Chapter three.

Note from WhiteMustang: This is where we get to see the younger Natera and when Zingro is still alive.

Natera woke up, she was in a house, it seemed familiar to her but she could not remember were she had seen it before, she got up and passed a mirror, she was not very tall only about 7 or 8.

"What happened" She asked herself out loud. She watched herself in the mirror then heard some voices from down stairs.

"You will take care of he wont you?"

It was a female voice and she knew it anywhere 'Mom' she thought.

Natera raced out of the room and down the stairs. Her parents were talking to a assassin

"What's going on?"

She asked looking at the assassin, he was nice to look at, tall, short brown hair, deep green eyes. He also wore her a black cape which was pulled back at the time.

"Nothing dear, just clearing up a few things"

Natera's mother said turning toward her and putting a hand on her shoulder. Herr father looked at her and just closed his eyes and looked away. He led the young man out the front door and started talking when they were out of earshot.

Natera's mother kneeled in front of her, the eyes of her mothers were sad and worried

"Sweetie, you know that the war is coming, right?"

She asked watching Natera's face, Natera nodded her head

"And you know that your father and I need to go and fight"

Natera looked at the ground and nodded.

"And we are not going to leave you alone, so we are 'hiring' Zingro to protect you"

Natera's eyes went wide and she looked at her mother.

"Your not leaving me, are you?"

"No honey, we would never do that" Her mother said almost crying for she knew that she would not be coming back from this war.

Natera looked out the window, her father and the young assassin where shaking hands and heading back towards the house.

She looked up at her mother, she realized what was happening, and she started to cry because of it.

She ran up the wooden stairs back to her room, she jumped onto her bed and sobbed into her pillow, falling asleep as she cried.

A half hour want by before she woke up again. Natera looked out the window, it seemed to get dark earlier and earlier with each passing day.

She sat up in her bed and saw that the assassin was watching her from the door.

"I see your up" He said looking at her with his kind eyes.

"So" Natera snipped back at him, she did not care if he was caring for her, she was strong enough to survive by herself.

"Your parents are making the final preparations before they go" He said walking into her room and sitting on the end of her bed.

"I want us to be friends" He said after a pause, "Don't see me as the assassin I am, see me as the brother you never had" He said trying to get her to warm up to him.

"I had a brother, he died because of Them" She said looking at the blankets on her bed tears swelling in her eyes.

"Oh, well…sorry" he said watching her with his green eyes.

"I am called Chase, but everyone knows me as Zingro, you can call me either." He said

introducing himself and putting out a hand.

Natera just looked at the hand "Nice to meet you" she said with out reaching to shake his hand.

Footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs, and then Natera's parents were standing in the door, there own guardian ghost floating behind them.

"We are sorry to say that we are leaving now" Natera's father said walking into her room and standing be Zingro. Natera's mother had tears in her eyes as she looked at her daughter.

A large crash came rumbling into the room, and then Natera's parents looked out the window, the time had come to leave forever.

Natera's mother came and hugged her and whispered into her ear

"We are proud of you and will always watch over you" She said then backed away, a tear rolling down her cheek.

Then her father stepped forward and hugged her as well.

"Good-Bye my daughter" He said hugging her as tight as he could.

Then he too backed away and said something to Zingro and he nodded.

Then her parents were gone…forever.

Natera looked out the window as her parents left, and she started to cry again.

Zingro watched and feeling sorry about her, put a hand on her shoulder trying to comfort her. She turned to him and hugged him.

"Iv lost everyone" she sobbed "And I know there not coming back so don't try to hid it from me" she continued.

Zingro looked at her and hugged her back. "Well you have me, I'm like a non-related brother" he said trying to feel like she had at least one friend in the world.

Natera looked at him and a small smile came over her face.

The rest of the weeks seemed to blur together. Natera thought Zingro to cook many things that he did not know, and Zingro taught Natera self-defense, and fighting with swords at close range, as well as straight shooting. Soon they were best friends and Natera seemed to be getting along better with the world.

End of chapter 3.