Ky rolled over on his side. He had been up for the past few hours unable to fall back asleep. He could hear the soft sounds of the early morning through the walls of the room he and Boomer shared. Boomer let out a loud snore as he slept on the bottom bunk. Ky sighed. Flashbacks of the times he spent with his father ran through his head like late night reruns. Overwhelming sadness came over the teen. Ky suddenly found tears building up in his eyes. He could no longer hold them back. Gripping the sheets until his knuckles turned white he pulled them crushed his pillow on to his face. The sound of the sobs was muffled by the soft comforting pillow.

"All right, son," a soft yet thick voice called, "Let's see how well you can control your inner kairu." A tall man wearing a thick winter jacket stood outside the door of a small wooden cabin in Alaska. He had Short black hair and a thick, short beard. He had sparkling blue eyes.

"Okay, dad!" Ky answered back as he put on his boots. Once he had his boots and coat on he ran outside after his father. The small boy shared very similar traits to his father. The soft snow crunched under their feet as they walked through the thick Alaskan woods. "Where are we going, dad?" Ky beamed up at his father. Just like all children the young Ky Stax held that innocent and naïve serenity of childhood.

"Patients, Ky," Connor chuckled, "We're almost there." Finally they made their way to a rocky clearing in the woods. Rocks of all sizes where scattered across the area. There was little snow on the ground which made the clearing seem unnatural and out of place. Once they reached the middle Connor turned to his son, "Now Ky, I want you to try to lift a few of these stones," Connor motioned to some of the rocks as large as apples, "for as long as you can. Got it?" Ky nodded exuberantly. Placing his hands together Ky focused on all of the kairu energy around them. A large stone nearby began to wobble. Connor smiled, "Keep it up! You're doing great!" Confidence swelled in Ky. Using all of his concentration Ky was able to lift three of the stone high into the air. "That's my boy!" Connor was over came by pride.

"I did it!" Ky said excitedly. Unfortunately his excitement broke his concentration and the stones crashed to the ground. He looked to his father with sad eyes expecting to find his father's cold disappointed. But that was the opposite. He found Connor's eyes filled with an emotion Ky did not understand. But Ky knew that whatever it was, his father was happy.

"Very good," Connor praised, "we'll have to work on your concentration later." Connor ruffled Ky's hair.

"Stop it, dad," Ky whined.

"You're going to do great things, Ky," Connor beamed down at his ten year old son. Ky looked up at his dad. In that moment, the bonds between father and son and the love that they shared was indescribable. But that moment wouldn't last long. Connor's X-Com went off. Connor quickly brought Ky back to Boaddai's and Connor began to say goodbye. Connor tried to explain to Ky that he had to go, but Ky wouldn't hear it. He was mad at his father; they were supposed to spend the day together. But Connor had broken his promise. When Connor went to hug Ky goodbye, Ky wouldn't let him. With time running short the two masters left. Had Ky known that was going to be the last time he was going to see his father, he wouldn't have done that.

Once Ky learned that his father went missing during the rescue mission for Nox. He had grown angry at the very mention of her name. But that anger was transforming into new emotions; pain, regret, loss, sorrow, and agony. Ky pushed his face harder into the pillow. A throbbing pain banged in his chest. Realizing he had stopped breathing, Ky lifted his head off the pillow. He gasped in the cool air as quietly as he could. Once he was breathing normally again, Ky checked to make sure Boomer was still asleep. To his relief, the Boomer had slept through Ky's sobs. Exhausted, ky flopped down on his pillow and let the dizzying darkness know as sleep engulfed him.

"Nox?" Maya knocked on Nox's door. She had so many questions going on inside of her head it was going to explode.

"Yeah?" Nox's muffled voice came through the door. It was really early, Nox did not do mornings. Maya cautiously walked into Nox's room. Nox was sitting quietly at the desk with the lamp on. Maya couldn't tell what book it was because Nox shut it rather quickly. Turning in the chair Nox studies Maya. The teen was still in her pajamas, her light blue hair was messy, and her eye's held an emotion Nox knew too well. "Maya," Nox sighed, "What's wrong?"

"I can't sleep…" Maya muttered.

"Sit down," Nox gestured to her newly made bed.

"Nox, I keep having nightmares… About being… Well I'm worried about going evil…" the teen confessed. Maya started to fidget with her hands. "I don't think Boaddai would be able to answer my questions…"

Nox leaned back against the wooden chair. She ran a hand through her hair, "I do know a bit more about the dark side of kairu than the Redakai… I'm not sure I'll be able to answer your questions. But I will do my best."

Fidgeting more Maya grimaced, "I know I shouldn't let this get to me… But I'm still mad at Ky and Boomer for not listening to me in the maze… And when Zane used that… that Lokar's Shadow attack on me… It twisted my anger and my thoughts. But it wasn't just Ky and Boomer I was mad at. I think I was angry with everyone… and because of that anger I turned evil." She paused. Maya found Nox sitting quietly and listening. "And my thoughts made some sort of sense in that moment…"

Nox nodded. She understood Maya's feelings. Nox closed her eyes considering Maya's worries and thought, How am I going to explain this… Finally Nox remembered a story she heard during her travels. "Maya, I once heard a story, an old Cherokee legend actually,

An old Grandfather said to his grandson, who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice... 'Let me tell you a story.

'I too, at times, have felt great hate for those who have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It's like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times.

'It is as if there are two wolves inside me; one is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way.

'But...the other wolf... ah! The littlest thing will send him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all of the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing.

'Sometimes it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit.'

The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eyes and asked, 'Which one wins, Grandfather?'

The Grandfather smiled and quietly said, 'The one I feed.'"

Maya sat absorbing every word Nox had just spoken. Not only did she have to absorb the information given, Maya was taken aback by the way Nox had told the legend. Nox spoke every word so clearly, with such feeling and carefully as if she had rehearsed the story in front of a mirror until she got it right. "Nox… You always know what to say…"

"Not always…"

"Can I…" Maya felt childish for having to ask this but she had to, "Nox, can I sleep in your room? Please? It's like 4:50 in the morning… We don't have to be up until 6:45…"

Nox smiled, "Sure, as long as you don't mind if I continue to read."

Maya nodded and lay down on Nox's bed. For some reason Maya always felt comfortable around Nox. Sleep overcame Maya moments after her head touched the pillow. Nox dimmed the lamp light so it wouldn't disturb Maya. Suddenly, Nox shuddered. The fact was, Maya would've been more disturbed had she known that Lokar had been here, in this very room, cuddling with Nox on the same bed Maya was now sleeping on just hours before. Not to mention if she knew about their relationship. The same feeling of guilt and ignominy crashed into Nox as if she had just tripped and fallen into a puddle of her own lack of self-worth. She felt disgusted with herself. How could she not consider Maya's, her best friend's, feelings in all of this? How could she not take in the fact that this in some way will affect Maya? Falling deeper into the hole of disgrace caused by her scandalous affair, a playback of everything she had done wrong flashed before Nox's eyes. Once again, a whirlwind of uncontrollable emotions stormed through her body and mind. Grabbing the book she was reading before Maya walked in, she forces her attention onto the words. It was the only way Nox could cope with such anxiety: read; read until you finish the whole book and the anxiety is gone. It wasn't the best way of dealing with things, after all, it didn't solve the problem but rather shoves it under the rug, but it was the only way Nox could calm herself. Other than those self-destructive things she'd used to do.

"Boomer," Ky walked into the X-Scaper's kitchen, "where's Maya? She's not in her room."

"Maybe she went for a walk," Boomer replied as he pored himself some cereal.

"You think she'd go for a walk this early?" Ky wondered.

"Either that or she might be in the library," Boomer said preoccupied with poring milk in his bowl. "Ky," Boomer said as he shoveled his food into his face, "You alright? You see a little… off today." Chewing loudly Boomer waited for his friend's reply.

Ky panicked. He had tried so hard to hide his misery but people might see right through it. A thought crashed into him, what if Boomer heard me crying? Ky tried once more to shove down his sadness, "Yeah, I'm fine," he lied, "Just a little tired. I didn't sleep well," there was some truth in that statement.

"Alright," Boomer said with his mouth full of cereal.

"Boomer," Ky said guardedly, "What do you think of Nox?"

A spout of cereal splattered on the wall opposite of Boomer. "What do I think of her?" Boomer paused. He had to think about this. "Well… I'm not sure if I trust her. I mean… She turned into that thing and I think that was pretty scary… But she was really nice when she helped us get Maya back on our side…" Boomer placed the spoon down on the table. "I guess she's a bit frightening at times but she's not that bad, I guess. Why do you ask?"

Grinding his teeth Ky frowned, "I don't like how Maya is always around Nox…"

"Dude," Boomer raised an eye brow at his friend, "Why do you care that Maya is always around Nox? I know she isn't the most trustworthy person after all that has happened. But she doesn't seem to be all that bad."

"I think that Nox is a bad influence," Ky snapped. He instantly regretted doing that, Boomer was his friend. Ky shouldn't have snapped at him.

"I know Nox is a bit unethical, but if Nox was bad Boaddai wouldn't let her stay here. And Maya's a smart girl, she knows the difference between good and bad," Boomer affirmed.

"I still don't think Maya should hang out with Nox… I mean, we don't even know what she did when she left five years ago. She might've joined Lokar and is like a double agent or something," Ky cogitated.

"Ky," Boomer frowned, "I think you're being a bit ridiculous… If Nox was working for Lokar why would she help us get Maya back on our side?"

"Maybe it all part of a bigger plan…" Ky countered.

"Ky… You're not jealous of Nox, are you?" Boomer questioned.

"No!" Ky shouted indignantly.

"Really? Because you didn't seem too happy when Nox was helping us out… or when she found the kairu and Maya…"

"I am not jealous!" Ky snapped.

"Jealous of what?" Maya asked calmly as she walked into the X-Scaper. Maya, unlike Ky and Boomer, was fully dressed and ready for action.

"Nothing," Ky and Boomer in perfect unison.

"Weird…" Maya walked to get some orange juice out of the fridge until she noticed the milk splatter on the wall, "Guys… what happened…?"

"I… I uh…" Boomer stuttered.

"Never mind… I don't want to know…" Maya sighed as she opened the fridge and got some orange juice.

"Where were you, Maya?" Ky asked in a softer tone than he had talked to Boomer with.

"I was with Nox. I needed to talk to her about something," Maya took a swig of her juice.

"Which was?" Ky asked suspiciously. Anything that had to do with Nox always made him distrustful.

"Girl things, Ky. I talked to Nox about girl things," she said playfully. She knew saying something like that would throw Ky off.

"Well… I…" Ky stuttered and blushed.

Just then their conversation was interrupted as a high pitched shriek came from the X-Scaper's door. "What did you do to my ship?!" Mookee wailed. He saw the mess Boomer had made. "I let you guys barrow her even live in her but you desecrate my lovely ship?" It was true, Mookee allowed Team Stax to use his ship on missions and he let them sleep in it.

"Whoa… Mookee," Maya soothed, "Calm down. Ky and Boomer will clean up the mess." Mookee relaxed a bit but was still upset as how they made a mess. The X-Scaper's kairu detecting system went off alerting them that there was a kairu deposit.

"Well that's our cue!" Ky called happily. He went to walk over to the map screen but Maya shoved a towel in his arms.

"You and Boomer need to clean up the mess," she demanded, "Mookee can fly us to the deposit."

"Fine…" Ky and Boomer groaned as Mookee to the controls of the ship and they prepared for takeoff.

Nox was walking silently along the trails. She missed these trails. They had a supernatural power Nox could not describe. They gave her a peace of mind few things could. This allowed her to think clearly and rationally. It lifted the stress and disquiet of a guilty conscious. Which, in turn, prevented those pesky anxiety attacks that Nox frequently had. It was not full tranquility but close. Nox breathed in the cool fresh air. Abruptly, the setting changed. Which was once peaceful, the trail held a darker, indistinguishable tone. Nox found herself curious. She didn't know where this was coming from. But she was going to find out. Then it hit her. She knew what she was sensing and began to worry. "You've been very reckless these past few days," Nox spoke softly. Though her voice was soft it still cared well through the trees.

"Have I now?" it chuckled. "Well, I thought I'd have to drop by and see how you're doing. After all, last night you were a little down, my dear."

A/N: I do not own the Cherokee legend.