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Red over Lunar

Chapter ii…castles made of sand

"And his tears fall and burn the garden green…

And it really didn't have to stop, it just kept on going...

And so castles made of sand slips into the sea, eventually"
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disclaimers: if I owned sm/gw, does anybody think I'll still be writing fics? Oh…all right, I would still be but, sm/gw does not belong to me. They belong to their rightful owners, whom I'm not sure of…^^;;

Notes:

I'm going over ROL and revising chapters to better suit myself. Format, structure and development are being changed.

-italics and bold emphasizes,

-italics also are flashbacks/memories

-these ----- separate and show time frames

-'…' are thoughts

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They met each other when she was around four years old and they each were a different tone of personality and thoughts and most definitely a different beauty of innocence. She was golden, almost too good to be human, enough to measure against angels that were always thought of to be in existence. The other was her contrast. She had the opposites of the day that her stepsister shone. Her hair was ebony, darker than the darkest nights with hints on their lengths of other tones. Her eyes were not of the blue ice that shimmered in her sisters' but was a dark deep violet, seemingly always holding a secret. Her sister was the bright one, as she hung in the shadows, dangling between the threads of anti-socialism and trying to find an identity. She remembered her father telling her...

"You killed your mum, now I have to find another one!" He laughed as if it was a joke. "And she'll have a nice girl. One's that useful."

She laughed when her stepsister did, just to see how it felt and walked behind her when she could to see how it was to be a follower instead of always leading her poor four-year-old mind.

They called her Nieve, an Irish name for a Japanese girl. It was her mother's wish to name her that, a name from an Irish fairy tale, a name for a Princess. She was the dark haired shadowed Nieve. Her half-sister was Tsara.

When she was 5 years old, her father decided to leave Japan. He took Tsara and his wife but left Nieve behind in Japan in an orphanage, promising he would come back for his dark haired child. Of course, she had nodded to him when they left for she knew he wouldn't come back and she knew there were other thoughts on his mind. He was going to take Tsara with him so he could search the world for the Children. Nieve would stay behind because she was no use to him...and a curse. However, she wasn't fully aware of his real intentions.

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The tiny 8 years old girl ate her food silently, ignoring the gossip that rotated about behind her back.

"Nieve is scary! She almost burnt Tommie the other day!"

"Ooh! What she do?"

"I dunno but Hira says fire came from her hands and body!"

The wide-eyed children turned around eyeing the head of Nieve. They stared at her for a while and turned away frightened. "She is scary! I heard she's a witch's kid!"

"No, she isn't! She a vampire's kid!"

"Miya, Miya...what's a vahm-pile?"

"Toya, a vampire has sharp teeth and they suck people's blood...naughty people like you!" Toya looked wide eyed and then burst into tears.

"Miya! What did you do to Toya?"

"Nothing, Sagaguchi-san! I am sorry!"

Nieve finished her food quickly, tired of hearing nonsense from her peers. She stood up to go play outside when peas came flying her way, smashing into her lengthy silky ebony hair. She was mad and she had had enough of stupidity. She grabbed an unfinished bowl of food from one of the children and before anyone could stop her, the bowl went flying through the air, smashing into a boy with short brown hair. Furiously, he grabbed his friend's bowl, and threw it at Nieve.

That had been how the food fight had started. Nieve ended up with canned fruits in her hair, gelatin dessert on her clothes and cake and fudge all over her face. She was the one everyone had aimed for. Being the fiery child that she was no one had escaped unharmed by her wrath either. All the children had ended up being grounded for three months. Nieve was going to be grounded, as well as doing everyone's chore for the next two weeks because she had started the food fight.

"But Sagaguchi-san! I didn't! Hitoya threw peas at me first!"

"Nope. You should have told us rather than starting a fight."

"It's not fair!"

"Yes it is. You started the fight now you will end it."

"But it wasn't me!" she screamed. It was unheard of as she was slapped. She closed her eyes, trying not to cry. Sagaguchi kneeled down to her level and whispered gently.

"Nieve-chan, you have better learn to control that temper of yours or you will end up on the streets someday. Everyone has seen enough of that fire of yours. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Good. Go and do your chores now."

"Yes." She lowered her head and walked toward the kitchen. Anything, she thought. Anything to get through life for now.

The next week or so went on by quietly. She kept silently to herself, barely talking hoping that her lack of words would control her temper. It did. One day while sitting in front of her favorite tree, a cherry blossom she fell asleep and entered upon a weird dream. It wasn't as weird as it was intoxicating and exotic, draping its arms around her childish body and pulling her through a valley of pink petals. As the arm kept pulling her, she went through a metamorphosis; her face and body changing until it was that of a beautiful woman whose hair was longer than she could imagine and whose beauty shocked her. They had kept pulling her until they stopped and the scenery had become dark. In a single moment, light arose from the knee length grass. They were tiny droplets of light, flying in the wind. The hand let go of her arm and bent down to capture one. The hands held it up to her face and her face looked bewildered. She smiled and lifted the tender light into her own hands.

Fireflies, Princess. They're fireflies that exist only on earth. Even the Moon cannot replicate these intoxicating creatures..

Her eyes snapped opened and she stared into a clear blue sky. Nieve reached a shaking hand to her face, touching its surface. It had not change. She stood up and walked over to a clear puddle where she sought her reflection. A child looked back at her darkly. Could that beautiful woman in her dream be her? 'She couldn't,' she rationalized, 'he called her Princess and I can't be a princess.' She was also too beautiful to be real or human and one day, Nieve promised herself she would meet this beautiful princess. Nieve held a hand to her eyes and started walking.

"Nieve!" She stopped in her track and turned around slowly. It was a boy and he was waving at her. He ran up to her and smiled. "Nieve, wanna go and catch bugs with me?"

"Bugs?"

"Yep! Grasshoppers and race 'em! Then we'll go and get some other ones later tonight! So you wanna? You wanna? You can meet my little sister too!"

"O…k…"

"Cool! You're the only one...everyone else is too busy or too scared of the bugs." His smile twitched into a frown but quickly turned back again. "Let's go then!" He grabbed her hand and the two started running. In the back of her mind, she was smiling.

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It was war and it was disease, an epidemic that was crawling through the towns, villages and cities. It ate everything and left some to the hands of poverty and despair.

It was in the shadows and under the moon that a little girl walked. Close to her heart she cradled a bear, one eye missing, half of its furry body drenched in ashes and blood wounds.

"Mommy? Where are you? Mommy?" She walked barefoot as she dug through debris, searching and then coming up on nothing. Her sad green eyes never lost hope though and she continued, calling out for her mommy. She stopped a couple of feet from a pile. Her eyes wide opened as whatever it was struck her attention. The teddy bear from her arms fell to the ground, forgotten as it tumbled and got dirtier than before. She raced to the site, her eyes caught on the hand that reached through the pile. It was a slender wrist and around it hung a friendship bracelet. The bracelet she had made for her mommy. Excited and hopeful, she dug her way into the heart of the pile. Her skin came upon blood and nails that gave her sheer pain but she kept at it.

Ten minutes later she sat back desperately looking at what she had uncovered. "Mommy?" she called out. She leaned forward, crawling to the dead woman. Her face was almost unrecognizable but to the child, it was all that it took. "Mommy? Can you get up so we can leave now?" She tugged at the dead woman's skirt. Still no movement. Frantic and growing tired; she let out a small yawn. She moved her form beside the dead woman and buried her head in his arms. "If you won't get up, I'll just nap with you"

'Cradle me mommy and sing me a song just like you always did. Bake me cookies and cakes to make me smile...cradle me and tell me stories of how I am a princess and one day a prince will come to take me off into the skies, happily ever after...'

Her emerald eyes began to slumber and drift...fading out the day's events that had broken her fragile childish heart.

"Hey! Are you alive?"

"Oww!" She scrunched her face up as she lifted her drowsy lids. "It's not nice to poke children, you know!" She gave him a frown and stretched.

"Sorry kid...but you don't plan to stay with that corpse do you?"

"Corpse...?"

"Dead body," he said bluntly, nodding to her mom.

"But...my mommy...she isn't dead..."

"Let me see?" She nodded as she stepped out of the way. The man made his and touched her mommy's wrist then her neck for a while. He stopped and looked to her and sighed. "Uh-uh, your mommy's dead."

"Dead...?" Her sweet emerald eyes grew misty and finally the tears came, rolling in crystal liquids. "Mommy?" she kneeled down and hugged the woman's legs. "You can't die. You're my mommy." She held on tighter as if her embrace would bring back the dead. "Get up so we can go" 'I once heard mommy say that once tears could bring back the dead...a prince who yearned for his princess did'

"She's dead...but I can give you something else."

"No! I just want my mommy and she's gonna get up! So you go away!"

"She's dead, child. She can't come back no matter how hard you cry...but I can help you get revenge on who did this. What do you think?"

"I want my mommy." Her lips trembled.

"I'll train you to be a Gundam pilot."

"Pilot? For what?"

"To get revenge on the earth." He smiled and offered his hand for her to take. Gingerly she got up, looking back tenderly at her mother. Before they strolled off, she ran back and untied the bracelet circled on her mother's wrist. As they left, her eyes drawled on her mother's figure even as it faded into the darkness. "I want you to meet someone, child. His name is Trowa, you and he will train to be Gundam pilots."

"Trowa."

"Yes. He will be your friend. By the way, what's your name?"

"Levina."

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"How old are you Enid?"

"I am 7 years old, sir."

"Only 7? I am impressed child...you are not ordinary." His hands browsed through his white beard. 'She will make a great improvement to the team. Her thoughts are beyond that of the children of her age and...' "Can you show me your sculpture?"

"Yes, sir." He reached for her small ivory hand and she walked him through her house and into the wide yard. His brows rose as he was immediately impressed again. His eyes darted from the giant sculpture to the little girl who stood motionlessly. He smiled and patted her head, a thicket of navy hair.

"You have done more than I can imagined, child. Tell me, how did you do this?" She loosened her hold on his hand and walked slowly to the foot of the ice sculpture. She bent down and picked up a chisel, lifting it to his eyes. He nodded knowingly. "How would you like it, Enid, if I take you to outer space? You can study the stars and the planets and we will provide and train you. Not only that, you will get to work with some of the most experienced scientists."

"I like that."

"That's good. Would your parents let you?"

"They have to," she replied determined. The idea was already settled on her mind. They walked back into the house and waited for her father to come back. He knew her parents would have a hard time letting their only child go. The two were barely home and of the time they had, they hardly had enough to promote a social family. As he soon heard when her father came home, they felt that Enid didn't feel loved enough and that she seemed like a cold child, void of emotions.

"She is determined to go. Your child already has her heart set." The man buried his face in his hands as he leaned against the comfort of the sofa. His wife sat next to him and placed a loving hold on his shoulder. He clasped her hand in his and held it tightly.

"Tayou..." she murmured. "Enid is determined to go and if this is what she wants, we should give it to her. Don't you forget what you promised that child of yours. You told her if she wanted to catch the stars, you would let her." He smiled and looked up to her sharp blue eyes, the same ones that shone in his little girl.

"I know, dear. I know...but I just feel as parents we have failed in giving our daughter the loving caring family she must have."

"But that doesn't mean we give her false promises. Just let her go. She will come back when she needs us and we will always be here, waiting for her."

"You're right," he said as he let out a deep breath. He stood up and stared the man straight in the eye. "I will allow her to go...if you accept my conditions."

"Of course, Mr. Sakita."

"Good."

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She smiled as she waved at her parents. Her mom had hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead a hundred times. "You better write me, honey," she had said as she finished buttoning her coat.

"Of course, mom. I promise." Mrs. Sakita smiled.

"I will miss you so much, my baby." The woman buried her face in little girl's hair and cried. Her only child and she was going to let her go...as if she was already 18 and leaving for the college life. Enid hugged her mother's trembling body and kissed her hair.

"Nakuna," she said in perfect Japanese. Her mother lifted her head and smiled through tears.

"Nakuna, okaa-san."

"My baby..."

Her father had lifted her into his arms and twirled her around as she giggled and laughed with glee. He placed a tender kiss on her forehead and she kissed his cheek in return. "I love you, daddy."

"I love you too, my little water sprite." His smile brightened. "You better write your mommy and I, all right?" She nodded. "That's a good girl. I am going to miss my little water sprite though."

"I will miss mommy and you but I promise to keep in contact."

"Good, good."

Enid sighed as she settled back into her seat. She loved outer space; she loved how the stars remained unmoving in the vast black skies and unseen during the day yet they shimmered forever. She loved the pictures of the planets she saw in books, the constellations laid out and the galaxies. Her eyes peered through the window again. The man beside her smiled. "I see you are enjoying the sights, Enid?"

"Yes, they are beautiful. Especially that star. It is dying," she said as a small frown came on her face. "Stars are formed from an infinite whirling cloud of gases and cosmic dust floating in space. Over millions of years, gravitational attractions pull the gas and dust particles closer to each other and the more they are nearer, the stronger their attraction. When atoms and molecules strike each other they release heat, and in the center of the cloud mass, nuclear reactions of hydrogen atoms fused into helium. This reaction contravenes the star's gravitational force and the star stops from shrinking. However, after a long period of time, the star uses up so much hydrogen fuel that it begins to shrink again. This sets off a complex motion chain of reaction causing the star to burn so fiercely that it puffs into a relatively huge cool red giant. After this stage, the dying star may either explode in a last burst of energy, a nova or shrink into a faint white dwarf. Inevitably it will grow cold and dark."

His brows rose again. He never even looked into such studies until he was in his late twenties and this little girl, a 7 year old knew more than the average person. He smiled and leaned against his seat. "Well, Enid, you will fit in and you will be the best. I promise you that. You have more than the needed potential. You will be extravagant, a child extraordinaire."

"I don't yearn for fame," she said softly. "I just want to be able to study and help people."

"You are also a very caring, modest child."

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Her mother called her Sara but her "new" father named her Tsara. It had been a notion to "japanize" her. She accepted it and was even more happy when she saw that with her new father, came a new younger sister. Immediately, she fell in love with her sister who was beautiful and exotic with her long ebony hair and dark violet eyes. 'She is beautiful.' Her sister was a small little girl and she followed her wherever she led. Tsara loved her loved her dearly and tried to protect her from everything she felt was the duty of an older sister. She wasn't prepared though for what her father proposed.

"We're going to Europe, Tsara. Would you like that?"

"Really? Wow! Are we all going?" Her eyes glittered happily. She had always dreamed of Europe and especially of Italy, drifting on water tops as the gondolas in Venice glided.

"Yes but Nieve won't be going with us. She wants to stay with her aunt so it will just be you, your mother and me."

"But...Nieve? Why does she want to stay with her aunt?"

"Tsara, don't ask Nieve. You know how she is, she won't tell you. She doesn't like traveling so we will leave her behind and we will come back for her."

"You promise?"

"Of course, darling." She raised her pinky and he sighed but he lowered his body and pinky-swore with her. "I promise!"

"Crosses don't work, daddy!" She giggled as she looked behind him.

"I don't lie, Tsara."

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She didn't even get to say good-bye to her sister. Nieve just disappeared the day before they left, her father saying Nieve wanted to go early so she wouldn't see them leave. Tsara accepted the excuse yet as they boarded the plane, her eyes kept searching for her dark haired sister. She never came and Tsara was disappointed...but above all, hurt. 'Nieve, would you ever miss me?'

They wandered throughout Europe and her father did odd things but he never explained his reasons. After months, her mother became ill and before she knew it, her mother lay in a closed casket, being lowered into a London graveyard. 'Where you came from, mommy...are you going home again?' It had been a rainy day and she had written several letters, all addressed to "Nieve-chan". 'Mommy's dead, Nieve. Do you miss her? Do you miss daddy? Do you even miss me at all? It's only you, daddy and me now... Mommy said she loved you, Nieve and that she'll always keep a place in her soul for you, even if she didn't know you that well. Do you do the same for us too?'

She continued wondering with her father in Europe, visiting Germany to Italy to Austria and Bosnia. Tsara didn't know or understand why but it was in Greece that she was abandoned by her father. He had told her to wait in the station for him while he went on "some" business. He had tucked a letter into her coat and told her to hold it dearly but to not read it yet because the time would come. He said he trusted her. Tsara had nodded importantly, waved and waved until he disappeared out of her sight. All the while, he never waved back and he never smiled. It was that moment that she knew he wasn't coming back for her. She had run, screeching for the car to stop but it was no use. Her tired legs gave out and she huddled on the street side, crying as the rain poured on her silk hair.

'Nieve...how I wish we were still home in Japan, hiding in the closets as we played hide-and-seek with mom and dad... Are you in a better place than I am? You probably are...dad didn't abandon you in a foreign world... I don't understand though...I don't at all...but I still miss you. If only I knew that you could hear me...and that you are ok...I would be happy. I miss mom, if she was here she would cuddle me in her arms...I miss her so much. Maybe if our parents never married, I wouldn't be here and you wouldn't be where you are.'