The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer: I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

All right, here's the ninth full chapter!

Chapter Nine: A Conflict And A Choice

Cooro let his gaze travel nervously from each corner of the field and back again, subconsciously pressing his hands against his shoulders as they suddenly started to burn, the still mild sensation running lightly down his arms.

The three of them had been pressing forward for quite a while since leaving the village, and the morning had gradually made its way to late afternoon. They'd gone straight through the grassy plain that'd surrounded the village, and were still sticking fairly close to the shore of the river – a way of crossing the wide body of water never made available. The field was slowly starting to become more wooded again, and a couple of hills bordered the area…though there wasn't much in the way of brush or thorns, a few bold, tall trees pointed straight from the clear grass towards the sky, becoming thicker in number as the small group continued on their way.

He was still in the wheel chair, the ground remaining open enough for that to be the easiest way to get him around.

The western sea… If they kept following the river, eventually crossing over to the less mountainous area on the other side, that should be were they'd eventually come out – they actually weren't all that far away, so it was definitely worth a look. They had no way of knowing whether or not there was any truth to the rumor they'd heard about the +anima gathering there, but there were supposedly war ruins near the area…and even if the idea turned out to be false, there would most likely be other villages somewhere along the beach.

But…they were being followed, he realized with a shiver. She was nearby. She wasn't terribly close – he doubted that she could see them, but she was still in the general premise somewhere.

Cooro could have cursed. She hadn't shown herself at all during the time he'd spent in the riverside village, which had been strange because she often did whenever he lingered somewhere for more than a week. But now, just when he'd decided to continuing going on with Nana and Senri, she had to appear again… He'd known she was going to…but her silence while he'd been in the hospital had given him a false, subconscious sense of hope. Maybe he should've tried to stay away from his friends after all…

For now, though, the sky was still bright with daylight – she'd probably leave him be until it got dark, that's what she always did. If he was lucky…perhaps she would still wait to make a move – there had to be a reason she'd been keeping her distance lately, maybe she would for a while longer. That was the only hope had. Unable to even move himself away from the others, there would be little he could do to keep his companions out of it if she decided to show up. A shiver spread down his spine.

Nana looked back as she walked, noticing Cooro's eyes darting fearfully from tree to tree, and his shoulders covered by his palms. "Hmm? Cooro? Is something wrong? Are your shoulders hurting for some reason?"

"Huh?" He sputtered, his startled gaze flying forward to meet hers. "O…oh, no. Nothing. I'm fine." He made a point of taking his hands away from the base of his neck, continually staring straight ahead with a meek attempt at a smile.

Nana was still unconvinced – she had been to a degree even since the incident with the knife when they'd left the hospital, and now it was especially obvious that something specific was bothering him. It didn't seem like he wanted to talk about what, though.

The whole thing was actually making her a bit nervous herself – the way he was constantly looking around with those wide, weary eyes, as if something could jump out at any moment. The ever-present fear in his eyes was blazing brighter again too, different than the subdued trace it usually lingered at.

That made her think about what the doctor had said… When Cooro had first been submitted into the hospital, Dr. Gabriel had told her and Senri that she'd be looking for any signs of what could be making the boy so frail. She hadn't found anything in particular though, and the last time the two of them had seen her alone, the doctor had simply said that, from what she could tell, it was mostly equated to a strange, constant anxiety and stress. That, and a complete lack of effort to take care of himself on his part. She'd said that through the whole time he'd been there, he'd never once done anything to keep himself clean, or even brush his hair, and that he'd never ask for more blankets, or water, or anything, unless she asked first. He just didn't seem to care about himself at all…

Nana kept walking forward, but her gaze traveled discretely back to the boy, a slight sadness in her eyes. Maybe that would explain why he was so quick to blame himself for everything, to call himself nothing but a burden. …Did he really feel like that? But why? What would make him feel that way? Nana bit her bottom lip – no matter what, it wasn't right for anyone to think of themselves as worthless…

She didn't say anything though, instead placing a hand on her aching stomach as it let out a slight growl. She stopped. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving!" She remarked, trying to keep her voice as light-hearted as possible. "We had to leave the café without ever really getting breakfast…and now it'd normally be about time for dinner! We've come a pretty long way already… Maybe we should stop to rest and eat for a little while, what do you think?"

Senri nodded briefly a moment later, coming to a halt himself. "Uh…" Cooro sputtered for a moment, taking another wide-eyed, nervous glance around. "O…okay." He answered quietly, twiddling his fingers anxiously as they searched for somewhere comfortable to stop.

They settled beneath a couple of trees, Nana and Senri resting on a small cluster of rocks while Cooro remained in the wheel chair. Planning to continue on further before dark, they didn't have time to build a fire, but the three of them each dug through the bag that'd been hanging off the chair's handles, pulling out a few pieces of fruit and dried meat that they'd brought along from the village.

"So…I wonder what this abandoned fortress will be like? That is, if that rumor Dr. Gabriel told us is really true. If not we'll probably have to try to hide somewhere by the beach villages…" Nana pondered aloud, trying to break the silence. Senri was as wordless as ever, and Cooro's gaze was still darting anxiously around. A little conversation wouldn't hurt to lighten things up. "It would be pretty amazing though, wouldn't it? To see all the +anima gathered there for rebellion, even from Sailand! Of course I would rather all of this not happen, but it's still about time, I think! I wonder if we'll run into anyone else we know?"

"If they'll even let me in…" Cooro remarked dryly, not meeting her gaze. Of course, he could prove he was a +anima and get admitted, but not while keeping his act that he wasn't one anymore still going… And he wasn't about to break that.

"Oh...that's right…" Nana blinked, reminding herself once more that Cooro had lost his +anima. She hadn't even thought about that. "Well… You were a +anima – we can vouch for that, and maybe there'll be other people there that might remember you from before, too. I'm sure they'll still let you in – it's not like you'd betray us, like…" Her voice trailed off. Like Husky. She finished bitterly in her mind, but chose to keep to words silent, not wanting to bring up that whole topic again. She could guess that her companions knew what she'd been going to say, though.

Cooro never brought his gaze back up, his eyes suddenly falling blankly to his feet. "…He didn't even recognize me…" He remarked solemnly, his voice no louder than a whisper. "Am I really that different now? So much that he didn't even know who I was?"

Nana didn't answer right away, taken aback by the question. "Well, it has been eight years…" She started slowly, slightly uncomfortable. "Everyone's bound to change a bit when it's been that long, especially since we were just kids before. But…I'm sure that it was mostly the wheel chair that threw him off. After all, we both recognized you! Right, Senri?"

"Cooro…" Senri confirmed, placing a hand on the dark-haired boy's shoulder.

He looked up for a moment at the bear +anima, surprised, before his eyes sunk back down to the ground beneath him. He didn't say anything else.

"A…anyway…" Nana sputtered, trying to change the subject again. "We should probably finish up our snacks and get going again. We need to make sure we save most of it, too – who knows when we'll be able to stock back up?"

Her male companions both nodded unenthusiastically in agreement, the group of three trying to quickly get their fill of the food in their hands.

"Hey, Myrrha, come on!"

The silver-haired boy padded along listlessly after the rest of his squadron, forcing himself to pick up just enough speed to avoid getting left behind completely when he heard the captain's angry voice call back to him.

"R…right…"

His feet felt like lead. He wanted to collapse and remain right there in the middle of the field, his desire for all of this to just disappear sapping the strength from his limbs. But no matter how hard he wished, it wasn't going to call off the search.

He didn't want to do this… His heart felt heavy in his chest, beating far too loudly and quickly as sweat dripped down from his brow. He didn't want to do this!

Please…please, don't let us find them! He begged to no one in particular as he forced himself to press forward, keeping step with the other guards. They'd been walking for hours, all the way to the point when the grassy plains outside the village started to turn back into a thin forest, and so far, they'd seen nothing.

"Wait…look!"

He tensed, the whole division coming to a halt when one of the other guards on the outer edge suddenly piped up in a hush, pointing down the wooded hill they stood on to a mostly clear area down below. The rest of his squadron, him included, clustered nearby, following their companion's gaze.

Myrrha's hope was shattered immediately, his already fast heart beat jumping to his throat. Beneath them, in a rocky area underneath a few trees, sat a light-brown haired girl, a slightly older man with grayish hair, and a dark-haired boy in a wheel chair.

Damn it! It was them! Why? He'd told them to run! To not let themselves be found!

…But there they were…his three childhood friends as vulnerable and oblivious as ever.

"It…it's them! That's the target group!" The sheriff realized enthusiastically, making Myrrha's limbs feel even heavier as a hopelessness came over him.

He gulped, struggling to keep his hands from shaking. "B…but, how do you know for sure? What if they're just innocent civilians?" He suggested with a trembling voice, trying to find any excuse to hold back the attack.

"They match the description perfectly. I don't think we need to worry about that. Besides, we can't take any chances – +anima are dangerous! Most likely, they'll show us their powers pretty quickly in an attempt to fight back, anyway." The captain dismissed.

Myrrha didn't respond, staring at the ground. He knew there was no way out of it, and the sheriff wouldn't let him get away with just standing around either. He didn't want to do this…but… What could he do?

No. He wiped away the dampness appearing under his eyes in frustration. He wouldn't cry…he wouldn't show his hesitation, no matter what happened. It wouldn't do any good, anyway…and after all, it was eight years ago. Maybe…maybe his old friends would fight back. Maybe they would fight them off. He knew what a small chance there was of that, but he wanted to believe that it could happen to ease his guilt. Their survival was up to them, not him.

He subconsciously balled his sweaty hands into a fist, reluctantly pulling out the bladed staff from his belt as the sheriff gestured the command to do so.

"They don't see us…" His leader continued quietly. "This is our chance…take them by surprise and finish them off quickly, without remorse. I know we don't usually kill, but remember, these are inhuman murderers we're dealing with – the sooner this world is rid of them, the better! Now…attack!"

Nana wiped her face with the back of her hand, dismissing a few crumbs that'd settled on her cheeks as she got to her feet. Senri stood as well, placing the bag back on the handles of Cooro's wheel chair. He stopped and tensed suddenly, whipping his gaze in the direction of one of the nearby hills.

"Right, let's go!" Nana stated casually, not noticing. "…Senri?" She called back quietly as she began to walk off, realizing that no one was following her.

She barely had time to look back before something heavy hit her from the rear, knocking her down face first.

"Senri! What?" The girl protested in a startled voice when she realized just what had slammed into her, trying to push her older companion away.

It was when an arrow cut into the ground where she'd been standing but a second earlier that her breath caught in her throat again, her eyes widening in stunned horror.

"Nana!" Cooro screamed from his place in the chair, both him and the girl staring at the arrow in shock as Senri jumped back up, already in +anima form as he stood in front of his two younger companions protectively.

A squadron of about six guards was already rushing down from the hill, weapons drawn aggressively.

"Guards! Damn it, it's them! They found us! It's them!" Nana cried in panic, jumping to her feet all at once as her heart lurched. She ran close to Senri, pulling one of the knives Dr. Gabriel had given them out of her belt. This was it – there wasn't any easy escape, they were going to have to fight!

The girl let her wings spread out behind her as she struggled to hold herself steady, all sorts of awful possibilities going through her head. She'd never fought before, not like this! It was just her and Senri… He was a strong fighter, but with just the two of them, what could they possibly do?

Cooro could do nothing, simply watching in horror from his seat as the guards approached. He was instinctively leaning back as far as he could against one of the arm rests, as if it would actually help him stay farther away.

Senri ducked under a swinging blade as the first guard approached, slashing his claws across the man's stomach in a counter as Nana stumbled clumsily back to avoid a second assault, the whole enemy group gathering around them.

The bear +anima delivered another blow, taking only a light scrape across the shoulder. The girl wasn't as lucky, receiving a deep gash across her left cheek as she searched in vain for an opening, her inexperience leaving her wide open.

"Nana!" Cooro cried again as he saw a quick burst of red splatter across the guard attacking her, trembling helplessly. "Nana, Senri! No!" Tears dribbled down his face. No! This couldn't happen! He couldn't watch his friends get slaughtered, only to be left waiting for his turn himself! He wanted to help them! He wanted to help them…but…

The bat +anima struggled away from the blades, letting out a screech. The guards momentarily flinched, stumbling a few steps backwards.

"Don't let her phase you!" A stern voice ordered. It was from the captain, who simply stood unmoving a few feet back, watching his squadron, and ready to back them up if need be. "Just take her out quickly! The sooner you finish her off, the sooner you don't have to hear it!"

With that, the guards lurched forwards towards the girl in blind slashes, the screech not having the effect she'd hoped as she took more scrapes across her left arm and chest, just avoiding getting stabbed. She fell back to the ground as Senri rushed to drive them away, this time taking a few gashes himself.

She frantically pushed herself up again, getting to her feet just in time to react to an attack from behind. Metal hit metal as she flipped around, easily blocking the attack. She stifled a gasp, her mouth falling agape in shock. "…Husky!" She breathed, continuing to hold off the blade at the end of his staff with her knife. The pressure going against her was weak, Husky meeting her eyes for just a moment before quickly pulling away and giving another halfhearted slash. She countered, sending him flying backwards with little effort.

"Myrrha!" The sheriff called angrily as the girl reluctantly turned away, forced to divert her attention to another, more forceful, attacker. The silver-haired guard padded away from the fray and towards his captain obediently. By this time Cooro had singled him out, too, watching him with shocked, horrified eyes. "What's wrong with you?" His leader blurted out in frustration. "I know how you fight! You're barely doing anything!"

"I…" The boy sputtered, searching for an answer.

"I know something is wrong – you've been acting oddly all day. But I won't accept this behavior! You better get out there and shape up! Go, kill them, complete your mission!" The sheriff insisted, leaning threateningly towards his guard's face.

"But… I…I can't!" The boy wailed, realizing it himself. He could hear Nana and Senri crying out as they struggled in battle against his four companions, and he was aware of Cooro's terrified gaze beating into him from behind. "They…I knew them from before – when we were kids!" The silver-haired guard burst out shakily, unable to stop himself. "I don't believe that they could do what people said they have…I…I think this is wrong… I can't… I can't do this!"

The captain remained unmoved, his features as hard and cold as ever. "It's up to the government to decide who's done what, you just follow orders! It doesn't matter what happened in the past, your own feelings don't matter – you do as you're told without thinking about it, without remorse, without pain! That's your role now… If you aren't strong enough, then you don't belong with us!"

"B…but…" The boy sputtered again, not knowing what to say as he frantically searched for a way out of this. He heard Nana let out a wail behind him, not able to stop himself from visibly flinching. The sheriff just frowned, anger casting wrinkles over his face. "I'm disappointed in you for even hesitating, after all the years we've cared for you! After I personally scraped you off the streets – you still have loyalty to them strong enough to interfere with your loyalty to us!"

"It…it's not like that… I…" The guard mumbled helplessly, sinking away at his captain's anger. He always had possessed a cold, explosive temper... "Worthless! If this is how weak you truly are, then even after all those years of training you are worthless to us!" The sheriff continued, blaring.

"Captain Joseph… I…" The boy sputtered pleadingly, shaking.

"Enough!" The captain spat, his voice filled with rage. "I don't want to hear anything else!" He raised his arm, stretching an angry finger towards where Cooro still helplessly watched his friends struggle from the wheel chair. "That boy is being ignored in the fray – that will be your job! Kill him! Do away with him yourself! If you don't, I'll have you sent right back to the streets, or even arrested for treason if you keep refusing!"

The silver-haired boy's eyes widened in absolute horror. "No! I… He's completely helpless! He can't even fight back – it would be no different from slaughtering cattle!" He argued frantically, his whole body trembling.

"No one ever said it had to be different." The sheriff insisted coldly, his eyes like ice. "But… Cooro… No, I…" The guard sputtered, literally taking a few steps back. "Do it! Now!" The captain practically screamed, disgusted. "This is your final chance! Do it now to prove your loyalty to the country, or face the streets or prison!" His leader's patience was obviously gone, his face flushed in red.

This time the boy didn't say anything, stumbling off with shaky steps away from his captain and towards the place where his former friend watched helplessly from the wheel chair.

Cooro turned his head as the silver-haired guard approached, bewilderment showing in his terrified, pleading eyes. "…Husky?"

The boy never answered, careful not to meet his gaze as he stared like stone, desperately trying to block out any emotions. He couldn't stop himself from trembling though, tears he refused to notice spilling down his face. What would be the best way to do this…?

Cooro let out a scream as Husky unexpectedly grabbed hold of the wheel chair, capsizing it to the side with a violent jerk and sending the dark-haired boy tumbling painfully out onto the ground. He tried in vain to get up, wincing as a horrible stinging spread through him from his right ankle. He managed to pull himself around only to be met with a blade pressed coldly against his neck.

The dark-haired boy started up at his former friend with a horrified gaze stretched wide, frozen in fear as the guard glared back down at him with eyes full of terrible anguish.

Husky tried not to think about who the person below him was, tried desperately not to associate him with his memories. To carry out an order without thinking, without remorse, without pain… He almost wanted to believe that his old companion had become some sort of awful murderer – some part of him begged to believe what he'd been told – to ease his own heart.

"I'm sorry…Cooro…" He mouthed the words, nothing more than a whisper leaving his lips.

"Cooro!" Nana screamed, her and Senri suddenly catching sight of what was happening. "Husky, no!" They both tried to rush forward in panic, held back as the onslaught of guards bunched even closer to them.

"Myrrha, what are you doing! You should have been done by now!" The captain's voice bellowed angrily. "One, single quick swipe, that's all it will take! Unless you want to rot in prison!"

Cooro met Husky's unmoving, watery gaze right in the eyes, overwhelmed by the pain he knew the person he'd once called his friend was feeling. He knew that he didn't really want to do this. He was in agony.

The dark-haired boy never once moved his stare away. A tear ran down his own face. He knew what was going to happen. Maybe this was what he deserved, anyway… "It…it's okay… I understand. Do what you have to with me…to keep your way of living. I don't mind… But please, I don't know what you can do, but please don't let anything happen to Nana and Senri… Just go ahead and take me…"

Husky said nothing, flinching as his hands only started shaking more, the trembling weapon leaving a jagged mark on Cooro's neck as a few crimson drops dribbled down to his chest.

Do what you have to with me…to keep your way of living.

Put that way…it sounded just awful. And 'okay'…how could it possibly be 'okay'? How could he even say that? Even the guard himself knew that what he was doing wasn't.

"Myrrha, now! Do it!" The captain commanded, his tone filled with terrifying rage. "Or we'll take this as treason against Astaria!"

Trying not to think of anything else, to clear his mind of all thoughts, Husky raised his blade, preparing to bring it down hard enough to cut through flesh. All it would take was a single instant. One instant, and then it would all be over.

He couldn't stop shaking, barely able to hold the staff steady enough to make a clean, fatal swipe. His tears refused to quit coming.

"Hello!" The young, dark-haired boy chimed, a bandage around his head, as he turned to face him. "My name is Cooro, I'm a +anima just like you!" "Uh…" Husky didn't say anything, surprised that the strange boy was already awake, and beyond that, amazed that he would talk to him so casually after he'd been the one that'd hit him over the head and got him captured. "We should stick together!" The boy, apparently named Cooro, continued. "Why don't you leave the circus, and come with me?"

"We can't leave without Cooro!" Nana insisted as she came to an abrupt halt, suddenly toppling over just a moment later as the boy himself plowed into her from behind without warning, both of them stumbling clumsily back up. "There you guys are!" The boy cried, his voice a bit shaky. "I've been searching all over for you – you tried to leave without me! Why? That's so mean!" Husky blinked in surprise, noticing the dampness on Cooro's cheeks – he didn't think he'd ever seen him like that before. "The lady that owns this house seems to like you, we thought you'd be better off staying here than continuing on with us…" "But…" Cooro sputtered in response. "I don't want to stay here, I want to stay with you!"

Husky pressed forward through the pitch black tunnel, clinging tightly to Nana's hand as the two of them followed the odd song echoing through the caves, the voice carrying the words familiar. They finally saw a pinpoint of light, quickly making their way to an open space where they caught sight of Senri, and Cooro – the source of the song, gathered around a makeshift fire. Husky breathed in relief, running over to meet his last two companions. "Husky, Nana!" Cooro called happily, ceasing singing as they approached. "What was that about?" Husky asked as he padded over to him. "The song?" Cooro blinked. "I remembered that the sisters at the church always said to sing if you got lost or separated." Relieved as he was, Husky couldn't quite help giving the boy a light bump on the head with the wooden staff he always carried around.

"Of course we'll come with you to Sailand! If that's what you wanted, you should have said so in the first place!" Nana announced, meeting Husky's eyes determinedly as Senri nodded beside her. "Yeah!" Cooro added with a grin. "We're friends, aren't we? If you're going to Sailand, then we are too!" Husky wasn't able to say anything right away, a strange dampness gathering by his eyes as he stared back at the three people he'd somehow grown so close to.

Husky continued trying to hold the bladed staff still, aiming it straight towards Cooro's throat. He felt like he could hardly breathe, his chest tight and heavy as he unsuccessfully tried to keep the memories away. They stubbornly refused to leave, playing over and over again in the back of his mind. Never before had they been so painful.

"Now!" The furious voice of his captain bellowed. "Kill him! Do it now! I order you! Don't you dare disobey me!"

"Cooro… Husky…" Even Senri piped up, trying desperately to get through as the guards fought to keep the bear +anima back.

"Husky, no! Cooro! You can't! You can't!" Nana screamed, practically hysterical as she frantically struggled in absolute horror at the scene before her, unable to get away from the fray. "No!"

"Damn it!" Husky cursed, wincing as he all at once brought down the blade towards his target.

"…Ouch!" Cooro piped up instinctively as the wooden part of the staff gave him a light, mostly harmless bump on the head. He subconsciously rubbed the slight bruise, gazing up at the silver-haired guard in surprise, a look of amazement in his eyes. Nana and Senri stared in back in equal astonishment, the attention of everyone in the field momentarily distracted.

Husky opened his eyelids a moment later, giving the dark-haired boy a last, hard stare before whipping away to face his captain. "I can't – I won't – do this!" He cried sternly, his voice breaking. "This isn't right! I know that they're innocent. If this is what being a guardian of Astaria is about…then I want no part in it!"

Sheriff Joseph straightened, shocked. "But… But they aren't even human!" He insisted. "I don't know what kind of past you had with them, but they're +anima, it doesn't matter! They're all killers! They mean nothing, them or anyone who associates with them – they're worthless scum, trash!"

Husky shook in rage, this time his captain's words filling him with nothing but fury! He wasn't going to take it. Not this time!

"Then am I nothing but trash, too?" He pulled the carefully placed collar of his uniform down, revealing the gill-like markings on the base of his neck.

A hush came over the whole squadron, the captain's eyes widening, his face burning red after a moment of astonishment passed. "Myrrha, you…you're a… You're one of them!"

"That's right, and I won't hide it anymore! I won't take what you're doing to innocent people like them, to the +anima! I won't follow you! Even if it means being declared a traitor to the country!" He insisted, staring the sheriff right in the face. He'd really done it now – there was no turning back!

"Husky…" Nana stared back in amazement, still barely able to catch her breath.

This time it was Captain Joseph's turn to shake, his face ridden with disgust. He turned towards the rest of his stunned squadron. "The rest of you, kill him! Kill Myrrha! Finish what we came to do, kill all the +anima!"

"But…sir… Myrrha, he's… He's one of our own." One guard dared to object, getting a stone cold, angry glare from his leader. "He's a +anima! He's a traitor! Do as I tell you!" The guard gulped as the sheriff yelled back, him and all the others reluctantly rushing forward as Husky and Senri did the same. After a quick glance at the wide-eyed, trembling Cooro, Nana did the same, as shaken and scrapped up as she was.

Now only outnumbered by one, the +anima managed to drive back the started, conflicted group of four guards, Senri sending them back up the hill with a few good swipes from his claws.

"Wait, stop!" The irate captain called after them, seething in fury. His squadron didn't obey this time, continuing to retreat. They were done with this fight.

"Damn it all!" He swore. "This isn't over! Myrrha, you'll pay for this – you'll pay for your deception and treachery! We'll be back for all of you creatures!"

And with a last, icy, perhaps even slightly regretful or hurt, glare at Husky, he was gone, disappearing over the crest of the hill with the rest of his squadron…with the exception of the silver-haired guard that stood and watched him leave. The boy known as both Myrrha and Husky didn't move, staring straight ahead as his companions left him alone at in the grassy, red splattered clearing.

Nana, Senri, and Cooro did nothing for a moment as well, staring from the top of the hill back to Husky. Nana broke uncomfortable silence, hurrying up to the dark-haired boy and bending down to where he still lay helplessly spread out over the ground. Senri quickly padded after her.

"Cooro! Are you okay? Are you all right?" The girl inquired frantically, still shaking as her and Senri helped the boy back up to the wheel chair, both of them letting their +anima forms disappear.

"Yeah… I'm okay…" Cooro answered dryly, his voice small and quiet. He never moved his gaze away from Husky, who was still standing unmoving at the edge of the clearing with his back turned.

"Come on, Cooro, Senri, let's get the heck out of here!" Nana pressed, completely and purposely ignoring the presence of the silver-haired boy as she coldly strutted off with a slight limp, gesturing for her companions to follow when she realized they weren't immediately behind her.

Senri and Cooro lingered a moment longer, both of them keeping their gazes on their former friend as Senri hesitantly started moving them both forward.

Husky turned to meet their eyes as they began to leave, his lonely, shaken gaze slowly lowering back to the ground as he started moving his feet forward. Without so much as a single word, he followed them.

A dark-haired woman watched the group of four leave, continuing on to the west. She'd been watching it all, hiding well in the branches of a tree on the same hill the squadron of guards had fled back over. Not one person, though, had been aware of the extra face staring downwards towards the fray.

That hadn't gone quite as she'd hoped… That boy…even when he and his group were faced with death, he still wouldn't fight back, he still wouldn't unleash what was within him. She sighed in dismay. If she wasn't easily able to get him to break away from his charade herself, she had wondered if a situation like that might.

She'd been the main person to report to the guards the direction in which the three +anima had been heading as they left the village – she'd set up the attack, and had been secretly monitoring it in case something went terribly wrong…which it almost had.

The silver-haired guard… If she'd thought for one moment that he might have seriously been prepared to kill the boy named Cooro, she would've had to have stepped in. She wouldn't have stood for losing her target, to have everything start over once more after nineteen years – not again! But…she'd known he wasn't going to, she'd been able to see it in him, even from so far away. He simply wasn't capable of it. Even if it was his orders, and definitely in his best interests. What strange, weak, creatures humans were – controlled by unpredictable and fickle emotions. She never understood what the soul of her target saw in it.

Being back together with the people he'd known from his childhood was making his emotions stronger and more volatile than ever… He'd survived, and evaded her, by making himself as numb as possible…to the point where eventually nothing much had remained except for a terrible sense of guilt, a hopeless yearning, and a dreadful fear. But being with them was making his heart conflict even more vividly – bringing back old emotions, and making the ones he felt that much more potent.

He was trying and desperately desired to be a real, normal human… But humans were fragile…and could be easily broken. Maybe…instead of coming straight at him, she'd continue waiting by the side lines just as she had been at the riverside village, and was now. Maybe he would eventually shatter on his own. When he did…he'd come to her with open arms.

Yes, she'd stay just close enough to antagonize him, allowing him to sense her off and on like he had been earlier. But she'd let his guilt keep on ravaging and eating away at him, let his conflicted emotions violently split him into pieces. He really was his own worst enemy. The only one making him feel such pain was him himself. She would merely take that pain away forever.

The woman gave her huge black wings a strong flap, taking to the air. Staying in the shadows, she slowly pressed forward in the direction her target had disappeared in, searching for a place to spend the night herself.

Husky continued keeping pace with his three former companions, trailing along just behind them without uttering a sound. All three of them knew he was there, but the traveling had remained completely, unnaturally, silent.

Nana made a point of keeping her eyes fixated straight ahead, never glancing back even once. Senri, however, would turn his gaze behind him to the silver-haired boy when he didn't need to watch where he was walking, and Cooro's seemed permanently set on the guard from his place in the wheel chair. His anxious eyes never looked away, a sense of amazement still lingering within them. Husky wished he'd stop staring at him like that…after what he'd done earlier, and especially what he'd almost done, it made him uncomfortable…

"…Are you coming with us, Husky?" Cooro suddenly asked out of the blue, after over an hour of awkward, complete silence.

"Uh…" Husky just stumbled, surprised, and honestly not quite sure about the answer himself. "I…"

Nana came to an abrupt halt, still not looking back as she gave a quick stomp of her foot. "Just why are you following us, anyway? What makes you think we'll tolerate having you hang around after what you did earlier?" She questioned bitterly.

"I helped you in the end, though, didn't I? If it hadn't been for me, I doubt you'd have escaped at all!" He argued.

"I don't care – you worked for the guards! You stayed with them even after all this started happening, even though they're crusading a movement against +anima – your own kind!" Nana spat, not even trying to hide the unbridled anger in her voice. "…And you…you almost killed Cooro just because that stupid sheriff told you to!"

"But I didn't!" Husky pointed out, his face turning as red as hers.

Nana was unfazed. "But you considered it! You shouldn't have even gone as far as you did! I don't think any of us would ever have held a blade to your neck! You shouldn't have kept on being a puppet for those guards once all this started happening, either!" The girl forced herself to take in a breath, trying to calm down a bit. "Look…maybe you have your own reasons, selfish as they probably are… But do you honestly think that we can just forgive you for all of that?"

Husky bit his bottom lip. "You're right, okay? You're right! I know that! I know I shouldn't have done what I did, I know I was wrong to stay with the guards, but I can't take it back now! It was a mistake, but you have to understand – I haven't had any other home besides living with the Astar guards for almost the whole time since we split up…it wasn't always the way it is now! I sacrificed a lot when I reveled myself, and defied Captain Joseph's orders – for you! I sacrificed the only way of life that I had… Now I have nowhere to go… " He paused for a moment, trying to suppress an unwelcome lump in his throat. "I'm sorry…all right? I'm sorry…"

No one said anything, all of their eyes on him. Even Nana found herself turning her gaze towards him intently.

"You're all going to that old war fortress by the western sea, right? Where the +anima rebels are supposedly gathering?" He continued, not meeting even one of their stares. "I heard about it too, when the squadron stopped at a city on the way here – I figured that's where you were headed when I found out you'd left to the west… Please…let me come with you…"

A few seconds still passed before he got an answer. Nana made a face, a part of her starting to soften despite the anger and hurt that still blazed through her veins. She turned to Cooro instead of Husky.

"Cooro, you decide!" Her voice was still bitter. "You got the worst of it… You should be the one to decide whether or not we should let him hang around…"

"Umm…" The dark-haired boy hesitated, turning back to Husky and looking him over silently with a trembling gaze. Their eyes met once more, an apologetic look in Husky's. A long moment passed before Cooro's suddenly brightened, a slow, delicate smile spreading its way across his lips. "Husky…you don't need to feel so sorry… I told that it was okay, didn't I..?"

"But –" The silver-haired guard sputtered, realizing what the dark-haired boy was referring to. Nana blinked as well, taken aback. …Okay?

Cooro's grin just widened, not giving either of them a chance to respond. "Of course you can come with us! It'll be just like before!"

…Just like before…

Husky didn't respond for a moment – he doubted that.

Nana did too, she looked down, suddenly feeling a bit oddly awkward around the three people she'd once known as close friends. She couldn't help a small grin herself, though – Cooro really did still have an innocent naivety in him…

"…Thank you…" The silver-haired boy finally replied, returning the smile.

The moment lasted a few seconds longer, before the group of four gradually started moving on again. All conversation ceased as a quietness that Nana wasn't sure was more or less uncomfortable settled back over them.

Nana spread out one of her two quilts on the ground, preparing herself a comfortable place to sleep. The small campfire in the center of the four of them was the only source of light against the night sky, casting eerie orange shadows over each of their faces.

They were stopped near the river, in an area that was fairly thick with trees. They'd traveled for hours in an attempt to leave the site of the earlier conflict behind, finally forced to settle down as the dusk started obscuring their vision.

Cooro and Senri were already lying down, probably asleep …but Nana felt slightly restless, a gaze from behind agitating her.

Husky was still sitting up by the fire, his knees held close to his chest in an attempt to keep warm. Unlike them, he was completely unprepared, and had no blankets or anything else to create a bed or ward off the cold.

She groaned in annoyance, she knew there was no way she'd be able to sleep with him awake like that, staring blankly over the camp. It didn't look like he was going to even try to rest anytime soon, either.

The girl slowly got to her feet with another exasperated sigh, sitting herself down next to him without any invitation. Husky tensed in surprise, gazing back over to her. The silence that seemed to have remained the whole evening lasted a moment longer, before Nana finally forced herself to speak. "…It's cold…isn't it?" The boy just nodded. "Y'know…" She continued hesitantly. "Since you don't have any blankets, you might be able to share with Senri… I doubt he'd mind…" "I don't think I could sleep, anyway…" Husky replied quietly, his eyes having returned back to the crackling flames of the fire.

"I'm still mad at you, you know!" Nana suddenly announced out of the blue, turning her own gaze completely in the opposite direction. "…But…" Her voice trailed off for a moment. "For the record…I do understand in way… I know how I felt, how I still feel now, right when I lost Niomi, and my own small cabin on the village orchard… It was the only way of living I'd become comfortable with, and I'd worked so hard for it… I felt like I'd give anything just to have it back, if I could have kept it…"

Husky blinked, turning back to meet her gaze as she did the same. Nana forced a strange smile across her face.

"It feels kind of like a dream, doesn't it? It still kind of does to me, too." She paused, this time staring distantly at the dancing, colorful flames of the campfire herself. "Sometimes I feel like none of this is real. Like I'm going to suddenly wake up at anytime, and find myself back in my own bed, safe and warm. I'd sigh in relief, and wonder what brought on such a strange nightmare… Then I'd probably wonder about how my three old friends were doing in real life, and whether or not they were even still alive… But I'd be glad that all of it was just a dream, I'd be so happy…"

"Nana…" Husky sputtered, trying to think of something to say. Nana turned her gaze to him once more, though, trying to brush off her sudden melancholy.

"I haven't totally decided yet how I feel about you being here…but…" She spared a brief glance over at Senri and Cooro, wanting to make sure they were both really asleep. Senri was obviously passed out, and Cooro seemed to be sleeping too – he had his back turned, but he was perfectly still except for the rising and falling of his sides that came with breathing. She stared at him for just a second longer before facing Husky again. "It's kind of nice to have someone more normal to talk to."

"Normal, huh? So we're the only 'normal' ones?" Husky remarked, more jokingly than critically, a slight grin appearing on his face to match Nana's.

Nana looked away again, still a bit uncomfortable. "…Senri's pretty normal, I guess. He's the same as he always was, and it definitely makes me feel better having him around –"

"I'm surprised that he actually remembered us." Husky added, interrupting.

Nana nodded. "Yeah, I was surprised, too…and I'm really happy that he did. But… You know…he's not one to strike up a conversation with. And Cooro…well…" The girl hesitated a moment, trying to think of what to say. "He's normal sometimes…but other times… He always acts so scared and meek! And I never quite know how he's going to react to things – he practically tears up at the drop of a hat! He seems so sad sometimes, too…"

"What happened to him anyway, Nana?" Husky suddenly wondered aloud. "Why is he in that wheel chair, why does he seem so strange? I didn't even realize who he was… Is he sick, or something?"

Nana shook her head. "No... He can't walk because of the injury on his right ankle – that happened at the guard station back at the city…you've probably heard something about that? That wretched, black-winged woman that I mentioned before was there – the one that committed the murders we're being blamed for – and the only way for him to open the prison door for Senri and me and the others with us was to jam his own foot into the gears of the lever…" She shivered. She'd explain it in more detail later, along with everything else, but that was all she wanted to say about that for now.

"But then…why does he seem so sickly?" Husky pressed further, passing her a confused look.

"I honestly don't know." Nana answered truthfully. "We took him to the hospital at the riverside village after he got hurt… The doctor there noticed how weak he was and said she'd look for any signs of illness or anything unusual…but the last time I talked to her alone, she said she hadn't found anything specifically wrong. What she told me was that she thought it was mostly constant stress and anxiety that was making him sick, and that she thought he'd just let himself kind of…fade away…over time. With the way he acts now, I think she was probably right… Don't you think that's horrible? That he'd just let himself wither like that? I really don't know what happened to him…" She repeated, a sadness in her voice.

"Really? There isn't anything actually wrong with him?" Husky blinked. He'd half expected to hear that Cooro had developed some sort of horrible illness. Nana shook her head again. "Then…" The silver-haired boy started slowly. "That is pretty odd... I never was able to picture him as an adult…but I never would have thought he'd turn out like that…"

Nana nodded this time. "He's not even a +anima anymore…"

"He isn't?" Husky blurted out, sounding more shocked than he meant to. "I mean, I knew that he hadn't been confirmed to either be one or not by the guards…but I figured…"

"Did he…really say that it was 'okay' earlier?" The girl butted in again, after a brief pause. "That was when you had that stupid blade to his neck, right?" "Yeah… He did." Husky answered, looking down slightly. "He wanted you and Senri to be safe…but he said he didn't care about what happened to himself." "He didn't even seem angry, either…" Nana added herself.

There was a long silence, before Nana all at once decided to end that topic, reaching over and grabbing a pear out of the storage bag. She took a few bites, before handing it to Husky. "Here, eat the other half. After that, we really should get some sleep, too." They'd already eaten once after setting up the fire, while they'd tended to their wounds from the short conflict, but the meal had been so small…and besides, the fruit would rot anyway if they didn't eat it fairly quickly.

The boy took a few bites himself and handed it back to her, the two of them continuing like that until the pear had been completely devoured. After that…they headed off to bed, Husky following Nana's earlier suggestion and quietly padding up to Senri.

He lifted up the top quilt lightly, carefully trying to crawl beneath it as well. Senri stirred, waking up.

"Oh, Senri… I'm sorry…" Husky sputtered. "It's cold… I was just…"

His older companion just smiled warmly, lifting up the blankets himself as the third child from his memories joined him.

Cooro stirred as well, wiping a few tears off his face with the back of his right palm. The slight but terrifying burning in his shoulders had been keeping him awake, and he'd been listening to the whole conversation.

They were right though, about what they'd been saying about him... He was different… He'd survived the past three years by ignoring everything except fear, including himself, to avoid feeling his own emotions and anguish. It was because…a part of him knew that it would be better for everyone around him, wherever he went, if he would just die.

But…he didn't want that! He wanted to live! He wanted to survive and live his life like everyone else! Even for that simple, pure, wish, though…he felt agonizingly guilty. He felt guilty for even wanting to live…

Cooro let out a quiet sob, quickly trying to stop himself before any of his companions noticed.

He still felt horrible about wanting to be with them, too. Lying to them, making things harder for them, putting them in danger… But, even if it was just clinging to a memory, being with them – people that actually cared about him, people that knew him from before those three years ago – made him feel like he was actually something again…and not what he feared deep down he really was.

But even that night, she was there, somewhere close by. The burning sensation had never once gone away. It was mild enough to easily contain, but…what would he do if she showed up? Without even being able to walk, he couldn't move himself farther away from them either…

All he could do was pray she stayed away…after all, she had been for a while… Surely it wouldn't last…but maybe for just a little bit longer…

Despite all of the thoughts in his head, Cooro suddenly found his eyelids closing over his plain of vision, slowly carrying him away to sleep.

He took one last look at all three of his old companions in the pale, orange light, smiling in spite of himself as slumber took a firm grasp over him, this time unable to be fought off.

Even after growing up to live different lives, and after eight years of parting, all four of them spent that night gathered around the fire together.

Well, now the whole group of four is finally back together.

Anyway, please review and stay tuned for the next chapter!