Angel of Light: Well, here goes with the next chapter! It's still a little OOC, but the characters will begin to have some of their regular traits later on. I still need feedback on this thing!

Cody: I hate it. I'm not in it.

Angel of Light: I wasn't talking to you, Cody. And maybe if you treat me really nice, I'll include you in it.

Cody: *rolls eyes*

Hikari kept her eyes closed the whole time. She listened to the conversation, and found out what kind of people these guys were. They were easy going, and maybe too laid back. She figured from her past experiences with these people that they were a lot different in battle. Her 'captors' certainly didn't act like the reformists she knew.

After they walked a little, the small group climbed onto some motorcycles. They were far enough away from her home base that they wouldn't hear them coming, but close enough to make a quick getaway.

'Very clever', she thought.

Very gently, the man who was carrying her placed her on the vehicle. He climbed on behind her, and held her there. He started up the bike, and checked on her. He had placed her so that he could use his hands to steer, but he could still keep her from falling out.

~*~

They rode for quite a while, maybe forty-five minutes. Hikari assumed that it only took longer because they were going slower than they normally would, because of her. Finally, they stopped.

The man got off, and carefully took her off.

"How's she doing?" one of the others asked.

"She's still not awake. I can't tell the extent of her injuries through all this blood." he replied.

"There sure seems to be a lot of it."

"Yeah."

"Well, let's bring 'er in to Joe. He'll take a look at 'er."

"Right."

The next thing she knew, Hikari was being carried off into the base. She still had her eyes closed, as not to risk being caught. She's seen what killers they could be, though they couldn't be worse than her own people, she had to admit.

She was carried through a series of passageways, and the man finally stopped after entering a room. There, he greeted someone.

"Hey Joe! I need a little assistance here!"

"What is it Taker- Oh my."

"Yeah. We found her by the rebel base. It seems that they shot the poor girl. It disgusts me that they would shoot someone so innocent."

"Place her on the bed here, and I'll have a look at her." instructed Joe.

Takeru walked forwards, and placed her on the bed. He looked at her softly. There was something about her that had captivated him.

"Takeru?" Joe said, "Yoo-hoo, Takeru? Is anybody home?"

He snapped put of it, and blushed, "S-sorry."

"No need to apologize. So, does our mystery girl have a name?" he asked.

The younger one placed a hand behind his head, "Well obviously she does, but we just don't know it."

"You mean, there was no ID, no nothing?"

Takeru nodded.

"So, you just picked her off the streets and brought her here without knowing anything of her background at all? What if she's a spy?"

Hikari began to get slightly nervous, but didn't say anything for obvious reasons.

"Well, she fell out of the trees in front of us; she'd just been shot. It's not like the rebels would go so far as to shoot one of their own."

"Still, you never know." he sighed, "But I guess you do have a point. It makes me wonder, though. Why would one of the rebels go so far out of the base, just to shoot someone? It's obvious the shot was meant to kill."

"Maybe she knows something that could be vital information to us." the blonde suggested.

"Perhaps."

There was a moment of silence as they both looked over at her. Questions were running through each of their minds as to who she was and what she was doing, among other things.

"If you'll excuse me, I should probably start examining her."

Takeru nodded, and headed for the door. "Uh, I'll be around if you, uh, need me."

Joe nodded, and closed the door behind him. A small smile crept across his face, and he shook his head.

His face turned serious as he went to prepare to work. He pulled out a pair of scissors, and began to cut away the part of her shirt that surrounded the wound. When he was finished, he looked at it, but couldn't see through all the blood. He pulled out a piece of gauze and began to wipe away the excess 'blood'. After that, he pulled out the alcohol.

As soon as he opened the bottle, Hikari could smell it right away. She decided that this would be a good time to 'wake up' as she didn't think she could handle the stinging and stay 'unconscious'.

"Ugh…" she groaned.

Joe looked up. "Oh, you're awake."

"Wer-Where am I?" she asked groggily.

"You're currently in the doctor's office, who would be me, in our home base."

She gave him a confused look.

"You were shot."

Her eyes opened wide, and she sat up. "What?!"

"Please, calm down. Everything will be alright. I'm going to put some rubbing alcohol over the wound so that it doesn't get infected. It will sting, but only for a few moments."

Hikari sat back down, and watched him pull out a cotton swab, and soak it.

"So, what's you're name?" he asked.

"My name is… H- My name is Kari." she told him.

He nodded, and put the swab on the cut.

Her eyes widened with pain, "OW!"

"I told you it would hurt." he said as-a-matter-of-factly.

Finally, he was finished. He looked at it once more.

"You're lucky. The shooter has very bad aim, and he didn't hit anything vital. It was a good thing that you were facing the way you were, or he could have hit you clean in the heart."

She nodded.

"By the way, what were you doing by the rebel base anyways?"

She knew she'd have to think of something, fast. She also had to give him a reason as to why she was being shot. "Well, I'm a wanderer. I ran away from an orphanage when I was young. You see, my parents were killed in a bad car accident. I had on older brother too, but he was shot by the rebels. They don't like us very much. I think they also had something to do with my parent's death."

"That's horrible. Why are they after you though?"

"Because my parents used to work for one of them. They weren't rebels themselves, but neither were they reformists. Their friends and colleagues all wanted them to come along with them, but they didn't exactly agree with some of the things they were doing.

"Anyways, I'm not quite sure how it happened; I just know that they stumbled upon some information. They found out who the leader was, and they didn't like that very much. Not even some of the rebels themselves know their leader. There was some other stuff too, but it was a long time ago.

"So, my parents end up dead and my brother and I are stuck in an orphanage. One day, my brother and I decided that we'd had enough of that life, so we ran off. We lived on the streets for a while, and went from town to town. The rebels had been searching for us, in fear that we had some of the information. They killed my brother, and now they're after me."

Joe nodded. "I see. Do you have any information on them?"

Hikari hesitated. She knew that her brother as listening in, and if she said something, it could mean big trouble for her.

"I-I'm not sure…"

He looked at her quizzically.

If there was one talent she could be proud of, it was the talent of being able to make herself cry. All she had to do was think of a certain thing, and the tears would break loose. She began to sob.

"I-I, It's just that they've threatened me so many times, and I'm scared…"

He placed a hand on her good shoulder. "There, there, it's alright. You don't have to tell me if you're not comfortable. You've been through a lot, and I wouldn't want to put any more pressure on you. We'll give it time."

She nodded.

He put some polyspourne on it, and bandaged it. He also wrapped up the whole shoulder.

"Now, I have to go talk to the Commander, but I'll be back."

She nodded, and he left the room, closing the door. Hikari waited a while before pulling out the listening device.

"Clear", she said softly.

*Well done, my dear sister!* said Tai from the other end.

"What am I supposed to say? I need to give them something, or they'll know I'm a fake."

*Tell them that we're planning something big, and that we've got some sort of secret weapon. Tell them that you were just on your way of seeing what it was, but a look out spotted you.*

"Fine."

*Now, how far are you from us?*

"Maybe a half hour on a motorcycle."

*Okay. You're doing well so far, don't fail me now.*

"I have to go, they're coming back."

*Bye.*

She shoved it back in her pocket, and sat up. Four men came through the door. She looked at them all. She recognized only one, but she knew the voices of the others. They were the ones who had initially found her.

"Well it's good to see that you're awake." the taller of the two blondes said.

She smiled weakly.

"How are you feeling?" asked Joe.

"It still hurts…"

"As it will for a while. Don't use it too much, and you'll be fine."

Hikari nodded.

"These are the men who found you when you got shot. It's a good thing too. This one here is Ken, this is Takeru, and the other is his older brother Yamato. Yamato is our leader and commander."

They all nodded a greeting.

"This, men, is Kari."

"It's good to have you along", the one he introduced as Yamato said. "Are you able to walk?"

"I think so", she replied.

Swinging her legs to the side of the bed, she placed them on the floor. Slowly she put weight on them, and stood up.

"If you'll come with me, I'll show you where you'll be staying."

She nodded, and followed him. The other two men came as well. Joe left the room too, but didn't go with them.

When they reached the room, Hikari was expecting a ratty, bug infested room. It's what someone would have gotten if her brother had anything to say about it, if they were lucky. She was shocked to see that it was a fully furnished room, and the furniture wasn't too shabby. It even had an adjacent bathroom.

"This is the only room we can spare, sorry if it's small." Yamato told her.

"No, it's perfectly fine." she said, genuinely surprised.

He smiled. "Good."

Takeru stepped in timidly, "If you uh, need anything…don't be hesitant to um, ask, okay?"

She nodded lightly.

"We'll be going now. In the morning, one of the girls will come and check on you in a few minutes. They'll probably tell you a few things. As for us, we're going to bed."

Hikari closed the door as they left.

~*~

When they were further down the hall, Yamato stopped and looked at his brother. Ken had gone the opposite way to his own room.

"You seem really taken by her, Takeru."

"Nah…"

Yamato looked at his brother.

"Is it that obvious?" he asked.

"You bet it is", he replied.

"Oh."

"Goodnight, T.K."

"'Night Matt."

~*~

A soft knock was heard on her door. Hikari decided that she should get up and answer it. Sauntering over, she opened it. On the other side was an older, brown haired girl. She was carrying a rather large box. The girl smiled warmly.

"Hello, you must be Kari."

Hikari nodded.

"Sorry if I'm disturbing you, but I won't be long."

"Would you like to come in?" asked Hikari.

"Uh, well, if it's no trouble…"

Hikari put up a smile, "No, not at all."

"Alright then."

The girl stepped in, and closed the door. Hikari walked over and sat on the bed. The other stood a little in front of her.

"By the way, my name is Mimi. Don't ask what I do around here…to tell you the truth I don't really know. I guess I just do what I'm doing now…among other things…"

Hikari listened to her babble. She seemed very bright and cheerful, even so late at night. She tuned out the rest of what she was saying, but she got caught."

"So, is that okay?" Mimi asked.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I must have zoned out. I'm a little tired."

Mimi smiled. "That's alright, I don't blame you. You've been through a lot. All I said was that breakfast is down the hall, to the right, then to the left. You can't miss it. There's a big sign out front that says 'Caf'. Also, I have some clothes for you." she said while dropping the box.

Hikari nodded, "Thank you very much. I'm not sure when I'll be out, though."

"That's alright. I guess I'll see you in the morning then. Good night!" Mimi left the room.

Hikari stared at the door. She couldn't believe how cheerful these people all were. It was to the point to where it was sickening. To normal people, it would be considered hospitality, but not to her. Hospitality through her eyes was being left to live another day. These people had everything, and she began to hate them for it.

The sound device started crackling, and she knew her brother was calling.

*Hikari?*

She picked it up, and looked at it. She decided that she didn't want to be bothered at the moment, so she put in in the drawer of the bedside table. She let out a frustrated sigh, and turned over. Thoughts ran through her head like a freight train. It was a while before she got to sleep.

~*~

When Hikari woke up, it was around nine-thirty, quarter to ten. She figured that it would be a good time to start thinking about getting up.

Slowly, she climbed out of bed. Funny. It was the best sleep (when she did eventually find it) that she'd ever had. The bed was far more comfortable than her own. Hikari grabbed some clothes, and went over to the bathroom.

She undressed, and came upon the bandage. She had forgotten the wound. Then, she remembered something. Wrapping herself in a towel, she went back out. There, she spotted a small container with some medical essentials in it. There was also a note. It read:

I figured that you were responsible enough to dress your wound on your own. It's not so bad, and I highly doubt that you want to come see me every time you need to have the dressing changed. I'm sure this will be easier for the two of us.

Joe.

Hikari brought the container into the bathroom, and rested it on the counter. She undid the bandage, and stepped into the shower.

Quickly, she showered. She went over five minutes, and sighed.

'This is the part where I run out of hot water.' she thought.

Surprisingly, it didn't. She began to realize how luxurious this place was compared to her own. It goes to show that the things that some take for granted can be heaven to others.

Feeling in a better mood, she got ready. Grabbing the listening device, she headed out.

It was twenty after ten when Hikari finally stepped into the cafeteria. At first, Hikari was surprised to see so many people in it, but then she took into the account of the layout of the area. Her home base was more like a city, and held a lot more people that this did. This was just a simple base, not really much more than that. Unlike her own home, there were no restaurants or anything of the sort, just this large cafeteria.

She looked around, and found the line. These people all seemed laid back. They were chatting freely with each other, something no one would do at home. Some even stopped to talk to her. Hikari was taken aback by the whole thing, as the culture was so much more different.

Grabbing her food, she looked around for a place by herself.

She didn't stay that way for long.

"Mind if I sit here?" a male voice asked her. She looked up to see a familiar face. It was one of the men that had found her.

"Uh, sure." she replied hesitantly.

He took the seat across from her.

"Kari, right?" he asked.

She nodded, not looking up.

"So, uh, how are you this morning? Like, how's your shoulder."

"It's fine." she said absently. She really didn't want to be talking to him right now. Mostly because she was worried that there was more to this than him just being nice. At home, when you were a stranger and a local started talking to you, it meant something.

Hikari looked up at him. "So what is it that you want?"

"Huh?" he looked at her confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, if you're talking to me, it means that you want something form me. So, what is it?"

"Uh…I just wanted to see how you were doing this morning." he said.

She was silent.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Is that so wrong?"

She blushed and stared at her food. "I guess not. She whispered."

There was silence between them. Hikari focused on her food, and didn't look at him. He watched her, and ate his own. Occasionally, he would talk to someone passing by. Soon, he started to clean up.

"Sorry, but I have to report up to headquarters. I'll see you later." He smiled.

She looked up. "Wait."

He stopped.

"You, You're Takeru, right?"

He smiled and nodded. "Yep, you got it right."

He turned and walked away, leaving her to finish on her own.

~*~

After breakfast, Hikari put her things away in the designated area, and took a walk. She figured that she would get to know the place, and it would also give her some time to think. She had realized that these people were genuinely nice. They gave her everything she needed, and treated her like one of their own, and they didn't want anything in return. She was beginning to realize how bad her life really was. These people had everything they'd ever want. They had friends, and didn't always have to check over their shoulders to see if someone was watching them. There was a safe feeling here, something she didn't get at home.

The only reason she was respected was because of who her brother was. If he wasn't the leader of the rebels, she would be like anyone else. Suddenly, her life became complicated and confusing. Ever since her parents had died, things had gotten into a mess. They had been significant leaders in the society, and well respected. When they were assassinated, things got out of control. Her once kind and compassionate brother became a person of rage. He wanted to get revenge on his parents death. He didn't have to become the rebel leader, but he did.

Though the battles and disagreements between the two parties had been going on for a while, hardly ever was there any bloodshed. Now, it was a commonplace. Her brother had turned a somewhat 'peaceful' battle into a full out war. Ever since that day he came into power, there were people dying left and right. Even battles between her own people had happened.

She also realized that she only got respect because of the fear the others had of her brother. Without him, she would be nothing.

While she was walking, someone stopped her.

"Why, hello Kari. It's good to see you up and about."

Hikari looked up. It was Mimi and the doctor, except he was out of uniform.

She gave a weak smile.

"Are you alright?" Mimi asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking."

"Well, that's perfectly legal, the last time I checked anyway." she joked. "Joe and I were just taking a walk, would you like us to show you the way outside?"

"Uh, sure, that would be great." Now she could see the surrounding area, and help her brother find the place.

"Okay then, come with us."

Hikari followed the couple to the outside. It was well into the afternoon now, and the sun was out in its full glory.

~*~

"Well, here it is. We just came out of the West entrance. There are four wings in the base. You're in the west, but more towards the south end. The main tower is found down in the north part. As you can see, most of the base is underground, to prevent anyone from seeing us. It's a good tactic, really." Joe told her.

"Alright, thank you very much. I guess I'll just stay over here for a while."

Mimi smiled. "Okay. You can ask anyone for help if need be."

Hikari nodded, and she watched as the couple walked off, hand in hand.

~*~

Hikari stayed out for a while. She looked over the area, looking for any landmarks that would lead her brother here. She found some, and pulled out the communication device.

"Tai?"

*Oh, hi. What are you doing?*

"I'm outside."

*good.*

"The base is just on the other side of the forest." she felt a pang of guilt as she said this.

*Excellent! Anything else?*

She supposed that she should tell him that it was all underground. It would be vital information to him. "No."

*Alright, we'll work with that.*

"Taichi?"

*Yeah?*

"When are you coming for me?"

*Five days. See if you can find out anything else.*

"Okay, I will."

*Good. Bye.*

She put it back. She stared sadly out into the forest, knowing full well what she had done. The place had taken a toll on her, as did the people, but she was on a mission and she had to fulfil it. There was no stopping it now.

Someone came up behind her.

"Hey."

She turned around.

"Hi." It was that boy, Takeru. He seemed to pop up everywhere.

"I got this for you." he handed her a bottle of water.

"Why?" she asked cautiously.

"Because it's a hot day, and I thought that you might be thirsty."

"Thanks." she took it. The truth was, that she was really thirsty.

"I have to go now, I'm an guard duty. We can't have any rebels spying on us or anything like that." he smiled while saying this. "We almost got 'em beat. Then maybe we can live our lives normally again. That goes for you too. Isn't it great?"

"Yeah, it's great."

He looked at her. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, it's perfect."

He nodded, and left.

"And that's the problem…" she whispered to herself.