Author's Note: Hi everyone! I got bored so I felt like updating this. I'm still working on chapter 5 of Snow Princess, and I'm thinking about putting TCR and Firefly's Enchantment on temporary hiatus until I come up with some ideas for upcoming chapters. I don't wanna get all cluttered. Plus, I'm suddenly coming up with new story ideas like crazy! But I'm not gonna post them up yet because I still have these to finish up! Anyway, enough of my random dribble! I present to you all...chapter 3 of Peach Tree Princess! Read and review nicely please! NO FLAMES!!! Happy reading!

PAGE 3: The Vermilion Red Flames

If people's hearts were the seeds of various fruits, vegetables, and flowers, and it was up to me to decide whether I would plant them into the ground and take good care of them and nourish them daily, or just leave them on the ground and forget about them and make them become bitter, I knew exactly what I would want to do. I would plant them into the ground, spread water on them, and nourish them on a regular basis. They say children turn out the way they are solely because of how they're raised and the environment in which they were raised, be it kind and magnanimous, or bitter and volatile. But I seem to have become the contradiction for those facts. I'm raised in a volatile, bitter, and uncaring home, yet I'm a rather kind and magnanimous person. It's because outside of this dangerous home, I have a large support system and have those who care about me, even though I would abdicate anything to make sure they didn't know about my dreaded home life. But when I walked into the door and witnessed what I did, my heart shattered like an axe chopping down a large tree and making it fall hard onto the ground. It withered away and became a violent shade of dark brown, like a flower that's deprived of it's water and light of the sun.

My hopes and dreams of having a congenial stepmother in this household were shattered and thrown away, like rotten cottage cheese. They were instead replaced with the pure manifestation of bitterness, danger, hate, and scorn itself: This strange woman with long, wavy dark brown hair like tree bark and eyes as crimson and as red as blood. She looked to be in either her late 40's or early 50's. Her hair was tied up into a big, thick ponytail. She wore violently red lipstick, almost matching her bloodshot eyes, and her choleric face. Her long, maroon dress went past her legs and her purplish black socks and black high heels. I didn't even warn her that her dress was blatantly showing off her cleavage. She does have a big chest, but I'm not going to get into that. Her long, white gloves scared the living daylights out of me when she grabbed her youngest daughter and criticized her for being "disgraceful and unsophisticated." How should a child be yelled at and slapped in the face just for being herself? Kids usually don't act like adults when they're 5 or 6 years old.

I felt a tempestuous chill in the air as this strange woman stared into my eyes with her bloodshot eyes, almost like they had completely succumbed to anger. Her eyes were basically a giant mish-mash of rancor, hatred, anger, hostility, and scorn all put together and forced to become a big picture of the black and blue flames that burn in a terribly black, bottomless abyss. I didn't want to abdicate to her hostility since I was trying to defend Yuuka with all of my strength. As the woman left, I fell to my knees and realized that my worst fears have finally come to pass. This volatile, choleric, terrible woman, full of rancor...is my new stepmother!!

"Oneechan? Are you okay?"

Yuuka innocently tried to tend to my aid, but I had already succumbed to every single piece of shock and surprise that fell onto me, like I suddenly went into shell shock after a terrible war.

"Hey! Akiko? What's wrong?"

I finally decided to snap out of my shock and reassure Yuuka that everything's fine.

"Uh...I'm fine" I croaked quietly.

"Umm...I'm sorry mommy's so angry. She hates everything I do, even when I don't do it to make people angry. She likes Chizuru and Haruka more than me" Yuuka explained. But I was confused. I decided to ask her.

"Chizuru? Haruka? Who are they?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Chizuru and Haruka. My big sisters. They're both older than you. They're big fat meanies!" Yuuka proclaimed.

"Really. I guess they got it from your mom somehow" I said with a touch of sarcasm. I know, it didn't seem like sarcasm, but I just felt like making a reference to sarcasm.

"Ummm...you're not hurt, are you?" Yuuka asked shyly. I decided to stand up and get myself off of the woody floor.

"I should be the one asking you. Are YOU hurt?" I asked her right back.

"I...I'm okay" Yuuka replied innocently. I really felt bad for her, being slapped by her mother like that. Yuuka didn't even do anything wrong from what I saw! I finally decided to break my pessimism spell and try and make Yuuka a little happier.

"Hey! Wanna see my room, Yuuka-chan?" I asked with a smile. Yuuka apparently caught on and smiled brightly.

"Yep! I wanna see Oneechan's room!" Yuuka exclaimed with a smile. I held her small, tender, gentle hand with my slightly bigger one and I decided to escort her to my room. I wanted to show her all my books, items, and even Anne, my cat! She and I finally arrived at the entrance of my room. I pulled out the key to my room from my backpack and placed it in the keyhole. I opened the door, and I saw Yuuka's evergreen eyes shine like the dew on green grass on a lucid and pristine morning.

"Waaahh! Your room is big! And nice!" Yuuka exclaimed loudly with a smile on her face.

"Here is my room! All my books are on those shelves back there" I told her as I pointed to the large, mahogany shelf on the left side of my room. Then, Anne came along. Anne is my little kitten who has reddish orange fur, greyish green eyes, brown stripes on her back and head, and white paws along with a white stomach.

"Ooooh! A kitty!" Yuuka exclaimed and kneeled down to pick her up.

"Her name's Anne Shirley. Be gentle with her, Yuuka-chan" I told her for cautionary reasons, but it seems she and Anne are getting along fine.

I decided to calm myself down and spend time with Yuuka. She, Anne and I sat on my bed and we discussed our lives, hobbies, interests, and anything else we could think of. We read some books, specifically The Little Prince, we shared our items, and we did some other things. But it was time for dinner and the whole family had to come to the living room in order to meet the volatile woman and her daughters. As Yuuka and I were walking down the hallway to get to the living room, we saw two people in the dining room. Both of them were girls and are about the same age as Shigeru, my brother. One of them looked to be about 15 years old in age and has long, straight, dark brown hair that goes to her upper back along with matching brown eyes. In her hair are dark red hair clips resembling flowers. She is wearing a burgundy, wool, double-breasted jacket covering a long-sleeved, grey shirt and a dark blue checker-plaid skirt that goes to her knees. She is also wearing black tap shoes and long white socks. She has no bangs, her forehead is clearly noticeable.

The girl next to her has shorter, lighter, more shaggier hair and has eyes of a violent shade of burgundy, the same shade as the wool coat the long-haired girl is wearing. Her hair goes to her chin and is quite curly and messy. She is wearing a blue taffeta gown that shines like sapphire with a blue satin trim pleated down front and gathered at the sleeves with lace on the sleeves and bodice, and it snaps at the stomachers. She also has white socks, white shoes, and a gold oval hair clip in her hair. She looks to be about 14 years old, just like Shigeru. The two girls are apparently sitting at the dining room table and talking.

"Ughhh! I can't believe mom took me out of school like that! I loved it there too!!" The long-haired girl with the burgundy coat complained haltingly.

"But if you liked it there, didn't you get really bad grades in...oh, I don't know, gym and math and history and English?" The shaggy-haired girl in blue asked. Apparently she made a remarkably sharp insinuation at the long-haired girl.

"So!? All my friends were there! How am I supposed to talk with them now!?" The long-haired girl in burgundy retaliated as she continued to importune for a way to make contact with her friends.

"This gaudy house DOES have a phone, big sister! You don't need to be such a drama queen" The shaggy-haired girl in blue rebuked in a rather dagger-sharp tone in her voice. The long-haired girl is apparently her older sister.

"Yeah, you're right. This house IS rather gaudy! My old room has a better color and way better stuff than this dump!" The burgundy girl complained. I became mad when she called my home grandiose and gaudy. I simply didn't want to tolerate that. These girls are probably Yuuka's older sisters, whom she claims are the big fat meanies she told me they are. I didn't know what was going to happen, but I finally decided to voice my opinion.

"Pardon my interruption, but this house is in no way gaudy! So what if the walls are a little dark and so what if it doesn't have a lot of fancy things? People like you should learn to appreciate your home for what it is right now, not what you want it to be! And I think this house is just right for any family!" I rebuked loudly. Yuuka clung to me as I voiced my opinion. But as the two girls noticed me, they gained a rather scornful yet mischievous expression on both of their faces that seemed to show disgust.

"Now who in the world are you? Some kind of lowly servant with no worth?" The long-haired girl in burgundy asked in a critical manner. I became mad when she called me a lowly servant.

"Hey! I'm a member of this household!" I yelled. But the shaggy-haired girl suddenly grabbed one of my yellow-orange pigtails and yanked on them hard.

"Ewww! Now what's with this yellow hair? It's like, so ugly! I'll bet you don't even comb it, or wash it! You certainly are a filthy little rascal!" The shaggy-haired girl proclaimed in a crude and ribald manner. I quickly pushed her hand away from my hair.

"Your hair's just as shaggy and curly as mine is!!" I screamed at her. Now her expression was full of rage and disgust.

"Agh! How dare you compare my beautiful self to a filthy and disgusting cockroach like you!?" The shaggy-haired girl screamed as she tried to charge at me, but all of a sudden, the long-haired girl held her back.

"Calm youself, Haruka. We need not be violent" The long-haired girl told her quietly as she tried to hold her sister, apparently named Haruka, back.

"B-But Chizuru! She-She...!!" Haruka tried to screech, but she couldn't.

"It's not ladylike to attack others" The long-haired girl, now apparently named Chizuru, told her in a calm, quiet tone. Haruka finally stopped struggling and calmed herself. Chizuru let her go while Haruka cleared her throat a little.

"That's true. I do want to become a noble lady like my mother" Haruka proclaimed with a touch of pride. But then her maroon eyes caught sight of myself again. She pointed her outstretched finger at me with the same arrogant expression she had earlier.

"You! You may live in this house, but my mother is the head of this house now and you have to do everything she commands! If I had the authority over this house, I would make you my servant! But for now, you are to be at the mercy of our mother! Do you understand me, you wicked thing!?" Haruka explained, with her usual arrogant tone. I didn't say a word. Yuuka and I simply decided to walk away. I certainly wasn't afraid of her at all. I had gotten used to being insulted by now. Haruka got mad as Yuuka and I left, but I didn't want to be in a place where there is strife. Yuuka and I walked into the living room, but we saw my father Yoshiyuki, the volatile woman from before, Junko, Fuyuki, and Shigeru all gathered together. Soon, Haruka and Chizuru came into the room. Haruka glanced at me with a smarmy look in her eyes. Soon, the volatile woman spotted me and grabbed Yuuka. She forced her away from me. Yuuka was forced to stand next to her volatile mother as Haruka and Chizuru stood next to her willingly.

"Now that everyone is here, I shall introduce myself. I am known as Nakamado Masami. As of today, I am the Touya family's new mistress and new mother. You are advised to refer to me as mother or madam. Now that I am associated with his household, I expect all of you to do as I command. I am setting up a new set of rules since I am now the headmistress of this house. I expect all of you children to act proper, civilized, disciplined, and sophisticated in the way I see fit. If any of you are to disobey or defy my orders in any way, you will be disciplined and suffer at my hand. Secondly, you are not to invite anyone outside of this home into this home, nor will you all go to other people's houses. Thirdly, if you are confronted with a decision or an offer, you absolutely MUST come to me and ask for my permission first. If it is not of what I see fit, then I will not allow you to do it or go. I shall decide what you will do, where you will go, what I expect you to do, who to associate with, and what I shall provide you. I will not condone any complaining or importuning of unneccessary things that you want. That's spoiling, and I cannot see a spoiled household. Now, my daughters will introduce themselves"

I simply could not believe what I was hearing from this volatile woman! She deciding literally everything we do in this house? Who to see, what to do, who to talk to, what to eat, what to drink, what to wear, what to buy, what she provides us with!? I can't live with that! I don't think this woman would allow me to read all the books I like or even keep Anne! I'm especially worried about Anne because this volatile woman might throw Anne out or even send her to a slaughter house! Does woman even like cats for that matter!? I looked around frantically and I could clearly see the blatant looks on Junko, Fuyuki, and Shigeru's faces showing confusion, disgust, and overall anger. And it's already bad enough I get abused by them on a regular basis! How the heck am I going to leave the house and spend time under the peach blossom tree or make phone calls to grandmother or go to the library or work at the daycare center every Sunday or work on the decorations for the Winter Masquerade Ball or even spend time with all my friends!? Is this woman even going to transfer me to another school too!?

I could blatantly feel a voluminous amount of pressure mounting up on me, like three cinder blocks are being thrown onto my body and disabling me from doing anything that I love and cherish with a passion. I was too frightened to pay attention to Chizuru and Haruka's cheesy introductions as I was too trapped in my own fear and thoughts. But then I remembered I still have the key to my bedroom in my book bag. That's one thing I'll have to keep hidden with me every day. I want to protect my books and Anne and everything in my room. I decided that I would not abdicate to this volatile woman's controlling and dictator-like ways. Unfortunately, I heard something even more disturbing come out of the volatile woman's mouth, ridden with bloody red lipstick.

"It seems I forgot to mention, there will be servants in this house starting now. I brought them with me"

WHAT!? Servants!? Is she serious!? As in butlers and maids who are forced to do what this volatile woman commands them!? Are they from overseas from poor countries!? I read that people who are sold and trafficked are often sold to wealthy families and are forced to work for them on a regular basis and that they get abused and beaten if they don't do if they're told. I would never be able to live for myself if I had to stay with someone that made people work from dawn to dusk on a regular basis! I simply would not be able to tolerate it no matter what! But then I saw the servants come in.

There were four. Two women and two men. The women were wearing long, black dresses that go below their knees along with long-sleeves with white cuff links and white pinafores over them. They were also wearing brown boots. One woman looked like she was in her early 20's and has very short but slightly curly, black hair along with very dark blue eyes. The other woman looked to be in her 30's and has long dark brown hair that's put up in a ponytail and has hazel eyes that almost looked green. The men were wearing what appear to be long-sleeved white shirts under black vests along with black bow ties and black pants and black shoes. Both men looked to be in their early to mid-40's. One man had thinning brown hair, brown eyes, wrinkles and all. The other man was a bit younger and has a full head of brown hair along with hazel eyes. But then came a fifth! Another man who seemed older than them both. He looked to be in his early 50's and is wearing a full-blown black tuxedo. Black shirt, black pants, black tie and all, with the exception being his maroon shoes, white shirt and white cuff-links.

"Everyone, these are our servants. Oki Wakako, Takagaki Tetsuya, Gouda Munenori, Noto Yoshiro, and Kashiwaba Seiko" The volatile woman introduced them to us.

At least some of my fears didn't come true. The parts about them being trafficked children or teenagers from overseas. I exhaled a sigh of relief. They certainly seem calm and sophisticated, but I still had some doubt inside of me.

"Noto-san! Please prepare dinner, if you please" The volatile woman commanded. The guy in his 50's appears to be Noto Yoshiro.

"I shall have it ready, madam" Noto Yoshiro said and walked into the kitchen. Part of my fears were realized, about them only obeying the volatile woman's orders.

"Wakako! Please dust the living room!" The volatile woman commanded loudly.

"As you wish, madam" Oki Wakako whispered as she got out a fluffy duster and began dusting the TV. I was disgusted when she snapped at Wakako-san telling her to dust the living room like that. But then I remembered Anne. I was reluctant to leave Wakako and the other servants by themselves, but I had to feed Anne and make sure she's alright, so I went up to my room and saw her lying on my bed. I saw that her small glass bowl was out of food, so I sneaked some out from my closet and poured some in. I checked the plastic box containing her water and it was still full of water. I checked her litter box and yes, she did poo in it, so I decided to clean it up myself. I got a face mask, gloves, a plastic spoon, a small bag, and some scented spray. I remembered that there's a big trash can next to my window, so I put Anne's "artwork" into the bag, tied it up REAL tight, and threw it into the big trash can. It went in there without a hitch. Then, I took the spray and I sprayed the litter box so it won't smell bad anymore. Then I got on my bed and I decided to talk to Anne.

"Hey. Sorry that you have to be stuck in my room all day. This new woman living in our house is terrible and mean! I don't want her to hurt you. Hopefully I'll be able to let you run around the house freely, when everyone's gone for the day. I don't want anyone else to notice you or hurt you in any way. Is that okay?" I explained. I was very concerned for Anne's safety now that this volatile woman is in the house. But Anne stretched her body out, looked at me with her vivid greyish green eyes, and rubbed her head against my cheek.

"You're such a patient sweetheart, Anne" I told her. I decided to scoop her in my arms and cuddle her for about a few minutes. Then came a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"It's Wakako" Wakako said. Then I wondered: 'Why would the volatile woman send one of her servants up to my room?' But nevertheless, I unlocked the door and let her in.

"I apologize for interrupting. Madam told me to dust your room" Wakako told me in a soothing, womanly voice.

"Ummm...Wakako-san, do you like cleaning people's houses and serving tea and being told what to do on a regular basis?" I asked. Wakako paused for a second, then spoke again.

"She took me in when I was unwanted, so I have to repay her" Wakako told me. But that wasn't good enough.

"Does she ever hurt you or criticize you for anything?" I asked again.

"Only when I don't do what she says or mess up" She replied.

"But...wouldn't you want to be your own person? Wouldn't you want to not be a maid, do whatever you want, find a nice guy, get married and have kids? Does Nakamado-san even give you or the other servants anything to eat or give you a break?" I asked. Wakako blushed a little bit, but decided to speak.

"Oh...I don't think anyone would want to marry a lowly servant like myself..." Wakako murmured shyly. I was surprised! She thinks she's worthless and is lowly!

"I-I don't think you're lowly at all! To me, there's no such thing as social classes or differences! You should be free to do whatever you please and not be told what to do by big-shots who think they're perfect!" I exclaimed. Wakako seemed rather startled, but I couldn't help it. I would never want to see anyone be thought of as lowly and worthless. Then, Wakako sighed and smiled.

"You certainly are a sunny little thing. Do you mind if I...become friends with you? I've barely had any friends when I was your age, and I want to experience that feeling again. I fear madam might be angry with me, but...there are times when I disagree with her and think she goes too overboard. Do...you agree?" Wakako explained innocently. Aside from Yuuka and Anne, I finally found someone in this household who I can freely talk to, even though I fear that the volatile woman will be real choleric if she found out. But I didn't care.

"Sure! I'd love to be friends with you!" I exclaimed with a touch of pride.

Wakako and I sat on my bed and talked. I showed her Anne and she apparently liked her. Soon, Yuuka came into my room (but she knocked first and I unlocked the door) and we all had a very pleasant and endearing discussion between all of us. Soon, dinner was ready and we all had to go to the dining room. I was forced to keep Anne locked in my room again, but I promised that I would let her roam freely one day if everyone was away from the house, even for just a little bit.

Noto-san prepared a really big feast for all of us. It wasn't even Thanksgiving or even November for that matter, but he prepared a full blown turkey along with corn, lettuce, onions, carrots, cranberry sauce, crescent rolls (which I love with a passion), string beans, and a bowl of gravy to put on our slices of turkey. Yuuka sat next to me along with Fuyuki, who didn't say a word. I sat in between the two. The volatile woman sat next to my father Yoshiyuki and Shigeru. We were on different sides of the table. But then I noticed that Wakako and the other servants were still running around. Noto-san and Wakako are still in the kitchen doing some things. I felt bad. I knew that the volatile woman was keeping them from having dinner with us. I finally mustered up the mettle to invite them over.

"Noto-san! Oki-san! Wanna sit here and eat dinner with us?" I exclaimed as I waved to them a little. Wakako smiled a bit while Noto-san was a bit confused. But as I looked, the volatile woman was looking at me with scorn plastered all over her face. I expected as much.

"You wicked girl! You know my servants are not allowed to associate with those of this household. They do as I command, not what you desire! Now proceed and eat your dinner!" The volatile woman declared angrily. My father turned and looked at her.

"Masami. Akiko has a big heart and cares about everyone. Why don't you let them eat with us for a while? They do not seem rather robust" My father told her calmly and sternly, with his usual stoic expression. The volatile woman hmphed in his face.

"They are my servants and I decide whether they deserve food and time to rest or not!" The volatile woman snapped in his face. I certainly was mad, mostly at this terrible woman not just for calling me wicked (which I'm clearly not) but for not even letting the servants sit with us and eat together with us! Then I saw Noto-san rubbing his wrist with his hand with a slightly pained look on his face. Does he possibly have tendinitis? If I could, I would cook a little something up for the servants when everyone's gone to sleep. Father's right, they don't look robust. They must probably be famished. But I tried to hold it back and proceeded to eat my dinner. But then Yuuka began talking to me.

"Akiko-Neechan. Where do you go to school?" Yuuka asked innocently.

"I go to Umesato Middle School" I replied.

"Mommy's sending me to Nojiri Elementary School tomorrow" Yuuka told me.

"Oh! I used to go there! It's very good! The teachers I had there are very nice. You'll like them!" I exclaimed. Yeah, when I was young, I went to Nojiri Elementary School along with Kouta, Yumi, Nico, and even Sanae.

"Hey Yuuka-chan. Before you came here, where did you go to school?" I asked.

"Ummm...I went to Amano Academy for a while" Yuuka replied innocently.

"I've heard of that. That's a private school, right?" I asked.

"Yeppers! And I was friends with this one girl. Her name was--" Yuuka tried to explain, then suddenly...

SLAM!

The volatile woman slammed her hands onto the table. Some of the dishes shook and rattled around for a little bit.

"Do I have to say this again!? No one under this roof will use such ribald slang such as 'yeppers' under my watch! If you ever use that vulgar language again, Yuuka, you'll face dire consequences! Now act like a proper lady for Pete's sake!" The volatile woman screamed loudly, full of rancor. Yuuka wad clearly intimidated. I was shocked. This volatile woman keeps criticizing Yuuka over the smallest things! What's wrong with saying 'yeppers' and using childish language? Her language isn't vulgar or crude! That's how all young children talk! But then I saw Junko standing up and attempting to walk away. She only ate half of her dinner I saw.

"I just remembered I have homework to do" Junko murmured scornfully and tried to leave. But right as she was about to pass by Nakamado-san, she grabbed Junko by the arm.

"You are not to leave this table until you are finished all of your dinner. Do you understand me? Noto-san prepared his finest feast, and I expect you to eat it all" Nakamado-san told her.

"Let go of me! I don't like string beans!" Junko yelled as she tried to struggle away from Nakamado-san's grasp, but she was getting really mad as I saw a choleric expression on her face, the same one she had as she was hitting Yuuka before.

"You WILL finish Noto-san's masterpiece, you wicked thing!!" The volatile woman screeched in a loud, witch-like voice.

"Dad!! Say something!!" Junko yelled as she tried to get father's attention, but he was still eating a piece of turkey. Then he finally spoke, but in a barely audible voice.

"...Finish your string beans, Junko. They're good for you. Do what Masami says" Father murmured. Junko was shocked.

"DAD!! What the (Censored H word) is wrong with you!?" Junko screamed when the volatile woman raised her hand up and...

SLAP!

Just like she did to Yuuka, she struck Junko square on the face. The force was so powerful it made Junko fall to the ground. The volatile woman's face was full of rancor and hostility, she certainly wasn't going to show any mercy.

"Stay here and finish your dinner, or I will have you sweep the porch and sleep outside!! Now get moving you naughty brat!!" The volatile woman screeched angrily. Junko finally gave up and decided to finish the string beans, which only took about 5 minutes for her. But this woman was already finished her dinner.

"Wakako! Please prepare some tea for me, if you will" Nakamado-san commanded. Wakako was slightly startled by the volatile woman's sudden command.

"Y-Yes, madam" Wakako stammered as she tried to prepare the tea. Then I heard Chizuru and Haruka gossiping between each other. They were far away from Nakamado-san.

"That pitiful servant is so incompetent. She can't even make a simple cup of tea without being a nervous wreck" Haruka whispered in a quiet voice that was overcome with malice.

"Yeah, she is incompetent. If I had her as my own servant, I'd make her work from dawn to dusk" Chizuru whispered.

"She's not fit to be a part of this household. She's so clumsy she breaks so many things at once. I wouldn't want to live with a stupid servant like Oki Wakako" Haruka whispered. I heard it quite well. I became mad when she kept calling Wakako names like clumsy and stupid and incompetent. I simply wanted to criticize her for it. But then Haruka stood up with her empty plate.

"I am finished. I shall put it away myself, mother" Haruka told her mother, then left the table. I was almost finished my dinner and as I watched her, she was walking right toward Wakako. She stood right next to her as she put the plate into the sink, but I saw that there was a glass cup full of tea next to Haruka and Wakako's elbow. Haruka slowly moved the cup next to Wakako's elbow, then Wakako's elbow hit the cup! Then...

"Eeeeek!!"

The cup spilled onto Haruka's blue dress and she screamed as a result.

"Nooo! That lowly servant spilled tea onto my new dress!!" Wakako complained incessantly. It was like tea being spilled onto her was the most repulsive thing ever. Soon, Nakamado-san suddenly walked up to Wakako, who was quite nervous and scared.

"I-I'm so sorry! I-I'll clean--" Wakako almost said when the volatile woman slapped her and cornered her.

"You spilled tea on my daughter's perfectly new dress! You're so clumsy and incompetent you can't even hold a cup of tea without spilling it or breaking it! It's about time you learned your lesson!!" The volatile woman screeched as she proceeded to try and hit her again. Wakako's dark blue eyes were full of fear and she importuned the volatile woman not to hurt her.

"P-Please! Forgive me--!!" Wakako screamed, pleading for the volatile woman's mercy. I didn't want to see Wakako get hit. Especially since I heard a soft snicker come from Chizuru's mouth and a smarmy smile plastered all over Haruka's face. I finally leaped out of my seat and as the woman was about to hit her, I quickly pushed her arm back.

"You sure do have a lot of money! I could use it to afford some manners!" I retaliated as I pushed the woman's hand away from Wakako. Wakako was trembling behind me with fear and the woman was staring at me with her usual choleric face.

"Why you wicked little...!! How dare you defend this incompetent piece of useless furniture!!" The volatile woman screamed in my face, but I surely wasn't intimidated at all.

"First of all, she's NOT furniture! She's a human being, like you and me and all of us! Second of all, she's NOT incompetent or useless! And thirdly, it was Haruka who made her spill the tea on her own dress, not Wakako-san! She's trying to frame Wakako!" I exclaimed loudly.

"You dare accuse my lovely Haruka!? I shall not stand for this!! You will go to your room and stay there for the rest of the night! As for you, you incompetent thing, you are to clean all the rooms of the children for the entire night! And furthermore, you shall absolutely NOT associate with the attendants! Do you hear me!?" The volatile woman screamed at not just me, but Wakako as well. My Bengal orange eyes teared up a bit as this terrible woman standing before me reinforced her punishment onto Wakako. But I don't mind retreating to my room. My room is the best place I could ever have. It's one of the few places of solace that I have.

I finally abdicated and retreated to my room. I already finished my dinner so I was perfectly full. But what that woman didn't know was that Yuuka snuck out from the table as she was yelling at me and ran into the hallway without anyone noticing. Normally people would notice that, but everyone was too busy watching the show me and this violent woman were doing, even though it wasn't pretend. As Yuuka (discreetly) and I were leaving, I saw Haruka snicker with malice as she stood up from the kitchen floor and be tended to by her mother.

I was happy that that woman ordered me to go to my room. I don't like to be in areas where there is strife anyway. The sight of that volatile woman and her haughty daughter Haruka was too repulsive even for me. So, I retreated to my room and locked the door behind me. Yuuka and Anne toddled to my bed and we decided to read some books together, namely the first book of A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, Bambi: A Life In the Woods by Felix Salten, and The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen. We enjoyed our fictional adventures into the pieces of literature that I possess, and the bliss it has given us. And what bliss it is! To be embraced by phenomenal legendary people like Lucy Maud Montgomery, Shakespeare, Adeline Yen Mah, Mark Twain, The Grimm Brothers, the Bronte Sisters, Lewis Carroll, Antoine de Saint-Exupery, and even Rowling of Harry Potter fame! What bliss! This is the bliss I prefer the most, the world of literature can be a very amazing and phenomenal adventure. Someday, I hope to achieve that dream and go on a journey where imagination becomes real and the chronicles of my mind and life can be expressed in their purest, most lucid, and most pristine form that's beyond everyone's expectations. Hey, Emily Bronte achieved it with the only novel she ever wrote, Wuthering Heights, a year before her dark, tragic fate under the pristine white snow of December!

Then night fell, the myriad of stars appeared again in the blackened night sky. The moon was bright and white and perfectly cut in half. It was a half moon tonight. I dressed myself in my autumn-themed pajamas again while Yuuka is wearing lilac satin pajamas with buttons on the chest part. The white satin is binding with flower embroidery accente on the top, long sleeves and the hems of her pajama pants. Yuuka did not want to go outside my room because she fears her mother and her sisters might be angry at her for simply being in their presence, so she decided to stay with me, which I liked. I decided to allow her to sleep with me and Anne in my bed. After all, I'd like some company in the night anyway. Then, the phone on my stand rang.

riiiiing

I quickly leaped off of my bed and I picked up the phone.

"Hello?" I asked. Then, a familiar, coveted voice I liked so much, came onto the line.

"Akiko? Is that you?" The voice asked. I immediately recognized it right off the bat.

"Nico! What are you doing here?" I yelped, but I had to be quiet because I don't want my siblings, and my new quarrelsome and haughty step-siblings, thinking I'm trying to cause a racket. But as I heard his voice, he was sniveling a little. Is he crying?

"I...I'm sorry for calling you so late. I got lonely. I...need someone to talk to" Nico whispered softly. I could tell his voice was very tenuous.

"What's wrong, Nico?" I asked, becoming very worried.

"My...my parents" He croaked.

"What's wrong with your parents?" I asked again.

"They...they got something in the mail and...I don't know why, but they started screaming at each other and they got angry. They said my name a few times, but I didn't understand what was going on. Th...they scared me" Nico explained. I was surprised. I met his parents today and they were the nicest people I ever met. I couldn't see a reason why they would be caught in strife with each other.

"Do you remember what they were saying?" I asked.

"Uhhh...I...I only remember them saying something about...my grandmother on my dad's side...something about getting custody of someone. I didn't know what they were talking about. They said something about my grandmother taking someone away, but I don't know who they're talking about" Nico explained.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" I asked.

"Ummm...I have an older sister, but she's been having a lot of problems, so she's living with my uncle Iginio in Sicily" Nico explained.

"Do you think it's something about her?" I asked.

"No, it can't be. They were talking about a male person, but I don't remember what they were saying" Nico said. I paused for a little bit, then I decided to talk.

"Well...whatever's going on, I hope it gets better soon. Besides, you're too nice to be caught in a sudden brouhaha" I told him jokingly. I was also at the same time trying to reassure him that everything's going to be okay. Right then, I could swear I heard a slight chuckle come out of his mouth.

"Speaking of brouhahas, remember that time Senko saved me from Hirai-san and she got that ugly scar on her arm?"

"I remember that as clear as day!" I exclaimed. Our conversation on the phone went on and on.

"Haruno-sensei really handled it well, didn't she?"

"She sure did! It's fun to see her lecture people for a really long time"

"Oh! By the way, are you still on the committee for the Winter Masquerade Ball?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"I was just curious. I overheard Kusanagi-sensei saying that the Winter Masquerade Ball is also going to hold a variety of contests such as cooking and writing short stories. I was wondering if you'd like to do something like that with me later on"

"Do you know the deadline for the entry?"

"She said you can enter for a contest before September 27"

"Alright! We have plenty of time!"

"By the way, how's Anne Shirley the cat doing?"

"She's great, though I feel bad about confining her to my room all day in fear of my sister hurting her"

"Well, maybe when you're alone in the house, you can let her run around"

"I'll do that. Speaking of cats, how's Snow White?"

"My parents love her a lot. She's a sweet little thing and she comes to sit with me when I'm sad or lonely. In fact, she's with me right now"

"Just like Anne here!"

"I guess cat siblings are alike in terms of personality"

"That might be true!"

Nico and I were talking on the phone like crazy. Wakako, Yuuka, and Anne were listening in a little, but I didn't mind. Our conversation over the phone was quite long, but we enjoyed hearing each other's voices echoing through a piece of metal with tiny holes on the bottom and numbers on it. But our conversation was not to last.

"Akiko?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks...for cheering me up"

"No problem"

"You're so good to me, yet I barely pay you back for it all"

"I-It's alright! Besides, you've helped me out a few times before too!"

"Yeah...Ummm...I wonder if maybe we should go out some time?"

"Like on a date?"

"I dunno. Maybe we can go to the crepe shop and get some treats or go to the park or play under your favorite tree or go to the library or the beach, or anything"

"Sure! I'd like that"

"I hear the trees are pretty here in Fujiminoru when snow falls"

"I know! I'd love to see those again"

"Alright then, I guess I should go. I don't want to raise our phone bills. Plus I go to bed at this time"

"Me too. Alright! I'll see you at school tomorrow, Niccolo!"

"Bye-bye, Akiko"

beep

I turned the phone off and I decided to hang it up. I finally decided I was tired and felt like going to sleep. Yuuka and Anne stayed with me while Wakako had to leave and sleep in the basement. I felt bad for her because of what that evil woman assigned her to do. I don't want to see any of the servants work paylessly and thanklessly for that woman at all. They look like they would subsist through it. But I had to worry about that tomorrow. Anne rubbed her face against mine and Yuuka's as she sat between us. We finally closed our eyes and fell into a dormant state of sleep.

But what I didn't know was that this was...only the beginning of many tragedies to follow. And it would all start...tomorrow morning at New York.

Nico's POV

I hung up the phone as we decided to bid our farewells. Here I am, in my darkened room wearing my long-sleeved, aqua green pajamas staring out the window with my raven black hair being gently blown by the soft night breeze. My sapphire blue eyes stared at the blue night sky containing the myriad of stars. I looked at the clock and it read 9:03 PM. With Snow White in my hands, I decided to leave my room and go check on my parents and see if they aren't yelling at each other.

There were Giuseppe and Luana Altamura, my parents, sitting at the dining room table with rueful looks on their faces. My dad has his hand on his face. I looked out my bedroom door and watched them from there. The dining room and the living room are on both sides of the hallway and have entrances in front of each other, so I was able to see them. My dad started talking first.

"I'm sorry honey, for going on a tirade like that" My dad said ruefully.

"I know why you did. I didn't mean what I said like that" My mother told him calmly.

"I wish I wasn't such a sour-puss when it comes to this" My dad complained.

"Anyway...what are we going to do about your mother? She said she wants custody of Nico so she can "discipline" him! But you remember what happened then, right?" My mother said.

Right when she said my name, I fell into a state of shock. My whole body and heart, shaken and frozen. My grandmother wants to take ME away? She wants to "discipline" me? What do they mean what happened "back then"??? They continued to talk.

"Why can't my mother understand that Nico's not like everyone else? She needs to understand that nobody in the world is perfect" My father exclaimed.

"I know. It's bad enough she thinks we're raising him wrong! She thinks we don't discipline him correctly and that we spoil him! She refuses to understand that Nico's autistic and that he won't be able to fulfill her expectations! He's not a bad boy, but she thinks he is! How would she know!? How could she think our sweet and gentle son is a naughty and spoiled brat? Sure, he threw a tantrum that day years ago because he didn't like the noise, but she didn't have to slap him in the face! Plus she blamed me for his behavior!" My mother exclaimed. I was in even more shock when she mentioned all of those things.

"You're right. I'm not going to let my mother do what she did back then. I'll make sure she doesn't obtain custody of Nico. He's our child, not hers. And he's our kind, smart, and sweet little son, not the undisciplined brat she thinks he is. She hasn't seen how good he is. It's already bad enough Rosa's been through that terrible experience. Of course, my mother prefers Rosa over Nico anyway" My father explained.

"Oh! Speaking of Rosa, have you talked to your brother in Sicily yet?" My mother asked.

"Iginio? No, but I'm expecting a call from him soon. Last week he said he had something to tell me but postponed it because he was busy with something else" My father said. My mother sighed.

"I miss our little Rosalia...such a kind young girl to be hurt and damaged like that by a bunch of idiots...I can't forgive them at all for what they did" My mother murmured as she felt crestfallen.

"Likewise, those men were atrocious. It's a good thing the police gave them the solitary confinement sentence. I don't want them doing any more damage to our family. Especially Rosa" My father said.

I finally gave up and decided to go back to my room. Rosa is my sister. Rosalia Celia Altamura is her full name. Rosa is a nickname she got from everyone, and it stuck around. Rosa is the kindest and sweetest older sister I've ever had. Due to a kidnapping and other psychological problems, she was sent back to my home country to live with my Uncle Iginio to get better. I miss her dearly. She was always kind and gentle toward me no matter what. She always helped me, like Akiko has, and she was always there for me whenever I was sad or when I needed her. Akiko has kind of taken her place for about a few months since Rosa was sent to Sicily.

I always remember her dark brown eyes, which she inherited from dad, and her long raven black hair flowing in the summer wind when she and I went to the beach for a walk. It was a very happy time.

(flashback)

About 1 year ago, before Rosa was kidnapped by those evil men, I remember one day when she cheered me up a lot. I was sitting on the bench in the park crying my eyes out because some mean kids were calling me names like homo and maggot (the actual word starts with an F, but I replace it with an M so it doesn't sound profane) and many other terrible names. They made up false rumors that I was gay and liked to kiss and get sexually intimate with other men, which isn't true. I was sitting near the sidewalk crying my eyes out when...Rosa came and found me in the black pit of despair.

"Are you okay, Nico?"

My sister was 12 back then. Her long raven black hair stretched down to her lower back, even though she had in her hair a light purple ribbon in the back of her head. Her hazel eyes were lighter than my dad's brown eyes. I remember she was wearing her favorite outfit: her signature pale green satin dress with a floral pattern with dark green piping and a lace trim, along with a gold petticoat underneath with a trim. She also wore brown shoes and a small yellow hat with a green ribbon tied around it. Her favorite colors are light green, purple, and gold. She looked at me with her endearing and kindly expression.

"Have those kids bullied you again?" She asked. I couldn't help but nod.

"Those brats really make me sick! Calling you names and making up rumors that aren't true! I know! I have just the thing! Come with me!" She said to me as she took me from the park. We had to walk a long way, and my legs hurt a bit as we were walking, but I didn't want to say anything. She was so kind to me, I felt I had no right to tell her my legs were hurting from the walking. I decided to endure it because I needed some exercise at the time anyway.

We finally arrived at the boardwalk, which was near the beach. We were standing in front of some stores as we were looking at the vast blue ocean, basked by the sunlight. The ocean sparkled and glittered as the sun shone upon it. The wind was blowing, but Rosa put her hand on her hat to keep it in place. I looked at her and she was so pretty when the breeze blew into her hair, carrying it into the air.

"Nico, look! At the ocean! Do you see them?" Rosa asked.

"See what?" I asked.

"Look real close. You can see black fins and lumps appear" Rosa told me. I squinted and tried to look at the far parts of the ocean, but I didn't see anything...but I did see a small black triangle come out of the water.

"I see a black triangle" I said.

"Dolphins"

"Huh?"

"Dolphins appear this time of year. Look! I see them jumping!" Rosa exclaimed. I looked with all my might and I finally saw the school of real life dolphins she was talking about! I saw three of them, with their full grey bodies and noses and all. Bottlenose dolphins they were. I saw three of them jump across the water with their fins and noses in the air. I became too excited for my own good and started jumping around in a frenzy. Rosa laughed at me, but I didn't notice. She was probably laughing out of joy.

"You love dolphins, do you?" I asked.

"Yeth! I luff dolfins!" I exclaimed. When I was young, whenever I would get excited I would talk in a lisp. This was because of my speech problems due to my autism. I don't do it anymore though.

"Maybe we can go to a dolphin show together some day" Rosa said.

"Yeth! I wanna see dolfins and play wit' dem (them) with you, Rosa!" I exclaimed. Rosa giggled joyously.

"It's a promise! One day, you and I will go to a dolphin show somewhere and play with a dolphin. How's that?" Rosa made her edict. I was real happy.

"Yeah!" I exclaimed, but then I heard my stomach growl.

"You're hungry. There's a nice little restaurant around here. I have money on me, so let's go eat!" Rosa said. I decided to go with her to the restaurant. I was hungy.

The little restaurant, called Mary's Sweets Kingdom, or "Le royaume doux de Marie" in it's official French, is Rosa's absolute favorite food place in the whole world. Don't let the title fool you, the place also serves vegetables, seafood, meat and healthy foods other than crepes and delicious sweets. We especially liked the head patissiere (pastry chef) Arikawa Natsuko, who is currently 28 years old. She's a nice lady and Rosa and I like her a lot. There, we had our dinner consisting of spagetti and meatballs (only for me), chicken with pepper and broccoli and gravy (for Rosa) and salad and corn (for both of us). Dessert was always a favorite here for Rosa and me. We especially liked the little cake that they made, which is really an egg-shaped thing covered in pink frosting with a red berry on top along with little gold angel wings that were actually candy. The restaurant called it The Angel's Egg of Love. Rosa and I loved it a lot. It's our favorite dessert and we always love how Natsuko makes it.

We were regular customers at the restaurant and all the chefs, waiters, and waitresses know us. We would always come here if we ever had a bad day or wanted to get away from stress or wanted to avoid strife. Rosa was always a kindred spirit of mine and...I thought it would stay that way. Unfortunately, she was never able to fulfil the promise of taking me to a dolphin exhibition and play with the dolphins with me. Not since she got kidnapped. She got rescued, but she developed a lot of problems. My parents feared she might hurt herself, so they sent her to live with Uncle Iginio for a while, since he's a psychiatrist. I'm not gonna tell you all what happened just yet. It's too soon.

(end flashback)

I finally felt tired and decided to go to sleep. Snow White nuzzled her head next to my arm. I decided to invite her into bed with me, but I still feel wistful. I wish Rosa would come back. I want to see her bright smile again. Bright as a sunflower, like Akiko's too.

Author's Note: Yay! I finally finished this chapter! It took me a while, but I finished this chapter! There's more to come. I'm working on a super cool TCR Halloween Special!...though I don't think I'll be able to finish it in time for Halloween, but that depends. Unfortunately, I have to cut down on my story writing this week because I have a math test this Friday and I need to bring my geometry grade up. Plus I have a tutor now, so hopefully I'll be able to pass. By the way, I have my autumn anime line-up: Kobato, Jungle Emperor Special, Yumeiro Patissiere, and maybe possibly Letter Bee. I tried to watch the first episode, but I didn't finish it because my internet died before the episode could end, so I had to put it on hold. Plus, I'm getting into 07-Ghost (though I'm VERY late). I'm still trying to finish up some anime, and I decided to try and finish up Koisuru Tenshi Angelique the first season before the year ends!...IF I can get my hands on the episodes! And I actually based the sweets restaurant part of the flashback off of a scene from Yumeiro Patissiere, especially the cake that Nico and Rosa ate. Anyway, I better go. I have to watch my recording of that Pokemon episode. Read and review please! NO FLAMES!!! Bye-bee!