I'm so proud of myself right now. I wrote the second chapter in less than an hour! Go me. Its my birthday. Raise the roof. *coughs* Thank you for the reviews so far. I'm going to work on the next chapter fright away. Hopefully, I'll post it in the next two days. *crosses fingers*

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Sakura walked around the town square, newly polished necklaces hanging from her right arm. The sun was out today and no clouds were in sight. Her long brown hair tied with pieces of leather and her body wafting in the scent of the sea water, she looked for anyone who would be interested.

Business was slow today as she observed the nearly empty streets and silent stalls. Live chickens ran loose around the cobblestone streets, pecking at the dirt in neighbor's gardens. Sakura was about to give up and turn back home when someone called out to her.

"Sakura!"

She turned to see who had called to her. It was Tomoyo, one of her friends and daughter of the local dressmaker.

"Hello, Tomoyo!" greeted Sakura. "What happened?" she asked, noting Tomoyo's bright face. Her shoulder-length black hair trailed softly behind her with white lilacs tucked behind her ear. Her dress was simple but much cleaner than Sakura's with some simple patterns along the trimmings of the petticoat.

Tomoyo had an eager smile upon her face and her eyes had a small glint to them. "You won't believe what my mother has just told me!"

"What? Tell me!"

The raven-haired girl bit her bottom lip as if to try to control her own excitement. Her mouth was slightly opened when a two arms circled around her waist. Tomoyo gave a surprised squeak but quickly relaxed when saw who it was.

"Good mourning, Tomoyo. Did you tell her of our engagement yet?" whispered the young youth in her ear. Sakura's jaw dropped. Tomoyo was engaged to ERIOL?

Tomoyo pouted at him, disappointed. "Great! I was about to tell her too! Can you be any more an idiot?"

He smirked. "I'm pretty sure I can," he replied in a thoughtful tone. One arm slid down to his side but the other was still around her waist, pulling them closer.

Sakura still didn't get over the shock. Her best friend was engaged to the most sought after bachelor in town. Eriol was the son of a famous weapons maker. His dad's creations are famous throughout the land for its strength and lightness, making his family one of the wealthiest families in the kingdom.

"I thought you two were just acquaintances." replied Sakura once she swallowed down her shock.

Eriol chuckled and Tomoyo smiled amusingly. "Yes, but our parents had arranged us to be wed. We've been seeing each other a lot for the past few months and just this morning my mom had told me the arrangements!" said Tomoyo.

Sakura looked at her and Eriol. It was going to be a great relationship. Eriol is a deep thinker and can be very tiring at times. Tomoyo provided the patience and force to help him relax. Not to mention, they both enjoyed each other's company.

"Congratulations, Eriol. You better take good care of my friend or I'll take it personally," she said, shaking his hand.

"Don't worry," he responded," I promise to always take care of her for you." He flashed his fiancée a smile and kissed her gently on her lips.

Sakura looked away as she noticed the public sign of affection." When's the wedding? Is it going to be inside or outside wedding?" she asked, hoping to make them realize the presence of another.

It worked. They broke away, but both looked a little awkward.

"What? What did I say?"

Tomoyo looked at her feet. "Umm, Sakura? The wedding won't be here. We're moving tomorrow."

"What?"

Eriol took over, seeing Tomoyo near tears." My parents have decided to live someplace else...a better town. Since Tomoyo is my fiancée, her family decided to come with us..." He allowed the words to fade.

Sakura's heart dropped. "Will you be back?" she said in a hoarse whisper.

They both shook their heads." We could visit sometimes, though," replied Tomoyo softly.

She still tried to give them each a smile, suppressing tears. It wouldn't be the same. Her only friends were leaving her and they knew it. No, she had to be happy for them. So why did she feel so bad?

"Congratulations, anyway. Hope you have a nice life together." The words burn in her throat as she tried not to beg them to stay. "Well, I have to go. My father told me to come back for an errand," she lied quickly. Before Tomoyo and Eriol said anything, Sakura ran off.

****

The beach echoed the cry's of the young girl. Sakura hugged her knees tightly and allowed the tears to flow down her cheek and onto her already dirty dress. This was too much for her to handle. Now all she have left is her father. She can't stand the thought of her two best friends having their wedding without her and then leaving her all alone in this wretched town.

Why does everybody want to leave me?, she thought. First her mother, then her brother, and now her only friends. She had nothing to look forward to except a life being a dirty daughter of a struggling fisherman. So what is keeping her still alive?

As if on cue, she suddenly heard a muffled whine. "Who's there?" The whine stopped. Sakura's heart raced as she stood up and looked around for any signs from where the sound came from.

Then she saw it. Snuggling between some tall spiky grass and sharp rocks, was a yellow puppy. Sakura sighed in relief and, being kind-hearted, sought to see if the animal was hurt. Her prediction was right.

Even with some of the dog's yellow fur poking out from the dirt, it was hard to tell if the puppy was actually alive. She knelt down and laid her hand on its chest to see if it's still breathing. Startled, the puppy tried its best to move away but limped badly.

"Don't be afraid. Come here, little one. "Sakura cooed attempting to calm the trembling animal. The dog growled but allowed Sakura to analyze the condition of it's leg. She grew angry as she saw the tight rope tied to its leg. It must've been the cruel boys from the town, again.

She made a sudden move to untie the knot but drew back as the puppy barked at her. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just trying to help you," she whispered in a clear voice. The dog settled down but a small growl was still in his throat.

Sakura's hand slowly untied the knot, afraid the puppy might suddenly decide to bite her. But it didn't. Once the rope fell, the dog looking looked at the leg then back to Sakura. Cocking its head to the side, it seemed to imply disbelief at the sudden act of kindness. "Your welcome," she replied, smiling warmly at the creature.

The demeanor of the puppy changed instantly. It jumped on Sakura and covered her in grateful licks. "Hey, stop it!" she said between laughs," I smell bad enough already."

The dog obeyed and sat down quietly, waiting for Sakura to give its' next order. She looked at the dog for a moment before heading back home. The dog walked behind her. Sakura sighed and bended down so she and the puppy met eye to eye.

"I'm sorry. You can't come with me."

The reply was nothing more than a high-pitched bark.

"I can't keep you. My father and I have barely enough food to feed ourselves. Only fish," she added in a disgusted tone, sticking out her tongue.

Another bark with hint of a little whine.

"Do you even like fish?"

A whimper. Sakura laughed.

"Fine. I guess you can always eat the leftovers. But if you're going to stay, you have to have a name." She looked thoughtful. "What about Sandy?"

The dog shook its head and growled.

"Sunny?"

Growl.

"Picky, huh?" Sakura's memory suddenly flashed of a famous story she heard once from the storyteller. It was one of her favorites. "What about Kero? Its the name of the Guardian of the Sun or something."

The dog gave a jump and barked. "Fine. From now on, I declare your name shall be Kero!"

With that, Sakura held the dirty yellow dog in her arms and hugged her new friend tightly. Kero licked her face, wagging his long bushy tail. Sakura smiled, knowing that this creature would never abandon her.

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[I know what your going to flame about: "When is Li going to show up!?!?!" The answer: The next chapter! I promise, no more beating around the bush. Well, maybe. I just had to get this chapter out of the way. . . . .^_^ REVIEW PLZ! I just love getting them. I want to hug you all until you can't breath anymore! (Is that a good thing?)

I already started on the third chappy so get ready for a scene between those two!]