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Description
"Hiro's been grumpy a lot lately. Maybe I should give him some space…" Hayate murmured, shaking his head slowly. The silver haired youth leaned to the left, arms slack at his sides.

A slight breeze caught the tail end of his black leather jacket, fluttering it slightly. A white skull gleamed in the black T-shirt he wore, reflecting the light of an early morning dawn. He left the doorway of his small apartment, leaning on the second floor railing. He glanced at the slightly open door, hearing the tinny cacophony of snores.

Hiro, Indie, Sasha, Lassic, and he had stayed up late the night before. Empty bottles and cans littered the floor, a silent testament to the previous night's activities.

"I can't believe they drank so much," Hayate muttered, breathing a deep, resigned sigh. His thoughts turned again to the attitude that his best friend had had of late. "I…should probably just give up."

Judging by the snores he could hear, Hiro was sleeping the sleep of the drunk in his room of the small two bedroom apartment. Lassic and Indie both doubtless occupied the couches in the main room, even now. Sasha had been the last to give in to the sultry sound of slumber, passed out in a heap on his bed.

He looked up at the clear morning sky, noting the complete absence of clouds. A perfect contrast to his mood, in fact; his thoughts were currently dressed in shadow.

"What ails you, friend?" Lassic asked, walking out of the apartment. The white haired man wore a simple tunic, and a loose pair of slacks. A warm, reassuring smile adorned his face as he patted Hayate's shoulder. "Come, it's much too early in the day, and you are far too young to bear an expression of such sorrow and sadness."

Hayate sighed, shaking his head. His lips parted…

A sound like a dull roar raised the boy's eyes, drawing them towards a flash of red on the distant horizon. Hayate frowned, glancing from side to side to get his bearing, before he turned back in the direction of the flash…

His face paled. His breathing grew swift and shallow. An expression rising on his face that Lassic had never seen on the face of his stalwart friend; fear. Pure, unabashed fear. Lassic nodded grimly, his own brow knitted tightly as he ran to the door. "I'll get the others!" Lassic shouted. It was only after doing so that he realized Hayate had already disappeared…

* * * * * * *

Hayate ran down the street, his chest gripped by the chill hands of fear. He slid to a stop at the edge of the wood. He hardly paused for an instant; a faint cry reached his ears, but he shrugged it off. Running down the dirt path, he proceeded into the wods. Tens of minutes passed, quickly blending into an hour, then two. Panic and fear lent strength to his limbs, even as fatigue fought to bring him down.

Sweat drenched his body as he finally came to a stop, He leaned on a tree for support, his body burning from the exertion. He glared across the ravine; a single tree bridged the gap. "Damn it! This is exhausting…there has to be a faster way…" He muttered, falling to his knees.

A girlish scream lifted his eyes, in time for a harp to sound. Unprepared, Hayate's body seemed to explode with pain. He stumbled away from the tree with a sharp groan. The pain disappeared as soon as it had appeared; Hayate's gaze dropped to his assailant, eyes wide with shock. A winged neko stood before him, dressed in a tight red top, and a loose, flaring white skirt. Her wings, adorned with white feathers, reached down to her ankles.

"Who are you…" Hayate growled out, glaring at the harp in her hand.

"D-Don't kill me…please…" she whimpered, falling to her knees at Hayate's approach. "I-I just w-want to get home!" She stammered, covering her face with her small, delicate hands.

"Answer the question!" Heedless of her whimpering, he snatched her up, a hand on the neck of her shirt as he glared.

"K-Kisala! I'm Kisala Wraithguard!" She shouted, voice quivering. She coughed, her wings trembling violently as she continued; "I was a research subject at a mansion north of here! I-I don't know what happened…" Tears dripped from her eyes. Hayate felt his rage cool at her words, sighing as he slowly lowered the girl to her feet.

"Take me there," he said decisively, staring down at Kisala. She coughed on the ground, and he sighed. "I'm sorry. I was rude and cruel. My name is Hayate Maehara. It's a long story, but I have to get to that mansion. I'm related to someone living there. I just…"

Description
"Hiro's been grumpy a lot lately. Maybe I should give him some space…" Hayate murmured, shaking his head slowly. The silver haired youth leaned to the left, arms slack at his sides.

A slight breeze caught the tail end of his black leather jacket, fluttering it slightly. A white skull gleamed in the black T-shirt he wore, reflecting the light of an early morning dawn. He left the doorway of his small apartment, leaning on the second floor railing. He glanced at the slightly open door, hearing the tinny cacophony of snores.

Hiro, Indie, Sasha, Lassic, and he had stayed up late the night before. Empty bottles and cans littered the floor, a silent testament to the previous night's activities.

"I can't believe they drank so much," Hayate muttered, breathing a deep, resigned sigh. His thoughts turned again to the attitude that his best friend had had of late. "I…should probably just give up."

Judging by the snores he could hear, Hiro was sleeping the sleep of the drunk in his room of the small two bedroom apartment. Lassic and Indie both doubtless occupied the couches in the main room, even now. Sasha had been the last to give in to the sultry sound of slumber, passed out in a heap on his bed.

He looked up at the clear morning sky, noting the complete absence of clouds. A perfect contrast to his mood, in fact; his thoughts were currently dressed in shadow.

"What ails you, friend?" Lassic asked, walking out of the apartment. The white haired man wore a simple tunic, and a loose pair of slacks. A warm, reassuring smile adorned his face as he patted Hayate's shoulder. "Come, it's much too early in the day, and you are far too young to bear an expression of such sorrow and sadness."

Hayate sighed, shaking his head. His lips parted…

A sound like a dull roar raised the boy's eyes, drawing them towards a flash of red on the distant horizon. Hayate frowned, glancing from side to side to get his bearing, before he turned back in the direction of the flash…

His face paled. His breathing grew swift and shallow. An expression rising on his face that Lassic had never seen on the face of his stalwart friend; fear. Pure, unabashed fear. Lassic nodded grimly, his own brow knitted tightly as he ran to the door. "I'll get the others!" Lassic shouted. It was only after doing so that he realized Hayate had already disappeared…

* * * * * * *

Hayate ran down the street, his chest gripped by the chill hands of fear. He slid to a stop at the edge of the wood. He hardly paused for an instant; a faint cry reached his ears, but he shrugged it off. Running down the dirt path, he proceeded into the wods. Tens of minutes passed, quickly blending into an hour, then two. Panic and fear lent strength to his limbs, even as fatigue fought to bring him down.

Sweat drenched his body as he finally came to a stop, He leaned on a tree for support, his body burning from the exertion. He glared across the ravine; a single tree bridged the gap. "Damn it! This is exhausting…there has to be a faster way…" He muttered, falling to his knees.

A girlish scream lifted his eyes, in time for a harp to sound. Unprepared, Hayate's body seemed to explode with pain. He stumbled away from the tree with a sharp groan. The pain disappeared as soon as it had appeared; Hayate's gaze dropped to his assailant, eyes wide with shock. A winged neko stood before him, dressed in a tight red top, and a loose, flaring white skirt. Her wings, adorned with white feathers, reached down to her ankles.

"Who are you…" Hayate growled out, glaring at the harp in her hand.

"D-Don't kill me…please…" she whimpered, falling to her knees at Hayate's approach. "I-I just w-want to get home!" She stammered, covering her face with her small, delicate hands.

"Answer the question!" Heedless of her whimpering, he snatched her up, a hand on the neck of her shirt as he glared.

"K-Kisala! I'm Kisala Wraithguard!" She shouted, voice quivering. She coughed, her wings trembling violently as she continued; "I was a research subject at a mansion north of here! I-I don't know what happened…" Tears dripped from her eyes. Hayate felt his rage cool at her words, sighing as he slowly lowered the girl to her feet.

"Take me there," he said decisively, staring down at Kisala. She coughed on the ground, and he sighed. "I'm sorry. I was rude and cruel. My name is Hayate Maehara. It's a long story, but I have to get to that mansion. I'm related to someone living there. I just…"