Author's Notes

Okay, here's the third chapter, yay! I'm actually really proud of myself, I don't think that I've stuck with a story that I've been writing down this long. Usually the same thing that's happened to the other ones on here has happened but I guess it's different with this one, I'm prepared and ready for this one, and I really like this one. :D Okay, just a heads up, when I try to describe Serenity later in the chapter, for those of you who know what the Gym Leader Gardenia in the pokemon Pearl, Diamond, and now Platinum games looks like, then that's sort of how her hair looks, but flatter on the sides, for those who don't, well, then, I'll try my best to describe it. Now, enough talk, here's the disclaimer: I do not own any of things in here that might seem familiar to any of you who have seen or read miscellaneous anime or manga series including names, techniques, moves, or words, etc. Okay, here's the third chapter, enjoy!

**Characters 'thoughts', flashbacks, and dreams

Chapter 3: Home (Or Something Like It)

'Ugh! My head! That's definitely one of the more unpleasant Skrit blood healing sessions, talk about a roundhouse to the face!' Serenity thought, rubbing her head, annoyed. 'Where am I anyway? This doesn't feel like the ground and I don't hear any of the regular forest sounds. I should probably check out where I am, but I don't feel like opening my eyes just yet.' She thought mildly, still feeling the after effects of the blood which, amusingly enough, felt much like having a hangover on the mornings after her rare visits to miscellaneous towns around the valley. 'Well, this is different; I don't think that I've ever had this happen to me after using the Skrit blood. Hm, perhaps I should have left the fight a little earlier then I did? I was fighting a much larger group of them and I stayed and fought a little, okay, a lot longer then I usually do, maybe I got stung too much and the poison that's in their blood just pushed me over the edge. I do have a very, very high pain thresh hold, but I know it and I've never gone beyond it that far before.' She began rubbing her face to try and snap out of the haze she was in while thinking on this subject. Then she abruptly smacked herself in the face. 'Unless I have that darned dream! Duh! How could I have forgotten that? I always push myself too far after I have that dream. Oh well, I guess it's to be expected, I've had to live my life in the harshest of the forest, showing that kind of fear and weakness is exactly the ticket to get oneself killed. Heh! Self-punishment and correction, I'm more messed up then I thought' She thought with a smirk while pinching the bridge of her nose and squeezing her eyes shut. That's when she heard a small noise coming from her left, her eyes snapped open and she bolted upright, looking around to see where it had come from. She swayed slightly but shook off the confusion and dizziness quickly; she looked around again and saw that she was in a small room with tan walls and a rather low ceiling.

There was a window in the wall to her right, a dresser sitting under it; a door in front of her and she was sitting on a bed with a table next to it with various bottles and other things on it that she didn't know or care to know what they were or were for. There was a painting on the wall to her left that caught her eye; it was a drawing, she thought, of two young children, a boy and a girl, sitting on some large stones by a small stream and playing in the water trying to catch the fish that were swimming in it, outlined by a beautifully carved deep brown wood frame. The boy had messy, dirty blonde hair that went down to about the bottom of his ear and a cherub-like, round face with emerald green eyes and a laughing, dimpled smile looking out of it at the girl. The girl had long, shoulder length, brown hair with a delicate, angelic face; light brown eyes, shining with laughter, looking at the surface of the stream farther in front of where she was sitting. This struck Serenity deeply, especially the boy, he looked familiar, well, at least the way he was drawn looked familiar and she got up from the bed to get a closer look at the drawing. It was definitely a drawing, the detail made it look like a picture that had been taken out of a memory; even sitting on the bed had given it this effect. But the detail and the obvious care that had been put into it is what pulled her in and held her.

'Why in the world would someone put this much effort into and waste this much energy on such a, such a-a thing?' It made no sense to her and as she was there, standing in front of it and frowning deeply at it, something in the back of her memory jumped. It was much like the feeling she had gotten just before plunging into the twisted dream she had had just a few minutes before and this greatly disturbed her so she tore herself away from the drawing. She began to inspect the room further when the door opened to reveal a rather tall, middle-aged woman with long sandy colored hair tied back in a bun and green eyes, carrying a wooden tray. Serenity whipped around with lightening fast speed, drawing one of her hidden throwing daggers in the process, throwing it at the woman's throat, the woman just barely dodged it and it hit the wall to the right of her head. Serenity immediately drew another, longer dagger, pointing it strait at the terrified woman's throat, about to throw a second time but stopped and just held it there, poised to deal another blow and this time, she wouldn't miss.

"Who the heck are you and where the hell am I?!" Serenity demanded in a fierce and threatening tone, her eyes narrowed and calculating. The woman just stood there, frozen in, what Serenity guessed, a mixture of fear and shock.

She wasn't surprised; this was exactly the same reaction that she got anywhere she went and someone, usually an innkeeper, startled her by doing something as simple as entering her room to change the sheets of something like that, unannounced and she held a dagger or other sharp item she had with her at their throat, she had lived with the dangers of the Valley surrounding her too long and that was why she rarely entered them. That and the fact that even if she didn't do that to a person, she still had people looking at her weird, not so much scared or shocked, but various strange looks from mostly men unless she went into the towns during the day and then she got them from both men and women. She was taller then most women, about 5'11", she had short dark brown hair with a few strands in the front that went down to her chin which she usually had tucked back behind her ears. Her face was thin, but healthy, with smooth tanned skin and her mouth in the usual hard line. But what got most people, if she didn't talk to them, was her eyes and how she dressed, her eyes were an amber color, not something that she had ever seen before and she dressed in a white, linen male's shirt with the sleeves torn off and edges ragged from the traveling through thorns and getting in fights, they revealed her lean, tanned arms covered in various scars, some newer then others. She wore long pants, held with a wide belt, that had rips and tears here and there in them for the same reason as her shirt and men's boots, she also had a jacket with all her miscellaneous weapons and other things for and from her travels which she noticed was hanging on the end of the bed farthest from her. If she did talk to them, or went and drank at the tavern, it was her personality that got them, she could drink more then any man there, best any of them at competitions of strength, speed, or stamina and her attitude was serious even if she'd had a few too many, which usually happened, and was colder then ice, her expression was always either hard, fierce, or in a smirk.

"I'll ask you one more time and this time I want an answer immediately," she said, moving the dagger menacingly towards the woman's throat "who are you and where am I?"

"M-My name is Darla," she managed to get out quietly. Serenity could have sworn that she could hear her heart pounding. "A-And t-this is my house, w-we're in the town of C-Cline. M-My son, William, found you unconscious on the ground just inside the t-town boundary while bird hunting; h-he spotted a hawk and t-tried to hit it, but it dodged, so he f-followed it and it led him strait to you. H-He said that you were pretty badly m-messed up and looked like you had just barely gotten out of a S-Skrit attack, but by the time he got you back here, th-there was almost n-no injuries left." She said, stuttering the whole time, still looking visibly shaken from the earlier incident. Serenity smirked at this and put her dagger back in its place.

"That's because that hawk is one of my traveling companions and also, I had just come out of a Skrit fight, and that's why I looked like that. Those darned things always seem to track me down where ever I go so I just keep fighting them." She said rather indifferently walking over and pulling her other dagger out of the wall, the woman jerked back when she did this, not knowing if she was going to throw it at her again. "As for the injuries, Skrit blood has great healing capabilities," she slid the dagger back into the spot by the other on her belt, still smirking "so it's a win-win for me, I get to take some of those suckers out, get extra training, and then get a free healing afterwards, keeping in mind that the blood hurts like hell through the process of healing."

"O-Oh, wait, you mean you were actually fighting those things?! B-But, that's insanity, those things are vicious creatures who've killed larger men than you and in groups of 4 or 5 at that." She said, the shock leaving her face and being replaced by concern, which caught Serenity off guard, she wasn't used to having people show her anything but either fear or suspicion.

But she soon recovered and retaliated in a sharp tone back to Darla, "You may think that you're just showing concern for my well being by saying that but I take it as an insult." Serenity was pointing at her accusingly, her eyes narrowed and blazing. "I've lived in, survived in, and explored the deepest and most dangerous places in this whole dang Valley! I've been fighting those heathen creatures for most of my life! I know what I'm doing and I don't need anything or anyone to be worrying about me or my business, so stay out of it!!" She was really close and all but snarling this in Darla's face while she towered over her and stared her almost down into the floor beneath their feet. 'I don't need her! I don't need my parents!' she thought back to the dream with the room and person named Saya, 'and I certainly didn't need that boy to come and help me when I was unconscious, I would have been fine, I always have been, even when I'm not in the town boundaries! I don't need anyone at all! I wish they would all just leave me alone and stop trying to always help!' she thought viciously, each word dripping with poison and contempt.

"Uh, I-I'm s-sorry, I d-didn't m-mean to o-offend y-you. P-Please forgive my error of j-judgment." She said the fear coming back in force and erasing all traces of the motherly concern she had shown earlier. "S-So, um, w-what might y-your n-name b-be?" she asked, still stuttering, but looking genuinely curious.

"Why do you care?" Serenity snapped in response.

"I j-just thought that i-it m-might b-be nice to know sh-should y-you be staying a w-while here in C-Cline." Darla responded in the same way as before only in a much more quiet voice.

"Well I don't plan on being here very long, I thought that maybe I would find something here, but I see that I was wrong." Serenity said in an almost depressed tone, walking over and taking her jacket off the bedpost and turning back to face Darla. "But I guess if I tell you my name, it won't matter because I'll probably never come back to this town in a short enough time that you'll ever remember me, maybe." She pulled on her jacket and opened the window, letting in a cool breeze that felt good against her face after being in this house so long. 'I'm not made for living or staying in houses, they're too small, I always feel like I'm being caged in or squished when I'm in one.' She thought mildly while she took a deep breath in with her eyes closed. "My name is Serenity Crest, don't bother remembering it, it doesn't matter to you." And she jumped out the window, falling right down from the second story and making a perfect landing. 'Heh, that was fun, I heard her startled cry and everything, I think that I've done a good days work in the town and now I take my leave.'

"Wait! Serenity!" Darla called from the second story window.

'There's no way I'm coming back woman, I'm made for the forest, not to be worried over and live in a house.' She took one look back over her shoulder while running and saw Darla leaning out the window after her.

"I see that you're up and kicking. Heh! Well, that would explain mom's expression." a voice said from right in front of her. She turned and stopped just in time to keep from running into a young man who had appeared out of nowhere.

"Who the heck are you?!" Serenity asked, scrutinizing him. He was as tall as her, if not slightly taller with tan skin and a medium build. He had short, dirty blonde hair, emerald eyes and he was wearing a simple white shirt and brown pants with work boots. The shirt was rather loose, the top part untied as far as it would go, exposing his chest and from the expression on his face, she could tell that he was full of himself and probably did this on purpose to get the girls in towns attention. It however had no effect on her and only made her dislike him even more than she already did at the moment. "Well?" she asked impatiently.

"My name is William Jay Millin, at your service." He said with a dimpled smile, a wink, and a very low, dramatic bow.

"That's nice, I don't really care. Now move before you get hurt." She said shortly and shoved him out of her way, forcefully.

"Now, now," he said, grabbing her wrist as she went past. "That's no way to treat the guy who saved your life, I at least deserve a thank you, so how about a kiss?" he smiled and puckered up, pulling her towards him.

"I don't think so, I didn't need your help in the first place, now let go." She tried to pull away but he held firm.

"Come on sweetheart, its just a little kiss, that's not too much to ask is it?" He replied back, looking innocent.

'....Sweetheart.....' Her eye twitched and she stopped trying to pull away.

-SMACK!- "What the-? OOF!" -THUD!-

"Don't you ever call me sweetheart ever!! GOT IT?!?" She hissed venomously in his ear. After hearing him call her sweetheart she had lost it and had punched him as hard as she could and then flipped him making him land hard on his stomach with his arm twisted around and up where she was kneeling on it and his back at the same time. "Well?!?"

"OW! OW! OW! Okay, okay! I got it!"

"Good, and also, if you touch me again, I'll make sure to dislocate your arm." Serenity snarled at him, getting off his back and yanking him up to standing position by his neck, and then turning to leave.

"Ouch! Gosh woman, you sure know how to get your point across if you didn't like something." William said, rubbing his shoulder and moving it around. "What's your name anyway? I don't think that I've ever seen you around here before." He said turning around to face her.

"Serenity!! Wait, please!" Darla came running towards the both of them, looking a little wild.

"Huh? Wait, Serenity? Serenity Crest?!" William said, looking thoroughly startled by the name.

"Yeah, why do you care?" Serenity said over her shoulder as she was walking away.

"Serri-san!" William yelled and ran over, giving her a huge hug.

"Darn it boy! I said no touching me!" she broke out of his hold and twisted his arm around and back, almost making it touch the back of his neck.

"UGH! Wait! Serri! It's me! Will! Don't you remember me? We used to sneak out and play by the stream just outside the town boundaries as kids! Then you and your parents moved to Sine when you were about 6 years old." He was almost yelling this and rushing to get it out as she pulled his arm farther and farther up his back.

"I've never been here before and I don't remember anyone called Will." She said back to him.

"But, wait! Remember the picture in the room that mom had me put you in? I drew that! That was us, by the stream, when we were younger! Remember that I was always drawing you little pictures, and then you thought that it would be cool to use them as secret code messages?" He was yelling now, from the pain in his shoulder. "Like if I sent you a picture of a hill and a half circle, then you would know to meet me on the hill to the east of town at sunset. Remember all that, all the fun times we had?!"

"I don't have any- UGH!" she let go of his arm and her hands shot to her head, a sharp pain shooting through it all of a sudden causing her to fall to her knees.

"William! Serenity! What's g-oh my! What happened to her?!" Darla came running around the corner and at once saw Serenity lying on the ground, clutching her head, moaning in pain.

"I don't know, I moment I'm trying to remind her about us when we were little so she would stop trying to dislocate my arm, and then she collapsed with her hands holding her head."

"We need to get her back to the house, now!" Darla was kneeling next to Serenity with her hand on Serenity's forehead. William just nodded and leaned down picking her up, a slight look of pain flashing across his face from his shoulder but he just took her and jogged to the house, his mother following close behind.

'What is this?! This is the what? Third? Time that I've had a blackout today, what is happening to me?' Serenity thought, having a sinking feeling and then it stopped. She was standing in the middle of a clearing by a stream. 'Hey, I know this place, it's the place from the picture in that room.'

"Serri-san! You got my message! Yay!" The boy came running in from the left and jumped on the girl, who had been sitting on a rock, staring at a tree.

"Why wouldn't I get it? I helped you make the code didn't I? So how are you Will?" the girl said smiling and giggling at the boy on top of her.

"I don't know. I'm good, thanks Serri, how about you? I missed you." he shrugged and smiled, getting off of her.

"I'm ok, I missed you too. I was really bored all day. Are you sure none of the other kids saw you or followed you?" She got up and looked around.

"Me too. Yes, I'm very sure, but why would they come out here anyway? This is outside the town boundaries, the repelling charm doesn't work out here and they're scared that they're going to get gotten by a Skrit or Boog." He said with a sort of smirk.

"I know but they might go and tell our parents and then we'd get in big trouble, remember what happened last time?" she said, going and sitting on the rock again.

"Okay, yeah, I remember, that was really bad. I had to stay in the house for a week, I was bored out of my mind." He had a sour expression on his face and stuck out his tongue at the thought.

"Let's have some fun now, I bet I can catch more fish then you can!" she said with a laugh and turned around to face the stream.

"You're on!" The boy ran over to a rock beside her and they started laughing and playing in the stream.

.................

"Serenity! Serenity wake up! Serenity!"

"Ugh! My head." Serenity sat up on the couch rubbing her face again.

"Thank God! I was so worried about you Serri!" William was sitting by her on the couch and looking very worried, a big change from the smug expression he had on when they met.

"Yes, you most definitely did! Are you okay Serenity? Does anything hurt?" Darla was sitting on a chair in front of her.

"I....." 'I what? I feel, different, somehow. But wait, I remember something, whoa, what are all these memories? Where did they come from? I don't remember having them before.' She stopped rubbing her face and looked up at William and Darla and started crying, she didn't know why but she did. "I remember! Oh Will!" she cried and hugged him.

Okay, I'm done with that one. Sorry about the chapters seeming to get longer and longer, I'm trying to shorten them but there's too much stuff that I try to get into one chapter but oh well. Okay, that's it! Please R&R :D