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Author's Notes: Woo... I really like this chapter! It was so much fun to write! There are some silly moments: Kharl starts the "What if's", Garfakcy finally gets some clothes, AND some food. Geesh… I forgot that humans had to eat! Anyway, this chapter is MUCH longer than the previous chapters, and I'm going to try and make the next ones longer too. I have so much to cover, and I don't want to write a hundred years day-by-day! AURGH! Gil is... such a plot hole! I now have no idea where to put the Gil chapter(s). But I do know where to put the Silk chapter. Ooh! I can't wait to write that one. I absolutely love the Kharl/Silk pairing. It's impossible, but just the way she was talking about him… And that one picture sparked an unending love of Kharl/Silk. Why, must I ask, did he give her the option of death instead of forcing her into becoming a demon? (Course, she took his hand and became a demon rather that dying but, yah know…) MUWAHAHA! Anyway, enjoy this chapter and PLEASE, PLEASE review!

Disclaimer: ...Still not mine.

Background Music: Kaze no Hana (Mahou Tsukai)

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Cloaks
By Sarehptar
Chapter Six-
Needles, Faith, and Feathers

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What makes someone innocent? Is it ignorance? Is it faith? What is the difference between those two? Faith is… a blind belief in something one cannot explain, something one cannot comprehend. Faith is a loyalty whose bonds are tested daily. One can believe in Gods, in lords, in others. You must have faith: even I had faith.

But ignorance… One can be ignorant in a million ways: ignorant of logic, of feelings, of violence, of knowledge in general. But most primarily, one can be ignorant in faith. It takes little work to claim belief, or to presume. It is an easy task to make oneself an avatar of lords or gods. That is blind faith: the speaking of one's bond, one's claims of loyalty. For most men, that is all they require—all they can attain. But true faith, faith that is not clouded by false claims or ignorance, that is something most men will die without achieving. It is something so rare, so elusive that even I, who feel it, doubt its existence. Yes—unlike most men, I have discovered true faith: it is a loyalty not born of greed or necessity; it is the bond between us, a bond I still cannot comprehend. I needn't understand: being able to grasp it, like taking hold of your little hand, is enough.

I had cared for the Master, I had loved him, I had trusted him to keep me safe –or at least– to treat me as an ally. In him I had a source of blind faith, of innocence. The trust I kept in him was nothing like the trust I have kept in you. I would trust you with nearly everything, including my life. That trust stems from knowing –truly knowing– a person. True trust, true loyalty, true understanding… It all comes back to truth, doesn't it? The truth… Something I was so loath to tell then and have no time to tell now. If I had been truthful—to you, to Rath, to myself, I would be smiling now. Maybe if I had said something different that day…

"I was… curious." The words sounded feeble, even to me. Whether or not you were satisfied by the stuttered excuse, I couldn't tell. You looked down at the folds of the sheet, breath starting to even out after your sudden interrogation. "There is only one more flight of stairs to climb. Can you continue now?" I asked quietly, training my gaze on your hands, not quite able to meet your eyes—what would I have seen there?

"Yeah." You mumbled almost incoherently, stumbling a little on the sheet as you stood. The tiny stone chamber at the top of the stairs was a place barely used by the Master and I. I had been there once, to store fabrics and armor for him, but that was years ago, and since, the room had fallen into disrepair. Cobwebs, thick with dust, fluttered like bat's wings between the rafters, and the air, choked with the heavy scent of rotting wood, was stale. The cedar and iron door swung reluctantly closed behind us, complaining shrilly about its sudden use.

I wandered, footsteps muffled by grit on the floorboards, to a corner cabinet. A few parcels, thoughtfully wrapped in paper, lay on dust-grey shelves, and selecting one at random, I pulled off the dull packing. Inside was a soft crimson material—what type, I had no idea.

"There should be a fabric suitable for clothing he- Ow!" In a rather ridiculous movement, I tossed the scarlet bundle away from myself and stared, shocked, at the tip of my finger, where a tiny drop of blood had begun to well. You stooped down, snagging something silver in your nimble fingers.

"A needle." You explained, holding it out to me, laughter showing through your viridian irises.

"Of course." I replied, letting go of my pricked finger and clinging to the last shreds of my plummeting dignity. I scooped up the red material, and the blood on my hand blended into it almost perfectly. "I'm not sure I can…" I started to murmur as you plucked a package off the shelf, "I do not know how to sew." It took a lot to admit ineptitude, and after all that, you hadn't even heard me. You were pulling packages off the shelves, shifting through material, using your fingers to measure lengths. Just as I had finished admitting my lack of ability, you had come upon a black fabric and were staring at it intently, as if it were more than just a piece of cloth.

"Uh-huh…This is enough…" Needless to say, I had no idea what you were going on about, and stood silently, watching you mark out things with your hands until—"Do you have metal?"

"What?" I was shook out of my revelry. "Oh…Yes. That cabinet there I believe."

"Good." You muttered, already halfway across the room.

"Am I to suppose- " a loud 'clang!' cut my sentence in two "-that you know what you are doing?"

"Uh-huh." You nodded without turning to look at me. "I used to… I used to…" Your little form sunk in its sheet, the floor felt the heavy weigh of emerald eyes, and your words came thick with emotion—I had never heard your voice so sad… or so soft. "I used to sew a lot." I stared, confused by your sudden change, for a few minutes before realizing I was being no help here.

"Then would you mind if I left you? There are things I should attend to." You didn't answer, and it dawned on me that this maze-like castle was new to you. "Oh. Here, I will leave this-" a little flicker of golden flame lit itself on my fingertip. "-with you. When you need, it will lead you straight to me." The little conjured fire broke free of my hand and began to flit about the room like a hummingbird. Watching it warily, you asked,

"Scissors?"

"They're here somewhere…" You nodded and turned back to the shelves, pawing through armor and thread as I shut the door.

The stone steps flashed under my eyes as I hurried, unhindered by a human's pace, down the stairs. A burning afternoon sun shone through the trees and into the gloomy granite corridors of –how odd it felt to say it– my castle. Night would be coming quickly, and if my weariness was any testament, you would be exhausted. A room would have to be prepared for you, and without servants, the task was left to me. I chose a chamber on the second floor, down the hall from my own. It was a rather plain room, but there was little I could do about that.

Thankfully, the servants had taken decent care of the place, so there was little for me to do. A closet in the wall was stuffed to the brim with neatly folded sheets and blankets, and I immediately set in to dig out some nice clean sheets for the bed. Unfortunately, I didn't realize how much of a mess covers could become… Hours! It took me hours to pick up all the blankets I'd tossed around. By the fifth or so time, I'd given up on trying to fold and had started just shoving them back where they belonged. I had barely managed to slam the closet door, all youkai strength required, when your voice, panting, shouted in the hall.

"Wait! Hold on a second!" The little golden flame sped under the door and circled about, energetically lighting up the room which had grown dark sometime during my sheet escapade. You forced the door open, and desperately trying to catch your breath, leant on its frame, glaring daggers at the innocent fire-guide. "You didn't say-" a pant cut off your words "-that thing would be-" another pant, "-so damn fast!" I expected to see you still in the sheet, but instead, you were wheezing inside an odd outfit made from that black material, bound at the waist by a brown band. You were clutching a bundle of the same brown fabric, a few shiny bits of armor and some white strips whose purpose I couldn't fathom.

"Forgive me. I didn't think about how fast it would travel." A snap of my fingers sent the offending flame into oblivion. "But it did its job." You growled some unintelligible reply, shifting your burden –a human's way of subtly announcing discomfort as I later learned– silently asking what I was doing here, in this room. "Garfakcy, you will sleep in this place." Strangely quiet, you passed through the doorway and laid the cloth gingerly on the bed, as if you expected the room to evaporate around you. "Is it suitable for a human?" You were staring about the chamber, trying to survey everything that had suddenly come under your control. I sat myself on the edge of the bed, putting the piece of furniture between us. "When do humans require sleep?" I asked, curiosity piqued. Did they sleep with the coming of the moon, or like youkai, each on their own schedule?

"I'm not tired at all." You retorted, but your mouth did something odd, and your eyes were only half-open and cloudy. Maybe later would have been a better time to ask questions.

"This room is yours, so feel free to do with it what you will. However…" I added as I wandered toward the hall. "I would avoid the closet." You were already scrambling under the covers like you had never slept in a bed, and then you mumbled something I had never heard before:

"Good night." You murmured, almost instinctively, half-buried in the mountain of pillows. I paused on my way to the door. Good night… Those two terms made sense to me, but… What were they—a ritualistic human blessing? The words sounded odd together.

"Good night…" I whispered, wondering if I could work a demon's mouth in a human felicitation. The feeling of the words was soft and pleasant, ringing almost melodious in my ears. I could say it! "Good night." I repeated, testing this new found ability. "Good night, Garfakcy." I shut the door behind myself, and almost smiling, brushed gently down the hall to my room.

I expected sleep to come easily, weary as I was, but as I fell into bed, I knew getting to rest would be a challenge. There were just too many thoughts rushing around in my head to sleep. My little human… Garfakcy. What an odd name. Although, maybe it was normal by human standards—I wouldn't know. I was so busy thinking, I couldn't see the edge of the blanket in front of my eyes. I knew there was a smile on my face, much like –what was the analogy you used– a child with a new puppy? There was just so much to learn! And you were so odd: fierce one moment and somber the next. Were all humans such veritable pallets of emotion? I tossed and turned for hours, posing hundred of What If's—what if humans needed to be kept a certain temperature? What if they couldn't eat youkai food? What if they need a certain amount of sunlight each day?—and I had no idea that, down the hall, you were also awake, marveling at all that had happened in the past few days. Eventually, my questions must have faded into dreams, because I remember waking up with the sound of muffled footsteps in my ears. Groggily -the morning was never my best time- I wandered toward the hall, and as luck would have it, I stumbled through the doorway just as you were tip-toeing past, carrying the red bundle and needle that had attacked me.

"Ah. Garfakcy." I was at a lost for something to say: the Master had never been much of a conversationalist, and I had no idea what salutation humans used to greet one another. "Um…" I began, brushing lilac strands (long overdue for cutting) out of my eyes, "Do humans have a saying for morning—like the 'good night'?"

"Good morning."

"Oh." Simple, efficient, catchy. "Good morning."

"It's noon." Noon? Well, humans told time in the same manner as youkai. But I certainly had slept late! I suppose that accounted for the lack of sunbeams in my eyes.

"Well then… Good noon!" You shook your head, crushing a half-smile. Had I said something wrong? Determined to get over my mishaps, I pointed to the red fabric. "What is that for?" You unfolded the material, letting it pool, like blood, on the floor.

"Night clothes." You replied, showing me where the fabric would be cut. But I wasn't paying attention to your cloth speech, as I had just noticed something new on your black outfit—the brown material you'd brought into your room last night had turned into a prim little jacket, your shoulders and knees were covered by the black metal armor you'd taken yesterday, and the round pieces were held in place partly by stitches, and partly by the white bands of material, which you'd woven around your forearms and shins. You'd even managed to sew yourself a pair of loose little boots.

Needless to say, I was amazed. The stitching was perfect (at least, I thought it looked extremely well done), the outfit itself was light, readily movable, and you'd managed to sew it so quickly! Just how early had you gotten up? My little moment of awe, and your nightgown explanation, were suddenly cut short by the strangest noise I had ever heard. It sounded like… growling. But I hadn't made any noise, and you'd been talking.

"Oh." You mumbled, letting part of the fabric go to grip your middle.

"What was that?" I started searching along the corridor for the source of the sound.

"My stomach." You muttered, sheepishly.

"Your…" It dawned on me that stomachs, especially human stomachs, should not make animalistic noises. "Is something wrong? Have you fallen ill? What can I do? What have I done!" I continued on that thread for several minutes, becoming almost hysterical. I would feel horrible if I had worked so hard to make you better only to have killed you! I had just started pacing when you interrupted me with a:

"I'm fine." You said, looking up at me with an odd expression (amusement, you told me) on your face.

"You're fine? But…"

"I just haven't eaten in… awhile." Your face darkened briefly, remembering something that stole the shine from your eyes, leaving them with a hollow, half-alive look, a look I instantly wanted to erase. How could I have not have realized you'd be hungry? It had been, after all, at least four days.

"Come with me." I smiled (what a habit it was becoming), and took hold of your hand, effectively ending your moment of ill memory. "There will be something in the kitchen."

There were loads of things in the kitchen, but very few were edible, and even fewer were safe for humans to eat. After pawing through several cabinets (most of which were full of vials of human blood and other delicacies), I stumbled onto a loaf of bread and a chunk of cured ham—food, no doubt, for humans the Master planned to test on. "You can eat this, correct?"

"Yes." You replied, looking at it as if it were the finest meal you'd ever seen.

The only creature I've ever seen eat more quickly than you was a starved wolf demon, and that is certainly not an exaggeration. The bread was gone in seconds, and you set in on the meat without waiting for a knife. "Drink?" I handed over a flask of water; something I presumed was a universal requirement. That was drained just as quickly, and when the porcelain plate was cleared (entirely crumbless) you were still looking at it hungrily.

"How often must humans eat?" I asked, so that I could assess how much work it would take to keep my human from starving (a rather unpleasant fate, I'm sure you would agree).

"Three times a day." You replied, in that silly sheepish voice, as if embarrassed to admit you also had to eat that much.

"…A day?" Three times a day! At that time, I couldn't believe it—it seemed like so much, considering I ate twice a week at most. "We're going to have to get some food for you, aren't we?" Now… Where to get that food? Well, hunger abated, personage clothed, the only thing left to do was… nothing. What exactly was I expected to do now? Eerily, you had the same expression on your face—how were we supposed to just start… living? I was the adult here, so you would be looking to me for answers. I was the adult. When I had the first come into the castle, what had the Master said to me? Rules! He had told me the rules. Of course, they had been regulations for a young youkai, but children are children.

"There are some rules to know." I said, mimicking the Master as best I could. "The castle has three floors and a basement, which is rather dank and is best avoided." I tossed your empty plate into the stone sink, and, ignoring the shattering noise, continued, "Feel free to visit all the rooms –most are empty- but I'd advise you to stay out of the laboratories: there are things there that would prove harmful to humans. There are times when I am not to be disturbed: I will always give you plenty of warning regarding them. As of yet," was that really my voice, so formal? "I will not expect anything of you, though this can change. The entire forest is also the territory of this castle, but…"

My voice flattered, and your expression changed to one that almost reflected concern. "…The Master… My Master was the one who protected this area from other demons. He protected…" I couldn't admit that he protected me, that I had lost more than a mentor in his death. But humans have an ability I have often desired—they seem to understand more from what is not spoken than what they hear, and you were no exception. I couldn't name the look on your face, though it looked close to sadness. "He kept other demons off our land. Having smelt his blood, those youkai are sure to be flocking here now, to take the territory they believe abandoned. Until I have made it clear enough," in other words, killed enough, "For them to realize this place is under my possession, I would like you to remain inside. As for now, I am going to look for something. I trust you can entertain yourself for a few minutes?"

"Uh-huh." You nodded, though it appeared you had stopped paying attention. Was the prospect of exploring the castle so interesting?

"I should find what I'm looking for rather quickly. Do not wander too far." I smiled as I shut the kitchen door behind myself, feeling a bit odd, leaving you sitting alone at the table. I should have felt odder. I should have realized… I should never have left you by yourself without reinforcing my demand. No, I should not have left you alone all at. Because, as I went to find an empty notebook to begin my human-observations, you did something extremely human: the one thing I told you not to do.

The library had been a second home to me as long as I had lived with the Master—I had spent days pouring over every book, mostly containing spells, that I could. I knew the shelves back and front, including the ones that contained blank notebooks. Despite the fact that I walked straight to them, it is my habit to make a mess, and as I pulled a black journal from the shelf, things came scattering out. A tiny ebony music box rolled down the pile of fallen books and snapped open, playing a familiar, slow tune. Inside, a velvet bag was looped around the lock. I knew what was encased in the sky blue cloth—I had stumbled across the music box years before, and asked the Master then: claw-sized Longetivity pills, designed to stop the process of aging. They were the creation of the Master's Master, and my mentor had never found use for them. Perhaps just I had.

"Garfakcy!" I called, journal tucked under my arm, music box in the other hand. "Garfakcy?" The kitchen was empty, your chair neatly pushed in, and the pieces of the porcelain plate I'd broken were gone from the sink. "Garfakcy?" I called again, wandering out of the kitchen and opening the door to the main hall. "Are you in here?" It was then I noticed: the iron and oak front door was open. Had you… gone outside? Then, through the quivering trees, I heard something that sent a horrible cold feeling crawling into the bottom of my stomach—your voice.

"K-K-Kh-Ma-MASTER KHARL!" In a heartbeat I was racing into the forest, disregarding the branches that snagged and ripped my night robe, which I had not taken the time to change out of. The normal musky odor of the forest was thick with the scent of demon, and lancing just beneath that, the heady smell of human fear. I could hear—just ahead, a demon's rough breath nearly drowned out your own frantic pants. There were three trees between us, two, one! I was hardly aware of my own body as I threw myself between the monster and your cowering form.

A flick of my wrist threw his claws away. The stupid beast was baffled by this sudden change in prey, and training flaring to mind, I struck it down easily. It was nothing to me, not even the slightest of strain, but as I watched its blood run dark over the dead leaf floor, I knew. I knew what I had just done would change my life forever. I had killed a youkai… to save a human.

"Garfakcy?" I turned from the lifeless corpse and found you shivering on the ground, reaching out to pick up a long, pure white feather, one of several. White feathers… My feathers. Had I been that worried, enough to lose control? "Garfakcy?" You didn't look up, even when I called again. Your eyes roved the white feather in your hand, or perhaps the dirt beneath you. "Are you all rig-" Your free hand rose to grip a fold in my night robe as I kneeled beside you. That was the first time you reached out to me, and you still did not look up.

"I was… I wasn't… I wasn't strong enough. I wasn't strong enough to stop it. I wasn't strong enough to stop… him!" Your voice and shoulders quivered, frustration and fear flaring to almost noxious levels. I understood that anger: in the days before the Master, I had felt it often.

"Do you want to be strong Garfakcy?" Emerald orbs, clouded by tears of self-hatred, met my own pale eyes. You stared at me silently, grip tightening on my robe, as if trying to prove I really was there, had really come to protect you.

"Yes… Master Kharl."

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Author's Notes: It's done! It's done! (Dance, Dance!) I really enjoyed writing this chapter… I think I went a bit over the top there though… Kharl was OOC, wasn't he? Wah! Maybe I should just re-write the whole thing. Less humor next chap- No wait. Next chapter is the promised pink apron chapter, and the explanation of this chapter, and the first experiments. (Anyone up for Killer Shrimp?) Well, what did you think of this chapter, cute, no? I liked it. Maybe it was a bit… Cheesy. But Kharl made his habitual messes. Poor dishes! Anyway, PLEASE review! I really would like to make it up to 30! If I reach thirty, I'll make the next chapter REALLY long. Okay, not THAT long, but longer than this one. Please? Hilfe mich, bitte?

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Review Responses:

Aquajogger: Tests… Ugh! I know your pain. I'm in the GATE program at my high-school, and we get ten times the number of the tests. It's hell-semester. Anyway, I'm really glad you liked the last chapter. The ending was… odd. I liked this chapter a lot better. I think I'm getting better with Garfakcy and worse with Kharl. Oh well. I'll balance myself out eventually. ? I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Kage Ohkami: You. Must. Not. Flatter. Me. You're review is going to push my ego through the roof! But thank you so much! I really don't think this story is that good… But I'm glad that you do, it makes me feel like I'm definitely not wasting sleep! I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much… Was Kharl weird in this one? Well, I'm off to write some more passages from the Demon Bible… And to write "Human Observation #1" Thanks for reviewing!

Koriaena: It is confusing, you're right! Basically: Kharl is dying and remembering everything that happened in his life. Every time he says "you" he is talking to Garfakcy. I'll try to make it less confusing (heart attack). Oh, and when Kharl said "part of the Dragon Tribe" he was imagining what it would have been like. Garfakcy has been captured by the Dragon Tribe, but captured isn't the right word. He's being held by the Dragons a.k.a, being kept away from Kharl. I hope that clears things up! Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you liked this chapter!

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