Chapter 2:

-THE GIRL IN GREEN

The serene calm of the cool autumn afternoon is interrupted as a nine-year-old bursts into her house. She swings the wooden door open, causing a potted plant to get knocked over. Dirt is spilled all over the floor.

"Kyoshi!" her grown older sister, Onya reprimands " Why must you be so noisy! What in the world is the matter with you--"

She stops when she sees that the little girl's face is dripping with tears, her green dress torn and streaked with dirt.

"What have you done this time?" Onya puts her hands on her hips.

Kyoshi does not answer, she rubs her nose and looks at her feet. One of her slippers is missing...

The woman rolls her eyes. Onya prepares a wet cloth and prepares to wipe the girl's dirty face.

"Stupid…idiot boys! Why do they have to be so mean, Onya?" Kyoshi asks her sister.

Onya heaves out a tired sigh. "Didn't I tell you to just ignore them? Most boys your age are just like that."

"But WHY?" Kyoshi stamps her feet in frustration. "I've had it. Sanji is always picking on me."

"Ohhh, I see what this is really about…" Onya cannot help but laugh. ""That kid is probably just afraid of you…or maybe it is because he has fondness for you"

"Stoppit! That's not funny!" the little girl starts to blush. She squirms uncomfortably as Onya continues to wipe her grime off.

"Boys will always be boys." Onya explains. "No use getting into fights with them, better to outsmart them and make them see that you will not be put down, right? Some people would not like to think so, but it isn't for men to decide how us girls make of our destiny."

Kyoshi cheers up, and gives a smile to her older sister.

"I'm glad you taught me that. I promise to train harder, I'll make you proud!" The young warrior says with determination.

Onya watches her little sister, and silently knows that being a sibling to this special girl has already made her proud enough.

"I'm just glad those boys didn't hurt you or anything. Because if they ever did, I'll-- "

Kyoshi giggles "I'm fine, my training with the teacher has paid off…but I think I got carried away and…"

"Kyoshi…Oh no, you didn't. DID YOU!" Onya asks nervously.

"Well you wanted me to stand up to them before, so that's what I did…." The girl in green tosses her head proudly.

Meanwhile, in the other side of the village, four little boys grumpily trudge home, covered in bruises and mud. Their pride injured along with their aching limbs.

"This stinks! Sanji, I can't believe you let the four of us get beaten up by one freaky girl." One boy whines.

"Shut up!" Sanji grumbles.

next:

Chapter 3: Heart of the Beast