"I-I ", I paused for a bit, composing myself. "I wanted to be more adventurous, sir. My home town felt as if it suffocated me. I sometimes can't stand being close to home.. ", I anxiously fiddled my hands before I continued. "My friends there are like a family to me- No.. they are family. I couldn't ask for anything better. They made everything easy on me, they are the reason I've gone so far… They are the reason I am me today. But even so, despite getting so far in life, thanks to them.. I still feel so…Helpless. Empty would be a better way to explain… It feels like I'm only spending my life working part time and trying to avoid bad memories, when they are literally right next door." Kid kept silent as I continued. "I know it seems unreasonable. Some people have it way worse than me. Hell… I see the homeless and I know I should be thankful I'm not wasting away when so many have accepted me and had taken me in. If I had never met these people, I know I wouldn't of made it this far.. But I want to do bigger things" I picked my head up from looking at my own hands. "Ever since I started sword practice, I felt it was something I was personally good at. Something I could make a difference with, the only thing I had potential with. I was never good at anything else but that. My mother, whom accustomed me to practicing, almost made me hate it. She- she m-made me do t-terri-te-",I placed my fingers hard on her temples as I tried to hold back my tears, remembering all the terrible things she made me endure and do to defenseless things. I tilted my head down again, my bangs covered my face. I regretted so much… And yet I was still so young, regretting too much. It hurt… it hurt so much to remember.

XX-

"Crona….. I told you to kill the rodent; I don't want that thing inside my house." Her mother said. She was sitting cross legged on a couch, candles surrounding the floor and desks. She was doing her usual research. She always made Crona get rid of "Garbage".

Crona held the hem of her dress tight. She was eleven at the time. Her dress and face were dirty. "I-I don't want to kill it mom…" she said it so softly, as if hoping she hadn't heard her.

"Haven't I told you not to call me by that informal manner?" She said with a glare. "Sorry, Mother."

"Don't forget next time. Anyways if you don't kill it this time, I won't let you eat again and you'll have to stay in your room and not come out until school is due. And you're lucky it's tomorrow morning." She went back to reading her books. Crona sighed through her nose and walked off as she looked around the corners of the house, where they usually hid away. She had been catching them and letting them go out the back doors or windows. They were always the tiny field mice, so they were hard to catch but it was always worth it. She wouldn't have to kill them if she caught them before her mother noticed or paid no mind to know what happened to them, as long as they weren't inside.

-An hour passed

Crona moved around some boxes. Dust clouds surrounding her atmosphere as she coughed up what she had breathed in, swatting the dust away from her face. She looked behind where the boxes use to be, and to her surprise; she found a nest of baby mice. The mother was not around yet. Crona cooed at the adorably tiny, pink pups. The were no more than days old, all holding onto each other for warmth and comfort before their mother was back to feed them their milk. There was no way Crona would destroy such beautiful creatures of nature, yet she had no idea how to move them to a safer place without their mother abandoning them and not knowing where they were. Crona panicked a bit. 'Ah! I could just put them in a box and catch the mom and put her inside too. Then put them outside and let them move out.' She thought. She excitedly went to look for an empty box- but she bumped into something before she could ever turn completely …

Her, mother.

"Good job, Crona. You found the spawns." She held out the mother mice to Cronas face. She had been stepped on, most likely by her mother. "She walked right past me too. She was must easier to kill than the others." Her mother had a disgusting grin on her face. Cronas eyes swelled with tears. She tried to hold back the sounds of sobs, although that didn't hold her mother back. Her mother slapped her across the face, enough to make her cheek throb in pain. Crona stayed standing. Not feeling shocked or anything by it, she knew it was coming. She was more worried over the baby mice on the floor, innocently laying there. Her mother threw the dead mice on the ground and grunted. "You never learn do you? I should have never let you speak to that boy. He's making you soft and weak all over again…." Crona began to sob harder. Thinking about ragnarock… Her only true friend.. Her mother smacked her on the head again. "Kill the mice, Crona…" She said as she pulled on her daughters' hair. She made her look straight into her eyes. Cronas eyes were wet with tears, streaming down, which only pissed her mother off more.

"Stop acting like a weak little child—AND DO AS YOU ARE TOLD." She screamed. She shoved Crona to the floor with extreme force. Hard enough to create dust clouds everywhere. But as Crona hit the floor….. She felt something…. Wet on her head…. It did not feel…r- r-

Oh-

XXX

Kid seemed a bit shocked and concerned as Crona seemed to have gotten rather silent. "Um… Crona?". Crona lifted her head up almost immediately. "Sorry. I didn't mean to act so strangely." Crona wiped her eyes, and gave Kid a smile… it seemed sad. Kids hands tensed up. His eyes strained to look at her. He knew something personal had to be her reason for coming here and it wasn't the right thing for her.

"Crona, this position you are in for is no joke. If anything, it's a sacrifice. Your whole life will revolve on the king and his daughter alone and there won't be exceptions. " Crona silently nodded, encouraging kid to go on. She knew where he was coming from and he was right, no matter what, she wasn't the priority. Her misfortunes should have no reason now and her life will now belong to high powered people.

Kids eyes met hers. "Are you positive you will be able to do this without any thought of putting yourself first? You have time to back off if you'd wish to." Immediately, Crona answered. "Yes, I'm quite aware of what I'm putting myself into. I'm aware my life will now belong to the king and princess alone. My life is now a sacrifice to protect and honor their majesties." As if planned, Crona didn't stutter. She was clear and bold when she spoke. She knew she wanted this, she knew this was what she could do. She refused to back down now.

Kid smiled at her, and placed a hand on her shoulder. Despite feeling rather uneasy earlier, he had to give her a shot. After all, he had some reasons himself for being here. "Well done, Miss Makenshi. I'll be honest I'm quite surprised. I can tell you're still nervous-"He could feel as her shoulders shook softly from the adrenaline she must've felt. He patted her back in playful protest. "I'll be here for you, Crona. You have my support and I believe you when you say you can do this. You seem to burn with passion to be the best you want to be, I won't hold you back any further." Crona smiled genuinely this time, even with a slight blush to compliment it. She believed him, and she was happy to know that he believed in her. "Thank you, Kid. I appreciate your support." Kid nodded and pulled out his pocket watch. "He should be here in exactly a minute." He muttered to himself. Crona looked down at her locket with a smile. 'I got this Raggy, I know I'll get through.' "Hey, just one more thing" Crona looked up at Kid questionably "Yes?" "Will you please let me cut your hair~? " Kid gave her a pout and batty eyes. Crona giggled and looked away from his ridiculous face. "Please stop doing that."