Sisters and Brothers

Jack winced, still not fully healed from before, but made no effort to fight out of the hug but instead knelt beside her and laid his crutch on the ground, hugging her with both arms, "I can't kill you demon...at least not yet...." He said as he hugged her back, "But I can at least try to make it a little less painful for you but I want you to know...you will never be alone, okay? We are going to bring Ame back and you three can live happy here."

Arlitha nodded and pulled away, but the silent tears didnt stop. Misha walked over to her and ruffled her hair. "Stop those tears Arli" he said softly as he hugged her, keeping her close to him. he would hold her as long as he had to, as long as it helped her then he would do it.

A few of the Guardians had to leave but Jack, Kevin, and Copper stayed. Jack helped Arlitha into her new house and told Copper to get her some tea, "It will help, trust me." He said. Now that he had eased some of her pain of losing her life, he wanted to mend some of the pain of realizing what you had lost.

Arlitha nodded, the book was pressed to her chest. she had yet to let it go since she got it. Misha had gone out to feed again, although he was a halfbreed he still got hungry very quickly. She signed a one handed thank you to the males.

Jack smiled as Copper came back with tea. Kevin was snuggled close to Jack, his eyes closed. Levo and Usai had gone home since Levo fell asleep at the end. "Drink..." he told her, pushing the tea closer to her.

Arlitha took the cup with one hand and took a small sip and then set it back down. She just wanted to sleep forever right now. she was so empty yet full at the same time.

"No, I said drink, not sip." Jack said, he knew what he was doing, he had gone through the same thing many times before. "Please, trust me."

Arlitha was unsure why he was telling her this but she did as she was told and took a drink of the tea, she did feel slightly better but not much.

Jack smiled at her, "Would you like to hear a story? I am a very good story teller." Kevin had opened his eyes and looked to Jack before hopping off and sitting next to Arlitha. He snuggled against her and watched Jack with the utmost interest, waiting for the story but Jack was waiting for her answer.

Arlitha smiled down at Kevin before looking over back at Jack and nodding, she might as well. Stories were always interesting and she hadn't heard a stories in years so she was a little excited about it.

Jack loved to tell stories, he either told ones he heard or made them up on the stop. Sometimes he would use his Shadow Element to tell them which he did for children. Since Kevin was just as eager, Jack decided to use his Shadow Element.

He told them a story of a little spirit who was lost one night. For a long time it searched for a home but couldn't find one. One day, a voice called to him, telling him to fly up high into the sky and when he reached the top, there would be a home waiting for him. The excited little spirit flew up higher and higher and higher but didn't notice that, right below him, were other little spirits follow him too. Together they reached the top and became the stars so that other lost spirits would find their way home too.

It was a story told on the Guardian Isle for the Firefly Festival, it was a childrens tale that was told every year and a few years back, Jack remembered telling that story in Oakwood.

Arlitha listened intently, a look of innocence on her face. Stories were a rarity in the silent sister for more that one reason. She smiled when he finished and clapped, letting him know that she liked the story. She gave him a look telling that she would like to hear another story. It was her inner child, the child that never got to live.

"If you drink your tea, fine, but I don't want to see you waste good tea." Jack said as he smiled, Kevin still snuggled against Arlitha. He waited until she took a drink before beginning another story. This time it was one he made up and the story was true in a sort of way. The names he used though were made up.

It was about a man who was always up to no good, he stole many things from people. One day, he decided to take the grandest thing in the whole kingdom, the jewel of the queen. He snuck into the party which was a masquerade ball. He had decided to dance with the most beautiful woman in the room before he stole the jewel. That was when he found her, dressed in simplicity yet an aged elegance. She took his breath away. They danced and danced and danced all night until they met on the balcony. By that time, the man thought that she was the queen until she removed her mask, realving herself as a simple work girl. He knew deep in his heart though that he loved the girl and later that night, he left the ball without the jewel but a much greater prize. The girl....

Arlitha nodded and picked up the glass and continued drinking the tea as she listened, it sounded like a wonderful story. Misha walked in about halfway through the story and listened it.

Kevin yawned loudly and Jack looked to the boy who started to fall asleep on Arlitha. Jack stood up, the crutch under his arm as he went and picked Kevin up, managing with his only free arm before walking to the stairs and carefully climbing up them. He went to one of the rooms further back. There were ten bedrooms in total but all were just big enough for a bed and a dresser. He laid Kevin down before he sat on the edge of the bed and stroked Kevin's hair.

Arlitha was about to protest about Jack carrying Kevin while he was still injured when Misha walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. "You should get to bed too Arli."

Kevin rolled over in his sleep and grabbed hold of Jack's hand, he smiled at the little dragon boy. "You've grown up so much, Kevin...I am glad I came across you in those runes. I...I wish I found you long before though...so you didn't have to suffer so much for so long...."