-Begin Chapter Five!

Faked Innocence

I sighed and stared out the large hotel window. I was bored, Rei was out for a bit, doing only heaven-knows-what. It was such a nice day out. It was warm and the sun was shining in a clear blue sky, there was a slight warm breeze. My eyes searched the sky, looking for a cloud, there was none.

My wandering gaze traveled down to the woods. The treetops blew blissfully in the slight breeze. They looked so innocent from my view, blowing in the breeze so softly, but I knew different.

I nodded silently to myself and got of the sill I was perched on. I slipped my pink sneakers on and tied my hot pink jacket about my waist. I stopped by the small table in the room. Galux's blade glittered prettily in the light. The mountain cat seemed to be saying, "Take me with you". My hand reached out and picked up the blade and put Galux in my pocket.

I also pocketed my launcher before leaving the hotel. I walked out of the hotel, I needed some fresh air. The woods called temptingly to me, their soft breeze trying to seduce me into their dark depths.

As soon as I entered the woods, the air around me became thick and humid. Once I fully entered them, the trees seemed to press in around me, trapping me in their dark paths.

As I walked along the so-called path I felt I was being followed, but no sound reached my ear. On occasion, some birds would start into the air and startle me, but it was stifling, deafeningly quiet.

I stepped on a twig, the resulting crack made me wince, it was very loud to the silence of the woods. I heard a growl come from behind me, I turned, barely catching a glimpse of those piercing red eyes before they fled into the woods. It ran away, and I smirked before following, no way it was getting away twice.

I came into a clearing and spotted my target. It turned around to face me, the trees seemed to close in around us.

The both of us glared at each other, but as soon as my eyes came into contact with those paralyzing glowing red eyes, my breath caught in my throat. I wasn't scared, no, fear had left me completely, but those eyes stopped my movement in its tracks.

The panther gave out a feral growl, as if it was asking me what the hell I was doing here. Then it came right at me, by the time I gained movement of my body it was too late. The claws on its paw were sheathed, but that didn't stop the blow from being very painful. I was thrown into a tree, battered but still alive. I stood up and managed to jump up and dodge its next charge.

I landed right behind it, but it did something I wasn't planning. Its thick orange and black tail lashed out at me. It whipped my legs right out from under me, and I fell into the dirt. I felt sharp pain come from my legs and smelled blood, it had to be my own. Dammit.

A still sheathed paw struck my side, once again I was thrown. I moaned as my back was slammed into a tree for the second time today, already I was regretting having come out here, but it was too late now.

"You know, very few actually come looking for me. For such impudence, you should die."

I looked around the clearing, looking for the speaker, but we were alone. Wait, that would mean the panther was speaking. "You talk?"

"Yes."

I felt my eyes widen as the panther came charging towards me. Weakly, I managed to dodge the attack by flinging myself sideways.

'Mariah, let me out!'

Galux's voice shot through my head. A feral grin crossed my face. Red energy swirled around my arm. I lifted it off the ground limply. The energy blasted into the air of the base of my palm and slowly formed into the shape that belonged to a certain bit beast.

Galux's mighty growl could be heard. "NEZZ! What are you doing?"

I blinked who was Nezz? The panther's response answered my question. "Its not your place to ask me that!"

"Yes it is, you're injuring my friend, so don't give me that high and mighty junk." I was scared by Galux's voice. Sure she had been angry at me once in a while, but it was always a teasing angry, right now she sounded plain scary. Her voice was in a neutral pitch, but the underlying tones sounded a mix of pissed, annoyed, and well, murderous.

With that statement the two started to fight. They seemed to match each other blow for blow, but Nezz started to over power Galux. I was frightened, if Galux couldn't stand up to the panther, then who could?

I could only watched as their battle progressed and Galux got weaker littler by littler. My best friend since I was little was thrown into a tree in the same fashion I was.

"Mariah, I'm sorry I couldn't help you more."

With that Galux faded back into red energy that hit my hand and swirled down my arm and back into my pocket where her blade was.

I stood up, my anger seemed to be reflected in my eyes. Nezz's glowing red eyes caught mine again, making me freeze up again, this time with the smallest amount of fear. The panther charged at me again.

Once more I gained control of my limbs too late to dodge the swift blow. Once again, I was thrown against a tree. I heard my back crack, and I moaned in pain, again.

I was in too much pain to move and dodge the next set of blows. The whole time, I vaguely wondered if this was how they all had died, slowly.

Then I noticed something, the panther wasn't even trying to kill me. It was just tormenting me, by prolonging my pain. For some reason, it didn't want me to die.

I felt hot tears fall down my cheeks. I tried to stop them, but they continued soundlessly and became stronger in their flow. I think the pain was starting affect me, that's why I usually cried, once in a while because I was sad.

I was thrown into another tree, if my leg didn't break with that, I'd be amazed.

Suddenly white fur filled my vision and I heard a familiar growl. I looked up to see a large white tiger with distinct green stripes instead of black and a gold tail.

"Drigger..."

"Nezz, go away, now!"

I watched the black panther slink back into the woods with one last remark.

"Even though you deserve to die, foolish child, I have other purposes for you."

I blinked, I knew that had been directed towards me, but I didn't understand, other purposes, what did that mean?

Drigger turned around to face me, I looked up at him from my position on the ground. I smiled my thanks, too weak to say it.

"Mariah!"

I looked to the edge of the clearing where the familiar voice came from. There was Rei. I blinked groggily, I all wanted to do was sleep. "Rei...?"

Drigger faded into a ball of white and shot towards Rei, the ball of energy spiraling down his arm into his pocket. Rei was already by my side when that process had finished. "Mari, what happened to you? You're all bruised."

"The panther..."

Rei looked shocked. "Mariah, why'd you come into the forest? You know the panther is in here..."

"I didn't mean to...I took a walk for fresh air..."

Rei's expression softened. "Okay then, let's get you back to the hotel, I don't think you've got injuries that are too serious."

I nodded, Rei helped me up, but I felt my leg weaken beneath me, I started to collapse to the ground. Rei caught me one armed, my back was bent against his arm, which normally wouldn't have hurt, but it did know, I winced. "Are you okay?" His brows were knitted in deep concern.

"Not exactly...my back kinda hurts, so does my leg, but I don't think its anything too serious."

"Riiiight. Come on, I want your leg and back looked at."

"But its not that bad."

My medical bill must be on the thousands all ready, all the money Kai gave Rei would be wasted on the hospital.

Rei put me in a standing position and moved to my right side, where my injured leg was to support me. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder while I put mine around his waist, it would be difficult to walk with our arms around each other's shoulders.

The pair of walked out of the woods, gathering a few strange looks but I ignored them. I turned my head to look back at the trees, blowing and proclaiming a fake innocence.

Somehow I managed to limp the by now all too familiar hospital.

Rei let me rest on a chair while he signed me in.

After many many hours, my x-ray results came in. My leg wasn't broken, I knew that because it didn't feel like it, the bone was bruised, same with my back. I never knew it was even possible to do that.

The doctor's told me to rest a while.

I insisted upon seeing Dimetra before we left. She was doing better, and for some reason she was warming up to me, but being very cold to Rei. I'd have to come up here by myself once and ask about that.

-End Chapter Five-