To the outside, he was the "Kind Monkey Boy," always smiling, always living life on the edge and all too happy to enjoy a nice meal or two. Xiba was the boy that people didn't expect to grow up and become a respectable man. He'd grown up not knowing his real parents since they apparently walked out on him when he was young. Apparently, some of the other woman of the village had made it their duty to ensure he had breastmilk since his actual mother had better plan than caring for her little red-headed baby.

Even so, he could never say he was lonely-at least, not aloud. He grew up with people pitying him, always the boy who "had no parents, the orphan-boy." The latter was a nickname for years until one little girl decided that he climbed trees like a monkey. After that, word spread... and the name "Orphan Boy" was gone and "Monkey Boy" stuck.

The little girl had been trying to be funny, but in the end, she ended up, making his life better. People laughed and associated his name with his energy, his never wearing shoes rather than what his parents did. The young man didn't even know them, and they nagged him up to this very day. The shadows of the invisible parents hung over him and no matter what he did to shake them off, they hung on and squeezed onto him, taking refuge in the life that they had both abandoned.

In truth, even after the name change, he knew that there were many who still saw him as that "Orphan boy." That lonely child, that little boy who was always in a fight, the one raised by a drunk and will never amount to anything, the boy named Xiba, "The Orphan Monkey Boy."

For that reason, he had to smile. Even when he felt like crying, he had to keep it up, in hope that one day, the thing that was unnatural to his face would become his natural face. One day, when he finally moved away, his smile would be seen by other's for what it truly is.

Xiba turned to his right, watching the girl beside him with careful eyes as he continued doing remedial moves that he had been doing since the day he could stand on his own. Everything came natural, each thrust, each stance, the anger being let go, it all came natural. There was relaxation in doing this kind of thing-even if he hated practicing it.

Even so close, they had a distance between them that was virtually always there. Thrusting his arm forward, the wood broke into uncountable pieces, that sound being the only thing that could awaken the silence. The girl kicked in the air, the sound of wind cracking in the air-like a whip and it stung like one too. He should know; they'd been sparring partners on many-an-occasion.

That girl, he watched, was named Rei Hino. In Japanese, it apparently meant: "Spirit of Fire." Still, it was a rather strange name if someone asked him, but no one was asking so he kept his thoughts to himself.

The girl kicked in the air, and he frowned as Edge Master came up from behind her and told her to adjust her position.

The light of the sun filtered through and Monkey Boy could see her in a way that no one else saw her, that long violet hair that matched her eyes swingly violently as she practiced moves without a sword or rod like many of the other students of the academy. Of course, here, they didn't have to worry about what was normal for the academy because this place was Edge Master's own training grounds and his students: just those two.

Her name fit how she moved in training-like dancing flames, each move destructive and beautiful. He swore that he could see her heart in her movements and in those eyes that had never pitied him. She had never known the "Orphan Boy." Heck, she didn't even call him by his other nickname.

"Xiba, are you finished warming up?" Edge Master asked as he moved away from the female and looked towards the male in the room who smiled in response.

"U-uh," It was almost weird to hear his real name when no one actually called him that. In fact, even in his own mind, he was just 'Monkey Boy. "Yeah, pretty much..." Xiba answered, his attention still on the girl in the room.

Rei wasn't the type of girl that guys mentioned in passing, no, she was more like the type of person that stayed in people's mouth, if not for her beauty but for her strange behavior. He hadn't known her long; in fact, he wasn't even sure if they had known one another for a year yet. The men of the village had been driven crazy, looking to get Edge Master's permission to marry her. They looked like fools,-trying to swoon her, only to be rejected.

Xiba was never one to act crazy over anybody; nobody could be special enough to make him look like a fool though Edge Master said that his parading around shirtless and shoeless was foolish enough.

"Very good. Today is going to be a calmer day as I must make preparation for the owner of the Kali-Yuga; he wants to meet his next successor." Edge Master said calmly, his gruff voice grabbing the attention of Rei, the Japanese teenager who he had taken in as a daughter.

"You mean, your disciple, Kilik-san is coming today?" She said, speaking Mandarin Chinese though she still used Japanese honorifics. Of course, he told her that when they were alone, it was fine to speak in Japanese but in public, he wanted her to not stick out.

Xiba turned to the pretty girl, a smile on his face. "So you've met him before?" The old man often spoke of him whenever they had a chance to be alone. For whatever reason, his adoptive father, Kong Xiuqiang, never wanted him to hear stories of the Kali-Yuga successor, always claiming the stories were useless for his little "monkey boy" to keep developing as a warrior.

Rei's face turned slightly. "Um, yes, once or twice." Looking away, she wasn't quite sure how to take Xiba speaking to her in training as they hardly ever spoke in front of her father figure.

"Mr. Xiuqiang should be coming home soon..." Edge Master's tone sounded dark yet like he had said a dirty joke that only the "Kind Monkey Boy" understood.

Of course, Xiba understood very well. He wasn't even supposed to be there, training with him when his father clearly said that he only wanted him under his wing at all times, but for the past week, he would have been down in the marketplace, making a fool of himself. Drunk and probably out of money, he would make it home and ask him how his "vacation" was and talk about how cruel the western civilizations could be.

Xiba scowled. He understood very well. Monkey Boy only hoped that Rei could stay naive of his situation for just a little longer. Kong wouldn't want him there, training under the greatest weapons master in all of the Eastern world, no, he'd rather have him under his wings for all eternity, waiting for the drunk to get home after making himself a "fool" so that all the people can laugh at him.

His father only wanted him to train under him and learn the "drunken fist" rather than how to use the staff that had been given to him long before his birth, a staff that had always been there, the one thing, in this life, that felt like family.

However, the joke in the old man's voice, it had nothing to do with any of those things. In fact, the so-called "joke" wouldn't be all that funny to him once he got home and dealt with the joke of a man that he called his father.

Xiba only prayed that he wouldn't be sober enough to react to the news that he had been training with Edge Master.

Truth be told, it wasn't like he enjoyed training all that much. In fact, he hated it, but a part of him felt empty and distracted when he went without it. Since the day he was born, it was a part of his daily regime, always fighting, always getting stronger, breaking his body down to the cellular level then rebuilding himself even stronger for the next day's regime.

Some would say that he was like a dog, licking up his own throw-up. Xiba would have to agree, but then he'd think about the comparison (that no one had actually made but himself) then get mad. When he got angry, he got hungry and when he started to eat, he wanted to work it out... then that would cause him to train-then the whole process would start again.

Xiba sighed, disgusted with himself. He really was like a dog.

Rei raised an eyebrow, her eyes sternly focused on him. The young maiden always had this look in her eyes that seemed to read him like he were some children's book. He hated that look. It made her no different from the villagers, always thinking they were one step ahead of him, as if they could tell him where he was going before he made a move.

The two sat there, locked in a staring contest, both too stubborn to look away and give it up.

Tired of watching them, Edge Master sat down, hoping that his next actions would catch their attention, as he pulled a letter from his pocket, the dust underneath him came up like a cloud as the girl stepped back, not wanting it to get on her training clothing. "The letter says that he would like for me to tell the 'sweet, kind, and beautiful Rei' his salutations and to also help improve the skills of the next supposed successor.

"You sure that he's talking about 'our' Rei?" Xiba joked upon seeing a slightly red-faced girl, her expression priceless.

Rei frowned. "Kilik-san wouldn't lie... h-he's not like a buffoon like you!"

"What'd you say, you little scrawny princess?" he barked back. "And I didn't say he was lying-he could just be thinking about someone other than you or got you all figured out wrong."

"Oh yeah, wanna talk scrawny, little boy?" Rei smiled lightly, a glint in his eyes that he hated more than anything.

Xiba's face contorted angrily. Why did she always have to go there about him being short in comparison to his contemporaries? It wasn't like she was much different. "Yeah, whatever, make me a sushi roll or something..."

Rei stared at the boy, her eyes piercing. "Don't make me laugh... little boy."

How could he forget? She had a nickname for him, too... it was the most insulting of them all. "Master, tell her to stop calling me that!" The sixteen year old boy cried out, tears practically about to fall from his eyes.

Rei watched him with disdain. "No one believes you're that sensitive," she said softly as she stood up and walked past the red-headed male, the scent of cherry blossoms gracing his senses. He couldn't see her, but he knew she had stopped right behind him. It was what she always did when he started acting dramatic.

Xiba kept his eyes down low, not wanting to look at the weapon's master, afraid of what his expression would be. Would he be upset? Did he find their antics funny?

"Xiba, will you be good when I'm gone?" The old man asked, his deep voice shattering Xiba's thoughts.

"Of course, Master. I can take care of myself."

There was silence. He wasn't sure why, but it was there and he hated it. Silence was his enemy. It reminded him of home. It reminded him of the place that he wanted to avoid.

"Chai-kun," Rei broke the silence, her voice barely above a whisper. The maiden didn't say much of anything,. waiting until their master had left before she turned around and bent down to his level where he was sitting, "why does it always feel like when he asks that question that one day, we're going to lose him?"

Xiba stayed still and continued looking down. Why did she have to say something like that? What was she? An idiot?! He couldn't imagine a day when he would ever leave them especially not him. Edge Master was the only person who had always been there, who understood him... no one else.

He smiled and turned around, preparing to say something snarky but froze upon seeing her eyes-so close to his. "You shouldn't think so much..."

Rei stood up and walked away from him, looking out the windows of the temple grounds. It was mid-afternoon so he assumed that there were children and families walking around as they tended to do at this time of day. He used to sit there, watching them until one day, a girl caught him and said that he looked so sad.

Xiba stood up and stretched his arms and legs, eyeing her again. "Is your memory coming back yet?" He asked for no particular reason besides the fact that he didn't want to go home, immediately and he didn't have any money to buy food-not for another two weeks, at least. Man, he needed a job quick... though he worked about four, already.

Rei shrugged her shoulders, not bothering to look at him, just focused on the outside. "Do you want me to leave you so badly?"

Xiba looked away, biting his bottom lip, unsure how to answer it.

"Chai-kun," Rei spoke again, turning around, "to be honest, I am afraid of remembering, I don't even try anymore. I am afraid that when I remember everything.." she paused, her eyes seeming to look past him with these sad eyes that Xiba couldn't. "What will you do when I leave this place?"

"What do you mean?" Xiba chuckled, trying to change the mood, uncomfortable. "I'll borrow money from someone else, that's what I'd do."

Rei smiled and giggled lightly and stared at him with this look that he had never seen, a look that said so much and nothing at all. "Whatever happens, Chai Xiba-kun, don't change."

"Huh?"

"Stay the same."

"What's with you suddenly?" Xiba growled as she smiled at him. Why was she doing that? It wasn't a pity smile so why was she doing it? He looked away then flashed to a dream that he had been having, a dream where he is running away with her to a world where only they belonged.

She grabbed his wrist and the dream flashed again as he pulled back from her, scared, the dream flashing over and over to the final part where he is standing over her, screaming at her, venom in his tone, blood all over the room and for whatever reason, whenever he woke up, he never felt scared. In fact, he felt peace...

What should feel like a nightmare felt like a dream and though he felt bad for it, at that moment, he knew there was something wrong with him. It felt like he needed to protect her from himself.

"Chai-kun, let's get something to eat."

"Whaa-d'ya say?" Xiba smiled suddenly, the stress and anger building up his hunger as it always did.

Rubbing her temples, she frowned. "I owe you... so let's get something to eat." She was lying, but it really didn't matter. He was hungry, and that was that.

Maybe, he'd protect her from himself another day. "Yeah, let's go!"