Laven, Northernland Year 1905 of the House Xavier

"You're going to be okay," the woman whispered softly to her daughters as she kneeled down to be at the same eye level as her.

She smoothed down the older girl's white-blonde hair, staring into her lilac eyes. Then, she turned to her younger child, smiling sadly as she ruffled her hair. The black-haired child made no acknowledgment to the affection. She only responded to her older sister's touch. The eldest daughter, however, was very aware of everything that went around her. She was much more alert than any ten year old girl should have been. That was what worried her mother. "What's going on, Momma?" she asked quietly, her small hand curling around her younger sister's. The younger girl looked up at her with curious coal black eyes.

"It's nothing, Darling. We just aren't safe here anymore."

"Is it because of me? Is it because of my Pearl?"

"No, no. Do not blame yourself. It's not-"

"Open up in there!" a voice boomed from outside.

The mother's head snapped around to look at the door directly across from the kitchen they were in. Through the tightly drawn curtains, the older girl could see the gleam of fire. The mother carefully pushed them further behind the table so that they couldn't see the kitchen. She stared straight into her daughters' eyes, "You two must leave, Sera."

"What about you, Momma?"

The woman laughed humorlessly, "I'll be fine."

"Why are you lying? You can use your Gift, can't you?"

"I don't have enough energy, sweetie. They won't hurt me though. I promise.

She paused at the sudden pounding on the door. Then, in a swift movement, she traveled over to the wood barrier. She placed a scarred hand against the wooden surface, feeling the vibrations. She turned to her daughters, and shouted, "Go! Run, Sera! You must get Lydia out of here!"

"No! I won't leave you!" the girl in question screamed, gripping her younger sister's hand tighter.

"You have no choice, my child," the mother said softly, her brown hair tumbling out of it's bun as she pressed her back against the door.

Banging continued to echo through the house. "Go," the mother pleaded. "Take the underground route."

Part of the door splintered. "GO, SERAFINA!"

Sera nodded and ran into the parlor, throwing aside the carpet. A small trap door was revealed as she yanked it open and climbed down, her eight-year old sister in tow. The trap door slammed closed just as the door caved in with a crunch. Fortunately for the two hiding girls, you could only tell the door was there if you knew it was. They heard scuffling and the thumping of large boots. "I'm the only one here," Sera's mother asserted.

Sera pulled Lydia closer to her, clamping a hand over the child's mouth. "We heard other voices," a deep male voice growled.

"It's only me."

"Tell the truth and your punishment shall be less strict."

"I am telling the truth!"

A scream, then silence... Something wet dripped onto Sera's head and she noticed liquid oozing through the cracks in the floorboards. The elder sister held back bile when she realized it was blood. It wasn't her mother's blood though, she could still hear her fighting against the men. Thankfully, Lydia was still clueless. "Search the house!" a voice barked and there was thumping in all directions.
As silently as possible, Sera glanced at her sister and began running through the winding tunnels. She knew the pathway by heart. Lydia stumbled after her as they made their escape.

Eventually, the night sky became visible, stars gleaming brightly. Sera paused at the end of the tunnel to climb up the steep hill. She hauled Lydia up onto her back, turning to face their house. In the darkness, they could barely make out it's shape. A large group of people were gathered in front of the place they had called home for so many years. One of the figures was thrashing around wildly. Sera knew it was her mother, because the woman was screaming their names. The older sister knew they'd have to pretend to be dead. There was a small dot of light that was flung into one of the windows. It made a sickening crash before the wooden structure was lit up with flames. In the echo of the tunnel, Sera could barely make out the sound of footsteps.

Without looking back, the ten-year old and eight-year old sisters sprinted off into the forest. They knew in that moment that their lives would be changed forever. Serafina and Lidiyana Perald no longer existed. They no longer belonged in this imperfect world.

2: This Imperfect World of Mine

Aquaria, Northernland Year 1911 of the House Xavier

The smell of smoke from the large metal train floated through the otherwise clear air. The sky was bluer than it could ever be in the city and not a single cloud was spotted among the vast and endless sea of platform for the small town's train station was desolate, devoid of all life and activity save for the occasional cat or dog that would scurry across the wood in search for food.

A single figure stepped off the train and onto the platform. The hood of the dark purple cloak-like trench coat was drawn over the head of this mystery person, leaving their identity a question. She was obviously a young woman with curves and a full body, but her age was unknown. In her hand, she clutched a black suitcase only big enough to contain maybe a change of clothes and a few other necessities. Her black shorts that reached mid-thigh and gray tank top were barely visible underneath the folds of her coat along with two silver semi-automatic pistols resting on either side of her thighs. Her slim fingers were covered with white fingerless gloves, contrasting with her otherwise dark aura.

She turned slightly at the sound of footsteps descending down the metal stairs. It wasn't long until another young girl joined the first on the platform, hidden within the folds of a black cloak. For a moment, the two glanced around before heading towards the direction of town just as the shrill whistle sounded.

The town, Aquaria, was strangely as empty as the train station. It was a nice day, not too hot nor too cold. And as both of the travelers looked around, they wondered where everyone was. This was supposed to be one of the busiest towns in Bobia, well-known for their exports of lake trout. Even from their spot at the edge of town, they could see the large lake. It was perfect fishing weather and yet there were no people in the moored boats. "This is strange," the one in the purple coat muttered as her footsteps fell in a steady rhythm against the concrete sidewalk. "Do you suppose it's because of the Arks?"

"Yes, Sister," the black cloaked girl replied while pulling down her hood. "It's nearby and it's bloodlust is growing very steadily. By tonight, it should be ready to victimize." Black curls cascaded down the young girl's shoulders, framing her pale, slightly freckled face. She glanced at her apparent sister with stormy gray eyes, the irises blending together with the pupils to create a strange combination of values. She was beautiful, there was no doubting that, but there was something about her that seemed... dark. Appearances could never be more deceiving. "Kitty!"

The young girl sprinted off after a stray kitten. Cats usually run off when they see a crazed human, but this one just stared at the dark-haired girl. She scooped it, cuddling it to her chest, which was very flat. The gray kitten purred and rubbed itself against the girl. "Sister?!" the girl called hopefully.

"No, Lydia. We can't keep a pet," the older girl replied, keeping her hood up.

"But..."

"No and that's final."

Lydia pouted moodily, but set the animal down, running her fingers through the smooth fur one more time before wandering back over to her sister. "You're mean, Sera."

Sighing, Sera pulled down her hood. It was shocking how different the two girls looked. As opposed to her sister, Sera had striking white-blonde hair that curled slightly around her pale face and calm lilac eyes that followed her younger sister's movements carefully, though affection was still visible in their guarded depths. She appeared to be in her late teens with an okay-sized chest and smooth, flawless skin. She was taller than Lydia, but not by more than an inch or two. The older girl rolled her eyes, "You know as well as I do that we travel too much to own a pet."

"I just want a cat, though," Lydia replied dismally, kicking a rock and sending it crashing into a wall of one of the buildings.

"Or twelve," Sera replied with a half-smile.

"Ah, a dream come true! Cats everywhere!" Lydia clapped her hands together as she stared at the sky in wonderment.

The older girl shook her head, "You're impossible. Everyone knows dogs are better."

"I guess I am- Hey! Dogs are not better. They're hyper and smelly and mean-"

"And loyal and caring and the most adorable thing in the history of this universe," Sera finished.

"No, cats are."

"Whatever you say, Lydia," the older girl replied, walking away.

"Come back here! This is a very serious discussion. Don't ignore me when I'm talking to you! Sister!"

~~~

The man-like figure smiled wickedly at his victim, his pointed teeth gleaming. The poor woman in front of him held her last high-heeled shoe in her hand like a weapon. A useless wanted to scream for help, but the sound became a shaky, "What are you?"

He laughed madly, "What do you think I am, doll? I'm an Ark. A demon, per se. And you see... tonight you are my victim."

Her eyes widened as her grip tightened. She couldn't die. She had a family, a husband, a life. Unfortunately for her, the Ark could taste her fear and to him, it was delicious. He licked his chapped lips hungrily. "Your screams will sound beautiful," he told the terrified woman, stepping forward.

"Too bad you won't hear her scream," a new voice announced from behind him in the alley.

The Ark froze. There was no fear in those words. When he spun around, he was faced with a mysterious girl. She had a hood drawn over her face, concealing her identity. "Who are you?" he growled lowly.

He got a shrug in response. "No one in particular," the female voice continued, speaking at a cool, even pace.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, I could be who you think I am or I could be someone else entirely. 'Who are you?' is such a useless question, don't you think?"

"You talk too much."

"No, you just talk to little."

"Idiot."

"Ark," she laughed softly. "You know, you really shouldn't broadcast your heritage like that. Some people don't like your kind."

He glared at her. "I don't have time for you," he grumbled, turning back to his dinner.

Click. He went stiff, glancing backwards out of the corner of his eye. The girl had two silver pistols trained accurately on vital weak points. She sighed resignedly, "I was hoping to do this easy way. I suggest that you leave the young lady alone or else I'll have to use force."

They were beautiful guns, hand carved with the patterns of leaves and vines, curling around the barrel and handle like ivy. In careful, curving letters, the words "By the light of the moon and the darkness of the sun, let the heavens the lands and all the worlds in between lead us into the dream of Oblivion." were imprinted. The Ark didn't not move, but growled lowly, "I'm really getting tired of you."

A half-smile was barely visible on her face, "What are you going to do about it?"

The Ark shook his head, taking a moment to glance at his soon-to-be victim. Only, there was a black-cloaked figure standing in front of the startled woman. Before he could react, he was slammed against the brick wall. He glanced at his restrained arms, seeing only black tendrils wrapping around the placid skin. He then turned to gawk at the black-cloaked girl in disbelief. "A Shadow Knight," he wondered quietly.

"Sister, the Shadows are hungry..." she whispered in a sing-songy voice.

"Don't get carried away," the first girl said, idly leaning against the wall as she examined her glossy fingernails.

The Shadow Knight giggled, "Of course not."

The Ark felt himself sinking deeper into the Shadows. "Please!" he cried. "Please don't kill me! I'll do anything!"

"Anything?" the older girl asked, while she pushed off the wall.

He nodded urgently, her greasy black falling in front of his face, "Anything!"

She briskly walked to him, her shoes clicking on the asphalt. He blood-shot, slitted eyes followed her movements. She paused directly in front of him, "Do you know anything about Juniper Perald."

He licked his lips nervously, "No..."

"Liar!" she threw back her hood, her long white-blonde hair spilling over her shoulders and framing her porcelain face. He squirmed. It wasn't her ghost-like appearance that unnerved him, it was her eyes. The lilac orbs glowed in the gloom of the night, the moonlight making her hair look like a white halo. He found he couldn't move and began to tremble when she stepped closer. "Tell the truth," she commanded, her eyes flashing menacingly.

A strange feeling washed over the Ark, making him thrash angrily as he tried to fight the power overcoming him. He nearly screamed when his mind finally gave in. "She was last seen in Risen," he recited monotonously.

She sighed and the Ark blinked blankly. His eyes settled on the girl. "You think I'm evil?! Nothing is more evil than you! Because you have the Gift of the Pup-"

He was cut off by the Shadows enveloping him, devouring his physical being and launching him into an empty, black existence.

~~~

Sera laid down on the couch, throwing a hand over her eyes. Without her coat on, she was left in her gray tank top and black shorts. She kicked off her boots and lifted up her legs, carefully sliding the guns out of the black leather holsters and then taking the holsters themselves off. Downstairs, she could make out the towns people celebrating the end of the Ark's reign of terror. She heard Lydia come in through the door and the smell of fried fish drifted to her. She shot up like a bullet and nearly jumped on her sister. Lydia laughed, holding the tray away from Sera, "Easy there. I don't want to drop the food."

The older girl pouted but backed off, sitting on the arm of the couch. Lydia nodded approvingly and drifted over to the coffee table, setting the tray down. "Micah called," she said.

"Ugh! What did he want this time?"

Lewis Micah was a General in the military and in charge of the Ark Hunter's Association (AHA), making him Sera and Lydia's direct superior. AHA was in charge of hanting down Arks, humanoid creatures that only cared about destruction and bloodlust. Sera and Lydia just happened to be the two youngest Elite S-Class Hunters, Sera being promoted to one at the age of thirteen after killing an Ark that had killed over three thousand people in two centuries. Lydia had followed her sister at a close second, aged fourteen. In fact, the mission they had just finished was her first as an Elite.

Lydia shook her head as she sighed, "Really, Sister, sometimes I wonder if you like anyone."

In response, Sera stuck her tongue out, earning a chuckle from her younger sister. The older girl picked up her fork and began to twirl it around her fingers. Lydia began setting the food on the table, "He said that our services are needed in Tamrold."

"The center battlefield right now?" Sera confirmed, taking a sip of her appleberry cider.

The black-haired girl nodded, starting to cut up her lake trout, courtesy of the fishermen. She popped a bite of it into her mouth, chewing slowly. When she swallowed, a smile split out across her face, "Sister! This fish is delicious! You have to try some!"

Sera laughed and took her sister's by taking a bite of her lake trout. Lydia was right, it was delicious, but it had the bitter taste of what was supposed to be victory.

3: Reluctance

Tamrold, Northernland Year 1911 of the House Xavier

Sometimes, Matten would wonder if what he was doing was right. Truthfully, the was no wrong answer. People had sides in the War for years; but Matt Kingston, the human teenager, always asked himself if the same question when he killed innocent civilians. However, as Colonel Matten Kingston, he wasn't supposed to care; he was supposed to carry out orders without hesitation or worry, his superiors knew best. Such was the life of a soldiers. But the question still popped up, especially when he stared at the vast and seemingly endless fields of dead bodies.

He pushed back some of his blonde hair and stared at the bloodstained ground as he sparked the match. The smell of gasoline, blood, and quickly rotting flesh mixed in the air, making his stomach drop. Then, with a flick of his wrist, the match went soaring. He heard the sound of the explosion, but by that time, he was already walking away, the eyes of a thousand souls staring into his uniformed back with contempt and anger, but most of all confusion.

~~~

Matt was a handsome boy for his age. Blonde hair, deep maroon eyes, a square, angular jaw. He held himself high and walked like a soldier should. In his gray military uniform, with his spit-shined boots and creased canvas pants, people could look past his age and see him for the colonel he truly was. Still though, he was a very young colonel, well-known in the military. He also knew all of the youngest military personnel. So, I'm sure you can imagine his surprise when he entered the General's office and saw two girls around his age sitting on the couch.

The two of them were impossibly diverse. The older girl, who had white-blonde hair, porcelain skin, and hardset lilac eyes, leaned back against the leather couch cushions, her arms crossed over her chest. The younger girl seemed cloaked in shadows with black hair and gray eyes and straight, her pale hands folded on her lap. Matt raised an eyebrow at them and the older girl glared at him. As much as he hated to admit it, he was a little intimidated.

Choosing to ignore them, he turned to General Benjamin Varasin, seated comfortably behind his large mahogany desk. The older man had aged significantly over the years and had gray hair slicked back and smile as well as worry lines. He had clearly seen conflict, one of his amber eyes clouded over and unusable. He looked up from his paperwork, "Ah, Matten, my boy!"

Matt stiffly saluted Varasin, "You wanted to see me, Sir?"

"Yes, yes! I'm sure you noticed those two young ladies over here?"

Matt nodded glancing at them out of the corner of his eye. "Don't be shy now, introduce yourself," Varasin teased, a twinkle in his working eye.

The young colonel nodded and turned to the girls. "Hello, I'm Colonel Matten Kingston. Whom might you be?"

"Sera," the older girl grumbled, her voice surprisingly melodious.

The younger girl glanced disapprovingly at Sera before standing up. "Excuse my sister's impoliteness. My name is Lydia Valley. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," she bowed slightly.

"The pleasure's all mine," Matt replied, blinking slowly at how much their personalities contradicted with their appearances.

"Can we just get to the point?" Sera asked Varasin, the tone in her voice implying her annoyance.

"Ah, yes. Matten, Miss Sera and Miss Lydia are the AHA's top S-Class Elite Hunters."

That surprised Matt. His eyes slid from Lydia to Sera at an even pace. They seemed like relatively normal girls. Sure, they'd probably never be able to blend into a crowd, but that wasn't an unusual thing in Northernland where the majority of cultures were mixed. Becoming an Ark Hunter wan't the most difficult thing in the world to do, all you had to know was how to fight and maybe have control of your Gift and Pearl. However, becoming an Elite Hunter took some serious skill and an S-Class Elite at such a young age. He just wasn't sure if he wanted to believe it. His gaze lingered on Sera, who finally lowered her lilac eyes, as if she was ashamed of her position. "That's... Amazing," he finally said. "But why-"

"There have been several Arks spotted here in Tamrold, working across enemies lines," Varasin explained. "The Council suggested these two come over and help."

"The Council has gotten very involved in the war since the beginning. Why now?"

The Council was the government of Northernland, with the current king- King Henri Charles- at the head. They had left the majority of the war to be dealt with by the Generals and the military, only occasionally working on foreign affairs and financial issues. The majority of the Council's time was used working on governmental problems, like laws, public safety, and of course the AHA.

Varasin shrugged to answer Matt's question, "I don't know. But Arks are the Valley's area of expertise. However, very few people know of their position in the AHA and Council would like to keep it that way. I guess you could call them secret weapons of some sorts."

Matt nodded his understanding to why they were here. "But why am I here?" he questioned.

Varasin leaned back in his chair, "Show them around, give them a feel of the place."

The young colonel nodded, "Of course, sir."

Varasin grinned, "That's my boy."

Matt allowed himself a small smile.

~~~

"Let's get this straight-"

Matt looked at over at Sera, who hadn't spoken throughout the whole trip around Tamrold. They had ended at the military dorms, which were extremely large and surrounded by a large gate. A large blue flag with the image of a two-pronged gold key with the letters NL inside the ring; it was the Northernland national flag. Sera avoided looking at him as she spoke, "Lydia and I are going to get this done as quickly as possible and then we're leaving. I don't care about you, I don't care about this war, I only care about getting what I want. Do you understand?"

She looked at him and he nodded, hypnotized by her lilac eyes. "Good," she glanced at her sister. "Do you sense one?"

Lydia seemed exasperated with her sister for a moment before nodding, "I can feel the bloodlust in the air steadily rising. We might not even have a whole day before this one attacks."

Matt looked between the two girls, confused. He knew from his friend, Nick, that the Hunters had a unique way of communicating, it was one of the first things they taught a Hunter when they passed the Exam. Lydia turned to Matt, "Well, it's been wonderful to meet you, but I believe Sera and I will retire to our suite for the night."

Matt's concern immediately shot up, "W-what about the Ark?"

"They usually hunt at night," Sera answered. "We need to rest. It's not like Hunters are inhuman."

"I never said they were," he retaliated. "By the way, do either of you have Gifts?"

Lydia nodded while Sera shook her head. He looked between them, "So, only one of you have a Gift?"

The same response, but this time Sera nodded and Lydia shook her head. This made Matt only more confused. Sera glared at her sister out of the corner of her eye, before grabbing the black-haired girl's arm and dragging her away. "Bye, Colonel!" Lydia called, while waving her free arm.

She whispered something to Sera, who raised her hand in farewell. He couldn't help but smile slightly. "Who were those girls?" a voice behind him asked.

Matt glanced at his friend, Jayne, and saw Nicholas standing next to her, a smirk on his face. Jayne Avalon and Nicholas Dalton were Matt's closest friends and had been since he entered the military.

Jayne Mary Avalon was the third daughter in the prestigious Avalon family, the owners of nearly all the railroads in Northernland and some in Revelia. She had shoulder length curly straw blonde hair she normally kept up in a nearly perfect bun, tannish skin and yellow-orange cat-like eyes. She had animal-like features, such as the curve of her eyes, her long fingernails, and her slightly pointed canines. Despite having the Gift of the Shifter, she was a normal soldier in the military, a First Lieutenant to be exact. She wasn't wearing her gray military coat, just the black short-sleeve shirt worn underneath, her shoulder holster visible by her arm, the stationary pistol glinting in the sun.

Nicholas (Nick) Dalton was just another ordinary kid with big dreams. He was as disheveled as Jayne was uptight. His light blue eyes watched Matt with amusement as he ran a hand through his messy chocolate brown hair in desperate need of a haircut. His own coat had it's buttons undone and a sword was hilted at his side. He was Hunter, like Sera and Lydia, but he was lowly ranked, not even in the top fifty. He had a powerful Gift though; the Gift of the Spirits. It was a Gift that gave him a large amount of Pearl, or energy, in his blood.

"Varasin's granddaughters," Matt replied to Jayne's question.

Nick raised an eyebrow, "Why are you lying?"

"I'm not," Matt snapped, a bit too quickly.

Jayne gave him a strange look, "You aren't exactly one to lie, Matt."

Matt ran a hand through his hair, "Sorry guys, orders."

"Are you aware that they have Gifts?" Nick asked as Matt began walking away.

The colonel glanced at the brown-haired boy after he and Jayne began to follow. "Both of them?"he confirmed.

Nick nodded, "i assume you didn't know then."

Matt greeted one of the soldiers standing stationary in front of the Tamrold Military Dorms. The soldier saluted him before making a motion to open the gate. Matt turned around to face the Hunter, "I knew one of them did. The other denied having a Gift."

Jayne sighed, shaking her head, "Really Matt, you need to learn how to control your Gift better. It'll make you more in touch with the universe and the-"

"'Flow of Pearl in my blood'. I know, Jayne, you tell me everyday."

"I can barely understand how you are able to control a small portion of your Gift, considering the fact your Pearl is so unstable."

"It's turning bluer," Matt defended himself, walking past the now open gate.

Nick laughed, "It's more violet than blue, Matt. You should just admit defeat and stick to guns and swords."

Matt ran a hand through his blonde hair, "We've been over this, guys. I need to master the Gift of the Phoenix to rise at least two ranks. Then, I'm just that much closer to joining the Council and-"

"Changing the world, blah, blah, blah," Jayne finished, mimicking a mouth with her hand. "We know, Matt. You never shut up about it!"

He bowed his head, letting his hair shield his eyes, "I just want to end this damn war."

Jayne put a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to stop and look at her. "We all do-" she said softly. "but it's too difficult to put the time and effort into mastering your Gift. Especially here in Tamrold with the enemy so close."

Matt carefully shook her hand off and began walking again, "I hope I can get transferred to Carpé soon. If I'm farther away from the front lines, I can practice more."

"Why not ask that one girl?" Nick suggested absently.

Matt watched him as they strode through glass front doors. He gave a wave to the receptionist, who immediately wrote their names down. "Which one?" he questioned, striding towards the ornate spiraling staircases. He had always thought the dorms were more like hotels than something used by the military.

"The one with the white-blonde hair. She has a very powerful Gift and more controlled Pearl than I've ever seen in a human being."

Matt stopped two steps away from the stairs. Jayne and Nick had walked up the first step and glanced back at him. "What's wrong?" Jayne asked, a concerned look on her face.

"She's the one that said she had no Gift," Matt told them. "Why would she lie if she's so powerful?

"Maybe she was ashamed," Nick tried. "Not everyone likes their Gifts. It's not like you get to choose. Some Gifts aren't adored by society like mine or Jayne's."

"She has a Gift like mine," Matt speculated quietly before ascending the stairs, his two friends close behind.

4: The Ark of Tamrold

Tamrold, Northernland Year 1911 of the House Xavier

Sera fell face forward onto the couch in the suite. Being a Hunter had it's advantages; money, more money, free room service. Her mouth watered at the thought. Lydia giggled as she walked into the room, shutting the door behind her. "Are you thinking about free food again, Sister?" the younger girl questioned while removing her cloak.

Unlike her sister, Lydia wore very conservative clothing. Underneath her cloak, she had a simple black a-line dress with a knee-length hem and long sleeves. She kicked off her black combat boots, leaving her feet covered on in white wool stockings, and wandered over to Sera. The older girl glanced at her, some of her white hair falling in front of her face. She had obviously relaxed since they left the colonel. Around others, Sera hated looking weak or unprepared; so she kept up a strong, mostly emotionless front. However, around Lydia, she was incredibly fun and interesting.

She knew that she was in for a lecture, though.

Lydia crossed her arms over her virtually non-existent chest, "You lied to the colonel."

Sera sighed, burying her head into the couch cushions, "Can you please refer to him less formally? He's practically the same age as us."

"He's a colonel," the younger girl argued.

"And we're Elite S-Class Hunters, Technically, we outrank him."

"And what gave you that idea."

Sera looked at her sister and sat up, ""Hunters are eligible to join the Council, something that only Generals can do in the military. It would only make sense that Hunters outrank colonels."

Lydia paused, "I guess I can see your point, but that doesn't change the fact that you lied to an official in the military."

"It was necessary," she retorted.

"No, it wasn't. You should just acc-"

Sera bolted to her feet and glared down at her sister, causing the younger girl to flinch. "You don't understand, Lydia! How would you feel if your Gift was considered demonic, the devil's power?! It's terrible and I hate it! No one has been born with the Gift of the Puppets in hundreds of years and I doubt I can even be called human..." As if to prove her point, crimson tears rolled down her cheeks, leaving stained tracks on her face. Sera's hands dropped to her sides, the fingers curling into fists. She stared at the ground and spoke, her voice trembling, "Even an Ark has the right to call me evil. I wish I never-"

"Don't you dare wish your Gift away!" Sera blinked at her sister in surprise. Lydia was staring defiantly into her eyes, fire burning in the gray orbs. "Your Gift is a part of you! Without it, you'd be just another person on the street. Plus," she half smiled. "We'd never be able to find mom without your Gift."

Sighing, Sera eased herself back onto the couch. Lydia was right, as usual, and she knew it and walked away towards the kitchen, probably to make something for dinner. But Sera also knew she'd never be able to accept her Gift. Until her mother was found, until their family was complete again, she would use it; the power she wished she never had. After that though, she would let her blood fade to red.

~~~

Matt stared blankly at Sera, "You want what?"

She sighed, "I need ammunition for my pistols and since you are 'in charge' of me, I have your permission to enter the storage unit."

"Can't Hunters enter them by flashing their rings?"

Sear's hand went up to touch the ring dangling by a chain under her shirt. The design of the ring was two serpents curling around each other. One was silver with ruby eyes and the other was gold with sapphire eyes. All Hunters wore the ring as a sign of who they were. Matt's eyes followed her hand. She let it drop to her side. "Tamrold is outside of my jurisdiction," she explained. "I could apply to have it put under mine, but I don't plan on staying long and it takes several weeks to process."

"Oh," Matt nodded in understanding. "I'll walk you there."

"You don't have to, I'm not a baby. Just write me a note or something and I'll be on my way."

"No, no. I should take you there, just to be sure," he smirked.

"I said, I'm fine," she told him through gritted teeth.

"But you're not. I should protect a defenseless little girl like-"

He was broken off by a fist colliding with his his new position on the carpeted floor of his dorm, all he could do was stare up at her while he held his bleeding nose. The purplish liquid slipped between his fingers. Sera slapped her hands over her mouth to stifle a laugh, but a small giggle escaped. He glared at her, stumbling to his feet, "It's not funny!"

She shook her head, more laughter slipping out, "S-sorry. I just-" she broke off, laughing full out.

Matt wiped the last of the blood off his face as Sera continued to laugh. Eventually, her laughs turned into chuckles before dying altogether. He glared at her, "I don't think I'll even give you a note, now."

She raised an eyebrow at him, crossing her arms. "I don't like it when people call me 'little girl'. You don't have to give me a note, but without ammunition, I guess I'll just let the Ark destroy all of Tamrold."

He floundered for a moment until a small smirk crossed his face, 'Why don't you just use your Gift?"

To be honest, Matt was extremely curious as to what Gift she had. He could only recall a few ones that weren't very accepted in society. His Gift, the Gift of the Hidden, the Gift of the Guardian. But, even those Gifts weren't completely shunned by people.

Sera glared at him, "Who told you about that?"

He shrugged, "A friend."

She sighed, running a hand through her hair, "I'd rather not use my Gift, thank you very much."

"At least you can control it," Matt grumbled.

"I'd rather not have it all," she paused as if remembering something. She looked back at Matt, "Can you please just write me a note."

He let out an irritated breath of air, "Sure, whatever. Be back in a minute."

With that, he disappeared into his dorm, letting the mahogany door close behind him. Sera quietly leaned against the wallpapered wall as she waited for him to come back. After only a few seconds, she could hear footsteps echoing down the hall. They continued to get closer as Sera focused on the constant pattern of the steps. "Oh, you're that girl who was with Matt earlier."

Sera's eyes snapped open and she looked up with orangish cat-like eyes and blonde hair standing in front of her. The Hunter nodded, taking into account the girl's gray military uniform. "What are you doing here?" the animalistic girl asked.

"Getting something," Sera replied, glancing discreetly at Matt's door. She wasn't very comfortable talking to people she didn't know.

The other girl smiled, showing off a pair of sharp canines, "My name's Jayne Avalon."

Avalon. She was part of the wealthy Avalon family? She didn't really seem like the rich type. "Sera," the white-blonde haired girl introduced herself.

Jayne nodded as Sera pushed off the wall. Matt chose that moment to walk out, a half sheet of paper in his hand. "I got- Oh, hi, Jayne," he said, sounding relieved that he wasn't alone with Sera anymore.

Jayne grinned at her friend. "General Varasin said he needed to see you. Apparently," she glanced at Sera and walked closer to him. "Apparently, an Ark from Pillan crossed the border."

Sera's lilac eyes widened a millimeter before she snatched the paper out of Matt's hand and hurried down the hall, not quite running and not quite walking. Jayne stared after her with a raised eyebrow before turning back to the colonel, "What was that ab- Um, Matt? Why is there blood on your face? Hey it is bluer!"

Matt groaned before hitting his head against the door frame. That girl sure was a handful.

~~~

Sera and Lydia ran through the deserted streets of Tamrold. The majority of people in the town had been evacuated since it was a practically battleground. A few military personnel wandered around here and there, but other than that, no one was outside. The people that were outside gave the two girls strange glances as they raced past them. "Are you sure that's what she said?" Lydia asked, her voice a little breathless.

Sera placed her foot on the back of a bench, using her momentum to propel her forward. She glanced at her sister as they hit the ground, "I know what I heard, Lydia. An Ark from Pillan crossed the border."

"I still don't understand why we waited until now."

Sera stopped, looking down a sidewalk before sprinting across the concrete. "Going into Pillan would be suicide. They hate Northernlanders, it doesn't matter if we're Hunters."

"So, since the Ark crossed the border..."

"We can fight it with minimal interruptions and we won't get blown off the face of the world by a cannon or a grenade."

Suddenly, the booming sound of an explosion echoed through the streets, jolting the two sisters to a stop. Sera looked up and saw smoke curling into the darkening sky. "Dammit!" she yelled as she slammed her fist into a nearby brick wall.

"We need to hurry," Lydia suggested.

The older girl nodded and the two continued to run. A wall of fire flared up in front of them, forcing them to stop again. Sera groaned and pulled something out of the pouch around her waist. It looked like a small, silver grenade. Her violet eyes darted around before settling on a place in the shadows of a nearby building. She glanced at Lydia, who nodded in confirmation.

In one swift motion, she pulled the pin and hurtled it into the alley. There was bright flash of blinding light and a inhuman scream. After a moment, a woman-like figure stumbled out of the darkness and the fire vanished. The Ark held a hand over her eyes, blinded by the flash and Lydia kept their eyes on one specific shadow the Ark was stumbling towards. "One," Sera started under her breath as the Ark tripped slightly.

"Two."

Lydia's eyes darkened as did the shadows.

"Three."

The Ark stepped onto the Shadow. Instantly, black tendrils latched onto her feet. It gasped, removing her hand from over her eyes to stared at the two sisters with blue slitted eyes. Other than that, it looked like an ordinary human with red hair pulled up into two pigtails and pale, freckled skin. To Sera's surprise, it also appeared to only be the size of a little girl, dressed in a faded and tattered blue gingham dress. "Who are you?" Sera asked.

"Feli," the Ark answered cooly in a strange, warped voice.

"Why are you helping the Pillaners?"

"It's Master's plan," she replied with great admiration in her voice.

"Who's Master?"

"S-Sister?" Lydia interrupted, breathing in sharply.

Sera looked at her younger sister, who was a bit paler than usual and had beads of sweat slipping down her face. Her eyes flickered between gray and black as she looked at the older girl with a mixture of shock and fear, "She's resisting."

Feli laughed like a sadistic child as she began thrashing around. "Pull her into the Abyss!" Sera told her sister.

"I'm trying!" Lydia replied, looking at the shadow with intense concentration. "I can't do this on my own!"

"Dammit," Sear muttered, her hands trailing down to her guns.

Her fingers froze centimeters away from the cool metal. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She needed to think rationally. She could use her Gift, but there were so many people around. Than again, she could shoot Feli and that would distract her long enough for Lydia to pull her into the Abyss. But with her thrashing around like that, she could miss and kill her. The though of killing her made Sera's stomach drop and her throat constrict. She couldn't kill an Ark. It reminded her too much of him.

"Sera!" Lydia screamed.

The older girl snapped out of her thoughts and glanced at her sister, whose eyes were huge and no longer focused on the Ark. Lydia pointed to something behind her. The warning barely gave Sera enough time to drop into a crouch on the ground and blindly swing her leg around. She felt her foot connect with something and heard a sickening crack.

Without wasting a moment, Sera leaped up and jumped back. She spun around to where Lydia was holding the Ark in place, only to see the spot empty. She glanced behind her and saw nothing. Lydia knelt on the ground, breathing heavily. The black-haired girl's voice shook as she whispered, "I couldn't do it, Sister. She got away."

~~~

"Did you get any information?" General Varasin asked for the tenth time.

"No," Sera replied, softly stroking Lydia's hair as the younger girl slept on her lap. After the Ark- and/or Arks- escaped, she passed out from exhaustion and Sera brough her straight back to Headquarters.

"Damn," Varasin muttered, running a hand through his gray hair.

Sera sighed, looking down at her sister's sleeping face, "I'm sorry, sir. She only mentioned that 'Master' guy and her name, Feli."

The general leaned back in his leather chair, "'I've heard of Feli."

Sera cocked her head, "You have?"

"Yes. She was in the form of a red-headed little girl, correct?"

The older Valley sister nodded. Varasin shook his head, letting out a gist of air, "She uses that form to trick people into trusting her. Then, she kills them. Last I heard though, she was in Perry. I can't help but wonder how she got here under our radar. Perry's at least a four day ride by civilian train."

"And considering the fact that an Ark's pupils are slitted and the majority of them have unusual voices, it makes moving through civilian transportation nearly impossible," Sera agreed.

Varasin nodded, "However, despite all the information we have on Feli, we have nothing on the 'Master' person. He could be anyone."

"I'm not so worried about 'who it is' than 'what he wants'. Feli mentioned something about a plan; 'Master's plan'."

"Do you think it has something to do with the Wars? Feli has been working on Pillan's side and the number of Arks is rising in Revelia."

Sera bobbed her head, "I think it might."

"This Ma-"

A knock on the door interrupted whatever Varasin was about to say next. "Come in," he called quietly.

The door creaked open and Matt entered, followed by Jayne and a boy with brown hair Sera had never seen before. Sera smirked in silent victory when she saw the bandage on Matt's nose. He glared openly at her, not bothering to do it discreetly. Varasin looked between the two of them and chuckled, "What happened to your nose, Matten?"

"He won't talk about it," the brown-haired boy said, wearing his own teasing I think he should tell us," Sera "encouraged".

Varasin laughed, crow's feet appearing on his face, "Oh, I see. A lover's quarrel, is it?"

Sera and Matt looked at each other, both of them turning bright red before they turned away, muttering, "Shut up."

Jayne sighed and ran hand through the bands of her blonde hair, "The Ark disappeared, sir. We couldn't find a single trace of it even crossing the border."

"Dammit," Sera muttered, hoping they wouldn't hear her.

The brown-haired boy turned to her, "What's it to you? You should be safe as long as you stay on military premises."

"I can take care of myself," she replied calmly.

He rolled his eyes, "Not against an Ark."

"Actually..." Varasin trilled in a sing-songy voice. "This young lady and her sister are Elite S-Class Ark Hunters."

Jayne's head snapped around to look at the two girls while the brunette's eyes widened.

"Benjamin!" Sera exclaimed, "Why'd you tell them?!"

"You're Elite S-Class Hunters?" Jayne asked, both awe and skepticism in her voice.

The older Valley nodded slowly, "Is that so hard to believe?"

The blonde girl gaped, "But you're so young!"

"You're a First Lieutenant in the military," Sera pointed out. "And Matten's a colonel. It's not like it's an unusual occurrence."

"It is if you're an Elite S-Class Hunter!" she pointed to the brunette guy. "Nick's only an A-Class Hunter and he has the Gift of the Spirits."

Sera looked at him, "Really now? That's an impressive Gift."

He shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck, "Not when I can't control it. It's not good for combat, anyways."

"That's not true," Sera replied, earning a questioning look from everyone in the room. She sighed, "You didn't know you can ask Spirits for help? There are some very powerful entities out there."

"How would you know?" Matt asked, a suspicious gleam in his eye.

She shrugged, "My mother taught me the extents of various Gifts, usually the legendary or uncommon ones. She also taught me about some populars one too. You see, she was a Pearl trainer. You've heard of those, right?"

Jayne nodded, "I had one brought in for my training. They teach you how to control your Pearl and your Gift."

"So, you know the full extents of your Gift?" Matt questioned.

A shadow passed over her face before she answered, "Of course. The first step ti mastering Pearl is knowing every little detail of what you can do-both physically and Gift-wise- no matter how insignificant it seems."

"So, do you know anything about the Gift of the Phoenix?"

She looked up at the ceiling, pausing in smoothing down Lydia's hair. "Mostly legends... It's a rare Gift, considered the Gift of the sun god, Markarli. It's fire-based -obviously- and difficult to master. The most potent thing about it is a control of fire, both pre-existing and creating it. A little known fact about it that it allows the user to control and regulate their body temperature; it's actually the first step to mastery..However, because Markarli was banished from the Realm of the Gods for giving fire to man, the Gift of the Phoenix is sometimes considered the heretic's Gift."

"But it is at the same time the Gift of light an warmth," Lydia added, sitting up and yawning.

"How do you feel?" Sera asked her.

"Better. My Pearl is almost fully replenished."

Sera smiled at her sister, "Good, I'm glad you're okay. I was worried, considering how much power you used."

Lydia nodded, "Thanks, sister. As I was saying, the Gift of the Phoenix does have it's upsides, without fire, humanity wouldn't be able to survive. After all, there's a good thing to everything." She looked pointedly at her sister, only peaking Matt's curiosity as to what Sera's Gift was. Lydia looked back at everyone else, "Sister's just pessimistic."

I am not!" Sera exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Matt laughed, "You kind of are."

"Stay out of this!" she snapped at him.

"What if I don't want to?" he asked, smirking.

She threw her hands up into the air, "I don't care what you want."

"Now that just hurts," he replied as he placed a hand over his heart in mock pain.

"Good, because it should."

He pouted, "And here I though you loved me."

She rolled her eyes, "I don't know what world you're living in, but it ain't mine."

Varasin chuckled, holding his hands up, "That's enough, you two. The war zone is outside."

The two stopped arguing, but continued to glare at each other. Lydia sighed and shook her head, "You two are so much alike..."

They glanced at the black -haired girl then back at each other. "I am not like him/her! Hey! Stop copying me! No, you stop copying me! I'm not copying you! Stop!" the yelled together before resuming glaring at each other.

"So, you two are Hunters?" Nick confirmed, trying to change the conversation.

Sera looked away from Matt, "Yes, we-"

She was cut off by catching a blade in between her palms inches from her face. She raised an eyebrow at Matt, who was holding the hilt fo the sword and seemed equally surprised but for different reasons. He pulled the sword out of her grip and her hands moved p a quarter of an inch. Lydia set her hand on her sister's. "Not here. We can't have you court-martial," the black-haired girl whispered.

Sera sighed and dropped her hand. "You're slow compared to my teacher," she told Matt before turning to Varasin, "What do we do about the Ark?"

"We catch it by any means necessary" he turned to look directly at her. "And I mean any means."

Sera's face suddenly turned grim.

5: Taking Time to Count the Stars

Laven, Northernland Year 1904 of the House Xavier

"Today, Evelina, I am going to teach you about Pearl."

Sera looked up from the book she was reading and at her mother and the twelve-year old girl she was talking to. Evelina was a skinny blonde with rosy cheeks, a thin body, and bright sea-green eyes. Judging by her deep purple velvet dress and thick wool stockings, she was wealthy, wealthier than the Peralds were. Juniper Perald was Evelina's Pearl trainer, she was teaching the pre-teen girl how to master her Gift.

Evelina groaned, "I already know what Pearl is, when can we get onto the fun stuff?"

Despite the girl's rudeness, Juniper laughed. "We need to start small. All good things have a beginning, Evelina."

Sera found herself scooting closer to the door that led into the kitchen. Normally, Juniper would go to her client's houses and teach her students there, but Evelina's parents had to leave for an important business trip and they didn't trust anyone in their house without them around. So, Evelina was left here until her nanny picked her up. Juniper leaned back in her chair, taking a sip of her lemon ginseng tea, imported from the Kingdom of Yue in the Far East. "Pearl is the lifeblood of all living creatures," she began what sounded like a very practiced speech. "Originally, only a few humans had it; royals, courtiers, a few foreigners, but over time, the bloodlines mixed and eventually everyone had it.

"In it's early days, people born with Pearl received a Gift, or certain powers. No one knew where these Gifts came from, only that they granted the user extraordinary abilities. One ability that all of these users had in common though, was the ability to control their Pearl, not in a literal sense, but in a spiritual sense. People with Gifts became more intune with the world around them; they were able to concentrate on the way a river flowed or the how things moved. They were able to focus more on the actual world beneath the surface than what was visible to the naked eye.

"As Pearl became more and more frequently recorded in humans, the number of people receiving Gifts also increased, along with the types of Gifts that existed in the world. However, not everyone with Pearl still had Gifts. They had to begin trying to understand the world around them before the Gift manifested itself; it no long came naturally. For centuries, Gifts died out together and the practice was forgotten.

"Then, only about eight hundred years ago, a priestess named Saga rediscovered the key to understanding Pearl. She taught many of her pupils the techniques, who in turn taught their pupils, starting a cycle. Naturally, many people resented it, calling a thing that should remain in the past, but others pushed forward. Even today, there are many people who are not willing to put the time and effort into controlling their Pearl, it is a very difficult process, especially without a teacher. Many people learned how to control their Pearl and gave up after that when they found out that was only step one, that they needed to master their Gift as well.

"Now, it wasn't long before people discovered that Pearl is also physical, not just spiritual. It runs through the blood of humans. When a Gift manifests, the Pearl is activated, sending a chain reaction through the blood stream. If a Gift is fully mastered, it eventually turns-"

"Sapphire blue," Evelina interrupted. "And tears turn crimson, right? My blood is only kind of purplish."

Juniper smiled, "That's because your Pearl was only recently activated. You're lucky your grandmother taught you about controlling Pearl, otherwise we'd be having a lot more sessions together."

"So, the better I get at using my Gift, the bluer my blood will turn?"

The older woman nodded, "My blood is fully sapphire, because I have completed the mastery process."

"Ooh, I wish I could see what sapphire blood looks like."

"I'll show you," Juniper told her, grabbing a pin from the nearby pin cushion in her sewing set.

She pricked her finger, flinching a bit and held her hand palm out. It wasn't long before liquid came out. But, to Sera's surprise, it wasn't red like when she scraped her knee after falling. No, the drop was a vibrant blue color and looked like a small teardrop gem as it dropped onto the table, the sunlight catching it's luminous glow. Evelina seemed just as mesmerized, "My blood will look like that one day?"

"If you work hard enough," Juniper wrapped a napkin around her finger and staining it blue.

"I want to try, Miss Perald."

"Let's get started then, shall we? Do you know what Gift you have?" she asked, pulling on her reading glasses and reaching for a large leather-bound book.

Evelina nodded, "The Gift of Time."

Juniper smiled, "What a wonderful Gift. Now, the first thing we do is..."

Sera didn't hear her, she was already walking away to the book shelf. She slipped the children's book she had been reading back onto her mahogany shelf and looked up at her mother's collection. All of the books were large and leather-bound with gold writing on the bindings. After a moment, she pulled off The Evolution of Pearl a book she had heard her mother recommend to a student who didn't know anything about Pearl once. She sat on the couch, made herself comfortable and turned to the first page. "Pearl is the lifeblood of all living things..."

~~~

Muse, Northernland Year 1906 of the House Xavier

All Sera could focus on was the blades soaring towards her at impossible speeds. She ducked, jumped, and leaned back when needed. The woman in front of her nodded approvingly as the hilts of the knives left her hands. She was a beautiful person with short black hair framing her face and bright blue eyes. She had a slim figure with noticeable curves and some muscle. She was dressed in a simple red tank top, black slacks, a pair of black sandals and a gray hoodie; nothing that would portray how deadly she really was. Her name was Kamri Valley and she was testing the extents of Sera's eleven year old mind and body.

Under a tree nearby, a nine year old Lydia sat quietly, a book resting on her lap. She looked up at Sera every few minutes, but mostly kept her gaze on the word-filled pages. Her hair was in a neat braid, tied with a red ribbon and she was wearing a navy blue dress with buttons running down the length of it, courtesy of Kamri. It was the nicest the younger sister had looked during the year Sera had spent working a servant in a Bobian lord's home. Sera was happy to see her sister with color in her sunken cheeks.

Sera was so distracted by Lydia that she was nearly scraped with a knife. Her instincts kicked in and she caught the hilt of the knife in her hand moments before the steel touched her face. Kamri clapped slowly, "You have amazing reflexes, Sera. I was right to take you in as my pupil. My other student should be here soon."

"Is he any good?" Sera asked easily jumping off the stump she had been standing on. She was wearing a white button-up short-sleeved shirt, a pair of black shorts, and pair black sandals, her long curly hair in a ponytail.

Kamri laughed, "He is, but he had no raw talent or ability to begin with. I'd say he's about on the same level as you. Speak of the devil."

Sera followed her new teacher's gaze down the dirt road and saw a boy about her age wandering towards the house and swing a bag in his hand. From the distance, she could only make out his brown hair and tannish skin. He entered through the white picket front gate and bowed to lock it. When he straighten up and Sera watching him, he nearly jumped to the moon. She could now make out his calming lime green eyes, something about them making her feel at ease. He was also surprisingly muscular for an eleven year old boy.

"Hi!" Sera said cheerfully, "I'm Sera. Who are you?"

The boy blinked slowly at her cheerfulness, glancing at the black-haired girl sitting under the large oak tree and paying no attention to their conversation. He looked back at the light-haired girl, meeting her violet-eyed gaze, "Jake. Jake Killian."

She smiled at him, "It's a pleasure to meet you Jake."

~~~

The room was dark, the only light coming in from the moon outside. Sera was grateful to Kamri for providing them with so much. The second guest room had two beds, two nightstands, two wardrobes and two writing desks. "It's like it was made for you girls," the generous woman had said jokingly, but Sera thought that maybe it really was made for them, like fate had brought them to Kamri's home.

"I'm happy here," Lydia said quietly, "It's warmer than the Lord's servant's quarters."

Sera turned over in her bed across from Lydia's. The black-haired girl was already facing her, her face glowing slightly in the moonlight. "Do we get to stay longer?" she asked, her gray eyes hopeful.

Sera nodded, "Yep. She's going to teach me how to fight. Maybe she'll teach you, too."

Lydia smiled slightly, "I'd like that." She paused, "Sister? I my Gift manifested today while I was reading."

Sera smiled softly, "That's great Lydia."

The younger girl looked away, burying her face in the cream-colored sheets. "I thought you'd be angry. You don't like your Gift, maybe you wouldn't like mine..." she explained, her voice muffled.

Panic flared up in Sera, "What's your Gift?"

"The Gift of the Shadows," she peeked at her sister, "Is that a bad Gift?"

Sera let out a breath of relief; the Gift of the Shadows was a very common, very loved Gift. "No, Lydia, that's a wonderful Gift," the older sister said, rolling onto her back. "You should learn how to control it."

"How?"

Sera closed her eyes, "Start small. All good things have a beginning. Goodnight, Lydia."

There was long moment of silence before Lydia said, "Goodnight, Sister."

Sera could hear the smile in her younger sister's voice.

~~~

3 Months Later...

"Lower! C'mon Jake, go lower!" Look at Sera, she's doing it perfectly!"

Sera watched Kamri yell at Jake from her position in the front split. Her mother had been a fan of morning stretching so she was an extremely flexible girl. Jake, however, was struggling with the drill. He was nearly there, but appeared to be in pain. Kamri sighed, running a hand through her dark hair. "Let's take a break. Good job, Sera. Maybe you can do a little bit of shooting today, your hand-to-hand is improving immensely."

The lilac-eyed girl jumped up, doing a front hand-spring for joy. Jake gave a groan of relief and fell face forward onto the grass while Kamri shook her head disapprovingly at him. Sera couldn't help but smile, it looked like a mother reprimanding her son. Her smile faded almost as soon as it appeared. The thought of a mother made her heart fall.

"What's wrong?"

She jumped, looking at Jake, who was standing next to her, rubbing his thighs. She looked around; Kamri must have gone inside. "Nothing," she replied softly as she settled down on the grass. She could see Lydia through the kitchen window, talking avidly with Kamri. It was nice that the younger girl was finally opening up.

Jake sat down next to her, "Don't lie to me."

She sighed, drawing her legs up to her chest, "I was just thinking about my mom."

He nodded, looking at the house, also watching Lydia and Kamri interact, "Where is she?"

"I don't know."

"Oh." There was a long moment of silence. "What about your father?"

She shook her head, sighing. "Never knew him..." she laughed, "At least, I don't remember him. He left a few days after Lydia was born. I was two at the time. What about your parents?"

He shrugged, "My mother died giving birth to my brother, who dies of a fever four years ago. And my father's an alcoholic bastard. I'd much rather stay here with Kamri, at least she cares about me."

Sera nodded. "Is Kamri married?" she asked suddenly.

"Yeah, her husband's on a business trip somewhere in Lysander. He should be back in a few weeks. He's just a big teddy-bear."

"What's his name?"

"Caden."

She smiled, "That's a nice name. So, he's nothing like Kamri?"

"Nope, except fo the fact he could crush your skull with one hand."

She grimaced, "No big deal, right?"

Jake chuckled nervously before flopping onto his back. Her looked up at her, "Have you ever wondered what you want to do with your life?"

In response, she shrugged, "I'm eleven, Jake. I've got plenty of time to think about it."

He watched the clouds for a minute, "Have you ever considered being a Hunter?"

She thought about it for a minute, "That'd be exciting."

"The Hunter Examinations are in a year. I'm going to try becoming a Hunter."

"Think you can do it?" she asked, glancing back at him.

"Maybe," he closed his eyes. "Could you try with me?"

She looked away, a slight smile playing on her lips, "I've got nothing to lose."

He grinned up at the clouds, "And so much to gain."

~~~

2 Months Later...

Sometimes, Sera would remember the old days. She's remember lying outside on a checkered blanket with her mother, Lydia asleep on her lap, during the warm summer nights. Juniper would stare up at the gleaming stars and laugh softly to herself. "What's so funny?" Sera asked and Juniper answered, "I was trying to count the stars, but I lost track of the number I was on." After that statement, Sera would look up at the night sky and try counting the glowing orbs before forgetting what number she was on and starting over. The two of them would do this forever until Sera would fall asleep and Juniper would bring her daughters inside. Those were some of Sera's best memories.

She was trying to recreate those memories as she sat on the roof of Kamri's two-story brick house, the cool tiles pressing into the contours of her body. The late fall air was chilly, but she was wool wrapped up in her thick wool blanket and in her white cotton nightgown. She kept her knees tucked up to her chest and rested her hands behind her. The stars glimmered above the world in the darkened sky and Sera couldn't help but smile as she reminisced in her memories.

"What are you doing out here?"

Sera glanced back at Jake, who had no doubt just come from his room. She had gotten used to his sudden appearances and wasn't as surprised as she used to be. She looked back at the stars as he settled down next to her. "I'm just thinking," she replied truthfully.

"About the past?" he questioned, studying her profile.

She ducked her head, "Yes. It's silly I know, but-"

He settled a hand on her shoulder, the touch sending jolts of warmth through her body. "There's nothing wrong with memories, Sera," he whispered in her ear.

She rested her head on his shoulder, leaning into his warmth and closing her eyes, "I know."

He wrapped an arm around her, "I wish it could stay like this forever."

"I wish the world never changed," she agreed.

"We should go inside," he suggested.

She looked up at him, "I want to stay out her just a little bit longer."

He blushed slightly, "Your wish is my command."

She turned away, a blush covering her cheeks and he chuckled. She couldn't hear the sound, but she could feel his chest rumbling. "Tomorrow's my birthday," she whispered after a long moment of silence.

"Really now? Let me give your present early then."

She looked up at him, confused. He opened his palm, a necklace resting in it. It was gorgeous, made of sterling silver and gold. It was a simple half-angel wing, intricately decorated with the symbols of an ancient language all along the surface. Her hand reached out and she stroked it's smooth texture, "It's beautiful, Jake."

His blushed deepened, "M-may I?"

She understood his meaning and turned around, lifting up her hair. Her settled it against her neck, clasping the back. She stared down at it, tears pricking her eyes. She looked back at him, "Thank-you."

"Hey now, don't cry," he whispered, wiping away the crimson tears.

She laughed, although it sounded like a choked sob. He smiled, pulling her into a hug. "I'm glad you like it," he told her.

"You won't leave, right?" she asked, the question shocking him.

"Of course not, Sera. I always be here."

She looked up at him, crimson tears pouring down her cheeks. She held out her pinky, "Promise?"

He nodded, linking his finger with hers, "I promise."

Inside, the grandfather clock chimed midnight. Jake smiled at her, "Happy birthday, Sera."

She smiled through her tears. She wanted to live in this moment forever.

6: So I Thought

Military Train, Northernland 1911 of the House Xavier

Matt groaned, leaning his head against the wooden back of the bench. He opened one eye to look at Sera sitting across from him. She wore her coat despite the heat of the train and he wondered if she was hot. He glanced at Jayne, who sat next to him, sketching in her notebook. "Why are we here again?" he asked her quietly so he wouldn't wake up Lydia.

She sighed and looked at him, "Because the Ark was spotted in Helensville."

"I get that, but why are we here? Arks are kind of the AHA's specialty."

"Because," Sera said, intruding in their conversation. "The Ark became involved in military affairs the moment it chose a side in the war. You are part of the military, aren't you?"

Jayne nodded stiffly and Matt rolled his eyes, turning to stare out the window. He watched the passing scenery for a few minutes before glancing back at Sera, who had her nose buried in a book. If he didn't know that she had a terrible personality, he would have thought she actually looked kind of cute. Her white-blonde hair curled slightly around her face and her lilac eyes remained focused on the pages as her soft pink lips formed the words. He wondered if her lips were as soft as they looked. Wait, what?! Where the hell did that come from?! Why was he thinking about her lips of all things? Think about something else... Her... Eyes... They're so pretty, like huge pools of lilac water. Okay, stop it. Now that he thought about it, she kind of had a big chest. She had a lot more sex appeal than he had inherently thought... Gah! What was that?! Stop thinking about how pretty she is. Right now! Stop...

"Matt?"

Matt looked at Jayne, who was smirking. "Are you okay?" she questioned. "You were staring pretty intently there."

A blush crept up Matt's face and he looked away so no one could see the redness in his face. Sera looked up from her book briefly, confusion evident on her face, "What were you staring at?"

"T-the scenery, it's very pretty here," he stammered, avoiding eye contact with her. The heat of the train was making him loopy; yeah, it was the heat. He stood up, "I'm going to go get some fresh air."

Jayne nodded and Sera shrugged, returning to her book. With a sigh of relief, Matt walked down the aisles, heading for the caboose of the train. He really needed some fresh air.

Helensville, Northernland Year 1911 of the House Xavier

"It feels good to be somewhere we know, doesn't it, Sister?" Lydia exclaimed, spinning around in circles.

They had left the train station and immediately headed into the town, which was bustling with people. It was amazing that a town so close to the border had remained so intact. Sera nodded sleepily, yawning into her hand, "We're on a mission though, Lydia. Don't get distracted."

"You've been here before?" Jayne questioned, brushing a stray blonde hair out of her face.

Lydia bobbed her head eagerly, "Sister, Ja- and I had a mission here once! We stayed a month after that. It was a lot of fun!"

A shadow passed over Sera's face as she bowed her head. "Let's find a hotel," she suggested. "Then we'll split up and ask around about Feli."

With that, she forged on ahead, not even bothering to make sure the others were following. Matt looked at Lydia who seemed a little bit more down than she was a few moments before. "You were about to say another name. A name that begins with a 'ja'," Matt observed.

Lydia nodded, her face downcast, "His name was Jake. He used to be a good friend of ours; he was very close to Sera."

"'Was'?" Jayne prodded.

"Yes, there was an... accident of sorts. We haven't Jake since then. Sera doesn't like to talk about him. I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention any of this to her."

"Of course not," Jayne said, smiling apologetically.

"Thanks. Well, we better go find Sera before she destroys the town."

"Any idea where she went?" Jayne questioned while Matt stayed silent, staring at his feet. He knew what it was like to lose someone you cared about.

A small smile appeared on Lydia's face, "I have an idea. Follow me, there's someone you two should meet."

~~~

The moment the door opened, the scent of baked goods washed over the three travelers. As predicted, Sera was sitting at a barstool in front of the counter, chatting avidly with the girl baking. At the sound of the bell ringing, the baker girl looked over, her blue eyes shining. "Miss Lydia!" she exclaimed as she ran out from behind the counter and embraced the dark-haired girl.

"Hello, Cecelia. How's business going?"

The girl, Cecelia, laughed cheerfully. She was very cute in an adorable sort of way with copper blonde hair braided down her back, large baby blue eyes, and light freckles dancing across the bridge of her nose. She looked at Jayne and Matt, her smile growing even bigger. "Are these friends of yours?" she questioned Sera, turning around to glance at the light-haired girl walking towards them.

Sera nodded, taking a bite of her cookie. Lydia beamed, "This is Jayne Avalon and Matt Kingston. They're in the military."

"Oh, hello, I'm Cecelia Reynolds," she took their hands, shaking them both hardily.

"Cecelia is the daughter of this town's baker," Sera explained. "We met her last time we were here."

"I still remember the day," Cecelia said dreamily. "Miss Sera saved an Ark from killing me, shot it right through the heart." She pretended to aim a gun, "Bam! It dropped like a... Like a... Oh darn it, what was that phrase?"

Lydia giggled, "Still an airhead like always, Cecelia."

Cecelia pouted before her smile reappeared, "Would you like anything to eat? Any friend of Miss Sera's is a friend of mine."

Jayne looked down at her stomach as it growled, "Yes, I'd like that very much."

"Me too," Matt agreed, looking around the pastry-filled shop. "Do have anything besides sweets?"

The copper blonde tapped her chin, "I think we have some beef stew and freshly baked bread; how's that sound?"

He licked his lips, "Delicious."

"Good," she exclaimed, clapping her hands together enthusiastically. "I'll go warm it up. Would you like some too, Miss Sera?"

Cecelia looked at the other girl with such warm admiration that Matt almost thought he imagined it. It was like a daughter looking up to her mother. Sera smiled and patted the shorter girl on the head, "I'd like that very much, thank you, Cecelia."

Cecelia beamed and disappeared into the back room. Matt settled down at a nearby table, with Jayne following him like a faithful bodyguard. Sera wandered back over to where she had been before plopping down across from them, a platter of cookies in her hands. "Gee, Sera, think you have enough cookies?" Matt asked as he appraised her large stack of chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies.

"Shut up," she grumbled, biting into one of the cookies.

Lydia giggled, sitting next to her sister, "Sister loves sweets. Candy, fudge, cookies, you name it."

"I also like healthy stuff," Sera protested.

"It doesn't really matter as long as it's food, does it?" the younger girl teased.

"You do have quite an appetite," Cecelia said as she walked out, expertly carrying platters on her hands. She set the bowls down one at a time in front of everyone, smiling all the while.

Sera pouted, "I'm a growing girl."

"It's a wonder you're not fat," Matt huffed.

"I get enough exercise to eat whatever the hell I want," she informed him, a small smirk on her face.

"Like killing Arks is exercise."

"It's a lot more difficult than just sitting around filling out paperwork," she retorted, taking a bite of her stew. "This is good, Cecelia."

"I do more than just fill out paperwork!"

"Sure you do," she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I fight actual people. I exert myself a lot more than you do with your fancy Gift. Not everyone is as lucky as you."

She slammed her hands down on the table and stood up, glaring down at Matt, who flinched under her hard gaze. The other three girls watched her as she ground her teeth. "Shut up," she told him, venom in her voice as her eyes flashed menacingly to a dark purple. "Shut the hell up."

To Matt's surprise, he couldn't open his mouth to make a retort. It was like his lips were glued shut. With that, Sera left the shop and drew her hood over her head. Lydia glanced momentarily at Matt before she hurried after sister. Cecelia sighed, "Perfectly good food, gone to waste."

Matt turned to Jayne, "What'd I say?"

She shrugged, "Maybe it had to do with her Gift; I think you hit a nerve."

"Serves her right," he grumbled. "The little bitch"

"You shouldn't speak so ill of Miss Sera," Cecelia said quietly.

"Why? Because you love her?"

Cecelia shook her head, "No. I didn't like her all that much when I first met her either. She can be a little... rash at times, but she's a really kind person."

"Yeah, right."

"I'm not lying. Miss Sera first came into the shop asking questions about the Ark that had been attacking the townspeople. Let's say she didn't make the best first impression... But, I don't know. When she saved me, the determination on her face, the determination to protect me, it just- It's hard to describe. I don't think anyone actually sees her real personality, but I know she's not as cold and cruel as people see her. She's different and she really does care. Maybe she's not the hero everyone expects, but she's a hero nevertheless."

Matt sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "Maybe I should go find her and ap-"

"Oh, she'll be back. Didn't she mention that the bakery also doubles as an inn? You can stay here tonight," a worried expression flashed on her face. "I only have two rooms though. I hope that's alright..."

"Of course," Jayne assured her with a smile.

She sighed in relief, "Oh, good. You should finish food while we wait for Miss Sera and Miss Lydia to return."

Matt nodded and began eating the food. He had to admit, it was pretty good. Cecelia walked over to a winding staircase in the corner of the shop. "Jonathon! Can you come down here please?"

There were footsteps that rattled the staircase and a boy about twelve years old appeared at the bottom. He had his sister's features. "What is is, Cece?"

"Can you make sure the inn rooms are ready? We have both of them rented out tonight."

The boy glanced at Jayne and Matt, "Only them?"

Cecelia laughed, "No, Miss Sera and Miss Lydia have returned too."

"Then, where are they?"

The older girl's face fell, "Miss Sera had a bit of an argument with Matt over there."

"Why don't we get a title?" Matt whispered to Jayne, who shrugged.

"Matt, Miss Jayne, would you like anything for dessert?"

Jayne choked on her appleberry cider before bursting out in laughter. Matt glared at her and she gave him the most innocent look she could manage. "I'd love so-"

Suddenly, Sera burst through the door, Lydia not even a beat behind her. "Guys, we have a problem."

~~~

"How many were there?" Matt questioned as the four travelers hurried through the streets, pushing past the wave of people heading in the opposite direction.

"I counted six." Sera informed him.

"It was odd," Lydia commented. "I have never seen Arks travel in groups. Their activity just keeps getting stranger and stranger.

The sound of glass breaking interrupted the black-haired girl's observation and the group pulled to a stop. Across the street was a group of Arks, breaking into homes. Matt saw one of their lips moving and turned to Jayne. "Can you tune into their conversation?"

She bobbed her head, "It may be a bit muddled though, with all of the background noise."

"Doesn't matter."

Jayne closed her eyes and took a deep breath, completely zoning out. "What's she doing?" Lydia asked.

"Jayne has the Gift of the Shifter, which gives her animalistic features like superhuman hearing," Matt answered. "She's listening to the Arks conversation."

Jayne's eyes pooped open, "They're talking about some person named Master."

Sera, who had been cautiously watching the Arks, snapped her head around. "What'd they say about him?" she questioned.

"Something about him giving training to Arks and providing them shelter from Hunters. They're thinking about joining him. Why, have you heard of Master before?"

Sera looked a little disheartened, "Feli mentioned something about him having a 'plan' of some sorts."

"Plan?" Matt raised an eyebrow. "What was the plan?"

The white-blonde haired girl sighed, "I don't know, she escaped before we could interrogate further."

"Oh, so-"

"You guys done over there?!" a voice yelled out.

Sera stiffened, a look of sheer terror appearing on her face. Lydia paled immensely. "What's wrong?" Jayne asked.

The older Valley girl began hyperventilating and Lydia snapped out of her daze. She ran over to her sister, a panicked expression on her face. "Sister? Sister? Sera? C'mon. Calm down. I'm sure it's not him. It's not him."

Sera abruptly collapsed, probably from lack of oxygen. Matt leaped into action, his inner leader taking over. He knelt next to Sera, checking her pulse. "Jayne, Lydia, take care of the Arks, at least run them out of town."

Jayne nodded, but Lydia seemed reluctant to leave her older sister. "Go," Matt insisted. "I'll get her back to the inn."

After another moment, Lydia bobbed her head and she and Jayne stealthily walked up to the Arks. Matt picked up Sera, one hand under knees and the other supporting her back. He heard the sounds of a fight begin as well as the growl of a large panther. Jayne. He took off towards the bakery, his feet padding softly against the ground. Half-way there, Sera moaned in his arms. "What hap- Matt?!"

He looked down at her, "Morning, Sunshine."

She glared at him, "Put me down."

"No can do. You passed out from lack of oxygen," he smirked before his look became one of concern. "Are panic attacks usual for you?"

She shook her head, "Sorry 'bout that."

"It's no prob-"

"Well, look here."

Sera stiffened again and Matt's grip on her unconsciously tightened. They both turned their heads to look at the figure standing in front of them. He had brown hair and skin surprisingly tan for an Ark, his slitted lime green eyes trained on the two in front of him. He folded his arms, a cruel smirk settled on his face. "Jake," Sera breathed quietly, her lilac eyes wide.

The Ark frowned at Sera. "That's not my name."

"Matt, put me down," Sera commanded.

"But-"

"Put me down!"

He slowly set her on her feet. She stumbled for a moment before regaining her balance. She began stalking towards the Ark. "Oh, I'm so scared!" he exclaimed, sarcasm dripping like honey in his voice.

Sera glared at him, "You should be."

Her eyes flashed pure white as she trained her gaze on him. The Ark began choking and clawed at his throat. Suddenly, his hands snapped to his sides with unusual straightness. Sera continued to move towards him, perfectly calm. The Ark's body went flying back like he had been struck with a club. "That one was for Caden!" Sera yelled.

The Ark's head slammed against the brick wall, "For Kamri!"

His head hit the wall again with a sickening crack, "For Emile!"

His head was about to hit the brick again when Matt set a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, crimson tears slipping down her cheeks. "It's not him, Sera," he told her calmly.

She let out a soft sobas he wrapped an arm around her. She turned away from the now unconscious Ark and buried her face into Matt's chest.

It was the most broken he had ever seen the defiant Hunter. He wrapped his other arm around her as the Ark suddenly vanished in a bright light. A low laughing echoed and Sera looked up. "This was just a test. He's already with me, dear one. And soon you will be too."

Matt's grip tightened as Sera leaned in closer. "Now," the voice whispered while still echoing. "Sleep, dear one."

In his arms, Sera's body went slack. He looked down to see that she had fallen asleep. He picked her up and again and ran to the bakery without looking back.