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Chapter One

Hikari's memories were focused around the ancient sakura tree behind his family's house. For as long as he lived, he would always remember the eternal shower of pink petals filling the air, and the air of peace it always had. The ancient tree, called "The Heart of Life", was already several centuries old when Hikari was born. His father proudly told him that their clan founder had planted that tree as a symbol of the pact between him and the Gods: So long as the clan protect this realm, this tree will forever bloom as a sign of your dedication to your tasks. They apparently held to their word, because the tree always had cherry blossoms on it, even in winter. It was very pretty to see sakura petals cover the snow drifts.

Hikari's clan were good-hearted people that wished for nothing more than peace among their fellow humans. The village was a bit large, but the valley they lived in was still five times as large. Most of the immediately surrounding acres were converted to farming fields, while the rest were made up of fruit-bearing orchards. Most of the remaining land was either woodland or rocky pastures for their goats. Pig pens were all concentrated on the northern edge of town, and the family that owned that area rented out certain pens to the rest of the village.

Everyone seemed to have something to do as part of the village. There was the blacksmith, the baker, the butcher, the weavers, the group of farmers that toiled the soil, the pig herders, the goat keepers, the hunters, the teachers...even Hikari and his fellow children helped run the village as best as they could; after all, each were usually rewarded with delicious tea and/or sweet snacks by whoever sent them on this errand or that task.

Hikari's parents were wonderful people. His mother was a sweet woman with the gift of healing. Whenever anyone got her, she would always make it better. She also helped the big kids--those she called "young adults"--by having private chats about stuff that Hikari didn't know about yet. His father was called "Kaos", and he was the clan leader. It was the task of each "Kaos" to help protect this realm by keeping the wall between realms whole and strong. He was a powerful magic user, but he hardly ever used his magic, since the wall between realms was doing okay. He was wise and kind, and he hardly ever got mad at all. Then again, Hikari would never want to make his father upset at him. He didn't want him to think that he was being bad. Only evil and tricksy beings were bad, and Hikari definitely wasn't like that at all.

Hikari and his fellow children played together, when they weren't busy running errands. They swam in the stream an hour's walk from the village, went exploring through the forest, and more often than not, climbing the ancient sakura tree. Hikari loved climbing the tree the most. Somehow, he just knew that the tree was alive, and that it liked him very much. He also loved the fact that he seemed to be in a perpetual cloud of perfumed pink. No matter where that boy went in life, he always dreamed of sakura whenever he yearned for home.

Hikari had blue eyes, but that wasn't unusual; many people in the village had blue eyes. What was different, though, was his hair: It was white. Only old people had white hair. Some of the kids didn't mind; they think it's no different than everyone having different eye colors. Other kids, though, picked on the poor boy, calling him "Old Tiny".

"Mama, why do they make fun of me?" Hikari sobbed into his mother's arms one evening. "Why am I different from everyone else?"

"Hikari...everyone else is different in their own way. It's called being unique. Those children...just don't understand that being unique makes you special," the kind woman soothingly explained. "That white hair, combined with your blue eyes, is the reason why I named you "Hikari", my son."

"Really?"

She nodded. "Yes. Your father believes that your white hair makes you a blessing from the Gods. He believe that when you become "Kaos", you will be able to do great and wonderful things for the greater good. And...I believe he may be right." She then wiped away her son's tears with her sleeve. "Cry no more, my child, and remember: there will always be those who won't truly know you at first. Give them some time to get to really know you, and everything will turn out fine. Okay?"

Hikari nodded and sniffed. "Okay..."