On the Streets (Closed, and Ended)

Raion woke with a start. He had had that dream again, the same one that had been troubling him for weeks, the same one that always reopened the same wound... a very old wound.

At least it seemed to be so, it wasn't usually Raions habit to keep track of the time, but he knew it would've had to been 13 months since it had happened. He tried so many times to forget the past, but it always ended up right back in his face. Well... so far so good, he was still hanging in the streets of the Fire Nation District, but if he didn't find lodging fast he was sure to be found.

Found by whom? he asked himself. Get a hold of yourself Raion there's no one hunting you down. Right, no one was, but he was getting the feeling that somebody was watching him day by day, he didn't recognize the feeling those eyes gave him when they were on him, but he knew that whoever it was they would reveal themselves soon.

He got up slowly, he had fallen asleep on a rooftop in the district, luckily nobody had seen him there, and even more lucky was the fact that it hadn't rained the night before even with the clouds high in the sky, still he needed to be careful, or else he'd be sure to catch a cold.

It was great to be back in in the Fire Nation. Never again was she to travel off into un known territory. The meeting with the Kyoshi warrior had done some damage to her, but a expirence for sure. Kayuki smiled as she breathed in the sweet air. Her fans at her back, and her arms crossed. Vendors from each side trying to lure her in. " Fine cuisine! How about a Necklace Pretty lady?! Birds of Paradise!" All of these rang in her ears. Good to be home.

Kayuki pulled her long red hair over her shoulder and walked on farther. Into what seemed to be a park of some kinds. Green grass, full trees. Cherry blossoms flowing with the breeze. Kayuki closed her vibrant pink eyes and enjoyed the sun as it set. Time to find a place to sleep.

Kayuki walked up to this Inn of some sorts, got her room prepared, and did a little bit of exploring. Climbing the stairs to the tip top, which had a window, and she looked out onto the streets. Still full even after the day was over. Kayuki smiled, climbed out of the window and up onto the roof, to her surprise was another being. He was asleep, and Kayuki seemed to study the man that laid there. She giggled some and went back down to her room.

"That poor boy" ,she thought. Kayuki had slept none the less, waking up to the sun. A beautiful morning. And she had hurried to get dressed once again. She wished to see if that boy was still there, and perhaps ask him what he was doing up there.

once again Kayuki climbed out the window and up onto the roof, the boy was still there and she smiled. " Excuse me, but why is it you are up here?" Kayuki giggled, it was somewhat odd that he was up here. Why didn't he just sleep in a room below, perhaps he was too poor, of he didn't know. Kayuki walked a little closer, not trying to frighten him, " My name is Kayuki. " She said with a sweet smile on her perfect flawless face.

Raion jumped... not for the first time. All the night he had been hearing strange noises coming out of this building, but he still didn't know what it was, and he didn't have any money for lodging, and was incredibly tired when he had climbed it.

A girl had snuck up behind him, and he had jumped as if the world was about to come down on him. When he turned he saw a very beautiful girl, although she had a certain gleam in her eyes that Raion had sworn he'd seen before, a gleam that he had seen overtake people many days before... it was the gleam that was bloodlust, but behind that was an innocence. This girl was... strange, he saw that she had recently been in a fight, using deduction of course, which was his specialty, she had a few scratches where her skin showed.

Of course deduction didn't help him find out who she was or where she came from, he wasn't that good yet, but he knew that the same bloodlust he'd seen overtake his friends during his journeys, he didn't want to bring the bloodlust out of this girl.

"Pleased to meet you Kayuki... I'm Raion. I admit it is strange that I am sleeping here, and as far as I know this should be an inn, from the sounds I've heard in the night, of course... I have no money, but I'll be sure to gain some today." he said. What was he thinking, he didn't want to tell anyone his plans of thieving, he wasn't very good at it but he knew it would be his only way of getting lodging... and food. Maybe this... Kayuki would help him, but it was to much to wish for at the moment.

Kayuki smiled as she saw the boy jump. It startled her a little but she found it rather funny. She stood and walked towards him a little more and Kayuki smiled, with her hands tucked in her sleeves. He had turned to face her, and she grinned even more as he acknowledged her. He didn't seem like homeless man, too young, perhaps he was a traveler.

She looked him over slightly, he was a rather attractive boy, no matter how strange he acted. his eyes seemed to scan over her as well. What was he looking for? Abnormalities? Perhaps he saw the wounds left over. Hell they were battle scars, she earned them.


" Hello Raion, i am happy to meet you as well. I'm sorry for intruding if you wished for privacy, it's just that sleeping on the roof seemed rather dangerous." She closed her eyes and giggled slightly. " It is sad that you have no money, ive never had the privilege to expirence poverty really..." Kayuki walked closer to him, she felt sorry for him. Having to sleep out here in the cold. She wished she could help, and you know what, she could.

" Raion, how would you like to join me for breakfast, ive been feeling a little lonely lately and id really appreciate your company if you would join me."

Kayuki smiled, hoping he would take up her offer. This strange boy, he needed her help, and perhaps he could help her somehow as well. There was something about him that intrigued her.

When Raion heard this the whole world brighten. He had been wandering around without food for a long while... but wait... he couldn't drag another person into it, he had already run farther then any other boy over would to get away, he didn't know why but he yearned for freedom, but he swore, they authorities had to be just behind him, and if he stayed in one place to long he was sure to be caught.

"Well... alright but only just this morning, that's as long as I can stay... I'm on the run." he said to the girl. He still felt guilty about the last person he had gotten into this, but he hoped he could somehow return her the favor during his time here, which would probably be the next three hours. He got up and dusted himself off... suddenly he realized that his clothes were slightly dewy from the night. He shook off the dew, and got up to where the girl was by the window. "Alright lets go." he said, somewhat impatiently, not to be rude, but he was starving.

Kayuki smiled as he seemed to be rather happy at her offer, and she grinned happily. Perhaps they could have a happy friendship, she hasn't had a good companion to talk with in a long time. But his expression seemed to change. What was he talking about, why couldnt he stay in one place? Who was he running from, what has this boy done wrong to anyone?

Kayuki tilted her head to the side with a confused look on her face. But she didnt ask anything. She just nodded, put her smile back on her face, and giggled as the boy seemed to be in a rush. Probably cause he hasn't eaten in such a long time. Kayuki climbed back through the window and started to head down the stairs.

" Do you have a place in mind? Oh and ill have to stop by the room to grab my bag. " As Kayuki said this they rounded a corner, opened her room door, quickly disappeared inside and appeared once more with her small tan brown bag over her shoulder.

" All set!" She said with a smile. Kayuki had a smile, but inside she was still just as curious about this boy. Was he a criminal? If so, that wasn't so bad, Kayuki once made friends with a common thief. She finds the brightests of aspect and factors about each person, no matter if thier choices arn't the best.

They walked out of the building, hearing the birds chirping, and the morning sun shining beautifully. Kayuki bit her lip, turned, and simply said, " I apologize but i am rather curious as to what you had done, Why are you on the run? and from whom?"

Kayuki seemed to take back her words instantly, " Sorry, i dont have the right to ask..."

"No, you have an absolute right to ask... as long as you promise not to tell a soul you met me, or that I was here." he said. The birds fluttering around the trees distracted him, he felt for some reason that he had to burn them all up.
He sighed again even deeper this time, his past seemed almost like a dream now... a past he wanted to forget, that he wanted to flow out of his mind, like water drips out of cupped hands, but this wasn't what would happen, he wouldn't forget these memories quickly, he had committed crime and paid for it.

Why did they have to always be stalking around the corner... he still remembered how she had tried to defend him, to no avail. But that was again in the past. He turned to Kayuki. "You promise not to tell." he said.

Kayuki looked at him, as this subject seemed to almost bring him pain. Kayuki tilted her head and looked at him as his facial expression seemed to change, as did his whole aura.

Of course she wouldn't tell anyone, it wasn't really any of her business to tell anyone they had met either. Kayuki has done things she wasn't proud of, and she relied on others to keep information to themselves So of course she could keep it a secret.

" Raion, " she said sweetly, " You can trust me, i give you my word. I know it may not seem like much, but i too have lived a hard life, and i can see how much betraying you would affect your life. So i promise i wont tell a living soul." She said raising her hand to rest on his shoulder. She wasn't going to make him tell her, but it would certainly open up their new friendship.

" Here, would you like to sit down to talk about this?" She said motioning towards the bench just a few feet away. There weren't many people around to over hear them, most were just getting ready for a busy day."

"Alright... but I can't be talking here all day." he said, as they walked towards the bench. He sat down, not many people were hanging around, but this was one of the most important secrets Raion had ever kept.
"First of all, two years ago I ran away from my uncle, I always hated how he wanted me to be a blacksmith, and forced me to it, luckily though it helped me to forge these." Raion pulled his twin daggers out of their sheaths, engraved on one was the name Kilohn, and on the other Shiloh. He sheathed them quickly people would notice him easily by them, although they were beautiful blades to admire. "I've been on the run ever since I set fire to his blacksmith and ran, although I've forgiven him for some of his cruelty, it hasn't stopped the punishment that's in store for me when I return home. The days after I left my uncles were bitter, I was a rat for sure, and I stole a few precious gems to make a quick buck. I joined a parade of other young criminals like me, they were a rascally bunch, and pickpocketed my money at any chance they had, but that didn't mean I didn't get back at them. We were criminals... really good ones, well good at being criminals at least, we took a few of the most precious stones ever discovered, I have one of them still." Raion looked over his shoulder at this point.

"Just a little while ago, I left it... or more like we broke up in prison, I helped us all to escape at least." he said. "I went off with one of the girls that were part of our group. We were... close friends, until she was killed... a very painful memory. She was tortured into revealing who I was and how we had escaped... of course we were very important captives, especially because my group wasn't just organized crime, but terrorist attackers too, of course me and her were youngest of the group... and the weakest." Raion finished with this, he had talked fast because he didn't want to go through it again in his mind. "Please don't make me say it again."

Kayuki sorta smiled, a optimistic smile, assuring that everything okay. She sat down on the bench beside him, he turned to face towards her and she looked up at him. She nodded as he stated that they could not be here long. Completely understandable.

The girl listened intently, he was talking rather fast, trying to get through it all. Her pink eyes gazed intensely at him until they lowered to see the beautiful glinting silver daggers he had brought out. Her mind was in awe, at the fact that he had forged them. Exquisite detail and hard work must have been put into those. As he put them away her gaze looked up once more as he continued telling her his tale.

It was sad, heart breaking, to hear all the trouble this poor boy had gone through, especially to survive. But there were some good things to come out of it she believed, like he learned to survive, and he learned to live off of what other people could provide, he had found friendship, but at a terrible loss in the end. Kayuki's heart dropped as he finished.

" No, i got all of that..." Without even thinking, the girl quickly wrapped her arms around him, and hugged him in comfort. She quickly released as she realized what she did. Kayuki sighed, " I apologize, i was just moved by your story, you see our lives aren't too different, i too have made awful choices."

" I'm glad you told me though, now lets go get you something to eat, " she said before taking his hand and tugging on him to walk with her, with a smile on her face.