A/N: As I continue to edit and revise my stories I will, when possible, replace the old, sloppy chapters with the new and freshly edited ones as soon as they are to my standards. You will see this note, along with possible variations of it, above all the chapters I have edited. Once all chapters are completely edited I will remove all author notes pertaining to the revision of the story.

In a bright blue flash, Connor Stax, a tall man with piercing blue eyes, short shaggy black hair with a beard and mustache to match, and around the age of forty, teleported to the edge of the monastery's grounds. There were two young boys, both around the age of nine, alongside him. Each boy was carrying a canvas duffle bag. Their young faces were bright with enthusiasm, yet faintly dotted with apprehension.

Connor wore traditional Kairu Master robes. His overtunic was brown and short-sleeved. It had a dark-brown trim, and a white, black, and red stipe down the middle. A long-sleeved, white, black cuffed undertunic was beneath his over tunic. His trousers were dark-grey. His boots were black. He had a thin grey obi that had the golden emblem of the Redakai Council (indicating his rank of Kairu Master).

"Are you two ready?" he asked the boys with a grin, his facial hair twitching with the movement of his lips.

"Of course!" Ky Stax, Connor's son, exclaimed. Ky was a rather scraggly little boy. He had the same shaggy hair and piercing blue eyes as his father. He wore a red t-shirt, slightly baggy blue pants, and grey sneakers.

"Definitely, Mr. Stax," Boomer, the other boy, nodded. He was a rather gawky looking boy who had a slightly larger build than the average nine-year-old, making Ky look slightly scrawny in comparison. He wore a long-sleeved (although the sleeves were rolled up half way up his arms) light-brown flannel button-up shirt, a plane white shirt underneath the flannel, and faded blue overalls. His brown leather boots, marked up with dried up mud, were worn-out and weathered from hard farm work. Around his neck was a solid red bandana.

"Then let's get a move on!" Connor said in a mock commanding voice.

Both boys, playing along with the joke, saluted Connor and said, "Yes, Sir!"

The three of them laughed and began walking closer to the monastery. As Connor stepped onto the monastery's grounds, he was met the slight draft of emptiness within the air. He caught himself before he let out a sigh. He glanced down at the two boys.

It seemed to him that the children, oblivious of the recent events, were unaffected by the chilling feeling of forlorn in the air. Only those who knew Nox personally, or at least knew oh the events, could feel the lonesome cavity that it had caused.

They probably felt as though nothing was out of place. Perhaps they might have felt a subtle prickling sensation on the back of their necks; the type one might get when walking into an old, broken-down abandoned home. Yet, even if they did, they had shrugged it off as nothing as little boys often do.

Boaddai sensed Connor's and the boys' presence, alerting him that they have arrived. He went to wait by the monastery's entrance with Mookee by his side. It hadn't been long until Boaddai saw Connor and the boys approaching. When they were finally standing before him, Boaddai smiled- though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Greetings, Master Boaddai," Connor smiled warmly and then bowed deeply.

"It's a pleasure to see you after so long, Connor," Boaddai greeted Connor, returning the bow. "I was surprised when you called so urgently to inform me that you would be arriving a few days early."

Connor laughed. "Yes, well, you know how my job is. When I get a free moment, I have to take advantage of it." He paused and studied Boaddai. "I hope this wasn't an inconvenience for you." He was aware that the past few weeks had been tough on the old Redakai.

"Oh, not at all," Boaddai shook his head. "It's never an inconvenience when it comes to you." He smiled warmly down at Ky, "Hello, Ky."

"Hello, Master Boaddai," Ky responded, beaming up at the Redakai. "Hey, Mookee," he greeted the little alien.

"Hi, Ky!" Mookee squeaked back, running forwards, and then hugged Ky around the neck.

Boomer stood there awkwardly, glancing from the strange orange creature, Mookee, and then to Boaddai. He knew it was rude to stare and glance around like this, but he had never seen an alien before let alone a Redakai. He could actually feel the power exuding from Boaddai. It was strangely just as intimidating as it was friendly.

"Son, aren't you going to introduce your friend?" Connor nudged his son gently, after noticing Boomer's reluctance.

"Oh yeah!" Ky looked down with a sheepish grin. "Master Boaddai, this is my friend, Boomer," he said, meeting Boaddai's gentle gaze once more. "Boom," he then turned to his friend, "that's Master Boaddai. He's going to train us to be Kairu Warriors!" He then made a small gesture to Mookee, who was smiling warmly, "And that's Mookee. He's the alien I was telling you about."

"Howdy," Boomer smiled politely. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Master Boaddai and Mookee."

"Likewise, Boomer," Boaddai replied. "Mookee," he addressed the orange creature, "why don't you show our new guests around?"

"Sure thing, Master Boaddai," Mookee nodded. "If you guys come with me, I'll take you both to your rooms. Then I'll show you around."

"All right," Ky nodded. He turned to Connor, "See you later, Dad."

Boomer glanced at Connor, then said, "See ya 'round, Mr. Stax."

"See you later, kids," Connor smiled back. "Mind your manners!" he called after them as they had begun to walk away. His comment was met with mutters of annoyance.

"I'm assuming your visit is more than just to drop off Boomer and Ky," Boaddai remarked as soon as the boys were out of earshot.

"You're correct," Connor sighed. He quickly glanced around. There were only birds and insects around. Yet, he couldn't help but feel suspicious. "Can we go to a more… private area?"

"Certainly. Follow me to my study," Boaddai bade Connor to follow him.

They made their way to Boaddai's private study in silence. When they reached the chamber, Connor sat down on one of the couches. Boaddai sat opposite Connor.

"Now, what was it you wished to discuss?" Boaddai asked.

"First and foremost," he began, rather solemnly, "I am terribly sorry about Nox's capture." He paused for a few seconds, "It's tough to have a student torn from your side. I can empathize. Jane's disappearance hit me hard."

Boaddai nodded in silence. He had remembered when Jane, Connor's apprentice, had been kidnapped by Damien, an old enemy of the Redakai Council, ages ago. It had been tough on Connor. He did not achieve solace until Damien was captured and was incarcerated. However, it was too late to save Jane. By the time Damien was found and captured, the young woman had already been tortured and killed.

"I can't imagine how it would feel like if I had a hand in raising that student," Connor went on. "It must feel like a family member being abducted…" He glanced at Boaddai and saw the pain in his former master's eyes. "I'm sorry for rambling."

Boaddai gave an appreciative nod. "No, it's not a problem. I appreciate your condolences," Boaddai said with a weak smile. "Actually, it is rather like losing a family member. I imagine that this feels liken to losing a daughter or, perhaps, a granddaughter to a kidnapper," he added softly.

There was a brief moment of understanding silence. Once Connor believed he had paid his respects, he began again. "Secondly," he continued, taking on a grateful and mirthful expression, "I came to thank you in person for agreeing to train Ky and Boomer."

"I am more than honored to aid a former student of mine," Boaddai replied. "I hope to aid them in their quests and help them reach their full potential."

"I knew you would," Connor remarked happily. He smiled, "That is the precise reason why I've brought my son and his friend here. If anyone is capable of training either one of them, especially to the best of their abilities, it's you."

Boaddai nodded. "I must say," he mused out loud, "I was surprised when you contacted me and asked to train your son. If I remember correctly- it was just moments after his birth- you held him in your arms, looked down at him, and then told me that you, 'couldn't wait to train him.'"

A laugh escaped Connor's mouth. "Ah, yes," he smiled, remembering his enthusiasm when his son was born. "I had said that." He then took on a more solemn countenance. "Unfortunately, being the Head Kairu Keeper has made that dream of mine challenging," he sighed. "I now see it would be difficult training both Ky and Boomer considering my current occupation. That difficulty has now doubled. As you know, I'll be spending countless hours trying to track down enough Kairu deposits to replenish the stolen reserves. If I were to attempt to train them and maintain my current position, the boys wouldn't get the proper training they deserve."

"I see," Boaddai nodded slowly in understanding. "Ky and Boomer would be good company for Maya. Hopefully they will aid her in these troubling times."

"Indeed," he agreed. He looked over Boaddai and noticed his unease. "Any luck with the investigation and search for Miss Kenway?"

"We are still in the early stages of processing the evidence," Boaddai answered gravely. He leaned back until his the back of his robes were flush against the couch's cushions, and then sighed, "From personal experience, I know that Lokar will be difficult to track down. He rarely leaves a trail, especially if he doesn't want to be found. I fear we will never find Nox."

Connor shook his head. "Now that's no way to talk!" he scolded. "Lokar may be crafty, but you mustn't loose hope! Not this early in the game, anyway. It's only been a few weeks."

Boaddai nodded, "Perhaps you are right, Connor."

He smiled, "Aren't I always?"

A soft chuckle came from Boaddai. "I see you are in desperate need to be humbled." As much as Boaddai appreciated Connor's efforts to cheer him up and comfort him, Boaddai still felt uncertain about everything. "Connor," he asked, his grey eyes betraying his pervious laugh, "how has the search for the Kairu reserves been fairing? Has our sensors picked up any, even the tiniest traces, of the stolen Kairu reserves?"

Connor then noticed Boaddai's lingering uncertainty. He hated seeing his former Master so uncertain. It bothered him greatly. "No, I'm sorry," he answered regretfully. "We're trying our best. Wherever Lokar has taken the stolen Kairu, he, just like you mentioned, covered his tracks very well."

"He always does," he commented bitterly.

"Master Boaddai," Connor pondered softly, "you knew Lokar personally at one point. Have you any insight about how his mind works?"

Boaddai took a moment to reflect on the past. A frown crossed his lips. "Despite growing up and training with Lokar," he began resentfully, "I never fully understood how Lokar's mind worked. He has always been something of an enigma to me."

"That is frustrating to hear," he stroked his beard. "So we truly have nothing to work with." He let out a troubled sigh.

"Unfortunately, it seems so," he agreed. "This does not bode well. It is very important we rescue Nox soon," he began, a wariness in his voice. "She has the potential to be one of the most capable student that the Redakai Council has trained."

That grabbed Connor's attention. He leaned forward a bit. "She's that talented?"

"Yes," Boaddai answered with a distressing sigh. "Nox is very gifted with the ways of Kairu. Even at a young age she has proven to possess incredible talents."

"That's incredible," Connor commented. "I've heard such students come once in a life time."

"Yes, they certainly do," he nodded. "Her potential surpasses my own and may even exceed the Redakai Council's as well, Connor." He paused for a few seconds, finding the words to say. "Regrettably, her skills all ways seemed to fall just short of where they needed to be."

"Was she difficult to train?"

"No, not at all," he shook his head. "She is a quick learner." He brought his gaze to meet Connor's. "The only difficulty that hindered her progress was her lack of self-control."

"That's not at all uncommon for young Kairu Warriors," Connor tried to placate Boaddai.

"No, perhaps not," Boaddai agreed. "However, I believe her lack of control stemmed from her own fears."

Connor narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"About a year or so ago," Boaddai sighed, reflecting on the past, "I noticed that Nox's power and abilities were beginning to blossom at an almost alarmingly fast rate. Naturally I decided to test her skills.

So, one day, after I observed an impressive display of her prowess, Nox and I had a Kairu Battle. She had been preparing to use an attack on me," he went on. "I had been focusing on her attack so I didn't notice that Maya had wandered into the training arena.

"Nox released her attack, and I stepped out of the way," he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "By the time Nox and I had noticed Maya was close by, it was too late."

"Well," Connor asked impatiently, "what happened?"

Boaddai slowly closed his eyes, and then opened them again. It took him a moment to collect his thoughts. He continued, taking on a resigned expression, "Maya was, thankfully, not in direct path of the attack. Unfortunately, the attack nearly hit Maya. The force of the attack's shockwave had injured Maya greatly."

Connor raised his eyebrows, and exclaimed, "Erian's beard!"

"I had never seen Nox so terrified," Boaddai sighed. "She would not relax until I had made certain that Maya was completely all right. Her guilt shattered her confidence completely, I imagine."

"It was difficult to help her gain self-confidence, I'm guessing," Connor remarked.

"It was. I don't think it would be incorrect if I said that the incident left Nox with a greater sense of protection of Maya. Ever since, I've noticed that she focuses more on Maya's safety rather than her own." Boaddai sighed. "Admittedly, it was my own fault that Maya wandered into the arena," he confessed. "I had thought she was napping. I wasn't aware that she had woken up and started to roam around."

"That must've been tough," he sympathized.

"Precisely," Boaddai gave a nod. "Despite what she has told me, I doubt she ever stopped blaming herself." He noticed his comrade scowling. "What is it, Connor?"

"But didn't Maya mention that Lokar had taunted Nox by saying she wasn't strong enough to control her own power?" He then muttered softly, "Sorry for snooping."

"It is not a problem. Anyway, yes," Boaddai nodded, "Maya did say that."

"Do you think Lokar knew about her self-doubt?"

"Absolutely," Boaddai said tersely. "He would have sensed her hesitation from the very beginning. Though, I doubt he would have known about what happened." He sat up, and then continued, "I'm certain that her fear and sense of responsibility for Mayas safety created unnecessary obstacles." He then added bitterly, "I speculate it was what eventually led to Nox's capture."

"I don't understand why she would take on an opponent much stronger than herself," Connor frowned.

"She most likely determined that it was the best way to protect Maya," he answered. "I don't doubt her judgment. She is a very skilled when it comes to analyzing situations and opponents."

Connor nodded in agreement, "I think I understand it now." He studied Boaddai briefly. "You mentioned that her potential surpassed your own abilities."

"Yes," Boaddai confirmed. "She possess latent skills that most Redakai and Kairu Masters take years to develop."

"Has she ever been able to tap into those powers?"

"No," he shook his head. "When I instructed her to attempt to use them, her insecurities forced her into failure. Yet, before the incident where Maya was accidently hurt, Nox displayed a rare talent of manipulating pure Kairu."

"She had to have some other training before coming here. Where did she live before coming here?" Connor asked skeptically.

"I found her one day during my travels to visit an associate of mine," he answered.

"Really? Where?"

"Outside of South Africa," he stated briefly. "She was alone, famished, and wandering aimlessly," he explained.

"Do you know where she had lived prior to that?" Connor questioned.

"I believe she had once lived somewhere in America, considering her accent," he speculated. "Although, I don't know which state specifically."

"Has she ever talked about anything to you?" he asked.

"She very rarely talked about her past," he responded with a shake of his head. "When I had first met Nox, I had asked her where her parents were. She told me that she had no family and that her parents were dead. So, I took her in."

"Poor kid," Connor said softly. "That's such a horrible past."

"Indeed it is," he nodded.

"Do you know what happened to her parents?"

With another shake of his head, Boaddai said, "That I'm uncertain of. I'd imagine they were killed by an assailant of some type. But, I truly have no idea."

Connor sighed and dragged a hand down his face. "So she's most likely had no previous training at all. This doesn't make sense... How could she manipulate pure Kairu?" he muttered to himself. "Are you certain that she doesn't have any relatives with a background in Kairu?" He picked up his gaze and noticed Boaddai's look of discomfort.

"I wouldn't rule that out completely," he sighed.

Connor frowned slightly. It seemed to him that Boaddai was being strangely cryptic with his answers. That was odd. He wondered if Boaddai was deliberately withholding information or if he truly did not have the answers. "Boaddai, is there something that you're not telling me?" he said sternly.

Unease passed over Boaddai. "I… Yes, I am." He let out a deep sigh. He closed his grey eyes briefly, and then opened them slowly. His grey eyes were heavy and solid. "She has the Mark of the Dark Master on her arms," he uttered, not much louder than a faint whisper, as if it were some unmentionable phrase.

Connor stared wide-eyed at Boaddai. His shoulders dropped and his blank expression communicating his disbelief. He was certain his ears were betraying him. He must've heard wrong. He blinked a few times, shook his head, and then said, "I don't think I heard you right. Did you just… Please tell me I heard wrong."

"Connor, believe me, you most certainly heard right," Boaddai muttered softly.

"How…" he shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, "How is this possible? That mark is genetic. It's a rare one at that. We would have to know her parents!" He lowered his eyebrows. Connor stared disbelievingly into Boaddai's eyes, and then asked, with faint uncertainty, "Wouldn't we?"

"I had thought that too. After I had checked our archives, there was nothing that lead me to believe that she was born into a family of Kairu that we have any records of," he stated.

"But she bares the Mark!" he hissed under his breath. "How could we have missed cataloging her family?"

"Connor, you ought to know better," Boaddai said firmly. "Just because someone possesses innate Kairu abilities does not grant them the title of a Kairu Master. Just because one holds an X-Reader in their hands does not mean they are a Kairu Warrior. The same goes for the Mark. Just because one was born with that particular Mark does not meant that their family had any knowledge of Kairu."

The former student stared at Boaddai for a moment or so. He tried to absorb the information Boaddai had given him. He, however, found it difficult. He straightened his posture, and asked softly with a slight frown, "Is she like Maya?"

"Yes," Boaddai nodded. He understood Connor's bias, and that was the main reason why he hesitated to tell Connor the truth. "She is a good kid. A bit lost, but still good."

He stroke his beard and muttered, "Which ever family Nox came from, they obviously had some knowledge or connection, whether it was rudimentary or proficient, in the dark side of Kairu."

"Perhaps," Boaddai agreed. "Yet, that doesn't mean Nox was knew of anything. When she began training, it seemed she had no knowledge of Kairu," he added, hoping it would help Connor process everything.

"I wasn't aware of that," Connor muttered to himself.

"Now do you see why it is so essential that we find her?" Boaddai asked, frustration in his voice. "If Lokar turns Nox to the dark side… If he taps into her true potential… We will have a serious threat on our hands."

He sighed, "I see now… That this is much larger and more serious than I had originally thought." He couldn't shake his dread of the Mark. He knew what it meant. He knew that not all people who had it were evil, yet, he couldn't cut himself loose from that dread and loathing.

The masters sat in silence. Nothing but the sounds of their breathing and the faint, but recognizable, noises of the nature outside.

"I've made such horrible mistakes," Boaddai said suddenly. He dropped the act. The guilt was too much to bear. "This is the universe's way penalizing me for my actions. I'm sure of it."

Connor sat there for a moment, staring at Boaddai. He had never seen such despair in Boaddai's eyes before. "Whoa, hold on," he shook his head and raised his palms. "Now just wait a minute. That's no way to talk. You did your very best. There's no point in beating yourself up about it!"

"It's true, though, Connor," Boaddai said sadly. "It was my hesitation to teach her the skills she needed that landed her as Lokar's prisoner of war. It was ultimately my lack of action that allowed Lokar to pursue Nox and Maya."

"What do you mean by that?"

"When Lokar first attacked the tournament, I had a choice to make." Boaddai frowned at himself. "I chose unwisely. I could have allowed the Council to battle Lokar without me while I searched for my students. Instead, I made the unwise decision to stay and fight."

"You stayed to fight alongside your colleagues!" Connor exclaimed, perhaps a little too enthusiastically. "That's loyalty to a cause. Nox would've wanted you to back up your comrades, right?"

"I didn't stay to help defend my comrades or the citizens at the tournament," he confessed softly. "My main reason was to defeat Lokar. I wanted to defeat him for my own selfish purposes."

"Boaddai…" Connor titled his head to one side. "We all have moments like that," he said softly. "We can't stop them, but we can definitely learn from them."

"You're right, Connor."

"Perhaps we should go check up on Ky and Boomer," Connor suggested, trying to get Boaddai's mind of things.

"That would be wise," he gave a weak, yet sincere, smile.

The two masters stood up, made their way out of Boaddai's office, down the corridor, stepped outside, and began to search for the boys and Mookee.