The Heart Of Time

Kyoko's eyes widened then narrowed. Was he playing with her? "What would lead you to think that there are guardians and demons here?" she demanded with an indignant scoff.

In the blink of an eye Kyou had her by the arms and jerked her up, his head bowed down within an inch of her face. He growled angrily, "Pay attention."

Kyoko blinked, not believing what she was seeing. Standing in front of her was not who she was talking to just a moment before. She was looking into unnaturally bright, pissed off, golden eyes, and under them was the whitest small fangs, and she could feel the claws that were at that moment unknowingly digging into her arm.

His hair had lengthened to twice the length it had been only a moment before and seemed to almost float around him as if awaiting acknowledgment. With a startled yelp, Kyoko wrenched herself free from him and took a step back quickly, only for him to take a threatening step closer.

"You’re a guardian?" she stuttered lamely.

"And you are the priestess that should have already known that," he hissed stalking her even as he felt his anger fade.

She turned to make a run for the door and instantly screamed when she felt strong arms wrap around her from behind.

Kyou’s body tightened around her as she struggled. He lifted her off the ground as her feet kicked the air in her attempt to escape him. Giving her enough time to realize trying to free herself from him was futile, he placed his lips near her ear and whispered, “You will stay until you are strong enough to free yourself from these arms priestess.”

He then hauled her into the air, only to toss her again on the overstuffed sofa, where she landed with a slight bounce. Now that she was once again face to face with him, Kyoko gave him a furious scream and then blinked again when his appearance turned back to the man she had been talking to.

She glared at him angrily, balling her fist up, "What the hell is going on?"

Kyou stood calmly before her, the only difference this time was his eyes were still glowing, "You will stay here." He leaned down toward her, "You will let me train you." He placed his hands on the back of the sofa efficiently trapping her, "And this time, you will win without sacrifice." His nose was almost touching hers as he hissed the last of the statement, now showing his displeasure.

Kyoko leaned back into the sofa as far as it would allow, returning his heated gaze, but she still didn’t sense any threat from him. Even if he wasn’t human, he had no intent to harm her. She frowned at him realizing what he had just said.

"This time?" Her voice was soft, "What do you mean… This time?"

Kyou inhaled deeply, "You may have forgotten, but I have not." Her scent surrounded him and he felt the familiar twinge of pain around his forgotten heart, but she had to know the truth, "We have fought together in the past priestess, and the time is drawing near that we will have to do so again."

Kyoko's eyes softened for an instant, "Who are you?"

"Your guardian. Kyoko, I know you have forgotten because you sacrificed your memories of us in order to bring the Guardian Heart Crystal back to this world." His gaze searched hers and his voice became a mere whisper, "You must trust me."

Even though he’d just tried to frighten her everything within her was telling her to trust him. "I do… trust you." As soon as she whispered the words, she found herself pulled into his arms. At first she stiffened, then feeling the blanket of warmth that surrounded her, she gave in to the embrace relaxing against him in serene confusion.

Kyou couldn’t help it. He had been carrying the worry of rejection for far too long, and hearing those words lifted the weight of the world off his tense shoulders. He crushed her to him, surrounding himself with her scent as he nuzzled his face into her hair.

"Stay this time," He whispered in a moment of weakness.

Kyoko could feel the tenderness in his words and in his arms but still, he had just scared the hell out of her a few minutes ago, and now he was holding her as if his very life depended on it. She was caught between fearing him and wanting to reach out and caress his smooth cheek.

She was full of questions and mumbled into his chest, "I want to remember what you say I have forgotten. What do I need to know?"

Kyou closed his golden eyes not wanting to return to the real world just yet… she was right where she belonged… in his arms. With a sigh, he unwillingly released her back onto the sofa and moved to sit beside her.

Running his hand through his overly-long bangs, Kyou took a deep breath to calm his raging instincts. Stilling his desires, he focused on the wall in front of him and began to tell her what he wanted her to know. Hearing something was not the same as remembering it.

"You will have help. All the people here that arrived the same way you did, on the scholarships, I have gathered for you. They do not remember you and you do not remember them, but they fought with you then, and they will fight with you again when the time comes," his voice was laced with a hint of memories of the past.

Kyoko's eyes widened, "Suki and Shinbe?" She asked wondering why she believed him so readily.

Kyou nodded, "I see you have met them. Yes, you were very close to them, as well as Toya who protected you like no other."

"Toya?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "You have to be kidding.” Then she mentally added, ‘He doesn't even like me.'

Kyou sighed reluctantly, "Toya has not changed in this life, and is still the obnoxious, hardheaded, youth of the past. But yes, he protected you with a vengeance, and would have died for you if the need would have arisen."

Kyoko frowned, "He does not remember?" She felt like he was telling her the truth, and it made sense knowing she was missing part of her own memory. Her eyes searched his, wanting that knowledge back.

Kyou shook his head slightly, "I am the only one that did not come back with you. Therefore, I am the only one to carry the memories of what happened. Toya does not even remember he is my brother."

Kyoko inhaled at the confession, “brothers? What happened that you are the only one to remember?" She had to know.

"You gave all your memories up in battle to destroy the evil of our world and save the Guardian Heart Crystal. In the same instant, you made a wish on the crystal to see everyone again. You did not want to lose them. When you instantly disappeared, so did everyone else… including the enemy. You had unknowingly brought them here… with you.”

He sighed regretfully. “I had cast a spell around myself that protected me from such wishes." his eyes grew distant as if he was reliving the memory.

"You took everyone with you, and you didn’t even know it. They were all reborn here, in your time, leaving me alone in the past." His eyes focused and locked with hers. "So, I survived and waited on you. Once it was time, I gathered everyone that had left me. Now you have brought with you the crystal, and the malevolence that wants it…" his voice became darker, "…evil has already started its search for you and I will not allow it."

Kyoko nodded trying to understand, "So, everyone who is here the same way I am, I can trust?" He nodded and Kyoko continued, "Do they know any of this?"

Kyou shook his head, "They will feel a bond and it will grow, but other than that, I do not know the future, only the past. They will protect you, as they did then. It is what they were born to do… their reason for existence.”

He quickly looked away from her searching eyes knowing the truth of his words pertained to him as well. “We still have some time, but for now I want you to stop hiding your priestess powers, and become aware of your surroundings. I will watch over you, and have told Toya to keep a close watch also."

Kyoko watched him closely trying to remember anything she could about him. He seemed to know her so well. Looking deep into his eyes she whispered curiously, "How close were we?"

A fluttering of hidden affection crossed his golden orbs before Kyou stiffened and moved away from her. His cool exterior falling back into place, he growled looking at the door, then back at her quickly. "Do not repeat what I have told you for they will remember on their own."

Kyoko jumped when a hard knock came from the door, then it opened without permission.

Toya had started to worry for the girl’s safety and thought to interrupt, if nothing else then to save her from the iciness he knew Kyou capable of. His gaze was instantly drawn to her as he entered.

"Well, I see she survived her talk," his irises flashed silver still feeling that something was not right. "If you’re finished with Kyoko, Suki is waiting for her." Toya leveled his golden eyes on Kyou not aware of the silver flecks that had started showing within his orbs.

Kyou gave Toya his usual blank glance, and nodded silently.

Kyoko looked at Toya warmly, because now that she was using her senses, she could tell he had been worried about her, even if he did not act it.

'Would have given his life for you.' Kyou's words came back to haunt her.

Kyou watched her ease with Toya, and felt a distant, but familiar longing, causing him to scowl. He remembered this feeling well, and his eyes narrowed on the silver guardian. Would she always hold a special bond for his brother that she did not share with the others?

Kyoko stood up, nodding her goodbye to Kyou and flashed him a secret smile that Toya could not see, then turned to Toya and granted him with one of her sweetest smiles. "Come on, let’s not keep Suki waiting." She took off out the door leaving Toya standing there with a warm feeling. A feeling only her smile could cause.

He shook his head trying to shake the warmth away, and then scowled at Kyou, noticing he was watching him intensely. “What?” Toya asked in a hard voice knowing he wouldn’t get an answer. Deciding it wasn’t worth his time, he took off out the door again, slamming it behind him and hurried to catch up with Kyoko.

Toya watched the back of Kyoko as she walked hurriedly down the hall. She must be in a hurry to get away from Kyou. He smirked to himself, speeding up to catch up with her, which was not a problem, considering he was a guardian. His thoughts darkened a little, wondering if she even knew what he was. He doubted she did, or she would not have smiled at him like that.

At the top of the steps, Kyoko knew Toya had caught up with her because she could feel him behind her. Yes, she could feel his powerful aura, but it was a little different feeling than with Kyou. She closed her eyes for just a second. Searching the aura Kyoko decided no matter how mean he acted, his aura was actually very warm and made her feel … among many things… protected.