Dane: Man this has been hard.

Leki: I agree.

What has been hard?

Leki: Our test was.

Dane: We failed. So we will try again next year.

I'm sorry. But at least now you get to help me with the story.

Dane: True.

Leki: We will always help you Sass.

Both of them giggle.

Dane: You can never get rid of us that easy.

Leki: Yep! We are stuck to you like glue.

Hugs them both.

That's good. Because I think it would be harder for me to do this if I was alone.

Leki: Yep.

Dane: Now onto the story!

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A new Direction

Ever since they had made it down the other side of the Mountain Nataku has been very quiet. He wouldn't talk to anyone. Plus he wouldn't even stay in the same room with them for to long. Anytime someone tried to speak to him he would just walk away. Only Shiba could get close to him.

"So, where had Nataku went off to?" Abel asked as he returned to the Inn with some food.

"He is on the top of the roof again." Ion, Alexander, and Isabella said.

"Up there again? He has not bee the same since we left the Crow's nest." Abel said. He sat the food down.

"I'm going go do something." Ion said as he got up and took some food with him.

"Good luck." Abel said as he knew exactly where Ion was headed.

Nataku was indeed on the roof. He was staring up at the stars. Shiba was lying right next to him. Ion came up the fire escape's ladder. He was glad that it was night out. Since wearing a cloak was getting to be rather tiring. "You know you might catch a cold if you stay up here all night." Ion said. Nataku looked at him but then looked away. "Here brought you some food." Ion said as he sat the food down next to Nataku.

Nataku didn't move not even when Ion sat down next to him. Nataku was waiting for Ion to say something anything at all. But Ion said nothing. He just looked up at the stars. After about five or ten minutes a voice broke the silence. It was Nataku that spoke. "I always thought that my father would be around forever." Nataku said. His voice sounded quiet and raspy as if he hadn't spoken for years. "I wanted to learn so much from him. But now I can't" Nataku said.

"You had learned something from him." Ion said.

"Like what? How to die?" Nataku asked. "He was supposed to teach me a lot more then that damn it!" Nataku started to raise his voice.

Ion just sighed and stood up. He started for the fire escape. Then he stopped. "I think he taught you a lot more then that Nataku. You just blocked it out due to grief." Ion said. "I am sorry you lost your father but you need to pull yourself together. Because in a week we are going to head to the second Demon Bird's nest with or without your help. But without your help then it will take longer." He added. Then Ion went down the fire escape.

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Nataku had at some point fallen asleep up on the roof. As he slept his mind carried him to a time of happiness. His pack was alive and well and he could see himself going off with his father. It was like watching a TV show. Nataku saw how scrawny he was at the age of five years old. Ookami was taking him out to teach him to hunt.

"Nataku tell me what kind of prints are these?" Ookami asked.

Little Nataku came over to stare at the animal print. "It's an Antelope." Nataku answer.

'Man my voice was so small like a mouse's voice.' Nataku thought to himself. Nataku followed his father and his little self for a long while and watched as his father taught his little self about animal tracks that go in different directions. He even showed him how to track animals that fly just by the splatter of their droppings. 'I remember this day. Father was teaching me to be a good tracker and hunter. I can't believe I forgot about this.' Nataku thought to himself.

His dream then took him to another time. He was about seven years old now. His seven year old self was sitting on top of the cliff with Shiren and Ookami. They were looking at the bone graveyard. The young Nataku was trying to keep his tears from showing. His father looked at him and smiled. "It is okay son." He said.

"Yes, there is no shame in crying." Shiren said.

"Yeah but why are so many dead? How can we go on living knowing that so many had died?" Nataku asked.

'Dang my voice is still squeaky.' Nataku thought to himself as he watched the scene play before him.

"It is because we have to." Shiren said.

"That's right, even if we are cut down to two or three we need to continue on living. Not just for ourselves but also for those we care about." Ookami said.

"It's our job to right?" Nataku asked.

"No not just our job." Ookami said.

"We do it out of love and the fact that we want to protect them." Shiren said.

'I had forgotten that to.' Nataku thought has he looked down at the ground.

"There was a lot you have forgotten." Ookami said.

Nataku looked straight a head and saw that Shiren, Ookami, His seven and five year old self, and the entire pack was looking at him.

"It is okay to cry Daddy and Mommy told us that." Seven year old Nataku said.

"You need to be strong now. You hadn't lost all of your family yet." Shiren said.

"Your family needs you and those tracking abilities." Five year old Nataku said.

"I do still have family don't I?" Nataku asked. They all nodded. Nataku started running and he smiled as he heard the pack saying other things.

"You can do it!"

"Nataku!"

"Be strong!"

"Don't give up!"

"We will always be with you!"

Nataku woke up and sat straight up. This alarmed Shiba. "Come on Shiba." Nataku stood up. Shiba stood with him. He looked up at the stars. "Thank you everyone." He said.

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"Hey if Nataku won't help us then how will we find the second nest?" Alexander asked.

"We'll find away." Abel said.

"But how?" Alexander asked.

"I don't know. Maybe we will put up flyers or post it in the lost and found of the News papers or something." Abel said.

"That might take to long." Isabella said.

"She's right why not let me do it." Nataku said as he was leaning against the frame of the doorway.

"Nataku!" Isabella said as she got up and hugged the boy.

"Are you sure you are up to it?" Ion asked.

"I think I can handle it." Nataku said. "After all I still have a family of seven to protect." He added.

Abel looked around as he was slightly confused. He even started moving his fingers. "Good to know." Alexander said.

"Abel if you include us then it makes seven." Ion said as he was watching Abel count on his fingers now.

"Oh, I knew that." He said as he was blushing a light shade of pink and rubbing the back of his head.

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There another chapter done.

Leki: Why is it so short?

Because I am having a bad case of writer's block.

Dane: That makes sense.

However, at least I got this chapter done.

Dane: Yeah, now you just need to work on more.

Leki: Yep. Beyond innocence is a head by one, or two, or three chapters.

I know.

Dane: Plus you wrote a one shot story call From Loveless to Loved.

I know.

Dane: Isn't it kind of strange though?

Leki: Strange how?

Dane: That we started both these stories at almost the same time and it is Beyond Innocence that pulls a head of us?

Leki: Oh yeah that is strange.

I know.

Leki: But we really should be letting this go so that the readers can post a review.

I know… I mean yes! We should do that.

Leki and Dane start giggling.

Dane: Sorry; we just had to do that. We wanted to see what you would do.

Leki: Well, everyone go and review. I want to see some reviews for such a long awaited chapter.