Chapter 1

A small blond boy weaved through the shadowed alleys, his blue eyes scanning his surroundings every few seconds. His tattered green shirt hung awkwardly on his frame, and his shorts were several sizes too big. The villagers took great care to avoid him, though he could still feel their poisonous glares burning into his back. The boy ducked into an alley, making his way across the dark path. He arrived in front of a rundown building. All the residents of a formerly glorious place had abandoned it as soon as he set foot in the building. Without maintenance, the place was falling apart.

Carefully opening the door, as to not to break it, he stepped into his abode. Upon entering, his eye was immediately drawn to the pile of tattered blankets that he had collected to serve as his bed. He brought out a parcel wrapped in cloth from underneath his loose clothing. He slowly unwrapped it, looking at the few chunks of bread and a mixture of various plants that he had gathered that day. Plopping onto the pile of old blankets, he perfunctorily started to consume the food in front of him.

He had just finished eating when he sensed a massive crowd approaching. A wave of danger ran down his spine, urging him to run. He never knew why, but he had always known when someone intended to harm him. He took one glance around the room, finding nothing that he wanted to keep. Prying up a floorboard, he crawled into the tunnel he created for just that purpose. No sooner than he had replaced the floorboard, the door to the building was kicked down. He didn't stick around to see what happened. He fled.

Emerging from the ground, he shook the dirt out of his clothes and hair as he observed his surroundings. When he had first made his network of tunnels, he had dug a few everywhere he could think of going. It took a lot of time and effort, but he prevailed. The crisp, cold air stung his nostrils as he breathed heavily. He had somehow ended up at the Academy. After brushing his hair with his fingers to get any excess dirt out of it, he headed over to the swing he usually occupied whenever he was at the Academy. The other children avoided the swing as if it was the plague.

Immediately, he noticed something off. Instead of the frequently desolate swing, a little brown haired girl was sitting on it. The boy longed for the soothing sensation of rocking back and forth; the pleasure of weightlessly flying through the air and forgetting the world around him. He knew better than to try and take the swing by force though. Staying behind the tree that was at the edge of the clearing, he leaned against the tree as he waited for the girl to leave.
at the skies, he noticed that the stars were out. Surely, the girl's parents would be worried. His blue eyes narrowed as he pondered whether or not to reveal himself and remind the girl of the time. Fear of being ostracized won out, and he stayed behind the tree, completely silent. He observed the brown-haired girl. Her glittering green eyes sparkled with something that resembled tears. He didn't know what to do. His upbringing had taught him nothing except to ignore others and how to survive. Being faced with a crying girl was something he had never experienced before.

He hesitantly approached the girl. His face was a perfect mask of pleasantry and concern, though if one looked closely, they would see the worry and fear of getting rejected hidden deep within his blue eyes. As he drew closer to the girl, he noticed the shadows under her eyes and the bruises on her cheek. "Hello," he squeaked, his voice hoarse from disuse. The girl's head snapped up, her piercing green eyes meeting his shielded blue ones.

"Hello," she sniffled, tears still running down her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Direct and to the point; he had never like wasting words. The girl- the child-he reminded himself, did not answer. Sobs racked her body as she hid her face in her hands.

"My parents," she replied with the innocence and trust that only a child could have. "I just dropped a plate, the first plate I had ever dropped, because my f-f-father," she stuttered over the word, afraid. "Because my father tripped me. T-t-then he hit me for breaking it!" Blue eyes flashed with thinly veiled anger. Once it became clear the girl wasn't going to continue speaking, he walked closer to her.

"Come," he said succinctly. The girl looked confused.

"W-w-what?"

"Come. With me." The boy offered a hand to her. The girl hesitantly took it. Her hand moved on its own, almost as if it was possessed. The boy offered her a small smile as he led her away from the Academy. The girl trailed behind him, trusting him the way only a child could.

"The boy led her through the dark alleyways, bobbing through the nooks and crannies of the narrow corridors. The girl followed him the best she could, but she was unused to such physical work and soon fell behind. Green eyes darkened with despair as she realized that she was being left behind. She cried out in shock as she tripped over a trash bag lying in the middle of the alley. The boy was beside her in a millisecond, roughly grasping her arm to prevent her from face planting.

"T-t-thank you," the girl muttered, pulling herself together.

"We're almost there," he replied, brushing off the gratitude. The girl looked around, her brown hair flying around as she turned her head from side to side. She didn't recognize the place that she was in. It was further than she had ever been allowed to go.

They were now on the outskirts of the residential places. Much to the girl's surprise, he walked right past the houses and into the forest. The girl whimpered in fright as she glimpsed the looming branches of the tall trees and the growls of animals that promised death. The boy merely glanced at her before beckoning her over. She reigned in her fear. With all the courage she possessed, she stepped, one foot after another, into the forest.

Not five minutes later, they arrived at a small cave. Her green eyes ran over the cave, observing the small homey atmosphere that seemed to be present in the barren room. In one corner lay a small bed made out of tattered blankets and pine cones. There was a small fire pit set up in the middle of the cave, though it was unlit. Small scraps of paper were littered throughout the room, she recognized one of them as a newspaper from a few weeks ago.
"U-u-um, do you live here?" she asked timidly. Sad blue eyes met her green ones.

"Not exactly. It's a hideout, but I much prefer it to my actual residence." She sat down on the small pile of blankets framed with pinecones. They were surprisingly comfortable, after all, she used to sleep on the cement floor in her basement. Before she knew it, she had curled up on the side of the bed and had fallen asleep. The boy looked over at her, a small smile on his lips. Deftly assembling another small bed of pine cones, he lay down facing the ceiling of the cave. Blue eyes finally dropped the armor protecting them, and the boy fell asleep.

At the stroke of dawn, the cave flooded with a brilliant light. The boy opened his eyes, using a hand to shield them from the sun. He gazed at the magnificent sunrise outside. Glancing at the girl still curled up on his makeshift bed, he debated between staying until she woke up or running a few errands before she woke up. Weighing the pros and cons of each situation, he decided it would be prudent to wait a bit. Busying himself with a couple necessities, he sat and watched the sunrise.

The girl finally awoke when the sun was almost directly overhead. The boy was annoyed. He did not like waiting. He was irked at the fact that he had wasted half a day waiting for the girl to wake up. His face must have said that much because the girl flinched away from him. His eyes softened. "Come," he ordered, standing up and brushing a few stray leaves off his tattered shirt.

"W-w-where are we going?" The girl questioned, even as she obediently got up.

"First to my other residence so you can wash up. Then we are going to change your looks." The girl looked surprised.

"I-i-is there something wrong w-w-with the way I look?" The boy scanned her up and down.

"No. We just can't have you recognized. What would happen if your parents found you again? I assume that you do not want to go back there." The girl shook her head vehemently.

"Never," she stated, not stuttering for the first time. The boy flashed her a brief smile.

"Good. Choose a hair color."

"H-h-hair color?"

"Yes, a hair color. Preferably something out of the ordinary. The more conspicuous the better," he elaborated impatiently.

"C-c-conspicuous?"

"Stands out. It's less likely that your parents would recognize you that way."

"O-o-oh. Pink?" Blue eyes met hers in astonishment.

"Pink?" he questioned.

"I-i-is there something wrong with pink?" she asked defensively.

"No. It was unexpected. Let's go." The boy turned and exited the cave, the girl not far behind him. On their way back to the main part of the village, the girl observed the way the boy moved, as well as the path he took. His movements were fluid as he twisted through alleyways and his steps were completely silent, not even the rustle of the leaves underneath his feet were heard. He moved like a predator closing in on his prey, surprising for a child her age. She tried to copy his movements, but only ended up stumbling and careening into her companion. Just like the other time, he ended up catching her before she fell. She blushed in embarrassment as he set her on her feet and told her to be more careful. She nodded and payed more attention to her surroundings, rather than her observations of the boy.

She was preoccupied with not tripping over her feet that she almost didn't notice the boy slipping in and out of the throng of people. Her green eyes widened as she noticed that the boy was stealthily sneaking little tokens from the people he accidentally bumped into. A wallet here, a small key there, it was almost as if she was watching a lion pounce on a deer. His hands never once paused or hesitated in taking what he wanted, nor did his face ever betray the fact that he was stealing from them. She saw him for who he was, a boy who grew up on the streets and had the skills to prove it. The unsuspecting populace payed little to no attention to the boy that was in their midst, although there were a few groups of people that gave him a wide berth.

"Hurry up," he yelled back at her, snapping the girl out of her trance.

"C-c-coming," she called back, trying to move as efficiently as possible towards him. The boy was already nearly two blocks ahead of her. Now that she was paying attention, she noticed the pockets of his pants were slightly more bulky than they a few minutes ago. Steeling herself, she asked "What are you going to do with everything you stole." The boy didn't look surprised that she had figured out what he was doing, but his eyes widened regardless.

"Use what I need, then give it back."

"How?"

"I remember everyone that I borrow from. Comes with the trade. I'll teach you sometime." He selected a watch from his pocket and held it out for her to see. "This came from the woman who runs the bakery about two blocks down. She always keeps her watch in her pocket due to her hands being covered by flour. This wallet," he continued, pulling out a small black pouch, "came from the man who runs the flower shop nearby. He only carries coins around with him, so it is easy to take a little bit then leave the rest of the pouch in that cafe, where he eats lunch almost every day."

"Y-y-you are very smart," the girl praised freely. "W-w-will you teach me?" The boy glanced at her, and nodded, replacing his findings in his pockets.

"Of course. Now, for hair dye." He pushed her towards the convenience store that they had arrived at when they were talking. "Go in and say it is for your mother." He handed her a small stack of coins and practically shoved her through the door.
The girl visibly cowered as she entered the store. Her brown hair framed her face, covering her from view. She slowly made her way towards the hair dye section and chose one of her favorite shades of pink. Cringing at the sharp look the owner of shop sent her, she managed to mutter: "It's for my mother." Nodding amiably, the store owner gave her change and sent her on her way. The boy was casually leaning against the wall outside of the store. The girl held up the hair dye in success. The boy shot her a thumbs up and they made their way back to the cave.

"Stay here," The taciturn boy said. He didn't wait for the girl to nod before disappearing through the entrance of the cave. He came back with what looked like a hollowed tree trunk that was filled to the brim with crystal clear water. Telling her to place a tattered blanket around her body, he wet her hair and painted the dye over the strands of her brown hair.
Once the dye had set, he meticulously washed her hair out, staining the once clear water pink. He handed the girl a small pocket mirror that he had nicked earlier that day. The girl stared at her reflection in awe. The pink hair made her green eyes stand out, almost as if they were popping out of her head. She ran a small hand through her locks, enjoying the feel of her freshly washed hair. She turned to the boy, who was standing beside her.

"Thank you!" she squealed, jumping up and flinging herself at the boy, knowing that he would catch her. And sure enough, he did, albeit with a little surprise.

"You're welcome?" He replied, setting her down on her feet.

"No one has ever done anything like this for me!" the suddenly garrulous girl exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I've never had a friend before! Can I stay with you? You aren't going to hit me, right? What's your name? " Her torrent of questions stopped as the blond made a placating motion with his arms.

"Yes, you can stay with me. I am not going to hurt you. And as for my name, I don't know it." The girl looked at him, wide eyed.

"Why don't you know your name?" The boy sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I grew up on the streets, no one's ever given me a name. What's your's?"

"I'm Sakura! Hey, can I name you?" The boy thought for a moment, eventually nodding.

"If you would like to, I would be honored." Sakura pondered for a moment.

"What about Haru?" she asked.

"Spring?" he rolled the name around on his tongue. "Sure," he said, liking the feel of it. The girl beamed, her green eyes sparkling.

"Haru it is then! Hello, Haru. It's nice to meet you!" she proclaimed, offering a hand to the boy. The boy took it with a small smile.

"You as well," he grinned.