A/N:

It's about fucking time! Like really! REALLY! How long! Someone grab a calendar! Count the days! This took way, way too long to get out! However, let's forget that small detail, because that's not important. We just have to forget that I'm a lazy fuck who gets distracted way too often for his own good. But, hey at least I got it out!

Ssethelis: And I had to deal with the ways he decided to let it all out! All of them!

Annnnd now it's perverted… Thanks Sseth! I appreciate your absolutely unnecessary input!

Ssethelis: It's not perverted! I'm just taking your words out of your mouth and putting them to good use.

It's only a good use to you… And millions of others… No, yeah you're right. Anywho! Onwards! Just going to put this out there, I was planning on posting the story once I had written all of it. Yeah, not gonna happen now. I need to start posting this so I have an incentive to write. Therefore, once every two weeks, I'm going to be posting a chapter.

Ssethelis: Are you sure two weeks is enough time for people to finish your chapters? They are a bit long.

Sseth, unless the readers are only reading two pages a night, I'm sure two weeks is enough time… God, that would be painful. Well, I suppose it mostly depends on how much time people have to actually read.

Ssethelis: Alright then, enough! Damnit! Just stop! Stop with the author's note! The chapter's already thirty google doc pages, we don't need to add this to the word count as well!

Fine! Fine! Fucking fine! Geez! You're acting like this is your story! But fine! I'll end it with this. I swear to god, you'd think that after all this time.

Clearly, I don't own anything Spyro related. You know, like the world, characters, enemies n' stuff like that. I do, however, own all my OC's, you'll know them when you read them. Sadly, I have to add this on every chapter. So expect sarcasm.

And remember, cats are just rectangles with legs.

(Boobs. Now that I have your attention, I- the author of this mixed disaster- would like to make a small note in regards to new readers. Dodging details, after chapter 11 the story was out on nearly a two-year hiatus. Meaning that after that chapter, the writing style changes, grammar/editing improve, and previously inlaid ideas are kind of... debunked. Only slightly, though... in my opinion. You might be thinking, "Why not just rewrite it?" Well, MrMiss Person, that's a good question. My main reason as of now is that I kind of think of it as an evolution, if you would. A way to show where I started- because I honestly just did this one day without a plan. If that's a turn off for you... meh. Sorry, can't say much more than that. I guess if I were trying to persuade people to read it in spite of what I think is a horrid start, I'd say think of it as Fellowship of the Ring. Starts slow but picks up.)

Chapter 1: Severe family issues

Wind. All he could hear was the wind. Whether it was blowing through the trees, causing their branches to creak and leaves to rustle, or calmly nuzzling the grass as it swayed back and forth, lazily in waves while fallen leaves are pushed across their blades. Even though he had yet to open his eyes, the sheer silence of the moment was enough for him to immediately decide that he loved it here, wherever here was.

He could already recognize the familiar, uneven pressure of grass under his jacket as well as along his pant legs as he lay on his back, facing the sky. The fact that there was grass was enough to completely confuse him, the only areas of grass that he knew about was his front lawn and the park by the city's high school. Furthermore, it was the middle of winter on the Montana-Canadian border where he lived, and he could clearly tell that this grass wasn't covered in frost. To back up his suspicions even more, he wasn't even the slightest bit cold.

After a few more moments of the too-perfect peace, he decided that it was time to learn more about the area he was in. Upon opening his eyes, he couldn't help but stare at the sky for a brief moment. It was the most stereotypical shade of blue he had ever seen, in fact, it was the most stereotypical sky he had ever seen. Clouds dotted its bright blue surface. Whether they were big or small, they all had the puffy, cotton ball-like appearance that was always portrayed in fantasies and storybooks. Having already proven his point that it was not winter, he sat up, breaking the silence with a pained groan. However, this silence didn't last long, and soon, he could hear the sounds of the forest again.

Unsurprisingly, he was in a forest, to be more precise, he was in the middle of a clearing, in the middle of a forest. Studying the surrounding treeline, he immediately noticed that, once again, everything looked abnormally normal. All the trees looked like oak, or some form thereof. The small ferns and shrubs that surrounded the bases of the trees were all very neat looking, almost as if someone, or something, was tending to them. The small hill he was sitting on allowed him to slightly look over the treeline, and from what he could tell, there was no end to the forest he was in. For some reason unbeknownst to him, he gulped, like they do in children's cartoons, and slowly began to stand up, hoping to get a better vantage point for looking over the foliage.

Suddenly, an agonizing bolt of pain shot throughout his body, originating in the throat region, causing him to fall back down to the grass. He attempted to yell in pain, but his aching vocal cords would not allow it. So instead, he sat there, writhing in pain for a few more seconds before the aches started to die down to a bearable level.

Jerking up a second later, he held his neck for a few more moments, expecting the worst. Quickly, he pulled his hand away from his neck, checking for blood. To his great relief, there was none, but the pain continued pulsing through his frame. After feeling around his neck, checking each time for the substance that he hoped wasn't there, he released a sigh of relief.

What the hell! He thought as he continued to rub his trachea, This is not! What I call! A wake-up! Looking back up to the forest, he hoped to find something to blame for the unknown pain. To his dismay, he could see nothing that he hadn't already seen before or was out of place.

I swear the twins are taking this farther and farther each time, he continued to himself. Once again, quickly he darted his head around, searching for the two little bastards. However, unlike the last few times, neither of the two were present to laugh at his current discomfort.

This slightly concerned him. Usually, the twins would be laughing up a storm, snapping pictures, and calling him stupid, as well as other various insulting things. It was this period of time in which he didn't have to deal with anything but their words; meaning, it was one of the best times of the day. This is where his concern comes in. Since they weren't here at the moment, they were either planning another prank, off setting up a prank or harassing someone other than him with a prank. Or there was the rare possibility that they had nothing to do with it.

Luckily, neither of them were present, so he decided to do a one in a lifetime thing, and give them the benefit of the doubt. Therefore, he tossed aside any ideas involving the twins, the twins pranks, and the twins insults. Instead, he switched his focus to other things that cause pain in the throat. Sickness would be one, also yelling, though he didn't remember screaming at anything worthwhile. He could cross out being hit, then there was swallowing the wrong thing, the lack of blood stated no cuts, flying objects of various speeds are always fun... Dehydration then?

I can't be dehydrated, he concluded, I drank at least a half a liter of water before lea-, his thoughts were abruptly interrupted as the memories of the past day piled down on him. He stared into the forest with metaphorical dinner plates for what seemed like hours before abruptly dropping his head to his hands, shaking vigorously. I cannot believe... I did that, he sighed mentally, then looking up to face the sky, "I cannot effing believe that!"

Looking into the mirror above his dresser, he couldn't help but smile at his appearance. He'd gotten all prettied up for his interview; shaving, showering, and brushing his teeth until his gums were raw were only a few things he did to make himself presentable. He had even gone out the day before and bought a brand new shirt, shoes, and pants just so that his clothes would have just as fresh a scent as he did, which if he didn't stay so himself, was unnecessarily fresh!

Grabbing up his comb, he began to style his hair, which was a bit more difficult than normal, considering he was using the small mirror in his room rather than the larger one in the bathroom. He considered his own actions; he was going to be wearing a hat anyway, so why did he need to do his hair? What if the studio has a no hat rule? Then I'd have to take it off, he pondered to himself aimlessly.

Once he was satisfied with the style he had chosen, which was not really any different than it had been, due to his hair having a fixed wave and curl across his brow line and under his ears respectively, he set the brush down and looked himself over one last time.

"There, that should do the trick," he said happily, "I just hope they're not around to ruin it," his smile quickly being replaced by a scowl. And by 'they', he meant his younger twin brothers. How the hell they managed to do it he didn't know, or why all the people in the neighborhood ignored them.

"Everyone knows they're psychotic!" He yelled to himself, raising his clenched fists in emphasis. However, his anger died quickly and a small frown replaced his furrowed brow. Well, they're not really psycho it's just... after... he couldn't bring himself to complete his thought.

It made him incredibly depressed and often reduced him to tears to think about his mother and father, even though she had died over four years ago and his father committed suicide shortly after. Most of the problems that he was going through were because of his mother's passing. When he was fifteen years old, she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. The doctor had told his family that she had little over five months to live due to its severity.

That one statement alone was enough to send the rest of the family into denial. Their mother always seemed to be able to bring out the best in people, even when they didn't see it in themselves, and give them hope, which coincidentally, was her name. Even throughout her fight against the affliction, she attempted to help ease the burden on the rest of the family, reassuring them that they would awake the next day and see her breathing. However, on April 11th, one month after her- and his own- birthday, she died.

The worst part about it was that he had been the first one to find her passed. He had helped her the most over the course of the five months, their bond growing stronger than any of the other family members. More than often, he would find himself skipping school to care for her. But when her time came, he couldn't handle it, locking himself up for days on end, only coming out to fulfill his body's basic needs.

He was not the only one who took her death badly. His father also went into a deep depression, enough though they had not even been married for a full year. The twins were only ten at the time, so they didn't understand the full extent of the tragedy until they got older and understood more, but even then they acted differently.

The families' moods continued to deteriorate after her funeral. Sadly, most of the people who attended it were co-workers and other non-official family members. It still meant a lot to them though, seeing that there were some people who cared about their family. All in all, it was a normal funeral, mourn for the past, long speech commemorating the deceased, everyone wore black clothing and sat silently, until…

BANG!

Their father had killed himself, at their mother's funeral. Everyone had seen him pull the gun out of his trench coat, it was just that with the tragic passing days before, no one was really alert enough to stop him. And by the time someone reacted, it was too late. Ironically, he fell into the grave along with their mother, 'eternally sealing' their marriage.

In their parents will, they had left the house and car to them, along with all the money that was in their savings, checking accounts, and remaining life insurance. Some of the old antique furniture that they had was given to various museums and people the brothers had never heard of. They had no direct relatives nor any good friends that they knew of, and for most of their lives, the family had been fairly independent. Unfortunately, with the death of their parents and nowhere to go to, the brothers had no choice but to stay in the house they currently lived in.

The money that was left to them was used to pay off the mortgage on the house and for utilities, thankfully their elderly neighbors helped them with that. When it came down to buying groceries and maintaining the house, he had to do it alone, since his brothers were still young and didn't know any more about the world than he did.

Eventually, he was forced get a job, adding additional strain to his life. Plus, to make his existence even harder, he still had school to attend, which made taking care of the house, his brothers, his school work, and his jobs more than he could bear, causing him to miss multiple days at a time. He was still only fifteen years old at the time, making his options even slimmer.

When he did find time to go to school, he was the main target for every one of the school's antagonists. Having no parents, failing his classes despite his intelligence, taking care of his brothers and the house, and having a job plus the fact that he was slightly smaller than most of the students at the time made him especially susceptible to attacks, people often calling him things like 'Housemaid' or 'Young Parent'. However, the majority of this hectoring ended when he hit his senior year, which during the summer beforehand, he had grown substantially, putting him a good five centimeters above the average person, him being a little under two meters.

He was not the only one who was being harassed in school. The twins were often picked on as well, people insulting them over the fact the since they didn't have any parents to love, they instead relied on their older brother. Despite the fact that these insults were made of cheese, the twins had just started middle school, making the insults effects just as bad. These simple comments affected their relationship with their brother to the point where they would spend whole nights away from the house just to prove that they didn't need him; when they would go back, they would insult and beat up on him to further prove the point.

By the time they were the age they are now, the twins had learned to solve problems with their fists and harsh words. Their targets were mostly the weaker people in the school and their older brother. It had been happening for so long now that he wasn't affected by the twins insults and attacks against him. Most of the time they would simply try to mess up his room and steal his stuff, but on occasion, they would do something that only widen the rift between them even more.

He still cared for his brothers, taking the parental role in their lives was one way he had hoped to help them through the hard times. However, when he started to learn about the way people at their school were turning them against him, it was too late. He had tried so hard to tell them that it didn't matter what these people said and that he was only trying to help them, but these actions only proved the point of what the ruffians were saying, breaking their bonds even more, and even though they continued to harass him and push him harder, he still loved them and respected his mother's final wishes to care for and protect them.

I wish I knew where it all went wrong, he thought to himself, just so I could go back and fix it, finalizing his thought with an inward sigh. He hoped that they weren't in the house to hear what he had said only a minute before. Due to the fact that they would surely come up with some way to get back at him in the harshest way possible, be it physically or mentally.

He turned to his bedside desk and grabbed his wallet and car keys before heading for his door. He wanted to make it up to them more than anything else, it's just that every time an opportunity arose, he had no way to make it happen.

"And that's why I need this job so badly," he said continuing to mumble to himself. He had recently been offered a job at a studio that specialized in creating murals for big corporate companies. He had no idea how someone had recognized his abilities in art, mostly because he only drew and painted in private. It wasn't like he went around flaunting his artwork either, rubbing it in people's faces to the point of tears. However, he had sold a few of the paintings he made in an auction, but even that was anonymous.

He wondered how he would be able to contribute to the company's efforts. He never really thought of himself as an artist, he only really sketched on his notebook when he was bored, and even then most of those were drawings of mythical creatures, humanoids, and sceneries; hardly worthy of the likes of a big business. His ideas often came from his constant daydreaming and ridiculously active imagination. It was quite a common thing for him to spend several hours on one thought, creating dialogue, characters, landscapes to go along with the initial 'plotline'. Once the frenzy of ideas ceased, he would whip out his binder and start sketching.

He lingered on the thought while he continued to walk down the staircase. Just before the door was another mirror along with the coat and hat hanger. Swiftly grabbing his coat and hat off the hanger and putting them on, he looked at himself in the mirror, adjusting his hat and shirt collar a couple times to make sure they were in the most appealing appearance.

Heh, it's like I'm getting ready to dance, he chuckled. And even though that thought was completely wrong in every way, he couldn't help but smile; sadly he also couldn't remember the last time he had gone out to something that wasn't formal. It pained him a bit to think about it.

"If I don't get this job… I don't know what we'll do," he murmured to himself, lowering his gaze slightly. He decided that the way he looked was more than enough to impress the manager he was going to see. In an attempt to brighten his own mood, he gave himself a quick click of the tongue and snap of the fingers. As much as this action didn't help, a small chuckle escaped his lips. I never thought I'd be the one doing that, he thought with a smile, especially to myself. Then he slipped his shoes on and turned back to face the door.

He wore the same flax tan jacket that he had owned for over four years. He loved this jacket, almost more than he loved his parents, mainly because it was the last thing his mother had given him before she passed. Whenever we went outside, it came with him. It wasn't much, having small cuffs along the waist and wrists, as well as a medium length collar around the neck. It lacked a hood, though that didn't bother him considering the fact that he always wore a hat. A small zipper traveled all the way down the middle of the coat, allowing him the comfort of removing it on hot days. However, most of the time the coat was unzipped, as to allow the shirt he wore underneath to be seen. A pair of hand side pockets adorned the sides of the coat, buttons attached to each for to allow easy closing. But the thing that he loved most about this jacket was the fact that it had inside pockets! He always had something inside them, whether it be a thread and needle for fixing the darn thing, to basic school supplies, or even utensils. All these things could be easily carried around without causing the jacket to look inflated with junk.

Under his jacket, he had a clean walnut brown collared shirt. It wasn't anything special, no emotional backstory. Just a plain brown collared shirt that relatively matched the darkness of mud. In fact, the only thing that would make this shirt special would be the fact that it was new. However, despite it being rather ordinary, Kein was able to make it work with his outfit. All he did was take the collar and fit it over the neck of the coat, adding the illusion that the jacket itself had a collar.

The pants he currently wore were his favorite style of boulder gray khakis. Khakis were his pants of choice because of how loosely they fit while still providing him with warmth and protection. Even though he knew that jeans fit the toughness bill a lot better, he couldn't stand how tight they felt on his legs. Already from the clothing he was wearing, one could tell that he loved unnecessary holding space. Whenever the rarely seen friendly bystander would ask him why he would respond with the completely bullshit answer of 'you never know what you'll find'.

To top the outfit off, he wore a pair of cheap running shoes and a plaid pattern driver's cap whose colors loosely matched the brown of his shirt. He thought that his outfit accentuated his blue-grey eyes and milk chocolate brown hair nicely. Other than that, what he wore was up to what was first in his dresser.

Perfect! He exclaimed in his mind, not wanting the slightest thing about his outfit changed. The dresswear was hardly formal, and one could almost call it casual. But to him, it fit all the necessary areas that an outfit should have: Warmth, Comfort, Utility, Durability, and 'Style'. Though, in all honesty, he had no idea about any type of fashion or if this even could be considered an outfit.

What he did know was that whenever he wore something like this around, his brothers they would call him a walking color palette. It didn't bother him so much that it was directly insulting his style of 'fashion', but rather the ways they went around suggesting ways to fix it. He shuddered as he remembered what happened last time he got dressed up. His brothers had managed to pin him to the ground and made him watch as they took sharpies and drew over every centimeter of his clothing.

Ignoring that thought, he took a step towards the door, though he stopped halfway through the motion to listen for the twins. Usually, if they weren't inside their room, preparing to do something mingy to a random passerby, they were outside throwing a ball around. After a few seconds of listening, he decided that they were not around. He put his hand on the doorknob and turned it.

Slowly, the door creaked out, the sound ringing throughout the house. He cringed slightly at the noise. Well, if they didn't know I was leaving before, they do now, he grimaced as he walked out the front door, slamming it behind him.

Staring out into his yard, he took a cautious step out from the patio and into the cool morning air. Swiveling his head side to side, making sure he thoroughly searched every nook and cranny before making the hasty assumption that his psychotic siblings were not there. He then briskly walked to his car and unlocked it then reached over his shoulder and felt for his satchel. Cursing under his breath, he spun on his heels and ran back to the house, but not before checking for the twins again and locking the car door.

Snatching the satchel up, he rushed back to his car, skidding to a halt in front of the drivers' door. He fumbled with his keys to find the proper one to unlock it. Upon finding the correct key, he almost jumped in joy. However, as he hurriedly put the key in the lock and turned it, his name was shouted from behind him.

"Hey, Kein!"

The fact that he had been building up adrenaline in his haste, along with the sound coming from behind him was more than enough to make him jump. Slowly, he turned to see one of the two people he dreaded most.

"Yes, Tom?" Kein asked with a faint smile, hoping to talk the impish boy off of something violent.

"Where you goin'? Do you have a date to catch!?" Tom yelled. Kein would have laughed if it was anyone else, but instead only continued to smile.

"What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost!" The boy continued with a snicker, before reaching into the plastic bag he was carrying. He pulled out what appeared to be a small water balloon, but the contents gave the green balloon a sinister muddy-red tint.

"Wh-What's in the balloon?" Kein asked in a fearful tone. He wasn't the type of person who scared easily mainly due to his constant encounters with the local oppressors when he was younger, but when the twins were involved, he couldn't help but get a shaky leg. Tom only laughed as another voice entered the already declining conversation from the other side of the car.

"I thought you were good at solving puzzles, Kein." Kein whipped his head around to see none other than William striding towards him, "And you are right Tom! For what purpose are you so, wonderfully, dressed up?"

"Oh, Wi-William, heh, I didn't see you there," Kein mumbled with fear prominent in his voice. William also had a bag in his hand, and he could only assume that it held balloons in it as well.

"Hey!" William erupted, "I recall telling you not to address me by my full name?" William, no, Will was clearly furious at this comment. From what Kein could tell, there was no real reason why he disliked his full name, especially with him attempting to act all proper and with professional mannerisms.

"I have to agree with you on that one Will," Tom added, unnecessarily, "We did tell him… Once." Kein shot back around to face Tom who was now tossing the water balloon he held in the air, catching it, and then tossing it again.

"What do you think the punishment should be for such an obscene act?" Kein's blood turned to ice upon hearing this threat. Panic clear in his movements, he began to stifle a look at each brother.

"Only the most severe," Will stated with a deepened tone as he too grabbed a water balloon out of his plastic bag. Kein stared down the two brothers, roughly knowing their intent, he slowly moved away from the side of his car and back towards the front door.

"Come on now g-guys, do you r-really think this is necessary?" Kein choked, desperately hoping to talk his way out of his ugly situation. He had his arms outstretched, ready to start dodging projectiles if necessary.

"Oh, more than you appear to believe," Will laughed and looked towards his twin. Tom felt his gaze and looked back, smiling about what they were about to do. Looking back to Kein, the twins began to arch their arms back in preparation to throw.

"And release!" Will screamed and within nanoseconds of each other, the twins hurled their concoctions at the awestruck Kein.

Even though the projectiles were thrown at incredible speeds, Kein was more than expecting them. He swiftly dodged the first two balloons with a simple roll of his shoulder and a slide to the left. Taking a quick look behind him to where the first two balloons had landed, he saw, to his dismay, two very large paint stains. His eyes winded and a cold sweat found its way across his brow. Now fully realizing the twins' resolve, he slowly turned back around to face them. He could not, let them ruin this, not just because he needed to look presentable for a job, but also to keep his sanity.

Tom cursed as he watched his balloon miss and quickly pulled out another as Kein turned back to them. Will, on the other hand, saw the look on the older brothers face and smiled.

"What seems to be the issue Kein? Afraid of getting a tad soggy?" Will teased before he reached into his sack for another balloon. Once again Will and Tom tossed their balloons at the same time, only for them to be easily sidestepped by Kein once again.

Tom's anger was now clearly showing, he growled slightly before reaching into his bag for another balloon. This time instead of waiting for Will to get another balloon, Tom instead baseball pitched it as hard as he could towards Kein. Kein and Will both turned their attention to Tom, and as soon as the first balloon was thrown, and avoided, a second one followed closely. Will, seeing the new plan formed by his twin, put on a massive grin before turning back to his target.

Kein watched as Tom threw balloons at a consistent rate towards him. Each one was easy enough to dodge, in fact, the more Kein dodged the paint-filled projectiles the more confident he got and faster he dodged. Soon he had let cocky confidence get to him, and was now dodging the balloons in style as well as speed, smoothly shuffling to the left and right with the occasional duck, leap, or twirl. It seem like more of a game now than an attack.

Suddenly, a water balloon glanced the left side of his shoulder. He gasped and looked down to see that there was luckily no mark. Letting of a quick sigh, he turned to the direction the paintball was thrown from.

"I'm very disappointed that you almost forgot me, Kein," Will chided, "Next time I'll have to leave a mark for you to remember me by." And with that, he added his own paint to the overwhelming onslaught.

Sadly, the joy of living on a private drive was that there was no one, other than Kein and the twins, to witness the spectacle that was this one-sided paint balloon fight. Even though Kein knew that if someone else was around, they still wouldn't assist him. At least there would be the comfort of knowing that someone had an unbiased opinion to share with the authorities, if he were to call upon such drastic measures.

Over the course of the next five minutes, the two twin brothers continued to bombard Kein with every balloon they had. The constant attack had caused Kein and the twins to move away from the front door to their backyard and slightly into the forested area that was back there, all while Kein dodged and the twins threw. Unfortunately for Will and Tom, not one balloon had gotten remotely close to hitting him, other than the one that glanced his shoulder. Kein seemed to move with almost unnatural speed and dexterity, being able to get at least half a meter's distance between him and the thrown balloons before they were on the same horizontal plane as him.

Everyone Kein had ever met complimented him at his speed, and more than often these people would force him to use it, evading and running from all sorts of things, mainly school screw overs and dodgeball games, where he was the main target. Whenever someone would politely ask him how he was able to act and react so quickly, he would simply shrug them off and say that he just ran a lot. In truth, he didn't really know how he was as agile as he was, it was just something that came naturally to him.

"I'm on my last one!" Tom yelled in Will's direction, holding up a singular balloon before hurling it at Kein. The balloon landed low in front of Kein and bounced off the ground back up at him. Tom watched as Kein nimbly bent back allowing the balloon to sail over him.

"Goddamnit Kein!" Tom shouted at the top of his lungs, he then turned to his brother with a glare that could frighten death. After throwing two more balloons and tossing his bag aside, Will stopped and held a single yellow balloon in the air.

"I never could figure out how you were able to dance around shit like this, Kein," Will said with an annoyed tone, losing any formality he had previously. "However, I'm certain that you won't evade this one!" He finished with a yell before crouching down and taking a full on charge at Kein with the balloon still held high in the air.

Kein already knew that the brother intended to tackle him and break the balloon over his face; he was not expecting the speed the brother charged. Kein was already winded from the previous seven minutes of dodging balloons, the thick layer of sweat that had accumulated at his hairline just under his cap as evidence. But despite the fact that he was drenched in sweat, he showed no signs of slowing down.

Kein new next to nothing about hand to hand fighting, or any other kind of fighting for that matter. The only time he had ever witnessed any fighting was on television when he rarely watched wrestling, but he doubted that anything they did there had any relevance for what was about to happen. Before he could think about what to the do the twin was less than a foot away from him, already preparing to swing the balloon down on his head.

Without even thinking, Kein brought his left hand up and grabbed the twin's wrist. With the balloon successfully stopped and the twin's chest exposed he forcefully shot his knee upwards. As his bony appendage connected with Will's chest, he could hear the wind get knocked out of him. However, he didn't stop there. While the adolescent lurched forward, Kein pulled hard on Will's arm, causing the disoriented boy to be shot forward, allowing Kein to duck underneath Will's arm and bend it backward, sticking Kein behind him. In the blur of the moment, neither Kein nor Will could tell that this simple action was enough to dislocate Will's left arm, causing a sickening pop to echo through the forest. Then, without warning Kein finished his takedown by kicking Will's backside as hard as he could, letting go of his arm in the process, knocking Will to the ground.

As Will lay on the ground, completely incapacitated after Kein's sudden backlash. Kein stared in disbelief, he had absolutely no idea where he had gotten the knowledge to do such a thing, let alone do it so quickly. However, his thoughts were interrupted by a loud roar of anger coming from behind him. Turning his head around quickly, he saw Tom, with an eleven-inch serrated knife in his right hand and a face showing the intent to kill.

Kein froze for an instant as he watched Tom charge him. Kein could visually see the anger and hatred he was currently feeling in his eyes, and it was obvious that Tom intended to do bodily harm. Any feeling of sentiment and caring towards his twin brothers instantly vanished, as well as anything he said about trying to make it all up to them. Dread like he'd never felt before washed over Kein, his legs and arms suddenly felt numb and his stomach was almost forcing him to vomit. It was at this point in time when his body's fight or flight response had kicked in, and after a brief thanking of deodorant he made his choice; it was pretty clear what it was.

Kein took off like a bullet in the opposite direction, which in this case was into the forest. Running like he'd never ran before, he flew his way over fallen logs and ditches. I have to get out of there! Kein thought to himself, They've never pulled something like this! After stumbling on a rock, he quickly looked back to Tom who was still chasing him through the pine forest. I've cared for them for four years! If this is their idea of repaying me... anywhere would be better than here.

It was the middle of winter, therefore there were a lot of pine needles on the ground along with the occasional patch of snow. These little patches of snow did not help Kein in his efforts to escape the mad twin, since they were frozen over with ice, causing him to slip occasionally. During one such fall, Kein used the time to look back again. He could still see Tom, but he was much farther away than last time and it looked like he was tiring out.

Kein had long lost sight of his house and was now running deeper and deeper in the woodlands. As he continued to run the patches of snow on the ground got larger and larger, making it harder and harder to walk straight. Looking over his shoulder every other second Kein could see Tom slowly fade away between the trees. Losing sight of the murderous bastard did not stop Kein from running, he knew that the twins had a tendency of sneaking up on people when they least expected it, then use that advantage to do their dastardly deeds, and when Tom was planning to, well, stab him, he did not want him to have any advantage.

After running for what seemed like hours Kein finally started to slow down, coming to a halt to catch his breath beneath a fallen log. He had no idea how far into the forest he was, nor did he know the direction in which his home was. So as an instinctual response, he did the one thing his mother told him to do in this situation. But upon looking up he gasped at what he saw. About a hundred meters from his current position was a very thick, very dense wall of dead trees and fallen branches that seemed to go on around all sides of the forest. He studied this wall for a minute before his eyes spotted what looked like a small path which lead straight into the more dense part of the wall of trees.

Suddenly, Kein heard his name being yelled. His eyes widened in fear as he quickly spun around to see none other than Tom still charging at full speed towards him.

"Kein!" Tom screamed at the top of his voice, his face red and nostrils flaring giving him an ever so more menacing appearance, "I'll hang you by your guts for that!" Still completely enraged at his own brother's downfall.

Upon hearing those words Kein went into a panic. He searched around frantically for a place to run to but found none that would conceal him. As Tom's screams got louder and louder, Kein's search for a place to run grew more and more desperate. Then, he remembered the path on the edge of the dense forest and turned to face it. He turned back to Tom who was getting closer by the second.

Without a second thought, Kein turned and dashed towards the trail. As he ran to the wall of trees he could hear Tom's frantic screams and shouts begin to fade again. He knew that Tom was yelling insults and death threats but he couldn't care less, he just needed to get to that path!

Fifty meters, forty, thirty. Once Kein neared the wall of woods he could hear his heart pounding in his chest, canceling out Tom's yells as well as any other noise. Twenty, fifteen, ten. As he got closer to the start of the path, he found it to be blocked by a rotting log, causing his hopes to drop slightly. Five meters, four, three. Taking one final deep breath Kein prepared to jump, his mind filling with both hope and dread as he thought about the outcomes.

Two, one, one-half, zero meters. Kein planted his right foot forward and pushed off with all his might. At first, he thought he wasn't going to make it. However, those fears were banished when his left foot came in contact with the rotted log. Giving himself a silent cheer, Kein pushed off the log and continued his panicked sprint, knowing that while Tom wasn't as limber as himself, he was a persistent little fucker.

CRACK!

Kein's expression dropped faster than a fat kid begging for a Twinkie. As the rotted log gave way from underneath his feet Kein stuck his other leg out, hoping to catch himself. However, he only half succeeded. Landing hard, he started to stumble, attempting to re-catch himself several times before slipping and succumbing to the cold embrace that was the snow. Rolling a few times before coming to a stop, Kein couldn't help but scrunch up and moan as he lie on the sleet, and though it didn't hurt as much as he was portraying it, all that had happened in the last ten minutes made him feel like shit.

SNAP!

Quickly sitting up, Kein barely saw the rest of the rotted log fall apart. A large puff of wood dust rising from the clearly eaten out tree, blocking his view of not only the snapped log but the entrance of the path he had come in from. Suddenly, a long groan echoed across the forest. Darted his head around, Kein searched for the sound of the noise. Sadly, he could not find the source of the sound, though that didn't stop his neck hair from standing on end.

He had only just realized it, but the forest has become eerily quiet. All the birds that had existed before had suddenly vanished, and the chilly winter wind had that been blowing no more than a minute before had stopped. It was so sudden, like how an area is left deserted when a predator appears. The absences of it all left Kein breathing hard, it was all so silent, so still, so… Frightening. And the subtle yet completely obvious sound of his breathing made it all the more unnerving.

Abruptly, another unearthly groan made its way around the trees, only this time it was accompanied by small creeks and cracking sounds. However, just as fast as it had come, it vanished, leaving a still startled Kein on the ground. Slowly, as if not to disturb the silence, Kein stood up. His focus was still trapped on the dust that clouded the entrance of pathway, as if he was waiting for something to jump out at him.

Suddenly, a dull thud sounded from his right. Shooting easily half a meter into the air Kein landed hard on his back. But despite the pain of landing on the ice, he sat right back up again. Darting his head up, he scanned his vision across the bare icy canopy. The light filtering through the trees blinded him, but didn't stop his search. For what? He didn't know. He did know that something was there, watching him.

Then, he saw it. A small, black, raven.

A small smile spread across Kein face as he stared at the bird, which was perched delicately on a branch, high above his head. He contemplated laughing at his little panic attack. Though his fear had been real, he still thought it was a little unnecessary. Despite his now positive-ish attitude, he continued to stare at the raven. And after a while, he actually found the raven to be staring back. Its pure black eyes looked down at him, unmoving, staring deep, deep into him… evilly...

Kein's smile faded and his eyes refused to move, and neither did the raven's. They locked into a deep staring contest, neither side backing down in fear of losing, or in Kein's case, just fear. A cold sweat found its way across his brow, the soul-searching gaze of the raven only making him feel more and more uncomfortable. Then abruptly, the raven snapped its wings open and release a loud screech.

Kein watched the bird fly away, feeling slightly relieved, yet horrified. Slowly, he brought his eyes back down, letting them fall parallel with the frozen turf. He let his eyes naturally scour the rotted and dead tree trunks that surrounded him, though, the looked at them with more dread then he had a few minutes before. Thinking that the ominous signs of doom were finally over, Kein released a breath that he didn't know he had. Right as the last bit of air escaped his lungs, the world decided to prove him wrong.

"Where'd ya go Kein?! I want some of that booty!"

Needing no more than the first words worth of incentive, Kein shot up and dashed down the snow-covered path. As he came to the first curve, Kein took a quick peek behind him. What he saw was nothing less than terrifying. As if on cue, Tom burst from the lingering cloud of dust, knife first.

"Bitch! Where do ya think you're going?!" Kein had already turned away by now and was far around the first bend in the path. He knew that wouldn't help him, and judging from the fact that the remark sounded like it was less than a meter away from him; Tom was a lot closer than he thought.

Kein swiveled around fallen logs, jumped over surfaced roots, squeezed between dead bushes, and avoided patches of mud as Tom continued to chase him down the snowy trail. Kein had greatly underestimated Tom's endurance, not that he thought he was going to get away from the furious twin easily anyway. In a way, a slightly demented way, he was proud of his brother. Knowing that he may one day become a professional athlete and that his future was not going down the drain. However, this thought was mostly clouded of images of Tom shackled down to the floor in the middle of a psychiatric hospital while the staff prodded him with tasers in a feeble attempt to keep him restrained.

"Shit!" Was the only word Kein's mind could process as he fell to his knees, skidding along the snow for a meter or two before launching himself back to his feet, barely ducking under a low hanging, icicle covered tree branch. Oh god, that was close, his thought process continued, Way, way, too close…

No sooner did Kein finish his thoughts did another sharp curve in the pathway appear. This one seemed a lot more prominent than the last one, and as he neared the bend, he found out why. As soon as he rounded the corner, another, slightly less perceptible path branched off from the main one.

Making a near split-second decision, Kein dove for the new path, hoping that its more concealed nature would be enough for Tom to bypass. Even though this new route gave a better guarantee of safety, it did pose a problem. Since it was not as weathered as the main trail, the trees and shrubs that inhabited the forest were overgrown and as he got further and further in, he was forced to crouch-run the rest of the way. With one final push, Kein shoved his way through the last of the small shrubbery.

Now that he was free from the forest Kein fell to his knees. He had to admit, Tom had given him quite the run in, most likely the best one he'd had for quite a while. It actually disappointed him to find out that he was that out of shape. However, he had no time to dwell on these facts, so instead, he busied himself by getting to his feet and covering his eyes from the light of the sun.

Slowly pulling his fingers away, Kein couldn't help but recoil in awe. He had landed himself in the middle of the most pristine glade he had ever seen. It was perfect, the grass that covered the ground was lush and just as green as the most artificially created color. The leaves that covered the bushes, which were scattered aimlessly yet orderly across the clearing, where a miracle in their own. The morning dew that coated the plant life only added to the atmosphere, making it all glint and glitter as the light hit the small droplets, giving each blade the slight impression of a rainbow. Any rocks that were found in the small meadow were also worthy of notice. Moss covered each of the stones right sides, acting as living masks for the dull grey hidden beneath.

Slowly bringing his eyes away from the ground, Kein brought his gaze up to the canopy. The tree line alone was a world of its own. Light filtered down through the sporadically placed holes in the branches, each beam tilted a completely different direction than the rest, giving the hidden glade an even more mystical appearance. The invisible particles that invaded the clearing only giving the light more depth and adding to the mystery surrounding the meadow. The pine needles that held on delicately to the branches of the trees almost shimmered on their own, the light cascading off each needle, creating a sea of diamond-like glows for all to enjoy. And the bark of the trees held all the beauty together with its tough though soft looking appearance.

Eventually, Kein found himself walking carelessly into the glade, though his pace was rather slow. His eyes took in every new detail as he continued forward, like how the clearing was perfectly round and was at least twenty meters in diameter. There were also two carefully placed pine trees in the middle and a completely flat slab of stone that lay between said trees. The most important, and shocking, detail of this place was the fact that the ground was clear; not a single flake of snow could be found.

Upon realizing this, Kein stopped. During his mindless walking, he had almost made it to the center of the meadow, since he had ended up no more than a meter away from the stone slab. Winter, apparently, was a nonexistent thing in this small clearing. Snapping out of his almost trance-like state, Kein dropped his gaze to the ground. He then proceeded to scrunch up his nose, lean forward, hold his hand out with the palms facing the sky, and say the one word that was consuming his mind.

"Wha...?" Was all he managed to get out, and for a few more seconds he stared... Only for his thoughts to be interrupted by the dreaded.

"I think you know what…"

The icy bite of the arctic abruptly formed in Kein's veins. However, he did not react immediately; alternatively, he continued to gaze deep into his wet shoes. Little did Tom know that Kein was contemplating. Contemplating whether or not he should fight back. He had been running for easily ten minutes now, he had almost face planted twice, and now that Kein looked it over, he had also ruined his outfit! All this was in fear of Tom brandishing a knife that he most likely didn't know how to use? This is ridiculous! He's the adult here! He shouldn't be running from a fourteen-year-old with anger issues! What he should be doing it marching over there and bitch slapping Tom till his cheeks swap places!

Kein snapped out of his thought bubble to find himself subconsciously nodding to his own idea. Letting his arms fall limp at his sides Kein leaned back up, attempting to make his back as straight as possible. Flexing his fingers, Kein rethought about what he was about to do. He was going to tell Tom to fuck off. Tom, the epitome of hatred! This was a perfect idea! Zero flaws! Completely polished! The plan of the century! History worthy! Going down in the books! Best. Choice. Ever. One hundred percent intelligent decision!

Once again Kein found himself nodding like a moron. Taking a deep breath, Kein folded his hands together, touching the tip of each index finger to his mouth. He took one last look at the flat stone in front of him before releasing his hands, letting out a long sigh, and turning around.

"Tom," he began. However, as the younger sibling came into view Kein lost all will to continue.

He was standing at the entrance of the grove covered in mud. Like, buried, in mud. From head to toe, mud. Under his shirt? Mud. On the left side of his face? Mud. In his pants? Mud. Shoes? Mud cakes. Arms? Mud sticks. Mud fingers. Mud hair. Mud underwear? Most likely. There were even twigs and pine needles sticking out of every possible orifice in the mud! He was a walking patch of dirt! However, no amount of filth could cover the pure expression of hate that adorned his face. Kein stood there speechless. This is not at all what he had expected. He knew that he had given Tom the temporary slip, but not literally!

Aw, that's got to be cold, Kein subconscious thought for him. Unfortunately, his brain was still on the sentence from before. So like the awestruck idiot he was, Kein continued.

"...That scowl looks really fitting," he finished before snapping his mouth shut. He then shoved his hands in his pocket and began rocking back and forward. "Yeah… Exactly what I meant to say," he added abruptly, nodding idiotically the entire time.

A low growl from Tom caused Kein to stop his motions. As the twins expression continued to darken, Kein found himself eyeing Tom up and down. He was looking for two things. The first being any signs of movement. The second being the eleven-inch knife from before. Glancing down to the brother's hands, Kein noticed the shaking outline of what he assumed was the device of nightmares, and as more of the brown substance dripped off the object, a small glint of silver only confirmed his suspicions. As if reading his mind, Tom flicked the blade downwards, removing the larger globs of mud from the edge with the one motion.

"Oh, I still have it," he said, bluntly restating the obvious. "Though, I think you should take it Kein, after all, you already seem so good with your hands," Tom finished, flipping the dagger over in his palm until the blade was firmly held between his thumb and forefinger.

The bitter sarcasm hit Kein like a truck and his marvelous idea from before resurfaced. This is why he had never, ever tried to tell off his younger brothers before. Tom would just flip shit and start ripping apart the closest pillow like a wild animal and William would come up with a comeback so sour that it made him look like a dumbass and that it was his fault in the first place! And to think, he was about to tell Tom to fuck off! Hilarious! Regardless, his response came the instant Tom finished his speech.

"Nope! No! That's okay Tom! I think the knife should stay with you… In your hands… Where it belongs… Forever." At this point, Kein couldn't help but fidget.

"But, Kein," Tom began, adding a fake tone of sadness, "I thought presents from family members should hold special places in your heart."

Yup! Fidgeting. That's the word. Definitely not small jump of absolute terror and nervousness that could only be described at panic!

"No, Tom you're absolutely right!" Kein half shouted, absolutely paralyzed at what Tom was subconsciously suggesting, "However, I'd rather keep special things like that in my memory," Kein added nodding vigorously. However, he lost all hope once he noticed Tom's wicked grin.

"Oh, so ya mean like in your head?" He asked, with the smile of the devil sat upon his face, "I like that idea much better," he finished, shifting his right leg back.

Kein couldn't decide what to be more worried about. The fact that Tom was more than threatening to kill him, or that he had gotten out-witted by the twin. Honestly, the second thought was way more worrying than the first, because a Tom, with any shred of logic and reasoning skills would easily be able to take over the general area, if not the next one as well.

"Are you ready Kein?" Tom asked sadistically, beginning to cock his arm back, "I'm gonna give my present to you!" This comment got Kein's full, undivided attention and as the graveness of the situation settled in Kein took a step back.

FUCKS! Many fucks! As the absolute understatement filled Kein's mind he felt his right heel hit something hard. Snapping his head around for a split second, he found himself gazing upon the smooth rock from before. This was a minor detail, and upon turning his head back around Kein was presented with Tom, arm fully pulled back, slightly dirtied knife ready for flight.

"Enjoy."

Kein's mind went blank. All he could look at was the silver gleam of the blade as it left Tom's hand. Without the consent of his brain, Kein body acted out on its own. His right leg whipping back only to be stopped by the rock that was and continued to be, a rock. The slight momentum caused by the action was enough to get his upper body moving. The sudden stop was also enough to end his legs moving. It was this influx of motion that began the toppling of Kein.

Despite this, Kein's body was ready, and completely out of instinct his body began to twist around. Upon completing half a rotation he stuck his left leg out and for the second time that day attempted to catch himself. It was about this time in which the preciseness that is instincts ran out, and Kein was left in a downhill situation that was leading to a cliff.

Each step he controlled only sent him deeper and deeper into the pit that he had dug for himself. However, the determination to avoid the dagger that was currently flying directly at his face was enough to keep him aloft. He knew that the distance between him and the knife was decreasing and if he didn't do anything about, Tom's 'gift' would be received.

This is when the mistake were made. Having gained more control over his movement, Kein tried to make a mid-step change. While this motion had accomplished its initial goal, it also added to the inverse movement that was him falling over. Abruptly, Kein left foot bent sideways at the ankle, causing him to lose his balance and start the tripping process all over.

However, before Kein could do any more, something to his left caught his attention. In the slowed down version of the world that he was current in, he managed to catch a glimpse of the steel blade that was Tom's bowie knife. The object soared past his right ear before coming to a dead stop in the trunk of the pine tree next to him. This alone was enough to steal away all of Keins focus. He had avoided Tom's present! Success! Death was no longer a viable thing to be afraid of!

But as Kein's right foot made contact with the ground, he was reminded of the current situation. Without looking he attempted to straighten out the landing of his right foot. Sadly, all he managed to do was catch his left leg behind his right, causing him to completely fuck up and fall. In one last ditch effort Kein pushed off with his right foot, launching himself forward. As he turned the rest of his head around to face his landing point, a small, hardly formed grimace dawn on his face before...

WHAM!

His legs shot out from underneath him and his body pivoted on the spot. Getting a good second of air time before smashing back down to the rock below. The last thing he heard of the caw of a raven before he fell into unconsciousness without a second thought.

Kein gasped as another wave of pain shot through his body. He laid on the earth for a good minute before he found the strength to sit back up again, his throat still burning from his outburst. He slammed the hand that wasn't holding his throat to the ground, crushing the helpless blades of grass under his palm.

How could I not see that! He yelled to himself inwardly, in fear of causing more pain from his still aching vocal cords. He dropped his head to his hands again and shook. He had clotheslined himself, c-l-o-t-h-e-s-l-i-n-e-d, on a low hanging tree branch. That was the embodiment of ignorance! Like a cartoon, make you laugh, this isn't real life kind of stupid!

"Not only did I do something as stupid as that," Kein continued, scolding himself, "I also tripped and knocked myself out on a rock!"

Realization hit Kein in waves and he darted his head around. This was not the clearing from before. For one, it wasn't nearly as enclosed at the one from before, here one could see the sky; while the other meadow was shrouded in trees. That there was another missing fact, this glade had no trees in it. On a further note, the rock that he had fallen unconscious on was nonexistent. The only things that were the same were the wall of trees on all sides and the lack of snow.

He recalled the sky from before, and its… stereotypicality… He had yet to gaze upon it again, due to his little incident of pain a few moments before. So taking the time, Kein looked up. Like before, nothing major had changed; yeah, maybe a couple clouds had moved, but other than that, it was all relatively the same. Then, he noticed the sun; it was setting.

How could the sun be setting!? It was nine A.M. when he left! Was he really unconscious for that long? There was no way! There couldn't be… He had just bumped his head. A simple bump!

Recovering from the shock, Kein slowly went over all the 'what ifs' that were flying through his head. There were quite a lot of them, each as unlikely as the next, but after some 'careful' consideration, he left himself with four. Even these three all stretched realism a bit, and the more he thought about them, the less he liked his options.

The first idea was that he had gotten up in his unconscious state and walked out of the glade and back into the forest outside his house. Several things prevented this from being true. First, there was no snow, enough said. Second, the forest outside his house was comprised of pine trees. Looking up from his thoughts he examined the forest surrounding him to make sure that he was indeed not in the pine forest. To his dismay, he wasn't. The last thing was the most obvious; Tom was not there. That alone was enough to send his brain into a hissy fit. Really, where did he go? He did just nod off and leave? No, he couldn't have. Especially when his… present, was a failure. Yet poof! Gone! Nonexistent! The last place Tom was, well, with him, in the glade. However, Tom wasn't here, and the circle of trees he was in was certainly not the meadow from before. So, that begged the question, where did Tom go? Or more importantly, where did he go?

Ignoring that unnerving though he moved on to his next idea. He could still be in the glade, just he was still out cold and dreaming up the place incorrectly. Quickly, Kein lifted his right arm off the ground.

Well if this is a dream, it's a bit too real for my taste. After the thought the brought his other hand around and pinched himself. Kein winced as he felt the sharp pain ran up to his head before dying off. No, it wasn't a dream, or at least not a normal one. Kein smiled despite, this knowing that the calm would remain for a while longer.

His last thought was the one he disliked the most, and that after he'd gotten clotheslined by the branch and knocked senseless, he died, or Tom had found his unconscious body and stabbed him. Both of these ideas sent a shiver down his spine. After all, he's done in his life and all the things that have happened to him, he gets repaid with a knife in his back.

If this is what death is like, it doesn't seem that bad, he finished the thought with a slight smile which then faded to a frown; well knowing that he wouldn't see anyone from his home if he was dead. But, if he was dead, then wouldn't he be able to see his parents again? Slightly surprised at the thought. Kein darted his head around to see if he would suddenly see his mother pop out of the forest and thank him for all that he's done, but after a minute of waiting, she didn't come.

With depression taking over, Kein couldn't help but feel like he had done something wrong, something to deserve this. The more he thought about it the harder it was to shake the thought from his head. So as a response, he raised his hands to his temples and began to rub, the soothing pressure taking his mind away from the sorrow.

"At least I don't have to deal with it right now," he sighed to himself, running his fingers through his hair, scratching his scalp as they went. His throat still felt numb, though for a different reason. The pain from before had been replaced with the nagging sensation in the back of his mouth that he could only identify as thirst. Smacking his lips comically a few times, he looked around for any immediate source of water. Sadly, he didn't spot any, though he did find the two other things that he wanted.

Slowly standing on shaky legs, Kein hobbled over to his hat and satchel. They had landed no more than a meter and a half away from him, but the small trip finally made him realize how much the rest of his body ached. His ankles had a slight twinge to them causing him to sit back down once he reached his stuff. The back of his head still burned and as he reached on hand back, he felt the unmistakable bump caused by impact.

However, his focus was drawn by a small glint slightly further down the hill. Squinting slightly, he leaned forward, attempting to get a better look at the object. One more flash of light and the reality smacked him in the face. It was Tom's knife. Still covered in mud.

Well, at least one thing is correct, he thought, slightly satisfied yet even more so confused. This alone completely threw away his first idea. If the knife was there; Tom couldn't be far behind.

Forgetting the blade for the moment, Kein reached down and picked up the satchel, then pulled the strap around his neck and secured it tightly. To say that his satchel was full would be an understatement; his binder, sketchbook paper, a few pencils, as well as a pen, couple erasers, a simple pocket knife, and duct tape, were only a handful of things that were stored in its seemingly endless depths. Kein began to rifle around, hoping to find a bottle of water to quench his need for water. Sadly, he found none, then proceeded to silently cursed himself for forgetting something so essential.

Abruptly, the sheen of the steel knife caught his attention again. Ignoring the pains, Kein stood up and proceeded to hobble over to the glittering dagger on the ground. The trip was slightly easier than the last, not as much pain in the ankles. Though this time, he was a bit more, cautious. The last thing he needed was for Tom to come back and jump him like a crazed monkey.

Upon reaching the object, Kein couldn't help but stare. It was Tom's knife alright; same serrated edge, same custom hook point, same spiked handguard and pommel, same… Red ribbon hilt… Yeah… All of these features might have been more menacing had it not been covered in mud still. Slowly bending down, Kein wrapped his hands around the handle. He didn't really care that the mud from the hilt was now on his hands, he was more concerned about how it got here.

Yeah, sure, he was slightly troubled about how he had got here, but that was a completely different type of situation. He was a human, he could move on his own, regardless or not if he was aware of it. This was a knife. Inanimate entity. Can't move unless something else pushes it. If he had found himself in an entirely new area that, from what he could tell, was nowhere near the meadow from before, how was Tom's knife here? Shouldn't it still be in the glade from before?

Suddenly, a thought occurred, and he pulled his binder out of his satchel, laying the knife down in the grass. Opening it, he flipped to the first tab, which was the personal index he had put in; instead of showing the page numbers, it had a simple description of what the drawing on the page was. Kein flipped through the tabs until he came upon the tab that was labeled 'Nature' then flipped to a side one called 'Scenery'. Whenever he would enter a foreign area he would draw a simple picture of its surroundings. He checked the page before looking up to the forest, checking if it matched. The only ones that seemed to get remotely close were the pictures he drew when it was early autumn, but even then those were only borderline. Kein closed the folder and stuffed it back in the satchel. He looked back to the forest ahead and sighed.

As much as I would love to, it's not really the best time. Reaching over he grabbed his hat, brushed off the dirt and put it on. Glancing over to the dagger Kein stopped. It was the object that had almost killed him, should he really take it with him?

Shrugging, Kein snatched up the large blade, wiping it through the grass to remove any remaining mud particles. He then found the flap that contained his ruler and slid the blade next to it. A least he'll have some form of defense against this, unknown land. He stood up and shook his legs in an attempt to get the stiffness out. After a good minute of brushing himself off and checking for any more pains, he straightened up and looked into the forest ahead.

After a few moments of quick thinking and a peek over the tree line, Kein decided to head in the direction that he thought was west, due to the fact that that was the direction his house was relative to the forest behind it. He had been sitting in the clearing for quite a while and the sun was now setting, casting his shadow behind him as he looked into it. Breathing a sigh of content, he set off in his prescribed direction, with his satchel over his shoulder, and the wind to his back.

His first thought was the forest was some kind of botanical garden, due to the fact that all the bushes and trees around the clearing he was in were very nicely shaped and clean. However, this all changed as he walked deeper into the brush. The trees began to become more dense, causing their branches to interlock, effectively blocking out the sun. The small shrubs also changed into mangled bushes as they started talking up more and more of the forest floor, often grabbing his pants legs causing him to stumble.

After an hour of walking through the dense forest, he came across a small stream. Is wasn't that big, and if he wanted to he could simply step over it, but his mouth begged for relief. Slowly bending down, Kein dipped his hand into the stream. The water was cold to the touch and was crystal clear. After staring at the water for a good minute, debating whether or not he should drink from a foreign and possibly contaminated stream, he shrugged.

It can't be any worse than a coffee mug full of laxatives. And with a dip of the head, he took long, greedy swigs from the small fulfilling his body's need for water Kein took a 'for the heck of it' drink, sloshing the water across his tongue and the roof of his mouth. This was the first time he had actually tasted the water, and to his disbelief, it was rather sweet. Confused by the water's taste, he cupped his hands to take another taste of the water, and once again the water had a slight essence of sweetness.

After a few more sips of the clear liquid, he stood up and brushed the dirt off his pant legs. He looked up and down the river, trying to see if there were any more connecting to it. Surprisingly, there were no other streams connecting to the one he was standing next to. Still, Kein did notice that the stream started to widen as it flowed.

Well, if it's getting bigger, that means it's getting extra water from somewhere, Kein deduced with a confident grin. Kein followed the flowing stream for another thirty minutes. As it started to get bigger, he started to notice more small rivers connecting to the one he was following.

Have I been following the main outlet of the river? He pondered as the river continued to gain strength from the little looked to the other side of the river he was following, it had to be at least six meters across by now, but that wasn't the only thing he noticed. The small stream that he was following before had very pure, very clear water, and despite its new size and increased flowing rate, it had retained that quality. He could see all the way to the bottom of the river, and with a quick crouch and a cup of the hands, he confirmed that the current also kept its sweet taste.

As the sun sank lower into the sky, Kein began to grow tired, no doubt from his escapades earlier in the day. He had been following the steadily growing stream for some time, and from what he could tell, it was the main river. He bent down for a quick drink. The cool, sweet water trickled down his throat, soothing his neck. Kein sat for a minute soaking up the sounds of the forest. Ever since he left the clearing birds and small animals started to make their appearance, making twittering calls and small squeaks. Kein continued to listen to the animals, their abundant calls filling his ears, as well as the gurgling of the stream he sat next to.

Slowly he began to doze off, the forest sounds now dull and far away. Unconsciously, Kein shifted into a more comfortable position, this action caused his right hand to fall into the water, chilling it instantly and causing him to be snapped awake by the sudden cold.

"Gaaah!" He screeched, shaking his hand wildly to get the water off before wrapping it up in his pockets. His sudden outburst stopped all the other sounds that were coming from around him. The only thing he could hear was the lapping of the water against the shore, but as he concentrated on the water, he thought he could hear it pick up speed.

Continuing to rub his arm, Kein looked up from the river and turned to his left. From what he could see, the water ahead hastened before making a sharp turn to the right. Confused, he sat up to get a better look at the river. Taking a few steps forward, he stopped and listened again, the water was definitely accelerating. With a tired groan, he continued to walk along the river.

I need to find a place to rest soon, he thought, yawning. As he stumbled carelessly across the shore, Kein noticed that the farther he went the faster the water flowed. Is there a waterfall nearby? Don't know what else could be causing this. And as he rounded the corner of the river, he was met by the roaring sound of water against stone. As he climbed up the side of the hill next to the river, a grin slowly appeared across his face before turning into a full-blown smile.

"Hah!" Kein exclaimed, "Well isn't this a sight!"

As he stood on the top of the cliff face, Kein marveled at the sight that was laid before river he was following had turned into a waterfall, this waterfall then connected to a larger body of water. This new river was more than three times the size of the one he was next to, and from the cliff he was standing on, he could see the rest of the forest in front of him, watching it stretch out for kilometers.

The new river flowed at a slow steady pace, seeming to not be affected by the addition of the water from the falls. The water was just as crystal clear as the river next to him, and even from the cliff he was standing on, he could see the bottom. The slow-moving water reflected the light from the sun, giving it a diamond-studded surface. The beaches that stretched along its shore were comprised of sand that seemed to get its color from the sun itself, as the yellows that it was made of shined in the golden light. The trees that covered the river banks looked as if they were the same as the one less than two meters away from him, but it was difficult to tell in the fading light of the sun.

Drawing his attention away from the scenery, Kein noticed a small shore near the bottom of the cliff face. Before he had the chance to think about what to do next another yawn escaped his mouth.

"As good a place as any I suppose," he mumbled sleepily. Slowly, he shuffled his way down the cliff, being careful not to slip on the slightly wet stone. Luckily, there was a small path that lead in a criss-cross pattern down the side. Reaching the bottom he walked down onto the beach, studying the smooth water. To his surprise, the river had changed its color. Now instead of being a crystal blue, it was a clean, shiny silver.

"Hm, the Silver River," Kein thought aloud with a smile, clearly happy with himself at the simple name. Turning his back to the river, Kein strode back to the forest. He searched for a suitable place to rest for the night. Letting some of the cliche instincts inside guide him, he went and gathered some large leaves from a fern that grew on the side of the river. Placing the fern leaves between a crack made by two tree roots and were close by, he flopped down and closed his eyes. His body was physically exhausted from the day's worth of walking but his mind continued to race, still attempting to comprehend the sights he had seen and the events that had passed. However, the day had taken his toll, and slowly, but surely, he succumbed to the peaceful embrace of sleep.

A/N:

Congratz! You just read 13,209 words!

Ssethelis: For those of you who can't commit to anything. Stop here.

Thanks for being a pessimist! You would not believe how much I absolutely love it! Ass. Anyways! This is it. You have successfully read the first chapter! Trust me when I say they get easier from here on.

Ssethelis: I'd give you a cookie, but that's the browser's job.

Truth to that. I want to thank everyone who read this. It makes me happy to know that people still care about the Spyro series. Cause you know, Skylanders and shit.

If any of you people have questions about the first chapter, or if you noticed a mistake, because, I can with 100% accuracy tell you that there will STILL be mistakes despite the fact that Sseth and I went over this countless times, message me NOT on this account, but on my personal one at MakeSureToKnock.

Ssethelis: Just remember, any postive feedback is like stroking his dong.

Less truth but hey! Whatever works. Once again, thanks to you all for this.

MakeSureToKnock and Ssethelis