• Chapter 12

    Shadow awoke the next morning alert and confused. He didn’t know where he was or how he got there. He tried to move, only to be rewarded with searing agony. He looked to see what the source of his pain was. He discovered that he was covered in what were once severe burns. Now he remembered. He had been fleeing from Shade, she caught him, and she used the Fire Lotus on him, and then-… then what? Now that was a problem wasn’t it? He didn’t know what happended. Someone must have intervened. Otherwise, he would’ve woken up in the Otherworld. Shade wouldn’t have spared him; she wanted his charred corpse. Then who was his rescuer?
    “Morning, Ruki!” cried a cheerful, little voice. He jumped at the sound. He turned and saw a little blonde girl holding a tray of food.
    “R-Ruki,” he responded, “is not my name.”
    “I know, silly!” She beamed. “But I didn’t know what your real name was, so I called you Ruku, after my daddy. But then I thought Ruki sounded much cuter.” She blushed slightly. He stared at her.
    “Who are you and where am I?”
    “I’m Amy Hayashi and you’re in my house in the Village of the Blue Mist.”
    “Did you… were you the one who saved me?” Amy blushed, but she also beamed.
    “Yes. I saw you and that girl fighting, so I called Uncle Haku, and the other Black Ops. members. I was able to blow most of the fire off of you, but you still had some burns. You fell unconscious and here you are now.” Shadow sat in silence. This girl claimed she not only called the guards, but also held Shade off long enough for backup to arrive.
    “How old are you, Amy?”
    “11,” she responded with a smile, “Actually I’m 10, but I consider myself 11- is something wrong, Ruki?” She said this because Shadow was slack-jawed and wide-eyed. A ten year old saved him and fought Shade?!?
    “H-h-how old d-d-did you s-s-say you w-w-were?”