charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400
X-archive-position: 16042
X-listar-version: Listar v0.128a
Sender: ffml-bounce@fanfic.com
Errors-To: ffml-bounce@fanfic.com
X-original-sender: tianadragon@crosswinds.net
Precedence: bulk
X-list: ffml
[The following text is in the "iso-8859-1" character set]
[Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set]
[Some characters may be displayed incorrectly]
Chapter 5
The bath and shower felt good as she flushed away the dirt of the healing
and ritually washed herself in preparation for the new life. As she sat in
the bath she could not help but start thinking. ~Sketi, not even in a new
place for three days Aideen and already you have injured two of your hosts
and have shown that you are not normal in any sense of the word. What the
hell were you thinking when you left Erlan'.~ She thought back on her
young childhood when her parents found out that she had a rare ability for
healing and decided to move the family to Ireland to see if her Father's
family there could help get her abilities trained and controlled before they
could hurt some one.
In the States she was seen as a freak and something that was to be avoided
incase what she had was catching. As her father saw what she could do he
remembered the tales his mother had told him about the famed healers of
Ireland and the fact that Ireland was a land of magic. It was then that he
decided to move to his ancestral village and present young Aideen to the
village healer to see if she could be brought up in the ways of Ireland's
magic and healing ways.
Aideen proved to be a quick study of the magic's that she had been using so
instinctively. As she learned of how and when to use her abilities for
healing she also learned why to do it and why she had the abilities. In the
understanding community and with in her own family she soon grew to be a
strong confidant young woman that took interest in many things other than
healing. She learned a bit about Japan and its history with dragon's and
demons and other creatures of magic and wanted to learn of it more. So with
the guidance of her healing mentor she learned the language and in the
school system when she got to university level for her schooling she was
granted a year and a half in Japan to learn ore of the language and the
culture that she would not have a chance to learn otherwise.
Now here she was wrinkling in the bathtub wondering if she should leave for
Ireland again just when she had the chance to do what she wanted just
because the one dark part of her abilities showed so quickly.
As she grew in the knowledge of her abilities she was warned that all
healers had a dark side to them that showed at unexpected times and usually
when the healer was not in control of all of their facilities. It was known
as the animal, or the beast. Most of the healers reverted to a more
primitive and guardian like state when this side of their abilities took
over and they would have no ability to control their violent actions until
something made them stop. Usually a Healer that traveled a lot would learn
a bit of control and be able to call on this dark nature at times of great
duress, such as when they were traveling and they were attacked by
something.
Since most healers carried a blade of some sort with them for a reason or
another that had be come the Dark nature's weapon of choice and the Dark
healer was most deadly with the blade.
As she finished bathing and dried herself off and changed into her dark blue
jeans and wolf sweatshirt she remembered that she had not been wearing her
Dragon Necklace and put it back on quickly. As she dried her hair she
finished combing its wavy length and tied it back in a ponytail.
As she stepped out of the bath and walked quickly down to her room and was
surprised to see a white Tiger there, "I can only assume that won't do me
any harm since you are in the house and the guys are here too." As the
tiger nodded she looked into his eyes and remembered. "Oh dear, so you were
the reason the Wild one came out this afternoon. I am terribly sorry for
hurting your friends." The great cat nodded again and left her room back
down the stairs while she put her things away.
As she came down the stairs she saw that Kento and Ryo were there and as she
extended her senses she could not feel any one else. Ryo was looking at her
almost in reproach and Kento was just looking at her in minor awe as she
came down the stairs and looked around. They stayed where they were though
until she had gotten something to eat and came back out to the living area.
When she sat down she looked up into Ryo's blue eyes and Kento's dark eyes
and sighed sadly. "I am sorry for what happened. I hurt you Kento and your
friend could have lost the use of his arm had I cut him anywhere but where I
did. For all of that I am truly sorry." Her voice was thick with emotion
and since she was not thinking of what she said it came out in a very
thickly accented English. Her head was bowed in the old sign of submission
as she apologized and she stayed that way until she had an answer.
As a hand touched her shoulder she looked up to see Kento on one side of her
and Ryo on the other. "Aideen, it will be ok. You just surprised us with
your actions today and scared some of us with what you did with that knife.
However, You were not hurt and Sage and Kento here would have healed." Ryo
was speaking softly and as he took her hand she could feel his sincerity.
She looked at Kento and was reassured of having been forgiven and then
looked at them both. "Who was the Tiger?? He rather startled me twice
today and I could have hurt him as well." She was miserable and since she
was used to being open about how she felt, her emotions came across on all
wavelengths.
"Well, we were going to introduce you to him when you woke up from your
sleep but I think that just was not going to happen as you got an up close
and personal introduction to him. I for one and just glad that he knew that
you would not be a threat to him if he kept his distance. He understands
things like that."
As Ryo finished that part of his explanation the kitchen door swung open and
Blaze walked into the main room. As he walked up to the trio on the couch,
Aideen held her hand out for him to identify and then gently began to
scratch him behind his ears with her manicured nails. "Aideen, This is
White Blaze. White Blaze, This is Aideen." Blaze nudged her hand in
greeting and leaned into her attentions as she explained what had happened
to her when she woke up.
As she finished her explanation she finally gave a name to what she was when
she was like that. "I am know to the Irish as a Wildling, in tune with
nature and everything in it we are generally very uncomfortable when indoors
and we understand all the creatures and the magic's that govern them." She
looked at them apologetically and was surprised when she heard another voice
speak up behind her. "Well that would explain your healing abilities a
bit."
As Aideen jumped and turned to the new voice she was face to face with Mia
who had just walked in the door. "Well." Aideen started not sure if she
should tell them her secrets or not and decided to go for broke since they
had seen most of what she was capable of. "Actually Mia-sama, it is because
of my healing abilities and the fact that I was trained in the old ways of
being a healer that I will become the Wildling.
Healers have other abilities as well, but I have to discover them for
myself."
Mia nodded in understanding and then looked at Kento and Ryo. "Well Guys,
Since she trusted us with her secret, Shall we show her yours??"
"I do not think that would be a bad idea." Cye walked in with Rowen and
Sage smiling slightly. "Aideen, have you heard anything in the world new in
the last couple of years about a city in Japan that was essentially cut off
from the outside world? And when it was reopened no one could remember what
happened??"
Aideen thought about it for a few moments and then looked at the guys and
then back into her memories. "I remember feeling something Dark in the
world for a while. But I did not hear anything in the news or the
newspapers about it."
Sage walked up to Aideen and as Ryo and Sage stood her up all seven of them
surrounded her. Sage explained as they set up their circle. "Aideen, I
know that you have a basic Telepathic ability, and I know that you have it
figured out that we have that ability as well. What we are doing is what I
like to call a memory circle. You are about to see in your mind what
happened when that Darkness fell on the city from our point of view."
In the minutes that passed after they all started to tell their tale, Aideen
found herself in the middle of a strange, lethal and wonderful tale of what
happened to the city and why the darkness came. After she had seen the
whole story, she sighed and shook her head. It was hard for her to believe
that there were mysteries and events that were so monumental to Mankind's
survival, and no one would know that they happened with the exception of a
few chosen Warriors. When she opened her eyes what she saw startled her
backwards into the person behind her. As she was caught, she found herself
staring at the five young men she had met only two days ago, only their
energies were stronger as they were covered in armors that were the ones she
saw in the story. As she looked up she saw herself having been caught by
Rowen, dressed in a Dark blue armor he introduced them all. "Aideen, I am
Rowen Hashiba, also know as Rowen of the Strata Armor and keeper of the life
force. Over in the green armor you have Sage Date, Also know as Sage of the
Halo, and keeper of Wisdom. Then there is Kento Fung, or Kento of Hardrock,
Holder of Justice. Ryo Sanada of the Wildfire and keeper of the Virtue. And
Last but not least there is Cye Mouri of Torrent, and Keeper of Faith.
Collectively we are known as the Ronin Warriors." As the introductions were
passed around Mia was standing off to one side with White Blaze smiling at
her friends when they all noticed Aideen looking at the front door. "Um,
Mia-san?? Did you know that you have company on the grounds??"