(Lidia- No Himeno-Kagome, there is no similarity in the names Kei and Kai. It's just short for her actual name. But aren't you the suspicious one. glares I'm watching you...)

Two Much: The New Pretear, and the seeds of Fenril

"I hope this will be fine. It's a little short notice," Sasame said with an uneasy smile.

"It's just fine," Kai assured. She dropped the bag she packed from home and placed it beside the bed. Their former guest room would now be her room. And it was beautiful. Just fine was an understatement.

"So," Hayate stated in a cold manner from the doorway. "What made you change your mind?"

"My family moved while I was away. Didn't notice I was gone," Kai lied with a perfect little smile on her face.

"O how sad. How did that happen?" Himeno gasped.

"It's...a really big family. I didn't exactly stand out much."

Sasame gave her an odd look but only within his mind. It bothered him a little how well she hid her feelings and thought up lies. What else could she be hiding?...

"Well we're glad to have you!" Shin said in a warm smile.

"Thank you. Although I didn't quite catch your names."

"I'm Goh. Knight of Fire. That's Sasame as you know, knight of sound, Kei, light, Shin, earth, Hajime, water, Mannen, ice, Himeno, our current pretear, and Hay...a...te....Where'd he go?"

Kai covered her saddened expression with a smile. "It's fine. Maybe later." No use in thinking about someone who doesn't even care to introduce himself.

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"Hey," Kai greeted, lightly tapping on the door to let him know she was there. "I saw your door open so I thought I'd drop by."

"H-hey," Shin greeted, smiling back nervously. Kai looked at him oddly, thinking that maybe she was interrupting something. "I thought you went off to look for Hayate."

"Pff! That crank ran off, so I'm sure he's fine where he is," Kai said annoyed. She could feel a slight breeze in the room. "Hey Shin? Do you have the window open? It's kinda cold in here."

"No, I kept it closed. It's probably the AC."

"Uh, huh." Kai looked around for a while, but her attention was diverted when she noticed all the paintings on the walls. "O woa. Those are really good. You do it?"

"Heh, yea, thanks," Shin replied a little embarrassed. Then he hurriedly covered something up with a blanket.

Kai noticed and walked over to him with a sly grin on her face. "Don't think I didn't just see that. What's under there?"

"Huh? What? O nothing much," Shin said waving off the subject.

"If it's nothing then why'd you cover it up?"

"Beeecuase it's not finished. It's really quite a mess right now."

"I don't mind. I just want to see how it's coming."

Shin paused for a bit. He looked really sweaty as Kai's grin grew wider and wider. "B-but-... b-but..."

"I know what it is," Kai said know smiling innocently at the boy.

"Y-you do?"

"Your painting a girl under there aren't you?"

Shin froze, his face turning a bright red. "I-..it's not."

"Yoooour lying, Shin. So tell me. Who is it? Himeno? One of the staff?"

"N-...no...."

"Hey Shi-...Kai...hey. What are you doing in here?" Hajime asked as he walked into the room.

"Just foolin' around," Kai said smiling at the boy.

Hajime raised a brow at Kai. "Since he's thirteen, and your...what...seventeen? Isn't that still child molestation or am I wrong?"

"What did you just say?!" the two yelled at the same time.

"What? It's not like the boy's thinking about trees that hug you and clouds made out of cotton candy if you understand what I'm trying to say," Hajime said as if they were both dense.

Kai yanked Hajime up by the shirt so he was a few inches up. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen," he answered a little nervously.

"If I ever here you say something so perverted again-"

"Ch-chill! I was just joking!"

Kai dropped Hajime on his butt. "Good," she said smiling down on him as if nothing happened. "Now what is it?"

"It's dinner time," Hajime replied. He raised to his feet and dusted his pants off.

"O good, I'm starving," Kai said walking away.

"She's going to get herself lost, isn't she?" Shin said softly. Hajime nodded.

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Kai whined as she walked down the seemingly never ending hall. Her stomach growled rather loudly. "Dinner's gotta be over by now. It's been hours...whining puppy noises...I'm never going to find another living thing. I'll just decay down here," Kai said sitting herself against the wall.

"Well that would be nice. But then again I'd get in trouble for letting that happen.."

Kai looked over from where the voice came. "O, you. Figures, you've been following me all day."

"No I haven't!," Hayate piped. "I wouldn't waste my time."

"Wouldn't, shouldn't, couldn't, but did."

Hayate frowned at the girl with hate in his eyes, but there was a small grin on his face. "Then I guess you're not hungry," Hayate teased while pulling a tray of food from behind his back. Kai shot him a dirty look that seemed to please Hayate.

"That is low."

"Beg for it."

"Pff! You're joking right?" Hayate began walking away slowly, as if waiting for Kai to stop him.

"I don't know why you're taking your time. You can leave now."

Hayate looked back, angrily for a moment, then disappeared down the hall.

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"Last time we saw her she was walking down that hall," Hajime pointed.

"Great..." Mannen said with a sigh as he walked down the same hall himself. He eventually stumbled across her leaning against the wall. "She fell asleep…," Mannen sighed as he sat down beside her. "If I knew you were this far out I wouldn't have walked the entire way. My feet hurt."

"I can wait," Kai said almost too low for him to hear.

"Wha?!"

"If your feet hurt that badly and you can't walk."

"No, it's not that. I just thought you were asleep." Hell, she scared me.

"Oh…"

Kai had been staring out the large window that stretched from the ceiling to the floor for as long as she's been out there. "You seem a little out of it. Are you alright?" Mannen felt a light tap on his shoulder. He looked over to see that she had now fallen asleep. Good night…Mannen lifted her onto his back and levitated back to the rooms.

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"Yes. How I have missed my old realm dearly. That other realm did quite a number on my age. You could only imagine how difficult it was retrieving that lefae for you my darlings." Deep in the watery shadows of Fenril's old hide away realm, was the woman herself. The realm she had escaped to was the one of the 15th. There, time goes by much more quickly than in the human realm. Fenril has aged an extensive amount and is crippled from her wounds. "However, how can I live to celebrate your victory in the shape I am in. I need lefae my darlings. But not just any lefae. The lefae from the guarded lefae fountain of youth guarded in the midst of lefaenia palace."

"Yes mother. We won't let you down," the two women spoke at once.

"You better not. And remember, those who rush, fail. You must be prompt and well-planned."

"Yes mother."…..

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Kai shoved every last bit of breakfast food down her throat. She payed no mind to all the weird looks she was getting. "Done!" she exclaimed, pushing the plate aside. A stack lay there from the food she had finished. "I'm full."

Goh playfully slapped Kai on the back. "Wow that was a lot! Where do you pack it all?" Goh laughed loudly.

"Well she is a growing girl," Himeno responded un-phased.

"Well I'm going outside."

"You shouldn't go by yourself again. Remember what happened last time?" Mannen warned while finishing off his food. "I'll come with you."

"Sounds like fun. I'll come too," Sasame said cheerfully while he stacked his plates for the kitchen staff. Kai, Goh, Mannen, Shin, Hajime, Sasame, Himeno, and Hayate head outside while Kei stayed inside and worked. He was never much of the outdoors type.

The knights began sparring for fun in the field. It was three on three. Sasame, Shin, and Goh, vs. Hayate, Mannen, and Hajime. Himeno and Kai sat on a nearby bench and watched.

"So…what's it like?"

"Huh? What's what like?"

"Being the pretear."

"Oh. It's great! You'll love it! These guys are like my family."

"Don't you miss your actual family?"

"…Yea. But I visit them every chance I get. They understood why I had to leave. Besides, I'm not a child anymore. I can't live with them."

"Oh…"

"So what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Do you have any family? Besides the ones that left you…"

Kai remained silent a while, as if thinking about something, before responding. "I had a half brother once."

Do you know where he is?"

"…no."

"That's too bad. Well just think of us as your new family."

Kai turned to look at Himeno's happily smiling face. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"What do you mean?"

"I used to know someone, I think, who had that same hair, and smile. Happy all the time."

"Now that you mention it-"

"Himeno, Kai!" Goh interrupted. "How about you join us. Maybe Kai can get a little practice."

"Sure!" Himeno said excitedly as she rushed onto the field. Kai followed in a slow walk. "So who's team am I on?"

Shin jumped over to Himeno with a large nervous smile. "Our team!"

"Alright!"

Kai gave the both of them a curios look before walking to the other side. "Now what?"

"You have to prêt with someone," Mannen explained.

Kai took one look at Mannen's solid, sturdy, sword of ice, then looked back up at Mannen. "Alright," Kai said extending a hand.

"What? Me?"

"Problem?"

"Uh…no…I guess." Mannen grabbed her hand, and in a flash of light, Kai was left with the Pretear of Ice's uniform on.

"You and Mannen take down Himeno and Shin. Hajime and I will handle the other two."

Kai became slightly nervous. "Take her down?"

"Yes. What's wrong with you? It's just a game."

"Right…just a game." I should be fine. Fine with what? What the hell. Mannen? Yea? Stop talking while I'm thinking! Stop thinking while I'm talking. What are you so afraid of anyway? Gawd damn I can't even think in my own mind without my thoughts being invaded. Maybe I should reconsider this. You're just trying to avoid thinking about it because you know I'll hear. Shut up!

"Ready?" Goh rushed. Before him was a sword of fire. Kai admired it's brilliance, her being a swordsman (woman) herself. She took Mannen's sword into her hands. It was heavier than her own but nothing she couldn't get used to. If could avoid it, she'd have to end it pretty quick. Before she got too…into it. It's just a game. Just a game. What the hell's your problem? I said shut it!