Hello and welcome to my second story! I'm kinda unsure on some parts of this story and the title will probably be changed a few times but I'm posting it and wishing for everything to be well, because summer holiday is near for me and I really can't stand keeping this secretly on my laptop any longer. Slight warning, there is a fight scene in the chapter just in case people want to avoid that. Enjoy!

I ran.

They were getting near. I could hear their footsteps. "Go, hide in there." I pointed behind some wooden crates. I could hear the fear in my voice. I ignored it. They were closing up on us.

"Now!" I shouted when he didn't move. I turned to face them, unsheathing my blade. The chief of the group stepped out from the crowd, his black robe flowing from the cool autumn breeze. The Dark Shadow.

"Now wasn't that too easy?" He smirked, showing his teeth.

Even they had a grey tint to it. Nothing about this man was bright. My grip on the dagger tightened.

"Stay away from us." I enunciated every word, taking a step back when he took a step towards me.

"Give me the boy, and I will let you go." He coaxed. "All this chasing, all this hiding will come to an end. You can live your life. We both know that you miss the peace, the days without worry."

I grinned sardonically. "Do you really think I'm that kind of person?" I drawled, sauntering towards the mob. They skittered back almost instantly, fright evident in their eyes. Only the man stood his place. I stared up at him. In a flash, I knocked him down, stepping on his chest and placing the tip of my dagger on his throat.

"I will not rest until your kind is perished." I said through gritted teeth. He growled, and suddenly, gripping my wrist, he threw me off, causing me to land four feet away, landing on my feet heavily. I rose from my kneeling posture, narrowing my eyes. "Go get her." He mumbled to his pack.

A few men nodded, and advanced on me. Three...Two...One. I launched myself at the nearest man, knocking him off his feet with a grunt. "հրաժեշտ." I muttered, and slit his throat. I jumped at the other, kicking him in the chest. Turning, I punched another man in the face. Blood spurted from his nose, but he ignored it and lunged at me. I ducked, tripping him with a swipe of my leg.

Turning again, I threw my dagger at the man who I kicked. He staggered for a moment, then fell backwards to the ground. I was caught off guard as a strong fist hit my back. I stumbled forwards, and then spun to connect my fist with the attacker's skull. He fell as another man with a small blade leaped in front. With a swift swipe he left a red gash across my cheek.

I ignored the painful sting and took out my sword. I slashed it across his arm, effectively leaving a large red streak on it. He howled in pain, staggering back. A man tugged my hood painfully off. I swung my fist to his chest, thrusting the pommel hard. An ugly crack was heard and he fell back. I quickly pulled my hood back up, but that one moment of distraction was too late. I was tackled to the ground, hit by many fists. Blood dripped from cuts that were scattered on my face as I struggled to get the pile of heavy bodies off me.

"Stop it." He said. He stepped out from the crates, lifting his hood away to reveal his face. His eyes were blazing with hatred and anger. "Stop hurting her."

The dark figure of the man shuddered as he laughed. "No...Don't!" I gasped out, reaching for him. Another fist connected with my chin and my head was thrown the other direction. When I managed to turn my head back to him, he smiled reassuringly at me and glared back at the dark man. He held one hand with its palm facing up and the other just above, palm facing down. His eyes were shut as he tried hard. Sweat trailed down his face. A faint, grey ball was forming slowly in his hands, from swirls of dust. The men who were holding me down were all backing off slowly, unsure of what is going to happen. Just a bit more...

His eyes sprang open. He thrusted his hands towards the man, throwing the faintly glowing grey ball that is still increasing in size. The man stood wide-eyed in its path as it hit his dark body, lighting the area up. He was thrown back, and the light dimmed as the ball faded away. All I could see now was just a black shadow lying on the ground, unconscious. I was the first to recover from shock. I got up, despite the complaining scars and bruises on my whole body. Snatching up my dagger that was stuck in some poor guy's chest, I grabbed his hand and tugged. "Come on!" I urged. With effort he moved his heavy feet, trailing behind me as he looked back at the scene.

...

You escape like a runaway train,

Off the tracks and down again.

And my heart's beating like a steamboat tugging,

All your burden, on my shoulder.

And in the mourning, I'll rise.

In the mourning, I'll let you die.

In the mourning, all my worry.

~In The Mourning by Paramore

I stroked his hair, singing softly. His small body curled up in my lap, his hands in tight fists. I lifted him off my lap as he slept, resting him on our cluster of old blankets and both of our cloaks. I looked up at the bright moon looking down upon us as I ended my lullaby.

I've been believing for a long time now. That we will have a bright future and everyone will have a happy ending. I guess this was impossible. For something to end well, it must start wrong. As my mother always told me. Tonight, I shall ask you a favor again for one last time. To keep him safe, no matter what happens. If I must, I will push my safety aside to keep him safe. Please. He must be kept away from any danger. I beg you, please keep him safe.

The moon only seemed to shine brighter as I finished my request. I wasn't confident. It had answered me once, but it never had again. I perched on the very edge of the tiled roof, looking out at the village. I took a deep breath from the cool breeze. One of those rare moments of peace and quiet. I glanced at one of the lit up windows of the houses. A boy was drawing away, paint smeared across his face. His walls had pictures of the famous guardians. Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, and the Sandman. There was only a few drawings of someone who I didn't recognize. A white-haired boy in blue and brown.

The dark man was right. I did miss the peaceful life, of fun and games, without all this constant hiding and running. But I will not give up the boy for it. If I want to get out of this life, I will fight to do so myself. But I will never give him up just for that.

A small hand tugged at my sleeve. I turned, to meet him. "What's wrong?" I asked softly. He rubbed his eyes. "I had a nightmare." He mumbled. I stood up and took his hand. "Let's go back up, okay? It's not safe here. I'll sing to you again, okay?" He nodded, and followed me back to the pile of fabric. He lied down, staring at me with his wide eyes. I smiled, then started to sing again.

...

I paced around on the roof top, keeping an eye on him. He was asleep again, his lips curled up into a smile. I crouched down in a corner near him, leaning against the cool surface of stone. I pulled out my sword, staring at it. It was completely black, except for the hilt. It glowed a silver. The moon illuminated the black blade, making it gleam. I stood up, swinging the sword in front of me. It was a wonder how I got to holding it. It was heavy from the hurt and pain in the past of its material. The owner had gone through a stressful life, and at last decided to end his life with a cut to the throat. I passed by his home one day, and spotted something in his possession. A black phone. I took it, and found many insults from bullies, horrible break up texts, some words from non-supportive friends.

Now, I felt all the emotions flow through me as I held the sword tight. Aiming at a spot on the wall, I practiced my hits. Pointing the end of my sword at the drawn red heart of a crayon outline of a figure on the wall, I stopped, sweating and out of breath.

Someone clapped from somewhere behind me. I spun, my sword in front of me. "Woah, careful there! I don't mean to harm you." The intruder held his hands up in defense. Slowly, I lowered my blade. The boy was...pleasant looking. His white hair stood out from the indigo sky, and his blue eyes were beautiful. He wore black fighting gear over a blue t-shirt, and a weapons belt hung at his waist above his camouflage jeans.

"Are you one of them?" I asked. After all, he was in gear, and his belt was full of weapons. He tilted his head to a side. "One of who?" He asked in turn. I sighed, relaxing a little. "So you aren't one of them." I said. "No, I am not one of...whoever you're talking about." He glanced at the sleeping boy. "You two look like you need a place to live. Come, follow me." He gestured for me to go with him.

I stood my ground. "How do I know if you're not lying?" I asked. I couldn't take the chance to trust the wrong person again. My heart ached recalling the memory. No, stop. I told myself. "I'm a guardian. I do not hurt any of the spirit folk." He explained. I shook my head. "Show me the mark." I demanded. "It was heard that all the guardians have a mark to show that they are a true protector." He shrugged, and pulled up his t-shirt sleeve. On his wrist was a faint scar of a star. Defeated, I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

Walking to the little boy, I took my cloak and put it on, covering my face with the hood and scooped him up with the fabric into my hands. "Where are we going?" I said softly. "To the North Pole." He pointed out. I furrowed my eyebrows. "But it's far away from here." He laughed. "Not when you can fly." A wooden stick with a neat crook at the end lay horizontally in mid-air between us. The boy held out his hand. I took it, the coldness of it freezing my fingers numb. I rested on the branch. It didn't as much move a bit. It just kept floating. The white-haired boy hopped on gracefully and the branch lurched forward in an extraordinary speed.

Our speed slowed after a long time. "We're almost there." He announced as the green forest below us had vanished and in it's place stood ice and snow. I unsheathed my blade. Soon enough, a cluster of white mountains emerged into view. "There." The boy pointed at the foot of the closest mountain. In it's place, a huge pair of red doors stuck out from the white. Many moving figures were guarding it, and as we neared, I saw that they wore a thick fur coating. "Yetis," The boy explained as he caught my stare.

...

I stood on the ice, staring at the yetis as they fussed over the white-haired boy. "Yeah yeah...I'm fine, I'm fine...No, you can not." I heard as he responded to the noises that the yetis were making. The little body in my arms squirmed. I brushed the black hair away from his forehead. "Wake up." I whispered. He rubbed his eyes, then yawned. "I'm going to set you down, okay? Tell me if your shoe soles are too thin for the cold." I told him. He nodded half-heartedly, staring at the yetis.

I set him to the ground, holding his hand. "Where are we?" He asked, his eyes wide with wonder. "We'll find out soon enough."

~Chapter End~

Hello. Welcome to the A/N once again. You have no idea how hard it was to keep their identities a secret. You'll know soon enough, I promise. Reviews and constructive criticism (who am I kidding, who bothers to write them anyway?)will be appreciated. Please also check out my first story: Bolts and Snowflakes (RoTG). This is all I have to say for now, so I'll see you in my other story/stories and also the next chapter!

DM out~