A/N: Hi it's Kathrine here. I'm getting really a head of myself on all of these fics lately. JC wouldn't let me post our work before so now I'm putting up as much as I can.

JC: You just better not try anything stupid!

Kathrine: Who me? ( JC gets irritated and beats Kathrine with the BUBB (Batter UP Baka! Bat). Kathrine allows it to go on until she passes out from the pain.

JC: Damn Masochist takes all the fun out of it. Well anyway, I want to tell you I got this idea after reading Shadow of Arashi's " Vampire Story." Kathrine got a different idea that we are now working on called " True Bloods." I hope to have the prologue for that out soon. Well I hope you like this fic so read on and enjoy!

Disclaimer: Don't own Trooper or Warlords or Arago. I actually want to own Arago so that I can make him dance to swan lake in a pink tutu and orange leggings. ^_^

Warning: Dark fic, AU, deals with bad things later on. YAOI/Shounen Ai. If you don't like these leave now. FLAMERS WILL BE GIVEN TO THE SADIST KATHRINE AS SACRIFICES TO HER GODDESS OF PAIN AND TORTURE!!!!!!!! If you do like things like this then please read on and review.

Untitled

( for now )

BY JC and Kathrine

The rain poured down quickly as he stared at the unmoving hand beneath the cart. Tears poured down his face as he cried, " Please, get up Poppa. Please, get up."

The young child's sunlight hair was dingy and matted as he sat against a tree curled up in a ball. The mud on his face clung to the locks over his right eye and he could think of nothing to do. It had been hours since his father was caught under the carriage and he hadn't stirred. The horse stood a few yards away, digging at the dirt with its hooves. " Poppa," the boy whispered in a hoarse voice. " Why won't you get up?" He was only ten and didn't completely understand the meaning of death, but it seemed that he understood something.

" Are you sleeping, too?" he asked. " You said Momma went to sleep, were you too sleepy?" A flash of lightning crossed the sky followed by ear-splitting thunder. The boy covered his ears and the horse whinnied loudly before running off into the woods around the dirt road.

" Come back Hika!" the boy yelled jumped to his feet and ran after the scared creature. " Poppa'll be mad!" The horse was too swift and the boy tripped in a large pool of mud. His face fell into the cool squishy puddle and he tried to get up. His ankle hurt too much and he only slid on his bare feet. After falling back into the mud for a third time he stayed there, crying.

*****

The creature walked through the rainy darkness with a smile on his face. He had just eaten and felt at peace with himself. The rain fell down his hood and he walked down the road towards home. It had been an uneventful night other than finding a drunk on the side of the town bar. It seemed that going home was the best thing to do. There he would be able to talk to his brothers.

Of course, they weren't really his brothers, but they had spent the last two hundred years together and were more like a family than any of them had had in their first lives. I just hope their nights were more interesting than mine was, he sighed. That's when he heard the wail of a horse followed by the sound of hooves beating against the mud.

A runaway horse? Out here at this time of night? The creature was confused for once. That's when a light tan mare came into view, running like hell was after her. He stood in front of the terrified creature and waited for the right time to strike. As soon as it ran past him he caught sight of the reins and pulled it harshly. " Whoa girl," he purred. He could tell by scent that the beast was female. The horse's head jerked back quickly, but she slowed down and began to trot back to the cloaked figure.

" Where did you come from?" he asked her as he caressed her soaked neck. The horse whinnied as the thunder blared in the sky and tried to pull away from him.

" It's all right," he cooed. " It's only thunder." That's when he smelled the sent of human in the equine animal's mane. " So you must have dropped your rider off somewhere in the woods," he smiled, showing his enlarged twin canines. " We should find him before something happens to him." With his grin still intact he led the horse back down the dirt road and into the ominous forest.

The road was deserted and muddy but the figure had no trouble walking through the downpour. The mare pulled back every time lightning or thunder appeared or was heard. The longer the creature pulled her the closer the thunder sounded. Soon he smelled a familiar scent, one that he himself had known for two hundred years. Death was close by, someone had died very recently.

Then he turned to corner in the road and saw the cart on the side of the road, sticking out of a ditch. He could clearly see the arm from where he stood and knew whom death had visited that night. Lightning flashed and he saw a small form only a few feet away from him. It looked like a child as it sat on its knees in a large puddle of mud. Poor child, he thought with a smirk. Looks like he's going through a rough experience. He tugged lightly on the horse's rein and walked to the child.

The boy was still crying as he felt someone near him. " Poppa?" he asked he looked up quickly. To his surprise he saw a dark cloaked figure standing over him.

" Why do you cry child?" he asked. The creature couldn't see the boy's face clearly, for it was covered by mud and his wet-matted hair.

" W-who are y-you?" the boy backed away with his teeth chattering from the chill.

" I am Kale," he introduced himself as he removed the hood of his cloak to reveal dark hair and a cross scar over his left eye. " Now, why are you crying?"

" The cart fell over," the boy pointed to the wagon. " Poppa tried to push it back up and it fell on him. He fell asleep after that. Hika ran away and I couldn't find her."

" Who is Hika?" the man asked.

" She's the horse that Poppa got Momma when they got married," the boy replied wiping dirt from his face. " Poppa will be made if she's gone when he wakes up."

Kale smiled slightly as he pulled the rein of his parcel to his side. " Is this of whom you speak?" he asked.

" Hika!" the boy cried as it rubbed its muzzle against his cheek. Then he turned to Kale his hair falling away from his face. " Thank you so much! Now Poppa won't be mad at me." The man could only stare at the child. He could see the boy's enchanting lavender blue eyes with his keen sight in the stormy darkness. Never before had he seen any person with such eyes. He was shocked even more when he felt small arms try to wrap around his calf.

" Thank you Mister Kale!" the blonde hugged him tightly. " Poppa says that nice people always come when you need them. I know he'll be happy to meet you."

Kale didn't know what to say to the child. At first he had decided to kill him, but something about the child was different. Something that he could sense around him, even such a creature as himself usually couldn't feel from anyone. What could it be about this child? That's when he saw the child was petting the horse again.

The child held the reins of the mare sweetly and smiled at her, " Don't worry Hika, Poppa will wake up soon."

< Of course he will child. >

" Then why are you so sad?" the blonde asked.

< I'm just afraid of the storm child. >

" Well don't be," the boy looked over at Kale. " This nice man brought you back and Poppa will wake up soon."

" Who are you talking to child?" Kale asked.

" Hika, of course," the child titled his head slightly. " Can't you hear her?"

Kale thought the child was joking, but the serious and confused look he gave proved otherwise. " No I can't," Kale shook his head.

" Oh," he sighed. " It's okay. Poppa can't hear her either. He can't hear any of them."

" Any of who?" the creature asked.

" The animals," he replied. " They are always talking to me or each other, but no one else can hear them. Poppa said that they just wouldn't admit it."

" Well I'm sorry but I truly can't," the cloaked man shook his head. " I guess I never learned how." Kale was beside himself. Not only did the boy have the most enchanting eyes he had ever seen, but he also had an ability that he had never known humans could possess. Such a beautiful child, he thought. Even covered in mud he looks so innocent and beautiful. But then a thought came to service. What shall become of the boy? He father is dead, I can smell his blood. This boy will surely die as well if I leave him here.

What am I saying?! Kale yelled at himself. For some reason he wanted to protect the child? He had killed many mothers and father much like the blonde's and gave no sense of remorse. Yet, he didn't want to kill the child, to kill the life he could see in those lavender blue eyes. I could take him home, he said to himself. The others would not harm him if I said otherwise.

" Mister Kale?" the boy looked at the man strangely as he stared off into the stormy clouds.

< Something is wrong child. >

" He's just thinking," the boy replied. " Poppa does that a lot."

< You do not understand young one. >

" Understand what?"

< He is a stranger. > The horse pulled on its reins and tried to get the boy to stand. She could tell what Kale was and what his kind did. She could smell it all around him.

" Kale won't hurt us?" the blonde assured her. Then he looked to Kale and asked, " Will you Mister Kale?"

" What?" Kale broke from his thoughts.

" Hika thinks that you're going to hurt me," he replied. " You're nice like Poppa, though. You wouldn't hurt me, would you?"

" I wouldn't hurt you child," Kale shook his head.

" She says you're a stranger," he sighed. " Poppa said I shouldn't talk to strangers."

" But you know my name," Kale reasoned. " We are not that much of strangers, are we?"

" I guess not," the boy agreed. " See Hika, nothing to worry about."

Kale stared at the horse that only neighed at him. He stood next to her and whispered in her ear, " I shall not hurt this child. Not when he has no one left in this world, no one to weep for him. My kind is not as cruel as you would believe." Hika seemed to calm down after that, yet she still did not trust Kale.

< I will believe you for now. >

" Hika says okay," the boy smiled. Then he frowned, " Mister Kale?"

" What is it child?" the man asked.

" Will you move the cart and wake my Poppa up?" he asked with sorrow on his voice. " I don't want him to sleep as deep as Momma did. That's why he said she wouldn't get up."

" I understand," Kale nodded as he walked over to the overturned wagon. " I will help." He moved the cart with ease even though he knew already what he would find. The body underneath it was crushed in all the important places. The man's neck had been crushed and his head was bleeding. Kale could not hear the beat of his heart.

" Poppa!" the child cried as he crawled to the side of the corpse. " Poppa, get up. You have to meet Mister Kale. He got Hika back for us and he moved the cart. Oh, please get up."

For some reason the sorrow and pain of the child touched an unknown nerve within Kale. He had stayed and watched as many of his victim's families found them and wept, but never had he felt so guilty of a death, especially one he didn't cause. " I'm sorry," he kneeled next to the boy. " I think your Poppa went for a very long nap."

" No!" the boy cried as he looked up from the form that was once his father. " Momma went to sleep and didn't get up. Poppa said they had to put her to rest in the ground by her favorite tree. I don't want Poppa to go to sleep. He might have to go with Momma."

" It's all right child," Kale pulled the boy into his arms. " Your Poppa and Momma will be happy together. You wouldn't want them to be sad, would you?"

" N-no," the boy sniffled as tears fell from his eyes. " P-poppa said he loved Momma and when you love someone you should be with them."

" Well they're together," Kale replied. He didn't understand how he could speak of such philosophy that he hadn't believed in for over two hundred years. Heaven and love were foreign words to him.

" Then that's good," the boy tried to smile. Kale looked at Hika who only turned away her head as if she were crying. Animals were always thought to know more than they let on.

" Well then we shall have to take care of everything," Kale picked the body up into his arms.

" Where are you going?" the child asked.

" Your Poppa wouldn't like to be left in the rain, would he?" Kale reasoned.

" No," the blonde agreed. He tried to stand only for the pain in his ankle to return with full force.

Kale set the body on the horse's back only to jump at the sound of the boy's painful cry. " Are you all right?" he walked quickly to the child.

" My legs hurts," he cried. " It hurts real bad."

The man shook his head and picked the boy up in his arms. The child yelped at the suddenness of the man's arms around him. For some reason he felt safe and warm even though he was cold and wet on the outside. He lay his head against Kale's chest and shivered from the chill. Kale immediately covered the boy with his cloak. The entire time Hika watched them.

< He must be the one. > she thought to herself. If a horse could smile at that moment she would have. < At least now I know all will be all right. >

Kale felt a cold wind at his back that made even him shudder. He turned around and saw no one. Then he realized Hika was gone along with the boy's father's corpse.. What in the other world…? Kale wondered.

" Hika?" the boy looked for his beloved mare.

" She just had to go somewhere," Kale stared at the boy. " She'll come back."

" Okay," the blonde nodded.

" That's a good child," he smiled and then realized something. " What is your name child?"

" S-seiji," the blonde chattered in the rain. " B-but P-poppa always c-called me S-ss-sage instead."

" Then Sage it shall be," he smiled. " Now Sage, I'm going to show you a little trick I learned when I was young. Please do not be frightened."

Sage nodded, feeling safe with the man he had only met an hour before. Kale closed his eyes and held the child close to his chest under the cloak. One who was on the road that night would have sworn they'd seen the darkness wrapped itself around a man and child before disappearing with them altogether.

*****

Next thing Sage knew he was being held by Kale inside of a well-furnished living room. A fire was crackling, generating warmth for the gray-painted room. The if not for the dark green and black curtains, colorful tapestries and velvet-covered couches and large arm chair, the room would have been depressing, but the gray was well suited due to the rest of the room's colors. How di d we get here? Sage wondered.

The man could see the confusion is Sage's eyes and yet saw no fear, but curiosity. " That was amazing!" Sage smiled in exuberance. " How did you do that Mister Kale?"

" As I said, a trick I learned when I was young," he replied as he set the boy down on the couch and removed his cloak. In his mind he searched to see if his brothers were home. To his relief they were. Now I won't have to look for them. Then he called out, Dais, Sekhmet! Come to the living room.

With in a few seconds two more figures appeared in the room by the fire much like Kale had entered. " What is it?" the tall white-haired man asked. " I was about to take a nap."

The other man had light green hair and green eyes that seemed to hide his true sanity. He had a small green snake wrapped around his left wrist. He was the first to notice the shock and wide-eyed boy on the couch. " Who is this?" he asked curiously. " You know we don't bring meals home, especially one so young."

" He's not a meal!" Kale snapped angrily. But he had expected that reaction. Why else would a vampire bring a human home?

" What does that mean Mister Kale?" Sage asked. " You didn't bring any food with you, did you?"

" In a way he did," the white-haired man chuckled, but became serious. In his mind he growled, You know we don't feed off of children. What is going on?

Yes tell us, the green haired-one agreed.

I'm going to keep him, Kale responded.

What?! Came two replies.

His father is dead on the road and he has no mother, Kale explained. I can't let him die out there.

Where did all this come from Kale? The green-haired man asked. You usually don't show so much kindness towards humans. What is it about this boy?

Let him hold your snake and you'll see Sekhmet, the man dared. Sage had finally noticed that Kale's hair was not black but and inhuman blue.

He can't do that! the white-haired man frowned. That's one of the deadly ones.

Believe me, all will be fine Dais, Kale assured him. Sekhmet give him your snake.

The green-eyed man shrugged and looked at the confused boy. " Do you like snakes, boy?" he asked.

" I love all animals," Sage beamed.

" Would you like to hold this one?" he extended his hand.

" Yeah!" Sage nodded as he putout his hand. " Come here girl. I won't hurt you," he whispered to the small creature. With out any further prompting the snake slithered off of Sekhmet's wrist and onto the blonde's hand. He took one finger and gently rubbed it down the serpent's back. Sekhmet awed in disbelief at how his snake loved the treatment.

< I'm Kaiko. > it introduced itself.

" Hello Kaiko," he smiled. " I'm Sage."

< Hello Sage. How did you come to be here? > she asked.

" Mister Kale brought me here," he replied. The boy continued to talk to the snake as if no one else was in the room. Sekhmet stared at Kale who was beaming it seemed.

" How does he know she's a girl and that her name is Kaiko?" he asked.

" The snake told him," Kale replied.

" What?" Dais raised an eyebrow.

" He has the ability to speak to animals," Kale clarified. " They talk to him and he to them."

" Where did you say you found him?" Sekhmet asked.

" About three miles down the forest path," he calculated the location. " His father's cart was turned over in ditch. The father was already dead underneath it."

" So you wish to keep him," Dais surmised.

" Yes," Kale nodded. " There's more to him than what we see. I know that." Dais stared at his long time 'brother'. He could understand why Kale wanted to keep the blonde child for his abilities, but he knew there was as more to it as there was to the boy. He could see a strange emotion floating about in Kale's eyes as he stared at the boy. It was one he was certain Kale didn't even realize was there. An emotion he himself had come to understand, but Kale had never been introduced to. He couldn't be…could he? Dais wondered.