"Are you ok?" Ragna asked as he reached out his hand to the girl. Nu heard his voice and her body twitched in surprise. She looked up and saw him, her eyes still watering. She used her uniform to wipe the tears away. She didn't reply to Ragna's question. He grew a little annoyed about that, normally he doesn't like people ignoring him. He took a deep breath to compose his hot head and sat next to the girl. "So why are you crying? Did that stupid punk Hazama do something to you again?" He asked with a bit more energy in his voice." The thought of Hazama made him angry. Nu kept looking down as quite as could be, her tears stopped but she still refused to acknowledge Ragna's presence. "Umm so that's not it then?" He probed again, hoping to get an answer but he would hear none.
"Well this is just great, I'm getting no where with this strange girl." he thought. He got up and started to walk back to the tree where Jin was still lying asleep. At that moment Ragna heard a faint sound. He turned to look back at Nu, "Did you say something?" he asked rather bluntly. Nu raised her voice a bit more though still hiding her face between her legs. "Their not here.." she shyly said. Ragna felt like it would be rude of him to leave now that she had finally said something to him so he sat right back down next to her. "Who's not here yet? Your parents? Your not the only one you know, our foster mother still isn't here yet either. But don't worry, I'm sure they'll be here soon." Ragna tried his best to sound optimistic as he said those last words. Nu just shook her head in disagreement. "I don't have any parents, and besides I don't want to go back home. I don't like it there." Ragna seemed a bit confused at her response, "wait a minute, parents aside, why don't you like your home?" his interests were spiked. She held her head up and for the first time since Ragna had been there. He saw her full face, her eye patch strange as it was, was somehow mesmerizing to him. "Because I just don't!" she yelled.
Ragna felt a surge of impatience with the girl, "Fine! Forget I asked!" He got up and stomped away, fumes almost coming out of his ears. As he was making his was off the steps he heard a woman's voice that echoed around him. "There you are! Geeez do you have any idea how worried you made me?! You can't keep running off like that Nu! What is this the 3rd time this month that you try to hide from me when I come pick you up?!" Ragna turned to look at the strange woman who was lecturing Nu. She was short, with strange pink hair. But what really caught his attention was her ears, they were like a cats. She grabbed Nu by the wrist and started to force her to get up. Ragna could see that Nu was struggling. "Hey lady! Stop that! Can't you see your hurting her!" The pink haired lady turned around and saw Ragna holding a rock in his right hand. "You...who are you?" she asked him. "My name's Ragna and if you know what's good for you you'll let her go right now. It's obvious she doesn't want to go with you." The lady started to laugh uncontrollably, it took her a few moments to compose herself all the while still holding Nu's wrist. "You've got guts, Ragna was it? My name is Kokonoe, and I am this girl's guardian. I'll admit I could of been gentler with her but sometimes I can't afford that luxury. Especially when she hides like this from me. She's already late in taking her medication! Come on Nu, we're leaving right now." She forced Nu up and started to get her to walk with her. Ragna still with the rock in hand followed them. "May I ask why your following me?" Kokonoe asked irritated. Ragna gripped on the rock a bit tighter, "I just want to make sure that your not going to do anything stupid to her." Nu's eye was fixed on Ragna, looking back at him as he followed her.
"Oh I see, you have a little crush on my Nu don't you?" Kokonoe snickered. Ragna stopped in his tracks, "What the hell are you saying! Of course I don't!" Kokonoe began to laugh which made him even more upset. "You better shut up lady! You don't know what your talking about!" Nu just kept starring at Ragna.
"Ragna! What are you doing with that rock? Don't tell me you plan to throw it at that lady?!" Ragna's face turned white as he heard his foster mother's voice behind him. "Well you see, I...ugh." She was carrying a sleeping Jin on her shoulder. "How many times have I told you not to leave your brother alone like that, it's dangerous! Your the older brother Ragna, I expect you to protect your siblings! And to top it off, your now trying to throw rocks at people?!" She turned to look at Kokonoe.
"I'm sorry, I'm Celica A. Mercury. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs..." Kokonoe extended her hand, "It's Kokonoe." Celica took her hand and shacked it in turn. "I'm sorry if my little Ragna has caused you any sort of trouble, he's really a kind and gentle boy. Ranga, please apologize for being so rude to Ms. Kokonoe." Kokonoe didn't want to get any more involved in the situation, she already felt a sense of guilt. "No it's ok, don't worry about it, he caught me arguing with my daughter here and wanted to protect her. Kids huh? Cute aren't they." At that moment Ragna turned to Kokonoe and bowed his head, "I'm sorry" Kokonoe again waved her hands in the air, "Geez I told you kid its fine, don't worry about it."