Give me wings1 - Guardian

The town was pretty much like every other one she's seen. Of course, ask a local and they'd tell her what the differences are, but, for her, seen one town, she's seen them all. She walked down the road, the shadows of the buildings casting darkness around her, though it was still day time. She shivered and pulled her cloak tighter around her.

She stopped in the middle of the town, or what she believed to be the middle. There was a large, grassy area where children chased after each other. This had to be some sort of park, without any of the usual trees for climbing, or rundown shacks used for play. The weather was perfect, warm with a slight breeze.

He wasn't there. Of course he wasn't, she hadn't seen him in almost two years. Her fighting had been improving, at least she'd like to think so. Her only Hunter weapon was still her dagger, but that was all she needed - proven many times since she took up the job as a professional Hunter.

She wondered briefly if he knew she did this, and what his reaction would be? Before he sent her away for training, he might have been a little upset, but, wasn't it a vampire Hunter that he sent her to in the first place? Wouldn't he be proud that she chose this lifestyle, taking after her trainer? But he also sent her to her trainer only so she could kill him. Why did he want her to kill him, she still didn't know. It's been seven years since he sent her away, and she still had no idea why he wanted her to kill him.

She didn't want to kill him. She loved him, he was her Master. He saved her as a child and she looked up to him ever since.

Watching the children run after each other a few feet away from her, she almost felt jealous. Had she ever played like that before everything happened? She was sure she did, she was only five when her life changed.

Sighing, she turned away from the kids and walked into the nearest pub. She didn't want to, but work has been slow lately, and pubs were the best places to pick up work or rumors. That was one consistent thing her lord did, start rumors at pubs of his arrivals. Once he was certain she picked up a rumor about him, he'd start leaving signs where to find him. The last time was the sudden change in the weather - when she woke up, there was no sign it had snowed the night before, though she knew it had.

Sitting down at the bar, she orders a drink and concentrates on the talk around her. It didn't take long for her realize that the townspeople only talked of their businesses; nothing to imply that there was a vampire nearby causing havoc.

Her drink was set before her. Smiling up at the bartender, she set down some coins and took a sip. The liquid burned her throat, but she swallowed regardless. It was, after all, his favorite drink. Being a vampire, Master preferred not to drink something made by man - he barely suffered through the blood of a human, but he preferred nonhuman blood - but this drink was the only one that affected him.

She smiled down at her cup. Not a day went by when she didn't think of him. He captivated her since she was a child, first laying eyes on him in the middle of a dangerous situation.

888

It was the day she turned five, her mother had just given her a shimmering, silver dress. She was too young to understand the significance of the silver fabric; it was pretty and she loved it. That morning was the best she could remember.

She had been outside, picking flowers for her birthday cake, when her father walked out of the house. She grabbed a purple flower and placed it behind her ear, asking her father if it made her look pretty.

"Shiina," her father growled. She flinched, never hearing such a sound emit from her father's mouth before. He walked up to her until he stood right in front of her. "Shiina," he growled again. She took a tentative step back.

"Father, you're scaring me," she whimpered.

Without warning, he shoved her back. She cried as she tripped over a rock, falling back, dropping the bouquet she had been grasping tightly.

"Leave, Shiina," he growled again, keeping his voice low. "Leave now, before I kill you."

Her body ran cold, and she was almost too frightened to do anything. He jumped at her. She screamed, thinking he really was going to kill her, and jumped up, running away from him, away from the house. Being only five, she wasn't able to run very fast, but she made it to the treeline bordering her family's land. She stopped for only a moment, hiding behind a tree and peering back to her home. Her father was still standing there, but she was too far away too see his expression.

She was confused. Her father loved her, didn't he? He was her world! He was her favorite. Why would he say such things to her? Where was her mother? Surely she heard the screaming?

She caught her breath and continued running away. Whether or not she believed her father really would kill her, her childish mind told her that he was dangerous.

It was almost dusk and she was still heading away from her house, at least she thought she was. She knew she was lost. Her feet were killing her, her beautiful dress had torn and was now much shorter, falling to just above her knees instead of down to her ankles. Her legs were turning into jelly, and she was thirsty. She wanted to fall down, take a rest, but he might be chasing her. He wasn't when she took a moment to look back, but that didn't mean he wasn't chasing her now.

She tripped over a rock and tumbled down a slight hill, not bothering to stop herself. The hill wasn't very big, but she did procure bruises on her knees and elbows, and her body was so sore that she didn't really mind. When she stopped falling, she rested for a minute. She closed her eyes, wanting nothing more but to rest, if only for a second. She'll get up and continue on her way in a minute, but for the moment she lay still.

Her body became heavy, and she felt herself falling into oblivion. She could finally relax. Besides, this was just all a dream. When she woke up, she would be back in her own bed, her father would be there to welcome her to the day, her mother would be making the most perfect breakfast. Everything would go back to normal, right?

"You're wrong, little one."

Her eyes flew open. Looking around, she was alone. She was alone, yet she was sure she heard someone speaking to her. It was her father, he had found her! At least, that was what she thought.

She pushed herself off the ground and continued walking.

"You're almost there," she heard again. Looking around her again, she found she was still alone. Someone was talking to her, but she was terrified because she couldn't see them.

Suddenly, she fell. This was a different fall from before, she fell straight down, and splashed into a small pool. The hot water scalded her. She kicked and flailed her arms, too frightened to remember her swimming training. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. She could feel her lungs filling with water. Looking up, she could barely make out the surface of the pool, where a blurred figure stood over her.

It was the last thing she saw before her world turned dark and she lost consciousness.

888

The moment she walked into the room he felt it, a tingling on his arm. Glancing down, he studied his sleeve where, just underneath, lay his mark. The oddly shaped mark throbbed, though it remained still. He never felt it do that before...did that mean that the girl who just walked in was who he was searching for?

Ever since the mark first appeared, Tenshi had been searching for someone. He was only ten when his mother sent him away, claiming she would have nothing more to do with him since he was going to be leaving her for someone else instead. At first, he didn't understand - just because he had been branded a Guardian didn't mean he'd love his mother less - but as he grew, he learned why, being a Guardian, he was shunned from the angelic community.

Guardians only ever protected humans, and, in most cases, ended up falling in love with their charges. Humans and angels alike hated each other, wanted nothing to do with each other, so when a human and angel fall in love, it's almost like a cat falling in love with a fish; angels and humans were two different species, therefore relationships were forbidden.

He vowed, no matter who his charge would be, he would not fall in love. But, as he sat and watched her stare blankly into her glass, he could already feel himself betraying both his mother, and himself. She was the one he had been searching for, he knew it.

Without thinking, Tenshi stood and slowly made his way over to her. He wasn't sure why he was walking up to her, he had nothing to say to her, not to mention the closer he came the more his stomach started hurting. He mindlessly rubbed his forearm, trying to soothe the ever growing throb, it had started hurting, and he became afraid that it would continue hurting until their contract was completed.

Just as he finally approached his destination, he was pushed aside. Normally he wouldn't have been so easily pushed over, but his mind was somewhere else. He fell against the table just behind the woman, the impact bringing him back to his senses. His arm stopped throbbing and he was able to think clearly again. He looked at her side profile as she blinked at the man who pushed him aside.

Nothing. He felt nothing. So it was just a false alarm? He had never felt that before.

"Are you waiting for someone?" he heard. The man beside her was annoyingly close, even Tenshi felt the woman's fury. "Are you deaf? Can you not talk?" The man started laughing. "I guess I get a free pass then." He reached out to grab her arm, but stopped short.

Tenshi twisted the man's arm behind him, pushing the arm up, causing the man to grunt in pain.

"She's not a prostitute, Mac," Tenshi said.

Mac turned his head as far as he could so he could get a glimpse of his attacker. "Tenshi! You bastard! Let go of me!"

"Not every woman who comes in here is willing to have a night with you," Tenshi continued, pushing the man's arm higher still.

"And not every woman who comes in here is trying to protect her virtue, either." Mac clenched his teeth.

Tenshi swept his foot under Mac's legs, causing the large man to fall to the ground. With his arm finally free, Mac scrambled up, charging at Tenshi with such fury and strength as a bull. Tenshi smirked and sidestepped the attack, grabbing a stool as he did so. Mac stopped himself before he hit the bar, giving Tenshi enough time to take the stool above his head to bring it down on Mac...

The stool disappeared from his hands. Tenshi turned to see the woman holding the stool. She glared at him, and he was suddenly rendered motionless. Her ice blue eyes, rare in humans, had frozen him to the spot. He heard Mac clamoring behind him, but he couldn't make himself move; the oaf could tackle him to the ground, breaking a few ribs, and he couldn't do anything about it.

Those eyes, not human eyes. Humans were only known to have brown or green, and if there was a person in the bunch who had blue eyes, they were darker, not as clear as the daytime sky; those reminded him of a different creature. She couldn't be, though. She was clearly human. He had only seen those eyes once before on a creature of the dark.

She raised her arm, placing the stool above her head. He cringed, thinking she was going to bring that wooden stool upon his head. He closed his eyes as she stepped and brought her arm down, the stool shattering against the force of what it hit. He heard Mac fall behind him as she grabbed Tenshi's shirt, clenching tightly, bringing Tenshi an inch away from her nose. She was smaller than him, making her act of toughness seem amusing.

"I didn't ask for your help," she told him through clenched teeth. "I'm not a prostitute, but that doesn't mean I need help in refusing a big, dumb bull like that man."

Despite his situation, he couldn't help smiling. She used the same description of Mac as he had.

Give me Wings - Prologue

The weather changed so suddenly. She wasn't sure if it was because she had traveled farther north, or some other unnatural phenomenon. Just a few miles south of the small village the sun had been shining, there was a slight breeze, and the air around her was warm. Now, as she enters the town, she pulls the hood of her cloak over her head as far as it could go, not just hiding the blistering winds and freezing snow hitting her face, but also hides her face from the curious world outside. No one here needs to know who she is, for if they knew, they might scorn her and toss her away.

She's been here before. She knows where the inn she's looking for is located. She had received a note from a messenger from that inn; the man she has been searching for was spotted in this town. She didn't have to go to the inn to know this is true - just the sudden weather change was proof enough - but she still wanted to check in, make sure she had a place to stay in case the man wasn't around.

She enters the inn, stomping her feet and shaking off her cloak, ridding her body of the snow that had clung to her. She approaches the front desk where the innkeeper sat, reading a book. She places a small bag of coins on the counter, the innkeeper looks up at her, and nods. He grabs the bag of coins, hands her a small, rusted key, and points her in the direction of her room.

Nodding her appreciation, she walks off in the direction the innkeeper sent her. The inn was silent at this time, nothing but the sound of the blowing winds outside hitting the walls. She didn't scorn the harsh weather, like most did. No, she welcomed it. The sudden, unpredictable presence of harsh snow storms could only mean that the man she was looking for was somewhere in this village.

Stopping in front of her door, she looks around, making sure no one followed her. She had made it safely into the middle of town without seeing a single person; the man must know that she's here already. He could be watching her from anywhere, waiting for the perfect moment to pop out. Of course! He's already inside her room, waiting for her to close the door and become completely alone.

Too easy, she thinks with a grin. With one hand inserting the key, and the other hiding inside her cloak, she slowly opens the door, sure to make as much noise as possible. She's normally much more careful than that, but she knew he was hiding in that room. The innkeeper gave her this room specifically because he knew the man would be here.

But would the man be able to discern her actions in time? Would he know that she was being noisy on purpose? She wouldn't put it passed him, he did know almost everything else, after all. He knew the way she thought, the way she came to conclusions, her feelings...He knew everything about her, and yet, she knew very little about him.

Pushing the door open all the way until it hit the wall, she stood there, staring at the dark confines of the bedroom. From what she could see, there was a single bed to the right of the door, a window right in front of her, and a desk to the left. Not much, which meant there wouldn't be many places for him to hide. Where would he be? Under the bed? Under the desk? Hanging out of the window?

She tossed her bag on the bed, and stepped in. Once her feet were fully in the room, she closed her eyes. No other sound than her own beating heart, as expected. No scent, other than that of the aging wood, wet glass from the window, and a faint musky smell emitting from the bedding. That wasn't uncommon for a small town inn.

If he was here, he had perfected his hiding skills since the last time they met. No, not perfected - he was already perfect. He was testing her, making detecting him more difficult. That was perfectly okay with her; she'd been getting stronger since the last time they met, and if he was holding back, she'd feel offended.

Upon opening her eyes, she took a moment to stare out the window. The wind was blowing harder, the snow flying sideways. He was definitely near. She took a deep breath, allowing herself the tiny luxury of enjoying the cool scent of the wet glass, then turned around to slam the door shut. As soon as the door was closed, she was pushed to the ground.

She knew it! He couldn't fool her forever!

No, now isn't the time to get excited - he'll kill her if she lets her guard down even the slightest bit. She retracts her hand from her cloak, thankful that he fell on her at an odd angle, pinning her free hand and her lower body, but completely missing her hand still inside her cloak, and her legs. Just as she was pulling her arm free, however, he lays down completely on her, trapping her arm between their bodies.

"What are you going to do now, Shi?" he whispers to her.

She grinds her teeth together as his white teeth gleam at her in what he calls a smile. She tries to struggle underneath him, but he's too strong. Was he going to win this time? No, she's been in this situation before, and she now knows how to get out of it. He's pushing against her arm, his belt cutting off the circulation just above her wrist. She was trapped, but not immobile.

She tries to twist her wrist and finds that she can still move it. She clutches the small sharp implement on her belt, and twists her wrist so the blade pokes at him from under her cloak. He twitches, and she smiles at him. In a split second she's able to take her leg and try to knee him. She wasn't aiming for any spot in particular, but she knows that once a knee - or anything for that matter - comes close to between a man's legs, they'll flinch, no matter who or what they are.

He flinches, and she uses all her strength to push her arm further between them, freeing her elbow so she's able to at least scare him into thinking that she has any chance of stabbing him with her small dagger at such an odd and painful angle. He moves back, allowing her upper body to come up, finally fully freeing her hand from inside the cloak. She slashes at him, but he jumps back. She pulls herself up to a kneeling position, and slashes at him again.

He catches her arm in mid swing, pulls her to her feet, then throws her onto the bed. It happens so fast she is unable to do anything to protect herself except hold onto the dagger for dear life. When she lands, he stands next to the bed, his wide, mocking grin still pasted on his perfect face. A perfect face that she will have to ruin in order for her life to be spared.

He moves to grab her again, but she holds up the dagger, holding it by the blade so the hilt faced him. He freezes in mid grab, unable to do anything against the shape of the hilt and the blessing it had received. She has gotten smarter.

He stands up and claps. "I admit, that was pretty smart thinking on your part," he says, running a hand through his hair. "I know I told you about my weakness, but I didn't think you'd actually believe it."

"I still don't," she breathes. Still holding the dagger out to him, she stands. "I think this is utter and complete bullshit."

"If you tried to kill me right now, you'd leave me an opening to kill you still, you might want to work on that for next time."

"Are we done, then?"

He nods. "For now, yes." He watches her lower her hand, and replace the dagger back into its holder on her belt. "You knew I was here." He crosses his arms over his chest. "Tell me how."

"Obvious signs." She removes her cloak and tosses the garment on the desk. She places a hand on her hips and smiles at him. "We humans gotta stick together in these troubled times. We'd rather trust our own kind than someone like you."

"Those are harsh words coming from you, little one."

He watches as she removes her belt, removing all threat to him on her person. The danger has passed, and she had no need for any of the expensive weaponry; he won't be attacking her again this night. He studies her for a moment, then lowers his arms.

"I suppose you want your reward, then?"

"I suppose I deserve my reward this time."

He smiles again and grabs her, holding her tightly against him. This was what she came here for. This is what she had been waiting for three months for. To feel his touch, to feel his hard body against hers. This is what they were meant to do, not chasing after each other, fighting each other. She shouldn't have to beg for his compassion like this. She rubs her face against his chest. He's fully clothed, but she can still smell the faint trace of his skin underneath all the fabric. His natural musk was refreshing, almost floral with a hint of pine.

He lifts her chin to look up at him, then gently places his lips against hers. Without asking, she opens up to him, allowing him to explore her mouth as much as he desired. She clung to him, reveling in the feel of having him so close to her, kissing her so passionately. Even as a child she would have given anything if he touched her like he did now. He was her everything - he saved her as a child, and now she pleads undying loyalty and love to him that the three months they had been away almost killed her.

Then again, three months wasn't as bad as the five years when this silly game first started.

He picked her up, easily as he was stronger than the average man, and held her against him. She wrapped her legs around his waist, wanting him with all her little heart's desire. She ground her hips against his, hoping to gauge a reaction from him, wanting him to move this along. It was her reward; she should be able to take charge of the pace however she wanted.

His hands pushed her butt against him, stopping her from grinding, but allowing her to feel how aroused he already was. She clutches his shoulders, holding him as close as possible...closer. She wants to be closer.

"Now," she breathes, breaking the kiss just enough to let that one word come out. He breaks the kiss and looks at her, a small smile on his lips.

"Now? Slow down, little one, don't you want this to last?" He removes a hand from her waist to brush a strand of hair that had made its way in front of her face.

"I don't want to wait. I need you now." She grinds her hips against him some more. "We can take it slow after."

He chuckles. Using his foot, he pushes her bag off the bed so he can drop onto the mattress. He let her go and sits up above her, taking a moment to study her. The moment takes too long for her, and she starts to remove her shirt. He takes her shirt from her, and finishes the job, tossing the clothing to side. He leans over her, running his hands against her sides, taking the fabric of her undershirt with him, also pulling that over her head and tossing it aside.

She's hit with a sudden blast of cold against her bare skin, sending goosebumps all over her body, erecting her nipples in the open air. He smiles down at her, and takes her breast in his mouth. The cold is quickly replaced with warmth, starting from his mouth on her breast and spreading throughout her body. She feels him play with her other bare breast, teasing the nipple in the same manner as his tongue was doing on the other one.

He shoves his hand under the band of her pants, immediately going for her pleasure point. She whimpers as his fingers quickly work her opening, though it wasn't necessary. The combination of his fingers and mouth on her breast made her first orgasm arrive quickly, and within moments she's clutching his shoulders, crying out as the first wave of pleasure hits her. He removes his fingers, her body shivering from the aftermath, and quickly removed her pants.

She places the back of her hand against her mouth as he continues removing clothing, both hers and his. She can't believe they were together again, after three long months of not seeing each other. The last time they were together, it was for only a brief session, and she could hardly take his leaving her after such a short reunion. Tonight she's going to make him stay with her longer, if she had to pin him down with her dagger, by God he was going to spend more time with her before disappearing again.

Without warning he grabs her hips and pushes himself into her. It's so sudden, she cries out, but she quickly reverts to moaning for him as he thrusts in and out of her. He wastes no time, just as she requested, and within moments she climaxes again. He pauses for a minute to let her catch her bearings before continuing, but at a slower, more steady pace.

"You've gotten stronger, little one," he tells her. She can't answer, but she nods. As a vampire, his stamina far outlasts her own, so she doesn't know when he'll stop; he could go on forever, she really wouldn't mind.

He pulls her up, wrapping his arms around her, holding her close. She places her arms around his neck, hiding her face against the nape of his neck, taking in the odd scent he gave off, proud to be the only one who would ever smell his non-vampire scent, the only one who would feel his skin warm, not cold. She runs her fingers through his blood red hair, marveling at how easily her fingers slip through. Not many women she encountered could keep such fine hair. Then again, he is a lord, a vampire, a master.

She sighs, tightening her hold on him. "Thank you," she whispers.

He pauses for a moment, then continues. "For what, little one?" He takes the ribbon out of her hair, allowing her dark, raven hair fall down, falling down her back. He leans back from her, taking a handful of her hair in his fist, placing it against his mouth, gently kissing it.

"I'm stronger," she says. "I almost killed you, had you not stopped the fight."

"Mhm." He leans forward, his eyes closing as he takes in her scent, just like she had done a few moments before. He gently rests his cheek against her shoulder, breathing in from her neck.

"That means I can stay with you now, right?"

This makes him stop. He picks up his head to look at her. "You really think you're capable of killing me?"

"I obviously proved myself," she pushes. She clutches his shoulders, hoping she didn't start his discomfort, making him want to leave, not while she and him were together.

He gives her a small smile, laying her back down. He resumes his attentions at her neck. "You know, little one, angel's blood is the most desirable of any creature."

"I'm not an angel," she sighs. "Besides, you can't even stand angels."

He chuckles, sitting up. "That's very true." He crawls off the bed and immediately begins dressing, starting with his shirt. He's almost too fast; she scrambles to at least catch his arm as he turns to leave the room, his hand already on the doorknob. He looks back at her, her naked form on its knees before him on the floor, her eyes pleading him, tears already falling.

"Don't leave me tonight," she whispers. She knows his leaving eventually is inevitable, but their encounter so far has been too short. Who knows how long it will be before she sees him again? "Please, Master, don't leave me already."

He takes her hand, gently pulling it off his arm. He picks her up and holds her against him, allowing her to cry against his chest. He smiles down at her, though she is unaware of the tenderness he shows. She really is still a child, only eighteen years. How she became so in love with him, so attached to him, he'll never really know, but he's not complaining. All the years he spent raising her, all the years she spent serving him, they must come to an end at some point, and it will happen before she dies of old age. That's what he tells himself.

He pushes her shoulders gently, holding her at arm's length. "Darling, you still have much to learn." He wipes her tears off her cheeks, gently kisses her lips. "You have become stronger, yes, but not strong enough to fight me at my strongest. When you're able to kill me will we be together again." He kisses her again, and leaves before she can stop him again.

She falls to the floor, her hands clenching to fists. She ignores the splinters that scrape into her knuckles. He left her again, he told her she wasn't strong enough to kill him yet. She hiccups as she crawls back to the bed, climbing onto the rough mattress, grabbing the scratchy pillow, holding it tightly against her body, suddenly cold from lack of anymore heat.

"I don't want to kill you, Master," she whispers, closing her eyes and drifting to sleep.

Outside the inn, he walks down the road, heading out the way he came. He pauses, looks up into the sky, ignoring the raging wind and flurrying snow landing on his face. He smiled softly, again showing the tenderness that the girl will never see. He hears a soft murmur, a childlike voice among the wind. He closes his eyes.

"You don't have a choice," he whispers, answering her. He continues on his way, not once looking back, taking the wind, snow, and cold with him.

Kinden up

I know I haven't posted in a long time, but that's not my fault. For awhile now this site wouldn't let me do anything. Every time I wanted to edit my manga lists, I couldn't. Unfortunately I've been reading so much that I don't remember what I've read, and, therefore, can't add them to my lists.

I've finally decided to make a Kinden blog, posting up each chapter. I had some great advice in making Lilly better, but I'm just so damn tired right now that I'll fix it in the morning.

So, I watched Samurai Champloo, and I can't get enough of it! I finished the series this morning, and I immediately went to FF.net and started reading fics. There are mostly Fuu+Mugen stories, but there are the rare Mugen/Jin and Jin/Fuu, which I find more exciting. I mean, it's obvious Fuu and Mugen belong together, and I love that, but I am a fan of non-canon pairings. Mugen/Jin is obvious...It's yaoi, and I love it! Jin/Fuu is a bit tough to get a handle on. They do think of each other as siblings, at least I like to think they do, but once in a while someone throws up a good reason why they become paired.

I have an idea in my mind for a fic, Fuu/Mugen, but I've started to think that maybe it starts out as Fuu/Mugen, but turns into Fuu/Jin? Or the other way around? Either way, it's going to be a oneshot, and it's going to be long. Actually, now that I think of how long, I might make it a chapter or two. Then again, we all know how that'll turn out (i.e. see I Kissed A Girl ft. Lucy/Erza). That one was meant to be a oneshot, but I turned it into a 2-chapter story, and I'm still only halfway through the second chapter.

Okay, I'm really tired now, so I'm really going to leave and do more tomorrow. e_e