Stumbling

Moe sighed as she strolled through the forest, touching the trees occasionally, fingertips brushing over the rough bark.

She was only half Elf, but she needed to be in the forest almost as much as a full-blood Elf.

Nature calmed her down.

She had been playing the happy stupid act for the past few days, pretending she hadn't noticed Taylor's disappearance or Zeke skulking around the mansion keeping an eye on someone.

They were excluding her from something. Something big.

Did they think she was stupid for not noticing or did they really think she was just a weak girl they couldn't put any trust in?

She sighed as she leaned against a tree, sliding down it, staring ahead of herself.

Taylor jolted in her sleep, feeling a familiar presence in the forest

female...hybrid....Moe-chan

she grinned, and quickly made her coccoon unwravle

her dark circles udner her eyes had gone now, as had the once visible beins. her colour was coming back as well, her skin now a darker tan colour like that of what she used to have as a Native American

she had also put the lost weight back on and looked stronger than before, but she was still needing healing

Taylor was wrapped up in the vines still, but not as heavily, and instead had leaves wound around her like armor in a sense, much like what the elves of old used to look like

she opened her eyes showing a bright and vivid green shot through with hazle and browns

still grinning, she began running through the forest, each step leaving flowers sprouting up from the ground as she ran through the forest, using the energy she felt pulsing through the forest to Locate Moe

Imouto! Imouto, it's me!

Taylor was very happy to see Moe again and ran over to her, glad to see she wasn't hurt, but a little concerned by how upset she looked

she knelt in front of Moe, and vines wrapped up against her calves and thighs again, latching to her skin and continued to pulse energy and healing into Taylor as she looked at moe with happyness and concern, looking for the world like Gaia

[color:734d=green[/color]imouto! are you okay? i'm so sorry about disappearing for so long, but i needed to disappear quietly for a while

she leaned forwards and hugged Moe tight, the vines and flowers from her 'armor' gently coiling and shifting as it stayed n sync with her mood

She looked up when she heard the call of sister.

But she sighed and bowed her head again, knees pulling up to her chest when she caught sight of the woman bound in leaves and vines.

"I'm fine," she responded.

She didn't move or flinch or even sigh when Taylor wrapped her arms around her.

She didn't particularly want to see the woman at the moment.

she blinked

she'd never seen Moe like this

imouto? what's the matter?

she gently made moe look up at her ans saw how upset she was

and she had a gut feeling she was the main cause of it

please tell me imouto. are you hurt? is someone hurt? why are you upset?

if something had happened, so help her, she would destroy whoever made her upset

She pulled away from the woman, staring at her with her brows furrowed slightly.

She didn't want to talk to her.

Moe stood, stepping away from the woman. "No one's hurt." No one that she cared about, at least.

Imouto! what's happened? was it something i did? from me disappearing? becasue if that's the case it was because Zeke litterlaly forced myself outside. seriously, what's wrong?

Taylor had moved in front of moe again, worried sick about her now, her smile gone and the plants around her writhing with aggitation and concern

please, tell me what's wrong she asked, no, pleaded, her green eyes softer and sharper than ever before as she looked at moe and hoped for an answer of some kind

"Do you think I'm stupid?"

She stared up at the woman silently, waiting for her answer. She wanted to know.

Did Taylor think she was stupid? Or childish? Or just plain incapable of doing anything?

Taylor cottoned on quick, instantly knowing what she meant...she had noticed something happening

not all that suprising

she quickly hugged Moe tightly

no...i don't think you're stupid...i really don't....you're a very intelligent girl. i know that from your time as red bud imouto. but, however, there are things that i feel, personally, that i shouldn't get you involved in as it would kill me if it ended up hurting you. you've quickly become the single most important person in my life. you're my little sister now, my Imouto, in every way that counts. you and Zeke are the only true family i have, and i can't stand to have either of you hurt....the situation i'm in is quite dire.....and i'm sorry if it felt like i had been excluding you...but everything i do is for good reason in my eyes.........i truely am sorry for hurting you. and again, no, i don't think you're stupid, i know you're capable, i know you can do things, and i know you're not a child....it still doesn't stop me acting how i have been. it's odd for me to care about anyone else but myself, and the last family i had was taken away from me...i won't let the same happen again she explained, burying her face in Moe's shoulder as she explained, tightening her hug a little

her last family was killed brutally by someone she hated and who hated her back because they got involved with her...she wouldn't let her second family end like that

not again

it would destroy her completely...enough so she would littlerally throw herself at Alexis so she was killed

and if Alexis wouldn't do anything, she would go on a killing rampage to get someone to cut her down

She didn't move in the woman's grip, just standing still.

"Zeke is involved."

How was she any different from Zeke? She was just as capable of helping, if not more so.

she sighed heavily and stepped back, looking to the side and gritting her teeth

can i tell you a few things about Alexis? the girl you met in the Library?

Taylor leaned against a tree and the branches moved to half cover taylor as thevines and leaves that covered her like an armor turned harder and more wooden than befor

she crossed her arms over her chest and contiued to look to the side

that girl, Alexis.....she's an uncompleted bounty of mine...someone i could only bind because she was that strong. i was called in to kill her because she masacared several villages and killed many of each race. this wasn't to be tollerated on any level. after a very long and hard battle, i somehow managed to bind Alexis for a century with the aid of a human priest. locked her away in a coffin. i had just about gotten away with my life. i had spent an entire year in the forest to recuperate after that battle. she's the reason i was so ill....the reason i couldn't sleep...couldn't eat...couldn't do anything really. the binding i gave her involved my blood which formed a connection. this meant she could send me images from her sick and twisted mind. the original use for the connection was to check if she was ever going to wake up...obviously she did and that's when things started going down hill...

she sighed heavily and ran a hand through her hair, really wanting a cigarette right then

she now knows you're connected to me...and she will use you against me...you're a target of hers now. it was a reason why i didn't want you to get involved. she doesn't know Zeke's connection to me, so he's a little safer than you...but you she's got locked in her sights. i have him protecting you and playing my eyes and ears for me while i rest and get healthy again/ as you can see, i the dark veins from my scar is't as visible, now just a faint grey, and no circles under my eyes, my weight is back up to normal, and i'm feeling much better than i have in a long time....but this also means that my connection with Alexis is weakening...meaning the binding is getting looser....meaning she's getting stronger as well. 'as the light grows brighter, the shadows grow darker'. that was what the priest told me about the binding. when she's free, everyone is in danger. i have to stop her. you and zeke can't get any more involved than you already are. you're not to fight in the slightest. you're not to even change how you act around her...or she will take you out before you can do anything and you won't even notice till it's too late

she stood up straight again and go to rest her hands on moe's shoulders, the vines coiling slightly over them and giving sparks of energy to the girl

m'dear.....my little imouto.....if i fail my mission of destroying Alexis....you and Zeke are to run with your family and forget i ever existed....erase any connection you had with me and don't even think about me if i die. forget my body, that will be destroyed any ways. you are to get away as quick as possible if i die. i don't plan on dying, but it's a high possibility. i'm trying hard to plan for every occasion...and it's hard.....there aren't many possibilities of me surviving....so i'm planning to make sure my new family, you and Zeke, as well as your family, are safe as i can get you. once i'm dead, i never existed to you...never.... she said sadly, giving a small and a little watery smile, trying her hardest to not cry right then

this girl always brought out her less colder and much warmer side, making her softer

She listened to the explanation silently.

Alexis? She had murdered villages...

Moe...Moe wasn't overly surprised that the vampire had a bad past. She seemed very bright, happy.

The brightest smiles had the darkest shadows.

"Never," she whispered. She would never try to forget Taylor. Never.

Taylor bowed her head for a second and looked up with now violet eyes

her healing was coming to an end soon and she could already feel Alexis' power growing

please...for not just your sake. if everyone forget i existed, then she can't follow what doesn't exist. she will kill you for being associtated with me...especially as deeply as you are. you forget about me, she looses the scent and can't see a reason to attack you. you'll find it easier to hide. she hears thoughts...she hears my name in your mind, and you're history once i'm dead as i won't be able to keep you safe...you...zeke...your father, uncle, grandfather, and any other family member. because they're connected to you, and you're connected to me, she will anhilate all of you. i can't....no, won't let that happen Moe...i just can't. not again.

she still hugged onto moe, really assuraing herself the moe was there and real for some reason...she just felt like everything was temporary for her right now

"No."

Did the woman truly think she'd try to forget her sister?

She didn't care if it put her in danger.

She, and the rest of her family, could protect themselves. Alexis wouldn't be able to kill them all of.

Taylor gave a weak chuckle and shook her head, gently headbutting Moe and then resting her forehead there

you're as stubbor as i am. where you always like this or am i rubbing off on you? she snickered

yes...she had missed her sister in the brief time in disappearing

yes, she was scared/worried/mildly irritated that moe wouldn't forget her if she died

but she was secretly glad...she didn't want Moe to forget her

[color-royalblue]well *dramatic sigh* since you're not going to forget me, i better win this, yeah?[/color] she grinned and stood up straight, placing her hands on her hips besides! we've got another bounty to hunt and won't have your research go to waste. not only that, i have to take you to explore the rest of Japan don't i? take you to Kyoto and tokyo, and the like *grin* i hate breaking promises

she smiled properly again, seeing she wasn't going to get anywhere withthis topic and just quietly hoped that Zeke would find a way of changing her mind

"I was always this stubborn, but you just bring it out," she replied with a small smile.

She stared up at the woman seriously.

"If you die I'll never forgive you."

she nodded, grinning

like i said, i better not die then, yeah? go serious herself but yeah...under no circumstance do you even attempt to attack Alexis. please. i won't be able to stand it if she left even a scratch on you. also, zeke would charge in as well, and he would get hurt.....this creature....she's like nothing i've ever experienced before. if i die, and i can't stop it, you run if you know i'm gonna die. no matter what. you do what ever you can to escape

her tone was dead serious and leaving no room for argument and 'ifs', 'ands', 'ors', or 'buts'.

she would do this even if she didn't like it because she made Zeke promis her

"I won't attack her."

She liked the vampire. She was nice.

Yes, she knew that the woman was probably pretending to be nice to get to Taylor through her.

Taylor bit back the urge to lash out then

it was her imouto...the one with the pure heart that loved everyone

she bit her lip and turned around briefly as she looked to the sky and covered hr eyes with her hand, growling low and feral in her throat before turning around to look back at Moe with a calmer expression than tat what had been under her hand

moe.......she isn't nice....no where near close. every word is never true...each used to get to her goals.......she would use you, destroy you, and laugh the entire time doing it while making those you love torment you. she isn't nice. she is the defenition of sin and insanity. i should know. i hear her thoughts through the bond when i'm not in the forest. when taint is easy to pick up on. *heavy sigh* but if it stops you attacking her...i guess i can't raelly complain.....but still, your pure heart will be the end of you one day

she hated having to say words like that...but it was true....a pure heart is what got people killed nowerdays.

"Keep your opinions to yourself Taylor-san."

She didn't care what Taylor thought about the woman. She made her own opinions based on experiences. She always had and always will.

ouch...she'd hit a nerve there to be called 'Taylor-San' again

man she hoped this situation would clear up so she could regroup herself and go back to her RnR

ah...i'm sorry....wow.....i'm not with it......i'm not doing we at being social and civil again aren't i *chuckles weakly* she rubbed the back of her head and looked to the side

she felt the vines writhe on her legs and shook her head

it seems it's nearly time for me to head back to the clearing to rest a litte more.....please be careful, Imouto......i don't know what i'll do if you get hurt. or Zeke for that matter. do me a favor and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, neh?

she gave a grin as the vines crawled up higher over her and closed her away from sight before carrying her back to the clearing where she was resting before to rest back in the coccoon of plants and vines

she would be out again soon

and when she is, she'll be prepared this time and actually ahs something worth fighting for this time