Hours had passed for the group of travelers and the sun was now high in the sky. The heat of afternoon was blistering and the only bit of relief was the occasional bit of shade that came from the tall trees. Everyone was simply dragging along, all except for kuroko and Kise who were already starting the training.

"okay kuroko-chii, ill lead your horse, you just concentrate on finding your thread. Your goal is to contact me using it. You can do it! I believe in you!"

Kuroko, who was cross legged on the saddle of his horse giggled at kise's encouragement.

"thank you for the pep rally, but hush so I can concentrate."

Kise smiled and nodded his head as he watched his companion close his eyes and griped the saddle with both hands through the cross of his legs.

Kuroko took a deep breath. All he saw at the moment was the back of his eyelids. He didn't feel anything different and he could still hear the sound of horses walking, bugs chirping and the sound of the trees rustling with the wind.

But after a while the sounds disappeared and soon he was in a space. It was like glass. He could see his own reflection everywhere he looked.

"what is this place?"

Kuroko walked around. He went to a spot that he assumed was a wall, but as he touched it, his hand was sucked in as if the glass was water. Kuroko quickly took back his hand. He wasn't going to do that again he thought. Kuroko looked carefully at his reflection as he walked. He noticed that every step he took, make the glass throw ripples, like he had thrown a stone across the river. Kuroko stopped walking and stared down at his reflection. Something bothered him. This didn't feel like his own refection. Kuroko stared into his own eyes and watched as the reflection smiled at him. Kuroko's eyes widened.

"kuroko, have you come to free me?"

Sweat poured down from kuroko's forehead. The voice was coming from all different directions. It was his own voice, but evil and distorted.

"who are you!?"

"free me kuro-ku-kkkkkkk-kuroko"

"what do you mean!?"

"free me, free me, free me!"

"I won't! Not until you-!"

"NOOONONONONONONON-…YES. If you won't free me, then you will join me!"

Kuroko felt his ankle being grabbed. He looked down only to see his reflection grabbing him and pulling him down into the liquid glass.

"no! please! Help!"

Kuroko struggled to get out but he felt like his energy was dissipating. As he was pulled down to waist level kuroko looked up. Instead of glass, there was a light with a single thread hanging down. Without thinking kuroko grabbed the string. The light shinned brightly before dying out. Everything became black. Kuroko looked down to his ankle, nothing was holding him down now. Kuroko sighed and closed his eyes.

"kuroko-chii."

Kuroko opened his eyes only to find himself surrounded by light again. He watched as a figure walked towards him.

"kuroko-chii, you did it. Wake up now, before you get lost."

Kuroko watched as kise walked up to him and bumped kurokos forehead carefully with his own. His smile was the last think kuroko saw as he returned back to himself. When he opened his eyes, he was back where he was, only now it was almost evening and kise's back was facing him. Kise turned around and smiled brightly at kuroko.

"welcome back!"

Kuroko held his head in pain. It was throbbing harshly. Kuroko watched as kise yielded his horse, so that he was beside kuroko.

"are you okay?"

Kuroko nodded his head and took the rains from kise. He uncrossed his legs and adjusted himself to the saddle.

"…I think so…"

Kise gave kuroko a worried look before placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I was a little worried though. You were in your conscious for five hours. Did something happen?"

Kuroko remembered his episode and shivered. He felt tears threatening to escape from his eyes.

"kise-kun…you said you were open to talk with me any time, right?"

Kise smiled and nodded.

"of course! What did you want to talk about?"

Kuroko looked up ahead. The sun was slowly melting into the horizon and the sky was turning a beautiful mix of orange and pink. Kuroko turned his attention back to kise.

"well you see i— "

"MEN! WE'RE GOING TO SET UP CAMP FOR THE NIGHT! ITS TOO DANGEROUS TO MOVE AT NIGHT AROUND HERE."

Akashi shouted over the evening wind. His voice carried all the way to the back of the pack, interrupting kuroko. Kise gave kuroko a smile that asked for forgiveness.

"I'm sorry kuroko-chii, lets continue this after we are settled."

Kuroko sighed before nodding his head in agreement. He waited this long to tell someone, he could wait another hour.

That hour passed slowly for kuroko. He was of no help setting up camp and was even told to step aside. Kuroko decided to get out of the way and sit by a tree next to the fire. He stared into the flames, he remembered the flames that burned his town, the hell that had befallen his friends and loved ones. He remembered his mother lying dead on the ground and the pain that he felt. His heart ached from the memory, but this time, he refused to cry. He needed to be strong. He needed to fulfill his mother's wish and be happy. Kuroko continued to stare into the fire. Another memory creeped into his mind. The memory was foreign to him. He saw a couple smiling lovingly at him. A lady with blue hair and a man held him close before disappearing.

The vison came and went as kuroko shook it off. Kuroko looked up from the flames to his left only to see kise striding towards him gracefully. Kuroko smiled and scooted over so kise could sit beside him. Kise took the offer and plopped down, sticking his hands out towards the fire to warm them up.

"man, it sure is cold tonight, isn't it?"

Kuroko nodded and brought his knees to his chest.

"so anyways, what did you want to talk about?"

Kuroko frowned and looked into kises eyes. The fire was reflecting softly, glistening in his beautiful yellow orbs. Kuroko blushed and looked back to the fire.

"well you see, recently I've been hearing this voice in my head."

"a voice?"

Kuroko nodded.

"I know that sounds weird but it's true, and when I went into my deep conscious today, I think I met him."

Kise scooted closer to kuroko and put a hand on his knee.

"what does the voice say?"

Kuroko looked at kise who was very serious.

"i-it says free me."

Kise frowned and looked down to his mark on his hand rubbing it out of habit.

"when did you first start hearing it?"

Kuroko put a hand up to his chin in thought.

"I think it started when I got to the camp…"

Kise frowned.

"when you met the voice, what happened?"

Kuroko smiled.

"well that what I wanted to talk to you about. You see, the voice got angry when I told him that I would not free him. He reached from below and grabbed my ankle and dragged me down. You saved me with your thread that dangled above me. I wanted to thank you for that."

Kise shook his head and faced the fire again.

"kuroko-chii…you must be careful with that voice. I believe it is what hides your true power."

"my true power?"

Kise nodded.

"this situation has happened once before…. with me."

Kuroko was shocked.

"kise-kun? You held a voice inside you too?"

Kise nodded.

"he would say to kill him, over and over again. He said he wanted to die. He said he was lonely and wanted me to join him. I continued to avoid it until finally I couldn't any longer. I went into my conscious and faced him. He…was me. And I did as he wished and slayed him. He was absorbed into my soul and he became my power. Just so you know, I had the power of shape shifting even before the slaying of my second self. By defeating him, he gave me the power of light. He enhanced my powers and gave me the power to cleanse people. Strange huh? But that's what I think that voice is to you. I think he guards your power. And if you do as he says he will not only give you your true power but enhance it as well."

Kuroko looked at kise with awe.

"do you really think that's what it is?"

Kise nodded

"but you should be careful. You need to really know what it wants. if you do something wrong you may end up destroying everything it holds, it may even end your life."

Kuroko looked down to the ground with glistening eyes. Kise caught it and frowned. He leaned over and hugged kuroko tightly.

"but don't worry. I'll be with you no matter what. I'll be your light and heal you if you fall. I promise."

"thank you kise, thank you."