobody would have to know they were Ki-Taneans. After all, as far as the outsiders knew, the last Ki-Taneans had been destroyed almost fifty years ago.

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Alimaru laid in wait for his latest target. He didn't want to kill this woman, but there was an incredible bounty on her head. A bounty he could feed his sisters for a month with and that was the only reason he took the job. This woman had children, she had a husband, and it broke Alimaru's heart to have to do this. Alimaru's current employer got ticked off way too easy and it was scary as anything. He didn't even know what this woman had done.

As soon as the poor woman was alone, Alimaru lunged out of his hiding place. He raised his scythe and said "I'm sorry," before he brought it down and slew the woman in a single hit.

Alimaru left with a heavy heart and proof that he killed the woman. The things he did for his sisters…he literally killed for them. He didn't know how he could live with himself much longer…this was killing him, but he couldn't die or his sisters would die too.

"The dark deed you requested has been done," Alimaru sadly told his employer. Once he got his bounty, he headed off to market. He hoped his trees would have lots of fruit this year, so he wouldn't need as much money and wouldn't have to kill anyone for a while.

The stain of his sins weighed on Alimaru's heart heavier than ever. That woman had a family, and he had killed her. He didn't even know her, she had done nothing to him, and he killed her just because his family needed food. He hoped her husband was able to provide and didn't just die of a broken heart like Ali's mother had.

"Hi Ali! How was the farm?" Petunia asked happily. One thing Alimaru could count on was his sisters being happy to see him.

Alimaru faked a smile, "Same old, same old," he said. It tore him apart further to lie to his sisters. This had been the worst day of his life, and if he didn't find another job it was only going to get worse. He feared that someone would take him out eventually or that he'd completely lose his heart and become hollow about that killing thing.

"Alimaru, do you ever meet girls on the farm?" Violet asked.

"I wish!" Alimaru said, "I want nothing more than to meet a nice girl, get married, and settle down. We could still run the flower shop and everything, not much would change…but every time I meet a girl, she's not the right girl for me. Girls don't like me."

"We're girls, and we love you," Daisy said.

"It's different. You're my sisters, and I'm all you have. Every time I meet a girl who might be interested in me, she doesn't want to have to take care of five little girls, and if I ever get married, it's going to be to someone who would help me take care of you," Alimaru said. Daisy was the closest to Alimaru in age, but she was still a child. She was eleven years old and very smart. If only they didn't need her to run the flower shop while her brother was out working, Daisy could have any job she wanted.

Alimaru went out into his garden and tried to get his mind off of the woman he killed. He kept seeing her in his mind. This had to stop…