READ THIS FIRST PLEASE!

If you didn't get my note, I have revised Chapters 12 and 13 just recently. I did a plot change, so It's a little different. Same chapters, but some different things going on. Please go back and re-read those if you haven't already. The change is really towards the end.

Now then! Please enjoy the chapter!

Sonya sat on her window sill, silently staring out at the fields.

She wiped a tear from her face and sniffed.

'I miss him already.' thought Sonya.

The door creaked open and Mairéad walked in with her hands folded in front of her.

"Sonya, honey? Are you alright?" she asked.

Sonya didn't look or answer.

Mairéad sighed.

"Sonya, I know that it was hard. I know it took a lot of courage for you to do it, but these things happen. There's nothing you can do about it."

"I know." came Sonya's dry voice.

"Now, why don't you come down and have a cup of tea with me?" Mairéad offered.

Sonya stayed for a moment, then stood and followed her mother out to the living room.

The girls sat in the large chairs facing each other, a plate with a tea kettle and cup awaiting them.

Mairéad poured the tea and handing a cup to Sonya, who stared down at the leaves at the bottom of her cup.

"You never really told me." Sonya said quietly.

"Hmm?" Mairéad looked up at her daughter and listened.

"About my family. My real family." Sonya clarified.

Mairéad was silent and looked down at her tea.

Sonya looked up at her.

"You said you met my mother before. What was she like?" she asked.

"… She seemed to be a nice lady, fair hair and eyes; she was a reporter in Obiada. Her husband worked in the television station downtown from their home." Mairéad explained.

"What else?" Sonya asked.

"I don't know. She didn't want another child, so she put you up for adoption." Said Mairéad.

Sonya looked back down.

"I have brothers. What about them?"

"Honey, I don't know anything about them.

"One is Matt, and the Other is T.K." Sonya said, stirring her untouched tea.

"How do you know?"

"I've spoken to them." Sonya answered. She saw her mother stiffen a little.

"I called them from the number on the information sheet you gave me." Sonya explained to her.

Mairéad nodded hesitantly.

"I know it's them. I haven't asked, but I know." Sonya continued.

"And I'm sure you're right." Said Mairéad, taking a sip of her tea.

The rest of the morning passed in silence. Sonya set down her tea, gave her mother a kiss on the cheek, and went upstairs to her room.

She walked through the door and felt a sudden chill go down her spine.

"Sonya." Came a voice. Sonya spun around to face it, but could find nothing.

"I can feel your pain." Said the voice. Sonya's heart was beating quickly.

"You have lost a friend, one of many to come, and the betrayal you feel from your parents for selfishly keeping you to themselves." The voice said.

"Who are you?" Sonya questioned, still searching.

"Someone you can trust, a friend." It answered. Sonya shivered.

"There are others much like yourself; hurt, betrayed, needlessly punished."

Sonya swallowed hard and walked deeper into her room.

"They need help, you need help, and I'm here to offer it." It said.

"Where are you?" Sonya asked.

"Closer than your parents, I'd wager." It said. The voice was centered in one direction now. Sonya spun and looked at her window. A Shadow stood behind the curtains, arms folded behind his back.

"I am Shadow. I am a Man who has felt pain such as yours, as Kari's, as T.K.'s, and more." It said. A wind blew the curtains, making the figure distort and move.

Sonya stepped back.

"Sonya, I'm only here to help."

"I doubt that." She said with a frown.

"Hmph, a girl who is virtually mute is trying to stand up to herself." He said with a chuckle.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what I say. You're not fighting, me but yourself. You're in denial, Sonya. You need a friend, you need a mentor, you need someone and you refuse to believe it. You know you're in pain, but deny its intensity."

Sonya stepped back again, but ran into her shut door. She turned to try and open it, but it was locked and wouldn't budge.

"My pain doesn't compare to those around me. I lost my Dog."

"You lost your one and only friend."

Sonya looked over shoulder at him.

"What do you want?"

"To help."

"I mean what do you really want?"

The man chuckled.

"It's like I said, my dear. You can assist me, if you wish. If not for yourself, then for your brother, or his friend Kari who sits in the hospital as we speak?" said Shadow smoothly.

Sonya blinked.

"T.K.'s friend? What happened to her?"

"Follow me, do as I say and I promise you will find out, and you will be able to help."

Sonya knew better than that. She scowled at the man on her window sill, but then thought of her Brother, who had been beaten by their mother, and his friend who was injured in some way she couldn't find out. She knew it was bad, and she wanted nothing than to help them. She didn't like this man, she didn't like the idea of him even talking about this, but her intense need to save another overcame her.

Sonya nodded her head.

She knew the man was grinning behind the curtain.

"Very good. I will speak to you later of what we will do." He said and a wind blew strongly, sending papers flying through the room and the curtains to part and furl wildly. Then,. As soon as the wind came, it was gone, as was the figure.

Sonya stayed staring at the window with a glare.

She would keep her guard up and not fall into any plan he had set.

Unfortunately, she already had.

---

(T.K'S POV)

I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't believe it. How could this possibly happen to Kari? She had such a good life going for her, then it was suddenly taken away!

It hit me like a grand piano falling from an 18 story apartment complex.

It was almost too much to take, Kari nearly being raped. It was harder to take then one would have thought.

I fell back on my bed and grieved.

The scene played over and over in my head, the shock that hit me when Kari told me.

I knew that if I were there I would have killed Kasai.

'Chill, dude.' I heard a voice.

I sat up.

'You don't want life in prison and never seeing her again, do you?' it asked. I looked at the floor and shook my head.

'There, then. Isn't there something off with this whole thing?' the voice said. I blinked. Frankly, I couldn't believe that I was even listening, but it was slightly consoling.

'There was no one near you when you heard the voice, was there?' said the voice.

"There's no one near me now and I'm hearing you." I said to it.

It laughed. I flinched at the loudness.

'Of course, but you're not a girl. Right?' It gave a hint of humor at the end. I scowled.

"Of Course not." I said.

'Then how do you explain that?' it asked. I blinked, thinking.

'Nope. None of those.'

I jolted my head up.

"You know what I'm thinking?" I asked it.

'I'm in your head.' Said the voice.

It had taken me a while to register, but I recognized the voice.

"Wait, I know you. You're that guy I've been seeing, aren't you?" I asked it.

''That guy'? You forget my name already?' it laughed again.

"Your name is Tojima, right?"

"Correct. I'm the little shoulder person that tells you what to do." He said humorously.

I quirked an eyebrow.

'I've, just…never spoken out loud is all." He stated.

I nodded.

"You know Something." I stated.

There was a short pause.

'What are you saying?'

"What's happening to Kari? She's been seeing something very similar to you." I said.

'She told you after all?'

"Yeah. What's happening?"

'I can't tell you.

"Why?"

'Maybe you'll find out later.'

"What does that mean?" I asked.

There was no answer, though. The voice had gone.

"I need serious help." I said to myself then looked at my clock, which read 2:30 a.m.

I sighed and tried to get comfortable for sleep, but it wouldn't come.

I thought about the trip to the digital world that Yolie mentioned. I had a feeling that something would happen, and I didn't think it would be very good.

I found myself staring up at the ceiling with a blank look.

I thought that things would turn out for the better, that there was a light toward the end.

'I hope you're right.' Said the voice. I suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion overcome me and I couldn't bring myself too keep my eyes open.

Very soon I had slipped into sleep.

---

(Kari's POV)

I tried to sleep, but couldn't. My eyes wanted to close but they couldn't. I nodded my head into the pillow and shut my eyes.

"Wake up."

My eyes snapped open again.

"Why?"

"You don't need it." Said Karakin.

"What, Sleep? Of course I do! I haven't had it for hours!" I argued, trying to pull the hospital covers over my shoulders.

She pulled them back off and started pacing the room again. I sighed and sat up.

"Why are you doing that?" I asked.

"Something isn't right." She said.

"With what?" I asked.

"Honey, are you alright?" came a voice from the door. Karakin and I looked over at the nurse in the doorway.

"Who are you talking to?" she asked. I looked back at Karakin, but she was gone. I looked at the Nurse.

"No one."

"Get back to sleep. You'll be leaving tomorrow." The nurse then closed the door.

I lay down and tried to sleep, but I ended up just staring out the window to the night sky.

I couldn't bring myself to sleep now. I closed my eyes and thought about Karakin and what she was doing for me. I didn't know why she wanted to help, and I had a feeling that it was going to result in something bad, but I didn't careless then.

I also thought about the things she had said to me before everything had happened.

'The Harvesters are harmless, you need not fear them.'

'You don'thave to be afraid of these creatures. They can do you noharm.'

'The only thing that you should be wary of... Is me.'

I opened my eyes to the window at this thought. Why had she threatened me if she wanted to help?

'Maybe I'll find out. Maybe she's not as evil as I had thought.' I said in my head and closed my eyes, feeling sleep finally wash over me in darkness.

-

I opened my eyes and found myself running through a plain at incredible speed. I felt like a cheetah chasing a gazelle, or a Lion proudly and swiftly flying across her terrain.

I couldn't hold back the grin that had spread on my face. For the first time in a long time, I felt free. I felt like I could do anything. I saw a movement from the corner of my eye and I glanced over to see Karakin running beside me. Our hair flew back and our grins matched. It seemed as though I was running beside a mirror, our movement we exactly the same, though her gaze remained ahead. I looked forward once more and caught another movement.

There was a large Black lion-like creature running beside us. His eyes were a Golden yellow color and he wore golden armor and chain mail on his arms, legs and torso. A large Axe was mounted on his back, swinging with his shoulder's movement.

I looked over again and noticed that Karakin had disappeared. In her place was another lion with a golden tone and a thick brown mane. His eyes were older and wiser. His armor covered only his torso and shoulders, which, attached, seemed to be large blades pointing to the sky. A figure of a crown was carved below his left eye.

I had also noticed that we were being followed by two others, though I couldn't make out their features since they were behind us.

We sprinted across the field with invigorating haste. There seemed to be nothing in the world that could stop us. I felt different and looked down at myself.

I wore baggy black chain-mail jeans and tall black soldier styled boots. I wore opened backed armor with a symbol of a pentagram entangled with a large cat paw on it. I felt a weapon cling to my back on old leather straps. It didn't weigh me down though.

It took me a long time to realize that I was running with four Blood Harvesters. The Black one beside me was Jaganu, the Fire clan leader Gennai had told us about. I didn't recognize the others, and I didn't feel anything other than power beside them. I felt as though I were one of them, a part of there clan.

I never knew how thrilling it would be to be on the other side of the battle. For some reason, they didn't seem like the bad guys to me.

I sighed as everything went black one more.

---

I opened my eyes with a slight smirk on my face. I don't know why I felt so dark, but I did. The sun was shining through the window on my face, heating it greatly. Today was going to be an interesting day I knew.

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