Chapter 4

A/N- there is no way I wrote this in a day and a half…I wasn't lying about my tests..i really do have them…

They had been walking around the city's beautiful street for what seemed like hours to them. Joking around, Hawk had taken it upon himself to make her forget her problems. He was in a middle of a very loud punch line when Jia suddenly stopped on n her tracks and looked a bit surprised.

A man was tossed to the other side of the street by the impact of another player's punch. He was grinning an advancing toward the other player, who was slowly rising to his feet.

Jia looked a bit confused at the violent display. She started walking toward the injured man, confusion and disbelief showing on her features. Hawk was still behind her, and he couldn't see the utter disbelief she showed as the younger player had finally reached the older one, and punched him yet again

Hawk came to stand next to her and suddenly her face twisted with anger, her fist crawled around the hilt of her sword and tightened until her knuckles were white.

Hawk looked at her with surprise; he never saw her getting pissed of like that before.

Was it something he had said?

She lunged herself forward with a single powerful flap of her golden wings, and slammed the hilt of her sword painfully into a player's head nearby.

"No one hurts my friend without consequences!" she shouted. The other player fell to the ground with a surprised yelp, blood dripping from the side of his head, staining his white hair with crimson. He stood up abruptly and tried to hit Jia with his long thin black sword. a few female players screamed in surprise. Falcon was hurrying up to her with worry and confusion written all over his face.

"Who the hell do you think you are, lady?" said the elf as he patted his head to check for injuries.

She pressed the tip of her sword to his throat and hissed at him "who the hell are you to beat my friend up?" She moved to the left and picked from the ground an unconscious player. His white robes were dirtied and his long purple hair was ruffled and out of place.

"I am Prince" he said confidently and flashed her a dazzling grin. She could see a group of people hurrying their way toward them. A little girl was riding on the back of a big beast man wearing robes, behind them trailed two female players and a small meatbun that bounced up and down.

"Well Prince, I don't give a damn" she said, and with a fast motion of her wrist vengeance of fire plunged into the arrogant player's chest. Bewilderment was written all over his smug little face as he turned into a beam of light and was sent away from there.

" Hawk, let's go!" she said and started flapping her wings. He got the message quickly and started running to the direction she was now flying to, holding her knocked out friend in her arms.

He could hear that guy's-Prince- teammates shouting angrily behind them but they soon subsided.

They were a quick team. He ran for ten minutes, trailing Jia's flaying form in between the rooftops, he was having a hard time to figure her sudden fury. After a long run she had landed in a dark ally, the player she was holding was starting to wake up. He looked around and he looked a bit delirious.

"Your Highness….?" He mumbled.

Jia looked at him with great concern, her hand cradled his head, and she was kneeling close to him, checking him for bruises and cuts. A gesture that did not slip away from Hawk's eye.

"Gui, how are you feeling?"

"where am I..? where is Prince?"

Jia looked a bit surprised, " the guy that beat you up?" . at that Gui looked a bit embarrassed, a small blush creeping to his cheeks.

"I killed him."

Gui's eyes flew open with shock, "YOU DID WHAT? You KILLED his Highness?"

Jia looked confused and a bit angry at his weird reactions, "Well yes, obviously. He beat you up so bad you lost consciousness IN GAME." She remarked.

Gui got up from the floor slowly, suddenly he looked very tired and very worried.

"He is gonna be so pissed…." He mumbled and turned to Jia, "it was just a…game..we both play. No need to worry about it" he waved toward her. Her face reddened with fury. "no NEED to worry about it, Gui? Are you crazy? Why do you even let that brat touch you? Where is the fearsome archer I used to know from 'Rune world'? Huh? He is just a stupid arrogant little b-"

"-don't call him that." He cut in, his voice gaining a sharp edge.

Jia huffed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes, and looked at him with a measured gaze.

"I was only worried for your well-being, Gui." She said, her tone turning comforting and warm, much to Hawk's annoyed surprise. He was feeling very out of the conversation the two were having, talking about previous games, they sounded very close.

But he stayed put and stood behind Jia as she continued her debate with her bard friend.

"He is very dear to me, Jia…I didn't feel this way since….since Anora left".

Wait…who is this Anora person? Wondered Hawk. The name seemed to surprise Jia very much. She took a step forward and looked at him with sincerity, her eyes questioning him.

He only looked back with a small embarrassed smile.

"Then I shall apologize to him" she stated, leaving Hawk with great confusion. They just stared at each other and suddenly that searing fury and swiftness she had showed was gone. Hawk's lips tightened to a thin line and his eyes narrowed a bit.

They arrived at the rebirth point, to find a very angry Prince and the odd squad- as Gui told them.

The little girl that was resting on the beastman's shoulders looked frightened to see Jia coming after Gui.

"watch out! It's the crazy lady! Prince-!"She shouted with a high frightened voice as Gui cut in swiftly.

"There seems to be a slight misunderstanding here, so please calm down, Doll." He said, smiling reassuringly to the girl- Doll. The beast man lifted a bushy eyebrow and looked pointedly at Jia.

"Please do tell" said a cold authoritative voice from behind the beast man. A female human with long black hair appeared and stood in front of the Beastman, hands crossed and eyebrow lifted with doubt.

"Jia here is a dear friend of mine," said Gui, and looked at Prince who was standing quietly behind his friends, looking hard on Jia with a weird expression. " She thought I was being harmed and sparng into action….Jia, tell them.."

Jia took in a deep breath and bowed toward Prince.

"please forgive me Prince, I was…mistaken.." she paused," I thought Gui was being attacked, when obviously it was just a friendly quarrel. " she cleared her throat and stood up, looking Prince in the eye.

"I am very sorry for hitting you, and for stabbing you. Will you please forgive me?" she asked him, her eyes conveying her sincerity.

Prince looked her up and down, from her pointed ears, and her form to her elegant wings that were crossed on her back. He rested his chin on his palm and looked at her weirdly. Gui started fidgeting in his place, keeping his hands occupied with a strand of his long purple hair.

A big grin broke Prince's hard gaze as he stepped forward and poked jia's scrawny shoulder.

"That was one hell of a maneuver you did there with your wings, I never thought such a scrawny woman can handle such a beautiful sword" his grin widened at her bewilderment.

"Sais a short thin elf wielding similar sword" she retorted and crossed her arms across her chest, not before jabbing his shoulder in return.

The whole group seemed confused at the sudden change of winds, Gui looked on the brink of tears.

"Your Highness! So gentle! And brave! And smart! And beautifu-"squealed Gui before Prince's punch collided with his pretty little nose.

Jia's eyes opened with shock over his violent nature and her hand was itching to grab Vengeance of fire and run it through his thick head.

But she promised.

Gui collected himself from the floor, and with an unfazed smile he rushed back to embrace Prince. A thing that earned him a well-aimed kick.

Jia looked away.

The whole group seemed to relax and they all started to make way toward the large gate of the Rebirth point. All was normal for them it seems. She made her way toward Hawk, who waited outside the large gate, leaning on the wall in front of it.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around only to face a dazzling smile from Prince. She lifted an eyebrow, questioning him. Seeing his trademark grin did not faze her even a bit he put his hands on his hips.

"Would you like to spar sometimes?" he asked, "it has been a while since someone managed to send me here, or rather attack me in such a head-on attack."

Jia looked over her shoulder toward Hawk.

"Ummmm.."

"Unless it makes your boyfriend mad, I wouldn't want to get in ANOTHER lovers quarrel, I have enough girls fawning over me" he said with a quick glance toward Hawk, who made his way toward them.

At his statement she only looked a bit confused.

"He is not my boyfriend, just teammate." She stated.

"Who is not your boyfriend?" inquired Hawk that came to a full stop next to her, his arm resting lazily on her shoulders. He shifted his gaze to Prince, as if he measured his abilities with his eyes.

"You are." She said, his arm slipped off her shoulder to his side.

"Anyway," Jia continued," I'd love to—"

"You'd 'love to'- what?" Hawk inquired suspiciously.

Jia frowned at his multiple interruptions, and huffed.

"Hawk, please." She said and turned toward prince," I'd love to train with you sometimes. PM me when you feel like it.".

With a smile she turned toward Hawk and Gui that appeared behind him out of thin air, probably to tap in their conversation.

"Good morning to all of you."

And with that she logged off, only to wake p in time to stop her alarm clock before it went off.

"I really like you…" she trailed off and looked at him straight in the eye, but he averted his look. An NPC deer was eating grass nearby and a few Giant yellow bee monsters were buzzing about in the distance.

"Xiu Mi….."

Flushing with embarrassment, Kuan Yin looked very troubled.

Her eyes were starting to fill with tears and her hands were twisting around her magical staff, she looked down with shame, a curtain of her silver long hair shielding her from his troubled gaze.

He quickly grasped her hands with his, making her lift her head with wonder.

"It's not I don't want to…" he trailed off, "I really like you too." He smiled.

"But I just….can't right now" he looked around, and looked worried. With a shaky breath he leaned down and planted a small kiss on her cheek.

Xiu Mi was about to say something when Kuan Yin dropped her hands at the first sight of another player who made his way toward them from between the trees.

As he came to the small clearing they had sat in, Xiu Mi got a clear look of him. Two penetrating blue eyes that seemed to glow even in the bright light were a bit hidden in between the deep blue strands of hair that surrounded his face. He was rather feminine; thin and lean, and about her own height. He was wearing a tight black suit with pieces of armor on his chest, knees and on his shoulders. Two large daggers were strapped on his back, accompanied by a large white scarf that he used as a cowl.

Kuan Yin seemed almost afraid by how close he was standing to her and took a couple of steps back as he looked worriedly at the approaching player.

"Lee…."he mumbled.

Lee looked at him.

"Who is this?" he asked, looking at Xiu Mi suspiciously.

She was taken aback by the hostility he showed toward her. With a small bow toward him she whispered.

His hands settled on his hips and he raised his eyebrows, his head tilted to the side a bit.

"What? I couldn't hear you, little mouse."

Xiu Mi's face grew hot, big tears made their way to the grass as she glanced at Kuan Yin.

With one desperate look he mouthed something to her, and she seemed to brighten a little bit. Lee's eyes narrowed with renewed hostility.

"Speak up, mouse." He snarled at her.

With an angry look she shot toward Lee and a small smile directed only to Kuan, she left.

The wind blew playfully, playing with the edges of his blue robes, a large quiver and a sculpted bow lay comfortably between his shoulder blades. A long braid that started near his forehead hanged near his elbows, black like his real hair. Like his father's hair.

Lee didn't like it that much. He thought that a fair hair would have suit the archer image Kuan Yin was trying to achieve.

"Who was she, Izmir?" he inquired, emphasizing the name Kuan chose for his character.

"Just a friend, Lee" he said, "no one special" he added.

Lee seemed to catch on the elusive tone he was speaking in, and frowned. He looked at the direction Xiu Mi had disappeared in.

"I don't like her" he stated with a bored tone .He flung his arms around Kuan Yin's neck, hugging him tenderly as he planted a chase kiss on his Lips with a grin.

Kuan Yin only shudders a bit at the forced display of affection and patiently peels off his companion, taking a distance he was comfortable with from his friend.

"Stop it Lee."

"But I love you Kuan." He says.

"Don't play around" he stated angrily and avoids another kiss from Lee.

He looks longingly toward the open field where Xiu Mi went.

"I have to leave" Kuan says quickly and walks toward the field.

Lee only pouts a bit, his hands returning to their familiar place on his hips.

"I'll be waiting, Kuan. See you at school".

Kuan grants him with a grunt as he logs off.

Taking his helmet off, Kuan has a sudden urge to cry.

With two eggs sizzling in the pan in one hand and a steaming cup of tea in another, Jia was making her way to the kitchen's table. Yul Jun's picture sat idly, watching his wife fiddling with the plates. She was in a very good mood this morning and she decided to make a nice breakfast for Kuan Yin and herself.

She put the pen down. She took the small picture and stashed it away in a cabinet. She didn't want the food to stain the new frame. The truth was that she was starting to take Gui's words seriously. She really did lock herself up in her little house in between the decaying pages of the books she loved.

Once she got a taste of new adventures. The thrill she got when she fought Prince, the beauty in flying, acquiring a new friend like Hawk, she was starting to regret her insecurity concerning Yul Jun.

She took a strand of her long brown hair and passed it in between her fingers. Yul Jun always loved her hair.

Sprinkling the food with some salt and adding some sugar to her tea she left the table toward Kuan Yin's room. Before she had the chance to knock on the door, it swung open to revile her son. With dark circles underneath his eyes, ruffled hair and a frown, he was everything but happy.

"…mornin' Mom…" he mumbled and dragged his feet across the floor toward the dining table.

He plopped down on the nearest chair while Jia served him so toast and scrambled eggs.

"I think I'll get my hair cut today" she mused out loud, "what do you think Kuan? Won't I look pretty?"

He took a bite out of his buttered toast and a small portion of his scrambled eggs, Jia only managed to take a small sip of her fruity tea when Kuan noticed an important detail.

Dad wasn't at the table.

"Where is he?" he asked Jia, not answering her quastion. She noticed his edgey-ness and looked at him over her cup.

"In the cupboard."

She only looked at him, feeling a bit more courageous that morning as she held his gaze.

He stood up abruptly, his chair fell down behind him, cluttering on the floor. He walked behind her to the kitchen and slammed the cupboard open, extracting the small portrait of his father into the tensed environment.

He took his plate off the table and threw it in the trash. Meanwhile Jia sat and drank her tea calmly, although she was very upset over his actions.

When he was done with his little fit of anger, he took his school bag that waited for him next to the door.

He was about to leave when he turned around toward his mother and placed the small picture in front of her.

"It's not all about you, what would he think?" he spat; the door flew open as he stormed out.

"I'm sleeping at Lee's tonight."

And with that last comment he slammed the door shut.

Jia barely managed not to choke.

A/N- I am a bit proud of myself. This chapter was a plot bunny….and I did not expect to get Lee into the story so soon, but it felt right. Thank you for reviewing and caring enough to show me you are there! I thought I was beyond hopeless!

Say, here is a question. What would you rather- 1) brother 2) professor or 3) engineer?

This is directly related to the upcoming chapters so please tell me what you think…wich one is better?

Please review!

3 I will smack Kuan's head for you! (he deserves it a bit, no?)

Btw- would some one like to beta me? i will be foreve greatful!