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Prologue
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I was a normal kid.

Seriously.

I never really saw myself as someone special. I didn't stand out, but I wasn't invisible, either. I fitted in the "average" class. I didn't have any extraordinary abilities, unless you count the fact that people tend to listen to me whenever I want to say something. But I wasn't a genius; I did just fine in class. I may not be a weakling, but I wasn't superbly athletic. I was just...

I was just Yuuji.

A normal kid with normal parents, a normal sister, and a normal life with normal days that went by at a normal pace for the last 10 normal years.

But, one day, everything suddenly went too fast.

It started out with me waking up late. I can't remember what I was dreaming about, but, whatever it was, my mom snapped me out of it.

"YUUJI!" she yelled — no, screeched — when she burst through my door. "Yuuji, wake up! You'll be late!!!"

That was a first: Mom never failed to pull me out of bed early. (Not that I was hard to pull out of bed.) Hearing the word "late" — I never liked being late — I scrambled out of bed...

"OW!"

... and tripped over my blanket to fall flat on my face. What a way to start the day. But, as I just said, it was just beginning.

After untangling my legs from my blanket, I hurried through a quick shower, in which I repeatedly dropped the soap bar. Then I struggled with my school uniform, nearly ripping my shirt. On the way to school, I nearly got run over by a car, and I almost missed my train.

Thankfully, I got to school alive, barely beating my teacher to the classroom.

"Congratulations, Matsuo-san," she said as she stepped through the doorway after me, "that was a photo-finish, wasn't it?"

"Uh...Yes, ma'am," was all I could say.

Contrary to what I had wished for, it didn't end there. I almost failed a surprise quiz in one of my classes, I left my homework at home for another class, and the stove in my home economics class blew flames at my face. It was a good thing I had reflexes good enough that I was able to jump away in time.

I don't think I was ever as happy as I was when I heard the school bell. Finally, finally the day was over.

But, apparently, my misfortunes were not.

After school, I went straight to pick up my 6-year-old sister. She started talking when she was about 2 years old, but, up until that time four years later, I still hadn't gotten used to the way she addressed me.

"Good afternoon, Oniisama..."

Immensely — and unnecesarily — formal.

"Good afternoon, Mai."

I offered my hand to her, and she took it with the usual, timid smile on her lips. We always walked home hand in hand.

My sister, Mai. A girl I treated like fragile glass, because she was. Or maybe she was because I treated her that way. I don't really know. She wasn't a very active girl; she was quiet, and she preferred quiet games that didn't involve anything too physical. I don't think she had any problems with her body, though. She wasn't really weak or anything. She just liked it that way.

We reached the bakery, and I opened the door for us, making the bells ring.

"Well, hello, Yuuji and Mai!"

"Good afternoon, Fukuda-san!" I greeted the baker. Mai, of course, hid herself behind me. "Okaasan told me to buy a loaf of bread today."

"A loaf of bread it is for Yuuji," Fukuda-san said cheerfully. Then he paused, tilting his head to my sister. "Anything for you, Mai-chan?"

At this, Mai hid herself more (if that was possible). I felt her shake her head behind me, and I bet she was nibbling at her thumbnail, too.

"Still not comfortable with me, eh?" Fukuda-san said, handing me the loaf.

"Still not comfortable with anybody, sir," I told him. "Don't take it personally."

Fukuda-san chuckled, muttering "Kids..." as he took my payment.

We were two blocks away from home when my sister decided to speak.

"Oniisama..." she began quietly, her grip on my hand tightening a bit.

"Yes, Mai?"

"Do you think I'm too quiet?"

That caught me off-guard. "Why do you ask?"

"One of my classmates told me that I was abromally quiet."

"Abnormally, you mean."

"Yes, that. Do you think I'm abro— ab—... abnormally quiet?"

I smiled at her then, wanting to erase that concerned look on her face. Six-year-olds shouldn't look so worried.

"Well... I guess you are more quiet than most kids," I began. "But it's nothing to be alarmed about. People are different, that's all. Some kids like dolls, some like soldiers. Some kids like chocolate, some like strawberry. Some are talkative, some aren't."

Mai nodded wordlessly, but she didn't seem too convinced. So I stopped walking, knelt in front of her, and took her by her shoulders.

"Mai... Just because you're quiet doesn't mean it's a bad thing. Do you understand?" I asked her. She nodded again. "Besides, I like you the way you are now. So don't be so sad about what your classmate said. Smile a little for me, OK?"

That seemed to go well with her, as her cute little smile graced her face. She nodded again, this time with more conviction. Satisfied, I stood up and held her hand in mine again.

"Oniisama," she spoke up again. "You're going to take me to the rose garden tomorrow, right?"

I smiled. Mai had always liked flowers. Roses were her personal favorite. There was a park near our house that had a small rose garden. It wasn't that spectacular, really. That's why not a lot of people stay there for a long time. But not my sister. Whenever I took her there, Mai could stare at the roses for hours. Sometimes she would bring her drawing book and draw roses (as well as other things) as we lounged on the grass. She drew her creative inspiration from the flowers... And I don't think I can think of roses without thinking of my sister.

"Yep, of course I am," I told her as we crossed the street. "I don't break my promises to you, do I?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she tugged at my hand. My first thought was that it was awfully weird (and not to mention dangerous) for her to tug at my hand while we were in the middle of the road. I turned to ask her what was wrong, but the expression on her face stopped the words in my mouth.

There wasn't any expression on her face. She was standing there almost frozen, her eyes almost unseeing...

And then she collapsed.
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And this is where the story really begins.
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From the Author

To be continued? Yes? No? I think I'll continue this if I get at least three positive reviews. Otherwise, I'll probably just channel my energies somewhere else.

This here is my fourth series. It's actually a prequel to my first series, "Blue Star". But if you haven't read that, it's fine. I'm writing this with the assumption that you haven't read it yet.

I think this will the only chapter that's in first person point of view. I'm just not used to it. Hehe. I'll write the rest of the chapters using a narrator's voice.