Someone Different
Chapter 4
Katana changed back into her pajama's and rove before finding an empty seat. She sighed, uncomfortable under all those gazes. Some of them were friendly but curious, but others were either hostile or incredulous. Himeno spoke first, "What type of Knight are you? I mean which element?" There was a torrent of questions inside Himeno's mind but she asked the most persistent one.
"Metal," Katana said simply, "And before you ask, my talisman is the band around my head." Several mouths clicked shut at this. Katana sighed again as they reopened to question her further. "I guess I should start in the beginning. Then I'll answer any questions you might have.
"I was born a human. A few days ago, I was by myself in the local park when something collided with me. I found out later that it was the Leafe for the Knight of Metal. And don't ask why it chose me, I don't know myself. I spent the last few days working with my powers. I don't have any experience fighting demon larvae but I have worked with mild animals so I sometimes can know what to expect. When I found you guys yesterday, I know that you were the other Leafe Knights. My Leafe gives me information on other Leafenians. So that was how I knew you people," she finished.
There was silence for a moment after her story and Kei's brow was furrowed with though. "So, you are the new Knight of Metal," confirmed Kei. Katana nodded, her gaze fixed on the clasped hands in her lap. "This will take some getting used to," Sasame murmured, massaging his temples. Katana got up, eyes still downcast, "I'll leave you people to discuss this," and with that, she left.
"So," Kei clasped his hands together, once she was out of earshot, "What should we do about her?" Himeno's answer was almost immediate, "Let her join, of course! Didn't you see her yesterday? But it also means that we have to practice with her. We don't know her moves and strategies. I wonder what it's like to prêt with her," she added as an afterthought. Takako nodded, agreeing with Himeno. She also managed to convince Shin and Hajime. Goh looked torn and Mannen still looked skeptical. Kei then turned to Hayate and Sasame. Sasame agreed quickly, feeling empathy. Hayate, however, was a different matter. He needed to see if the pros of having her in their group were greater than the cons. And he needed to see if she was telling the truth.
"Kei, do you ever remember a Knight of Metal?" his piercing blue gaze sharp and unrelenting. "Well, there wasn't one when I came around. But I did remember reading about one before," Kei stared back at Hayate, unflinching at the sharp gaze. "I wonder why they gave us a Knight of Metal now, after most of the danger is already over," Hayate murmured before relaxing a fraction of an inch. "I will need to test her," the Knight of Wind continued. Kei shrugged indifferent. He already knew that the pros outweighed the cons quite a bit.
Mannen cut in quickly, "Are you sure that a girl can be a Knight? I mean, aren't they supposed to be very emotional and temperamental?" Takako and Himeno looked insulted while Sasame and Goh laughed. Kei looked down and the young Knight, "I think that she isn't one of those types of females." Mannen still looked unconvinced.
Goh spoke up, "How about we give her a testing and see if she is worthy or not? Depending on her skills we can either keep her or leave her." This idea was agreed upon though Himeno piped up, "Just make sure that Hayate doesn't make the tests!" The day ended with lots of laughter for the little group.
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Underneath them, Katana smiled wistfully. She had, of course, heard everything and she knew that she should be able to do any task that they offered her. She had dealt with depression within a day so any task should be easier. She just hoped that she would be accepted and able to laugh with the rest of them. She sighed again before curling into a ball to sleep.