Author's Note: Hi everyone! If you're wondering why I started a new story this early? Well...this idea just suddenly popped in my head and I decided to make the characters for it...and before I knew it, ideas were literally overflowing in my head! I just suddenly had the need to let them all out and explode onto the white piece of paper you see before you! Don't worry though! I'm still going to update my other stories and such! Just not that often because of school. By the way, happy Labor Day! By the way, this story takes place before and during the 9/11 attack on New York. I hope you all like it! I present to you all...The Princess in the Tree of Peach Blossoms! Read and review nicely please! NO FLAMES!!! Happy reading!

PAGE 1: The Red Baron Peach Blossoms

Wednesday, September 9, 2001

"...the orange-haired girl fought bravely against the wicked witches in black, their ravens squawking and pecking non-stop! But she had absolutely no intention of giving up. She was determined to defeat them and put them in their place for what they did to the red fairy's beloved peach blossom tree. With a final swing of the sword, she slashed right through their black cloaks, ripping them in half, and they disappeared into the Bengal orange sky in a flash. The orange-haired girl made a vow to restore the red fairy's beloved peach blossom tree, but the fairy gently tells her "It's alright. I am grateful for what you did, but the tree will fix itself. When one thing falls, another grows. Something new and wonderful will appear. Please believe that, my dear princess." The orange haired girl smiled as bright as the Bengal orange sky above her, and she willingly stood by the red fairy's side, gazing upon the small red flower dangling from the black tree branch facing the green grass below"

I recited the final pieces of my work before a large audience of children exactly my age. I recited the ending of this small piece of work right before their very eyes. My orange eyes continued to gaze upon the small white papers with black writing, all done by none other than me. Haruno-sensei stood right next to me, smiling and her eyes as blue as the sky looking like they are going to burst into an explosion of tears at any moment. As I finally finished speaking and gazed upon the audience before me, a large round of applause echoed in the tiny room and everyone cheered with glee. Even Haruno-sensei next to me was glee-stricken.

"Wow! Such passion, such determination, such innovation! I always knew you were a great amateur writer, but something like this, I think my heart skipped a beat!" Haruno-sensei exclaimed happily but tearfully. I knew this teacher quite well. She has semi-long, maroon-brown hair and light blue eyes, blue as the sky. She is currently wearing a long-sleeved white shirt under a light brown vest with gold buttons along with a red bowtie, a dark purple skirt that goes slightly below the knees, and black shoes and brown stockings. Her bangs were held up slightly by a silver, rectangle-shaped hair clip. I smiled at the cheering audience before me and I bowed before Haruno-sensei.

"Thank you very much, Haruno-sensei" I told the teacher and I politely bowed before her.

"You should enter the Umesato Literary Competition! You would win by a landslide, Akiko-chan!" Haruno-sensei told me with a big smile on her face. She smiled so big it almost seemed scary, but I don't mind.

"Thank you. I do plan on entering the competition, though I won't be offended if I don't win. I just want to write to my heart's content, that is all" I explained to Haruno-sensei and I dutifully walked back to my seat. I was still clinging to the tiny book I read to the class and watched Haruno-sensei pick out the next student to stand up in front of the class. I decided to read my work to myself and not worry about a thing.

Oh! That's right! I haven't introduced myself yet. Hi! My name is Touya Akiko. In Japan, we say our last names before our first names. I'm 12 years old. I turned 12 just 3 days ago. It was my birthday. I guess I'll tell you a bit about me before I go into detail about my home life. I'm a girl and I have long, wavy, dark blond hair with light tints of orange like the golden sun in the sky. It's always bunchy and curly, so I tie them up in bunches a lot. I don't mind. My eyes are a bright mango orange, just like the Bengal orange sky that appears when the sun sets as it's going to shine it's light onto the next part of the world. My last name, Touya, contains the kanji for "peach". My first name, Akiko, means "child of the autumn season". My mother gave me that name to symbolize my orange eyes, yellow/orange hair, and that I was born on a clear, perfect, autumn day, which was exactly 3 days ago! I live on a small little island that's new to Japan which was recently named Fujiminoru, which contains the Kanji for "wisteria" and "seedling." This is my school, Umesato Middle School. I'm in the 7th grade and am at the top of my class. I'm also currently wearing a green, long-sleeved sweater over a white, short-sleeved top with a big V-neck along with perfectly blue capris that go slightly below the knees and light brown shoes.

That thing I read to my English class, also my homeroom class, just now was a book I wrote myself. I call it "The Princess in the Tree of Peach Blossoms." It's like a fantasy version of my entire life up until now. It's about a girl with orange hair like autumn who is abused and mistreated by a family of women wearing black, whom I named the wicked witches in black. Her only comfort is a tree that has red baron peach blossoms that bloom beautifully during the autumn season, and her best friend, a red fairy with orange, transparent wings, blonde hair, and a gentle and kind personality, lives on the tree. I wrote this during the Umesato Literary Competition last year and I won. If a piece of literature that someone wrote wins the competition, the work gets published into a little book. And my masterpiece happened to be embraced by that beautiful fate! What bliss! What happiness!

I love stories, books, and anything related to such! I'm especially a fan of classics such as A Little Princess Sara, Anne of Green Gables, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Little Prince, Wuthering Heights, Romeo and Juliet, anything related to literature, books, and writing I love with a passion! Of course, I love today's books and comics too, such as CLAMP's Card Captor Sakura, Adeline Yen Mah's Chinese Cinderella, and other works! They say that words inside books enrich your brain and give it lots and lots of nutrients and vitamins, kind of like bananas, carrots, spinach, broccoli and apples and other healthy foods do for the human body. Hehehe! I guess it's kinda weird how I put it, isn't it?

Anyway, I should tell you, even though my name is Touya Akiko, I'm only 60% Japanese. Want to know why? My mother, Maria Antoinette Dorsett, is of French-American descent, and my father, Touya Yoshiyuki, is of pure-blooded Japanese descent. I get my blonde hair and amber eyes from my mother. I'm basically 60% Japanese, 30% American, and 10% French. I'm also part French because my grandmother from my mother's side, Florianne Adela Dorsett, was born in France. She was actually born in Sainte-Croix, Aveyron to be more precise. My grandmother moved to New Jersey in America as an adult, and that's where she met my grandfather, Atticus James Dorsett. They got married and my mother was born. I kind of have a bit of a French accent, but it seems nobody notices it much. I don't really mind.

I'm sitting in my seat, quietly reading my masterpiece while listening to another girl read her work, when suddenly the bell rings out of the blue!

riiiiiiiing

The sound echoed in the room, interrupting the girl's presentation. I looked at the clock above the door and it read 2:54 PM. It means that in exactly 6 minutes, it will be time to go home.

"We can finish up tomorrow, but you're great so far! Now everyone, you better get ready!" Haruno-sensei exclaimed and told all the kids to get ready to go home. It went from English class to homeroom. Yes, Haruno Kotori is both our English teacher and homeroom teacher. I really like her. She's very nice and easy to get along with, but if you do anything that makes her angry, she can be VERY scary! In fact, there was one time, this obnoxious kid threw a piece of paper at a girl and Haruno-sensei saw it and got mad. But the kid wasn't scared and he even threw a piece of his lunch at her. I knew she was going to handle it, and oh boy did she handle it! A black aura surrounded her and she got a chair and a rope out, tied the boy to it, and gave him a REALLY long lecture on how boys are supposed to be nice to women and how it was really long ago, even though she wasn't an old woman. I really love how she handles problems. They always work so well! I want to be like that some day. Her last name means "Of the spring" and her first name means "Little bird", so her name basically means "Little bird of the spring."

I really love how her name is constructed. I can really picture her as an innocent little bird sitting in her next, waiting for her blue eggs to hatch. She's sitting in a tree, above a garden full of beautiful flowers ranging from colors such as pink, blue, yellow, purple, and white. Chirping cutely and happily greeting the other flying birds, I am loving this image I'm producing in my head right now. But this is because I'm really reluctant to leave the school. This is one of the few places where I feel safe. I'll tell you more about it later. I hate leaving school, but I can't stay here forever. And it's not because I already have plans to go to the library and see Shirakawa-sensei, the kind young librarian. There's someone I know whose high school is really close to here, and she often approaches me with scorn and cruelty. I want to avoid her, but it seems I'm never able to do it. But today, I plan on avoiding her completely today and leaving the school and going to the library unscathed!

As I'm packing my things in my tan-colored bag with a little fake red rose on it along equally fake green leaves attached to it, a boy I know very well gently tapped me on my shoulder.

"Hello there"

A boy was standing right behind me with a dull look on his face.

"Hello Nico!" I exclaimed with a smile.

This is my best friend Nico. His full name is Niccolo Lucio Altamura. His name is strange because he's an Italian boy. He's also named after Niccolo Paganini, a famous violinist who was born in 1782 and died in 1840. I like this boy a whole lot. He's been my best friend since we were in the second grade. He's always been kind to me, and I've always defended him from bullies. He's a very cute, serene, and gentle boy, though he's very quiet and doesn't like to talk to people much. He's also really skinny and slender for his age, but I think that's what makes him so handsome! He's like a dashing fairy tale prince in a book, though I'm not gonna delve into anything cliche or annoying. He's the same age as me, save for being a little bit taller than me. He has shaggy black hair like a black raven or the midnight sky without stars. His eyes are a perfect shade of blue, blue like a sapphire jewel. He is currently wearing a light blue shirt with a pictire of a yellow, 5-pointed star on it along with black jean pants and white sneakers.

I actually know the reason why Nico is shy and a little strange. It's because he has something known as autism, which means his brain works differently than normal people's brains do. For example, let's say that the normal human brain is like a puzzle, fully complete with the pieces put together perfectly and in the right order. This makes them typical and normal. Nico's brain is kind of like a messed up and strange-looking puzzle, as if the pieces are having trouble coming together perfectly. His brain is basically like a jumbled up puzzle. This results in strange behavior such as little eye contact, hand-flapping, frequent ear covering, heightened senses, and other things. It varies from person to person. Autism has a very broad spectrum. There are those people who are severely affected and don't speak, can't feed themselves, can't be independent, can't do typical things, etc. Nico is one of the high-functioning people, meaning he can do typical things like normal kids do at some degree, though he still has some quirks to get over, such as his sensitivity to really loud noise and his tendency to get frustrated if someone stops him from finishing something up. I know how he feels. I like to do things at my own pace as well. But this doesn't mean he's a bad person. He's really smart like me and is kind to everyone, though he's always quiet about it.

Nico and I began talking.

"Hey Nico! Your presentation was great! It's really good!" I told him excitedly. But his face began to turn a little red like little red peach blossoms on a tree.

"...It's not as good as yours. And I don't like standing up in front of an audience and presenting something. You're so good at it. I wish I was like you, Akiko" Nico told me shyly. His voice was shaking a little, but I tried to bluff it off.

"It's okay! It takes lots and lots of courage to speak publicly! I'm sure you'll be able to get it in the future! Oh! Would you like to come to the red baron peach tree today? I think the flowers are still in bloom!" I tried to reassure him that he'll be able to become more confident with public speaking in the future. He smiled only a little bit.

"Sure. I kind of had a rough day today and I want someone to make it better. Is that okay?" Nico told me.

"Of course it's okay you silly goose!" I playfully teased him and rubbed my small, apricot-colored hand in his soft, fluffy, raven black hair. I didn't hear it real well, but I could swear he giggled a little bit.

Nico and I impatiently waited for the big black hand on the clock to offically hit 3:00 so we could make a quick escape from school and get to the library unscathed. To pass the time, I decided to talk with Nico a little bit more.

"Hey! Are you going to enter the literary competition this year?" I asked him excitedly.

"No. I'm not a writer like you are. I want to be a mangaka" Nico replied quietly.

A mangaka is a Japanese version of a comic book maker. They draw black and white pictures with colored illustrations and bring it to life in the form of books. In Japan, comic books are read from right to left, while American books are red from left to right. Nico is very good at drawing and I love his artwork. He even drew little illustrations for my masterpiece, but I was careful to make sure he got credit too. His name's on my masterpiece as well. I really love how he captured the beauty and redness of the fairy of the red baron peach tree and the darkness to the wicked witches in black. He captured my image of them so perfectly that it makes me want to cry! But then all of a sudden, Nico was staring at me, with his blue eyes looking into my Bengal orange eyes, with a rather curious look on his face.

"Thanks for including my drawings in your book" Nico whispered to me quietly.

"Oh...no problem! I wanted to include them, and we did work together to make it come to life, right? You deserve some credit too!" I responded to his gratitude with a touch of confidence. Then, out of the blue...

riiiiiiiing

The bell rang! It was time to go home! Me and Nico held each other's hands and quickly dashed out of the door along with many other kids. We went into the hallway and exited through the doors on our right, which led to a set of silver, steel but slightly rusty stairs. Every kid in our class ran down the steps, on the blacktop, and out the fence. Nico and I hurriedly dashed from the blacktop and tried to run left. We scurried quickly onto the sidewalk and we passed some places such as a small food store and a little video place. We were about to pass by the high school that was right near our school, but...someone came and walked right in front of me.

It was the person I feared the most. This is the person I've been trying to avoid whenever I leave school. This person is the reason why I'm reluctant to leave school. This is Touya Junko, my older sister. She has short, light brown hair that goes slightly below her chin and she has her bangs held up with pink, glittery hairclips in the shape of P's. She has eyes like pure, dark chocolate, only the expression she gave me and Nico seemed scornful and full of rage. But she sure wasn't in a rage just yet.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Junko asked, with a touch of pride in her older voice. Her voice is much lower-pitched than mine is. I wanted to leave, but she kept getting in the way.

"Please move! I'm heading to the library!" I told her, but she kept trying to block me no matter how much I tried.

"Answer my questions first! What did you learn in math class today?" Junko asked me with a touch of arrogance in her voice. I was reluctant to answer her question, but I had to. She always did this kind of thing to me whenever she would see me leave school. I don't know why, but I think she's trying to antagonize me.

"We learned how to convert square roots into whole numbers" I responded cautiously.

"And why aren't you converting equations into full numbers?" Junko asked. I was very confused by this questions. I didn't know equations can be converted into whole numbers.

"We haven't gotten that far yet. We don't convert them into numbers yet!" I responded quite sternly, but this made my sister's face turn really angry and full of rage.

"That's your excuse!? You're such a liar! A filthy rat you are!!" Junko screamed angrily at me and she forcefully clutched my arm. Nico tried to stop her, but she pushed me away. Junko then raised her free hand up in the air and...FWAP! She slapped me hard in the face. I was hurt, but I was used to this sort of thing. She then forcefully threw me to the ground. Several school kids saw the scene but were too scared to do anything. Junko was staring at me, with her eyes consumed by a sea of red fire.

"You don't know how because you're stupid! That's what you are! A filthy little beast!! A murderer!! That's what you are!! You killed our mother!! you're not worthy of having an education!! Why don't you just live in a dirty jail cell for all I care! You're a murderer and you should get the punishment you deserve!!" Junko screamed atrocious things at me, just for not being able to answer her question. My mango orange eyes swelled up a little, but I didn't care. This happens all the time. Whenever I leave school, Junko approaches me, asks me a series of questions, and if I can't answer, she beats me up and calls me names. She does this to me on a daily basis and she never stops. Nico pulled me off of the sidewalk and rubbed his hands on my shirt so the dirt can come off.

"Are you okay, Akiko?" Nico asked with a soft, worried tone in his voice.

"I...I'm fine. This happens a lot, but I can handle it" I tried to blow it off by telling him I can handle it. But he grabbed my shoulders and looked me straight in the eyes. His sapphire blue eyes met my autumn-colored orange eyes.

"You're saying you can handle an older sister who beats you up in public and calls you a murderer for no good reason!? That's not something anyone can handle! Why does she do that to you!? I don't see any reason for her abusing you like this! You should tell someone about it! Someone should do something to make her stop!!" Nico scolded me for not telling anyone about what Junko does to me, but he doesn't know. I don't want him to know. I had to say something.

"Sorry..." I could only murmur a single apology in response.

"Let's go to the library. Maybe Shirakawa-san can help you out" Nico said that to me and that was it. After that, we finally began to leave the school and head to the library to meet Shirakawa Ren-san.

You witnessed it, so I'm going to tell you the truth. Remember how I told you so much about my mother and our blood lineage? See, the truth is, even though I know so much about her, I never really met her. I only met her in my infancy. When mother was pregnant with me before going into labor, she caught scarlet fever. I survived, but a few days later...she died from the disease. The doctors tried to save her, but they couldn't do anything. My mother, Maria Antoinette Touya-Dorsett, died giving birth to me on September 15, 1989. When Junko called me a murderer, this is what she meant. My whole family thinks I killed my mother when she gave birth to me. I didn't kill my own mother, did I? I know I didn't! She wanted to bring me into the world! Grandmother told me! Yeah, my whole entire life, even now, my own older siblings abuse me and antagonize me on a regular basis...all because they think I killed my own mother. My father doesn't do much about it and just pretends all of it never happened. What made him so indifferent and cold? It's time to take a little trip down memory lane.

(flashback)

I remember a time when I was 8 years old and living with my grandmother, Florianne Adela Dorsett, in her villa on a different part of Fujiminoru. Back then, she was about 67 years old and her dark hair began to turn grey. She was wearing a beautiful kimono. It was long and orange, printed with the red baron peach blossoms I love so much, even now. Tied around it and keeping it in place was a light yellow obi and she was also wearing brown zori and white tabi socks, which have one toe on each sock. She and I were in a small part of her villa which contained pictures that my mother painted. My favorite picture was one of a single tree branch with crimson-colored red baron peach blossoms I love so much. I stared at the picture with a very mesmerized, yet sad and distraught look within my Bengal orange eyes.

I was staring at the Bengal orange sky in the picture which also contained mixtures of dark violet purple and small tints of dark blue, meaning the night was about to come in the painting. The tree branches were painted black like the black crows called ravens that fly in a dark sky. The things I loved the most about the painting were the beautiful portrayal of the red baron peach blossoms I love so much. I love red baron peach blossoms, and I was told that my mother loved them too. I guess I inheritted my environmentalist nature from her. She loved flowers, especially the peach blossoms she and I love. Back then, I was wearing my new (back then) sleeveless purple-print dress that had an aqua trim at the waistline to match the print leaves along with the coordinating aqua blue crocheted sweater which my grandmother always says is perfect for cool autumn mornings, and it was in the evening that time. I was also wearing white socks and black T-strap shoes.

My grandmother stood behind me with a worried look on her face. She also had a bit of a forced smile on her face, but I didn't really see it because I was lost within the beauty of the painting I was gazing upon.

"Your mother was such a brilliant painter. She drew that tree branch with such innovation and captured it's beauty perfectly. It's one of our personal favorites. When the time is right, I will pass it onto you, Akiko. When you become a woman like your mother, I will take it out of this place and leave it in your hands. I hope it will be passed down from generation to generation" Grandmother said to me. I heard her quite clearly, but my mind was somewhere else.

"Grandma...is it really my fault that mother died?" I asked quietly but sadly. Grandmother kept her worried look on her face, but her eyes became bigger when I said what I was going to say after that.

"Junko-Neechan always beats me up and calls me "murderer" and keeps saying that if I wasn't born, mother would still be alive. Did I...really kill my mother? Your daughter? Would everyone be happy if I wasn't born? Should I be the one that should be dead?" I began to cry. My tears, crystallized and liquidized, streamed down my soft, apricot-colored cheeks, straight from my mango-colored eyes. The streak of yellow/orange hair hanging over my ear wasn't in the way, so it didn't get wet. I placed my small hand on the wall and I began crying. Grandmother walked up to me and pulled me toward her.

"That's just not true, my little Akiko! Giving birth to you meant the whole world to your mother! She wanted to hurry up and give you life because she loved you and wanted another child. On that September morning, before you were born, your mother already decided to name you Akiko, even though she didn't know your gender yet. You were her little bouquet of red baron peach blossoms that she always loved and will always love. Even you love those flowers that inspired her so greatly! That wretched family of yours is just taking this much too overboard! I simply cannot believe that they don't even appreciate the hidden joy you bring to them! You always bring joy to my life and all your other extended family members too! I could fight your father over custody of you if I wanted to! But I can't right now" My grandmother hugged me tightly when she told me those words.

I clung to her kimono as she told me how much my mother wanted to bring me into the world. I felt really warm, secure, and happy when she called me my mother's little bouquet of red baron peach blossoms. If there was any nickname in the world I loved more than anything, it was that particular nickname: little bouquet of red baron peach blossoms. I didn't care if it was long. I loved it more than anything. I began to cling to that nickname as if it were my personal savior. I still shed my tears streaming down my face, but I didn't start crying loudly. I loved grandmother so much. I stared at my mother's painting with these thoughts: "Mother...you wanted to bring me into the world. I hope I didn't ruin your desires. I...I didn't kill you, did I?" Those thoughts rang in my head and I just couldn't let them go. I thought long and hard about my mother's death and how my siblings mistreated me because of her death.

'Mother...I'm not a murderer, am I? I didn't kill you, did I? If I did, then I'm terribly sorry! You brought me into the world only to have your life taken away...I...I'm so sorry! Is...is there any way I can make it up to you?' I kept thinking. I kept asking myself whether I killed her, and whether the things my siblings say are really true. Since I'm the youngest, I suffer the worst abuse out of them all. I wish to be embraced in my mother's warm arms, like how I'm being embraced in my grandmother's arms. I wish to hear her angelic voice, I want to feel her golden blonde hair, I want to hear her tell stories about her favorite red baron peach blossom tree. I made an oath to myself. I decided to make myself become a strong, sophisticated, and a brilliant woman just like my mother.

My sole purpose in life: I will live for my mother, and make sure her death was not in vain, and confirm that I really did not kill her. My sole wish is to carry on my mother's legacy. I guess it's time to grab a hold of reality and take it for a ride again.

(end flashback)

"Are you okay, Akiko?" The sound of Nico's serene, quiet, boyish voice snapped me out of the black bottomless abyss known as my mind. My mango eyes turned to Nico's face as he had a worried look. I couldn't help but smile a bit.

"I...I'm fine! Let's go see Shirakawa-san and Clarisse!" I cried out with a vivacious smile on my face. Clarisse is the name of the librarian, Shirakawa-san's cat. Clarisse's whole body is black save for her chin, big abdomen, her paws, and the tip of her tail being white. She is Shirakawa-san's pride and joy.

After a few more blocks from the school, Nico and I finally arrived at the Fujiminoru Library. It's may seem like a small place on the outside, but it's actually insanely big on the inside. I loved books and in response, I love the library. Especially this library. I know everyone in it, especially Shirakawa-san. Nico and I decided to go inside. A familiar face greeted us as we came in.

"Well, if it isn't Akiko-chan and Nico-kun!" A young lady in her early 30's exclaimed with a smile.

"Shirakawa-san!" I cried out happily.

Yes, this young lady in her early 30's is Shirakawa Ren, the kind and patient librarian of this place. She has shoulder length black hair and bright green eyes like a grassy meadow in the beginning of bring, containing a faint yellow glow from the sun's golden effulgence. Her bangs are perfectly cut and straight, not one single split end. Her meadowy green eyes were sharp and clear. She is known to have very good eyes. She can see even really small things and sense even the smallest movements. She is currently wearing a long-sleeved, white dress that went slightly below the knees along with a dark blue jean jacket and brown shoes along with grey socks that went below the knees. I idolized her just like I liked Haruno-sensei. She's always there for me whenever I have a problem. I visited her a whole lot whenever I would want to purchase a book or check out a book.

"Hello you two. Are you dating?" Shirakawa-san asked with a smile on her face.

"No! We're just spending some time together! Oh, where's Clarisse?" I responded quickly to her remark, but I noticed that I didn't see Clarisse around. Shirakawa-san stood up from her seat and left the counter. She told us to follow her, and we did. We walked a few steps and we saw Clarisse in her little bed...but with a twist.

She has kittens running around!

"Waaaaaaahh!! Kittens!!" I couldn't help but squeal in a real squeaky, high-pitched vouce when I caught sight of the really tiny kittens playing next to Clarisse. There were four kittens total. Nico didn't say anything, he just stared at them with me. There were four tiny kittens of the same size. One was a pure raven black with some white paws and a white left ear, another was a light brown color with darker brown splotches on it's back and head, another one was purely white, it's fur being white as pristine white snow. The final one was a Bengal orange color with some brown stripes on it's back and head, with it's stomach and paws being white. I immediately scooped up the orange one and became more entranced by it's pure, velvety, green grey eyes. The kitten gave out a cute squeaky meow as it was being held in my hands. My mango eyes lit up brightly. Shirakawa-san kneeled down to our level and smiled.

"Clarisse had kittens about a month ago. I didn't tell you about it because I thought you were too young to take care of infant kittens and feed them with a bottle" Shirakawa-san told us. I was too busy playing with the orange kitten, but then I realized that the white one was trying to crawl on my lap. Nico put his hand behind it and gave it a boost.

"You can have these two if you want" Shirakawa-san told us. I was surprised that now she was letting us have the kittens.

"Really? I can keep them?" I asked in confusion. Shirakawa-san nodded happily in response. Then I turned my eyes back onto the kitten whose orange fur was as red and orange as the sunset. I checked it's lower body and saw that it was a girl. Right then, I immediately had the perfect name for her.

"I have decided her name! From this day forth, this kitten will now be known as Anne Shirley!" I blurted out happily while hoisting the kitten, which I have named after the title character from my favorite book, Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery, in the air. Nico was a little surprised.

"That's a good name" Nico told me quietly. But then I handed Anne to Nico and I hoisted the white kitten in the air.

"And for this kitten, she shall now be known to the world as Snow White!" I cried out happily as I decided to name this kitten Snow White, after the character from the famous Brothers Grimm novel, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which was also made into a movie by Walt Disney in 1937. Nico scooped Anne in his arms and petted her a little.

Shirakawa-san, Nico, Anne, Snow White, and I played and read books in the library for a while. Before I knew it, it was almost four! Nico and I decided to leave the library, with Anne Shirley and Snow White in our arms, and we bid Shirakawa-san, Clarisse, and her remaining kittens goodbye before we left. Nico, Anne, Snow White, and I were now headed for our next destination. A certain place which I knew and loved for nearly 8 years, and I still know and love it even now. It doesn't take very long to get there from the library. Just about 3-4 blocks from the library on our left. Nico and I dashed on the sidewalk while making sure Anne and Snow White were tucked away in our arms safely. I immediately caught sight of a green hill in the park. And right before my very eyes...

The large black tree had succumbed to the blooming of my all time favorite flowers: Red baron peach blossoms.

My mango orange eyes lit up at the sight of the big tree with beautiful red hair in the form of the peach blossoms my grandmother, my mother, and I love so much with a passion. All of them were blooming beautifully. Nico and I decided to sit under the little bench that was under the tree. It was empty so we were the only ones under it. Some red petals got caught in my bunched up yellow/orange hair, but I didn't mind one bit. Sitting under this red tree brought an ocean's worth of nostalgia in my heart. Whenever I would be sad or hurt, I would come here and sit under the tree. I'm especially happy when the flowers on it bloom so beautifully and poignantly during the spring and autumn. I would feel so warm, secure, happy, safe, and confident whenever I would be under this tree, especially if the red baron peach blossoms were in full bloom like right now. I visited it 3 days ago, on my 12th birthday. My grandmother told me that my mom used to sit under this very tree and read, sing, and sleep peacefully under it. It was always the place where anyone in my family could calm their worries...well, my mother's side of the family, that is.

Now that I'm done being captured by it's beauty, Nico and I began talking while making sure Anne and Snow White don't go running around and getting lost.

"Akiko...do you hate being at home?" Nico asked me quietly. I was a little confused, but then I began to become suspicious that he was getting suspicious about that incident earlier today with Junko. He is the last person I talk with about my terrible home life.

"...No! It's fine. Father's usually there for me whenever Junko gets violent, so it's all good" I told him with a slightly forced smile. But his dull, doll-like, nonchalant expression remained plastered all over his face.

It's true. I never told him about my abusive home life. In fact, I never told anybody that I know about my abusive home life. If I told someone about what my siblings are doing to me, people will think I'm some weak little girl who needs to be guarded 24/7 on a daily basis. I don't want to be viewed in that way. I don't want to be weak. I don't want to be the beautiful princess confined and held prisoner in a large, steel castle, waiting for her prince charming on a white stallion to come and rescue her from those who confine her. That would be much too cliche and annoying. I want to be the one who saves those who are miserable and suffering. I made a vow to pass on my mother's legacy by myself. I don't want anyone to get involved. If they did, they would get hurt or get in trouble. I have to fight this terrible castle myself, until the crying princess is saved from my family's grasp. I want to be the noble prince charming.

Nico looked at Snow White, who was sitting next to Anne on my lap.

"If you want...I can take care of Snow White" Nico whispered calmly. I was a little shocked.

"What? Why? I can handle two cats" I responded quickly. But Nico gently scooped Snow White from my lap and clutched to her with his arms.

"I don't think your house is safe for two toddler kittens to be running around in. Both of them could get hurt. If I could have your permission, I would like to raise Snow White myself" Nico told me with a sense of calmness and nobility in his voice. It's as if the actual Snow White was being awakened from her slumber by her noble prince charming. I began pondering about the decision and admit that I am reluctant to give Snow White away, but then I remembered that I had a cat once and Junko broke his leg on purpose, and then threw her onto the street far, far away. I also remembered Nico being one who always keeps his promises. I smiled at Nico and made my decision.

"Okay! You take good care of Snow White for me, Nico!" I exclaimed loudly with a silly smile on my face.

"Thanks. My parents are looking for a pure white cat with blue eyes, so I guess their wish is granted. Isn't it, Snow White?" Nico said to me, then to Snow White. I continued to smile at Nico, who was petting Snow White gently. I decided to play with Anne Shirley, who was eagerly wiggling in my arms. She gave out a cute meow which made my mango eyes light up brightly.

Nico and I stayed under the tree and continued to discuss a lot of nonsense, told jokes, serious chatter, and a few other things, and before we knew it, it was almost 5:00 PM! Nico and I decided to part ways and head home. Right when I was about to leave the beautiful red baron peach blossom tree above me, I immediately caught a glance of Anne. I was scared that Junko might hurt her if she even caught one sight og her, so I quickly hid Anne in my tan-colored purse. She was small enough to fit and move around a little. I was reluctant to leave my favorite red baron peach blossom tree, but I couldn't stay there forever. Plus, father would scold me if I got home later than 9:00 PM, which I never really did. I always got home early, VERY early. I finally mustered the courage to leave my favorite blooming red baron peach blossom tree and head for home.

The way home from the tree was much longer than it was from the library. My house was 7 blocks from both the library and the tree. But I made sure I didn't get tired and take my time. If I ran too fast, I would lose my breath and fall to my knees. I clutched my tan purse to make sure Anne was okay, and she was. She poked her little head out from the small opening in my purse. It was okay now that she's outside, but if I get home, I'm going to have to hide her completely. I don't want my brothers and sister getting angry at me...well, they're always angry at me no matter what I do. Besides, father is probably making dinner by now.

After I semi-ran and semi-walked down the necessary 7 blocks needed to get home, I finally arrived in front of my house. It is very tall and creamy-colored. There are many windows, a 2-step porch with a blue rug, vases of flowers on the porch, some wind chimes hanging from the ceiling and ringing their soft melody with the help of the gentle yet turbulent breeze. My house may not look very special from the outside, but from the inside, it's really big and fancy. Even my room is really big. I reluctantly step on the porch, put my hand on the golden door knob, turned it, and walked inside. I arrived in the living room and there was nobody in it. There was only the big grey couches, the TV, the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, the mahogany desk on the left side of the room with most of dad's paperwork on it, some paintings hanging on the wall. the long windows that are slightly below the ceiling, the really BIG window behind one of the grey couches, and a few other things. I was relieved to see nobody in the living room, but I was reluctant to see if anyone was in the other rooms.

I quietly walk into the entrance to the dining room and I see my father at the stove with a blue apron on his tailored suit with a wooden spoon in his hand. He was stirring something in a blue pot and it showed off a lot of steam. There was something else in a blue pan that was right next to the pot. I was relieved to see nobody in both the dining room and the kitchen either. The dining room is really big, and the table is really big too. There's a white cover on it along with some candles in the middle. There are 9 chairs perfectly placed under the table. When my father bought the table and the chairs, he didn't know why it came with three extra chairs. Nobody knew why. I guess they were just randomly there. I walk into the kitchen and I walk up to my father.

This is Touya Yoshiyuki, my father. He looks to be in his late 40's and has thinning dark brown hair with a big splotch of it on his head along with some on both sides of his head. He has matching, dark brown chocolate eyes just like Junko has. He also has a small mustache under his big, pointed nose. He is wearing a dark, tailored suit under a blue apron. Apparently my suspicions were confirmed. He's currently making dinner. I slowly and quietly walked up to him and tried to speak to him.

"He...Hello father" I told him quietly, but he didn't really say much. There was a short, pregnant pause until he spoke.

"Chicken, noodles, corn, broccoli, and carrots" He said in a deep, middle-aged voice. Apparently he just said everything that he's making for dinner. I was a little confused but I decided not to dive deeper into the dinner questions anyway. I tried to speak with him a little bit more, so I can have a conversation.

"How was your day?" I asked reluctantly.

"Fine" He replied back. I wasn't going to give up. I wanted to have a good conversation with him, just once. I never really got to talk with him because he's usually busy and ignoring some things, but I didn't want to give up.

"Did...anything new happen?"

"No"

"Uh...did you see the news this morning?"

"Yes"

"Did...you see your friends at work?"

"Yes"

"Uh...are you teaching yourself how to cook?"

"No"

"Did...you meet anyone interesting?"

"No"

I was beginning to run out of questions. This was starting to become really awkward. I tried to come up with something good to make him talk and acknowledge my presence a bit more, but I wasn't sure if I should. I finally got the courage to say something that's not a really weird and stupid question.

"Oh! Th...this year in school, I'm going to enter the literary competition and the school festival! I think you should come! It'll be fun! There's going to be food stands, plays, movies, haunted houses, presentations, comedians, animals, magazines, and there's even going to be a little planetarium there! My class is planning on working on something like a story-telling presentation where we read our handmade work to kids all over the place! I think it'll be fun! You should come! You'll have a great time!"

I told him that I'm planning to enter this year's literary competition and school festival, even though everything I said was completely, totally, 100% random. I really don't know if there are going to be animals, magazines, a planetarium, a story-telling club or anything else I babbled about. But he put the spoon on the stove and looked at me. My eyes lit up a bit and I thought 'He's responding! What's he going to say? What should I dooooo!?', but I had to keep my cool. But what I didn't expect was that he gave me a small white piece of paper.

"After dinner, I need you to pick these up. Be home by 8:00 PM" My father told me sternly and quietly. He just randomly placed the piece of paper in my hand and left the kitchen. The list says to pick up bananas, cucumber, cauliflower, toilet paper, bottles of spring water of the Mizugami brand, and some tissues. I can easily get these items from the small convenience store that's about 8 blocks from my house. But as I saw Anne poke her head out of my bag, I immediately got it in my head that I should buy cat litter, a small box, and some cat food! I can easily get these things from the store too, and considering the sizes of the bags from the store, I can easily hide them too.

About an hour later, it was time for dinner. Father, Junko, and my two brothers, Fuyuki and Shigeru, were all at the table eating. Fuyuki is 17 years old, just like Junko, and is her fraternal twin. He has short, choppy light brown hair and has the same amber eyes as I do. He is tall and is wearing a dark green sweat jacket along with black jean shorts and white sneakers. He also has a tattoo of a black bat's wing on his neck, which is sometimes noticeable. Shigeru is 14 years old and has really messy and shaggy blond hair, which is lighter than mine and doesn't have tints of orange like mine does. He also has amber eyes, but they look much plainer than mine. He is currently wearing a long sleeved dark brown sweater along with dark blue jean shorts and black and yellow sneakers. Everyone was quietly eating and nobody was talking to each other. I thought about telling them about the school festival coming up, but it's very likely that Shigeru will either throw food at me, or Junko will start criticizing me about it angrily. I decided to keep my mouth shut and eat.

But as I was eating, I noticed Junko stand up from her seat and start walking. I saw her plate and it was still full of the food that father had just finished making. Fuyuki and Shigeru stopped and watched Junko walk. But then I noticed that she immediately walked toward me. She stared down at me with her scornful look. But then, out of the blue, she grabbed my hand and thrusted me off of my seat. She then pushed me to the ground! She also grabbed my plate and threw it on the ground! The plate didn't break, but some food got splattered on the floor.

"Filthy beasts like you are better off eating from the floor! Get to it, you dog!!" Junko screamed at me and called me a beast and a dog. She threw my food on the floor and expects me to eat it off of the floor! How cruel is that!? I didn't move at all, but Junko continued to stare at me with her cruel look on her face. But I didn't eat off of the floor. If I ate food off of the floor, germs would get on it and I could get sick. I never eat food off of the floor. I always taught myself to be civilized and sophisticated. But it seems Junko wants to see me as the other way around. She then suddenly pulled one of my pigtails and pinned me to the floor face down!

"Well!? Eat your filthy garbage!!" Junko screamed angrily at me. But I saw my father stand up from his seat in shock.

"Junko!! You know better than to throw food on the floor! Now you clean this mess up immediately!" My father scolded her for throwing my dinner on the floor.

"She doesn't deserve to sit at this table! She's a filthy, worthless little rat! A murderer!! That's what she is!" Junko yelled angrily at my dad, who was also becoming angry by the minute. He walked up to Junko, grabbed her by the arm, and hoisted her from the ground. She released my hair and I managed to stand up.

"Young lady!! Now you are to clean up this mess this instant, or I am confining you to your room for the night! No friends, no phone, no nothing! And you know better than to call your sister a beast!" My father screamed at her with rage and anger in his voice. He then grabbed a sponge, some paper towels, and a broom and threw them at Junko. Junko got angry but decided to do it anyway, even though it was my food she threw on the floor. He then turned to me as I hurried back to my chair.

"There's still more. I'll get some for you" Father told me, then he nonchalantly left for the kitchen and prepared a spare version of my dinner. I patiently waited, but then I felt something get thrown at me. It was a small, swirly noodle. But then I caught a glance at Shigeru, who was chuckling under his breath. I knew it was him who threw it at me. He always throws things at me and he never stops. Father doesn't even bother to stop him. My spare dinner was prepared and I dutifully began eating. But father wasn't sitting down. He was staring right at all of us.

"Everyone, I have an announcement to make, so please pay attention" Father declared frankly. I was surprised. He never raised his voice like this before. Apparently he has some sort of big announcement or big piece of news to tell us or something.

"Everyone...I wish to tell you that we have an important guest coming here to live with us starting tomorrow, when you all come home from school. I humbly request that all of you treat her with the most respect and expect you to be on your best behavior. Because she will become an important figure in your lives" He humbly declared that we're having some sort of guest coming. I'm usually civilized and sophisticated, so it's likely I can pull off being on my best behavior. I'm always on my best behavior.

But I never, ever, EVER expected father to say something...like that. I became surprised, baffled, and shocked when he said...

"I have remarried! Starting tomorrow afternoon, you all will have a new mother in your lives!"

Author's Note: Yay! I finished an entire story chapter in one day! These ideas just overflowed in my head last night and were begging to come out, so I caved and let them put themselves on my computer screen. In case you didn't notice, this is my first ever story to feature the main charactera actually telling the story! Anyway, I gotta go now. I have to go take a shower. Read and review nicely please! NO FLAMES! See you all later! Bye-bee!