Kai Lachey's Story

Takashi Inevera

"Ryu...." Takashi's voice was wavering on the edge of anger, but it didn't seem like the younger Guardian was paying any attention to that. No, instead, ever since that morning he'd been tailing her all excited about his very first ward. At first, Takashi had been happy for the young man, but his constant babble was starting to get on her nerves.

"Her name is Adelaide and she's an animate papercrafter. How awesome is that?! I wonder what she can do..." For a single moment the blonde haired boy stopped to finally breathe. Takashi was wondering if he was going to pass out or not from lack of air to his head. However, the silence didn't last long, "I can't wait to meet her. I was assigned to her this morning right before I met up with you Takashi! Do you think I'll have to do any fighting today?" He asked and quickly jabbed at the air as if he were already engaged in a fight.

"No," Takashi growled softly with a roll of her eyes.

"Anyway, I think she's going to be lots of fun. I hope she likes me... She'll like me right, Takashi? I hope we get off on a good start today," Ryu looked down at his watch and gave a sharp gasp of air that slightly startled the shorter red headed Guardian, "Oh man! I'm gonna be late if I don't go now! Thanks for chatting with me Takashi! I'll see you later!"

"Bye," she offered with a half hearted wave in his direction. Ryu sprinted away from her down the street they'd been walking along. With a heavy sigh she leaned her head back and allowed herself to revel in the silence that followed. Usually Ryu's constant chatter didn't bother her, but since that morning she'd been in a fairly bad mood. It wasn't the fact that she'd gotten her next ward, it was more of how she was going to protect this one. All her earlier excitement to get a new ward had washed away like a wave of water the moment she'd gotten the letter telling her who she was to protect. It had all turned to dread on if she was really cut out for her work or not. Takashi straightened her head and continued on down the sidewalk.

Reaching behind her back, her fingers gently lifted the button up shirt she wore and touched the two sleek handles of her knives that were strapped to her body. It was a reassurance thing, because she knew they were always there. Her ward was named Kai Lachey, a young man who was told to be quite adventurous. Takashi frowned slightly. He's going to give me problems, I just know it... She thought to herself. After another few minutes of walking, Takashi found herself in the area that he was known to most frequent. There, she took up a seat at the park bench and pretended to read a book while keeping a sharp eye out for the young boy. He was sure to be easy to spot, and once she saw him, he wasn't ever going to leave her sight.

"Not again," she whispered to herself as she settled in.

Ryu Hitara

He raced down the street to the place where he was to see Adelaide. He had unknowingly passed it while talking with Takashi. He mentally kicked himself for being so careless on the first day of his guarding duties. Ryu made it just in time to the bookstore where she was supposed to be that day. He walked inside and immediately felt the heat of the sun wash off his skin from the air conditioner that blew right over him. His eyesight slowly returned as it was much darker in the bookstore. Ryu made his way over to the center of the bookstore, grabbing a book off the shelf as he went. Looking down at it he gave an inward groan, 'The Life of Motley Crew'.

"Man, well at least I won't be interested in it," he muttered to himself. He found a spot in the center of the library, a cushy chair that faced outwards and he figured that he could pretty much see all around him. Throwing himself into the chair, he kicked up his legs over one arm of the seat and leaned into the corner of the other side. Raising the book up, he opened it to no particular page and took a look at the first line. With a roll of his eyes he immediately ignored the text and looked around for his new ward. She should be there soon.

At that thought, he bit his lip and ducked under the book. He was a bit nervous as it was his first time, but he figured he could get through it. With a deep breath, Ryu lifted his head and looked around him once again with more confidence.

Kai woke up with a start. He lost his balance and begin to waver back and forth on the branch in which he had been napping. He swung down and landed light on his feet. The blonde boy rubbed the sleep out of his eyes with the heels of his hands. He looked up at the sun and guessed it to be mid afternoon. He felt refreshed after his cat nap and began walking out of the woods. Leaves and stick crunched beneath his boots and the sunlight warmed his skin. He readjusted his back pack and rolled out his sleeves. He unbuttoned his shirt and let the warm breeze wash over his still sleepy body. "Hey there," he said and winked at a few girls jogging the forest path. One giggled and the other rolled her eyes. The latter made him smile. He pushed back a few branches and stepped into the full sunlight. His blonde hair glowed like a halo around his tan face. He stretched out his arms and walked towards the center of the park, towards the fountain and where all the families hung out.

He jumped up on the ledge of fountain when he arrive and then squatted down. He dipped his hands into the cool water and splashed it on his face. He ran his fingers through his hair, but it still looked as messy as before. He smiled and sat down, slipping his pack off his shoulder. He set it next to him and began rummaging through it, making sure everything was in there. He pulled out a granola bar and opened it, eating it in two bites. His brown eyes scanned the park; dogs running around, kids screaming and laughing, mysterious red headed girls, reading books on a bench. Wait, what?! His eyes went back to the girl sitting on the bench. She was very pretty, and her red hair was beautiful. He thought about saying something to her, but he contented himself with sitting there, studying her.

Ryu Hitara

He startled as the girl walked in, and jumped even further when she walked right up to him and handed him a piece of paper. He was so overly joyous that he brushed aside the paper, dropped the book he'd picked up and hopped up in front of her. His eyes lowered as he stood to his full height, almost towering over the slender girl who looked almost intimidated by him. He gave his best smile and brushed one hand through his hair as the other hand took hers gently.

"Adeliade! I didn't think you were coming! Man, I thought I came here late because I was chatting with Takashi so much that I thought I missed you entirely. Then I thought that you were going to be late, and then I thought that maybe something had happened to you on your way over here. I'm so glad that you're safe though, I was just about ready to run out of here and look for you. First day on the job and I thought I lost my pageling. Man, I would have been talk of the order for some time if anyone ever found out about that," Ryu's eyes widened slightly as he looked down at her then he laughed nervously, "Oh man, I got ahead of myself. My names Ryu, it's so nice to meet you finally! If you ever need anything, let me know, alright?"

He smiled brightly at her, stopping to take a breath (which even he sometimes forgot to do...).

Takashi Inevera

Her sharp gaze spotted the young man as he came out of the trees just kitty corner to the park. She figured he was there as it was a spot he was known to frequent a lot. Probably because of the forest area right next to it. He was a pageling of adventure, so anything that spoke of danger and mystery he was bound to be attracted to. Which was just wonderful for Takashi. Not only was he the adventurous type, but that probably also meant he was going to be very hard to keep track of. The young man jumped up on the edge of the fountain and splashed water all over his face.

The glittering jewels of liquid slowly slid down his sharp features and dripped from his chin down his front. The white shirt he wore was unbuttoned showing more than enough of his skin underneath. Takashi took a deep breath and redirected her gaze to the book she held and pretended to ignore his presence. All the while from the corner of her vision, she watched him carefully in case he made any notion of leaving the park. Setting his pack down, he sat and ate, his gaze wandering the area until it landed on her and stayed.

Takashi gave an inward sigh, looked up and met the boys gaze. She held his stare firmly for some time before rolling her eyes and scoffing at his bold attention. Reaching up, she ran one hand through her red hair that was held up in pig-tails. Tossing the long strands over her shoulder, she returned her attention to the book, or seemingly did so. She wasn't about to get up and introduce herself, too many memories rushed back to her as she thought about it. Mentally shaking herself, Takashi watched the boy from the corner of her eye, all the while keeping a scowl on her face from his staring.

Kai smiled when the girl looked up to him. She held his stare, the rolled her eyes and looked away. He watched as she messed with her hair then began reading again. The scowl on her face stayed, and Kai smirked. Her studied her for a bit longer. She was very pretty, especially with her long red her contrasting the black and whet clothing she wore. From her initial reaction to him, he knew that she was exactly his type. As he looked closer at her face, her eyes seemed focused on the book. Kai never did much reading himself, but he knew your eyes were supposed to scan across the pages to read the lines. His grin deepened, causing wrinkles to form around his mischievous brown eyes. He shook out his hair and grabbed his pack, slinging it over one shoulder. He walked towards the girl, thinking up something clever to say to her.

"You know, to read a book, your eyes need to be moving back and forth, or is there something that has caught your eye?" He asked her as he gently pushed the cover of the book closed, brushing her finger while doing so. "Maybe something not in the book?" He question and flashed a devious smile. He stretched his arms high above his head, letting a small sigh as he did so. He was partly showing off his chiseled physique, but he also really needed to stretch. The branch he chose to sleep in didn't do wonders for his back, and he was feeling slightly stiff. Maybe a swim would loosen him up a bit.

Takashi Inevera

"You know, to read a book, your eyes need to be moving back and forth, or is there something that has caught your eye?"

Takashi's eyes slowly lifted to the young boy who had moved from his spot. Her frown deepened as he stood over her, blocking out the sunlight of the hot day. The young man reached down and slowly closed the book, his fingers carresing her own as he did so. A slight chill found it's way up her arm and the middle of her back, but she managed to suppress it enough to not have it show on her face.

"Maybe something not in the book?"

To this her sharp green eyes narrowed and her teeth ground together. What audacity to think that he alone had caught her attention in such a way? Of course, he'd been the center of her attention but only because she was there to protect him. His advances were giving her bad memories and she wasn't all to keen on reliving something in her past.

The boy stretched then, leaning backwards in such a fashion as to tighten the opened shirt across his lithe form. Takashi's eyes dropped, following the curve of his strong body before she realized what she'd done. With a sharp growl of frustration she stood abruptly, the top of her head just shy of his chin. She had to crane her neck slightly to look up at him. With a stone like face she glared at him coldly.

"You have my attention now," she uttered, her voice like ice, "What do you want?" She was trying to play it off like he'd bothered her. The less attention she had on herself from him, the better. She would be like a ghost to any Fallen who might be looking for him if he weren't right next to her. Takashi scoffed at the thought and flicked her gaze quickly around them to make sure no one was inspecting them suspiciously.

She gave him some pretty mean looks before settling on just glaring at him like he was the scum on her shoes. "Woah, calm down Red. It's not like I assaulted you," he said before she began speaking.

"Now?" Kai asked, chuckling a bit. "I think I had your attention long before just now," he grinned and crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't know. A lot of things. I want to go to Europe, climb a volcano.." Kai's voice trailed off and he looked back to the girl. "Oh, you meant what do I want from you? I already have it. Your attention. And, maybe an adventure," He said, his face gleaming at the last word. "I know this great trail in the forest. It's a straight shot to-" He stopped himself, "Well, you're just have to see now won't you?" He said and backed up. "Well come on Red! We don't have all day. Although.. it is very beautiful and romantic at night time," he said and raised his eyebrows at her, giving her a devious smile. "Do you like secrets?" He asked her, thinking up a way he could convince her to go. "I will tell you a secret if you come with me," he said. He was talking about his paper swords and knives trick, but he'd have to think over whether he'd tell her or not. She was absolutely beautiful, and there was something different about her. He already felt like he could trust her. "I'm Kai by the way," the boy added as he began to back up some, waiting for her to follow.

Takashi Inevera

"Woah, calm down Red. It's not like I assaulted you," the boy started then chuckled at her as he continued without giving pause enough for her to respond. She felt her annoyance levels rising as she stood there staring up at him. Although, she had to admit, the boy was pleasing to look at and his grinning was almost getting the best of her... almost.

"Now? I think I had your attention long before just now. I don't know. A lot of things. I want to go to Europe, climb a volcano.." His voice trailed off and he looked back at Takashi with his arms still crossed over his chest.

"Oh, you meant what do I want from you? I already have it. Your attention. And, maybe an adventure. I know this great trail in the forest. It's a straight shot to- Well, you're just going to have to see now won't you?" He said and backed up. Takashi's eyebrow rose as she watched him, her face still like stone. She didn't make a move to go after him as he slowly backed away from her.

"Well come on Red! We don't have all day. Although.. it is very beautiful and romantic at night time. Do you like secrets? I will tell you a secret if you come with me. I'm Kai by the way," he said giving her a devious grin. The mention of the place being beautiful and romantic caused her heart to lurch forward and an unwilling blush to creep up in her cheeks. Takashi glowered at him even more, determined to keep her stony features and 'uninterested' poker face intact. Though his little 'secret' was most likely his papercraft, it still sparked an interest with her. She hadn't gotten too much information on the boy, only that he was a good papercrafter, especially for one who had no training in the power.

Putting one hand on her hip she looked off to the side and sighed heavily. Flipping one hand through her long pigtail, tossing the red hair back over her shoulder she shrugged. Looking back to him, her green eyes were steady as she spoke, "Fine. I'll go with you if it means that you'll stop bothering me," she said, though the last part was a bit harder to get out. Damn... this is harder than I thought, she cursed herself. Maybe it was too soon for her to have another ward. Though it had been a year since she lost her last one to the Fallen. He had been just about everything to her, and she regretted everything about what happened.

"And my name's not 'red' it's Takashi," she said as she started towards him.

Ryu Hitara

“Hey! Get in my car!”

Ryu skidded to a halt and gently turned Adelaide back around to face the car, "Come on," he whispered to her, keeping his voice as clear of fear as possible. Never would he have thought to take on a Fallen so soon, and one so freaking powerful too. She had scared him to his very core. That woman was the very word evil. He threw open the back door and helped his ward inside the car just as the other pagelings came out of the shop. The one with the sword charged him and Ryu turned just in time to block the attack. The paper sword crushed against the side of his blade as he raised his weapon to fend off the blow. Even if the man was tired, he was still strong. Ryu hit the door of the car as the pageling crashed into him.

"What... is wrong... with you?" Ryu managed to say as he pushed back against the man. There was a look in his eyes that startled Ryu. It was like the pageling had already died. There was no life in the dark orbs that stared at him. Ryu didn't get an answer, so he ground his teeth together and summoned as much strength as he could and shoved off the vehicle. Tossing the pageling away, the man stumbled and crumpled to the ground, obviously at his limit with his papercraft. The sound of paper missiles hitting the car caught his attention and he ducked as he made his way to the passenger side.

Ryu batted aside the sharpened paper missiles with his knife, slashing at them as they pelted the car and tried to injure him further. Finally, he made it into the car and slammed the door shut. Looking to the guy who he had protected moments ago he nodded, "To the park. My friend is a Guardian there, she'll be able to help with this problem," he said as he leaned heavily into the seat with short heaves of air. Looking down he grimaced at the three paper darts stuck in his chest. They weren't deep, but they hadn't been very pleasant either. Grabbing them, he pulled them out and tossed them aside without a second thought.

"Damn... that was totally unexpected," Ryu muttered. After a moment he laughed and ran his hand through his hair. Looking to the two pagelings he smiled brightly at them, "Well that's what I get for thinking too much about if I were going to get in a fight or not. I asked Takashi if it was going to happen on my first day, she told me 'no'. Now I get to tell her that I've finally proved her wrong," he laughed then sighed as he turned to look out the windshield, "Ah man... she's not gonna be very happy about this..."

Kai noticed a soft blush warming her cheeks and he bit the inside of his lip. He loved the way girls blushed, especially when they clearly didn't want to. She finally stood up and put her hands on her hips. "Fine. I'll go with you if it means that you'll stop bothering me," the girl said, although the last part wasn't as convincing as her stony face was letting on. Kai smiled and his dimples showed. "And my name's not 'red' it's Takashi," she concluded and began walking towards him.

"Well, then, Takashi-not-Red, it's a pleasure to meet you," he said, and mock bowed to her, before turning to face the forest. Kai kept pace with her, although he was itching to run or jump or do something. His ADHD was kicking in, and he was about to go into hyper mode, especially since Takashi had said yes. He never takes his medicine for it. He never has, and never plans on it. He says he likes the world he sees it. Wild and changing. He wants to be forced to look around, and he wants the most important things to catch his eye, not everything, because that way, they would lose their specialness. Finally they made it to the forest and he scanned the brush, looking for a specific tree. He was mumbling something about a stick, an anthill and a green leaf. There were sticks and anthills everywhere, not to mention the fact that everything single leaf was green. "Here it is!" he says excitedly and pulls back a branch. "I would say ladies first, but I think it's best I lead the way," he said, giving her a small smile.

After several minutes or weaving through the branches and brush, Kai slowed down a bit. "I guess I exaggerated a little. It's not exactly a straight shot, nor is it a trail, but we are almost there," he hoped she wouldn't be mad. To him, it was a trail because he climbed it so many times. He made sure to mix it up a bit, maybe go 5 feet to the left of what he did last time, so people wouldn't follow it. He didn't want anyone finding his secret spot. The minutes past quickly as Kai steadily made his way through the rocky terrain. The trees were thinning out some, although it was dense behind them. He knew they were close now. "Okay, it get's pretty steep here," he said. They finally made it to the base of a rocky hill and he looked up. "Come on!" He couldn't wait for her to see it. He grabbed her hand and easily hoisted her up after him. Soon, they stood upon a hill, overlooking what Kai thought to be the creates thing. Down below, maybe 30 to 40 feet was a crystal clear pool of water, and on the other side was a small water fall filling it up. There was another stony wall and atop that was more trees. Kai saw it as a wonderland. The water was nice and cool, and deep too. He loved to climb the rocks, then dive deep into the blue waters. He imagines the water fall to be much larger than just 12 feet across and dreams up all sorts of things about the valley. there are some crevices formed in the rocks behind the falls that he likes to hide in as well. He doesn't know how the valley formed, but he knows it wasn't always there. There was a small rock shelter down below that looked to be occupied. It was Kai's belongings of course. Kai's brown eyes were lit up like a child's might be on Christmas day. To Takashi, this just might seem like a little pool trickling into some creeks, that keeps getting filled by the same river water from an unimpressive waterfall. However at night, no one could deny the beauty of the moon reflecting on the pale blue water. It takes Kai's breath away every time he sees it. He let's out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. "What do you think?" He asked, and began to descend the less deep hill.

Ryu Hitara

"I'm Ryu, nice to meet you Fletcher," the young Guardian flashed his ever present smile and addressed the second part of the question, "And Takashi will be around here somewhere... She's guarding another Pageling," again Ryu dropped his voice at the word 'pageling'. There weren't many people around, but he didn't want to be careless. Especially since he had a Fallen right on his tail. With Takashi, he was more than prepared to take on the crazed woman from the book shop.

"Come on," he beckoned to the others as he made his way towards the park. Children ran around the playground set, young adults walked along the path and right off to the side of the park was the beginnings of a small forest. At least, it looked small to Ryu from the outside. He wasn't sure how far it went back. Either way, he ignored it and rushed into the park and looked around. Takashi wasn't hard to miss, with her dark red hair and sharp green eyes, she was ridiculously easy to pick out in a crowd. Ryu had often teased her about her hair color and suggested she dye it black to better blend in with the crowd. She'd nailed him in the chest more than a few times for that.

His chest was growing tighter as he searched around the park where she would have been sitting. Still no Takashi. He twisted around a full circle and felt his heart sink as he realized she wasn't anywhere near there. Putting his palm against his forehead he sighed heavily, "Damn..." He went back to the parking lot and took a look down the street where they'd come from. They'd gotten quite a lead on the Fallen, but he was sure that with her strength it wouldn't be much longer before she caught up with them.

"We don't have a lot of time..." Ryu turned back around and ran his fingers through his hair as he tried to think on what to do. His gaze landed on the lush green trees. With a wry grin he turned to his two wards, "Alright. Lets go on a hiking trip shall we? Whats the worst that could happen? They find us in the trees and I have to whip out some serious skills, hu?" Ryu chuckled at his own joke, not really caring if the other two found it funny or not. Then he started towards the trees and entered the forest.

Takashi Inevera

She followed Kai closely, matching his pace easily. He seemed to be looking out for her rather than just bounding right on ahead like it seemed he really wanted to do. Takashi was interested in what he wanted to show her, unable to keep down her curiosity though she kept it from her face and appeared bored on the outside. She shook her head as he continued to chatter on to her even though she hadn't said a single word. He reminded her very much like Ryu, the young Guardian who always was talking no matter what. Rarely had she ever seen Ryu silent, that was mostly when he was sparring or actually concentrating on something.

Without realizing it, Takashi had followed Kai right up to the bottom of a rocky hill and he'd snatched her hand while she hadn't been paying attention. Pulling her up steadily, she was moved faster than they'd been going before hand. Probably because he was super excited now, judging by his tone and the look on his face as they ascended. They topped the hill and Takashi thought that her heart had stopped, or that air was being restricted from her lungs. Her eyes widened without permission and her mouth dropped open in a small 'o' of awe and surprise. It was beautiful, the pool of water with a waterfall dropping right into it. The trees surrounding the area had a kind of aura to them that made the place even more peaceful.

Takashi had been too distracted with the gorgeous scenery that she hadn't noticed Kai going down the hill to the other side. Nor had she heard his question and so didn't answer him. After a moment she brought herself out of her revere and looked around before she spotted him bobbing and weaving through the underbrush and rocks. With a soft sigh and an irritated mental note to herself about keeping an eye on him at all times, Takashi started down the hill after him, going quickly. She nimbly made her way through the dense vegetation, bouncing from rock to rock and almost enjoying the downward climb until she was right next to him. Forgetting herself, she looked over to him, grinned and shot forward, using her nimble body to jump from rock to rock.

Takashi rushed down the hill, jumping over fallen logs, using the rocks as her personal stepping stones and launching pads as well as some trees to get over larger obstacle. Looking behind her she waited to see if Kai had taken up on her challenge for racing him down the hill before continuing onward.

Kai had been going down the hill at a steady pace waiting for Takashi to follow. He was getting excited to go swimming and he almost didn't hear Takashi coming up close after him. She was very quick on her feet and jumped easily from rock to rock, avoiding any and every obstacle. He slowed to watch her for a bit. she looked over at him, and grinned at him before shooting forward like a bullet. Kai was so shocked that she actually smiled at him that he almost lost his balance. Soon though, he was bounding down the hill, jumping over the rock in leaps rather than running. He let out a 'woop' as the wind rushed through his hair. He always felt like he was flying when he ran down a hill this fast.

He caught up to her quickly. Normally, he might not have been able to catch up to her quick gait, but he was in his terrain, and he knew it better than anyone. As the ground began flattening out some, and the trees dispersed, he passed her and smiled at her. he was so busy looking over his shoulder at her, that he almost forgot to jump over the log sitting at the base of the hill. He jumped late, losing his balance, and went tumbling into the sand-dirt beach that met the water. He began laughing slightly, and gave Takashi a lopsided grin, looking embarrassed. He ran his sandy fingers through his wind-blond hair, trying to get it to lay flat. It still looked as messy as ever, but he always found a way to pull it off. He took off his shirt and tossed it near the rock shelter. Kai tried to brush some sand off of his body, but it was nose use. He was about to get in the water anyway. "Amazing isn't it?" He asked her, standing up. "How does it feel to be one of the only people to have seen the most beautiful place in the world?" he asked her, only half joking. This was the equivalent to the Garden of Eden to him, and getting to share it with someone made it feel even more special. Despite having just met her, the fact that she already trusted him enough to go with him meant a lot. The look on her face had said she was beyond impressed, which was a better reaction than a scoff, as he had expected from her. He took a few steps closer to her and rubbed the back of his neck. He had forgotten he promised her a secret, and he forgot to think of one other than the paper struck. Who's to say she'd believe him anyway. Maybe she didn't remember, and he'd get out of it.

Ryu Hitara

"How did you even know I didn't have a Guardian? Ohh... I guess it was kinda obvious when no one came to help when the Fallen tried to attack me.... You? My guardian? No, no thanks. No offense to you or anything, but... my last guardian... I'm not gonna talk about that."

Ryu looked over to Fletcher and felt a frown crease on his usually smiling face. Fletcher didn't want him as a Guardian? That was a first for Ryu. He wasn't quite sure how to take it and it stumbled his usually jolly self. It was like a cold knife right to his chest. After muttering about wishing for a paper craft that could find people, Adelaide opened her mouth as she looked up at him and her words just barely reached his ears.

"Uhm, I can..."

His reach stopped as she pulled out a pair of scissors and began cutting at what looked like thin air to Ryu. After a few moments, two bird like pieces of paper appeared and fluttered about Adelaide's hands. She spoke again, this time saying Takashi's name, and the birds took off like little rockets. Ryu turned swiftly and followed their course through the trees. He was astonished and in awe at her power and could only stare off into the trees as they sought out his Guardian companion. Turning back to Adelaide, his smile had returned. He pushed aside the rejection feeling and watched her carefully.

"Er, West, I think. Water. Height, and then water," Adelaide said and then she fell forward slightly, leaning against the tree in exhaustion. Ryu immediately jumped down and took hold of her shoulders. He gave her a huge smile.

"You. Are. Amazing," he said, putting emphasis on each word. Ryu looked around then, so far the Fallen hadn't found them, but he was sure that wouldn't last long. He leaned down to Adelaide and pulled her up against him, "Excuse me for a moment. I'll carry you alright? At least until we get to Takashi, or she finds us. She's been a Guardian longer than me, I'm sure she'll notice the papercraft in no time. In the meantime, we just need to put as much distance between us and that Fallen!" Ryu bent down, putting his arm under her knees and lifted her up into his arms.

It was a bit of a stretch, but he managed to get her up on the large tree trunk that had fallen. He followed after her and once he was over the other side, he reached for her again. Ryu was hopeful that Takashi would find them before the Fallen did.

Takashi Inevera

"Amazing isn't it? How does it feel to be one of the only people to have seen the most beautiful place in the world?" Kai asked her as he stood up from rolling in the sand. Takashi watched as he discarded his shirt and found that her gaze had a mind of its own, which annoyed her. Her smile slowly faded, as she tried to back on a stony look. She was irritated about her reaction to this pageling. It was too soon to be feeling any attraction at all, but she had to admit he was rather attractive and his personality was likeable as well. He reminded her a lot of her old ward. Maybe that was why she was so irritated.

Takashi crossed her arms and shrugged at him. Turning sideways from him, she looked about the area and took in the nice fresh air around them, "It's alright," she lied smoothly. Her fingers tightened on her arms as she stood there. Then she remembered his promise to show her his 'secret'. Turning her solid green eyes at him, she looked him up and down and ran a hand through her hair again.

"So, what's this secret of yours? You promised to show me something should I come with you. I hope you're a man of his word," she said to him, carefully keeping a flat, monotonous note to her voice.

Her eyes returned to the forest above them and that's when she caught sight of two little paper birds fluttering about weakly before they crumpled and fell to the earth. Her arms uncrossed and her eyes narrowed at what she'd seen. Obviously there was a pageling somewhere nearby, and from the position of the birds, they'd come from the east. Almost the same direction that her and Kai had come from.

"Kai, I want you to listen very carefully," her demeanor had changed completely, "Stay here. I have a feeling things are about to get... strange," she told him. Takashi figured she would tell him about the Fallen later, if her suspicions were right that was.

"I'll tell you more about it later, alright? For now, just trust me and stay here. You'll be safe, I promise," She turned and looked at him steadily before leaving the little area and climbing back up the hill that they'd come down.

Ivy Thomas

Her boots crunched on the pebbles of the playground. She knew that her prey had fled somewhere in that area. Her smile widened as she motioned for her two pagelings to start searching. It wasn't long before she realized that they weren't in the playground, but were in the forest area. Ivy ordered both of her minions to enter the forest and she followed after. She could fell that use of papercraft in the air, a strange tingle in the atmosphere. Ivy had gotten used to that ripple in the earths gravitation only because of her arcane power that dealt with gravity. She was acutely aware of strange phenomena.

With her senses prickling, she followed the use of papercraft from the tree that had a tiny hole in it, to the next area where she felt a large use of papercraft. She came upon a huge fallen tree trunk and hopped up easily on top of it. Ivy surveyed the area, one hand on her hip, the other stretched out loosely at her side. Behind her, both pagelings under her command looked around wearily. The Fallen knew she was coming up on her prey, the young boy and the two pagelings he was protecting.

"They're close," she said and hopped off the log onto the other side. Slowly, she drew her blade and started into the trees. It wouldn't be long before she came upon the three who were running from her.

Kai frowned when Takashi let her previous demeanor come back. She didn't seem as excited and she merely shrugged at the sight of his heaven. "It's alright. She said and glanced around once more. Just as Kai was getting ready to argue, she changed the subject. So, what's this secret of yours? You promised to show me something should I come with you. I hope you're a man of his word," she said, her voice just as stony as her face. Emotionless, and in all reality, sounding a bit bored. Kai opened his mouth then shut it again and rubbed the back of his neck. She seemed distracted and he looked to see what she was seeing. the blonde boy saw a little white bird disappear into nothing, and it looked just like when his swords failed. His mouth dropped open. He didn't do that. He looked back to Takashi and she looked almost worried. Her voice was no longer flat and her eyes were anxious. Kai ran his hand through his hair because he wasn't sure what to say to her. Thankfully she spoke first. "Kai, I want you to listen very carefully. Stay here. I have a feeling things are about to get... strange," she said and looked around again.

This time, Kai crossed his arms and gave her a defiant look. She didn't seem to notice however, or at least she didn't react. He knew that if she was leaving he was going with her. She looked very worried, and he had a feeling that danger was lurking somewhere near his precious Eden. He felt obligated to protect Takashi if anything were to happen, especially since he lead her out here, but also, he needed to make sure no one found this place. He didn't want a bunch of people hanging around, or any people at all. He didn't even have the chance to make her promise not to tell people about it before she started acting weird.

"I'll tell you more about it later, alright? For now, just trust me and stay here. You'll be safe, I promise," she said, and Kai almost snorted. She gave him a serious look and turned to climb the hill again. Kai rolled his eyes and began jogging after her.

"I know I'll be safe," he said. As he walked along with her he put his hands together and drew apart slowly, then he let his hands meet in the middle once again. He snapped something invisible and suddenly, two daggers appeared in both hands. "I can hold my own. Whatever's going on, I want to know now," he said. His voice had lost all light heartedness and joy that it had before. His brown eyes darkened under his bangs as he looked at her. His heart was pounding with adrenaline because it had been a long time since he had been on adventure that he wasn't the one inflicting the danger. If there was any danger, it was something that he couldn't control, and clearly neither could Takashi. "By the way Red, don't tell me what to do," he said and glanced sideways at her.

Ryu Hitara

"You've got to be kidding me!" he cursed as he gently set Adelaide down onto the ground. Already he could hear the sounds of the Fallen coming through the brush. He hid the girl as best he could behind a tree, tucked right next to the roots and out of the way for the most part. He leaned down, smiled at her and patted her head gently. "Don't worry alright? Stay here. I'll be right back."

Ryu turned to Fletcher then and motioned for him to take cover behind a tree, "Stay hidden as much as possible. If you see an opening go ahead and take it, but don't draw attention to yourself alright? Let me handle her. I'm sure Takashi's on her way so we just have to hold out until then," Ryu turned to the forest and the sounds of the approaching threat. His heart tightened in his chest as he put himself out into the open and drew his knife.

From the green underbrush the woman with white hair stepped forward and addressed him. Her lips pulled into a bright smile and her burnt orange eyes stared at him with a dead cold that just about froze his blood. His own lips upturned into a cocky smile as he pulled his knife back and closed his free hand into a loose fist. The woman flicked her white hair back over her shoulder and turned her gaze from one side of the forest to the other.

"Send them ahead of you? Or just have them hiding?"

"Neither," he answered back, still smiling.

"Smart. I have you figured for one that hides his wards nearby. Easier to keep an eye on them. That's smart too."

"Does it matter?"

"It does. Lets say you sent them ahead of you. What's stopping my own pagelings from going after them?"

"Why do you want pagelings so bad? Oh wait, you're a Fallen, I don't even have to ask. I know the answer to that already. You're greedy, selfish and lack friends. So sad."

The woman's smile twitched, turning into a slight sneer for a mere moment before she composed herself, "Well, aren't you full of yourself. Let's see how that fares for you."

The Fallen flicked her hand forward and both of the pagelings under her command came at Ryu. The one summoned her paper from thin air and shot them at him again. Ryu was prepared for it, and from the looks she was reaching her limits. He felt terrible for the girl because he'd heard all about what happens to a pageling once they've reached their limit. He didn't want to see it for real, it was bad enough reading about it in his books during his training. The rain of paper darts didn't hurt him as much as it had before. They barely scratched him as they shot at him through the trees. Just as before, her aim was completely off and only a few of them managed to scratch his face.

"Looks like your pagelings are getting tired, there Fallen. Maybe you should do the fighting yourself!" Ryu called as he lunged forward to attack the pageling with the sword. Their blades clashed together, the paper sword not making a sound as Ryu deflected the attack with his short dagger. He really hated having to hurt the pageling but he couldn't let them have their way either. Ryu tried his best to just knock the boy unconscious, but he really didn't like the sound he heard as his fist connected with the pagelings jaw.

However, he didn't have time to wonder if he'd really done some damage to the pageling that was now on the ground as the fallen had taken him up on his offer and came at him from the fallen log overhead. She jumped down at him, wielding two long knives much like Takashi would. His eyebrow rose at the sight of her fighting style that reminded him so much of his red headed friend. All the same, he swiped aside one blade and took a shot at her exposed side with his fist. He connected with her ribcage and she stumbled backwards only slightly. Her dagger came forward at him and Ryu twisted sideways to avoid the dangerous weapon. In return he slashed at her midriff that was exposed, his knife just barely cutting her clothing as she pulled away.

Twisting around, her leg kicked up and knocked him backwards as well as taking the air from his lungs. Ryu went quite a ways before hitting a tree and slumping forward slightly. He ducked immediately as she came at him with both knives. Wood splintered as her weapons cut deep into the tree leaving long gashes. Ryu barreled into her and tossed her down to the ground, rolling away from her as he went. Twisting around, he stood and met her head on. His blade connected with hers and his hand caught her other weapon as it came down at him. His grin widened as he stood there, pushing against her.

"You're not very good at this are you?" He asked her tauntingly. The Fallen's gaze narrowed at him and he was suddenly lifted off his feet and tossed away from her. It was like his body weight had gone from a solid 175 pounds of muscle to nothing at all. Ryu crashed into a tree, his body arching off of it the moment he hit. His eyes were wide with surprise as he collided and then bounced off. Blood involuntarily spit from his mouth and flecked his face as he slowly fell to the ground. He landed with his back against the tree, his chin down on his chest and leaned off to the side.

Takashi Inevera

She turned to give him a sour look as he came with her even though she'd said to stay behind. He was going to be a pain in the ass, just like someone else she used to know. A lump grew in her throat and she bit back the memories that always led to the dreaded night she lost everything.

"I know I'll be safe, I can hold my own. Whatever's going on, I want to know now," he told her as he put his papercraft into use. She knew all about his craft and when he produced it she wasn't in the least phased by it. If anything she was impressed that he wielded it very easily. She liked his style too, two knives just like her own. Now all that was left was to see how well he wielded them. With a sigh she shook her head and continued on up the path back the way they'd come. Maybe it was better that he come with her. The last time she'd left her ward out of her sight, things had gone... terrible.

"By the way Red, don't tell me what to do," he said to her, his tone no longer joking as he looked at her sideways. To this Takashi ground her teeth.

"You've some nerve, boy," she replied in kind, "Fine, do as you like," she finished and continued through the forest. She reached beneath the back of her shirt and pulled out her two long knives as they moved through the trees. Soon enough she heard the sounds of a fight going on and she went from a fast walk to sprinting. Once again her nimble body moved easily through the trees and she was at the scene in no time. However, she was still late and as she came bursting through the brush into the area where the sounds were coming from, she spotted Ryu being crushed against a tree. Blood flew from his mouth and he fell to the ground, unconscious. Her heart clenched tightly and she quickly moved to intercept who had attacked him knowing full well that Ryu had his ward somewhere near by.

"Takashi," the cool feminine voice froze her blood, "It's been so long. I was hoping to see you. Oh my, look at what you have with you as well. Is that your new ward? What a handsome looking young man. Reminds me of your last one. Of course you always did like the rough looking type. Blonde hair, a nice build and a bit of a rebel, no?"

Takashi turned her full attention on the woman who'd spoken and her eyes widened in shock, then narrowed to dangerous slits of pure rage, "Ivy."

"Is that all you have to say to me? We've known each other for how long now? Your best friend comes to say hello to you and all can do is utter my name in that kind of voice? Shameful," the woman put a hand on her hip and pretended to pout as if she were hurt.

"Quit your game, Ivy. I know why you're here. I won't let you have what you want, not this time," Takashi hissed and her blades tightened in her hand. She rushed forward, then used a small log to get a jump start. She launched off the log at the tree where Ryu had hit and from there she propelled herself down at Ivy, both blades pulled back. Ivy's grin widened as Takashi fell down towards her, murderous intent in her green eyes. Steel screamed together as both women collided. Sparks showered slightly from the pressure of each attack. Takashi twisted, her blades coming around for another attack. She was deflected again, but she didn't stop, her momentum building with each twist, turn and hit. Soon she was moving so quickly that the sound of steel hitting was almost one continuous noise.

There was the occasional break in the sound, but that was only when one woman managed to make a hit with the other. Takashi pushed Ivy back into the forest, her intent to drive the Fallen as far from the pagelings and Ryu as possible. From there, she would figure things out.

"You've some nerve, boy. Fine, do as you like," Takashi said, at first having the same tone as he had, and then sounding slightly annoyed. For just a moment her eyes seemed distant, but then she put her focus on what was in front of her. Suddenly noises of a fight came wandering through the trees and Takashi was off like a bullet. Kai had no troubles keeping up with her, but their styles of maneuvering through the tress was different. Her path mostly in a straight line but still moving easily between the trees. She made some noise, enough to scare away any animals lurking nearby, but not lie a giant stomping through the woods. Kai's body was bigger than hers, so required more control. He found himself moving in more of a zig zag, taking the easiest and quietest routes in the direction of the noises. Soon enough, they arrived at the scene. Takashi burst through the trees, and Kai followed her closely. He made sure not to stand behind her. He saw a blonde boy close to his age spit out some blood, sitting at the bottom of a tree. He narrowed his eyes and looked at the girl with white hair. "Takashi," she spoke "It's been so long. I was hoping to see you. Oh my, look at what you have with you as well. Is that your new ward? What a handsome looking young man. Reminds me of your last one. Of course you always did like the rough looking type. Blonde hair, a nice build and a bit of a rebel, no?" She was smiling, and her voice was smooth. He knew that the girl was taunting Takashi, but what she said bothered him. A ward? What did that mean? I'm handsome. Nice. Her last one? She lost him? And he looked like me? What the hell is going on? He thought as anger rose in him. Yes, he was the one who approached her and she seemed nothing but aloof towards him. But when the bird came she got serious, and told him to stay put. Almost like she was protecting him. What was he? An experiment? Another ward, whatever that meant?

"Ivy." Takashi said coldly.

"Is that all you have to say to me? We've known each other for how long now? Your best friend comes to say hello to you and all can do is utter my name in that kind of voice? Shameful," Ivy responded and began to pout. She was very pretty and Kai found it hard not to stare. Based on what Ivy had said he wasn't sure if Takashi was someone he should trust, but the way Ivy was treating Takashi, she seemed like she shouldn't be trusted either. He had to fight back a grin. Ohhh he had gotten himself into loads of trouble. The thought made a surge of adrenaline run through him.

"Quit your game, Ivy. I know why you're here. I won't let you have what you want, not this time," Takashi said and lunged at the girl. Their blades clashed together, and Kai readjusted his own in his hands. Because of his nature, he hardly thought about calling the police and trying to stop them. He wasn't sure what to do, especially since he wasn't sure who to help, or who to trust. He wasn't sure who the boy was, but considering he had been knocked out and Ivy wasn't leaping to help him, he figured he was Takashi's friend. Once again he was conflicted, but decided he would help him anyway. He skirted around the girls and knelt next to him. He dropped his blades on the forest floor and they disintegrated. Takashi and Ivy continued fighting, and they were moving back into the forest, away from the boy and himself. Kai clenched his jaw and looked back to the boy. His head was bleeding. He gently lifted his chin and wiped the blood off his face with his bandana.

"Are you okay?" he asked him and scanned his body for any other wounds. He had heard him hit the tree, so he assumed his back was in bad shape. He didn't try to move him, because it might be seriously injured. How the hell did Ivy throw him against a tree?

Her heart hiccuped when Ryu picked her up in his arms, but she had no energy to resist. It was pleasant that someone was there to take care of her again but it was still all too fast and she felt herself sway dizzily as he carried her through the brush.
Adelaide was not sure whether she was relieved or a bit reluctant, but she was set down soon after noises through the trees disrupted the trio's journey. It was the scary lady again. From what she understood, the lady wanted to have her to use. But it was still so confusing and vague.

Ryu kindly hid her amidst a tangle of roots. The warmth of his hand on her head was reassuring, so she obediently tucker her legs close to her and pushed her back up against the tree to make herself as small as possible. As for making any noise, there was no worry of that since Adelaide usually had to try her hardest to make even the slightest of sounds.

The sounds of fighting erupted behind her, but from her hiding spot Adelaide could not see any of it. Fletcher was nearby, looking as if at war with himself. Adelaide felt like she understood, wanting to help but not being able to. She knew that she was useless when it came time to be able to protect anything. She could not even protect her previous home from some fat cat businessmen. Adelaide curled up tighter.

She almost sprang out from her hiding place when she heard Ryu colliding hard with something. Not that Adelaide would be of much use in shielding her guardian, but it would be worth it if she could somehow stop this.

Then she heard the name Takashi. The one they had been searching for had come, and in Adelaide's mind she felt that Takashi must be an amazing person, akin to a superhero. She was relieved and she relaxed a bit from her tensed, cramped position. Fletcher seemed to be getting a grip on his nerves as well as he asked after Adelaide's well-being. She nodded solemnly in answer.

The sounds of fighting were becoming distant. It was almost silent when Adelaide cautiously poked her head out. There was Ryu in the distance slumped against a tree. A young man came into sight and approached the wounded Ryu. The newcomer had his back to where Adelaide was viewing but she could see him lifting up Ryu's head. Blood dripped from his face.

Alarmed, Adelaide whipped back to Fletcher. "Someone." she said, trying to grab his attention. Her eyes widened as she silently conveyed the situation. She pointed in their direction and finally managed to squeak out, "Ryu!"

Ryu Hitara

There was a dull drum in his ear as he slowly regained consciousness. His breathing filled his hearing as did his heart beat. For a moment, Ryu forgot what had happened to him and he wondered why his head hurt so much. Then he realized that the reason for his tremendous headache was the fact that he'd been literally launched into a tree. Another fact came to him and his eyes snapped opened.

"Are you okay?" A boy asked him, having wiped away the blood all over his face. Ryu ignored him for a moment and came forward frantically. Of course he didn't get very far because his head thrummed harder and his entire body felt like it was on fire. He fell back against the tree with a groan.

"Well, I'm alive," Ryu answered sarcastically, wincing as he sat there.

"Ryu!" The soft voice was just loud enough for him to hear and his heart leapt into a race. His ward! For a few seconds he thought that the Fallen had gotten to Adelaide and once more his eyes snapped open and he moved too quickly for his injured body. Even so, he leaned off to the side, trying to ignore the pain racing through him. He searched for the girl and the other young boy whom he'd been trying to protect.

"Adelaide! Are you alright?" He called. He spotted her soon after and sighed in relief. At least she was still there. Once he'd gotten his answer from the girl he turned to the boy who was tending to him.

"Where's Takashi? Did she come? Where'd that Fallen go? Who are you?" He had to bite his tongue to keep from bombarding the boy with more questions. Ryu had to conclude that the boy before him must have been with Takashi if he were there, or maybe he was just a passerby. Eitherway, Ryu was concerned about this ones safety as well as the other two, though he didn't say anything. If he wasn't a pageling, than he didn't need to know details. If he was than he was in even more danger than a normal person.

As he sat there, listening to the answers given to his questions he figured things out. However, their peace and quiet didn't last long. From the underbrush, the large bushes and fauna there was a loud cry and following it Takashi came hurtling into the area looking worse than Ryu felt. His heart jumped in his chest and he leaned against the tree to stand. As he stood, so did Takashi, her green eyes flamed with anger. She was missing one of her knives and her body was covered in long cuts and gashes.

From the bushes came the Fallen who almost mirrored Takashi in injuries. Though instead of her usual cruel smile, she was angrily glaring at the red haired Guardian. Ryu stumbled slightly but gripped his knife tightly and put a smile on his own lips.

"Ready for round two, Fallen? This time it'll be more than a match," he called. The woman's burnt amber gaze flicked to him and narrowed.

"You wish," she growled, then turned her attention back to Takashi, "I suppose luck is on your side, Takashi. Otherwise I'd crush you right here. Don't worry though, next time you won't get off so easily."

"Maybe you should have killed me when you had the chance back then."

The Fallen straightened and her cruel, cold smile returned to her pale face, "Perhaps. But this is much more fun," she finished, her eyes turning passed Ryu's shoulder. Ryu looked and caught sight of the boy who was the center of the Fallen's attention right then. He arched an eyebrow, unsure of what was going on exactly, but without hesitating he moved to put himself in front of the young man.

In doing so he received a very unpleasant look from the Fallen, to which he only replied with a smile and a half salute to her, mocking her in every way he could. The woman stepped back into the green brush and turned her back to them all. She was soon lost to them and Takashi looked as if she were going to pursue. Ryu moved as quickly as his battered body could allow. Grabbing her arm he pulled her back and then dropped down with her.

"Hey! Hey! Don't be getting any ideas here, Takashi! You can't possibly go after her after all that. I mean look at you, you're bleeding all over the place and you don't look like you could put up a good fight. Come on, let her go for now, ok? We'll get her next time-"

"Shut up, Ryu," she spat at him and he startled. It wasn't unusual for her to tell him that, but the tone of voice was way unusual for him. He wasn't quite sure how to respond to her.

"Takashi..."

She looked down, her red hair falling over her face and hiding her eyes from him, "Sorry," she muttered and then fell against him.

"Hey, hey!! You can't just pass out right here!" Ryu fumbled.

"I'm still awake you idiot," she shot back and Ryu felt his heart settle. A sigh of relief flooded him as she spoke again, "Don't get the wrong idea, though. I'm just tired."

"Yeah, I know. I'm tired too," he replied and patted the top of her head gently. Had it been any other time he was sure she would have broken his fingers for doing something like patting her head, but seeing as she was exhausted he figured he was safe enough.

"We gotta report this, you know. I think maybe it's time we find him," Ryu suggested carefully.

"Mmm," was the only reply he got from the red haired Guardian. Ryu opened and closed his mouth as he sat there. Then he turned to where he'd told the two pagelings to hide and called to them.

"It's alright now guys, you can come out of hiding now. We'll be leaving soon anyway," he said as he turned to Takashi. He knew she was thinking the same thing he was. It was time to go find Matthew.

As Kai looked worriedly at the boy, the other one reacted differently that expected. He jerked forward, only to drop back again, groaning in pain. He said he was alive, but was then distracted by a voice calling a name. Kai guessed it was his, because he responded. After a short conversing with the girl, Ryu turned his attention back to Kai. How many of them are there? Kai asked himself inwardly. "Where's Takashi? Did she come? Where'd that Fallen go? Who are you?" The boy asked frantically. Kai simply looked at him. He wasn't about to answer any of those questions without knowing what was going on.

"I don't know. Do you expect me to tell you? I don't even know what the hell a fallen is. And do you think I would tell you?" Kai said. His words were sharp, but he kept his voice low and calm. He stood up and took a few steps away from the boy. Just as he was about to begin asking his own questions, Takashi came flying through the trees, landing with a painful thud. She stood up, looking furious, bloody and somehow still gorgeous. Kai surprised a smile. The same girl from before came after her. The once white hair was streaked with blood and dirt, although once again it didn't diminish her exotic beauty. Ryu stood up and said something about another round, but the pageling was focused on Takashi. They all said some things, but Kai's mind was drifting. He didn't start paying attention until he Ryu stepped in front of him, protectively.

Kai literally had to fight to not roll his eyes. He did not need protecting. The cruel smile on the "Fallen's" face faded into a scowl. Why was she looking at him that way? She turned and disappeared into the woods, and Ryu started going on about how they would get her, but Takashi sharply cut him off. Kai listened to the exchange between the two of them, but he kept his eyes on the trees. When he brought his mind back to the people with him, he turned to see Takashi leaning on Ryu, and he was patting her head. He raised an eyebrow. Surely somewhere he had missed something. Ryu called the others out, and said it was okay not to hide anymore.

"Alright. I have been extremely patient while you fight some hot blonde chick," he pointed to Takashi, " and while you bombarded me with questions, talked to some hidden girl and then tried to protect me," he said his voice raising. "Now I want answers Takashi. What is going on? Who was that girl? What is a ward? And am I yours? What happened to your last one? Am I just a replacement until whatever the hell you do goes wrong?" He asked, hardly taking a breath between questions. "Why were you surprised when I did this?" He began making a sword, using long movements. Soon enough a sword appeared in Kai's hand as he took it out of an invisible sheath. This time he did it quickly, and threw it on the ground almost as soon as he'd made it. It took a few seconds to disappear, but it did. He began pacing back and forth. He was very impatient and as illogical as it is, he wanted all of his questions answered right then and there at the same time. Waiting was not on his list of things to do.

Suddenly, a hawk flew above the sky, cawing out. It wasn't a rare sight, but it was enough to distract Kai. "Hey Takashi look at that!" The childish glee was back to his voice, but it didn't last long. "No wait. Don't. Answer my questions."

---

Lydia

Lydia bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. She breathed in and out, shaking out her arms. Her brown hair was pulled into a tight knot at the back of her head. She took one last breath and began running across the mat. She flipped forward, placing her powered hands on the ground. Her movements were flawless, or so it seemed. She always found mistakes while watching her recorded practices. Although, this wasn't gym practice, it was agility and fighting practice. Her moves were a mix gymnastics, Hankido and Hapkido. The combination created a beautiful show, however if you were to come across her, it became deadly. Losing her balance, she slips and fell hard on her back. The wind was knocked out of her, but it wasn't anything she wasn't used to.

After showering and putting on her favorite outfit, coral colored shorts and a cream colored v-neck, she walked out of the gym seeking out her father. Today, she had her whip fashioned as a belt. It was hidden by her top, but if anyone were to see it, they'd take it as a fashion statement. After talking with her dad for a few minutes, she was given a piece of paper with the information of her ward on it. His name, age, and grade were written next to a picture of him. He father gave her the advice that he might hang out at the library or possibly the park considering it was nice out today. She thought she'd seen him around school some, but she'd just have to see now wouldn't she.

Lydia stuffed the noted in her pocket and began making her way towards the park. "Hi," she began speaking to herself. She kept her voice low though, so that no one could hear what she was saying. "My name is Lydia Vivire. No need to introduce yourself, I know who you are. No, no, no! That sounds so stalkerish," She sighed. Taking a deep breath, she tried again. "Hello, I'm Lydia. It's really nice to meet you finally." Lydia clenched her fists and let out a frustrated sigh."Finally? That's even worse! Okay, alright Lydia. you got this. Hi, I'm Lydia. You're special, and I'm here to protect you." She slapped her forehead and gave up. Maybe the right words would come to her when the time came. She entered the park and began looking around. She pulled out the paper again and studied his picture.

Fletcher heard the noises of more fighting behind him. More fighting, more bloodshed, more violence. Why did it have to be this way? He watched Adelaide closely. Her eyes widened, and she was very concerned about something. She managed to squeak Ryu! but that was all he heard.

“Yeah, Ryu’s hurt! i…. I just don’t know what to do! Then he noticed that someone else, someone new was standing over Ryu. He looked like a good guy, but you never really could tell. He watched him nervously, wondering what he was saying to him. Suddenly Ryu sat up and shouted, Adelaide! Are you alright?

“Yeah, she’s fine!” Fletcher called back, glancing down at his own shaking limbs. He was certain Adelaide couldn’t be much more frightened than he was- he didn’t even have a real guardian to protect him! He watched Ryu and the other guy talk for a while, biting his lip and staying put. What should he do? Adelaide looked like she might cry, and he felt pretty much the same way. Just in a more manly sense, of course.

His course of action was decided for him as Takashi and the Fallen, Ivy, reappeared from the woods. Fletcher ducked down behind the log as a loud conversation ensued. Then silence for a while. Only the sounds of walking could be heard by the young man. Then, urgent chatter by Ryu and Takashi. He looked up again, to see that Ivy had left the scene. After glancing around nervously, Ryu came up to them and commanded them, It's alright now guys, you can come out of hiding now. We'll be leaving soon anyway,"

Fletcher nodded nervously, grasping his folded crossbow tightly. “Y-yeah… I need to get out of here. This is all too crazy.” Most dominant on his mind was the need most dominant in his life- the need for a Guardian. When would he get one? Who would it be? What was he, or most likely, she, like? Would they be a good guardian? Would he or she be able to protect him against Ivy should she come calling again? Ryu and Takashi were good guardians and all, but… Ryu reminded him of Richard, however vaguely, and Takashi seemed to be closely related to him. He didn’t want to make enemies or anything… He just didn’t want to be around them more than necessary.

Distracted by this, Fletcher epically failed at climbing over the log that he had used as his hiding place, tripping over the top and tumbling down, landing with a face full of leaves and dirt. He sat up with a splutter, letting out a groan of disgust. “Aaghhh…” He blew the leaves that had entered his mouth out, and stood before Ryu or anyone could really offer help. He glanced around. It didn’t seem like danger was near anymore. “Am… Can I go, now?”

Takashi Inevera

She rested against Ryu and didn't even have the strength enough to slap away his hand as he patted her gently on the head. How she hated it when he did things like that to her. Just because he was taller than her and much more lively didn't mean he could get away with anything he wanted. She scowled at the ground but didn't move as every limb in her body ached. That was until Kai came into her line of sight looking very irritated and started ranting at her.

"Alright. I have been extremely patient while you fight some hot blonde chick, and while you bombarded me with questions, talked to some hidden girl and then tried to protect me. Now I want answers Takashi. What is going on? Who was that girl? What is a ward? And am I yours? What happened to your last one? Am I just a replacement until whatever the hell you do goes wrong? Why were you surprised when I did this?"

Her heart slammed in her chest. Her eyes widened as she looked up at him. The normally large green orbs were small and filled with a mixture of emotions. Sadness, hatred, rage and most of all, hurt. She was hurt by what he said last. Was he just a replacement? No! Of course not! How could he think like that? Until she did something wrong?! Where did that come from?

"Hey Takashi look at that! No wait. Don't. Answer my questions."

She was too absorbed with trying to calm her own reactions down to even really acknowledge his short lack of concentration on his current situation. He turned back to face her, demanding answers. Some of those answers she wasn't ready to give him. Takashi tried to calm herself, but it wasn't working very well and without knowing it tears had already begun to stream down her cheeks. Her face was flushed with anger, her heart beating rapidly and her throat tight. A wave of memories washing her over as she sat there.

Slowly she stood up from her kneeling position against Ryu. The younger Guardian stretched out his hands to try to stop her but Takashi was showing a side of herself that the boy hadn't ever seen and didn't quiet know how to deal with. It took some effort to stop the flow of tears once she realized that they'd started. Once she got them under control, it was purely a stony face that glared at Kai, locking up everything that had shown moments before.

"You're my ward," she replied softly, her voice emotionless, "You're what's called a pageling. That sword you created is your papercraft. I knew about it, that's why I wasn't surprised. I'm your guardian, I protect you from the Fallen. That's what Ivy is. She used to be a guardian, like me. But she abused her power and now she takes pagelings for her own personal use. She has no problems with killing pagelings, overusing them and their power, driving them to their limits until they simply. fall. apart," she stopped to take a breath, steadying herself and keeping the same stone features, "My last ward is..." she stumbled, losing her composure.

Her breathing quickened again and Takashi turned away from Kai. She walked away from him and Ryu, her movements less graceful than before thanks to the many injuries that ravaged her. Takashi leaned against a tree and slowly slid down to her knees where she whispered to herself, "I knew it was too early for this... I'm not... I can't," she reached up and pressed her fingers against her forehead hard. Squeezing her eyes shut she sat there trying to rid herself of her doubts and regain her confidence once more.

Ryu Hitara

The burst from the boy was startling and right after Takashi's crying face put Ryu in an awkward situation. He didn't know what to do and for once he was actually at a total loss of words. He didn't know what to say as Takashi stood up from his side and faced the boy that was her ward. He watched in sadness as she turned away and dropped down in the fauna literally curling in on herself. Ryu had heard about what had happened to her last ward, something that he probably hadn't over heard at the time but it wasn't something he could forget so easily.

She was probably tearing herself apart right then. No. That was wrong. She tore herself apart every day because of what happened. He couldn't even begin to try to understand how she felt. Turning his eyes landed on his two wards. Well, one was his ward, the other was just under his temporary protection. If he lost Adelaide because he hadn't been right there with her, he wouldn't know what to do at all after that. The fact that Takashi was moving one step at a time forward was a miracle in and of itself.

“Am… Can I go, now?”

Ryu had watched Fletcher climb over the log and totally biff it at the end. However he wasn't in his usual mood of teasing and continuous chatter (a rarity). So when Fletcher spoke, it seemed to shake Ryu from his daze and he nodded slightly to the boy.

"Yeah, just... wait for me. Adelaide and I will go with you. We gotta get you a Guardian and soon. Without one you're going to be in a lot of trouble. Especially with Ivy..." he stopped and glanced over his shoulder to the kneeling figure of Takashi, "Well, you know that already I'm sure. Come on, lets get going," he stood up and moved over to help Adelaide up to her feet. Once that was done he started walking towards the park area with Fletcher in tow as well. He stopped for a moment next to Takashi, looking down at her with a sense of sympathy. He bit his lip before speaking.

"We really need to go find Matthew, Takashi."

"Go," her voice was sharp, "I'll catch up later."

"You better. What would I do without you Takashi?" Ryu chirped at her, trying to make her feel better. She muttered something in response, but he couldn't hear it. When she didn't say anything else he frowned and readjusted Adelaide before continuing to the park area.

Even after the violence had ended, Ryu still came to help her up. She was almost frightened by the endurance of the guardians, both with serious injuries but somehow able to walk about. It was beyond human.
But they were kind, and they cared. And those are about the most human of all traits. Adelaide took his hand yet again that day and they wound their way about the trees and out of the forest. She spared a glance back at the other two. The easily distracted one had alarmed her with his outburst, but he did not seem to be malevolent. The bold guardian seemed to have crumpled up, feelings from a distressing past crashing over her shoulders. The attack had wounded her in more ways than one. The same must have been for Ryu.

Adelaide felt guilty that she was the one being supported away from the ordeal. The experience left her tired, frightened, but completely capable of walking and in much better shape than her partner. As they entered the relatively bright park area, Adelaide placed herself right at Ryu's side and pulled on his shirt so that his weight would fall on her. This way, he could lean on her and rest a bit, as well as hide some of the blood and wounds from the curious eyes around them.

A thick drop of blood splashed onto her supporting shoulder. It must have been half congealed, but what made her shiver the most was the heat of it and the thought that Ryu's health might be deteriorating more rapidly than she thought. Fletcher looked distracted, like he had spotted someone of interest, but Adelaide followed silently so that they may find medical treatment quickly.