Somewhere in the Merged Realms

Kaia huddled into a small ball behind some bushes, hoping the mysterious cyborg-hunter that had been chasing her wouldn't see her. The ten-year-old white-haired girl had been living in the forest for several years now, ever since the day she had woken up in a small clearing, alone and with no memory of where she had come from or how she had gotten there. It was during that time that she had first discovered her powers. For reasons she couldn't explain, she had somehow gained the ability to create a trail of golden crystals with a simple touch. She had thought no one knew about these strange powers—until today. As she huddled behind the bushes, she could hear the hunter coming closer and closer. Within a few seconds, her pursuer was so close she could hear him breathing.

"Where are you, you little scamp? You can't hide from the Elemental Hunter for long! I'll find you if it's the last thing I do!"

As Kaia listened to the Hunter yelling threats left and right, she could feel a sneeze coming on. She tried desperately to stifle it, but it was no use. Before she could blink, the Hunter reached into the bushes and pulled the girl out. With his enhanced strength, he held her at arms' length, as if she was a flea-bitten cat. Kaia twisted and writhed in his grasp, kicking at him, trying desperately to do something—anything—that would help her get away. But the Hunter simply laughed at her feeble attempts to escape his clutches. "I have you now, you miserable scamp!" he shouted in her face.

At that moment, Kaia completely lost her nerve. "Help! Help! Somebody help me, please!"

The Hunter simply guffawed and gripped her even more tightly. "There's no one who can save you now!" Suddenly, his attention was drawn by a great battle cry coming from behind him. As Kaia and the Hunter watched, a green tornado came swirling out of the forest. It slammed into the Hunter, and Kaia suddenly found herself launched into the air. The tornado suddenly disappeared, and a blond-haired young man in a green suit and hood leaped up and caught Kaia. He then managed to land on his feet and set the frightened girl down.

The Hunter had been knocked into a tree by the strange green tornado and was now dead to the world. Kaia knew that it was only a matter of time before the Hunter woke and was after her again. She stood up, then turned and bolted into the forest, hoping to get far enough away before the Hunter came to.

"Wait!" a voice cried out from behind her. She turned to see her rescuer rushing towards her. Frightened that this was simply someone else who wanted her for her power, she tried to run away. But in her haste, she tripped over a tree root and hit the ground face-first. Desperate to escape, she tried to stand up. A sharp pain shot through her ankle, and she sat down again. Realizing that she wouldn't be able to get very far, she huddled into a tiny ball against the tree and squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the boy to snatch her and carry her away, just as the Hunter had tried to do.

Lloyd skidded to a stop in front of the young girl he'd just rescued. Clearly, she was frightened that he was going to do whatever that hunter had planned to her. After hearing her cry out, he had wasted no time in activating his Spinjitzu and attacking the hunter. Now it was clear to him that the hunter had definitely been up to no good. For all Lloyd knew, that guy was bent on kidnapping this innocent child. And from the looks of the girl's sweaty brow, torn clothing, and the thorn scratches on her arms, the hunter had been chasing her for some time.

The girl started to whimper softly, like a small, trapped animal. He wondered if it was safe to touch her, but when he got close, she opened her eyes and screamed like a wild animal.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. It's all right. I'm not going to hurt you."

The shrieking stopped, and the young girl simply looked at Lloyd, eyes wide with fear. She hid her hands in her lap, and Lloyd wondered if she was trying to hide something from him.

"My name's Lloyd. What's yours?" he said, kneeling down in front of her and kindly extending his hand. The girl didn't say a word, but just kept on staring at him.

"Wow, aren't you a quiet one." Lloyd said thoughtfully. Then he stopped suddenly. Quiet One—that's what Harumi had called herself. He shook the thought away and looked at the girl intently. Even though she was all scratched up, she was still a beautiful child. Her hair, bound up in two braids, was a shocking white, even lighter than his own. Her black eyes seemed to have golden specks in them, like brightly burning stars on a moonless night. The torn lavender dress she was wearing looked pale against her skin and accentuated her eyes even more.

He looked down and saw her already-swollen ankle. She must have sprained it in tripping over that tree root. "Um, that ankle looks pretty beat up. I imagine you won't be able to walk on it for at least a few days. I can help you wrap it—Marshal showed me how to do basic first aid—" He stopped as he realized he was rambling. The girl seemed to calm down as she realized that he was going to help her. He then slowly eased his arms under her and lifted her off the ground in a fireman's carry. The girl offered no resistance, going almost limp in his arms.

As he carefully carried her farther into the forest, she seemed to trust him as she fell asleep in his arms. Looking down at her, he could feel a sudden longing stir in his heart. He had always wanted a sibling of his own. The other ninja and Ninja Pups were good friends, but he longed to have the same kind of bond that Kai and Nya, or Twinkle and Andrew, or Tuck and Ella, or Strider and Ranger, or the Golden Pups had. And now here was a little girl—beautiful and terrified—sleeping in his arms as he carried her to safety.

As he walked, he suddenly saw the kitsune again, staring at him up on a rock. The look on its face made Lloyd wonder if this is what the kitsune had wanted all along. The kitsune then turned and began walking away from him again. Lloyd followed painstakingly, hoping he wouldn't have to do any more running. Thankfully, the kitsune did not make Lloyd chase him this time.

Soon the threesome were at the coast. Lloyd saw Toothless curled up on the beach, enjoying the warm sun. Apparently, the big dragon had recovered from his plunge and headed to the beach for some sunbathing. Toothless looked up as Lloyd ventured onto the beach, carrying a young girl in his arms. The kitsune turned and ran back into the forest, but Lloyd thought better of going after it. It would come back—he was sure of it.

He set the girl down on the sand. Then he knelt down and used some washed-up seaweed to form a makeshift wrap for her ankle. Toothless got up from his sunbathing and ambled over to Lloyd. He sat down and purred in confusion.

"She was going to be kidnapped. I had to help her." Lloyd replied. The answer seemed to satisfy Toothless, and he curled his body around the tiny girl, as if trying to protect her.

Protect. The word came into Lloyd's mind the moment he saw Toothless curl himself around the girl. Yes, that was his mission now—he needed to protect them—both of them. And he would—until his last breath, he would constantly seek to protect them. They were all he had left, and he would not lose them if he could help it.