Kaze: Rebels

Learning More

I didn't sleep very well that night at all. Seth spent the night in the hospital ward to make sure he didn't bump his head and cause brain damage. Being the main scientist in the HQ, he and his brain are pretty important. Company meeting the next morning was uneventful, too. Seth wasn't there, so I couldn't talk to him about yesterday. Jackson gave everyone the day off. Except us.

"Wait. Kage, Kaze. You need to come with me for a few minutes." He said. "Lily, you too. I'm trying to learn what happened yesterday, and I know you three are important." I wanted to talk to Seth, not Jackson, and not with Jackson in the room listening. "You're not in trouble. Just come with me, and everything will be fine." He said, motioning for us to follow him. We did as we were told.

"Mr. Kaze?" A tiny voice asked as we walked down the hall. Lily was peering up at me.

"Yes?" I asked.

"It's okay. I forgive you." She smiled.

"For what?" I asked.

"For giving me that weird stone that can travel through time. I think it's really cool that you've lived longer than you look." I gagged. She simultaneously patted me on the back and led me along. Once it seemed that I wasn't going to vomit, she slipped her hand into mine. I smiled, but my heart had just exploded.

"And, for what it's worth," Lily continued. "I don't think Mr. Jackson'll hurt you. I think he's scared. This isn't like anything we've ever faced." I looked at Jackson. He looked back to make sure we were following. I must've looked nervous, because he gave us a sheepish smile and fell back a little.

"We'll be in this room here." Jackson said. He opened the door and ushered us inside.

"This is a trap." Kage muttered.

"No. I'm just trying to get this sorted out. Seth is inside, but I'll be right there. I know you don't like this, but you have to believe that we aren't monsters." Kage still hesitated, but Jackson gently put his hand at Kage's back and pushed him in.

We entered a small room. It wasn't much bigger than a cell. Unlike a cell, however, it was pretty well-lit. Comfy chairs of varying styles lined the walls, and a table sat in the middle. Seth was already sitting at the table. He smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey, guys!" He said. Though he started to, he never got up from his chair. Jackson gave him a warning look before he could get up.

"He's fine." I laughed. I walked over and held out my hand for him to shake. He stood up and looked hard into my eyes. He wasn't scared anymore, but he looked like he still possessed some of the curiosity he had yesterday. He finally laughed too and shook my hand.

"Take a seat, everyone. Kaze, Kage, you've got the floor. What are these," He held up his shard of Kasumi's aura stone. "Why are they showing us memories, and why are you in these memories?"

"What do you know?" Kage asked.

"I was in the falling Kingdom of Hima. You and a girl named Kasumi escaped." Jackson said.

"You and Kasumi were walking down the road together!" Lily said.

"You and Kasumi met Juno in the prison." Seth said. "I'm also aware that these are pieces of an aura stone, but that requires a Guardian to be dead, and they never show the memories of the deceased."

"Well," Kage began. "We're in those memories because we were alive then, but you only saw Kaze because we're one in the same. We're the same Guardian, but I come from another world in which Kaze becomes corrupted. I also know that Kasumi is alive in her aura stone. Don't know how, or why, but that may contribute to you seeing her memories."

"We were surrounded by police. One of them shot my neck. The bullet didn't hurt me, but her aura stone was shattered. She could be dead, but I really want to...Uh...Reassemble her if we can. She's young, but she could be a valuable ally now that I think about it."

"Alright, that's settled." Seth said. "We need Kasumi back. I'll start gathering the other pieces."

"I'll alert the others." Jackson nodded. "You guys can go."

Lily and I were alone in the room. "You almost corrupted yourself." She said. "Back at Dr. Xebic's lair. You looked like Mr. Kage for a second." I turned to see her eyes stern. "Be careful." She said, watching me intently. I felt her eyes on my back as I left. Weird kid.