I want to thank DayDreamer9, Spartangal22, Winxclubcrazy, and my long time fan CRdragonPyro-san for sending in your reviews. I can't wait to hear what you think of this chapter, and I hope you all continue to help me improve my future writing. I'd also like to thank my editor, Gerry-sama, for making a last minute edit turn in, on a holiday no less!

Let's give him a big hand ladies and gents.

Thank you for coming this far with me, please Read, Review, and enjoy!!!


Lexi watched as the Guardians, now in human form, and the boy argued about what to do with her. They'd gotten through the portal, and closed it. Then the guardians had 'powered down' and lead her threw a maze of bright lights, metal horseless carriages, hard packed black roads, and tall buildings that could only have been castles. The brown haired girl had just laughed when Lexi had said that and told her they were called 'skyscrapers'. The boy glared at her and told her to stop gawking. They were in the basement of a restaurant now. Apparently this was the boy's room. She was sitting on a crate as far away from the door as the lot of them could keep her.

She watched as a green passling wiggled into the room through the small window. It looked from Lexi to the arguing group, and waddled over to her. "Who ist you?"

Lexi couldn't ignore the horrible smell coming off the creature, still her manners kept up and she smiled, "Alexia, my friends call me Lexi. Who and what are you?"

"Blunk is Blunk," He shoved his hairy appendage in her face, "What is you doing here, Pretty Lexi?"

Lexi sighed, but kept her smile on, "I'm avoiding the palace guards, from Phobos's palace."

Blunk laughed, "Phobos!" He took a deep breath and started again this time louder, "You is funny."

The boy came up and grabbed Blunk from the back of his shirt collar. "She's not joking," He said angrily, "Now what are you doing in here anyway? You know better than to enter any room with someone you don't know in it."

"But pretty Lexi is nice," Blunk pointed at her, "She is not screamed at me."

The boy growled at him, and Blunk squealed like a scared pig. The boy dropped him and glared, "Why are you here?"

"Blunk came to tell Caleb about portal," Blunk said.

"Yeah, who do you think closed it?" Caleb raised an eyebrow at him.

"Caleb, be nice," The blond insisted, crossing her arms, "Blunk just came to tell us about the portal as soon as he found out about it."

"No," Blunk insisted, "Know about closed portal. Was on other side when it closed, 'nother open portal. Blunk show you?" He asked.

The five guardians exchanged looks. The brown haired girl spoke first, "Come on guys we've got to go get that portal closed."

The boy, Caleb, pointed at Lexi, "What about her?"

Lexi raised her hand, "I could just stay here."

The blond nodded, "Caleb's right we can't leave her here alone."

"Well who's going to stay her with her?" Caleb asked, "Will has to go to close the portal and she'll need at least two of you for back up."

The red head patted him on the back, "You've been very helpful to day Caleb."

"I have?" He blinked at her.

"Exactly, which is why we're so glad you've volunteered to stay behind and watch our newest friend," She continued patting him on the back. Then pulled away from him and headed for the door.

"Thanks Caleb," The blond said following the red head.

"Bye," Hay Lin and the dark girl said as the hurried up the stairs.

"Thanks Caleb," The brown haired girl said, "Oh, and have fun. Come on Blunk."

Blunk laughed, and climbed up the stairs as quick as he could, making him look like a fat, green ape. Lexi and Caleb stared after the guardians for several moments until Caleb made an unhappy groaning noise and stormed across the room to sit on his cot. They both sat there on their opposite sides of the room and stared at each other in silence. After a while Lexi raised her eyebrow and tilted her head to one side. "You don't like me do you?"

"I don't trust anyone I've only known a few hours," Caleb spat back.

"I saved your life," She pointed out, gently.

Caleb stood his face going slightly red, "I would have been fine without your help! You just got in my way!"

Lexi nodded her head in a nearly bowing motion, "I'm sorry."

"Of course you are!" Caleb yelled at her, "You were such a pain I can't…. Wait did you say you were sorry?" His mind catching up to what was going on around him.

"Of course," Lexi said, her expression completely serious, "I apologize for 'getting in your way'. I had no right stepping into your fight, I acted without thinking." She nodded her head again, "Please accept my apology."

Caleb was at a loss of words for a moment. "Who talks like that anymore?" He asked, saying the first thing that came to his mouth.

Lexi chuckled at him, "My Aunt taught me that a person is always formal when begging for a favor, or asking for forgiveness."

Caleb stared in shock his mouth hanging open. After a moment he snapped his jaw shut, and glared at her, "You work for the prince don't you."

Lexi's face went cold, "That Man is the reason I've lost everything. I would not stand near him if he told me I was his soul mate and begged me to marry him. I would not work for that worthless piece of trash if he personally offered me the whole of the kingdom as my pay."

Caleb blinked at her, the sudden change in her manners surprised him more than anything. Carefully he asked, "What did the prince do to you?"

Lexi looked at her feet, then quickly away from Caleb all together, "I was raised in a small village on the edge of the Fog Forest. It was so small it didn't have a name. You know, where it was rumored the great map of the veil was lost…Our town is the last one before the forest. It's rumored the map passed through the town before it disappeared."

She sighed, "I lived with my dear Auntie. Among the villagers and my aunt, I was called quiet simply Darling. My Auntie only told me my real name after a long time of my begging her, that's how I found out what my mother named me. And before you ask, I never knew my mother, or my father…"

Caleb had sat back down, "What does that have to do with what the prince did to you?"

Lexi let the side of her mouth twitch, "I'm getting to that… I use to make up stories about my parents… My mother would be some kind of high lady, and my father a knight, or a warrior, or even a simple soldier. They fell in love, got married against their families' wishes, and had me. Now I know this next part is the truth, after I was born my mother felt I was in danger, she sent me to live with my Auntie, and had my father go into hiding. Before she could find a way to disappear, Phobos took power. He had my mother executed for standing against him, but my mother had arranged things so that everyone but her closest people thought that I was a still born, so I was forgotten…. Until four months ago."

Lexi took a slow breath before continuing, "I was sent by my Auntie to search for an herb that could only be found deep in the fog forest. I took my time, and didn't try to return until I looked up and saw the large columns of smoke pouring from the village. When I arrived, the village had been burned to a crisp, everyone not trapped in the houses was killed by the soldiers, their bodies left out in the streets or in the fields where they were working. My Auntie was leaning next to our well. She wasn't dead… yet." Lexi swallowed with some difficulty, "She told me the Wolf hunters had done this to the village and she told me to go to the capital, to find the rebel leader, and to find my mother's locket… Those hold all my answers, everything I need to know to do my duty…"

"Your duty?" Caleb asked.

Lexi shrugged, "You know more than I do probably. But Phobos took everything from me. He took my mother, sent my father away, took my home, my Auntie, my way of life, and my security. I haven't been able to sleep soundly since Auntie told me the hunters didn't find what they were looking for. I think I have what they were looking for, but I'm not sure…"

Caleb pulled one of his knees up, "It might be those jewels; the stuff on your ears and around your neck."

Lexi placed one hand in the center of her chest. Her middle finger, forefinger, and thumb rested against the green jewel, framed by delicate silver detailing that looked like bird wings. On her ears were matching green gems that hung from silver threads, and a wire cuff that ran up one of her ears and looked like a single wing. She didn't reach up and touch the earrings. Caleb noticed only the necklace. Slowly she shook her head, "No… The jewels have little value… They were stones anyone could find in the forest, I only wear them because they match my eyes…"

It was true her eyes were the same deep green as the stone and the same color as Caleb's, "The silver around the gem for my necklace was originally one of my mother's necklaces. She sent it with me, as my first and last birthday gift from her. The gem that was in it broke on the trip, and Auntie had it replaced with this one. I don't see why they would want an old piece of jewelry, with the original gem not even in it."

Caleb didn't bother saying what one of the other possibilities was. He didn't see any reason for Phobos to want this girl, sure she was pretty, but they'd already found that Elyon was the true heir. It couldn't have to do with the clothes she was wearing.

Her pants where un-dyed homespun brown pants that looked just slightly larger then the size she actually fit. Her shirt was the same homespun cloth but bleached white and fit her much better, over it she wore a leather vest that looked like it had been made of several different skins. Her coat was the only completely solid piece of leather, it was two or three sizes too large like it had been made so she could wear it for several years. The coat was also cut so that if Lexi buckled it closed she'd look like she was wearing a dress. Her boots looked like they fit her perfectly, wrapped carefully around her calves, the bottom of her pants tucked in. For all Caleb knew her pants could be frayed and falling apart, but she looked too proud to admit it.

Her hair was long, pulled back into a tight braid that ran along her head then down her back, ending with a leather string near the middle of her back. Her skin was pale but there was a light tan, deep set in her hide. Her face was heart shaped with graceful eyebrows, long eyelashes and a small mouth but full lips. She was pretty, defiantly pretty. Each of her strong features fit smoothly into one another. Still there was something about her that kept tugging at the back of his mind, something that was familiar about her.

After a long time of Lexi sitting quietly, and Caleb over studying her, Lexi spoke, "Since the guardians protect this place, does that mean its safe?"

Caleb looked at her again; he could see the dark circles under her eyes that weren't meeting his, the long lashes that veiled the green of her eyes, the line of her mouth set in a tired line, the sag in her shoulders, and the way she hugged her knees, trying to protect her center. He nodded, "Yeah… It's safe… Safer then the capital."

Lexi leaned her head back against the crate she was leaned against. Her eyes were closed and her eyebrows knitted tightly together. Caleb watched as the girl started to relax. He waited until she looked like she was about to fall asleep before he started questioning her, "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

She shrugged, "I use to wrestle with the boys from the village… Everyone could fire a bow, and skin any animal. Auntie always told me when I came home with new bruises, to use moves that used my opponent's weight against them. To let my instincts control my actions in a fight, not to think, just do. I almost broke an older boy's arm that way."

"Those are some instincts," Caleb said.

Lexi snorted, the corner of her mouth curling up in a half smile, "You should see what I can do with my knives." She shifted her belt, her knives becoming visible. They were nasty looking things, one was nearly the length of his hand and the other had a blade longer than the distance from his elbow to his wrist. Both blades were sharp and curved to an unforgiving point. Both were suited for simple dueling, but the short one could double as a skinning knife. Caleb couldn't think of anything the big one could be used for except fighting.

Caleb raised an eyebrow, "You'll have to show me… maybe we can teach each other something…"

"Maybe," Lexi said her voice dreamy. By the time the guardians return Lexi was asleep against the crates, her breath having been steady for half an hour.


Gerry-sama: Ruroni-chan, I thought you said Caleb and Lexi weren't going to get along…

Ruroni-chan: SHHHH!!! Don't give anything away!!!! Editors… Can't live with them, can't duck tape them to the wall, without major ramifactions…

Ruroni-chan (Turns to readers): Thank you for completing another chapter of Unknown Powers. We who produce this works would like to wish everyone in America a Happy Independence Day, and those of you living else where… Have a nice Saturday/Sunday. Please proceed to the nearest Reviewing box on your way out. Thank you, good night.