Megumi's POV

Ayame was shaking like a leaf in the wind. I felt bad for her but I was getting restless. I hated not doing something. Nami was standing in a corner looking bitter, but she was always like that.

I stood up and walked over to the door. "Come on. If they aren't coming we're going to find them."

"Why bother? They left us." Nami signed bitter as always.

"Her note said she was coming back... We should just wait here." Ayame signed shaking still.

"Well I'm not going to just sit around and do nothing." I was getting annoyed but I didn't let them know that.

"Alright. It beats just standing here." Nami walked over to me. Ayame got up as she pretty much had no choice but to come.

The house Nozomi had made sat near a cliff overlooking the village below. It would be quicker if we climbed down from here rather than taking the road. I started to descend and motioned with my head for them to follow. I saw Nami sigh and follow me down. By the time Nami and I were at the bottom Ayame was just starting to climb down, glancing upward every now and then as if unsure if we were doing the right thing. Nami yelled something to Ayame that made her scramble down. Sometimes I hate being deaf, I miss so much of what's going on.

"Where should we look?" Ayame asked when we got into town.

I hesitated. To be honest I have no clue where Nozomi was going to get money. Maybe we could play the hungry children bit. God knows we looked the part. Our clothes were getting small, they were tattered and worn, colors faded. We could pull it off...

Nami's POV

We scored BIG with the hungry children bit. Of course it was Megumi being deaf that really hit it home! We were able to buy a pound of candy! YES! I may be bitter but I love sweets! We split the prize evenly amongst ourselves. If the teens want some they can get their own. I always felt a bit more playful when candy was in the mixture.

I grabbed Ayame's bag of candy and ran with it. They knew I was playing.

"Hey! Get back here!" Ayame raced after me.

I bolted down an alley. Ayame caught me and pinned me to the wall. "Give. It. Back." she hissed.

Oops. I forgot about her dissociative personality disorder. I handed her the bag.

"Thank you!" she went back to her sweet self. Behind her Megumi rolled her eyes, she may be deaf but she still knew what was going on.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" a group of five men were blocking the only exit.

Ayame, Megumi and I took our positions, ready to fight.

"Oh isn't this cute!" "Those little girls think they stand a chance?" Their jeers were really irking me.

Megumi naturally wasn't bothered by it. I doubt she would have been even if she could hear. But they were ticking me off.

"Eternal Nightmare!" I trapped one of them in my Genjutsu. Sadly that's the extent of my powers, one person. But what I was making him go through wasn't pleasant. But sinking in lava isn't pleasant for anyone, I think.

"Ooh! Tough girl!" more taunts and jeers came.

Ayame must have noticed the puddle near the men's feet because they were frozen in place. At the same time Megumi went at one of them with a kunai. We are so out of sync with each other!

Before me was a mugger and Megumi ice sculpture.

"What did you do that for!?" I shouted. "She was going for it!"

"She was in my way!" Ayame's violent side was showing through.

I wasn't able to hold my Genjutsu any longer. The man I had just released stood up and came at me. How did he recover so quickly? I pulled out a Kunai and charged at him as well. At the same time Ayame shot an icicle at him but it got me by the hem of my short dress and pinned me to the wall.

"Will you two stop getting in my way!?" Ayame couldn't hold it any longer and the ice melted. One of the men had Megumi in a headlock, her legs were kicking violently in midair. Unfortunately for Megumi the man was wearing shin guards.

We're so dead!

At that moment all of the men fell simultaneously. Megumi was able to gain her footing before the mad fell on top of her. She scrambled over to us.

I looked up to see Nozomi standing there, the golden glow that was around her hand was fading. She didn't look too happy. In fact she kinda scared me.

Her hands we shaking with rage as she signed. "What the hell are you three doing here?! Where's the others?! They were supposed to be watching you!" she walked towards us slowly.

We backed up against the chain fence behind us. She stood inches from us and knelt down. Her light brown eyes scanned us carefully. Her anger was replaced with relief and she smiled gently. "At least you're alright."

Why does she care? Ayame looked ready to cry, Megumi was confused. Me, I just wanted this day to be over, I wanted to run but there was nowhere to go. I don't know what I want.

"Let's go and get you three cleaned up." she paused. "And maybe some new clothes while we're at it." She picked up the candy that littered the alley and left without looking to see if we would follow.

Ayame followed without hesitating, Megumi thought a moment and followed as well. I didn't want to follow her but the way I saw it I had no choice but to go with them. Why did she have to see us like that? Why?

I may not like her much, but I cannot deny her strength in battle. Or maybe it was the fact that we were forced to be with her that I don't like her either way it's still embarrassing.

I guess we could have been given someone worse. Can't think of who but... Oh well, maybe I can learn something from her. I can't put my finger on it but there was something about her that reminded me of the three of us; Megumi, Ayame and I. What is secretes is she hiding?