Her heart pounded frantically as she ran down the alley, the 
beat of pursuing footsteps a breath behind her.  Taking a corner 
as fast as she could she desperately looked for a place to hide 
but lost the opportunity as the men rounded the corner in chase.

     Again she ran, her lungs burning as her body screamed in 
exhaustion and more, trying to loose them.  Taking another corner 
she slipped and found herself crashing headlong into a wall 
before bouncing backward to fall to the ground.  Rolling to her 
hands and knees she tried to stand, fear giving her strength 
where there was none to be found, and then she was reeling 
backward into the wall once again as someone punch her full in 
the face.

     "Thought you could just leave, bitch, when there are still 
customer's waiting for service?"

     She cried out as she was hauled to her knees by her hair, 
and then she was falling once again... the darkness finally 
laying claim as her body gave up the struggle for consciousness.

     * * * * * * * * * *               * * * * * * * * * *

                           Forgotten
                           (part #1)
                     "Cherry Blossom Falls"

     Due to the fact that my regular pre-readers and I are still
trying to figure out "Saigo Gumi" to our satisfaction, I haven't had
a chance to run this by them yet.  And thus, more then ever, C&C
would be greatly appreciated.

     Saber Marionette J belongs to Akahori Satoru, Negishi Hiroshi,
Kotobuki Tsukasa, Kadokawa Shoten, TV Tokyo, Bandai Visual and
Movic.  This was written for entertainment purposes only.

     Tabyk        (tabyk@yahoo.com)        (www.tabyk.net)

     * * * * * * * * * *               * * * * * * * * * *

     The raindrops felt almost warm as they fell on her skin, all 
the while her arms and legs limply swaying.

     She was being carried...

                           - - - - -

     Darkness.  Warmth.  Pain.

     Something soft and wet caressed her lips, and her body 
eagerly tried to suck the moisture from it before the darkness 
claimed her once again...

                           - - - - -

     Someone was humming.  A quiet sound, soft and soothing, as 
it came to her from the darkness.

     A spoon was pressed against her lips, and they parted.  
Something warm, a broth, trickled in and she greedily swallowed 
it.  More followed, and she also gulped that down.

     The humming...

                           - - - - -

     Voices in the darkness, sharply whispering.

     "I don't like this.  I hate it when you do this."

     "I had to, she was being hurt."

     "She doesn't belong here."

     "So."

     "...I still don't like it."

     "She's shivering again, maybe another blanket..."

                           - - - - -

     She woke to the soft humming once again.

     Blankets were wrapped around her, and she was laying upon 
something soft, a futon or bed.  Slowly, painfully, she tried to 
open her eyes, only to close them once again as the room's single 
lit candle proved to be too much.

     And then the humming stopped.

     "Don't move, you need to rest."

     The voice belonged to a woman, soft and pleasant, young, 
though there was something off about it...

     Slowly wetting her lips she tried to ask, "Where am I?" but 
it came out as a croak, her throat screaming in protest.

     "Don't worry, nobody will hurt you.  Here, drink."

     More broth was carefully spooned to her, and she fell back 
asleep.

                           - - - - -

     She opened her eyes to total darkness.

     It was warm, the smell of freshly burned candles and incense 
still in the air.  A moment later she recognized the sounds of 
soft snoring echo from another corner of the darkness, comforting 
in it's own way.

     She slept.

                           - - - - -

     The sound of a closing door woke her to darkness once more, 
though she could hear someone moving about.  Suddenly there was 
the flash of a spark, and a candle's soft light sprang into 
being, making her clench her eyes tight.

     "You're awake!  Oh good."

     Her benefactor knelt beside her, blocking out the candles 
direct light, and she was finally able to open her eyes without 
pain.

     Even in the weak light she could tell the room was tiny, 
maybe three meters square, if that.  She was laying upon the only 
bed, pushed against one wall, while the wall at her feet was 
nothing but floor to ceiling shelving.

     Feeling the woman's hands grasping her, she was gently 
pulled upright into a sitting position before being let down 
again.  The sudden appearance of pillows beneath her kept her 
somewhat upright.

     Water was given to her, which she drank, and then more 
broth, this time thickened with soft vegetables.  She tried to 
make out the features of the woman who tended her, but couldn't, 
as the candles weak light only defined her outline, too weak to 
do much else.

     When the broth was finally gone, she tried once to speak, 
and this time her voice cooperated, though weakly.

     "Where am I?"

     "Where...? Oh, you're in my room."

     Suddenly feeling a little light headed, she just nodded at 
the incomplete answer, leaning back farther as she waited for the 
dizzy spell to pass.  Once it had she asked, "Who are you?"

     "I'm Cherry."

     Again, she just nodded.  It didn't sound like a real name, 
especially since the woman's family name had obviously been left 
out, but it was something.  Given the woman's generosity so far, 
it was enough.

     "Can you stand?"

     Pondering the question a moment she raised her right hand, 
and watched as over the next several seconds it began to tremble 
from even that simple effort.  Dropping it back to her side she 
hesitantly shook her head.

     "That's okay, I'll help you."  And with that, the woman 
scooped her up like a child taking only a moment to heft her, and 
then carried her to the door, which was then toed open.

     In the darkness beyond the woman carried her down a hallway 
and into another room, a bath.  A couple of candles were lit, and 
steam from freshly heated water drifted everywhere.  In only 
moments she was stripped of the unfamiliar clothing she wore, 
scrubbed, rinsed, and deposited within the waiting furo.  During 
all of this, however, she was finally able to get her first real 
look at her rescuer.

     The woman was young, barely into womanhood, and yet still 
taller then herself.  She had a lanky build, though from the way 
she'd been so easily carried the woman must have expertly hid her 
muscle development beneath the exquisite kimono she wore.  She 
had long dark hair, tied back in a simple pattern, and green 
eyes.

     And she smiled.  All the time, as if fussing over her own 
dirty gaunt body was a complete joy.

     It was decidedly the strangest person she'd ever met.

     "Now you stay here and soak, and I'm going to go clean my 
room.  Okay?"  Before she could even nod in agreement, though, 
the woman left, leaving her alone in the candle light.

     Slowly the heat of the water worked its way upon her body, 
and the tension within her, tension that had been her constant 
companion for the last couple weeks, finally drifted away.

     Without even realizing it she dozed off, only to be jerked 
away by the woman's, Cherry's, voice calling out to her.

     "Are you okay?"

     Blinking her eyes a couple times she nodded, and watched as 
Cherry laid out a towel, followed by a lovely kimono, next to 
her.  Then with a giggle and mutterings of wrinkly skin she was 
lifted out of the tub and dried.

     She tried to protest when Cherry started to wrap her in the 
kimono that she'd brought in, but was only waved off while the 
woman claimed, "It's too small for me.  See, my arms would stick 
right out of it!"

     When finally clothed in the warm material, she was again 
scooped up into the woman's arms and taken back to Cherry's room, 
where she was gently tucked into the bed once more.

     As she watched Cherry begin to fuss over a teapot, she 
finally felt the tears come.  Why?  Who was this woman, who took 
in the refuse of the street and nursed them back to health?

     Why?

     But, before she could ask, she fell asleep once again.

                           - - - - -

     "Morning!  Are you hungry?"

     Waking to Cherry's cheerful voice she opened her eyes to 
find the room once again lit by candlelight.  As Cherry knelt 
down next to the bed she added, "Are you feeling better now?  Can 
you walk today?"

     Testing her arms and legs a bit, she nodded, but over the 
next couple of minutes found that Cherry still had to support her 
as her legs began to tremble when she finally put her weight on 
them.

     "Yay!  We can have breakfast with Mr. Satoru today."

     Slowly they made their way out of the room and up a short 
flight of stairs that she'd not seen the last time.  Opening the 
door, she found herself having to pause a moment while squinting 
her eyes, as she was greeted by the morning sun.

     The air still had crispness to it, and as she looked around 
she was unable to recognize any of the buildings on the narrow 
street she now faced.  Looking behind her, she realized that 
Cherry must live in an underground shelter, as the door they'd 
just exited was attached to a tall house.

     After being helped to the main entrance of the same house, 
she watched as Cherry knocked and then opened door while crying 
out, "Good morning!"  Slowly she was led through the house to a 
small dining room where Cherry left her.  However, just as she 
began to look around at the simple, and expensive, furnishings an 
elderly man walked in.

     Striding across the small room in only a couple of steps he 
turned, then settled himself down across from her, and a shiver 
ran through her as the man faced her.

     "Is it good to see you up."  His voice was low, but also 
held an authoritive tone.  "Cherry was very worried when she 
brought you in three days ago."  Her eyes fell, as she heard the 
faint undertone of disproval.  "Have you any family?"

     She shook her head, not wanting, not daring, to look at the 
man now.  "Husband?"  She hesitated, but eventually shook her 
head once more.

     "I see... and have you a name?"

     Again, she hesitated, not even sure how to answer the 
question.  With her own family gone, and her in-laws wanting 
nothing to do with the widow of their son, she just didn't know.

     "You don't have a name?  That's awful!"

     Almost collapsing in relief she turned towards Cherry, who'd 
just walked back in, to place a laden breakfast try before her 
before turning towards the elderly man.

     "She should have a name, Mr. Satoru.  It's horrible to not 
have a name.  Maybe she forgot it?"  Her logic jumping in bounds 
she turned and asked, "Is that it?  You don't remember?"  
Immediately turning back towards the man she added, "Maybe that's 
it!  She had a big bump on her head."

     Making placating hand motions Satoru said, "Cherry, please, 
calm yourself."  Taking a moment he then said, "You're correct, 
she will need a name.  At least," and he glanced at her a moment, 
"until she remembers her own.  What would you recommend?"

     She looked up to an almost comical expression of 
concentration on Cherry's face, before the young woman suddenly 
smiled and said, "Lilly!  Your name is Lilly!"  Blinking she just 
stared as she heard Satoru ask Cherry, "Were you picking flowers 
again this morning?" and heard the woman's answering giggle.

     As she left once more Satoru turned back towards her and 
asked, "So, Lilly, are you feeling well this morning?"

     Lowering her eyes to the meal before her she nodded, 
managing a faint, "Yes, Satoru-san."  Hearing the man grunt she 
waited, mercifully only a few moments before she heard Cherry 
come back, though as she turned to watch her she noticed another 
woman slowly follow her in.

     She hardly noticed Cherry sitting down next to her, as she 
watched the other woman slowly, almost stumbling, towards Satoru 
with another breakfast tray.  Eyes widening she finally 
recognized the woman for what she was... a marionette.

     Built in the image of women, marionettes were robots 
designed to help with housework and errands, at least until women 
were finally reintroduced to the world by cloning back at the 
beginning of the fourth century.  Production of them had been 
halted over a hundred years ago, and those remaining had become 
far and few as spare parts became hard to come by.

     She'd only seen one once before, and this one was in 
excellent repair, it's features still carefully sculpted into the 
visage of a delicate woman.

     It had to be older then anyone she knew alive.

     As the robotic woman carefully placed Satoru's breakfast 
tray before him, she heard Cherry say, "That's Sakura, she's been 
the maid at the Satoru house ever since it was built.  Morning 
Sakura!  This is my friend Lilly."

     Turning towards them the marionette said, "Goo-d M-or-ning 
Cher-e.  Goo-d M-or-ning Lil-e."  Then turning it slowly walked 
away.

     Watching as it left she heard Cherry say, "She's not very 
quick, but she works really hard, and she's really nice too.  
She's one of my best friends."

     Turning back towards Cherry and Satoru she noticed that 
they'd already started eating, and she carefully followed their 
example, trying not to cause an accident as her hands proved 
themselves unwilling to work with the chopsticks.  It took a 
while, but she finally managed it.

     The meal was astounding, fit for someone of wealth, which 
obviously Satoru was.  When it was over, Cherry smiled and took 
her tray away, as Sakura returned and took away its masters.  
That done, the man looked at her a moment before the change in 
his features foretold some decision that had just been made.

     "I think it would be best to move you to the front porch, 
Lilly, to enjoy the fresh air and sun.  There is a comfortable 
chair there, and I am told that today should hold pleasant 
weather."

     Another "Yay!" announcing Cherry's presence behind her, she 
suddenly felt herself being picked and carried back through the 
house to the front door, and through it, to be deposited in a 
large cushioned armchair.  A moment later and a light blanket was 
tucked around her to keep the morning chill at bay.

     "You just stay here, okay?"

     Nodding, and curious as to what the woman did during her 
day, she asked, "What will you do today, Cherry?"

     With a big smile and laugh the young woman pointed across 
the street and said, "I have to help Mr. and Mrs. Hiroshi with 
breakfast."  Then pointing a couple houses down she said, "Then I 
help Mr. Tsukasa with his dishes and sweep the floor."  Pointing 
down the other direction she said, "Over there is Ms. Saotome.  I 
help her feed all the animals."  And then, almost as an 
afterthought, she added, "Then I go to work!"

     Waving she then said, "Bye bye!" and hurried across the 
street to disappear into the Hiroshi residence.

     Shaking her head at the shear energy the woman displayed, 
she closed her eyes, still trying to take it all in.  Eventually 
the warm sun lulled her to sleep, and her last waking thought 
was, 'My name is Lilly.'

     A small smile graced her face in slumber.

                           - - - - -

     Waking to a gentle nudge, she found Sakura standing next to 
her, a cup of tea in hand which it offered her.  Taking it with 
an automatic thanks, she sat quietly sipping on it while looking 
around her.

     There was a light, but constant, amount of traffic traveling 
by.  Ware peddlers hocking fresh catches, children giggling in 
play, and women running various errands all went by.  Eventually 
she noticed that most of them, at one point or another, took at 
least a moment to look at her.

     "They are curious."

     She nearly dropped the teacup in her surprise to find Satoru 
quietly standing in the doorway.  Taking a deep breath to steady 
herself she quietly asked, "Curious, Satoru-san?"

     "Yes, I believe that is the best word to use.  They wish to 
see Cherry's new friend, whom she had brought in such terrible 
shape."

     Thinking of all the possible implications of the statement 
she asked, "Does Cherry... do this often?"

     "Yes.  She is an extremely generous soul."  With a sidelong 
glance at her he added, "And sometimes pays the price for it."

     Finding herself looking at her feet again she said nothing, 
until she heard the man begin to turn back towards the house.

     "Satoru-san?  Where... where am I?  Why am I here?"

     The elderly man paused, looking at her, before saying, "You 
are in Old Town, Japoness proper."  With a wave of his hand he 
added, "And this is Cherry Lane, quiet likely the most peaceful 
location in the entire city."

     "As to why you are here... only Cherry can answer I think, 
though I would be surprised if it was for any more reason then 
'you needed to be helped.'  She is like that."

     Taking a moment to wave at one of the passing people he 
continued, his voice low.  "I am opposed to having you here, 
Lilly.  This is not a good time for Japoness, for the people.  I 
do not know who you are, but I have a reasonable idea WHAT you 
are, and as tragic as it can be it is not wanted here."

     "You have an opportunity here, if you want it.  A fresh 
start, where the past is just that, and a person is judged by 
their actions instead of their birth or history."

     Turning to face her he added, "Rest, and regain your 
strength.  And then, learn everything you can from Cherry.  There 
is nobody alive who knows these people better then her."

     And with that he left, as quietly as he'd appeared.

     Leaving her alone with her thoughts...

                           - - - - -

     Dinner that evening was uncomfortable, as an almost clash 
was taking place between Cherry's bubbly personality versus 
Satoru's much more sober tone, though Cherry herself seemed 
oblivious to it.

     Afterward, and with much assistance from Cherry, she made 
her way back down to the room to sleep, still tired even though 
she'd slept most of the day away.  After settling in, with Cherry 
next to her laying on a spare futon that she'd borrowed from 
somebody, she asked, "Cherry?  What will happen tomorrow, or the 
day after, when I've recovered enough to leave?"

     Though she couldn't see them, she could feel Cherry's eyes 
looking at her as the young woman quietly said, "Do... do you 
WANT to leave?"

     Did she?

     Was there anything back where she'd come from left for her?

     "I... I would like to stay, Cherry, if it's okay.  Is it 
okay, with you?"

     She gasped as the woman landed on top of her, pinning her 
arms to her side almost painfully, as Cherry exclaimed, "Yay!  
You can stay here with me!  And when you're all better, I can 
have everyone meet you, and it'll be great!"

     After they finally settled back down again, she laid there 
staring in the darkness until a soft snoring announced Cherry's 
slumber.  And it was only then that she let the tears come, as 
she prayed to Kami that she didn't mess up this last chance given 
to her.

                           - - - - -

     The next morning she found herself feeling much stronger, 
but both Cherry and Satoru-san insisted that she continue to play 
the invalid while her body continued to recover.  Much to her 
surprise, she found herself nodding off constantly throughout the 
day, as she had done the day before, but tried to enjoy the nice 
weather as well.

     And so it was on her third morning, her legs now steady 
beneath her, that she asked Cherry if she could help with the 
woman's breakfast errands.

     "Sure!  Mr. and Mrs. Hiroshi always need help."  With a 
laugh she added, "Sometimes it's a lot of work, even with me and 
Rei to help!"

     Soon enough she found out why, as it turned out that the 
Hiroshi family had been blessed with triplets several months ago, 
and even something as mundane as breakfast became an ordeal with 
that many hungry, and noisy, mouths to feed.

     They were a nice couple, though, and were grateful for the 
extra pair of hands.  She also had a chance to meet Rei, who 
turned out to be another antique marionette.

     After helping Mrs. Hiroshi settle in for the day, she 
followed Cherry to Mr. Tsukasa's residence.

     Mr. Tsukasa turned out to be an elderly man of advanced age, 
who had troubles doing household work as even walking across the 
room wore him out.  And he was a grumbler, constantly complaining 
about Cherry getting in the way and annoying him.  Cherry, on the 
other hand, simply smiled and patted him on the head before 
starting to clean up the small house.

     She didn't know whether to laugh or groan at the whole 
scene.

     Finally, there was Ms. Saotome's place, which turned out to 
not be a residence at all, but a veterinary clinic.  All manner 
of cat, dog, and bird were housed there as the woman busily went 
about examining her charges, and she found herself helping Cherry 
feed them.

     Which turned out to be a LONG ordeal as Cherry had to stop 
and greet every single one of them, by name.  It was a strange 
trait, that.  Cherry seemed to love naming things, and had a 
phenomenal memory for them.

     And true to Satoru-san's words, Cherry did seem to know 
EVERYONE.  Every single person, child, animal, and even an old 
favorite tree at the corner of the street.  And they all knew her 
as well.  Also, without regard on if the individual was a human, 
animal, or even a marionette, she treated them all the same.

     She could only watch in amazement.

     It was almost lunch by the time she stumbled her way back to 
Cherry's place, to drop onto the futon in exhaustion of the 
morning activities.  Now in true awe of Cherry's energy, 
especially as the woman left to now work her day job, she fell 
asleep.

                           - - - - -

     Several days passed and Lilly, the name becoming ingrained 
by usage, slowly began to get used to her new self-appointed 
routine of helping Cherry.  It was strange in some ways.  She had 
noticed that nobody ever talked about the war, or the government, 
or any of the other troublesome issues that were always in the 
newspapers.

     No, instead it was who was getting married, the new baby on 
the way, making sure the local veterinary clinic had enough 
supplies to last till the next adoption fair, and so forth.

     And she found herself loving it.

     "Oh, umm, hello Lilly.  Is... is Cherry here?"

     Leaving her introspection, she looked up to see Mrs. Kisawa, 
a look of worry on her face.  "I'm sorry, Mrs. Kisawa, but Cherry 
had to stay long at work today.  Is there something wrong?"

     Fidgeting the woman said, "I was having tea with Mrs. 
Hiroshi and she fell while carrying a tea tray.  She might have 
broke her ankle, I was hoping that Cherry could fetch Dr. 
Ishikawa."

     Noticing that indeed, there wasn't anyone else out and about 
at the moment, Lilly nodded and said, "Well, how about I look 
after Mrs. Hiroshi while you go get the Doctor?  I help out a 
little every morning anyhow, it shouldn't be too difficult."

     The woman hesitated, and Lilly quickly decided to just push 
the issue.  Smiling at the woman she said, "Hurry back!" and 
quickly walked across the street to the Hiroshi household.  
Announcing herself as she walked in, to find Mrs. Hiroshi still 
lying on the floor, while the marionette Rei slowly tried to pick 
up the pieces of the smashed pottery on the floor.

     Seeing the woman still in pain she rushed forward and helped 
her to a chair, then told Rei to get some ice.  With the 
marionette out of the way, she then quickly scooped the mess up 
and took it to the kitchen, coming back with a cloth to mop the 
floor with.

     "Lilly, what are you doing here?"

     Looking up at Mrs. Hiroshi she said, "I don't know Dr. 
Ishikawa, so I told Kisawa to get him herself while I looked 
after things.  I hope you don't mind."

     A still pained look on her face the injured woman replied, 
"Not at all, and my thanks.  Anna must have been looking for 
Cherry.  I'm glad she found you, though."  Right about then, 
three near identical wails started up in the next room.

     Smiling she left to the next room to find the triplets 
crying.  Shaking her head, she picked the first one up and took 
her to her mother, helping the both of them settle in, before 
going back for the next.

     Coming back she found Rei standing there with a block of ice 
in her hands, and sighing in exasperation her settled the second 
child into her mother's other arm, then grabbed a cloth, bowl, 
and pick from the kitchen.  A moment later Rei was put to the 
task of breaking up the ice while she fetched the third and final 
child.

     It took some time, and very specific directions with Rei, 
but she finally got everything going, and eventually the children 
quieted down while a bag of ice was put to Mrs. Hiroshi's now 
very swollen ankle.

     About ten minutes after that, Mrs. Kisawa and an older 
gentleman entered the house, and Lilly found herself meeting Dr. 
Ishikawa for the first time.  About Satoru-san's age, the man had 
a pleasant smile on his face, but turned professional upon seeing 
Hiroshi's ankle.

     After a quick visual inspection and gently moving it, and 
still getting gasps of pain from Mrs. Hiroshi, he announced "Not 
as bad as it could have been."  Standing up and stretching his 
back he then said, "It's not broken, only badly sprained.  You 
need to stay off of it for at least a week, though.  I'll bring 
by some medicine later today to help with the swelling."

     "But... but I have to take care of the children.  How-"  
Shutting the woman up with a glance he repeated, "At least a 
week!  Of course, with the children here getting a maid or 
someone would be the best solution.  But you will NEED to take it 
easy.  Period."  That being said, the man packed his bag and 
excused himself.

     Turning away from the departing man, she watched as tears 
came to injured woman's face while hearing Kisawa say, "Don't 
worry, Nene, we'll think of something.  I'll come over as... as 
often as I can, and... and I ask Cherry to maybe stay longer... 
and-"

     "I'll stay."

     Both women looked at her, one in hope, and the other in 
trepidation.

     "I can stay.  The babies already know me, and if I'm here 
all the time, then Cherry can still help out Tsukasa and Saotome 
like normal.  I can sleep on the couch, in case you need me at 
night.  It's only for a week or so, right?"

     "But... but I can't pay you, Lilly.  It would be too 
much..."

     Waving off the woman she smiled and said, "Don't worry about 
it.  A warm blanket and a bite to eat.  It will give me something 
to do, instead of getting in Cherry's way all the time."

     Fresh tears on her face Mrs. Hiroshi grasped her hand 
saying, "Thank you, Lilly.  Thank you so very much."

     And so she got her first job.

                           - - - - -

     It had ended up working out well.  Mr. Hiroshi had been more 
then happy with the arrangements, after he'd finally quit fussing 
over his wife, and Cherry had been happy as well.  Over the next 
few days she found herself enjoying the fulltime work, as well as 
helping Mrs. Hiroshi, Nene she kept insisting, entertain everyone 
who stopped by to see how they were doing.

     She smiled in amazement as the entire neighborhood seemed to 
pitch in and help out.  Between the occasional helping hand, or 
errand, or even the offer of a pre-made lunch, she found herself 
almost overwhelmed by the sense of community.  It was totally 
unlike anything she'd ever experienced before.

     It was the happiest she'd ever been, as least as far as she 
could remember.

     And then...

     She had been out shopping with Anna, Mrs. Kisawa, when they 
heard the explosion.

     Rushing down the street they turned the corner to see smoke 
piling out of the pottery shop, and a ominous creaking sound came 
from the three-story building itself as another gout of flame 
shot from a window on the second floor.

     Pushing past a couple people who were standing around in 
shock Lilly covered her mouth as she ran into the store, peering 
around in the smoke that was already beginning to thicken.  
Seeing nobody there she started heading towards the stairs when 
another explosion above her shook the building, and several 
ceiling beams fell blocking the stairs.

     She briefly tried to move them, and failing that she yelled 
"Is there anybody up there?!" as loud as she could, but go no 
response.

     Now starting to cough she ran out of the building, to see 
Cherry and several men headed over.  Still coughing, she was 
grabbed by the young woman and almost shook to death as Cherry 
cried, "Lilly, are you okay?"

     Nodding, she opened her mouth say something when a third 
explosion sounded, and part of the building broke away while 
knocking her to the ground.  Looking upward she watched as it 
slowly fell towards them, and she knew there wasn't time to move.

     But it never hit her.  She stood there, mouth agape, as 
Cherry straddled her body with her legs and then simply CAUGHT 
the several tons of burning wood and brick, tossing it aside 
afterward.  Hearing another cry from within the building, Cherry 
then jumped straight into the burning whole that broken building 
now had.

     Still stunned by the impossible things that she just saw, 
Lilly lay there until one of the men gently picked her up and 
moved her away.  Occasionally coughing, she continued to watch 
the spectacle unfold.

     Shooting out of the smoke Cherry appeared, to land 30 feet 
before and hand off a young boy who was coughing horribly.  Then 
turning, she leaped straight up into the burning building once 
again.

     Again, Cherry appeared in mid-leap and upon landing, gently 
laid an unmoving woman on the ground.  Another burst of flame 
erupted from the building, and one of the men stepped in front of 
Cherry, quickly speaking with her.  With a nod, she then threw 
the man over her shoulder and leaped into the building once 
again.

     Lilly found herself unconsciously shaking her head in denial 
of what she was witnessing.

     Jumping to the ground to deposit another woman, this one 
still feebly moving, Cherry turned, but at that moment the whole 
building rumbled and began to lean to the side as it started to 
collapse.  It was then that Lilly's world went from seeing the 
impossible, to seeing the unimaginable.

     She watched as Cherry's eyes suddenly flared to life with a 
bright greenish glow, and with a yell the young woman slammed her 
open hands against the building in an effort to stop it's fall.

     And succeeded.

     Bye then, several men had stretched a fishing net out 
between them and started yelling, and a moment after that the man 
that Cherry had taken with her jumped out, trying to hold an 
elderly person against him as he fell into the waiting net.

     After the rough landing, everyone began pulling back and 
away from the now raging building, all the while with Cherry 
acting as it's last support, her body now surrounded in an aura 
of power that matched her eyes.

     Finally, with everyone safely away, one of the men yelled at 
Cherry and she leaped away.  With its last support gone, the 
building immediately fell over, smashing into the empty play yard 
next to it.  Numerous people rushed forward at that point, 
buckets of water in hand, to make sure the fire didn't spread.

     Tearing her eyes away from the remains of the building, 
Lilly looked back towards the woman she called friend.  The skin 
on her hands were burned pure black, and her kimono burned in 
three places while soot stains covered the rest of her.  And even 
with all this, Cherry still rushed from one person to the next, 
making sure that they were all right.

     Just as she turned to Lilly herself, however, Cherry 
suddenly stopped as a glazed expression suddenly crossed her 
face.  A second later, her shoulders actually split open as her 
arms shifted down a couple inches, followed by a large venting 
blast of heated air.  As soon it finished, her arms returned to 
their normal shape, and Cherry slowly fell forward to crash into 
the ground.

     But Lilly missed that part, as she had already passed out.

                           - - - - -

     When she woke, it was to the sensation of a cold cloth being 
laid across her forehead.  Blinking her eyes open, she found Anna 
kneeling over her, a worried expression on her face.  It took 
another moment to figure out that she was lying out on the 
Hiroshi couch.

     "What... what happened?"

     "Apparently you passed out after the building finally 
collapsed.  Are you feeling okay?"

     Looking over at Nene, she slowly nodded, and then everything 
she'd just seen rushed back to her.

     Bolting upward she took a couple steps away from the two 
women, as confusion and fear suddenly flared within her.  Looking 
at one, and then the other, she almost pleaded, "What happened?  
How... who... I saw... Cherry... What's going on here?!"

     Both women slowly looked at each other as they suddenly 
understood.  Finally Nene called out, "Rei!" and as the 
marionette entered the room she instructed, "Rei, please take 
Lilly to see Dr. Hayashi."

     As Rei slowly walked out, Anna turned towards her and just 
said, "Go with her, Lilly.  Hayashi will explain, better then 
anyone else."  When she hesitated, Nene added in, "Please."

     She looked at them as the uncertainty within her warred with 
her desire to trust.  Finally she backed away from them and left 
the house, only to find Rei waiting for her at the front steps.  
Seeing her, the marionette then turned and started walking away.  
Eventually, she followed, as her desire to understand took her.

     It was a long walk, and she eventually found herself 
following Rei into a part of Old Town that she hadn't visited 
before.  Eventually, the marionette stopped in front of an old 
two-story building, and knocked.  A moment later, the door opened 
and as she recognized the man she blurted out, "Satoru-san?"

     Looking from her to Rei the elderly man finally said, "You 
can go home now, Rei.  I'll take Lilly inside."  Watching as the 
marionette walked away, she turned backs towards the one person 
whom she knew without a doubt disliked her, only to see him 
motion her in.

     Stepping inside she gasped at the site that greeted her.

     There were body parts, arms, legs, and even heads lying 
about all over the place, covering a multitude of shelves and 
benches.  It was after the initial shock has passed that it 
dawned on her that they were all mechanical.  As she was wrapping 
her mind around that a second, and younger, man entered the room 
from another doorway.

     "Eh?  Who is this, Satoru?"

     "This is Lilly, Doctor.  She's come to see Cherry."

     "Oh?  Well then, come on in, come on in.  Any friend of 
Cherry's is a friend of mine."  With that the man turned and 
walked back into the depths of the building.  Hesitantly, she 
followed him in...

     ...to find Cherry laid out on a table, her arms and legs 
split open along previously invisible seams, while her stomach 
was opened up like almost like a motor palanquin.  Turning 
towards her, and seeing the expression on her face, the doctor 
suddenly asked in surprise, "She didn't know?"

     "No, she didn't, until the fire at Goro's place earlier 
today."  Hearing Satoru's voice behind her, she almost stumbled 
as she stepped aside, suddenly not wanting anyone close to her.

     Finding her eyes drawn once more to Cherry's frame, she 
gulped, and then tried to take a step closer.  Unable to do even 
that, she whispered, "Is she... is Cherry... a-"

     "-a marionette, Ms. Lilly?" the doctor finished for her.  
Then, a little pride in his voice he added, "Yes, yes she is, and 
yet so much more as well."

     Looking at the doctor a moment, and then Mr. Satoru, she 
finally said, "I don't understand."

     But instead of Satoru, it was the doctor who answered her.  
Tapping on a piece of hardware within Cherry's chest he said, 
"Mostly, it is because of this that Cherry is so different then 
any other marionette you have ever met."  Finally able to take 
that one step, she peered at the object in question, to find it 
pulsing with a faint light, almost like a heartbeat.

     "This wonderful piece of hardware is called a Maiden 
Circuit, developed well over two hundred years ago when men alone 
existed on this planet, and population was achieved through mass 
cloning efforts.  Very few were ever built."

     "Maiden Circuit?"

     "Think of it as a mechanical soul, if you will.  It allows a 
marionette to experience emotions, develop personalities, and 
blossom into their own individuals.  An amazing piece of 
engineering, if I may say."

     "But, the building... how was she able...?"

     "That's because," Satoru said, "Cherry isn't a marionette.  
She's a saber."  Still confused by the man's comment, she shook 
her head, only to have the doctor pick up again.

     "A saber marionette is a marionette specifically designed 
for warfare.  Their bodies are built using military grade 
materials, and when backed by the power of a maiden circuit, they 
are capable of amazing feats."  With a wave of his hand he added, 
"What you saw today is likely a small thing compared to what she 
is truly capable of."

     Images of Cherry, a feral look on her face, smashing her way 
past both men and machines flashed through her mind, and quickly 
found her back being pressed again the wall.  So much strength 
and power, inside a machine built for death and destruction.

     "Who saved you from those men that night?"

     Jerking her head to the side she stared at Satoru, as he 
intently gazed back at her.

     "Who saved your life that night?  Was it a machine of war, 
or a young woman wanting to help someone in need?"

     Quickly glancing at Cherry and then back again she just 
shook her head, as no sound came out of her open mouth.

     "The Cherry I know always smiles, always laughs.  She helps 
out her neighbors when they need it, and plays with their 
children when she can.  The Cherry I know protects the people 
that she cares for, regardless of their past, or history."  He 
paused a moment, and then more quietly added, "The Cherry I know 
is my friend."

     Turning, she again looked at the still body on the table, 
and this time it was an image of Cherry, smiling as she always 
did, that came to her mind.  Looking so happy because her new 
friend had decided to stay with her.

     Raising her hand to her face she found a tear as it made 
it's way down her face, and smiled.  It was a terrible smile, but 
a true one, and finally she turned back towards Satoru and 
nodded.

     Because no matter who, or what, she was, Cherry was her 
friend.

                           - - - - -

     The following day, Cherry returned to check up on how she 
was doing at the Hiroshi household.  Still coming to terms with 
everything that she'd learned, she was still amazed that not a 
single mark or burned touched the woman's features.  It was as if 
yesterday had not even happened.

     While putting down that last baby for a nap, she found Rei 
waiting for her in the hallway, a hot cup of tea in hand.

     "Goo-d M-or-ning Lil-e.  Tee?"

     She stared at the marionette, suddenly in fascination.  What 
would Rei be like if she also had a maiden circuit?  Would she 
been happy and cheerful, like Cherry, or more quiet and mournful 
like she appeared to be now?

     Did a mechanical soul exist in her as well?

     She was just a machine, a marionette.  And yet, like anyone 
else she helped out where she could, doing the most that it, she, 
could.

     Was that any different then herself?

     Smiling, she took the offered tea and said, "Thank you, Rei.  
Thank you for everything."

                           - - - - -

     She sat on Mr. Satoru's front porch, watching as people 
walked by, and occasionally glanced down at the rose still held 
within her hand.

     With Nene's ankle now healed, she'd found herself with too 
much time on her hands, and had decided to get a regular job.  
Easier said then done, of course, since she had no references or 
recommendations other then the Hiroshi's and Cherry's word of 
mouth.

     But that wasn't the problem right at the moment.  No, right 
now a man occupied her thoughts, which brought her gaze back to 
the rose once again.

     It had been the young man who'd pulled her away from the 
burning pottery store.  She bumped into him while running an 
errand for Anna, only to find out that it hadn't been coincidence 
after all.  It was then that he'd offered her the rose, and asked 
for permission to court her.

     And yet... there was Kazia-kun...

     "Bleah!"

     Looking up she was greeted by Cherry's face, which was 
currently smooshed together into a ridiculous expression, and 
couldn't help herself from laughing.  Which of course made Cherry 
grin as she declared, "Yay!  I made her laugh!"

     Settling down Cherry then asked, "What's wrong Lilly?  Are 
you felling okay?"

     Sighing she said, "I'm fine, Cherry.  I just..."  Finally, 
she held up the rose and finished with, "Somebody gave this to 
me, because he likes me.  A lot."

     "Wow, you're so lucky Lilly.  Who is it?"

     "No Cherry... it's... I... I used to be married.  And... and 
if I saw this man, I feel like I would be betraying him."

     "You're married, Lilly?  Where is your husband?"

     "He's... he's dead Cherry.  He died in the war."

     Cherry looked at her a moment, and then suddenly burst into 
laughter.  And as the woman continued to laugh, she found herself 
almost yelling out, "What's so damn funny?"

     Finally stopping, Cherry just said, "That's really funny, 
Lilly.  Everybody knows that there aren't wars anymore."

     It happened in the blink of an eye, and for the rest of her 
life, she would never forgive herself.

     Her hand lashed out, slapping the woman across the cheek as 
she screamed, "How dare you!  He died trying to protect me!  He 
died trying to make our lives better when nobody else cared!  
Don't you EVER laugh about that.  EVER!!"

     And even as she stopped, she suddenly remembered whom she 
was yelling at... and what.

     Looking hurt, and confused, Cherry touched her struck cheek 
while quietly saying, "But... but there aren't anymore wars.  
They said so."  And then turning towards Satoru, who had suddenly 
appeared in the doorway, she pleaded, "You said so.  You said 
they didn't happening anymore.  Right?"

     And then suddenly it all made sense, and Lilly covered her 
mouth as if to take back what she had just said.  Nobody ever 
talked about the war... around HER.  Nobody ever mentioned the 
news, or the horror stories of what happened to the soldiers who 
went out to find... around HER.  Everyone, EVERYONE, made sure 
that Cherry DIDN'T KNOW.

     Satoru opened his mouth, and then closed it, not willing to 
look into Cherry's eyes.

     "But they promised!"  Flinching backward as Cherry suddenly 
jumped to her feet, she watched as the marionette yelled, "The... 
the piece of paper everyone signed... THEY PROMISED!  I 
REMEMBER!" and then took off running around the building.

     The second she was gone, Lilly found herself the target of a 
look that conveyed nothing but pure hatred as the Satoru-san 
whispered, "Damn you, damn you to hell.  You've killed her."

     Suddenly the whole house shook, and Lilly watched as Cherry 
literally exploded from the side of the building to land on the 
Hiroshi's rooftop across the street, only to immediately leap 
again.

     And then she was gone.


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