Well hello there and welcome. This is a side story for all you guys. It should be more understandable thanks to my friend Haojie 1992 who has revised it. So yaaay! Hope you guy like it and gives you an idea of why ren has his pillow phobia. All righty here ya go…

Winter's pillow

Side story.

It was snowing as it always had in the small village of crystal tears. Ren was playing inside with all his other friends since his parents had to have a meeting with the rest of the parents. The other children would gather around Ren and ask him to play with them. It wasn't so strange for Ren to have all the attention.

He played with them, but he never truly felt as part with them. It was time for dinner, but Ren didn't want to go and eat at that moment. He looked out into the window and could see the snow was growing little by little, and the people in the house wouldn't be able to leave. He sighed. It annoyed him as he wanted to be alone. Yashiro was among the children. He played with him on occasion, but they had somehow become the best of friends.

It was midnight and the children were still up but playing hide and seek. He continued to look out the window. He was waiting for something he wasn't sure what exactly it was that he was waiting for, that was when he noticed something in the snow.

He could see it was flowing in the wide space; he stopped and could see light brown hair flowinf form he wind. He graved his coat and took one of the other girl's coat and went out. It took him a while to get outside since the wind was harsh against anyone who would dare invade its space.

He managed to get there after falling many times. He looked and found the brown hair and he began to dig around it, while trying to ignore his horrible thought. He was out of breath by the time he was able to find what he had feared. It was a small girl within the snow. She was pale and cold, but she was still barely breathing. He pulled her out of the snow and managed to put her on his back and made his way back to where the safe haven of his home where there would be a warm fire place. The girl was barely awake so he needed to hurry. He fell to the ground and he sigh while wondering why was his body so weak. He had been sick since he was small and was told to be very careful in the winter night or it could be deadly. He stood up not wanting to hear those voices.

"Poor boy, he's been so weak lately." "Be nice to the boy. He needs cheering up because it isn't his fault that he's frail." Comments like that irritated him and he just wanted them to shut up and eat their own words. He stood up and walked toward the girls and boys who were all yelling for their parents to come and save him. He reached the house and his parents looked at him and took the frail girl off his back. His father hugged him and patted his head and took him to his room so he could change while his mother went to go and change the small girl. Ren walked attentively into the room where the small girl was being held and went over to her side. He looked at her and was amazed. The girl seemed like she had been sleeping as though she had never been out in the snow.

The blizzard continued outside without sparing anyone. The adults fed the children and it was time to play again. It was warm inside the house and Kyoko slowly opened her eyes. She had no idea as to where she was or what had happened. All she knew was that she was somewhere warm. She could hear a knock and saw a woman came in with a tray of food as she closed the door behind her. She sat at the foot of the bed and smiled at the girl.

"You were out there for quite a while. I brought you some food while you warm up. Where are your parents?" she asked.

"I don't have any." Kyoko said, taking the spoon and taking a bit soup.

"I see, but you shouldn't have been out in this winter storm. You could have die." She said.

Kyoko just looked at the woman and smiled.

"How did I get here?" Kyoko asked, confused as to how she even got changed without realizing.

"Oh, of course, how could I forget, my son, Ren, brought you in. He's actually the one who saw you out in the snow. He decided it would take too long to go and get us and explain what was actually wrong."

"Ren?" she asked.

"Yes, he's a good boy who wouldn't leave a person to be in pain or suffering if he had anything to say about it." She said smiling.

"Well, there's more food in the kitchen. If you would like more, just ring the bell and someone will come to see to you. Is there anything else you need?" she asked.

"Ah no, no thank you."

"All right, you can rest peacefully.." she said.

She left the room, and Kyoko looked around. She looked at the fire place trying to get warm but it was no use. She would never be able to get warm. Never. Her heart was too cold to be melted by the simple fire. She would watch the fire flame dancing as the music on the other side of the room continued on playing. The door opened and someone came in. she ignored the person and continued to look at the dancing flames.

"You are looking better," said a boy's voice.

She looked to the boy and wondered who he was and what business he had being in the room. The boy was tall for his age still handsome with short black hair and blue eyes. Wearing a jeans and a blue shirt which bring out his eye color.

"I just came to see if you were okay." He said looking at the fire place.

"I'm, I'm okay…thank you." She said nervously.

She had been alone in the snow for a long time, and it had seemed like there was going to be no one to help her. She had seen her whole life flashed before her eyes several times which caused her to cry. Now she looked at the young boy and she smiled she was grateful to the boy and for his help, but she had to leave. She couldn't be a bother to him or his family. She looked at herself and found that she was wearing a light yellow dress. And her long brown hair flowed by her sides. Ren blushed. She was adorable, in truth Ren had seen a lot of pretty girls his age and older, but there was something about the simplicity of how she looked and the bright smile she had.

"I'll show you to the spare bedroom." He said blushing.

"Th, thank you." She said blushing a bit.

She liked the young boy. She remembered the name Ren but she wasn't sure if it was this boy or someone else.

"Excuse me…is your name r…ren?" she said stuttering on his name.

"Yes, but you haven't told me you name yet." He said.

"Ky, Kyoko." She said.

"Kyoko, it's a nice name." he said with a smile.

She stopped and she looked at him. No one had ever said such a nice thing about her name or anything about her. They walked up the stairs and there was screaming heard from the next room where the children playing. They came to a room and they went inside. Kyoko froze. She was confused, and she wasn't sure whether to be shocked or amazed. The room was huge, and all around the room, it was covered with pillows of every shape and size. Ren looked at her and smiled.

"Come this way." He said, leading her to somewhere within the room.

The pillows were stacked up and would look like a castle from the outside.

"Why are there so many pillows?" Kyoko asked, still confused as to what she should be feeling.

"Come this way." Ren said.

Ren had never shown his hideout to anyone. His mother had had her protective stage in which she was overprotective and had made his room into a pillow base. Eventually his dad had convinced her that he was in no danger but that he was going to get traumatized as he grew older. They arrived to the center of the castle of pillows. There were toys everywhere. He looked around and smiled as he found the thing he had wanted to give her.

" Here." He said.

"What's this?"

"A necklace. I was told to give it to someone who I thought would take good care of it."

It was a necklace with a black bat in the center with two red jewels which made up its eyes.

"I, I can't take it." She said stuttering.

"Take it."

"No."

"I'm giving it to you."

"No, it was given to you and I can't just take it." Kyoko said.

"I would really appreciate it if you took it." He said.

He smiled a smile which scared the living daylights out of her and she quickly took the necklace. He laughed and she was confused as to how it even happened. She smiled and put it around her neck. She smiled and bowed.

"Thank you." She said and holding it close to her.

Ren had no idea as to why he had given her the necklace, but he felt as though she should have it. He looked at the pillows surrounding the room and noticed as he always did that he hated pillows. There was a sound in the far off distance of the room and he looked around. Someone was inside the pillow kingdom. It shouldn't have bee possible, but he then remembered he forgot to close the door. There was heavy footsteps. Kyoko was so happy with the necklace she wasn't really aware of what was going on. He looked around and then he could hear some of the pillows falling.

"Why so many damned pillows?" said a man.

"Rich people never understood their eccentricities. We gotta hurry. The boss wants the kid. You know what he'll do to us if we don't get the kid to him."

"It shouldn't be so hard. It's only a kid. He's about ten years old or something. No problem."

"We should still hurry. This place looks like it could collapse soon enough." Said the second man.

Ren looked at Kyoko. Had she not been there he could have ran away easily. He was used to running from kidnappers and people who tried to use him as leverage. It annoyed him, but he like the sense of adventure. Well, but at this moment, he really didn't like it one bit. Normally he was with someone more trained or had experience, but the girl seemed innocent in any of the danger that the world could bring. He sighed. He would need to think of another way to save himself and the small fragile girl.

"Ren, this is so…" she stopped and she looked at Ren.

"Shhhh." He said and looking around.

"Hey, I think I heard a kid's voice over here."

"If there's another kid with him, kill them."

"All right."

"Follow me." Ren whispered.

They crawled under a secret pillow cave that he had made when the incident happened. Kyoko followed after him and was scared. She had no idea what was going on just that it was a dangerous situation. The tunnel was long and it feel like hours and hours of crawling. Ren stopped, and Kyoko looked and expected something else but nothing was there. Then there was something like water being dropped on the ground.

"Do you really have to do this?" Asked the second man.

'The boss said leave no evidence. Best way to burn it. Don't' you think?" he asked.

"The boss said he wanted the kid alive not dead. This would be bring the kid dead." Said the second.

"The boss won't care. He's got everything he needs. I say let's kill the brat. We have more hostages outside."

"The hostages outside are a different deal. This kid is what's important."

"No, the kid's not."

"Yes, he is."

''No, he's not."

There were foot steps leading to the outside of the room and the door closing. Ren waited and then sighed. They were gone. Kyoko looked around and she seemed sick.

"Is there something wrong?" Ren asked.

" It smell weird." She said.

Ren broke the blocked pillow very easily, then he looked around the room. It was mostly torn apart and the smell of gas covered the room. He looked around, he wasn't strong enough to open the windows and there was nothing to break them. With the only option of throwing himself out the window, but he couldn't allow Kyoko to get hurt. No, he needed another way to save the girl. Ren looked at Kyoko and noticed she was shaking and pale.

"I'll get you out of here, I promise." Ren said.

"Okay.' She said, still scared.

Kyoko suddenly fell to the ground, and Ren went to her side only to begin to losing his eyesight and be surrounded by darkness.

Kyoko opened her eyes slowly and she began to cough. She looked around and could see smoke and fire all around her. She was scared, but she stayed close to the ground trying not to breath in the smoke. She was scared and she crawled but she was surrounded by flames and huge piles of pillows all around her. Then there was a shaking that encased her within a pillow prison.

She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. She deserved it. Her mother has always said she was useless and would be better off dead. She would just wait and hope that she would suffocate first before the flames reached her. Ren woke up and could see the distance to the bright orange red lights. He just wanted to sleep when he remembered there was something important he was forgetting. Then it hit him with a sharp pang to his mind. Kyoko! Where was she?! He looked around and could see he was being carried into the forest. He struggled and the guy sighed as he tightened his grip.

"Quiet, kid." He said, annoyed.

"I told you, you should have drugged him. He would have been more cooperative."

Ren kicked and yelled and even tried to bite the man, but the man ignored his protest. He was so annoyed he dropped him to the ground and took out a gun. Ren looked at the gun. Truthfully, he was slightly scared, but he was starting to get used to it. He looked at the man with pure hatred. His blue eyes turning to ice.

He pulled the trigger and the bullet came out of the barrel, he looked at it and he knew that it was going to be the end for him. He wasn't ready to die and he couldn't keep the promise he made to Kyoko.

"Rennnnnn…." Said a whisper which appeared out of nowhere.

A dark shadow appeared and the men stood back.

"Who the hell are you" asked one of the men.

" Leave or die." Said the strange man.

He was wearing a white suit and his hair was blond , he looked at them and smiled. He stood up and dusted himself off and waited for them to make their choice. They grabbed their gun and began shooting. He smiled as he dodged each bullet and grabbed the man who had shot him first by the neck. The man was scared. He was trying to breath. The other man ran for the hills.

"I suppose you choose to die." he said smiling.

" Please….don't kill….me..." he said while gasping to breath.

"Now, why should I not kill you? I mean it is self defense so people will understand. Also it's not like anything is going to stop me from doing as I wish.

"Ren." Said the whisper more fainter.

He stopped and let the man fall to the ground. He sighed and looked to where the smoke was originating from. He walked to the burning house and looked at the other captives who were already freeing themselves. He looked at the house and wondered how it was that everyone got out but not the girl. He was walking towards the door when a woman came and grabbed his sleeve.

"You can't go in there. There's nothing to risk you life over."

"Let me go." He said looking at her with his cold blue eyes.

"But…."

His cold blue eyes could never be warmed by any flame in the world no matter how hot it was, but he had to keep the promise or he would never forgive himself. He walked into the house avoiding the burning boards and holes that seemed to only continue. He came to the room and looked around the pillows that were covering anyway to escape. He walked through when he could hear coughing. He arrived to the origin of the coughing and looked down. Kyoko was on the ground and she seemed more dead than alive. He kneeled down and pulled the pillows to the side and he noticed she had blood on her back. He grabbed her gently and carried her in his arms. She was small and fragile and her breathing was weak. She needed a doctor.

"Can you hear me?" he asked.

She was breathing heavily. He cursed. He needed to get her outside. He looked over t the windows and looked around. There was nothing around him that he could use to throw at it to break it. He grabbed a few pillows and held it to her side it might cause less injury but who would know. He ran toward the window and it smashed. He held her tightly and waited for impact. He opened his eyes and he sighed. He was hurt and bleeding on his arm but a minor cut which would heal eventually. He looked around and found Kyoko a few feet away. He stood up only to find himself back on the ground. He had hurt his leg during the fall. He limped to the small girl and he carried her in his arms, it was a bit difficult with the limp leg, but it was okay.

Three hours later

He arrived to the nearby hospital, and the doctor took Kyoko into the emergency room and began to see how he could help her. Ren sat there. His cold eyes wondering why he even saved the girl. She was a human child and nothing more. The doctor came out and sighed.

"Ren, you really have to stop doing this."

"I told you my name is not Ren. Forget it."

"Well, it doesn't matter. Let me check those wounds and then you can go and see your friend." The doctor said.

The doctor checked on him and found he was healing quickly but was still having trouble with his leg. He came into the room and he saw her sitting down and taking a bit of the small jello she was given. He looked at her and sighed and was about to leave when he felt something hit his back. He turned back and he saw her just as she had be before he turned around.

"A pillow?" He asked,

He always hated the things, but he used them. It was a strange combination. He picked up the pillow and came towards her. She smiled and held out another jello cup and a fork. He took a seat next to the bed and he sighed.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, looking at the wall.

"Good, why did you save me?" Kyoko asked.

"Isn't it common sense?" he asked.

"Ah, ah yes…..th…th…thank you." She said blushing.

"There's nothing to thank me for since I just didn't want anyone to die with pillow all around them. They are not safe."

"But they are used for when we sleep. So does that mean that when we sleep, they could be dangerous?" She said.

"There's a difference."

"Not really."

He looked at her and sighed again. He noticed the necklace around her neck. He wanted to burn it to ashes. It was not meant to be worn especially by the innocent girl.

"Why do you have that?

"Ah, Ren gave it to me." She said smiling.

"Did he?" he said sighing.

"Yes, it's really pretty."

"Could I hold it?"

"No."she said.

"all right."

He left the room and waited for her to fall asleep, he himself fell asleep. He woke up and saw it was an hour later and he went into the room and he saw her laying down ad sleeping peacefully. He came close to her and sighed. The necklace was entangled in her hands. He would have to take it out without disturbing her.

He came close to her and sighed as he tried to unlatch the necklace but it wouldn't come off. He looked at the girl and sigh. There's nothing he could do. He kissed her on her fore head and sigh.

"Sleep little one, I kept the promise and I will burn that necklace, I promise you that."

All right tell me what your guys think abotut his side sory. Any questions are welcome and comment as well. Until next time.