Jayden came back. He didn't know why he came back to meet this mysterious stranger. After all, every single samurai instinct that he had told him that this was a terrible idea. But nonetheless, he came back.

She was waiting for him. She stood at the riverside gazing into its icy depths. She stopped at smiled serenely, taking everything in. She heard Jayden approaching and whipped her head around smacking him in the face with her hair.

When she saw him, her face instantly brightened. "Oh good. You're here. Let's begin training."

"Training?" He asked her looking confused. The girl nodded eagerly.

"Of course. What did you think that we were going to do?"

Jayden didn't answer her question. Quite truthfully, he believed that it was an attack and that he was going to be ambushed by monsters and have the sealing symbol dragged out of him. Evidently, this was not the case.

"I train enough back at home."

The girl smirked at him. "Yes. But not to your full potential am I wrong? It's more helpful to them that it is to you. Besides, you are a level higher than all of them are anyway."

Jayden looked at her, perplexed. Had she just given him a compliment?

The girl's smirk got bigger. "But then again, you are not better than I am."

Jayden stood up straighter, ready for a challenge. He had been waiting all day to unleash some of his frustration out on something. Anything. None of the rangers back at home were talking to him. They were all still furious with him.

The girl got into a warrior stance, pulling out a small dagger from her back pocket. Jayden paused for a moment. It wasn't fair to fight her with nothing but a dagger…

Faster than he knew was humanly possible, the girl was on him and flipped him over onto his back. She straddled him, snarling in his face.

"NEVER let your guard down," she hissed. In a swift and sudden motion she leaped off. Jayden groaned as he tried to get up and rubbed his back. That was going to leave a mark.

"Again,," she ordered as Jayden had gotten upright again. Jayden assumed a warrior's stance once more. He wasn't going to underestimate this girl again.

Violently, he swung at her as she ducked at jabbed him sharply in the side. Jayden grunted in pain but refused to stand down. He swung at her again and she darted in the opposite directon. Jayden was ready this time. Jayden thrust his sword at her full force at her left side which was exposed by her attack.

Suddenly she was gone. Jayden turned around frantically to see where she had gone and saw nothing.

He heard a voice whisper in his ear. "Never turn your back on an opponent," it hissed. Jayden felt a shooting stab of pain and then fell to the ground. He grit his teeth in concentration. He had to beat this girl.

If he couldn't beat this small little fairy creature, how was he going to defeat Master Xandred?

The girl shook her head and clucked in disapproval at him. "Sloppy at best. We have a lot of work to do. Dekker was right. You are getting weaker."

That was it. In a fit of rage Jayden lunged at the girl and was silenced with a quick kick to the chest. He went flying backwards and sailed into a tree. The girl looked at him with her cat-like eyes. It seemed as though she was struggling to hold back laughter.

"You're too rash. Too impulsive," she chided. "Good warriors wait patiently for an opening. They don't let their emotions get the better of them." She paused for a moment. "Back when you were good, that's how you got the best of Dekker… if I remember correctly.

Jayden froze in fear. How did she know that? No one had been there that day except for him and Dekker.

The girl shook her head smiling to herself. "I know everything. Remember?" she reminded him.

"And he was right you know. You have ways to go before you are truly a worthy opponent for a real Nighlock."

Jayden bristled at the insult. He had defeated Nighlock monsters hundreds of time. Of course, he always had his team to help him.

"So it is true then," he said with a deflated voice. "I have gotten weaker."

The girl softened for an instant. "Not exactly. Everyone has weakness, some more obvious than others. Before when you thought Dekker, your weakness seemed more secret. You seemed more detached. Dekker is merely disappointed because you now show no attempt of hiding what your weakness is."

"And what would that be?" Jayden asked her in a superior tone. The girl smiled and then slashed at him with her dagger. This time Jayden blocked it with ease. The girl smiled at him in approval. She leaned in really close to him pushing with all of her force against the dagger positioned on Jayden's chest. He pushed back with equal force, determined not to let her get the better of him.

"You've grown attached to them," she hissed in his face. Jayden opened his mouth to speak. "No. Don't deny it. It's true. You showed no guilt at having to fight your friend Kevin for the sake of protecting the innocent. Would you show the same resolve now? I think not."

She twirled at slashed at him again. Jayden caught her blow, but with more difficulty this time. The girl smiled, knowing that she was wearing down on him.

"And Mia. Did you bat an eye when she was taken to find those brides? Did you show the slightest bit of concern for her?" Jayden grunted with the tremendous effort of holding her off. The girl was stronger than she looked.

The girl pushed his sword aside and jab it towards his heart for the grand finish. Jayden managed to block her once more, but barely. Sweat was dripping down his face but the girl didn't seem to tire. Jayden, on the other hand, didn't know how long he could keep this up.

"What about Emily?" she asked innocently. "Don't deny it. I see the pain in your eyes as you think about it even now." She leaned closer to whisper in his ear. "What did you feel like when Emily collapsed to the ground the day that Emily got her spirit taken? Don't lie. I heard the anguish in your voice. Would you have done anything to save her?"

"I-" Jayden gasped.

"You don't need to answer that question Jayden," the girl hissed pressing harder against him with her blade. "I know that you would of. You were ready to sell your soul to the devil to get her out. My little martyr, she sneered.

"I…" Jayden began. This was getting harder. Was it just him or was this girl getting heavier? She continued with her speech.

"Sure, there was some hesitation at first. I mean, you're the leader. The world needs you. Giving your life up for a little substitute ranger that can barely hold a blade. How pathetic would that be?" Jayden started shaking. His muscles were tiring from holding her off for so long. And she was just so incredibly strong.

"But you wanted to. You would never let anyone know, but you wanted to all the same."

Without warning the girl got off of him and made her way back over to the river. She splashed some water on her face and breathed deeply, looking perfectly tranquil. Only then did Jayden notice the lines on her face. Something gave him the impression that this girl was a LOT older than she looked.