-1The sun shone bright and the sky contained very little clouds. The shops of Twilight Town were abnormally busy and the streets were very crowded. On top of the clock tower sat 5 young individuals very still and quiet, just letting the steady breeze blow off of them. They had not a care in the world except for being together on a nice day.

"Hey guys what do you think we should do today, I mean it is the middle of vacation and all." one boy stated.

"Who knows, we haven't done very much this whole summer. There's always going to the beach, but we did that last week." another girl said.

"I don't have any ideas" a second boy said. "How bout you, Keiji? You have to have something in mind."

"Sorry guys, wish I did but I don't have any clue. Me and Noel were gonna' take a walk to the old mansion later and see what's actually inside the place."

"If you guys want to come along then your welcome to. We were probably going to take off in a couple minutes." Noel remarked.

"Sure, I'll go. First I need to go home for about an hour and watch my little brother. I told my mom and dad I would." said the first boy.

"We'll go too, but Jax and I have to go to the park for about a half an hour. He signed us up for trash cleanup today." said the other girl.

"My mistake if I actually want to help out for once, Elise" Jax retorted.

"Hehe, so it's settled. We meet at the bottom of the clock tower in an hour." Noel said.

The three others walked off, while Keiji and Noel stayed on top of the tower. With a sort of comforting silence, Keiji held Noel's hand as he lie down to watch the sky. A smile was upon his face as Noel lied down next to him while time was passing by. His eye's began to get heavy and within a couple of moments he was asleep…

"Young Xikeji, why do you disobey me so? I told you to kill them all, yet you merely injured those four."

A figure cloaked in black and white stood over Xikeji with a discontent tone of voice. The figure's hands were glowing darkly with a feeling of anger and with an intent to kill seeping off of them. The young Xikeji was knelt down with tears rolling down his face. He holding in his arms a girl, but not just any. It was Noel. An injured and badly bleeding girl that Xikeji seemed to deeply care for.

"Ixanria! How could you?! You know Keiji has a deep emotional connection to this girl! I can't become part of him again if he's in a state of despair because of the loss of her."

"Young Xikeji, you don't need his whole body or his emotions. All you need to do is take his soul and that's it. Why would you need any feelings?"

"You still don't understand if I don't become part of him he will never…."

"Hey Keiji….Keiji…..wake up!"

Keiji jumped up with sweat quickly dripping down his cheeks . His heart was racing and he was in a complete state of fear. His hands and knees were shaking from the sight of such a terrible incident, whether it was dream or reality. As tears started to stream out of his eyes he saw Noel looking at him with a sense of great worry and fear. He wrapped his arms around her and saying,

"I will always protect you, until the day I die. I will always love and protect…"

"What's wrong Keiji, you're scaring me." Noel asked with a concerned tone.

"I don't want to see you hurt so badly again. I won't be able to live with myself if I do." Keiji said with great sorrow.

Keiji and Noel sat there closely together while the sun began to set. It had been almost an hour and fifteen minutes after their friends left that they went down to the streets in front of the clock tower. The others hadn't arrived yet and it was starting to get dark. Keiji and Noel decided that they would go ahead and have the other three catch up to them. Keiji and Noel were starting through the path in the woods that would lea them to the mansion, but something didn't feel right. There was a sense of hostility in the air and the sound of movements that could be interpreted as something following them.

It got to the point where the two started running out because of anxiety and getting a little spooked by the awkward noises. Keiji and Noel finally escaped the darkness of the woods and right in front of them was the gates of the mansion. They crept through the opening of the gate and started to walk the path to the mansion doors. The grass was partially dead, as were the bushes and trees in what would be called the front yard. Knocking past the dead roots and branches on the door, Keiji pulled it open and Noel followed closely.

As they took a long hard gaze at the empty space they stepped into, they noticed two cracked tables and in the very back a screen door leading out into what they thought to be a backyard. There was a flight of stairs that led up and split off to the left and right sides of the house. There was a sudden movement gust of wind which was followed by a mysterious figure in a black and white trench coat flying to room on the left of the mansion's top floor. There came a white light from the room that's door slammed after the figure entered..

Keiji and Noel walked quickly up the flight of stairs with a certain level of caution. It was when they got to the top that they heard the same noises from the woods right behind them. They ran quickly into the room and shut the door behind them. When they caught their breath they found themselves standing in a white room with drawings all over the walls. Many of them had a brown haired boy and a blonde haired boy similar to each other with other figures in black trench coats. They looked around the room and as their eyes came upon the opposite end of the room sitting in a chair at the end of a narrow table was the figure that flew through the mansion. It sat there with its hands folded on the table sitting back in a mature and stiff manor.

"I see you came to visit me…Young Xikeji"

"Why'd you call me that? And Who's Xikeji"

"You two must not be reunited yet. So then your still just little Keiji aren't you. Defenseless little Keiji."

"What do you mean by defenseless!? I can defend both her and myself if needed."

"Hahahaha… You still don't get it. Do you know why your precious friends didn't show up, or why the streets became completely empty?"

"Its becoming dark, they probably had to stay in of course."

"Yet again, you are wrong little Keiji. My companions and I stopped Twilight Town except for the two of you, who I need for my plans to work."

"What do you what with us? What was following us in the woods?!" exclaimed Noel.

"I only want you for your souls. Your delicious souls that will take down the keybearers who have killed the last of us?"

"Keybearers? What do you mean?" asked Keiji extremely puzzled.

The figure put his finger up stopping Keiji from finishing his question and made a shhh. "Soul Stealer," the figure yelled as his hands began to glow darkly. It floated into the air and suddenly took a quick lunge at the two of them. Just before the figure had the chance to complete his technique, a portal of darkness opened and Keiji and Noel dived in quickly. Immediately after the two entered, it closed make the figure's fists burn holes in the wall where they were.

As they reached the other side of the portal the noticed it was night in Twilight Town. Keiji and Noel realized that what they were standing on was the top of the clock tower, where they had started. A light came from a little ways away from them and behind it was another cloaked figure. But this on kept their hood off. The figure got closer to them and as it got closer the two kept creeping backwards.

"You two have no need to worry, especially you Xikeji. I only felt the need to save you from him. I don't want you dying on me today."

"Why do you people call me Xikeji?! My name is Keiji, I have only heard of a Xikeji in my dreams!" Keiji said irritated.

"Well well, I can't believe you don't remember me. All the times I saved your ass from him and you still don't remember."

"Remember? I don't even know you!" Keiji exclaimed.

"Who are you? Why did you save us?" Noel asked with concern.

"My group, the one that Xikeji belongs to, knows me as Ahlixen. Those who fear me have given me the title The Burning Moon's Assassin."

The figure moved his hand in the back of the light and it disappeared, but in its place formed an odd looking sword with a handle that looked like a black and red ring with white spikes around it. The blade looked to be long with many sharp edges, which were colored blue silver and yellow.

"As I said before I don't intend to harm you. But if the time comes where I have to I will try not to. I must leave now so your time here can resume and take natural course."

In a dark cloud of mist the figure known as Ahlixen disappeared and the clock tower rang. It was getting to midnight and their parents would surely begin to worry. Keiji took Noel's hand and walked began o walk her home. On the way to her house all he could think about was, "Why do they call me Xikeji…Its suppose to only be a dream, right?" When they got to her door he held her tight and said,

"Remember what I told you, I will always protect you."

She nodded as an "I know" and went inside. Keiji took a slow walk so he could take a look at the stars and made sure it would be a little while until he got to his front door. His mind went wandering and his eyes began to close on him. He went through the night without saying another word.