Disclaimer: thisstory and chapter belongs to me though one or two of the characters areof my creation.

A/N: makes me wonder why is a disclaimer needed anyway, I mean its so troublesome to write it for every chapter, which also means that I forgot about it for the first few chapters and am sorry for it, but I don't know how to add it in without changing the other chapters.

The Attack

Dark blue hair moved with the wind as a woman stood wearing a black shirt, with black track-pants stood in the shadow from one of the surrounding trees as she watched the sun giving its temporary goodbye, burning the sky to a pinkish red flame.

She knew that she should be watching her charge, but the sunset was simply breath taking as time seems to stop. The time would come soon when she'll have to reveal herself and the situation, but her orders were currently to protect in secret.

Sighing, she walked back to the school, moving only in shadows to reach Alice. Looking, she saw Alice walking home herself as it was a Friday and her sister, her boyfriend, and Frey were busy that day to accompany her home. What was weird was the fact that Frey had a meeting with someone else that was more important than keeping Alice safe. To see Alice alone may seem insignificant to others, but it reminded her of the time when she found out she would be alone without her friends to support her.

Distracted, the watcher failed to notice another presence as it moved closer towards its prey till it was too late...

'Gasp', was all the sound that managed to come out of Alice's throat as an arrow pierced into the body, with blood leaking out from the wound, gashing thickly. Black mist surrounded Alice, before disappearing, leaving naught but its victim as evidence to its presence.

Jumping off the tree, Akira Yamato cursed her wandering thoughts, while carrying her charge in both arms, back to the shrine of hope. With a blur, Akira, the watcher, the protector raced to the one and only destination in her though, with a speed that was too fast for it to be human.

"Mother! Help!" Akira screamed as she ran past the wooden frame of the entrance marking to the territory of the temple and up the stairs, stopping only at the sitting mat in the hall, to lay her charge down face up since the arrow was sticking from the kid's chest. Still muttering curses, Akira gently, but firmly hugged her charge from the back, as she used her right hand to pull the arrow out. To her surprise, she was rewarded with a deadly and tense silence instead of screams of pain or even a struggle.

Frightened now, she quickly muttered 'ruta' and 'jiva', meaning endure and heal respectively, while her own bracelet glowed a bright yellow, as the wounds healed itself. Trembling for the worst, she didn't noticed a black-haired woman in her late thirties, wearing a pink kimono running towards her barefooted, until she felt a hand touched her shoulder.

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Lacus's thoughts.

Looking at the sunset had a stunning effect of relaxing me as I went back to my task of sweeping the grounds of the temple when a panicking voice reached me ear. It was Akira's! Using my enhanced abilities, such as listening, the shout had already told me to meet bad news. Running on tiptoes and barefoot to the direction of the voice, I saw my foster daughter hugging a young girl no older than 17 years old. My awareness spread as I noticed a blood stained arrow lying on the floor, while Akira's hands were wet with blood that was definitely not hers but her charge.

Reaching out, I felt for a pulse from the young girl, to find it faint but growing stronger as her stomach moved lightly to breathe in air. Giving her a quick check, and a look at Akira's bracelet told me that Akira had used the Lotis words to heal. Touching the motionless and shock Akira by the shoulder gave a response of life.

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Akira's thoughts.

Waiting in front of the elders, while they were discussing about the current situation and my punishment, I shivered to thinking back to my mistakes. Relieved that no permanent harm had been done to Alice, I realized at that moment, that thought I was relieved, it was not because my mistake might tarnish my reputation for failing my mission. Instead, I felt a frightened feeling for putting her life in danger. Mother had already placed Alice on a spare bed meant for guest of the shrine before leading me to the waiting room to await my punishment as I felt an instinctive nervous fluttering in my stomach, while she went to inform the elders.

As I debated silently on my mistake, the elders had already decided on my punishment and had called me, drawing me out of my thoughts.

"Akira Yamato, you failed to keep your charge safe and for that you'll be punished. However, Lacus Yamato, head healer of the shrine has announced that you had healed Alice Seno, your charge by yourself thus repairing part of the damage done. For that, your punishment will be reduced. You will go to the cold room and meditate until the dawn breaks tomorrow. Use that time to identify your mistakes, and you will continue with your current mission to protect your charge." One of the elder with long black hair tied neatly into a bun on her head said.

"Akira Yamato, you will also tell her nothing that has passed. Tell her that she fainted while you were passing by taking a stroll thus you brought her to your home, the shrine of hope to rest and heal, that is all." Another elder who had the reputation of being devoid of all feelings said.

A/N: another chapter done... "now what do i need to say..."
i have revised chapter 3, and sorry but the neo-master around the world thingy, it was kind of a typing mistake on my part. tooo... much day-dreaming....

ohyeah!!! can someone please tell me how old are Alice and Kyo? i mean i think they're 16 but my sister kept saying they're eleven.