AN: Hi everyone...to those who have been reading my stories Ai and Angelic Secrets I have to say I am not dead. I know I should be uploading the overdue chapters to those two instead of this one. But I have to say I have a legitimate reason why...life. A typical response, I know but for some reason I haven't been up to working on my current chapters up until now. Which I am working on as I write. I know Ai should be ready sometime soon and Angelic Secrets is just getting over its writer's block so hopefully that would be up soon. So please be on the look out for the updates...while you wait I have this short four part appetizer for you to read and enjoy.


Why, why is life meaningless?

All was still on a cold perfect night; the pastel mother hangs in all her loving glory caressing a flourishing forest below. The luscious tops of trees rattles in harmonious joy as their sturdy branches dance with the gentle breeze.

Alone, is this one doomed to be forever?

The forest was calm and the forest was silent. The flourishing forest was a barren forest. The only life was the plants. Suddenly a blue and black blur slices through the plant life followed closely behind by a white and orange blur. Quickly the latter catches up to the former blur running side by side.

Will excitement never meet me one day?

The two blurs jump from one tree trunk to the next, never breaking their stride or pace. Both blurs halt in their pursuit kneeling behind a cluster of baby trees. On the right crouch a man-child, wrap in a navy blue top that was a sleeveless haori, with bright blue hems matching decorated stitch wind patterns on the bottom of his haori. Both hands and feet wore gloves and shoes, made of the same material as the shirt. A black sash wrap around his narrow waist, and his bended legs covered in slightly puffy black silk trousers. Hair with uneven edges, black as the purest night, compliments his moonlit kiss skin. This man-child was the epitome of a desirable man, but he carried certain characteristics that scream nonhuman. A top the obsidian hair flicking from here to there were a pair of animalistic ears. Ears that resemble cat's ears and grooming the forest floor was an obsidian bushy tail that was attach to him.

Will this one always dream of a home?

Next to the cat ear and tail man-child, crouches a man in similar garbs. However his top, unlike the man-child's, only had a long slightly bellowing sleeve covering his left shoulder, leaving his right shoulder, back, and chest bare for the world to see, it reveals tribal-like or tribal ritual tattoos adorning his chest, arm and collarbone. The top was white with orange hems that match the decorated flame patterns stitch on his left sleeve and lower part of his garb. He also has a matching sash resting on his slim hips instead of wrap around his waist. His sash was mostly white with the ends being orange. His feet and hands, like the man-child, wore gloves that were made of the same material as his top and sash. He wore similar pants, and the man wore a necklace with a blue gem attach to it. His bright forest brown hair compliments ordinary skin.

Will my life have meaning?

The man-child's velvet amethyst eyes lock with the other man's glimmering olive eyes for a brief moment. The glimmering olives darken into deep jades as he nods.

Will this one have a home?

Both of their attentions turn to a magnificent shiro resting amongst and against the trees of the luscious forest as if it belongs there. The pastel mother hangs overhead keeping her vigilance over her stranglers. The man-child hands form into fists as he watch for any sign of life, "The place seems deserted, that or the guards hide in wait for us." Comments a smooth male are tenor voice, "I couldn't agree more my lord." Responds a rich baritone, olive quickly look to the other in wait. "If that's the case...this one doesn't want to disappoint." Comments the man-child as a little cattish smirk adorns his face, revealing a pair of sharp k-9s more proof of his nonhuman-self.

The other man frowns slightly at him, "Master...I advise you not to..." but stop as he watch the inhuman man dash out into the open like lightening, "... do that." He shakes his head in exasperation while asking why he was the one to take care of this youth, he sighs in defeat knowing it was useless to question. He was not surprise, and he knew he should not get irritated, but...he exasperatedly sighs again as he gets up from their hiding spot and move to follow his master. He looks up to the pastel mother, my dearest mother...please protect us and bless us victory for tonight. As well as the safe return of our friend.

When will it happen?

The moment he jumps over the wall, he sees the man-child already in the mist of battle amongst creatures with whitish blue skin and white and neon blue hair. The man shakes his head as he joins the fray. The man mutters under his breath as if speaking to his necklace and it responses immediately glowing bright as his olive eyes melt into liquid fiery light. The first creature he comes upon turns to face plant into a flaming lime fist, throwing him across the yard colliding into a few comrades. Both his fists a blaze of lime fire, consecutively collides with the faces and bodies of more of these creatures who charge at him with vengeance burning in their eyes.

The man-child knew he was being hot headed and a little too eager to fight, but there was something, or more like someone, at stake here. Something he could not afford to lose to indecisiveness. He jumps over the wall and crouches to the desolate grounds of the shiro. It is quiet...too quiet for this one. He stalks one-step and flashes of whitish blue hurls towards him. He appears a few feet away from the dog pile of whitish blue, pose to the ground like a predator set for the kill. Amethysts critically watch as the pile disentangles itself to reveal creatures with whitish blue skin and whitish blue eyes glaring at him. He hiss as his amethysts melts into obsidian.

The man-child jumps in the air while looking down at one of the creatures there stabbing the spot he once was. He snorts as he gracefully touches the grounds as three creatures surround him simultaneously. Eyes narrowed, the man-child spins a full circle in place. The creatures cry in agony as they hit the ground as red liquid flies through the air. The man-child looks down at the still bodies with distaste as his swipe his hand in the air, dislodging crimson blood of the fallen from his hands. The moon's pastel light reflects on long sharp nails that are another testament to his heritage. He turns to the rest of the creatures that stay back and watch their comrades' fall. He raised a brow up as he beckons them forward, which they did gladly.

The man-child fights on against the creatures slicing them down one by one, in his peripheral vision he saw his comrade join the fray as his fists burst into lime fire. The once desolate ground found itself litter with dead bodies, encompassing the dwindling area the two were fighting. Quickly they found themselves back to back as more of these creatures appear. "This is getting on this one's nerves! It's like there's a never ending supply of these fools!" growls the man-child as he tears down two creature to only have four more replace the two. "I know master...but if someone didn't go off running without assessing the situation we wouldn't be in this mess now would we?" calmly spoke the man, with a hint of his frustration on the situation and the person who had got them in this.

The man-child snorts, "Sorry...but this Neku didn't tell you to follow him." The man rolls his eyes as he punch a few away from him. "At this rate they'll overrun us." Quietly comments the man when a whistle brakes into the fray. The creatures obediently halt their assault as they back away from the two. The men stand there breathing heavily as they look around unsure what to expect.

A melodious laugh shatters the tense atmosphere of battle as both amethyst and olive look up to the roof. Standing there in all her luminescent glory was a creature with fair whitish blue skin that rival the clear sunlight. Her long thick smooth white hair with blue highlight streaks encompass her heart-shaped face drawing attention to her glowing white eyes. She clothes in a sleeveless kimono made up of pure white see-through material resembling the wind wrapping around her slim form. However, you knew it was a kimono due to the pink obi and the stitch cherry blossom branches on both dress and obi.

"Glad you were able to join us. This one does hope you've enjoyed the welcome."

"This one has to say, what a fine welcome you bestow upon us."

The woman laughs at the sarcastic remark, "Yes...this one may have gone overboard with their greeting."

The man-child glares at woman, "Where is she?"

All laughs stop as her eyes narrow, "That little precious human of yours?" said the woman growling on the third word in irritation. The amethyst narrow at her as he said, "You know this one doesn't like to repeat himself." She snorts as she cross her arms under her ample breast, "She's over there...unharmed as promise." She languidly directs their eyes over to see a woman-child no older than eighteen do and no younger than sixteen, with brown hair stopping at her shoulders complimenting her pale skin bound and gagged. Her honey brown eyes look at them in worry, pleading them to reconsider. A soft night breeze passes through the silent area, the young woman-child shivers in her light pajama dress.

The man-child look at her for a few assessing if she was ok, than turn his attention to the woman after he was satisfy to see nothing amiss. "Let her go." He calmly commands as he stares at the woman wrapped in the wind. "This one will...have you agreed to this one's terms?" she calmly asks while looking down at him with a small smirk. The woman-child quickly went to screaming in her mouth garb as if pleading him not to comply with her wishes.

He looks over at the woman-child for a few with an uninterested expression. However, she knew that was a mask, for his eyes were blazing with regret. Slowly a sad smile occupied his face as his eyes reveal said regret. He turns cold passive eyes to the woman as he nods saying, "This one agrees to the engagement."

The woman smirks in triumph, "Wise decision Neku prince." With a wave of her hand, spiraling winds consume the area as everyone shields their eyes from the onslaught of dirt toss around them. As quickly as it happened, the area was still. Honey brown and olive open to an enclosed empty forest area, except for themselves.

The man turns to the woman-child standing there petrify; he attempts to place a comforting hand. However, the girl quickly moves forward frantically looking around. The man's hand falls back in place while watching the girl's frantic search. "No...Neku...Neku...Neku*!" She pauses in the middle of the area. Tears prick at the edges of her eyes as she stares at an overcasting horizon of pink and yellow over the trees.

It's already morning.

She faces the sincere face of the man, when she felt a kind hand touch her shoulder. Her lips waver as he calmly sighs in understanding, he gestures to her with open arms. She accepts the invitation full heartedly. The girl quickly buries herself into his comforting grasp crying all she was worth. His arms close around her shivering form, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

You're wondering what's been going on, and who we are. I know I would be if I were a bystander. All will be answer in...In a small tale, this little tale starts about what feels like years ago but was really three weeks ago. When I found a little kitten, a little kitten name Haruto in a shelter.


R&R