To Love a Theif

By: Helbaworshipper (AKA 'Helb')

Chapter 4

A figure woke to the rising sun, her complection a rosy pink in the cheeks. Her experienced fingers tugged the familiar fabric over her body and to the foot of the bed. One large movement placed her in a sitting position. A thin makeshift white gown of cotton shifted with her now more atheletic figure. The muscles were much more toned than when she had first arrived. The first month had passed quickly for Alice, keeping her so busy that she had forgotten about the situation that had brought her here. Trying not to stay idle too long, she placed a hand to the bundle of clothes she had folded neatly the night before. She changed with vigor as she finally looked at the mirror and smiled. "Ready for another day of training!" She smiled before closing the door behind her. She turned toward the mess hall and was about to turn when...

"GOOD MORNING!" Mei Lin's cheerful face came into view, causing the ready woman to fall back onto her butt. Alice's eyes looked a bit dazed before responding, brushing the feathers that had raised from the cushions. She contained her anger before continuing to talk to the outspoken female.

"Good morning Mei Lin, where is Kyou today?"

"He's been doing his usual training phase today, and he's talking with Scipio right now. Want to eat some food?"

"I was just going to."

"Then what are you waiting for!" The older woman tugged her through to her spot in the table.

Scipio's room...

Kyou still sat with some sort of vigor as he watched Scipio sip his tea in silence. He had been speaking softly at the moment, but he was losing patience."I just don't understand why I'm the one training her with the lotis. She's still so far away from my level of mastery!"

"You were once like her."

"I know, but I -"

"Billy once had this talk with me about you." The leader took his hand away from his cup of tea to pat the other's back and gently raise the other's face to him. "His reasoning was not your experience, but how you were raised."

"What do you mean?"

"Billy had grown up a pheasant, the United States had kingdoms of very little gold value. He grew up on the streets, learning lotis as he could hear it from other kingdoms. His parents kept him well groomed for the area, but I had a hard time finding him."

"What was his...maram name?"

"Billy Teiru Macdowel."

Mess Hall...

The seat had remained empty, and a fork still poked at the barely dissapearing food. Alice's mind kept thinking about it, Kyou's eyes had always made her feel safe. Mei Lin, who had quickly reserved the seat across from Alice had spied the look of deciet...or the feelings of love in her mind. "So, do you like Kyou?" The distracted female made a movement to keep up with the sudden addition to the equation in her mind.

"He's my partner and all, so we've been friendly and all."

"I'm asking if you like him more than a friend."

"I don't believe that I should allow such and ideal for a training partner."

"Well, you never know." Alice, having been surprised by the comment of vague origin and many oppurtunities. Maybe she would know something that she could never get out of Kyou.

"Have you ever heard Kyou's maram name?"

"What brings this up?"

"Kyou doesn't like talking about his past, and I don't like to pull out such things out of the blue with him."

"Well, I suppose I can tell you." The questioned female said with a satisfied smirk, pulling a piece of her toast to her mouth. "I believe it's Kyou Rambito Wakamiya."

"Hey, is it snowing outside?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"I feel rather...c..." Alice collapsed as darkness that kept bringing in the sub-zero cold.

Scipio's room...

A rush of sound began to pounce on the the cusions lining the hallways. The door was flung open and the talk ended abruptly as both males in the room met the gaze of every other member of the lotis theives. "Scipio..." Chris' young body said, almost out of breath as he must have been pushed into the door opening accidentally. The leader nodded as he let the young blonde gain his breath. "Alice...she's just had her first brush with Darva's power."

Alice's mind...

The area around her was so dark she could not see past the very body she had. Where was she? Where had she been? The cold was taking away her ability to think or even fight to remain warm. The word she had wanted to say left her body just as fast. "Do you think that she will make it to fight us?"

"Impossible, she cannot master all the lotis words she needs with the time she has been with them."

"Your influence is impossible to get off."

"We will soon have her in our hands, she will have no time to master the lost word."

With that last line, she felt her senses returning to her as she could feel heat returning to her body. Her eyes began to close, and a white void replaced the black one.

Scipio's room...

She opened her eyes, finding it was indeed Scipio's room that she was now in. The familar feel of cushions were under her body as she found herself much weaker than she had started the day. The movement of one finger seemed to stimulate no movement. Her arms tried to prop her up, but failed in her obviously weakened state. "Take it slow, your first brush will always be your hardest to take."

"First brush?"

"By gaining the power of the lotis, you gain the power to hear the name and feel the power of your enemy. Your enemy will be exposed in your first brush."

"You mean, Eric?"

"Yes, Kyou." The male beside him now began to come in her view. She blushed at his extremely worried facial expression.

"What is it?"

"Would you take Alice for a walk? It may help her feel better."

"Yes." He placed his partner's arm over his shoulder and propped up her body as they moved through the halls and into the garden. He found the garden vacant, a perfect condition to have a private talk with her. "Alice, would you like to hear a story?"