Many apologies. I should have got to updating this months ago but that's just me for ya. Also, I kept delaying as I read and reread this chapter, trying to find a suitable way to fix it. I still feel like I lost Krad's personality somewhere in the middle of it and that it drags a little towards the end. Sigh. I'll just let you decide for yourself.

Chapter 5

Memories

"What mark?" Mika asked. Krad ran his thumb lightly over the mark as though to make sure it was real. There was something about the light touch of Krad's fingers, something about seeing the dark circular mark on her back that brought memories rushing back, memories she'd tried to suppress.

Flash. The shadows wrapped around the room like living fog, swirling in a non-existent breeze. They seemed to wrap around Mika, clinging to her legs with inky, black, fingers. She could feel them through her clothing, their freezing cold touch creating goose bumps up and down her body. She was walking fast, trying to see through the black mist. On the floor below she could hear shouting and screaming. But she couldn't even see the stairs in front of her feet. She was almost totally blind in the darkness. Frantic to find a way down but afraid to trip and kill herself, she clung to the rail and eased herself down as fast as she could, feeling for each step.

"Please, let me be in time. Let everything be alright. Let this not be happening." Flash.

Mika's eyes grew wide as the memories came rushing back.

Flash. The black flashes of light came from the living room, where the bay windows were. The windows had been smashed, though. There was glass all over. She stood in the doorway, a nightmarish scene playing out before her. There, in the center of the room, was her father, the nimbus of light around his head that always appeared when he used his power. His hand was upraised to support a shield. Surrounding him were three other people, two of which glowed with dark power. The third man, though, was standing in a nimbus of light, the only reason she could see the room at all.

Her father looked up, having suddenly seen her, and his eyes widened in fear.

"Run, Mika!" he cried. But it was too late. The diversion had cost him. The shield shattered under a particularly vicious blow from one of the men and the other two wasted no time in attacking. The combined attacks hit her defenseless father and he screamed. Mika watched as his body seemed to convulse in mid-air before dropping to the ground. Even as he lay there dying, the man with the white nimbus hit him again and his body jerked.

There was a sudden, high-pitched noise piercing the deafening silence that followed. It took Mika a whole minute to realize it was her, that she was screaming. Her hands were gripping the doorframe with white knuckles. She couldn't seem to move. Everything seemed so unreal. She just kept staring into the room, at her father. Then suddenly her knees seemed to give and she was running forward. She ran towards her father, dropping to the ground beside him, heedless of the glass fragments that dug into her legs. She was still screaming that high-pitched, ear-piercing scream that didn't seem to be real. She shook her father's body again and again with no response. Her hands were shaking violently but she couldn't stop. Finally, someone grabbed her by the shoulders and hauled her up, clapping a hand over her mouth. The screaming muffled out but didn't go away. He began to drag her backwards and when she refused to cooperate he turned her around and slapped her full across the face. That's when she quit screaming. Flash.

"Oh, Life!" she gasped, her mouth open in a silent 'oh' of horror. "They killed him!" And suddenly she couldn't stop the flood of emotion that was choking her. She swallowed, coughed and started sobbing dryly. The worst part was, though she tried her best, she couldn't stop the pitying sounds that were coming out of her mouth.

Unfortunately, Krad hadn't the slightest clue what to do with a hysterical woman. He wished Satoshi were awake. He would know how to get her to stop. It would have been so much easier if he could have just killed her. But that was out of the question now that he knew she was one of the Powers. So he did the only thing he could think of. He pulled her toward him and pressed her face into his shirt, muffling the sound.

"Shh," he whispered, frantically.

"I h-hate them!" She was shaking with convulsions. He could feel her hot tears soaking his shirt.

"Who?" he asked.

"The Powers!"

"Shh." He wasn't sure what to do but holding her seemed to be helping so he kept her clutched to his chest. One of her hands was fisted in his shirt, the other was at his waist and she seemed so fragile all of a sudden. He had the sudden impression that if he pushed too hard he might break her. Somehow, he managed to get them both sitting down.

Finally the shaking stopped and she leaned, limp and spent, against him, just breathing. She was staring at one of the golden stitches in his shirt, blinking slightly, having gone completely placid in the circle of his arms.

She sat up and stared blankly out at the room for a while, still encircled by his arms. Slowly her eyes took on a determined gleam and she turned to Krad. Krad didn't like what he saw mirrored in her gaze: hurt, shock, and something new, something like conviction.

"I'm going to kill them," she said and her voice was so emotionless that even Krad shuddered. There was a small period of silence, in which Krad didn't know what to say. Then Mika stood up, pushing him away, and walked back into the kitchen. "I'm not hungry anymore," she said, and threw out the food she'd made. Krad, having followed her, gently caught her wrist.

"Tell me what happened?" he asked. She tried to tug herself free but when he wouldn't let go, she finally looked at him.

"I'll show you."

Ten minutes later they were standing on the sidewalk outside a quaint little blue-trimmed house, set back on a rolling lawn and shrouded by a wall of sculpted shrubs. It looked peaceful enough but Krad's senses told him there was something wrong. It felt dead.

"This is my home," Mika said, walking forward. Krad followed her around to the back. Three large bay windows that looked out across their backyard were shattered, the blue trim was blackened with blast marks, and the inside was a shambles, steeped in shadows.

"What happened?" Krad asked, as they carefully crawled in through the broken windows.

"My father was one of the Powers," she replied, looking around. Her hands were wrapped around her stomach as though afraid to touch anything. "I don't know what happened. I woke up because I heard him scream and when I got down here three of the other Powers killed him. They just killed him." She put one hand over her mouth. "Why did they do that? They always worked together before!"

"The Powers have been acting strangely lately," Krad replied. He'd noticed a dark stain on the floor in the center of the room and quickly moved to put himself between it and Mika. She didn't need to see. "Did they see you?"

"They almost caught me. And one of them mentioned the mark."

"Well, whatever the Powers are up to, they know who you are now. Is there anything you can think of, anything out of the ordinary that might have caused them to do this?"

"No. Dad came home a little angrier than usual but that's all." She looked around at the mess her home was in. "What am I going to do?"

"First of all," Krad replied, "you're going to stay with me. I'll protect you until I figure out what's going on."

"Thank you. Let's leave now. I don't like this place." They headed back across the lawn. Halfway there, Krad spoke up.

"My name's Krad, by the way," he said. Mika smiled.

"It's nice to meet you, Krad."

xxx

To sakurafairy: What can I say? The chapters are two pages longer than my other story as it is. I'm so glad you asked a question! I'll do my best to answer it! (bowing regally) Yes, all the Powers have Power/Magic/Dark Flame/White Flame/whatever-you-want-to-call-it (I know that's a lot of names but I couldn't hit on a single word that described it the way I think about it). It's all the same. Six Powers. Three wield the Dark Flame. Three wield the White Flame. When one Power dies the magic inside of him/her finds a new… uh, host. Usually, the magic will choose a descendent of the previous Power, unless no living descendent exists. I know all my Powers started out being males but a Power doesn't have to be male (as Mika proves). They aren't all bad, either. Mika's father was good. I didn't give the Powers names because I didn't want to confuse everyone by suddenly listing six OC names. Let's see, both Guardians can wield the Living Flame (obviously) and so can king Hiwatari. Whew…that's all for now.

To Court12: Thank you. Please review again.

To Devinedragon: I'm sorry. (sprawling pitifully on the floor) Don't hurt me! I'm writing! I'm writing!

To Koway Oceshia: Whew, you don't know how glad I am that someone found the story a little humorous. I have trouble with comedy. Anyway, thank you so much for the reviews! It made me so happy! Oh, and pairings? Let's see… Daisuke still likes Risa; Risa still likes Dark, Satoshi doesn't have anyone in this story, and Krad will eventually fall in love with, well, Mika. Though I'm thinking it'll take a little interference on Dark's part to get him there. (evil grin) Stick with it, I'm thinking it gets better.