The Grove opened up before his eyes. It was a peaceful place, although dark. The sun struggled to push through the trees, leaving nothing but shade throughout its land. The flora was cloaked in that darkness, and was actually living vividly. He sensed the fauna around him, too.

What a strange place this was.

The grass gave in under his boots as he walked in. There were tiny balls of light moving about like fireflies. In the distance, there were more stone landmarks, although these were not graves, they were rocks piled together or carved. There was one that was a high archway that led into nothing. There were stones lining a stream, and by it sat a figure, female by the shape. She had her back to him, completely unaware of his presence. She wore a long black and white shoulderless dress. The open shoulders of her dress showed her soft pale skin. Her hair was a strange cobalt blue with the sides held up by yellow bows.

This gentle maiden looked too innocent to be in this dreadful place.

He approached her from behind and stopped a few feet behind her. He moved silently like a stalking cat.

"Miss, I don't know why you're here but I heard there's a Gear—"

The girl suddenly snapped her head around with her eyes wide and her mouth hanging agape at the sound of his voice. She looked at him like he was some horrible monster. Then she screamed. She jumped to her feet and began to back away.

"No!" she screamed. "Go away! Leave me alone!"

"Wait." Ky held a hand out to her. "I'm not going to hurt you. Now calm down."

She shook her head. "Why do people have to do this? I'm sorry. I can't stop it!"

He saw tears in her eyes and as he looked at those eyes, he noticed they were red. He thought for a moment he had mistaken their color but he was wrong. Now why on Earth would—

His own eyes were shocked when two wings, one green and the other white burst from her back. Her dress was thrown from her body, exposing a form fitting leather outfit. It was replaced by a short jacket with white sleeves and an open belly. A bikini robbed her of her modesty and black stockings reached up to her thighs. Ky was ashamed just to look at her. Then he saw a tail . . .

Her green wing raised and took shape of a hooded grim reaper and punched him with one great fist. He went flying and rolled across the grass until he came to a stop on his side.

His mouth hung agape as looked at her. So that gentle maiden by the stream, the sort of image found in a fairytale had turned into a Gear. He blinked at her almost stupidly. That image still remained in his mind, though.

"You're a Gear?"

"Yes, I'm a Gear," she said. She sounded ashamed of the fact. The way she cried, how she held herself in the moment of fear— This was no Gear, but a girl.

He loosened his grip on his sword and held a hand up. "If you'll hold back . . ."

She shook her head. "I don't know if I can. Please go away."

He sat up. "I will not. I am officer Ky Kiske of the IPF. I was sent here in response of a report of a Gear." He looked her up and down. "But . . ."

She took a step back. "You're going to try to kill me, too. That's why you're here."

"No, I—"

"Go away," she said.

Her white wing then formed the figure of an angelic woman, but he soon found that was nothing angelic about it. It thrust its arms forward with its hands pointing downwards. Ky began to get up, and the decision to move may have saved his life, or maybe a few body parts. A sharp shard of ice burst from the ground where his body had been laying defensively. Instead, it knocked him backwards. He stumbled, close to falling, but he kept his footing.

He pulled his sword close to his body. A part of him wanted to fight after the attacks but he had to remind himself of the girl behind those wings and tail.

"I'm sorry!" the girl cried.

Ky kept himself calm. "It's all right."

She wiped at her tears. "What?"

"I said it's all right."

She stood still and stared at him. She grew quiet. "But I just attacked you. No one ever said it's all right when I attack them."

"Miss, I don't see why people call you a Gear and want to hurt you." The girl stared at him and listened. "I don't see a Gear, I see a girl. You didn't really try to hurt me, did you?"

She hugged herself. "I didn't mean it. I did try to defend myself. I thought you were going to hurt me."

She seemed so peaceful, so innocent.

He bit his lip before saying, "I won't now." He bent down and set his sword slowly to the ground, then stood again. "There." He watched her red eyes dart skeptically then rest on his figure again.

"What do you really want?"

"I came here in search of a Gear," he said. "But I don't see one." He passed her a light smile and she returned it shyly. "This case is closed. If you don't attack again."

She shook her head. "I didn't mean it."

"I said I forgive you. It's other people I'm worried about." As he spoke, he remembered the letter, the letter that brought him here which still sat on his desk in Paris. If he was sent here first, who else would follow? He was sure they wouldn't see the human side of her. His heart jumped at the thought. He quickly said, "You can't stay here. Other people will come for you. I was the first to be informed about this place."

"No. This is my home. I can't leave."

"Then would you rather have more people come here and to fight you?"

She shook her head.

"Then let me help you." He held a hand out to her.

No! Wait! Why was he doing this? The moment he stepped inside the Grove, she attacks him and now he was offering help? What was wrong with him? It was like she had some sort of spell on him.

She stared at his hand for a few moments. She slowly began to reach out, then drew back as if his hand was full of needles.

He dropped his hand to his side. "Or not."

"Sorry," she said. She hugged herself and turned. "I'm not used to people."

She doesn't trust me, he thought.

"I don't blame you," he said. "You've been isolated most of your life. You're not happy."

"How do you know that?"

He shrugged. "I can tell. Are you truly happy here?"

She looked around herself, through the grasses, the forest and the stream he found her nearby. "I've been here most of my life," she said. "But—" She looked at him. "I . . .I haven't seen much outside the Grove." She paused. "No!"

Something was going on in her mind.

"What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

He sighed. He was growing tired of convincing her, but he wasn't done yet. How could he try to convince a girl who had been living in isolation and darkness to finally step out into the world, a world that could easily kill her just for being born the way she was.

"Tell me," he said.

She kept her head and gaze away from him. "People hate me."

"I know. But people will come looking for you. And they won't be like me. Let me help you. Let me . . . Let me take you somewhere safe where no one will bother you or know you're a Gear."

"Why would you want to do that?"

"I don't know. But will you?" He held his hand out again. She stared at it. Her tears had dried but there was still a glassiness to them. A glimmer.

Then, finally she reached out and took one of his hands. He instinctively wrapped his hand around hers. They were soft and fragile. His were cold and calloused from under his glove.

After they touched, Ky sighed. It was a sigh of relief. Phase one was through.

"Well, why don't we start now?" he said. "I don't want to waste any time." Not letting go of her hand, he bent down and picked up Thunderseal. He then gave her hand a tug. She gave way, with her feet taking her first steps like they were pulling off of Velcro.