[Introduction] Welcome to Kikiyo House

[Kokoro]

I step off the bus and stand in front of a towering iron gate. Looking through the bars is a lush meadow filled with wildflowers of all different colors. Mountains frame the large mansion with their snow-capped peaks. The gate clicks and opens. The whirl of tiny gears grab my attention, as I look up to see a camera pointed down at me. I walk through the gate and it closes automatically behind me. The path to the front door seems to go on forever. Upon reaching the door, before I get a chance to ring the bell, the door opens and standing before me is a woman wearing a maid's outfit. She bows graciously.

"Ah! You're finally here. I do hope that your ride here was satisfactory? Please, please, come in, and be sure to exchange your shoes. We wouldn't want to upset Master Hitoshima with a dirty floor, do we? May I take your bag? -- Of course, here, please allow me. Let's get you to your room immediate so that you may settle in before the meal."

I change out my shoes and she takes my bag from me, and we begin walking through the mansion. This place is ornately decorated with many marble statues, gold trimmed banisters, oil paintings line the mahogany walls. We approach a set of heavy looking wooden doors The maid pauses before she opens the door, appearing to be steadying her nerves or something as she pauses to let out a long quiet sigh before looking back and beaming a smile.

"Okay and here we are!"

She opens the door and grey smoke hits my face.

"You did that on purpose, Mitsume!", I heard a young girl shout. A moment later a fireball formed in front of her and soared through the air in front of me and collided with a bush. It burst into flames.

"Oh, don't mind those two. They always fight. If it's not over some apple pie, or a doll, or which order they enter the Teddy Bear room, it's over something else.", the maid said as several lightning bolts rained down over a ten foot circle around an oak tree to my left.

"At least I didn't have to steal it like you did!", the other girl shouted from behind the flaming bush.

"I did NOT steal it! I borrowed it!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

The maid glanced back at me and gave a half-hearted giggle.

"May I ask your name, Miss...?", I ask desperately.

"Oh!", she giggled, for real this time, "My name is Tama Izuki, however, you may call me Tama, if you would like."

"Okay, Tamu. My name is --"

"Oh, I know who you are. We've been eagerly awaiting your arrival, and have a special meal prepared for you, and I just know that lots of the students here really want to meet you!"

We came up to another door and she quickly opened it to reveal a dimly lit hallway lined with doors to either side. The door shut automatically behind us.

"These are the living quarters. Your room is down on the left hand side. Just look for your name plate. If you will please excuse me, I must attend to another urgent matter.", Tama said and gently set my bag down on the ground, turned on her heel, opened the door behind me and walked through it.

"Mitsume, Erika! You two bet--" she shouted before the door shut closed and I couldn't hear anymore.

I walked down the hallway, glancing at every name plate along the left hand side. Reaching the end of the hallway, not finding my name, I looked down the other side. Finally, about halfway down the hallway, I found my room, and my name was the only one listed for this particular room.