Prologue

A bright red ball bounced down the semi-empty streets of the town, a small, red-headed girl running after it cheerfully as she approaches her destination. Seizing the ball within her hands, she stopped in front of the welcoming stand of Lady Kana's Dessert Delights with much excitement and hunger in her small stomach.

Many assorted candies and cakes are stocked upon the stands, ranging from delicious dark and white choclates to various flavors of icecreams imaginable. Small yet beautiful vanilla and chocolate cakes stand tall on stands while a variety of colorful candies deocrate the stand. The sight of all these sweets made the girl's arms want to lurch out and gobble it all down in one gulp. Of course she would not think of that because of the various hospitalities the owner has provided her in the past.

As if on cue, a pretty woman with a dark brown ponytail walked out from the back in an elegant manner, donning an orange and yellow kimono with black, stylish bitterflies printed upon the left side. Opening her chocolate brown eyes, she smiled down at the girl who returned it wholeheartedly.

"Welcome back, Carrie. What would you like to buy today?" Lady Kana asked Carrie as sweet as the desserts presented. Carrie scanned over the products, too giddy and indecisive to choose. She put her hand in the pocket of her white dress, taking out her cute, blue flower pocketbook and withdrawing five dollars from it as she held it out for Kana. Before Kana could recieve the money, it was sharply snatched away from Carrie's hand. Carrie's eyes widened before she huffed angrily, turning back.

Two burly looking men, most likely passing by considering their clotthing styles from the West, chuckle to themselves as the one with the blue collared shirt looked back down to Carrie with a smug smirk.

"Well, well Little Miss, thank you for the money we need to put gas in our tanks." The blue-shirt man said stuffing the money in his jean pocket. The other man, sporting a thick beard, reached down and snatched away Carrie's pocketbook, his fingers snaking around at the dollar bills inside.

"Wow, Danny, this kid has a nice set of money in her pockets! This'll keep us on the way until we reach the next town!" he said to Danny.

"Hehehe, then hand it over Charlie. Not like she was going to spend her money's worth." Danny replied as he glanced at Lady Kana.

Lady Kana stared at the men with dark and deadly intent in her eyes, the enmity practically burning at the visages of scum she is glaring at right now. Kana's eyes cut behind her as someone with a ragged and small brown cloak, concealing from his chest to his head, walked out from the back of the house, a somewhat displeased scowl upon his half-shadowed face.

Carrie angrily lunged forward at Charlie, sinking her sharp canines into his arm with an animalistic growl. Charlie screamed out before punching Carrie down into the ground, making her tear the creamy skin off a part of his arm. Carrie spit out blood and the skin on the ground, glaring instensely at Charlie and Danny as they returned looks of horror, disgust and anger.

"Why you little freak!!" Danny yelled as he raised his heavy-booted foot, about to stomp down on Carrie. Carrie's eyes widened as she shielded herslef with her small arms, ready for the imminent impact. Before Danny could stomp down, a swift jab to fast for him to see smashes into his face. His body reeled back from the blow as he hit the ground hard, holding his bleeding face and cursing his muffled pain.

Carrie immediately raised her head to the brown-cloaked male that stood in front of her, withdrawing his blood-stained knuckles. Charlie gritted his teeth before standing up, about to attack. Before he can react in the slightest, a foot crashing into his face. Charlie flied onto the ground as well as he repeated the same action Danny did as well as the two friends groaned in pain.

"What kind of shit is bullying little girls out of their money? You sicken me..." The brown-cloaked boy remarked with distaste as he walked over to Carrie's pocketbook on the ground, picking it up and tossing it back to her.

Carrie beamed with a big smile as she caught the pocketbook, hugging it to her chest as she looked to the brown-cloaked boy tugging some on the cloak. Lady Kana smiled with approval as she states,

"Thank you for helping Carrie from those awfully rude men. I will dispose of them later." she thanked the boy as he turned towards her. "Are you on your way now to find your Catalyst?"

The boy grabbed the corned end of his hood, pulling it down to reveal spiky, yet messy dull white hair that seems to be combed down in the back. Opening his eyes, the brief color prevelant in his eyes disappeared back to dark brown irises bearing fierceness.

"Yeah... Thanks for the stay." he simply replied before turning away and beginning to walk with a slinged bag over his shoulder. Carrie waved with a big smile at the boy who threw his hand back as a goodbye gesture.

"So..." Kana began as a small breeze came by, making her hold her hair down as it danced in thw wind. "It seems another journey is about to take place, no?"