Stage 3: Into the Dark Alley

"Mika-sama?" Anari knocked on Mika's door, "Mika-sama, are you home? Because I really want to talk to you about last night and--,"

She cut-off for a split second and noticed that the door was left open. Wow, I didn't see that coming... Anari thought out loud, as she stepped inside his house.

This was the first time she's been in his house. Her eyes started to wander around the room, curiously. As she did look around, she felt a swift breeze from behind her. Anari spun around to see Mika's black curtains flowing around into the breeze. She walked up towards the windows and decided to shut them without any second options.

I don't really know how he keeps this place in order... Anari sighed softly, but then she decided to sit down in one of his chairs. She hoped that Mika would come in anytime soon.

Temptingly, she played with one of his really plushy pillows and gave it a tight squeeze. She changed her mind in a split second and decided to play catch with it, she threw it as high as she can into the air but mistakenly thrown it into the wrong direction.

That wasn't what I had in mind... Anari thought, laughing nervously. She stood up and went to pick up the pillow she threw a few seconds ago.

Just as she found the pillow she'd already had thrown, she eyed at the pillow very curiously. Something stuck out of it, a piece of paper of some sort. She decided to keep the pillow there and decided to take the slip of paper out of the pillow. To her eyes, it looked like a picture that has been recently torn out of a newsletter.

She looked at the picture very carefully, and noticed a picture of two giant dogs that looked like they've just ran through the town at lightning speed. It was more of a blurred vision off from the camera, but she could still the picture a little clearly. One dog had an X-scar and the second one beside him wore four silver bracelets.

Those don't look like any average dogs.....they're wolves!!! Anari thought, looking very surprised, But how's that possible, that there are more? That can't be right--

Anari turned around to see Mika standing right there at the door, looking like a ghost that came out of the damp darkness. In a split second, Anari hid the picture in her side pockets and then started to laugh nervously.

"M-m-mika-sama!" Anari's voice started studdering, "I-I did not see you there!! But....uh, did you just see that? What I just did by any chance?"

"See what?" Mika cocked an eyebrow, looking a little dumbfounded.

"Oh," Anari looked at another direction, not meeting Mika's gaze, "...okay then."

"What are you doing here then Anari-san?" Mika sighed, "I didn't think that anyone would come visit me today, in fact, not in the slightest. Is there something that you want to talk to me about?"

"Actually...." Anari began, "there is but one thing that I wanted to talk to you about."

"Very well then," Mika slumped into a black leather chair, "...well sit down, there's a chair next to you so I'd suggest you could pull that one up."

Anari followed and grabbed another black leather chair as she sat down. They have been looking at each other for a few minutes, then Anari begun to speak, "Well...Mika-sama, I have but a question to ask you, but...how did you know about the star that was bestowed upon me?"

"That's an easy question to ask," Mika let out a serene laugh, and poured himself some herbal tea, "...of course, you are one unique girl. You have many qualities that other girls don't have. I've been studying about stars for a long time, but think about it, the star of Aerois. A very rare star to have in possession, and to think a girl of fourteen would have that power. That is you...Miss Anarein Kiya, you have a gift that God sent you."

"I know that...." Anari replied as she looked down at the floor, looking away from his sharp gaze, "What I don't know is....why did God choose me? I haven't done anything special...."

"Even I don't know that either," Mika replied swiftly, "but time will tell us, that's for sure."

Mika began to pour another cup of herbal tea as he began to add some lentals into the drinks for more minty flavor. He passed the tray to Anari and asked, "What some tea? It should help to clear your thoughts and the trouble surrounding you. Like when I work on history projects, this is the health drink that I would recommend."

Anari nodded and took the pretty glass cup, a pretty regal star pattern was crafted onto the glass, as she could see the tea through the glass from the inside-out. She took a small sip, hoping that it won't gush down her throat quickly so she could get a sore throat, but as she sipped the tea, a warm feeling went down through her chest.

Wow..... Anari thought, as if she was dreaming of a fantasy guy that she liked, what a nice flavor! It's like a combination of freshly picked oranges...with a very minty finish....I don't know how I'm explaining it...but this is so good! I want some more!!

"Careful now Anari-san," Mika smiled a little nervously, "that tea maybe good stuff, but too much of it would cause you to get sick. So I'll pour you one more cup but that's it."

- - - - - - -

Leilani pressed her fingers against the glass, as she watched a beast falling asleep inside it's cage.

Although the beast was very much wolf-like, it was still beautiful. His fur was dressed in a snowy-white color, there was a black streak going down from his mussle downwards to the end of it's stomach, but a pair of black wings seemed to cover it's now fragile body. His body looked more like a painted porcelain rather than just the fur that shrouded the entire body.

"You stay asleep...my angel...." Leilani whispered into the beast's ear, "Dear Father will wake you up....just as he promised that he will."

Leilani spun around, she heard very soft footsteps coming up the pathway towards her direction. Apparently, she was right, Darcia came up the pathway with his royal purple cape flowing into the breeze.

In a low tone, he whispered towards Leilani, "Is the beast awakened yet?"

Leilani nodded in response, "No sir, he's still asleep. But you will wake him up...right?"

Darcia closed his eyes, then reopened them, "I promise I will. But we need some extracts of wolf blood to awaken him."

Leilani's eyes widened, "A wolf's blood?"

Darcia's eyes were set still, as his narrow eyes turned towards the beast, "Yes....for this type of beast...he only feeds on a wolf's blood. But he is a mere corpse right now....we'll have to remain vigilant and only time will tell us about when he will be set free."

As Darcia made his way towards the door, Leilani swiftly pulled out a vile of blood.

"If it's wolf's blood that you want...." Leilani took out the cork for a split second and continued, "then there's wolf's blood that you're going to get."

She started to pour the contents of the blood all over the cage, the blood looked like it slipped through the bars, but it was only being fed to the beast, as if the beast was sucking out all of the contents of the blood.

- - - - - - -

Anari walked by herself out onto the streets, looking more confused than ever.

Alot of questions and thoughts piled up her head, as if she has a huge test to study for. But every piece of detail always lead straight to either her or to Mika.

Mika-sama....she squeezed her eyes tight, What is it that you want with me? How come you know about the star...and what are you planning on doing with it? You're planning on doing something...and I'm going to find out what.

Anari stopped walking for a split second, and suddenly noticed that she wasn't on the bright side of Freeze City anymore.

This was more of an alleyway...an empty alley that she's never seen or heard of before. So Freeze City has an alleyway too. Huh, funny...well hey, at least it's not so bad. I mean the place is just empty....right??

Anari froze in place for a second, she could feel somebody was here. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach, she looked around, as she remained in place. She continued to walk but only swiftly.

"Wait, don't move."

A voice called from behind her, Anari spun around and her eyes widened. She turned to look at a young boy about her age and he gave her a piercing glance. His hair was reddish-brown, his side-bangs covering half of his forehead, the other side covering a tiny portion of his head. His eyes were more on the honey brown side, and by the way he looks he seemed expressive. He wore a red collared shirt, green cargo pants, and black military boots. Anari continued to stare at him, but her only concern was the silver bracelets on his right rist.

"Wait a minute...." Anari studdered, "You're--,"

She cut-off when she saw a drunk male turning towards her, her eyes widened. It was the same Scarface that she thought she killed from last time. Anari and the boy both turned to looked at him with the same look on their faces.

A fiendish smile appeared on his face, "You there..." he pointed his finger directly at Anari, "I couldn't kill you off last time, but stumbling into a dark alley? This shouldn't be a place for young girls to hang out, there's always going to be someone who'll always be watching your back so let me just kill you off and we'll both be even, okay?"

Scarface raised a hand at Anari, but she froze in place, but then, the boy took over and jumped in her defense. Scarface slashed his claws on his upper right arm, as the boy fell to his knees, and winced over the pain.

"Damn...it.....that hurts...." he winced, one of his eyes squeezed shut.

"What's this? Oh, look, a young boy saving a young girl for protection. How very touching...very well then....I should kill you first!!" Scarface brought out his knife-like claws and tried to lunge himself near the boy, but in a split second, the boy got up to his feet as he jumped out of the way, while Scarface hit the ground, his claws were snagged in place.

Anari could only look in horror, but then the boy grabbed her by the stomach, and brought her near to his chest.

"Don't just stand there, we have to escape now!!" He motions to Anari.

He scaled the buildings at an amazing speed, as Scarface angrily watch them escape into the midst.

"I'll get you....you damn kids...." he wheezed heavily, the dust was getting to him.

- - - - - - -

Anari looked from atop the city buildings, but then she turned to the boy, who seemed very injured in the moment. Blood seeped down his arm, his eyes were shut tight, the pain was burning him.

But Anari knew she had to do something to help him, she walked up towards him and tried to get a close look at his arm. Just before she could, only the boy shoved Anari out of the way.

"Get away from me!!" The boy warned Anari, "I'm fine, it's just I don't want anyone to touch my arm!"

"But..." Anari replied, looking a little worried over his injury, "...the blood is pouring down fast...at least let me wrap something around it to prevent it from spilling at least!"

She let out a hand and tried to reach for his arm again, but he swiftly took his arm away from Anari, he yelled, "I told you to not touch my arm! Don't you get it? I'll be fine....just don't worry about it too much!! Girls can be so over-reactive sometimes!"

Anari couldn't stand it as she grabbed him by the collar by both hands, she put him near to her face, she looked like she was ready to burst.

"Over-reactive?" Anari repeated, "You think I'm over-reactive?! I was trying to do something good for your injury but instead you call me over-reactive? Well, I should be telling you something else buddy, because I won't be the one complaining when you'll be the one ending up dying in the hospital. You'll be thanking me by then."

The boy just blinked at her, but then a low voice called from behind him.

"Toboe, are you alright?"

The boy spun around, a very tall man wearing nothing else but black leather clothes turned to look down at Toboe. Anari's eyes widened in surprised, this man also had the X-scar just like in the picture that Anari had seen a few hours back.

His eyes turned towards Toboe's, "What happened to your arm? It's bleeding...and from the looks of it, they are claw marks. Very deep claw marks...." then his eyes turn to Anari's, he walked up towards Anari in a fast place and the bared fangs revealed, "You are going to pay for doing this sin on him!!"

"Wait Tsume!!" Both Anari and Tsume turned around, Anari looked very stunned and Tsume, who was about ready to choke her to death.

"It is not her fault..." Toboe replied, looking into Anari's eyes, "...some strange drunk man was about to kill her...and then..."

"You stepped in and saved her?" Tsume finished the sentence.

"Yeah, that's kind of it." Toboe replied, looking down at the ground, he looked back up at Tsume with such gazing eyes.

"Well, let's go home Toboe. We need to take a good look at that injury, and as for you girl, we can't just keep you here. Since you know about our secret, you should come with us. But I swear, even if you lay a hand on Toboe, you're going to be sorry you've even asked to live."

Anari studdered in response, "U-uh...um....okay....."

Tsume grabbed both Toboe and Anari by their stomaches as the three made an escape and into the city streets, without being seen.