Chapter 1: Pain in the Making

"Pain makes people strong
It hardens them beyond all feeling
Until you're so numb you can't feel.

You have two paths in life:
The innocence of ignorance
Or the stark truth,
Life is nothing without meaning."

Year: November 13, 2303
Location: New Chester County, Americanus North Neutral

The land was stark, barren as Koko stood staring out at it. She knew she was dreaming, she'd had this dream a lot in her four short years but this time something was different.
She swiveled around to watch for the approach of the big yellow dragon, Fanglongmon, whom she had met before but instead a strange angel child landed a few feet from her.
"Who are you?" Koko burst out, taking a nervous step back as she eyed the hazard symbols on his arms.
The creature smiled faintly but didn't move "I am the past, the corrupt, the great angel and demon in one but you may call me Lucemon."
"W-why are you here?"
Lucemon turned to look at her, his eyes softening slightly "You have a strange destiny child, one bathed in blood. Your choices will decide the fate of three worlds and yet the path is already set."
He shook his head, sighing, and then he vanished just as suddenly as he had come and she was sucked into darkness.

"Amaya get up before I have to come in there!"
Koko blinked open her eyes, still confused by the dream, to see the doorknob shaking as Keith tried to force his way in. She winced as the bruises from yesterday made themselves known and carefully slid out of bed to unlock the door before Keith broke it.
As soon as the door opened, Keith stormed in with Ryan trailing behind him. She knew that look in his eyes; Keith meant to have at her for sleeping late. She ducked just in time to avoid the sting of a whip across her face and instead got hit on the shoulder.
Ryan started to protest but Keith simply flicked the whip again, catching Koko across her side then her right leg "Get a move on before I go get the other one, the dogs haven't been taken out in days and you're going to clean it up!"
She nodded mutely and ducked out past them before he could think of something else. As she reached the kennels she knew he was right and that it was supposed to be his job.
"Need help?"
Startled out of her thoughts, the four-year-old twisted to see impmon, Ryan's partner digimon, watching her. She bit back an angry retort and nodded, she couldn't possibly clean the kennels and take the dogs out "Watch them please"
Impmon padded over and helped her unlock the kennels then he disappeared with the three dogs towards the field.
Koko turned back to her work and began mopping out the first of the kennels while she listened to her brothers arguing nearby.
"You shouldn't beat her so much, she's still a baby" that was Ryan, the younger of the two and only a few years older than her.
"So? You're a baby too, now go get to work. Lunch won't fix itself"
"But-"
The reply was cut short by the snap of a whip and Koko busily returned to work, acting like she hadn't been listening as she watched Ryan sulk by with a new red mark on his cheek. She hurriedly cleaned the other kennels and helped impmon get the dogs locked back up before she went looking for food herself; the only one Keith fed was himself and maybe their father Carl.

After lunch Koko checked on the food she left out for the stray cats, refilled it, and headed to town with a small grocery list. Most of the people in town knew her and helped her collect the items, some commenting on the new welts on her arms and legs, but like always nothing would change.
She made it home in time to hear an argument starting again between Carl and Keith, and put the food away as quickly and quietly as possible.
Ryan came in the kitchen at that moment, looking as haggard as she felt and no doubt there to make Keith's supper.
Neither of them said a word and she ducked out as soon as her job was done, the arguing had stopped by then so she retreated to the laundry room to avoid Keith's wrath.

Year: March 21, 2304
Location: Central County, Europis Machine

The gypsy scientist moved quietly through the hard stone streets of machine-land, a robo-cat following at her heels. The time was approaching midnight when most of the machine-land residents would be asleep or powered down, but she knew her sisters in faith would be out.
She moved into a side street as the robo-patrols suddenly took to the skies, her eyes following the hawk-like creatures' strange movement.
"Someone has alerted King George of the gypsy movement; these lands will not be safe for us much longer Vadeous."
"No but we must remain, what of the child?" Vadeous turned to see that one of her sisters had joined her on the narrow side street, a strained smile visible.
"The child is secured, she is being moved into pack territory as we speak."
"Do the Night Hawks know of her?"
"No, they scramble for something else…"
"Hmmm…" Vadeous picked up her robo-cat as her gaze returned to the robots in the sky.
"Spring calls again but it will soon wilt in the heat, is not the wing ready for flight?" The other gypsy's words had dropped to a bare whisper as she turned to leave.
"Time is against the wing but the elites watch for a break. Let snow fall again before they flee."
"Agreed, but grey is such an ugly color…"
Vadeous barely registered the last words as her sister drifted away down the street, her gaze on the hawk-robots a moment longer before she also disappeared back into the cold grey streets.