Aaand I'm back with another chapter! Enjoy!

Chapter Two.(Not) Welcome Here

"You always seem to know where I'm hiding," five-years old Caleb complained as Kira pulled him out of the closet. The girl gave him a smile. "That's because you always choose the easiest hiding spots," she replied. "If you tried a bit harder, it might take me longer to actually see you."

"But you're good at finding me," Caleb protested. "It's not fair. And it always takes me such a long time to find you."

"Then I'll try to look for a harder hiding spot next time," Kira said with a grin. "That'll be easier for you, right?"

"But don't make it too easy!" Caleb called after Kira, who was already running away. "Or else it'll just be boring!"

xXx

Obi-Wan was lost.

Well, not lost.

Actually, Obi-Wan thought as he looked up at the scratched-out crossroad signs, I might be lost.

The fact that his horse was acting up wasn't helping the matter, either. Phillip kept making whining sounds, jerking his head back and forth, as if trying to find a path himself. Obi-Wan sighed. He patted Phillip's head and looking up, found a path leading through a clump of shadowy trees. Everything about the path didn't look too promising – but from what Obi-Wan could tell, it was the only path shown in sight.

"Come on, then, Phillip," Obi-Wan murmured, turning the horse towards the path. The animal shook its head and reared back. Obi-Wan frowned. Trying again, the man urged, "Come on, Phillip – there's nothing to be afraid of. It's just the dark." He looked back up at the path. "It's…just dark. That's all. Nothing else."He urged the horse once more – kicked at its side – and finally, Phillip started to move, though it was at a very slow pace.

And as they went along, Obi-Wan looked warily up at the branches of the sinister-looking trees. They were all dark – shadowed by the moon and filled with the regular night creatures. Once or twice, Obi-Wan saw pairs of luminescent, bright green owl eyes blinking at him – and though he had seen owls before, the man couldn't help but to feel apprehensive. He grabbed the reins to his horse a bit tighter – and all almost seemed to be going well until a few birds darted from the branches.

Spooked, Phillip started to rear backward – and no matter how hard Obi-Wan tried to protest against it, he found himself and the horse crashing into a tree. Instantly, a large group of bats swarmed out, squeaking and frantically fluttering their wings. Obi-Wan cringed, covering his face as the bats made their ways out – only to quickly grab the reins again, because Phillip started to gallop forward.

"Whoa, boy!Whoa!" Obi-Wan shouted – and yanked at the reins again, only to nearly topple over the horse because of its sudden stop. Obi-Wan looked down to come to the realization that the only reason why Phillip had stopped was because they were looming over the edge of the cliff. Sucking in a shaky breath, Obi-Wan murmured, "Steady…steady…" as the horse slowly backed away.

And then, a flash of lightning lit up the sky. Phillip let out a loud cry and with that, it reared on its heels, not hesitating to leave as Obi-Wan was thrown off. The man hit the ground with a loud thump and the horse neighed, running away as fast as its legs could carry him.

Stunned, Obi-Wan brushed away the dirt and leaves from his clothes and looked up. That horse never liked me, anyways, Obi-Wan thought. He stood and looked around – the night had officially settled in, with only the thin sliver of moon to guide his way. Sighing, Obi-Wan took a few steps forward – until he heard a low, growling sound.

Actually, no – there were multiple growling sounds.

Feeling his heart sink, Obi-Wan looked up to see a group of wolves standing around him from a few feet away. Obi-Wan felt his pulse hammering through his body as he locked eyes with the pack. He took a few quiet, uneasy steps, trying not to make the situation worse for himself – but before he could properly get away, the wolf leader growled again – and then the entire pack was chasing after him.

Obi-Wan turned on his heel and bolted. He sprinted through the trees, not paying attention to how the branches tore at his cloak and scratched at his face. He didn't bother looking behind himself – in fear that if he was to, that he would trip and the wolves would certainly get to him. Obi-Wan could hear the wolves panting to keep up with him – and Obi-Wan risked just one glance to see that the wolves were indeed catching up.

And that was when the man slammed into a cold, metal object.

He scrambled to his feet at once to see iron-wrought gates standing before him. Reaching up, Obi-Wan started to bang on the gates. "Is anyone here?" he shouted. "Is anyone –" He stood back, surprised, to see the gates swing open before him. Relieved, Obi-Wan darted inside and slammed the gates shut behind himself just as the wolves darted forward.

Breathing heavily, the man backed away from the great predators, snarling and snapping at Obi-Wan. Not today, he thought warily to himself, looking down at the wolves. Obi-Wan then slowly turned around and promptly gasped at the great structure in front of him. It was a great castle – something that seemed to come out of one of Kira's fairytale books.

Another flash of lighting lit up the building – and without warning, rain was released from the heavy clouds above. Muttering a curse under his breath, Obi-Wan ran forward, ignoring the rain slapping against him. By the time he reached the front – the doors – Obi-Wan was drenched to the drenched with rainwater. He rubbed his eyes free of the rain – and knocked on the door as loudly as he could.

And just like with the gates, the door opened with soft creak.

Obi-Wan blinked at the doors – wondering who could possibly have heard him this fast – and stepped inside. He slowly closed the door behind himself and called out, "Hello? Is anyone home?" He looked out to see what he figured was the foyer – a long, luxurious red carpet was rolled out on the floor. There was a lone candle standing on top of a table, along with a small clock. Obi-Wan looked up at the ceiling to see a grand chandelier above him – though judging by the dust and the cobwebs; it hadn't been turned on for years. He could see two sets of large, marble stairs leading up to a platform – and hallways with large doors and statues.

Shivering, Obi-Wan called out again, "Hello?"

"Poor man must have lost his way in the woods."

"Keep quiet – maybe he'll leave."

Obi-Wan startled. He turned around, but no one was there. "Is there anyone out there?" he called.

"Not one word, Anakin – not one word."

Obi-Wan stepped tentatively out to the carpet. "I…I don't mean to intrude," he said, "but – I've lost my horse and I need a place to stay for the night."

"Oh, Admiral, have a heart –"

"Ssh – ow! Hot!"

"But of course, monsieur! You're welcome here!"

Obi-Wan startled. He grabbed the candle – and whirling around, he asked unsteadily, "Who said that?"

"Over here!" Obi-Wan felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around again – only to find empty space. "Where?" he asked, growing more and more confused by the second. He felt another tap, only this time on his head. Obi-Wan looked up – and came face to face with the candle – wait, no, not just a candle. This candle had…God, was that a face?

"Hello!" it (he?) said cheerfully.

Obi-Wan gasped, dropping the candle. The candle's flames promptly flickered out, and what was left was a soft groan. "Amazing," he said faintly, looking down at the candle as it stood back up and re-lit its wicks. From the table, Obi-Wan watched as the clock started to hop down. "Well, now you've done it, Anakin," it (was it a he as well?) snapped. "Splendid!Just splendid!"

Obi-Wan slowly crouched down in front of the candle – Anakin? – and the clock – Admiral? – asking quietly to himself, "How is this even possible?" Was he dreaming? Obi-Wan reached over and pinched his arm. He winced and pulled his hand away.

"Do you mind?" Admiral asked, looking up at Obi-Wan with an annoyed expression. (How could clocks even have expressions?)

"I apologize," Obi-Wan replied quickly, stepping back. "It's just…I haven't quite seen anything quite like this before –" He broke off with a sneeze.

"Oh, you are soaked to the bone, monsieur," Anakin said with a tsk when Obi-Wan turned back around. "Come, come, you should warm yourself by the fire." He started to hop down the hallway. Obi-Wan stared after the candle – and wrapping his cloak around himself, he managed a, "Thank you."

"No! No! No!" Admiral said indignantly, though he, too, hopped after Obi-Wan and Anakin. "You know what the master will think – oh, I demand that you stop – right – there!" He fell down the steps to the room that Anakin had led Obi-Wan into. Obi-Wan turned to see Admiral on the floor, furiously putting together his gears back into himself. "Oh, no," Admiral moaned expressively as Anakin pulled (as much as a candlestick could pull, anyways) Obi-Wan into an armchair. "That's the master's chair…"

And then, there was another rattle as the clock was run over by a barking…was that a footrest?

"Artoo!Yes, come here – right now, buddy," Anakin called. The footrest, still barking like a dog, placed itself underneath Obi-Wan's feet with a cheerful yip. ("I'm not seeing this! I'm not seeing this!" the clock shouted miserably.) There was another clanging sound as this time, a small tray zoomed straight up beside Obi-Wan – and a silent coatrack took Obi-Wan's cloak and replaced it with a blanket.

"Good evening, monsieur," a teapot said happily. "Would you like a cup of tea?" ("Ah! Good idea, Padmé," Anakin said appreciatively, while Admiral snapped, "No tea. No tea, do you hear me, woman?!")

Obi-Wan nodded politely. "Thank you," he said as the teapot poured some warm water into a small cup. Obi-Wan watched with some fascination as the small cup suddenly hopped over to him. Slowly, Obi-Wan took a small sip – and then he heard a quiet giggle. "Mother, his beard tickles!"

Obi-Wan startled, putting down the cup to see another happy face, only this one resembled one like a child's. "Ah," he said with a smile. "Hello, there."

And then, without a warning, there was a loud bang as the doors suddenly opened up. The fire instantly blew out – as did Anakin's lit wicks – and the teacup-child quickly darted behind his mother. Obi-Wan flinched himself – he shivered at the cold wind that whipped into the room and watched with wide eyes as a shadow seemed to cross the place.

"There's a stranger here," a low, growling voice said.

"Master!" Anakin said, relighting himself. "Funny you mention that – this gentleman was lost in the woods and he was cold and wet so –" He was quickly broken off by a roar. Obi-Wan flicked his eyes at the candlestick – its flames died out again, and Anakin's expression was replaced by a slightly annoyed one – though there was a definite sense of uneasiness about him.

"Mm – Master, I just want to take this moment to say that I was against this from the start!" Admiral piped up. "It was all Anakin's fault – I tried to stop him, but would he listen to me? Noo…" Admiral's voice drifted as another roar sounded throughout the room.

Obi-Wan felt as though he was being chased by the wolves again, only this time, his heartbeat was much more erratic than when he was running. He turned his head slowly and came to look at a face – only this one, unlike Anakin's or Padmé's or Admiral's, this one was absolutely horrific. For one thing, the face was covered with wild, dark brown fur – there was a set of blue-green eyes that glared angrily down at Obi-Wan – and then there was the matter that there was a rather fearsome set of sharpened teeth that seemed to glint in what little light there was left in the room. And there were horns. Large, gleaming horns that sat atop the thing's head like little weapons.

"Who are you?" the beast – that was the only word Obi-Wan could use to describe the creature – growled. Obi-Wan slowly stood up, backing away. "Why are you here?" the beast asked. Obi-Wan took another step back. "I was lost in the woods," he said as calmly as he could, "and –"

"You're not welcome here!" the beast shouted angrily.

Obi-Wan didn't want to flinch – he didn't want to show his fear – but he couldn't help himself. "I'm sorry," he said slowly as the beast neared. "I'll leave – I'll –"

"What are you staring at?" the beast asked suddenly.

"What?"

"What are you staring at?!"

Obi-Wan dropped his eyes. "I'm not staring at anything –"

"You've come to stare at the beast, haven't you?!"

Ah. Well, the name wasn't wrongly given, Obi-Wan thought, but ducked as the beast lunged forward again. "Please," he said, raising his hands, "I didn't mean any harm. I just needed a place to say, but I'll leave if you –"

"Oh, I'll give you a place to stay," the beast spat, and without warning, his arms latched forth to grab Obi-Wan's shoulders. The man started to protest, shouting and kicking his legs furiously as he was dragged against his will down the corridors. Oh, Kira, he thought to himself. Forgive me.

xXx

Kira looked up from her book to hear a loud rapping sound at the door. Tucking her book under her shoulder, she walked over to the door and peeked out the window to see who it was – and found herself staring at Sanjay's somewhat magnified face. Groaning, Kira stepped away, hoping that Sanjay wouldn't see her – but even though Kira hadn't even welcomed the man in, Sanjay kicked open the door with a wide grin on his face.

"Sanjay!" Kira forced a smile on her face, though she could feel a gag coming on. "What a…surprise."

"Isn't it, though? I'm just full or surprises." Sanjay asked with a smirk. Ugh.

Sanjay leaned forward, resting his hand on the table. "You know, Kira," he said, lifting both of his eyebrows (ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh, Kira thought, disgusted), "there are many girls who would just love to be in your shoes. This is the day –" He broke off to look in the mirror. Sanjay paused and grinned at himself in the mirror – and winked. Kira actually rolled her eyes this time. Sanjay looked back at Kira. "This is the day that your dreams come true."

Kira quickly backed over to the table with her book still under her arm. "Do you mean my dream of traveling to a fictional reality?" she asked politely. "Because that would be extremely pleasant." Sanjay snorted. "No, no, my dear," he said, waving his hands. (I am not your dear, Kira thought, wrinkling her nose.) "I'm talking about this dream." He plopped down at the table and planted his boots on the table, splattering mud all over the table cloth – and a bit of it landed on Kira's book. She wrinkled her nose and pulled away.

"Picture this," Sanjay continued with a smug smile, "a rusty hunting cottage – my latest kill roasting over the fire – and my little wife massaging my feet." To emphasize, he kicked off his boots to reveal his socked feet. Kira backed away, feeling something churn at the bottom of her stomach. "Get your feet off my table, Sanjay," she said coolly, but the man remarked over her, "Oh, and the little ones will be playing with the dogs on the floor…"

Little ones?Plural?With him? Dear God, Kira thought. She backed a bit farther away until she was at the kitchen counter. Kira blindly reached for anything – something – until her hand curled around a familiar handle. Kira's jaw squared. Obi-Wan had taught her a few lessons in self-defense, just in case…for the billionth time that day, Kira gave a silent thanks to her father.

"Dogs?" Kira asked flatly.

"No! Boys! We'll have six or seven of them, just like me," Sanjay replied with a laugh. Kira's grip on the handle tightened. "Imagine that," she replied dryly. Sanjay grinned. "Exactly," he said, nearing Kira to an uncomfortable proximity. "And do you know who that little wife will be?"

"Let me think," Kira muttered.

"You, Kira," Sanjay said loudly. "Go on – what do you say? Say you'll marry me!"

Kira smiled. "You know, Sanjay," she said, letting sarcasm drip from her voice, "I would…but…" She ducked from underneath Sanjay and pointed her knife at the man. "That's not exactly how my dreams go." Sanjay stared at the knife. "Oh, feisty thing," he tsked, "we'll fix that in you, Kira, yes we will –"

He started to walk after Kira – and Kira quickly slammed herself into the door just as Sanjay placed his arms on the surface behind her. "Now, darling, why don't you drop that knife?" Sanjay asked. "You'll hurt yourself."

"I would be more worried about you hurting yourself," Kira retorted, and opened the door. She quickly leapt out of the way – and watched with some satisfaction as Sanjay fell into a puddle of mud at the steps. Kira then ducked back into the house, grabbed Sanjay's boots, and tossed them after him. It landed on his head with a satisfying thunk (oh, Kira always knew his head would be hollow), and glared down at him. She looked up to see that a wedding ceremony had already been set up, to her great disgust. People were staring at her, while others seemed to be on the verge of laughing.

Kira looked down at Sanjay, who had not yet arisen from the puddle of mud. Kira tossed the knife back into her house and walked forward as Sanjay finally started to lift his head. Mustering up the nastiest grin she could possibly have, Kira poked Sanjay's head and said loftily, "Next time, when a lady says no, she means it." With that, she kicked the man back into the mud puddle, looked at her audience, and slammed the door.

xXx

"Is he gone?" Kira asked, poking her head out of the door. She watched as sure enough, the wedding audience left the paths. Kira sighed and grabbed a bucket of chicken feed – the chickens beside her squawked as if agreeing with her as she asked, "Can you imagine? He asked me to marry him! Me!"

She walked down the back of the house where the chickens lived. She tossed the feed towards them, continuing to mutter herself, "That bore, that tactless, idiotic creature!" She tossed back her hair, saying, "Madame Sanjay? Can you just see it? Madame Sanjay, his little wife!" Kira dropped the bucket of feed and marched out to the field behind her house. "No sir, not me – I guarantee it!"

She flung herself to the grass, staring up at the sky above her. Her mind reeled at the thought. Just being that fool's wife – doing nothing but – oh, what did he say? Look at his trophies and look after children?

Kira didn't have anything against children. She didn't have anything against romantics. After all, she had read marvelous stories on princesses and princes falling in love after fighting wars and dragons and evil sorcerers together. But Sanjay was everything Kira stood against, not to mention he had a horrifying belief that a woman wasn't allowed to be educated or talented or – ugh, Kira wanted to shout just thinking about it. And of course, there was the fact that Obi-Wan had taught her so much about how to stand against those kind of people. She couldn't let those teachings go to waste, either.

And as though the world sensed that Kira was thinking about her father, the girl heard a familiar neighing sound. Kira sat up to find Phillip galloping towards her in a wild frenzy. "Phillip!" she cried, standing up. "What – what are you doing here?" She looked down at the reins, looked over Phillip – and asked, "Where's Father? Where is he? Where did he –" She frantically hopped onto the horse. "You need to take me to him – is he hurt? Is he – oh, no…"

A/N - I had too much fun writing about Kira standing up against Sanjay. #sorrynotsorry Plus, I feel that I was always annoyed that in the movie, Belle was always a little too timid when being harassed. And I discussed this with Amy - we both believed that Kira would have a bit more backbone than your stereotypical 'damsel in distress'. Not that damsels in distress can be strong women, but I think that particular scene was more fit into Kira's character. You might see a lot of that in later chapters - just some dialogue modifications, some acting modifications, just to fit with the character. (And besides, peaceful man or not, I've got the feeling Obi would have wanted to give at least some kind of physical training for Kira.)

Which brings me to another point - I understand that compared to Maurice, Obi isn't really crazy - but considering this takes place in France in the older days, I think anyone who considered women to be equals back then wasn't seen as sane as mind. So there's that little tidbit in history. (I would like to thank my past self who used to be obsessed with history - and all of my awesome history teachers for that knowledge, though they would never read this. Ha.)

Reviews are always great! Constructive criticism is tolerable, but flames are not!