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Aiysin's eyes widened and she jumped to her feet.

"Sunstrike! Will you come with me to the Dark Sakura?! I had planned on taking you and Vahn there anyways... but now I'm asking! There's someone you have to meet!"

She looked at him desperately.

"I think... I think that between the two of you--- we just might be able to!"

"Of course! You can even use the hot springs if you like."

Aiysin looked thoughtful for a moment and then scratched the back of her head anxiously.

"I was going to wait here for Lysira and Vahn first... and gate all four of us back together... But Where I am doesn't really matter. In fact, it'll be easier for Lysira since the DSBG is more familiar to her."

She walked over to Sun and motioned to his wrist, where the silver-beaded bracelet was.

"Promise me you won't take that off? I'll prepare a custom piece that you can keep when we get back to the Dark Sakura."

Aiysin had begun to busy herself with straightening her obi sash and closing the hidden pouch that had held the first aid supplies.
She grinned and nodded, her voice was softer as she spoke now, clearly having picked his troubles out from his face as he fretted silently.

"Don't worry about the Scion. Lysira is with him as we speak, even if he does not know it. She will not reveal herself until he is alone or she deems the situation critical... but she will make sure that nothing serious happens to Vahn."

She also began moving about the cave removing traces of their presence. Traces of blood were her main focus, as she would water them down to nothing but mud at the touch of her hand.

She continued to talk as she worked...

"For Sierra's sake if nothing else, we won't allow anything to happen to him. Until he joins us however, you'll have some time to relax and recover between introductions to the people you'll be working with."

With the cave, cleaned and their presence removed, Aiysin moved to the center of the cave. Tucking her fan into her sash, so that her left hand was free, the right arm stretched out, producing the pendant, the long length of silver chain spilling forth as it began to swing in a rapid, circular motion.

"Open to me, Gi'thran"

The same words that had been whispered so softly just before she had shouted Sunstrike's name back at the stadium.

42 silvery vines sprouted from the cavern floor, 21 on each side weaving together and forming an arbour shaped from silver vines, almost like ivy--- It was beautiful to behold.

Her eyes gleamed and if he looked close enough as she held out her hand to him, he would see the reflection of their destination in them. As if looking into her eyes, let you see into another world.

"Ready?"

The jealous glance was dually noted. Perhaps she didn't need to mention why GUARDIAN was so actively involved in Vahn's, as well as his own well being... but he'd made it clear that he had his own motivations for helping them. It was only fair that she was equally honest.

She held out her hand, a breeze kicking outwards from the center point of focus, the gate. The wind tossed her short hair around her face playfully, swirling the cloth of their clothes about gently.

Sunstrike would feel a slight pull or 'tug' towards the gate, leading from his arm where the silver beads encircled his wrist.

As he walked through the gate, it was like walking through dry water. There wasn't really any other way to explain it. It was liquid... but it wasn't wet. His reaction might have been to hold his breath for fear of 'drowning' but he would be able to observe that he could breathe just fine.

Aiysin entered the gate behind him and together they stepped through into a beautiful courtyard garden that seemed caught in the transition of Late winter and early spring. Into the estates of the Dark Sakura.

The arbor dissipating into wisps of fog as the gate closed.

Sunstrike slid to an unsteady halt outside the cave mouth, and then pelted down the outside road at an unsteady lope.

Aiysin said that she'd only keep people away for so long, then they'd have to keep a close watch on his actions, probably at her expence once the healers found out he'd left in his condition. Shin would be even harder to keep out of it all.

But he couldn't get them all involved. Not in this. There was too much kindness in them to mess around with someone like Sun, well, someone like Sun plus his problems.

If he could deal with those, he'd told Aiysin, then he could come back to them and...and to Vahn. The darker man especially wouldn't need to deal with all this, probably wouldn't be in any shape to.

It was Sun's problem to take care of Tijae, now all he had to do was find her and find out why she'd abruptly lost half of herself to someone.

Sunstrike skidded to a halt, eyes widening. Abruptly he backed up a step. He'd been drunk at the time....but he still recognized the voice.

"Joshua?"

Death. Of all the worst times....no time to think, just act.

Dust exploded outwards as he lept from his good foot on the highground and spun, throwing the metalled left ankle around at jaw height to the growing shadow.

He had time enough to see the whites of the reapers eyes before either a miss, a grab, or some contact was made with metal meeting a face.

Either way pain was on the menu, even before the battle had begun.

With a huge shower of sparks and a wrench of pain Sun slammed home against the dirt and bounced a little, blinking up at Joshua through narrowed eyes.

"I wouldn't fight if you weren't reaking of bad vibes, soppy." Blood from split stiches trailed down the gripped leg and he spoke through gritted teeth. He raised his good leg and levelled it against a kneecap with his heel. Kicking out to make the other man let go.

"H-HEY!" Sun's head hit a rock with his head and the shirt he wore, the usual tank top, started to tear along the jagged ground.

"I need tha-AHHHHHH!"

Sun's sentance ended in a yelp of dispair as he tried to lever himself in some way to stop the pain, fingers digging against the dirt, looking for a hand hold. Skin started to tear with a wet uncomfortable sound as stiches were pulled free.

He ended up half sitting, scrabbling up his own leg to try and bat the hands away from the bands. They started to glow dully in responce to things mentally exploding in the back of his skull.

PANIC?!!

"Joshua STOP!"