Later that night, the boys were having their evening meal. The girl hadn't talked to them all day.

"You sure you're feeling alright?" Kenny asked.

She nodded.

"Well, what's your name?" Tyson began.

She stood up. "My name's Hilary. And before you ask why I'm here, my answer's "None of your business." Goodnight." she replied. She walked out.

"Yup, she's so like Kai." Tyson smirked.

"I heard that." Kai replied.


Hilary tossed and turned in bed. Sweat trickled down her face. In her dream world, her painful childhood was being played over...


TEN YEARS EARLIER...

Hilary pushed the front gate open, and skipped inside. She'd just finished a day of school.

"You did WHAT?!" her mother's voice screeched.

Why's Mommy angry at Daddy? Hilary asked. She crept silently inside.

"Yuki, let me explain..." her father began.

"You mean to tell me that Relane is taking my little girl away from me?!" her mother exclaimed. She sounded as though she was in tears.

"Relane's simply following a tradition of our family. All of the Tachibana women have to go to the Tsurugi Monastery at the age of five. Hilary is the latest generation, and she turns five tomorrow." he sighed.

Monastery? Hilary blinked.

"How could you, Toro?" her mother whispered.

Later the next day, a figure arrived at the Tachibana residence, Relane.

"No! I won't let you take my daughter!" Yuki yelled, flinging her arms around her child.

"You have no choice, Yuki. Hilary must continue the family tradition." Relane replied.

All of a sudden, her brother stepped between his sister and wife. "What're you doing, brother?" Relane demanded.

"If you want Hilary, you'll have to get past me first." he announced.

"Toro..." his wife began.

"Yuki, take Hilary and run!" he ordered. Yuki nodded, grabbing her daughter's arm, but not before Relane pulled out a gun, and shot Toro dead. Just as Yuki was about to escape, she crumbled to the ground, and lay in a pool of blood next to her husband. She'd been shot too.

"Mommy!" Hilary screamed.

"Hilary...Never forget...I'll always...love you..." Yuki whispered. Her head sank to the floor. She was dead.

"No! Mommy! Wake up! MOMMY!!" Hilary cried, as she was dragged away...


Hilary sat up, gasping for breath.

"Are you OK?" a voice asked. She turned to see a boy with hair in two different shades of blue and blue face paint.

"Y-Yeah." she nodded.

"You sounded like you were having a nightmare, so I came to check on you." he replied.

"Well, thanks anyway." Hilary nodded.

"Kai." he announced suddenly.

"Sorry?" she blinked.

"My name's Kai." he explained.

"Oh. Well, good night, Kai." she replied.

"Goodnight, Hilary." Kai replied, leaving.

Watching him leave, a thought popped up in her mind. That boy...He looks familiar, but I don't remember meeting him...


As Kai settled down to sleep, he couldn't stop thinking about Hilary. That's weird...I feel like I've met her before...But where? And when? I don't even remember her, but that name rings a bell...