In the morning, Hao and Yoh were having breakfast without Manta. It was a holiday to them, so the midget was staying at home until the time of leaving. Anna hadn't showed up by now.

"Wonder what takes her so long" Yoh voiced his thoughts. Hao only shrugged shoulders. Although he didn't show it, he was anxious to see if Anna will keep her promise.

"Girly thing, you know…" he said sarcastically. Yoh laughed.

"As if she needs that" Hao smiled as well. After about three minutes, Anna showed up.

"Ohayo, Anna-san" said Yoh cheerfully.

"Ohayo, Anna-san" said Hao as well. Anna turned her gaze to him and answered.

"Ohayo, Hao, Yoh" Yoh choked over his rise, not believing his ears. Anna arched eyebrow.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked firmly, sitting down. Yoh only blinked to her, while Hao kept eating, smirking to himself.

"Me? What's wrong with you? You've just greeted Hao and addressed to him with a name. What did I miss?" Anna rolled eyes, helping herself with a bowl of rise.

"Nothing important. We just decided to try and live peacefully" she said, eyeing Hao with scanning look. Hao only gave her a smirk, that would usually annoy Anna, but this time she controlled herself. All she did was turning her gaze to the food.

"I see. Well, that's better this way" Yoh smiled sheepishly, which made Anna smile slightly as well. Hao looked from one to another and smirked as well.

"My dearest oni-chan, you have a wonderful gift to make our Ice Queen smile. My hat is off to you" Anna eyed him with threatening look, which sent chills up Hao's spine, but he didn't show it.

"If I said I'm going to be nicer to you, I didn't mean I'm going to tolerate your untamable teasing" she snapped to him harshly. Hao lowered his head in guilty way.

"Gomen, Anna-san" he said, but smirking inside. But I just cannot help liking the way you're angry. Yoh laughed to the two.

"You two are unbelievable" he said, laughing out loud. Anna narrowed eyes.

"Stop laughing or I'll add hundred laps to your current hundred" Yoh stated his puppy eyes on.

"Ano, Anna-san, don't be so cruel" Anna placed her sticks on the bowl and crossed arm on her chest.

"Outside, Asakura, now! Two hundred laps" she ordered, her eyes sending warning about coming death. Yoh immediately jumped on his feet.

"Hai, Anna-san. Right away!" he ran out of the kitchen, leaving Hao and Anna sitting alone. Hao raised both eyebrows.

"Eh, will you take it out on him now?" he asked. Anna shot him a dreadful look.

"No. He was just the first one to annoy me" Hao smiled.

"At least not me" he commented. Anna nodded.

"That's moving forward, right?"

"Right" they ate the rest of breakfast in silence. Then Hao stood up, ready to go.

"I'll be in stables" he said, stretching himself. Anna shook head.

"Not before you clean up" she showed to emptied dishes on the table. Hao frowned and pretended that he's disappointed.

"Aw, Anna-chan, I thought you'll be nice to me" Anna stood, turned to him and crossed her arms on chest.

"After you clean the dishes, I'd like you to clean the house before you leave. When Yoh will be done with the running, tell him to join you. Oh and by the way" she said, walking to the door of the kitchen "don't you ever call me "chan" again" she sent him an air kiss and left the house. Hao looked to the dishes in front of him with dullness. He sighed and began his assignments, having a strange feeling that he won't get to ride today.

Anna was heading to the stables, knowing that neither Hao nor Yoh will be bothering her. Right now, she needed a complete solitude, if she didn't want anyone to become her victim: the nightmares were tiring her to death. Maybe all of this will just go away. Eventually, it's onle a dream, right? Anna wondered when she entered the stables and began to saddle Emi, her fiery chestnut mare. The blonde was very attached to this mare: Anna couldn't imagine that she'd have to leave her here and go for another country. No. I'll stay here, end up medicine and become a doctor, just like I always wanted. She lead out a mare and hoped on her back. The rider and a horse looked so perfectly together, that you could assure that they are one. Anna urged mare to the lake, where both liked spending time. The morning was wonderful: the azure sky was so clear, that you wouldn't see a single wisp of cloud. The needle-tree forest's tops were ramming the wonderful sky like columns of coliseum's walls around the lake. The lake itself was as steady and clear as a mirror and it reflected the azure sky. You could see birds flying over it and reflecting in it. The morning mist was still visible her and there, making the place look even more mysterious. Horse's hooves were flying across the emerald green grass and leaving hove prints in morning dew.

Anna ridded to the shore of lake and stopped mare to have a walk. The blonde inhaled deeply fresh morning air and smiled to the azure sky. Yep, this was her spot: not many people came here and not many riders would use it to train, so it was on isolated place for her and only her. Here, Anna could think about everything and settle her mind in right way. Here, she wouldn't need to be cold, self-confidant, arrogant Ice Queen. Here, she could be a simple girl, here she could be herself. Now a smile didn't disappear from her face, making it look not usually cold, but now gently and warmly beautiful. At times like these, Anna collected her senses and memories, locking them into the deepest and darkest corner of her brain and heart and would never open again. But at these moments, Anna would built up her wall, fortify them and make them even higher so no one could reach her inner – self, since Anna knew that if somebody would reach her, they would completely hurt and destroy her. Or at least that's what Anna thought.

The blonde girl returned to the stables after about two hours spent by the lake. She would never notice how the time is passing through, since it is going so well. Yet another thing always came: the hard hit of reality, but Anna would always cope with that. Don't try to avoid inevitable. Anna kept living with this phrase and it really helped her much. Anna was getting back home, when she noticed a person, who was about to ride a black stallion. This person was a man, Anna saw for a first time: he had a pitch black hair and black eyes, so suiting to his black clothes and his black horse. Anna eyed the man for a while, mechanically brushing Emi's silky coat. The man turned his gaze from horse back to her and urged the stallion to walk towards her. Anna kept her gaze fixed onto his black, tunnel-like, eyes. The man in black stopped his horse and scanned Anna with his piercing gaze.

"That's a beautiful mare you have, my lady" he said, his voice as cold as ice. Anna arched an eyebrow.

"I've never saw you here before" she said, carefully asking his name. The horse, the man was sitting on, stirred impatiently, showing its hot temperament, but the man calmed it down instantly. He turned his gaze back to Anna.

"Name's Katashi" his horse turned around in one place, but the man didn't do much to control it "and you are?" Anna raised her head a bit, as if she was confronting him.

"Anna" she said. Katashi smiled pleasantly, but his eyes kept cold. Anna somehow felt attracted to those eyes, not knowing why.

"Anna. I'll remember that" he turned the horse around and before ridding away he said "not every day you'll meet such unusual beauty like you. It's been a pleasant, Anna-sama" he said, bowing and then her ridden away to the direction of the forest. Anna stood in surprise for a while. Never had she met this kind of person: so cold, yet so attracting and…interesting. That was a completely unexpected morning. Why the hell I even looked to him. Yet, his eyes were familiar to me. Katashi…means firmness. Oh well, hope he's firm in a good way, although from his appearance, I would say an opposite thing. However, it was really strange…