Pika : Ohaiyo! Anyone know me around here? XD I doubt it. I used to right a Yu-Gi-Oh humor fanfiction, sooo...

Uhm, yeah. I bet this has been done a million times over. Sorry if it's a repeat of what you see every day.It just sounded so cool to write... my version of the Epitaph of Twilight. Story version. Yeah, I hope i'm kind of original with this idea. But it just seems like something a couple other people could have probably already written... can someone tell me if this is something never done before? Haha, I don't wanna feel like i'm copying. I haven't seen one, but I don't read much fanfiction.

Rated teen for violence and swearing. Yeah, I don't know how this is going to go, so i'll be safe.

Also, i'm intergrating some things from .hack in here, okay? So it's like, the Epitaph of Twilight, with a few .hack things. Like certain simmilarities bettween people, and certain almost-exact characters...

Disclaimer? Ah, right. I don't own .hack, or the Epitaph of Twilight. All the important people do. It's owned by their respective owners, Bandai or the real CC Corp or what ever.

Thank you for popping in and reading this, please review! I put quite a big of effort into this, and while I was writing, my glass smashed on the ground and shattered, soaking a bunch of my drawn pictures and my Evangelion manga book...

Please enjoy!

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It didn't matter to him where everyone else was. He was but a single person in a huge world, gone unnoticed, and probably forever. Those who he saw just walked by, as if he didn't exist. A meaningless spec on a horizon, he sometimes called himself, living alone in his house along the water, in the town of Mac Anu.

He didn't have many - if any - friends, and didn't know any nearby relatives that he could go to. He didn't say much to others, because they didn't have anything to say to him. That's how he always thought, ever since he began to be alone. That's just how it was, that's just how life played out for himself. Even when he called out, no one was there. No one could live alone forever perfectly...

But that's all he had, all that he could truly do.

It wasn't like he wasn't as good as them. He was even quite handsom. Long, lilac hair, always tied at the end by a small white ribbon. His bangs fell wildly in front of his eyes, which always gave him this 'look'. He even had the average markings of a resident - any kind of stripes on their bodies. His were two bent stripes, one on each cheek, under his eyes, in a shade of purple. He usually dressed in blue, and now and then wore earth tones. But what made him even more mystic were two things - one of which, he could never lose.

His eyes. They were a cloud grey, showing a few flecks of silver throughout them. His hair and his eyes blended to give him a magical look, though he was no mage. And, the final piece to him, was his pin. He never lost it, and always wore it. Like an upside-down eight, it was grey as well, with a few line sketched in for texture. Where it came from, he didn't know. He had it for as long as he could remember, and that was all that mattered.

This day felt like every other. The sun rose and stayed in the sky. The water flowed in the river. He got up, got dressed, ate, and did all of the other things that normal people did.

Today he wore a light blue, long sleeved shirt, that ended before his belly-button. His pants were dark blue and tight higher up, but became very baggy around his boots. His boots were just plain, brown and leather. His hair was tied back in a small tuff with the white ribbon, just as usual. He wore a medium, short sleeved jacket, that ended just below his chest, much shorter than his shirt. It was done up in the front by a single black belt-like piece at the top, and had a pocket on each side of the front. There was a baclk belt around his waist, and a dark pastel-blue scarf around his neck, trailing down to his heels. He always wore the jacket and the scarf - the pants and shirt just happened to be what he had for the day.

He walked through the town, passing by a few people. His feet his the brick walkway in a pattern, and his body was straight and calm. His expression was cool and almost blank, showing nearly no emotion but 'neutral'. People just walked by him, not saying a word, not giving a glance. A few looked at him, but just kept moving, not talking or waving or anything.

It was normal. He was used to it.

He wasn't going to say that he liked it, though; everyone needed someone. No one could be alone forever without finally snapping and falling into a certain darkness. His stroll led him to the bridge that crossed the river that went through the town, as a boat passed under it. He made it to the middle and stopped, moving gently to the edge and resting his arms on the railing, buring his head in his sleeves. The sound of the water rippled through his ears and made him feel good and warm inside. He ignored everything else... all he heard were the ripples and small waves that hit the side of the walkways that were elevated away from the moving water.

And a song.

The boy, possibly about 16, looked up from his normal rest, brow furrowing. The song was unfamilliar to him. Every day he would come out and listen to the waves, and nothing else. But this song enchanted him slightly, and a message in his mind silently told him to follow the notes.

"I'll be there by your side

In the land of twilight

In your dream I will go

Till we find the sunrise..."

The voice was a young male's voice, sounding sweet and gentle. One of those shy boys, he guessed. But there was still something about it... something amazing that he hadn't ever heard before. As he drew closer to the singer, he heard random pieces of other conversations, as others walked away or towards the music.

"Did you see it? It's amazing!" One person said to their friend, their voice full of glee and awe.

"You see them all the time in Carmina Gadelica, but I don't go there, too many risks... so that's a real treat!" The other replied, as they continued on with their buissness, and the boy stopped his eavesdropping and continued to head to the sound.

"You are lost in nightmare

Deep in blue illusion

One more kiss to wake you up

Come be mine, you are mine..."

"It's really one!" A little boy cried to his mother. The conversations only drove him to go a little faster and a little further, curious as to what could be arousing everyone's attention so much. Laughter and clapping was heard from a bit of a distance, and joyfull cries. He neared a stage by the river, set up by a man collecting donations of coins from the watchers. And sure enough there was a boy - who looked to be a magician from the distance he was - singing on the stage, and dancing along.

"I will be there seeking for Liminality

No destinations to see, I wander

In quiet places so dark as enternity

I'm crying calling your name

I'm searching for you..."

He stopped in the back of the crowd, jaw almost dropping, his eyes fixed on the prancing, young male singer. His voice was beautifull - but was more amazing was his ears. They were pointed. And humans didn't have pointed ears. It was, it must have been...

A sprite.

He danced along a black stage, making it impossible to see, but quite obviously known anyway, that he wouldn't have a shadow. The spirtes were a race that danced along the skies and didn't have a shadow. They dwelled a little in Dun Loireag, but mostly in Carmina Gadelica. Humans of Mac Anu didn't see them very often, and that was probably why the man collecting money for the sprite had such a large filled hat.

A sprite. A real sprite...

"Dreaming in the land of twilight

We are in the land of twilight

Deep in blue enternity

Search for liminality..."

With a step and a jump, the sprite, turned his body gracefully towards the crowed and bowed on one foot, the other sticking out behind him. His hand was place on his chest, and the other was in line with the back leg. More screams and cheers could be heard for the little sprite as he stood up and laughed, blushing slightly from the embarassment of the attention. He stepped carefully off the stage, and the man collected a few more coins before dissapearing back stage too.

The human boy fumbled with a few gold coins in his pocket, wanting to give them up for the performer. Especially a real sprite! He snapped out of his thoughts and noticed that the crowds were dispersing, and the two were back behind the stage. With a small 'ahhh' to himself, he made a small jog towards the stage.

He paused by the door, hearing some muffled talking from the back. The singer's voice. He fumbled with the coins again, nervously. Taking in a deep breath, the boy took a few slow steps forward, before stopping again, tensing slightly.

"I-I am! I'm doing the best I can!" The sprite's voice called out, almost defensively.

"Do you want the whole damn town to hear you!" An older voice replied, and there was a sound like a slap. The sprite seemed to cry out and there was a thud, like something hitting the ground. "You could have done better. You damn well know it." There was a pause of silence, and the boy found himself glaring at the curtians and taking fast steps forwards, towards them. "Feh. Nothing more than a useless..."

"Hey!" The boy called out, turning the corner to spot the sprite on the ground, holding his cheek. Small tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. The older man, the money collector, looked up in shock, and glared. "Leave him alone." The lilac haired boy stepped in front of the sprite. He looked up slowly, holding back from crying, a renewed hope sparking in his eyes.

The man growled and picked up the hat he was collecting the money in. He took out the money and placed in a few other objects - random things - before casting an angry glance over to the human. "Take him. Go ahead, I have no need for the useless kid." He threw the hat at him with force, before turning around and walking away. The boy went to call out after him, but the hat struck him in the stomach and caught him off guard, temporarily knocking the wind out of him. He slipped and crashed to the floot beside the sprite, and the spirte gasped, his hand uselessly suspended in the air from a failed attempt at catching his protector.

"Omigosh, i'm so sorry!" The sprite called out, pulling the hat off of the boy's stomach and dumping the contents on the floor before putting it on his own head. It matched him nicely - it was circular and green with a rim lined with a few coloured strands of threads. He placed himself on his hands, keeping himself up and watching the human, a worried expression. "That wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for me, i'm so, so sorry..." His voice trailed off.

The human boy lay there and rolled onto his side, shrugging it off and drumming his hands on the ground near the sprite, watching it carefully. The sprite stared at his face for a moment, his expression changing to one of slight curiousity. His ears seemed to perk and he frowed, before looking down carefully at the hand that drummed against the road.

It played through the sprite's shadow -- in which it shouldn't have had. Any normal sprite didn't have a shadow. At all. He seemed to have something caught in his throat and looked away, almost disguisted with himself.

"... i'm a half sprite." He told the boy quietly, closing his eyes and waiting to be shunned. To be a half breed, wasn't very honourable. And he was always shunned, always abused...

"... so, what was your name? I'm Saya." The human replied, still drumming his hand through the darkness that appeared under the half-breed. A small smile cracked on his face, but nothing much. The sprite seemed to stop breathing that moment, before returning with an amazed gasp and turning his head to Saya. He looked down at him, the tears that he thought were going to flow seeming to dry up on instant. Saya reached into his pocket and took out the few coins from before, and took the boy's hand, placing the three golden pieces there. He forcefully closed the sprite's hand, though it didn't take much. "I thought you were very good. It's just a small something. Don't stop singing." He pulled his arm back and pushed himself up, so that he was sitting on his butt, and rubbing his stomach.

The boy stared at his hand, as if he was just given life. Saya now had a chance to truly examine him and his features. He was dressed in green - fancing, dancing type clothing, made for a boy. So there wasn't a dress, but a cape like piece came off of his waist, also in green. His shirt was padded and undid at the front, ending above his belly button as well. It was forest green, with a meduim green lining around the bottom and the opening part. It was closed with some buttons, and was short sleeved, but a few ribbons came off the top of the sleeves and looped a bit down. His pants and sandals were the only things not green - they were both a tan colour. The pants ended just below his knees and were somewhat poofy. Saya looked up to his head, looking at the boy's hair and eyes. His hair was fluffy and light, going down to his shoulders. It seemed to be a bit of a mess, and was orange. His eyes were large, round, and sky blue, sparkling with the amazement that still stuck with him.

He opened his mouth slightly, trying to make the words come out. Someone had spoken to him. And wished to be friends, maybe?

"... Ashieyu." The half-sprite replied, still pulled back in posture. He felt shy, and almost instantly looked up to Saya. Saya sighed and continued to stare at him. Ashieyu. It didn't roll off the tounge too easily. But of course, he was part sprite. He probably got the name from the parent that was a sprite.

"So, uh... Ashee... Ashiii... ey... uh.. Ashi." He finally replied, and Ashieyu let out a small laugh. It was a shortened version of his name, but seemed to work well for the human. He turned his head to the side, still beaming.

"Uhm, yes, Saya-san?" Ashi stood up slowly and brushed the dust on him, extending an arm and hand to help Saya up. He took it without reluctance and hoisted himself up, almost pulling the both of them down. It was quickly forgotten with another laugh, and the sprite began to collect everything from the hat, and placed it in a bag that was off to the side. Beside there was a large, wooden staff - proof that Ashi was a magician. After putting everything away, he placed the hat on his head, so that it was partially crooked. It added to his look, however.

Saya watched him collect his belongings while sitting on the stage, behind the curtains. The stage was up there for performers to rent out and do acts, just as Ashi's old master did. There was a strange silence as the two sat, but it felt as if a million words had been said. Neither of them felt uncomfortable, unlike they usually did around other people. They just sat conently in their silence, waiting for the right moment to say something.

The boy didn't have to ask Ashi why he was here; he was obviously abused and mistreated as a half-sprite. His parents probably killed, and his brothers and sisters sold into slavery, just like he had been. The sprite was free now, however - the master had told Saya to take him, and Saya had no intention of keeping a deed to a person. Ashieyu knew that, and the words didn't have to be spoken. The silence was a little boring after a while, though, and a conversation had to start up.

"So, where are you going to go after this?" Saya asked, still resting on the wood. His hands held onto the side, to make sure he didn't fall off. Ashi continued to collect his last belongings, but listened and replied.

"To Dun Loireag," he said, hoisting the bag onto his shoulder and smiling. He picked up the staff in one hand and then turned to his new found friend, though their friendship may have to split moments later. Saya had no intentions of leaving the small Mac Anu, his home. He would have no where to go. But he was intrigued to know the reason why Ashi wanted to go alone, seeing how he was already ridiculed for what he was.

"Why do you want to go there?" He asked. Though he hadn't known him for long, he felt a small pain in his stomach of worry. Ashi just smiled and looked up through the curtains that strung themselves across wooden polls. There was a break in them and the sun and blue sky could be seen through; a calming sight.

"Because the White Knight Rirurianu is there." He replied, grinning almost from ear to ear. The name came to him easily, but Saya knew it would be hard for himself to say. Rian. That was easier.

The White Knight. Saya had heard of him. He didn't know exactly what he did, but to hear about him... he was probably important, or famous. And Ashi wanted to meet him...?

"Why? I've only barely heard of him..." Saya watched Ashi's expression. Though there would be hardships ahead for him, he just kept smiling at the name of the knight.

"Because, he's the most powerfull knight in the King of Light's army, maybe even in the world..." Ashi told him, as he gradually brought his head back down to look at Saya. "And, he's..."

There was a crash.

It was more of an explosion, really. The two turned almost instantly in alarm to the direction of the sound, and a gasp of shock came from Ashi. Saya tensed, his hands instantly drifting to his two daggers that he held in the belt around his chest. He pulled them out with ease and flipped one into his other hands, then held them defensively. Ashi clutched his staff with terror, fingers digging deep into the wood. The sound of screams could be heard from outside.

"Shit." That was all the human had to say, before he started towards an exit through the curtains.

Ashi let one hand off of the staff and shot it foward in his direction. "W-wait! Where are you going...?" His voice quivered, unsure of what was going on.

"... they're breaking through." Saya simply said quietly. "Take cover. Now." Saya started again, but Ashi just puffed up his cheeks as he ran through the desicions he could choose through his head. Quickly making one, he clumsily ran after Saya, still clinging to the wooden staff. Saya just stopped for a moment and turned slightly, watching how hard he was trying. "... what are you...?"

"I-I can fight too!" He stuttered, fingers trembling slightly on the staff. Both were all too aware by know of what was going on, even though one of them wasn't even from the area. "I'm a magician... you'll n... need me!" Saya watched him carefully as his orange locks bounced with each movement of his head - and there were alot of them, for he was fidgeting about. There wasn't another word from his mouth, however, and just a swift nod. He turned around and took off, Ashi quickly following behind him.

The unlikely team - human and half-sprite - made their way up the sidewalk and towards the stairs that lead to the bridge. The bridge was overflowing with people, running and trying to take cover in their homes. Anyone who could fight was going the exact opposite way - heading towards the entrance of the town. Shouts of 'they're comming!' and 'a sprite is leading them!' were heard from the crowds. Ashi bit his bottom lip, but Saya remained silent. He grabbed Ashi's hand, ran up the stairs, and began trying to push his way through the masses of people. Ashi let out a few weak cries as he crashed into a few people, but Saya didn't pay any attention. He just kept charging through and dragging his friend along.

After making their way through the bridge, there were a few buildings and then gate - the only way to exit and enter the town. The gate was made up of two large cement walls, and an opening. The opening shimmered with a golden magic, and on a normal day, it would be just like that, and there was nothing to worry about..

But today, the magic almost seemed to pulse, and get hit. There were small places were cracks were. All the able men of the village stood out, weapons ready, for what ever was comming. The attacks on the gate made the magic shimmer incredibly, so it was too foggy to see outside. Saya held his daggers ready, and Ashi still clutched his staff, though no one was sure if it was just in fear or if he was really going to attack. Saya muttered again, and Ashi looked to him, worried.

"How strong is Mac Anu's gate...?" He asked, nervously. Saya shook his head.

"That's the problem. Nothing's ever broken through before. This must be one strong monster." He replied, as more cracks soared through the gate. "It'll be hard to repair..." Another large one made Ashi jump, and Saya bring up his defense twice as much. Roars from creatures out side could now be heard, thanks to this one. "But this is ridiculous! This has never happened before, what kind of monster is there...? An whole army hasn't even taken it down before..."

Ashi gulped in the air, as he felt goosebumps rise. He had a guess. Only one, but he wasn't quite sure if it was true. He shuffled even closer to Saya, not wanting to say the words. Most humans didn't know of it. Only sprites. But, if it was really getting this bad...

"... then the Cursed Wave really has started to go at everything..." He said quietly. Saya turned to him, puzzeled, but the final crack made Saya jump back into position.

"They're comming!" One of the other men shouted. Everyone else tensed, and there wasn't a single woman or child in the area. They had all retreated to a safe place, and had no intentions of fighting. Ashi let out a startled and scared gasp, as his head rose and his hair almost seemed to stick up. He could feel it, sense it... everything about it spelled out the guess that he had come up with.

"Look out!" He shouted almost involuntarily, as the gate shattered, and a large monster broke through. No one was quite sure what it had been before, before it had mutated, but now it was a massive beast with four legs and a thick hide. It's eyes were small, but it's horns were huge and twisted up from the top of it's head. It's claws were large, and it's legs were strong. It also had a large swishing and powerfull tail behind. Two fangs jutted out from it's mouth, and it let out a startling roar, loud enough to scare a few of the men into falling down. Maybe some sort of a lizard, that had mutated from the effects of a strange magic, unknown to the humans. But to the sprites...

"What the hell..." Saya said in an awe-like fear, starting to pull back a little. "I've never seen anything mutate that bad... what could have..."

Saya was snapped out of it as all the men charged, all uniformly, to try and stop the beast. Their weapons were all out and ready, and they all ran headlong into the monster, swinging madly and trying to do some form of damage. Some cut into it, some just bounced off. The monster didn't seemed to be phased in the least. It let out another growl and clawed the air near a few people. Some of them flew backwards a bit, some of them had their clothing torn.

He clutched his twin daggers tightly, and Ashi continued to stand behind him, nervously. Saya took in a deep breath of air and gave a small nod to Ashi, signalling that it was his turn, that he couldn't stand back. He pushed off with one foot and ran towards the monster, as Ashi called out to him, to no avail. One of the people who had been fighting with them placed a hand on the half-sprite's shoulder, not realising what he was.

"Don't worry," He assured, watching Saya charge towards the monster. "He's our best against the mutated creatures. And untill we know what they are and why they've come, he'll be our only chance of survival." Ashi only nodded weakly, not taking his eyes off of his friend - even for a second.

The monster tried to meet Saya with a claw, and Saya only barely dodged to the side, sliding on his feet and then continuing to run towards it. He held the blades out and ready, and the gap closed in bettween them. With force, he pushed himself into the monster, driving the blade as hard as he could, so that it slowly dug into the beast's leg. It let out a large roar and tried to pull back. Saya pulled on his blade hard and slid it out of it, jumping back a little bit. Drops of blood painted the dagger, but he didn't stop to clean it or examine it.

The creature wasn't used to pain, and Saya could tell. It probably had never been suscessfully struck before. It staggered slowly back, so that part of it's body was through the shattered gate to the outside world. But something continued to drive it to not retreat, as if something kept telling it to fight for it's life, though it never had to. It just had to leave, and the humans would stop defending themselves.

Don't stop. Keep going - don't you remember that I told you pain was bad, so you shouldn't get hit? You're almost there... i'm almost there...

Saya paused, as the strange male's voice rang through his ears. Saya perked up, and everyone else looked around them. It was obviously heard all around. Trying to talk to the monster...

It took a step forward, closer to the town again. Saya pulled back into an offensive position, as did all the other men. Ashi backed up with a cry, still clinging to his useless weapon - for the moment it was, atleast.

"They're... comming..." He said quietly in a horrified voice. The half-sprite's eyes were wide with fear, and his whole arms shook with the terror that he sensed. He knew something that no one else did, and maybe it was because he was part sprite. The man that was talking to him earlier just stared down at him with an eyebrow raised.

"... what's going on...?" He asked Ashi, but there was no reply. The man was now tense as well, unsure of how bad the situation was. As the moments passed, Saya continued to slash at the monster, doing the best he could do to drive it off. With each slash it seemed to back up, but it took another step foward with each break that it got. It wasn't going away quickly, even though it was covered with cuts and slashes. It lashed out it's tail into one of the close by buildings, causing a part of the wall to cave in with a crash. Rubble flew, and Saya gasped, covering his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt. When it cleared, he charged again, though he felt it was almost useless.

And stopped in his tracks.

The monster stopped, too. It didn't seem to move or even breathe, it just stopped. Everything stopped in that area, and Ashi let out a muffled scream as he covered his mouth from shock. Everyone else just stared, one or two dropping their weapons.

Saya stared straight in front of him, his blades out in a paused attack, but he didn't dare move them. The sharp edge of a red staff like weapon held beside his neck, and made his breathing little but heavy. Cold eyes stared at him, as a man stood in front of him, holding the weapon to Saya's neck. He glared with black eyes, and his pale skin gave off an in-human look to him. But of course, there was more to it than just that. Grey climbed up his arms in a strange pattern, completly covering his hands but fading off into specks just gradually after his elbow. His hair was grey and short, short enough so that what was in the back was barely picked up by a small wind. His bangs were huge, bouncing from his forehead and up a bit, then comming down and ending at his shoulders. His clothing was normal travellers clothing, all in grey, but bits and pieces glew with a strange colour, in blues and greens.

There were no wonds exchanged, and they just stared into each other's eyes. Saya with a horrified look, and the other with a neutral look, almost pushing slightly to annoyance. The staff didn't move, and that made Saya not budge even an inch, his blades still suspended in the air.

Ashi didn't budge, and his body didn't even shake anymore. His mouth remained covered by his hands, but no sound came out. Everyone else just stared at the two, not budging, for Saya's life. The staff was sharp, though it was just a staff. The end came out as the edge of a circle, and it was intersected by two lines, making a cross, or a sideways 'x'.

There was a small, single chuckle, and the man's face broke out into a small smile, and his eyes closed. With this loosening, the staff seemed to push a little more, but not enough to pierce Saya. To scare him, to make him fear for his life. Making him afraid of...

"... death." The man said, to himself. It was the same voice they all heard in their minds before. It had an eire echo to it, that no one could explain. He kept the staff held in the same spot and pivoted on one foot, so that he faced the monster from before. "Ahh, you tried so hard! But wasn't that fun?" He asked it, and an evil joy seemed to emanate from him. The monster still didn't move, and that only widened his small smile. "And you listen well! You're very developed..."

Saya felt an anger bubble up inside of him. This man was obviously the one that raised and ordered the monster in front of them. And told it to attack Mac Anu. He bit his lip, not wanting to do something rash, but...

"You... sent it, didn't you..?" He asked, his voice devoid of emotion, and only loud enough just to notice. The man turned to him, an eyebrow raised.

"You've got a dangerous weapon at your neck, and you still speak to me? Trying to get me to feel guilty?" He asked, turning his head lightly to the side so that his bangs bounced with him. "You don't fear death? I like that..."

"I never said I didn't fear death!" Saya quickly spat out, too harsh for his liking. The man was only stunned for a second, before he returned to his original composure, and his arm loosened a little. The staff no longer dug into Saya's neck, and rested on his shoulder.

"You fear it, but you stand up to it. It doesn't matter to you, as long as you can make your point and save someone's life. Is that your bravery?" He asked, watching and waiting for a reply. The question confused Saya, but he knew he had to reply. His body began to untense, and whether that was good or not, he wasn't sure. He didn't move too much, but he put one step forward, partially glaring at the man.

"It's not my bravery, anyone who did it would have bravery! It's not just mine... b-but, you can't do stuff like this! Who the hell are you that gives you the right to hurt innocent people!" He almost shouted. The man continued to stare at him, and pulled the staff back by his side. A wave of relief washed over Saya, and his arms dropped by his side, making himself look less like he was going to drive his blades into the man.

"... So, then. Are you going to fight us?" He asked, curiously. It was as if he was playing, testing, or maybe even learning from Saya. Saya's glare only deepened, and his confusion rose.

"Fight... you? Who are you, and what do you mean by 'us'?" He asked, a little bit of fear tainting his voice. If there were more...

"T-there are eight of you, aren't there!" Ashi quickly blurted out, before reeling back even more. The man just slowly looked over to his, and his expression became happier yet. It was as if he didn't care that he was found out.

"A... sprite? In Mac Anu? Oh, no, you're a... half breed. No wonder you haven't colapsed." He turned around a little, so that he faced his monster. The man gently raised his staff above his head and turned it sideways. He muttered some words, and a magical wind came from his feet and around him. Slowly, it grew under his monster, and little tiny pieces, like specks of dust, started to fly upwards from the monster. They grew gradually bigger and the beast began to fall apart, the pieces drifting to the sky, untill there was no more. Some buildings pulsed in response to the magic, and Saya just watched.

Behind him, one or two people suddenly clutched their heads and fell to their knees, trying to scream out. They seemed unable to, and no sound came out. Those who were fine just watched, and some started to run away, alot tripping over their own feet in terror. The man turned slightly to watch them, one bang covering his furthest eye. Saya didn't take his eyes off of him. His arm that held the staff drifted back to his side, and he just watched.

"All things started there, and grew. Now, we all return to the ocean, grains of sand gradually picked up by the waves and dragged into the sea, whether we want them to or not." He said, almost like a riddle. Saya loosened and opened his mouth to ask about it, but the man turned back around and started to step away, his body gradually fading away with each step.

"Maybe we don't want to, because we fear that we will die when it happens. But it won't be like death, it will be like living for eternity..." He continued, ashis body continued to dissapear. "I am that first ripple that takes the first pieces of sand, all the loose ones. More than any of the other waves."

Ashi shook terribly, one arm around his chest, and the other holding his hand up to his face. Saya just continued to watch, and the other people around had pulled back into a large crowd, but not leaving. The destruction came to a stop as a last piece of the crushed wall from the building fell to the ground, and the man dissapeared completly.

Skeith.

There was a silence.

No one really moved. Saya stood in his spot, his posture now straight, and slid the daggers back into his belt. He didn't move his gaze or his head from the place that the man, that called himself Skeith, had dissapeared. Everyone else stood back, watching Saya. Some helped each other out, and a few others rushed to the building that was crushed. Someone commanded a few people to go get the town magicians, so that they could try and repair the gate's barrier.

But Saya didn't budge.

Ashi watched him, as his own arms drifted back down. His fingers were locked together, and he held them in front of his stomach nervously. He seemed to know so much, while everyone else knew nothing. The half-sprite just continued to watch his friend, as his friend didn't move an inch, and just kept staring. Gathering up inner courage, Ashi wandered over to where his friend was, opening his mouth slightly as he stood behind him. Saya wasn't crying - he was just dumbfounded. The situation was worse than what he thought, than what anyone thought.

He spun around on one foot, his face hidden from Ashi. He muttered an 'i'm sorry, i've got to go home' to him, and started to walk away. Ashi let out a small gasp, and his eyes widened, but returned to normal and a look of pity crossed his face. He silently followed, unsure of whether or not Saya knew that he was behind him. There was no conversation bettween the two on the walk. Saya made it to his house and opened the door, stepping inside. But he didn't close it behind him, as if inviting Ashi to follow. Ashi carefully stepped into the door and watched his friend, as he got something from the table. He scribbeled a note down on a piece of paper, and wandered off a little bit more into his house.

After a moment he came back with a bag, full of a few things. He stopped and looked at the piece of paper again. The pause didn't last very long, though, and he turned around and stepped out of the door.

Ashi followed him, a confused expression on his face. Saya slung the bag over his shoulder. He paused a moment and looked behind him, waiting for Ashi to catch up.

"W-what are you... where are you going?" He asked him, stopping suddenly. His feet were turned in and facing each other, and he didn't even bother stopping to straighten them out. Saya smiled, looking at that, and thinking how out of order the half-sprite seemed at the time.

"Didn't you say that we were going to Dun Loireag?" He asked. Ashi just watched him. Yes, he had said that he was goin to Dun Loireag... but Saya was following? He felt a strange happiness, though he was unsure why his new friend wanted to tag along.

"But... why? Why do you want to come with me?" He continued to question, not budging from his spot. Saya's expression changed, to something as if he was wondering, and he looked up to the sky.

"I need to meet... with his highness, King Apeiron." He said, still holding the strap to his bag. Ashi opened his mouth again to contiune questioning, but Saya didn't stop there. "That man... Skeith, he called himself... there's something big about to happen. I can feel it, though it sounds strange. I need to get what we saw to his highness, and fast. If something's not done..." He paused there for a moment, and then looked to his friend again. "If I can meet his head knight, I can get to him. And I don't think you want to travel alone anyway..." He smiled, and Ashi watched him, still in amazement.

A human wanted to travel with him, and not leave him alone.

There was another silent exchange of words bettween the two - something that they seemed to do often, though they barely knew each other. Ashi broke out into a smile, though fear clutched his heart from all the past happenings. On the road, he'd explain what he knew to Saya, about that man and what happened.

But for now, they had to begin their journey.

Inside Saya's house, the piece of paper continued to sit on his desk. The pen lay on top of it, as he was in a rush to leave. But the words were written clearly, no matter his hurry. A letter... to someone. Though it would never be delivered.

I'm sorry.

I promised i'd be there when you came back, but it's too late. Something has come up, and I have to give a hand in it. Please, wait for me if you can. I'll be back, someday, if I live.

You'd get mad at me for talking that way, though. You always did.

Maybe our paths will cross again, Morgana.

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Pika : Thank you for reading all that. I love yaaaa! Please review, i'd really appreaciate it. I wanna know if it was any good, and if I should continue and junk. Well, I probably will anyway, because it was fun to write...

Haha, kya. :3