• ~CHAPTER ONE~

    The sands of time are always shifting; they let the morning light break the darkened horizon, and let the pale moon slide meagerly across the shadowed sky. Yet in this endless desert many moments are lost as others take their place, and it’s only the power of memory that keeps the past as real as the present. Many a time has the sun rode the horizon and many a time has the moon peered down upon the world since that fateful day seventeen years ago, and although for the child the moment has long since faded, for her adoptive parents the memory remains vivid- as if the tragedy had happened only moments ago. Yet life goes on, and so as the midday sun levitated above the dojo it was a place alive with the hustle and bustle of routine, and with its intricate design and elaborate layout, it was large enough to lose your eyes before losing your way. Voices echoed from the basement as people enjoyed the delights of the cafeteria or debated leisurely in one of the many conference rooms; cars roared in and out of the parking lot above while people ambled in and out of the gift shop. Whispers resonated from the library on the second floor where an abundance of knowledge was met with an abundance of curiosity, even the living quarters on the third floor for the judoka and others staying at the dojo were as lively as the rest of the house. As people prepared for training or finally got their chance to relax, they flowed in and out of the dressing room on the fourth floor while lively students and patient instructors practiced among the battle cries on the last three levels. It was perhaps the busiest place on the outskirts of Alstroemeria, which was saying something for the small city as it was always a lively place- a hotspot for many weary and exotic travelers who kept the spirits alive with endless surprises. Still, there were many things in the city that never changed. The blazing sun and endless dunes of sand shimmered in the heat while the dry air wound its merciless fingers around throats unaccustomed to it, but neither the heat nor air could affect the lagoon that the city had been built around, for it laughed at the sky like a hyena to its prey. The shimmering body of water was large and plentiful enough to sustain all of Alstroemeria’s people as well as its visitors, and old and young alike told extravagant stories of its grandeur to anyone willing to listen. Children dreamed of adventure in faraway lands, adults dreamed of wealth and peace of mind, and daily life for everyone had a rhythm that every healthy community seemed to have. Even smaller things reoccurred consecutively at the dojo. Sparring matches were usually predictable- so was gossip, and the same conversation between two particular clashing views - better described as an argument- occurred almost every day.
    “I still don’t get it.” a female voice stated bluntly, “that whole banning of modernized weapons thing- it’s so stupid!”, the indignant tone clearly showed annoyance, and the girl’s face showed it more. Her amber eyes flashed golden with a mix of confusion and almost anger while flaring red hair- although pin straight- seemed to roll over her shoulders like flames over an unwary log. The outfit she wore- faded blue jeans with a plain lime green T- shirt, almost seemed too mellow for the choleric aura that now surrounded her. “It didn’t seem so stupid after the great war.” Rose sighed in reply, “so many people were brutally killed for little reason other than the selfish desires of their leaders, and it was so easy for one to kill another back then- the push of a button, the pull of a trigger, and their blood is forever on your hands. Such destructive power doesn’t belong in the hands of people who would use it so, can you deny that?” Of course she could, she always could. “Yeah sure destruction is bad.” She replied, waving her hand absentmindedly in the air, “But there are a ton of other destructive things in the world, and they’re used everyday- Take that knife in your hand for example.” Rose paused over the carrot she had been chopping to glance at the knife she held, as if finally realizing she was holding one. “Maybe” she finally sighed, “But things like cooking knives aren’t commonly used as weapons.”
    “Okay then” Faide quickly retorted, “What about real weapons then? The ones we’re still allowed to use? A sword or lance is still a weapon made to kill- with or without buttons and triggers.” She hopped onto a counter and crossed her arms, waiting for a comeback. Rose watched her with calculating eyes, but her thoughts remained a mystery as she replied, “A man has the right to bear arms- the right to feel secure, and to protect himself as well as his family if need be.” She raised an eyebrow, “And people don’t always use weapons to kill each other- some only use them to hunt game.” Faide heaved an exasperated sigh, seeing Rose’s point but not understanding it in the least. “I’m not saying that people shouldn’t have that right!” she exclaimed- annoyed. “But why is it that- if allowed to bear arms- people aren’t allowed to wield powerful arms under that right?” It was as if she had struck some sort of chord that she shouldn’t have with that question, for quite suddenly the room filled with a strangely sad aura, like Rose was throwing her emotions into the air around her for added effect- a power that Faide sometimes seriously considered her having despite the impossibility of it. “You don’t understand the horror of the war.” She finally said, “People created and suffered through atrocities the world was never meant to see, and the affects such are still visible today.” Faide scoffed, “The only remnants of the war today are stories!” she retorted, “And even those are just children’s tales! I mean, who’d be dumb enough to believe that gods and demons worked together to stop the war unless they were a religious twit?! And how cliché is it that they used the power of love to do it?!” Her voice had risen as she spoke, and the frustration was now clearly visible on her face.
    Yet Rose simply watched her calmly, and after a moment of silence, she finally spoke. “Everyone needs something to believe in” she said in a surprisingly sad tone, “From the bloodthirsty vampire to the twittering fairy- whether or not gods and demons truly exist is a choice to each his own.” Her eyes seemed to be filled with a distant memory as she continued, like she was in another world. “Love is different for each person as well. To some it is the epitome of darkness, while to others it is sacred- thus it could be represented equally by both an angel and a demon.” Her expression cleared as her words faded into silence, and her piercing gaze once again focused on Faide. “So perhaps those children tales are not very far off the mark.” She finished in an emotionless tone. It was odd, but Faide suddenly found herself curious rather than angry, and she tilted her head as she asked, “What d’you believe?”
    Rose smiled, knowing she wasn’t giving the answer her adopted child wanted as she said, “I believe in gods, demons, and everything in between.” She was right, for Faide’s eyes widened as she asked incredulously, “Why?” She considered the question for a moment, as if wondering how to answer. Yet the pause was not abnormally long before she replied, “Because I’ve seen things”
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^.^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~