July 5, 1923, a sakura wars fanfic

Author's Note: Another venture off the track of my current "From The Ashes" - because I'm stuck at work with no work to do, and left Chapter 13 at home where I can't write on it!

JULY 5, 1923

I take back what I said earlier, Jean-Paul. I didn't know what to expect.

When I woke up this morning, I had a dream of exactly how today would be – and it would be nothing like the other nine July 5ths up until now, it would be just like I'd always imagined. There would be cake and presents and everyone who loved me would be sitting around a table and celebrating my tenth birthday with me.

But at first, no one even knew what today was. No one understood birthdays. But everyone else is from the East. Everyone does birthdays differently than I do. Everyone except Maria has never had a Western birthday party.

I guess I looked sad, Jean-Paul, because you remember how hard they tried to do something for me, but... a big red fish is not a birthday cake, and a big scary lion biting my head was... well, I'm sure Kohran had good intentions, but... it was very scary!

I know I said that I hated them, Jean-Paul, but I don't... I was just... sad.

They're all so big, Jean-Paul. And so much older than me. Kohran's always busy with the Koubu and half the time she doesn't make any sense when I talk to her. Kanna is very nice but she's so big sometimes I'm afraid she'll step on me before she notices me. She's very outgoing and friendly, but a little overwhelming sometimes. Sumire is too important for me, sometimes I wonder if she even remembers me. Onii-chan is my big brother, but he's so busy and everone runs him ragged. Maria is scary and cold and all she ever thinks about is strategy and battle, and I'm not a useful soldier to her, so am I useful to her at all? But Sakura... Sakura is warm... like when Kohran showed me the Koubu. I'd expected them to be cold, like Maria, but they were warm, instead, like Sakura. I...

I guess I wanted Sakura to understand. Sakura arranged my birthday, and it was all wrong.

Miss Ayame told me when I came here that there would be people here who were like me, who had powers like mine. But none of them are like me, none of them. Kohran is very smart and things tend to blow up around her, and there was that fire when she was little... but she isn't like me. Sumire was brought up by servants instead of her busy parents, and she was the first one strong enough to move the Koubu, but... she still isn't the same as me. Kanna was raised as if she were a boy, by her father, and now he's been killed, and she's very strong, but I'm still not the same as Kanna. Maria is icy and everyone she loved has died, but it isn't the same kind of solitude, and she was older than I am. Sakura's father was killed in the battle, and she has the power only to harm those who would do harm to others... except she hurt me today.

I guess that is my fault, Jean-Paul, for expecting so much of them.

Miss Ayame showed me what they'd been doing for me all day, while they were in the tunnels working on righting the train. They were doing what I told them a birthday should be like. They hadn't left me alone after all. They were trying to make it just like I'd imagined.

Jean-Paul, it was the best birthday I've ever had in my life. They sang for me, and there was a cake and I blew out the candles...

I finally feel like this is my home, Jean-Paul. And as my birthday wish, I wish that all the other girls will feel that way soon, too.