I felt his aura half a day away. Jin's at least. Risho's a few minutes later. Then Gama and Touya. And at last Bakken, a few miles away. Bakken was clearly no master. I stood just as they appeared. I was ready to leave; there was nothing here for me now, maybe a place to settle down in a few centuries, but not any time soon. It... Just had too many memories.

"Fire Master Rekka?"

I only looked at Risho when I heard my actual name. I wasn't ready to respond to a title yet. And I sure as hell wasn't going to respond at all if he kept up that smug attitude. "Earth Master Risho." I inclined my head slightly to show his rank.

He smirked. "We are leaving now."

I shrugged, but didn't answer. I didn't expect him to give a damn about what I wanted anyway. Grabbing my small bag, I tossed it over my shoulder. What can I say? For a girl, I traveled extremely light. He turned, I followed them at a distance, feeling very uncomfortable, and very close to tears... I adjusted my bag and leapt into the trees, leaping from branch to branch, I just concentrated on where I was going. Everything else soon just washed away. I just was surrounded with the beating of my heart, and the feeling of the rough bark of the trees in my hands. As the golden sun was setting, Risho called a halt. We set up camp. Or should I say, Touya, Bakken, and Gama set up camp. Jin was off... Somewhere, Risho was sitting around, looking imperious, and I just had enough of his crap. Walking into the forest, I ignored Risho as he called out. That guy was really starting to get on my nerves.

Touya and Gama looked at each other in slight surprise as Rekka ignored Risho. "She's got guts." Gama remarked quietly. Touya nodded an agreement.

I sat down at the brook. I stared at my reflection for a moment, thinking, remembering and not seeing.

"HIYA!" Jin's face suddenly was barely an inch away from mine.

"YAH!" I fell back. He grabbed my wrist, barely catching me from falling into the water. "You scared the shit out of me." I whispered, heart still pounding.

He grinned. "Sorry." He sat down beside me.

"Is Risho always such a jackass?"

"Yeah." Was Jin's cheerful answer.

"Oh, joy." I stretched out on the bank as I replied sarcastically. "I may be a 'Fire Master' and he may be my sect leader, but there's no way that he has my respect."

Jin glanced at me. "I have ta agree with ya there, lassie."

"I have a name, Jin."

"Okay, I have ta agree with ya there, Rekka."

"Much better." I grinned.

He returned it and lay down as well. "You're cute, ya know that?"

"That was random." I raised an eyebrow slightly at his straightforwardness.

"Yeah, I've been told that before." He laughed.

I just snickered, then looked up at the stars. I stretched my hand out towards them. "Think Vern's up there?" I asked, feeling my eyes moisten.

"I'm sure he is." His voice was surprisingly soft. He looked at me, then stood up. Holding out his hand, I took it and let him help me up. "C'mon. Risho will be havin' a fit."

"Good. The son of a bitch needs to learn some humility."

Jin shook his head. "That'll be the day."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

When we both got back to camp, Risho glared at us. "Where have you been?"

"Out. Got a problem with that?" I asked, stepping forward. So I was in a bad mood. He'd just have to deal with it. He slapped me, barely hard enough to slightly turn my head. I raised an eyebrow. "That's all you got?" He glared death at me. Giving him my most angelic smile, I casually sauntered over to the edge of the camp and leapt into a tree, smirking.

Jin grinned. Finally someone else who would stand up to Risho. Speaking of the demon, turned at him. "What were you two doing?"

"And I should answer that why?" He asked, the picture of innocence. Turning, he walked over to Touya and stretched out beside him, winking at Rekka, who smiled in return. Life was about to get a lot more interesting.

The next morning, Risho got us all up bright and early. Or at least attempted to because I am NOT a morning person. I repeat, am NOT. After several fruitless attempts to wake me up he apparently got thoroughly irritated and attempted todump a bucket of ice-cold water on me. I rolled to the side, avoiding it and fried him to a crisp a millisecond later. I was still asleep, but somewhat aware of what was going on. I am dead to the world when I sleep, so I am also hard to wake up. Jin burst out laughing at the sight of Risho extra crispy. Risho glared at him. Only Gama and Touya kept straight faces 'cause Bakken chuckled stupidly. Half-awake, I slowly stretched and opened my eyes. And smirked at the sight of my handy work.

"Stumble into the fire, did we?" I asked, keeping my face carefully expressionless.

He grabbed me by the collar of mys shirt, pulling me to my feet. "I suggest you don't disrespect me again, or you'll regret it." He hissed.

"Or what?"

He smirked. "I'll get your Master status revoked."

"Ooh. Scary. Not." I replied nonchalantly. "You have nothing on me. I own nothing except the clothes on my back and some extras, so you can't threaten me with any garbage about destroying my stuff. And I can take care of myself. In short, I.OWE.YOU. NOTHING. So if you get any bright ideas about kicking me out of the sect, I'll leave. Gladly."

I looked at his face; you could've roasted marshmallows on his cheeks. It took all of my little self-control to keep from bursting out in laughter. Jin didn't bother with restraint. He was on the ground, rolling around, laughing his head off. Even Gama and Touya had difficulty in hiding their mirth. I grabbed his wrist. "And I advise you don't touch me again. Or attempt to tell me what to do." I threw him away from me. "Just some... Friendly advice." My tone was anything but friendly.

A few hours later, I followed the rest of the sect towards... Wherever we were going. Jin slowed and walked beside me.

He grinned. "Do ya trust me?"

I looked at him. And for some reason, without hesitation, I replied. "Yes." Before I could say anything else, I was soaring above the ground, Jin hugging me close. I could feel his ribs. How often did he eat?

"Don' worry, I won't drop ya." He winked. I didn't answer; there was no need to. I knew he wouldn't. For some inexplicable reason, I trusted Jin. I barely knew him, and yet... I cleared my mind and just enjoyed the flight.

Jin lightly held Rekka to him. She was warm... Her dark bronze skin was soft, like silk beneath his fingers... She let out a contented sigh as his wind gently blew through her wild, unrestrained mane; there was no other term that fit her hair. Her locks were as soft as a feather and as light as one. The color was more golden than the ningen sun. But the strands varied from silver to gold to a light bronze. He was tempted to bury his face in that so damnably beautiful mane, but contented himself with free falling back to the ground, holding her close and laughing at the sheer exhilaration of the feeling of falling without control. Gently landing on his feet, he regretfully let her go.

I grinned at Jin after we had landed. "Thanks for the ride." Completely unaware of his inner conflict.

"Anytime." He returned the grin. His cheerfulness went all the way to his eyes, his cerulean eyes, the color of the sky that he reined dominion over.

I ignored Risho's obvious signs of fury and returned my place and the back of the pack. I glanced at the setting sun, and the few stars that were out. We were heading to the Ice Lands. Shit. I hated the cold, I could fight in it effectively, but that didn't mean I liked it. But keeping a fire burning was difficult there sometimes. And it was a pain in the ass to keep myself from freezing. Touya glanced at me. I looked at his bright, pupil-less eyes. He fell into step beside me.

"Risho will make it difficult for you to survive there, you know."

I shrugged. "I don't like him and he doesn't like me. It's only natural that I am trying to give him a hard time. I don't like being controlled. Like my fire, I guess you could say I'm... Unstable, I suppose. I can adapt to pretty much anything, my moods are inconsistent, but I'm anything but weak."

I had to look away from his penetrating gaze. His eyes were slightly unnerving. But getting over my discomfort, I met his eyes again. "Just be careful. Risho will attempt to humiliate you now that you've riled him."

I shrugged again. "Thank you for the concern, but I'm not worried. He has nothing on me and never will."

He smiled slightly. "You don't give a damn about what anyone else thinks, do you?"

"Nope." I grinned, putting my hands behind my head, and involuntarily entangling them in my hair.

Touya looked at her eyes. They were deep, dark, mysterious; like the shadows her flames created. But they held them as well. He had noticed in her various mood swings that the more intense the emotion, her eyes turned a bright, vibrant and yet enigmatic blue, the color of the heart of a fire. But normally, her eyes were the flames, flickering, searching. He found her gaze as unsettling as she found his. But he was willing to bet it was for different reasons. She was completely unpredictable, a wild card. Like Jin. He gritted his teeth, if Risho messed with her, he would be messing with Jin, and indirectly with him.

Gama glanced at him. "Careful, Touya. Risho hates her with a passion, get close to her and you will be a target as well."

"I know." Touya glanced at the Master of Make-up. He was the one who kept the sect from falling apart.

"If Rekka leaves, I have the feeling we will be at a disadvantage later on." The Paint Master confided. "And if she leaves, I believe Jin will as well. Two powerful fighters, gone. And there are no other Wind or Fire Masters. And there are no other Ice Masters of your caliber, Touya. If Jin left, you would follow, wouldn't you?"

He didn't answer. That question was rhetorical. The answer was to it was yes, and Gama knew that. He smiled thinly. "We will be hard pressed to keep them from killing each other." Touya nodded slightly and walked off to find Jin.