"Was that tunnel was our only way out?" Tai asked trying not to let the cramp surroundings cause him to loose his head.

"Damn it... there's a cold air vent back a few yards." Her voice was cool and collected. Tai did not understand how anyone could be that calm in the current predicament.

"Where?"

"I'm pretty sure it is along the right side back a ways... just back up a bit and we should be able to get to the surface another way. All I need you to do is back up till I tell you to stop."

Tai followed her instructions and slowly the pair backtracked their way to the smaller vent shaft branching off the main tunnels they were in.

"When we get out of here, I need you to follow me as closely as you can... can you do that?" She asked as they continued onward and closer to the battle sounds.

"Where are we going after we.. get out of here." He questioned thinking of what the outside would bring.

"We have an emergency pick up sight a few miles down a secret path. It is there in case we were ever ambushed here. Your safety is critical, and we're getting you out of here now." She replied almost sounding inhuman due to her calm demeanor. "Ok, we're almost there. I want you to wait inside for a moment. I need get it clear enough to get us away fast."

Before he knew what was happening, the girl before him flipped around in the small tunnel and with her feet kicked open the gate. Their enclosed little tunnel now was open to the world, and Tai felt utterly vulnerable as the smell of battle assaulted his nose.

The red head was gone in a flash, he couldn't even tell her to be careful or not to leave him alone. He could only listen to the screams of the wounded and the guns blasting rapidly in the area away from the tunnel.

From the madness, a face appeared near the vent's entrance.

"I'm here to get you... come on!" The figure called to him. Reaching into the vent, the man tried to grab onto and pull Tai out of his safe place. Not wanting to go with the strange man, Tai quickly moved backwards into the darkened vent.

"Sora! He's not coming, what do I do?" The figure yelled to someone unseen from Tai's view.

A familiar voice came back into his hearing range and closer to the vent entrance, where Tai took refuge for the moment.

"Damn it!" He heard her curse. "Do you think you'll be alright if I leave you guys here?" There was a short discussion on the outside of the vent, Tai didn't know what was going on, but the fire fight didn't sound like it was getting better. "We need to go..." He heard turning his attention back to the people near the vent exit. He could see her face looking at him with urgency and annoyance.

Reaching her arm back into the tunnel, Tai didn't know what she was going to do. Knowing she was there and trusting her with his life, Tai took her hand and allowed her to help him out of the vent.

The destruction of the above area was worse than Tai had thought. The buildings and fences that separated the shrines from the compound were in shambles. Death littered the ground. Human and strange creatures, it did not matter which species they were, the ground looked like a graveyard had thrown up its buried.

Allowing himself to be pulled along by the only person he felt he could place his trust in, they moved swiftly across the battlefield. Struggling to keep up with her after a little while, Tai nearly tripped and lost his grip on her hand.

It was too late to recover from the stumble, and Tai found himself face first into the ground. He knew he was an easy target as he stayed still and tried to mentally prepare himself to get back up, but his body just could not move.

Before any lasers could hit him, a strong body collided with him. The impact had enough force to completely push Tai out of the line of fire.

Shaking his head to clear the haze and confusion, he noticed he hasn't hurt.

"SORA!" A voice called from behind him. Turning around Tai's eyes filled with fear as he saw the girl who had helped him lying on the ground where he fell. Her right hand was clasped tightly on her opposite shoulder. Her body curved on the ground, keeping her weight off her newly injured shoulder. Even though the wound was instantly cauterized with the Lazar, there was some blood tricking out of her hand as she held on tightly to the throbbing wound.

Tai quickly got to his feet and made his way to her side. However, he was beaten by a blue haired man. The man looked to be no more than a year or two older than Tai himself, was quickly treating her wound with bandages from a medical kit.

"Just patch it up, I don't have time right now..." The red head said pushing the medic away and getting to her feet. "We're going!" She said looking at Tai- in her eyes he could see the pain and her attempts to mask it. He didn't question, but followed her quickly away from the group continuing to fight the battle.

"Um, are you sure you are alright?" Tai asked, the worry and fear in his voice were very clear to the girl leading him further from the compound.

"Don't worry, I won't die on you and I'm not letting you die on me..." She told him as she kept her guard up even after they had successfully exited out of the immediate battle area.

"The check point is just over those hills..." She said clenching her fist to try and forget about the pain. Pushing herself on, Tai watched as the girl attempted to climb the steep slope injured. With the open wounds on her shoulder and leg, her climbing ability was limited and she slipped down the little way she had actually climbed.

The pain in her face and the increasingly bloody bandages told Tai she needed medical attention and quick. When they got to this evacuation point there would have to be some kind of medical facility he thought, so that was where they needed to go.

Something told him that she would not like his help, but knowing she needed the help, he quickly walked up to her. She was kneeling on the ground where she fell nearly panting from exhaustion.

Taking her uninjured arm, he placed it on his shoulder. Lifting her up, he wrapped his arm around her waist supporting her injured leg by taking off some of her weight. She was about to protest when in the distance a loud explosion echoed.

"Just let me help." He said as they together scaled the hills that stood in their way.

Getting to the top of the last hill, a thick and deep forest came into view.

"It's just inside there." She said using his strength to rest against for a time. Her breathing was harsh in his ear as they took a moments break.

"I'm fine... we need to go north for a few meters, before we hit the site." She directed him after pulling out a compass like digital device from her pocket. "That way." She added as she pointed off to the right.

Before she could fully get her own footing to leave his side, Tai moved and they once again worked together to get down the hill.

To their relief, once they got into the forest, a transport ship was already at the rendezvous point.

"Finally, something is going as planned today." She sighed as they reached the transport. "Takeru, we're here." The red head called out with relief in her voice after flashing a special lazar to signal their presence to the awaiting man.

Quickly a younger looking teen came out from the craft. Seeing his comrade in her current condition, he aided in bringing her into the vehicle.

"Dam it Sora, what did you do this time?" The boy scolded as he quickly applied new bandaged to her still bleeding wounds.

"I'm fine. Just get us out of here, will ya?" She said putting a hand on his arm. Her movements stopped the young blonde from finishing his treatment. "I promise I will go to med bay as soon as we get home."

"You better or else I'll send both my brother and Joe after you!" The blonde said as he motioned for the stranger to get into the craft. "No worries, I'll have us back in safe space in a jiffy."

Tai did so, and was about to settle into the bench seat when he nearly jumped out of his seat as the vehicle suddenly lifted of the ground and took off.

"Hovercraft." The woman laying down on the long seat across from him moaned lightly.

"What?" He questioned moving closer to her.

"It's a hovercraft... don't worry, we're in goof hands. Takeru will get us back to base, no problem. Sit back, relax and welcome to the future." She said with her eyes closed and a faint smile on her lips.

"Are you going to be alright?" Tai couldn't help but ask as he took the bandage Takeru had tried to use on her. He continued to wrap her arm.

Once her arm was looked at, he continued to rewrap her leg. To his surprise he received no protests from the now silent figure there before him.

Hearing her breathing normal out, Tai was not overly worried about her condition. She needed rest, so he allowed the silence to fill the craft. That is as much silence as there could be within a moving vehicle.

After a time, Tai couldn't help but let out a sigh as he slumped back against the seat. Looking around the craft, he noticed it was an interesting looking thing. Two large metal benches were separated by a small walkway- he assumed this hovercraft was used for carting soldiers and people.

It was not too long until his attention returned to the complex and mysterious figure before him. The lull of the vehicle and the outside noises were soon forgotten as he watched her face. Her hair was now matted and messy, but that didn't stop it from looking like a mass of auburn silk. The deep crimson orbs were closed to his view as her face relaxed as she silently rested. Her lips... his eyes ended up looking at them no matter where he tried to divert them... Her lips were a peachy hue that almost glistened in the dimly lit compartment.

Her beauty did not diminish from the first time he saw her. She looked almost more stunning in the tattered clothes and dusty appearance.

His heart thumped loudly in his chest as he continued to look down on her in the silence. Noticing a lock of her hair had fallen from the rest, he couldn't stop his hand before it gently pushed the rebelling lock back behind her ear.

His hand lingered there for more than he had intended too. This caused the crimson orbs to flutter open.

Their eyes met- hers searching his with silent questions, his looking down on her with a gentle but unsure smile. Their silent soul searching seemed t go on for hours, Tai was lost in the girl staring at him. He didn't mind, there was just something about the fire he found in their depths that comforted him completely.

The movement of the vehicle coming to an abrupt stop sent the occupants crashing off their seats. Unable to stop himself, Tai fell on top of the injured woman. His forehead hit the floor grates as his head fell into the crook of her shoulder. Things around them continued to shuffle and fall on Tai's back. He would have opted to stay the way he was until he heard her groan of pain as he once again agitated one of her wounds. Moving to pull himself on his hands and knees, the pair were not able to regain full composure when the doors tot he compartment swung open.

Before they could say or move, faces of several men looked into the transport. Tai's eyes went from the door, back to the girl beneath him. He was a bit relieved and surprised to see a faint hint of a blush cross her cheeks.

Shifting a little above her, her embarrassed face quickly changed again to one of pain.

"Break it up- time out hot stuff, we've got to her her to med bay." A voice yelled as Tai was basically torn off before he could finish getting up. Two men in white doctor looking outfits moved in and delicately took his guardian out and to a cart that looked like it too hovered.

Once again he was left to shake off his shock; sitting down next to the now quiet craft, Tai waited till something made sense again. Quickly they took her into a cluster of buildings. Watching the only one he knew get taken away, having to now deal with the fever from the battle field, and dealing with a massive headache, Tai was once again reminded of the strange surroundings and losses he had suffered.

"So you just going to sit there, or do you want to go get check over as well?" The driver who picked them up asked.

"What?" Tai asked looking up at the other man for a time. Everything about him told Tai again he was no longer in this time. The very type of clothing- a dark shade of gray mesh cloth tightly fitted on the boy's frame, looked different than anything he had seen. Over his shoulders were a weapons holder vest- guns and other unknown devices were stored conveniently for easy access.

"I'm Takeru by the way- field driver, your average go-to-guy, age twenty." He finally introduced himself shaking Tai's hand as he stood up. "You're hurt, right? Shall we head over to the med tent? Um.. your name is Taichi, isn't it?"

A nod of the head was all the other man got from Tai. The two looked each other over for a time... expectations were being settled as the younger man seemed to accept the fact that the man before him was to be the one to help them.

"I'll bring you to the med center." He said as he motioned for Tai to follow. As they entered a strangely shaped building, Tai tried to get a better look at this surroundings. The building technology on the inside would make any techie drool; however, the clean and crisp feeling that usually surrounded such high tech gadgets mirrored a decaying city.

As they made it to the medical station of the building, Tai didn't know what to think of the future. This was the place he was stuck in...

The people aside from their clothing looked as normal as those of his time. Being directed to take a seat on a stool, Tai continued to watch the people work as a doctor came over and quickly treated his minor wounds.

"take it easy for a while, other than that, you're lucky to get out of that attack so easily." The doctor smiled as he quickly ran off to treat another of the slowly incoming wounded.

"I've got to check in with headquarters. I'm assuming you're tired and all, with everything going on... do you want me to set you up for the night Or do you want to tag along while I go help out? I mean after all you are our so called savior, right?"

"Right, about that... I wish someone would start explaining because I don't understand how a college graduate can save anything."

"It's been a long day." Takeru said seeing the frustrated look on Tai's face. "Give me a sec, I'll find someone to get you settled for the night. Tomorrow, things will be better and we can talk, well we can find someone better suited to tell you the whole prophecy."

"But..."

"A nice bath and some food, sleep and then answers, ok?"

A/N: Sorry for the delay- again life took precedent over crack dreams ;

I will try to update more frequently- but perhaps you can tempt me to make this more of a priority. Say, oh, maybe hitting that little review button in the corner, ne?