Chapter 2: New Home

Later that day, around noon, Shane left the hotel she was staying in

and went to the park in Tomaya. She walked around off the beaten

path, enjoy being alone among the trees.

Altest she thoughts she was alone, but suddenly Shane hid in some

bushes when she saw two men fighting in what looke like hand to

hand combat, she could tell this was a practice fight because the

blocks and blows did not have the speed or froce a real fight would

and since there was ten other people standing and watching.

A woman, one young boy and three other young men watched the two fighters,

all had their backs to her. Shane stood and watched qiuetly not wanting to be

seen but wanting to see what would be the outcome of this practice, she could

tell both men was evenly macthed at this and probaly knew alot about hand to

hand combat.

But then a twig snapping caught her attention and Shane saw a very large

white tiger heading toward, Shane stepped away but tripped over a log

and fell. She looked to see she had caught the atteion of the two fighters

and the others and as one started towards her, a streak of pure panic ran

thourgh her causing her to jumped to her feet and take off running.

Because of her training she had the fleest of any creature but suddenly

someone garbed her and held her by the shoulders in a iron grip. Sturrgle

as she might she couldn't get away but then. "Gypsy girl? Is that you?"

Shane looked up regonizing that name, in fornt of her was a woman

around her age, with long brown hair and green eyes.

"Mia?" She asked. Mia smiled then turned to who was holding Shane.

"Let her go Kento she a friend of mine." Kento let go and Shane rubbed

her sore shoulders. "Sorry about that but you shouldn't have tried to run."

Kento said, he was sixteen very musclar with black hair and gery blue eyes.

"Mia you know this girl?" A young man, also sixteen, with brushy blonde hair

and voliet - blue eyes asked, Mia nodded. "Yea Sage. She and I went to colleage

together. I use to call her Gypsy girl because she never let me know her real name."

Shane smiled. "Well I am Shane, Mia. It is good to see you after so long." She

greeted her colleage friend, smiling.

Mia smiled back then looked at the young men as one cleared his thoart.

"Oh I forget my manners. Shane, this is Ryo, Sage, Cye, Kento, Rowen

and my adopted son Yuli." Mia said motioning to each person as she

spoke. Shane nodded her hello and studied each of the young men.

The one called Ryo had wild black hair and blue eyes. *Tiger blue

eyes.* She thought as she looked at him, of the group of teenager

he struck her as the leader. Sage had what look like a bush of blond

hair, his left eye was covered by some bangs of blond hair but his right

eye was a voilet blue shade, Shane had to look away from him because

his eyes seem to see far too much.

Cye had rust colored hair and eyes the color of the sea, eyes that held

criousness about her and a kind of trust in them that surprised them.

The one that was called Kento had black hair and gery blue eyes, he was

musclar, Shane knew if there was ever a fight he probaly come running.

Another had dark blue hair and midnight blue eyes, he was the tallest

the of group, from the way he looked at her and a few other tip offs

she could see this was someone well educated, probaly had an high

IQ. Yuli was around elven, twelve maybe, he had short black hair

and baby blue eyes, but despite his youth she could feel from his

air that he was not as navie was he appeared.

Over all they seemed like normal kids but Shane felt there was

something else in the five teenagers, a froce in them, strenght within

them that she felt answered in her own self. Quickly she looked away

just in case her eyes showed her thoughts as she withderw within,

frocing down her own power, she knew too well the danger in it as well

as risk she take in showing it.

"Pleasure to meet you." She said qiuetly and saw them nod. "So

what are you doing here Shane?" Asked Mia. "Well I'm .... I'm

staying in Japan a while. Just came last night. Hoping to find a place

to stay." Shane said, Mia looked at her thoughtfully. "Well, you

can stay at my home. It is large enough." But Shane was already

shaking her head.

"I don't wish to impose and there no way I can pay you." She said.

"No need." Shane looked at Mia when she insisted. "You can come

Shane. You said your self you need a place to stay." Shane looked

at her colleage friend, the only friend she had for as long as she remembered.

She knew it was dangerous, she knew she shouldn't but the need to

have a friend along concieved her to nod slowly. "Alright, looks like

you have a new person at your home Mia." She said.

About an hour later ... Shane looked around the room, aganist a wall

was her bed which was across from a glass door leading to a small balcony,

a cloest at the end of the bed near the door, a dresser and a study desk

against the other wall and empty shelfs above that.

Shane quickly put her bag down and pulled out a white bag, in it was a few

colthes she manage to garb before she ran, a sliver bladed dagger and small

wooden box. Shane smiled unlocking opening the box, it wa a serect she

managed to keep for years from her 'trainers', it was small but contained a

folded up picture of her parents, another of her and Mia in colleage as well

as a small bracelet.

The picture of her family took only days before everything in Shane's life went

wrong, she looked alot like her mother but mother had ice blue eyes and her

mother's hair had more of a light brown color, her father had browns eyes and

blonde hair in the picture.

It was the bracelet that kept her attention the most, braclet was something slipped

into her room one night by a mysterious person, she hide it and kept it though often

she almost lost it. It was a sliver chain with a Japanese kanji on it, she couldn't figure

out what it was since it appered to be ancient Japanese but it was often something

of comfort to her. Shane sighed and after puting up the picture and box on one of

the shelves she put the bracelt in her pocket and then she got to work.



It was close to dusk after putting her few things up and exproling the house

some Shane sat down in the room she was given, it was one of the spare

rooms at the manor, it was a few rooms away from the boys so she wasn't

too nervous. Though she trusted Mia she was catious around her friends,

years with training under the fanicals taught her the value of it and the price

if you wasn't.

She sighed as she shook her head at herself. *That is the past Shane, this

is the present. Now go downstairs and get to know all of them before you

condemn them!* She thought to herself as she went downstairs.

Shane found Kento and Ryo fighting on the Playstation, a little boy named

Yuli cheered on Kento. Rowen was in one chair reading a book wacthing

the fight from time to time, Cye was in the kicten cooking with Mia and Sage

was off somewhere, she guessed with the large tiger, White Blaze. Shane

leaned one hip againist the wall wacthing as the guys sitting unaware she

was even in the room.

*Seems I still got light feet.* She thought to herself, she alway been qiuet,

at times it was the only way to stay alive in *that* place. She frowned, she

didn't like Mia have nearly been exposed to it the night she was captured

again but Mia didn't seem to know what happened that night and remained

untouched by the things going in Shane's life. *Which is more then I am.*

Shane thought britterly.

The years had toughened Shane, she fought in fights that would kill anyone

less, gambled everything on the chance of escaping, she went off without food,

trained until she dorpped from exhaution or from a serve beating, sometimes to

the blood just because of her ability, her cruse.

She sighed to herself, she knew Mia and her friends could never unstand, she

was sure no one could understand the darkness that stained her soul. *Oh well,

it is just as well. No danger of getting hurt when you are alone.* She thought to

herself but that didn't comfort her.