"Oh, sorry. I fail,".
(( I HAD TO BREAK CHARACTER. xD ))

She look to the girl and tilt her head "You take things at face value, that is your mistake... see beyond the physical form" she say but then realized not everyone was as understanding and sighed "You are both being foolish" her eyes going to the girl, then to the one that sat beside her "Respect is a two way street... it is given and taken in equal measurements" she say putting her head on the tree "You should no better for what you are, like me she is a child... just perhaps not as understanding... please be a little easy with her" her voice was soft almost begging him "And he has done nothing to have such a poisoned tone thrown at him, here you are in the wrong" she say gently

He sighed, a trail of sad-sounding moans and whispers filling the space, a small amount of fog rising from him.

In light of our history, today, I will concede for the second time in my history. The first damned me to such a form, and this one proves me to be keen to your whims. I apologize, other-girl-who-talks-to-the-air.

And you. He looked at the Deathless, pointing. I'm glad to see you are the same girl I've always seen.

"Apology accepted, weird-spirit-who-has-spooky-lanterns. And I will apologize to you."

Yes, yes, accepted, continued existence granted, etcetera. And I am no spirit. The spirits are cowardly, hiding behind the veil of the real and the unreal.

Call me Keeper.

"Fine, Keeper-the-one-who-wields-spooky-lanterns. That name suits, I think."

She looked to him and smiled a little "Thank you for being so understanding" her hand going to her chest and she moved her head into a bow for a second, though when she sat straight she blinked "K-keen to my whims?" she sounded surprised, she hadn't expected such words from him, nor did she know how to take them "Shade helps he grasp what I was, and as he is still here I have that one thing that prevents me from becoming a mindless doll" she say watching once more as shade chased his tail

And is it not lucky that Shade is here? So good at his work~ Yes, I am keen to them. It does not mean I will always be so quick to follow them. <.<

"I know it is lucky Shade is her, I do not want to be a mindless doll on a string" her voice sounded quiets a tear falling from her left eye as she knew what fate would eventually await her, listening to his words once more she lowered her head "It almost make is seem like you are bound to me and I to you" she say in a whisper for no one but his ears to pick up "Why are you keen to them?"

Because I was keen to them in the Before. Your people, of all those in this great multiverse, should understand the concept of a Before rather well...

"I understand before even if I can not remember it clearly, everyday my before becomes more and more like someone elses dream!" she stood quickly moving her hand to her chest she bowed to pay her respect and whistled "Shade" she called running deeper in the battle grounds stopping when she believed herself to be far enough away her hand going to the white crystal around her neck 'I must remember, I must not forget' she thought to herself over and over again

"I refuse to become a doll, I won't be a killer by choice and there is nothing you can do to change that!" she call out looking to the heavens as if talking to a higher being, yes she was one of the few favored but she still had memories and so fight with everything she had to remain her own being, no matter how futile it was considering the end would still have the same outcome.

Sliding down the tree she brought her knees to her chest and looked to Shade "Soon my before will leave me and I won't remember... why does it hurt so much?" she would ask him her hand going to stroke his head "No I'm not giving up, I'm just wondering why I am still fighting the inevitable" her voice sounded offended as she argued with what seemed with herself

"I know... fight while I still have the will... we can deal with the aftermath later" she smiled and nuzzled shade "I'm glad one of us is thinking straight" she say her voice showing devotion to the one last thing she had holding her together, the crystal could break, be lost or taken from her, but the bond she had for him would never break and could never be taken from her as much as many would have liked it

After some time, he became bored with waiting, and apparated to her.

Do you often speak to the trees? there was no mockery in his voice, he meant it.

Remaining where she was, she brought her hand to her chest and once more bowed her respect but remained quiet to his question, it was his talk on 'before' that had upset her

He stared hard at her, curious as to why she was clutching her chest. He regarded Shade for a moment, then turned his gaze back to her. He then did something he had never done, not since he had covered them- He removed the veil from in front of his eyes. Twin flaming orbs shone bright, lighting the area, fire playing the shadows across the ground.

Do you see the flames? Can you see them?

She looked to him with confusion, though seen his eyes and nodded "Yes I see the flames" her eyes closing as she lowered her head, somehow she felt unworthy of seeing him, normally she would be pulling away from the light but some how she didn't from this light

Look at them. Look at them and see.

He waited for her to tilt her eyes up again. He would show her the one time before he had ever conceded, he would show her his Before, and leave the memory of there even being a before burned into her.

She shook her head refusing to look into his eyes once more "I refuse" she say sternly holding onto shade, she didn't need to see, and she didn't want to his light felt warn to her, it didn't irritate her like sun light but the light from his eyes filled her with a feel of dread almost like there was something there she herself didn't want to see or remember

He narrowed his eyes, and made a quick decision. She WOULD look. He grabbed her roughly by the chin, and forced her into his gaze.

I. Said. Look.

If he was going to show her, he would not be denied.

Eyes went wide perhaps with a little fear, perhaps in surprise only she knew the reason behind it as she was roughly handled her eyes going back to the now growling Shade and shook her head, she closed her eyes once more "I refuse! Please stop this" she say to him "I don't want to look, some places should never be seen this is one of them" she pleaded, though she was unsure if it would fall on deaf ears

He sighed, having no option but to release her. He meant her no harm, but she apparently was too fearfull. He whispered to himself, mostly.

There is too much fear in your heart. I remember a time when you shielded me with your own person....Now you avert your eyes from mine...

He spoke up to where she could hear.

There is fear in you. I know you to be stronger. When you are stronger, I will fortify you in ways you think lost.

She open her eyes and look to him "I didn't mean to offend you" her voice whispering "Light irritates but your light doesn't, I find it warm almost familiar" she say in honesty, her eyes meeting his at least for a short time "I don't want to remember, it has nothing to do with fear... I don't want to remember just to forget once more" her voice sorrow filled as she looked down once more, it was the lose of her memories and being a will-less doll that scared her

He regarded Shade again, and then laughed, a loud, big, full laugh. He hadn't laughed so since his Before, and even then not much before the end of it. He laughed like this for a good minute before finally ceasing. Corporeal again, he couldn't help it, he hugged her.

You've grown so very much. Fare well in the fights here, I would hate to find you in one of my lanterns..

"Wither I have grown or not I would rather end my life than bury another soul" though she was about to say something but hearing him laugh she smiled, though feeling him hug her, her eyes went wide as she felt a light blush coming to her albino cheeks "I will be in one eventually, why not now?" she whisper unsure if he had picked up her thoughts or not

Again, I have more...control over this than you think. Asura there would probably hate me if she knew anything of my true nature~

He thought back to the young girl, scared, being attacked. He thought of the sword in his back, the arrows in his arm, the spear being dug into his side. He remembered burning 102 men alive that day, 3 women. He remembered that that one had to survive, the child, she had to live. He looked at this woman now, and saw someone so different from all of the children he had saved. He thought back to her from his before, and what had happened between them. He remembered even then, he had thought of the girl at the village, after killing 105 people with no regard, and how he had had to protect her. He remembered then meeting this woman later, in her Before, at the moment his ended.

He shook his head, cutting the reminiscence, and released her.

"I do not doubt you or the ability's you hold, or the sway you hold over them" she say quietly closing her eyes a quiet sigh of relief came from her lips as she was released "I know you..." her hand going to her pendant, foe a moment she clenched it "But no matter hard I try to remember you I can not" she sounded upset and frustrated at herself and shook her head once more "No... if the powers wish it I will remember, you do not forget things that are important... your head might but---" she trailed off as she tried to make sense of everything, she had been a tool since the beginning but slowly her loyalty was wavering thought she knew she was bound to his will she still tried to fight him

Your will will once more be your own, young one. When it is, I want to know that you will know what to do with it. If you fail, it is my fault, and your falling will be on my head -again-. That can never happen.

((Asura never dropped me or espy...does that mean I get to fight on the front lines?)

((As in never killed? XD Feel free lol))

She sat and listened to hi in confusion !how can my failing be yours if I am the one that fails?" her voice quaking a little, now the ball game had changed, it mattered not to her if she survived or die but when there was another involved that meant she was no longer dealing just with her own fate "I shan't fail" her voice holding resolve

((Just pretend I'm in the old avi. I had the sudden urge to use all commons XD))

Good. I see regard in you, you have resolve because I have stock in this. You care for me, yet you do not know why, yes?

((no not killed, I mean dropped. I never figured out what she tried to do while I was attached to her talon-ish feet. I mean, i don't even know if she did nothing and if that's the case,, I would heroicly take epsy and run. XD))

no idea mate))

If you wish. It's open for everyone.

Especially people that want to get torn asunder by Asura and feed my lanterns ^_^

Lordy, trying to increase the harem again, Hermfafa?

No. I have need of souls. Feed the lanterns. Don't fret, just fight~ Yes, strike your enemies down, feel the blood on your hands, lust for more... Keep feeding my Ever-Light, Asura~ Keep feeding it~

I guess I better continue the harvest then. *back to the front lines*

so now the question is where did Asura drop espy, or where did I get dropped... I'm gonna assume that I was dropped in the front and espy was taken back to the rebels.