(sorry for the delay. This chapter is juicy, so it took longer than expected...)

CHAPTER 3: Hello

Toan slept very lightly that morning, despite his mother's warning. This was for two reasons: first. he wanted to know these new neighbors, if they would have kids, and if the kids would be anything like Paige. Second, he wanted to know how Paige was, if she has met Susie, Joker, and all of his other friends in Queens...Ruby too.

Xiao hardly slept as well. She was worried about Steve, as well as Paige. Though she knew inside that they were alright, there was a small twinge of worriness that just wouldn't leave.

As for Steve, he slept like a log...gee, I wonder WHY?

* * *

In the morning, Toan was the first to wake. He woke up very early; the sun had just come up over the dusty mountain of the Divine Beast Cave. He took his green hat off his bedpost and put it on to cover up his messy brown hair. He pulled on his tan gloves, first his left one, then his right. As he tugged his right one tighter, he noticed the beautiful gem that had been there for so long, unnoticed: The Atlamilla. It once had a dazzling blue glow to it, but that was a year ago when he searched for the Atla. Now it was but a dull, gray-sapphire look to it, and it no longer reflected Toan's face when he gazed into it.

Toan didn't bother throwing on his orange shawl or boots, he was more comfortable without them; and didn't want to wake up his mom or Xiao by clopping down the stairs. He rubbed his tired eyes, and made his was down the steps, into the kitchen.

Then kitchen was dark this time of morning. Shadows cast about the room shrouded it with an enigmatic mystique, but with just one lit candle it brightened as radiant as the mid-day sun.

Toan carried his lit candle with him as he walked out the door.

Outside, the sun had already come up halfway over the mountains. None of the other villagers had awoken yet, but a large wagon was pulling around the bend. Toan couldn't see who was inside, but a few strangely shaped suitcases were piled to the top.

"Perfect timing," Toan grumbled.

He walked through a large red door under the stairs: the barn. Toan's pet llama was eagerly awaiting its breakfast, bleating and trotting around.

"Hey, girl!" Toan greeted. "Food's comin' up!"

The llama bleated a few happy cries of relief.

Toan grabbed his pet's bag of food and bowl and filled it to the top with different colored chunks and pellets.

As he pulled away from the bowl, Toan's llama gave out a cry of happiness and began tearing into her food. Toan giggled and watched in amusement as his pet scarffed down all the food he just put in the bowl.

"I'll see you later, girl." Toan whispered as he walked out the door.

Toan blew out his candle, for the sun was already three-quarters over the mountains and there was no need for it.

The wagon had stopped, right in front of Paige's house. The hazy sun still prevented him from seeing who had stepped out, but he could see two tall people hop off the caravan.

"Please don't be bad..." Toan sighed.

He walked back up the stairs, through the front door; only to see his mother and Xiao up and dressed.


"Toan, why aren't you ready yet?!? The neighbors are already unpacking!" Renee exclaimed.

"Feeding the llama," Toan grumbled, "I'll go get ready."

Toan slumped up the stairs to put his shawl and shoes on. As he was leaving, he took a quick look outside his window. It was less hazy, and he could make out the shadowy figures of the two people better: one seemed to be a girl his age.

"Please don't be bad..." Toan repeated.

Toan jogged back down the stairs.

"Ready?" Renee asked.

Toan nodded.

"Let's go!" Xiao exclaimed.

* * *

Toan must've had very good eyesight, because there was a girl his age moving into the house next door. Now, at first site, this girl would seem to be a nice, normal girl. But if you actually went up and talked to her, you would find that you're very wrong. You see, this girl was not a nice, normal girl. First of all, she was dressed in clothes Toan had never seen before. She was wearing a fitted black t-shirt (although that's not what Toan calls it) underneath a long, green, unbuttoned one. It just hung over her other shirt like a big, open jacket. Her pants were made of some unknown material and were very baggy.

Second of all...well, you'll just have to see when Toan meets her...

* * *

Toa was nervous. He had never met a girl his age in Norune besides Paige, especially from some unknown place. As he walked over to his new neighbors, he saw the little girl that lived close, Gina, playing with her ball. He wished his life could be carefree like that again. It seemed that everyone else in Norune Village had awakened as well, and they were all going along with their everyday lives. So why did Toan's life have to be so...different? Why couldn't he just grow up like everyone else? He couldn't answer these questions. But he wished he could.

"Go introduce yourself! Man, was Paige your manners teacher or something?!? You seem, like, really RUDE ever since she left!!!" Xiao snapped.

Toan said nothing and put his hands in his pockets.

"HELLOOOOOOOO?!?"

"Let's go..." Toan grumbled.

So they walked closer to the back-turned girl. She must have not heard them coming, because she didn't turn around. Toan and Xiao walked closer to the girl. She still did not look at them, she remained looking at the mountains.

They stopped. Toan was so close now that he could put a shaky had on the girl's shoulder, but he dare not.

Suddenly, the girl whipped her head around, raven locks of hair flying around her shoulder.

"What do you want?!?" She snapped, tightening her low-hanging ponytail.

"Er...ah...um..." Toan stuttered, taking a step back.

The girl's emerald green eyes examined him from top to bottom, and they were strangely quick and darting.

"Well, if you're not going to say anything to me, you best be on your way. I'm very busy, and you should NEVER mess with me when I'm busy..." She remarked, turning back around and looking at the sun. It didn't seem to hurt her eyes to look directly in it.

"Hey! Watch out!!!" Came a distant voice. It was little Gina, and her ball was heading straight for the strange girl's head.

"Move it! You're gonna get h-" Toan stopped, because the girl turned her head just in time and caught the ball with one hand, as if she was expecting it.

Gina ran up to the girl in amazement and thanked her. The girl kneeled and gave Gina her ball back. As Gina ran away, the girl didn't even smile. She still had that same blank, angered look...

"How did you do that?!?" Toan exclaimed.

"...Practice. Patience. And skill." She replied, never changing her expression.

"Oh...:"

"..."

"I...I just wanted to say...welcome to Norune Village. My name is Toan."

"I am Setsuna Michiro, a ninja from the East."

At the word "East", Toan went cold and took a few steps back in fear. ALL of his enemies were from the East. Flag. The Dark Genie. And all of the others that made his life a living hell when his village was destroyed one year ago. Now, there was another here. Toan thought she was gentile, but anyone from the East can be unpredictable.

Xiao gasped as well. "T-Toan...could you please talk to me in private?"

Toan nodded. "Please excuse me for a moment, Ms. Michiro..."

"As you wish." Setsuna murmured.

Xiao jerked Toan's hand and dragged him behind a tree.

"Toan, don't you know what she is?!?" Xiao exclaimed. "The jet black hair...the strange emerald green eyes...the extremely alert senses and strong abilities, almost like manou..."

"Er, what's your point, Xiao?" I know plenty of people with green eyes or black hair. And from what I know, Goro's father had very good senses and was strong. So why do you think Setsuna has magic powers?" Toan retorted.

"Toan, she is a YASHA! How can you be so blind, she is from the East!"

"WHAT?!? Xiao, I'm surprised at you! I thought you'd know better than to judge people before you even know them; I can't believe you'd accuse her of such a thing!!!"

Xiao stuck her tongue out at Toan and stomped off in disgust.

"Fine, Toan! Be that way!" She growled back. "Just don't come askin' me for help after she drags you down into the bowels of Hell!!!"

Toan shook his head and walked back over to Setsuna.

"Konnichiwa, Toan." Setsuna greeted without even turning around to face him.

"Hello, Setsuna." Toan said, bowing.

"Where did Xiao go?"

"Oh, she's just-- hey, how did you know her name?"

"..."

"Setsuna?"

"I overheard you two ." She mumbled.

"So, I guess I don't have to tell you about the stupid thing Xiao said?"

"No..."

"Er, you...aren't a demon, right?" Toan asked quizzically.

"..Of course not, Toan..." Setsuna grumbled. "One can think many uncanny things..."

There was a long pause.

"Setsuna, why do you always seem so somber? Why don't you ever smile?" Toan asked.

Setsuna turned around and faced Toan, looking as if she was about to cry, her mysterious emerald eyes glassy.

"I...I have...forgotten how to smile, Toan."

Toan was shocked. "What do you mean?!?"

"My life...it has not been a happy one. First of all, my father--"

Suddenly, a tall man walked up behind Setsuna. He was wearing a strange black robe over a karate uniform.

"Setsuna, are you helping me to unpack or what?!?" He yelled.

"I...I am sorry Father...Sensai. I am still a true baka, even with your great training. Toan and I were just talki--"

"Oh, who is this young man?"

"Please allow me to introduce myself, sir." Toan said, sticking out his hand to be shook. "Desu Toan. O-genki desu ka?"

"Genki desu, but you do not want to shake my hand. I would...crush it, accidentally of course."

"Erm, father...shall we go?" Setsuna interrupted.

"Oh...Setsuna, there is only a few more bags left, Renee has been a big help. Please, stay here with Toan, I shall fetch them. However, in a few minutes we must go inside the house and set everything up with impeccable Fen Suai. Then we must train."

"Yes, Fa-- er, I mean Sensai."

Setsuna's father walked off.

"He insists on me calling him Sensai," Setsuna exclaimed, "but that's just the beginning. He forced me into the training of a ninja, and he can be very aggressive if I do not fight well!"

"Oh...that's so sad..." Toan whispered. "But I guess I just don't understand; I never met my father..."

"O-Oh..."

Toan and Setsuna were silent.

"Why don't you have dinner at my house tonight? My mother prepared it for you and your father..." Toan asked.

"...Okay. It's better than nothing..." Setsuna replied.

"ALRIGHT! Konnichiwa, Setsuna-- I'll see you later!" Toan and Setsuna walked into their houses.

* * *

"So Toan, what is Setsuna like?" Renee asked later that day.

"Oh, she's..." Toan paused. "Setsuna is a very fushigi shojo..."

"Really? That's good. There were too many normal people around Norune..."

"Feh, great?!? MY ASS!!!" Xiao grumbled, storming up the stairs.

"What's with Xiao?" Renee asked.

"She's just cranky...Xiao's got some strange theory that Setsuna's a demon...She doesn't even know her well like I do."

"Well, that's god for you! Hey, the Harvest Festival is tonight, why don't you take Setsuna?"

"Great idea, Mom! Setsuna really needs to smile more..."

---------------------------

JAPANESE LESSON

Baka: Idiot, fool

Konnichiwa: Hello, goodbye, greeting

Desu: My name is

O-genki desu ka: How are you?

Genki desu: I am fine

Yasha: Demon

Manou: Magic

Fushigi: Mysterious

Shojo: Girl

Sensai: Teacher