Disclaimer: I do not own +Anima. I do own Kailey.

A/N: Welcome to the FIFTH chapter of my first ever +Anima fanfiction where we will wrap up Shadow and move on to Harden and Margaret. So, without further ado, I turn it over to Kailey. Enjoy!

The gang headed to the village in time to see a crowd had gathered to watch Shadow attempt to take medicine to the top of the mountain.

"He's crazy," declared a man. "He's never going to make it."

"How come you can't use the mountain path?" inquired Kailey causing the man to turn and look at them.

"The road collapsed," he revealed. "We've been working on clearing it, but it's still going to take time and, unfortunately, there are people up there in need of medicine who can't wait."

"Which is why Shadow is so determined," surmised Kailey, staring at Cooro who was watching his friend with worried eyes.

"What are you waiting for, Cooro?" demanded Husky. "Get up there and help him. That is the plan, isn't it?"

The fish +Anima glanced at Kailey. The young girl smiled and inclined her head. Husky turned his attention back to Cooro who nodded and took off. Together, he and Shadow delivered the medicine and Shadow apologized for what he had said before.

All's well that ends well, mused Kailey as she and her friends moved on, heading south.

"We're running out of money," announced Husky one morning.

"Running out of pieces of your costume to sell?" guessed Kailey. "We could always look for some work."

"Why don't we try at the next town?" suggested Nana.

"Maybe they'll feed us too," said Cooro, hopefully.

They made their way to the town where they discovered the same Astarian soldiers they had met on the mountain pass were camped on its outskirts.

"Great, just what we need," muttered Kailey.

"It'll be alright," Husky assured her as they entered the town. "Come on, let's split up and see if we can find some work."

Kailey nodded and decided to go with him and Senri while Nana went off with Cooro. Why are they here though? I know Husky said everything's going to be okay but I-

Lost in thought, the squirrel +Anima accidentally bumped into someone and fell down. "I'm so sorry."

"You should be more careful and watch where you're going," the person chastised her as she stared up at an Astarian soldier. "Here, let me help you up."

The soldier grabbed Kailey roughly by her forearm and jerked the girl off the ground while more soldiers appeared.

"Let her go!" ordered Husky who was grabbed by another soldier as their leader stepped forward. "Tell your men to let us go now."

Their leader ignored him and looked solely at Senri before drawing his sword. Meanwhile Husky bit the finger of his captor who smacked him in the face. Husky hit the ground, bruised and unconscious, enraging Senri as he activated his +Anima.

"Husky!" cried Kailey, struggling to get free.

"Enough!" thundered a new voice. The owner was a large man with gray hair, intelligent eyes, and a beard. He stood on his doorstep with his arms folded against his chest.

Who is that? wondered Kailey, belatedly realizing they were on the outskirts of town again.

The soldiers glanced at their leader who sighed and sheathed his sword as Cooro, Nana, and a woman with brown hair walked towards them.

"Margaret, take the kids inside," the man told her, picking up Husky while Kailey's captor released her, and she hurried over to the fish +Anima. "Don't worry, he'll be fine."

"Who are you?" she inquired as they headed inside.

"Name's Harden," he replied. "This is my wife, Margaret. She'll take care of your friend."

"Thank you," said Kailey. "I'm Kailey and that's Husky. The others are Cooro, Nana, and Senri. Do you know why those soldiers were here?"

"I used to be a swordsmith," Harden informed them. "I forged their leader's, Igneous, sword Guardian Heart and now they want me to make them swords for battle again."

"I should take a look at your arm too," figured Margaret. "You can keep an eye on your friend while I do."

Kailey blushed slightly and nodded. What do the soldiers need swords for now? And why does Igneous hate Senri so much? I have a bad feeling something horrible is going to happen.

"Kailey. Earth to Kailey," called a familiar voice causing the girl's head to pop up to see the fish +Anima was awake and sitting up. "Finally. What happened after I blacked out and why have you been sleeping here?"

Because I was worried about you, jerk, thought Kailey. "Mr. Harden took us in, and Miss Margaret took care of you."

"And the soldiers?" asked Husky.

"Their leader Igneous wants Mr. Harden to make them swords but he refuses to forge weapons for battle anymore," she replied.

"Which I'm sure Igneous is happy about," mused Husky, noticing the bandage on her arm. "Margaret take care of you too?'

"Yeah," confirmed Kailey, placing her hand over it. "She's really nice. They both are."

"You want to help them, don't you?" guessed Husky.

Kailey nodded. "But what can we do?"

"Well, for starters, you two could eat some dinner," interjected Margaret as she entered the room with a tray of food. She set it down on a table next to the bed and smiled at them. "I'm glad to see you are feeling better, Husky. You were given quite the blow."

"Thank you," said Husky.

"You should be thanking Kailey," Margaret informed him, glancing at the girl with a knowing look. "She never left your side."

Kailey flushed. "It's okay. It wasn't a big…"

"Thank you, Kailey," murmured Husky, cutting her off.

"You're welcome," Kailey murmured back.

"Why does the army need new swords anyway?" Husky wondered aloud after Margaret had left.

"That's what I've been trying to figure out," responded Kailey. "Nothing good, I'm sure. When are people going to learn violence only results in more violence?"

Husky shrugged. "That's how they've always reacted especially when it's something they're afraid of."

So, what's Igneous afraid of? pondered Kailey.

The next day Husky, Kailey, Cooro, and Nana found themselves helping Margaret take apart old clothes to make new ones. After a few moments the kind woman left them to it while Senri cut wood outside.

"Maybe we should stay here," remarked Nana. "Mr. Harden and Miss Margaret are really nice. We wouldn't have to go south."

"We might be causing more harm than good though," warned Kailey. "I want to stay here too but the fact is we're +Anima and people react violently towards things they're afraid of."

"Mr. Harden and Miss Margaret wouldn't hurt us," argued Cooro.

"She's talking about the soldiers camped right outside of town," Husky explained. "That Igneous guy is afraid of something and if it's +Anima, we're putting Harden and Margaret in danger."

"Then we just have to get rid of the soldiers," said Cooro.

"If it was that easy then Kailey and I wouldn't have gotten hurt yesterday," Husky pointed out. "We'll leave after we pay Harden and Margaret back for helping us."

"Nana and I will probably be able to make some clothes out of the extra material too," added Kailey. "We'll be all set to go South."

"Morning," greeted Kailey the next day as she walked outside to find only the boys. "Where's Nana?"

"We don't know," replied Cooro. "No one's seen her since last night."

"I wonder where she went," murmured Kailey as Igneous and his soldiers arrived. "What do they want?"

"This girl broke into our camp last night and attempted to steal an axe," announced Igneous as one of his men produced a bound and gagged Nana in a sack. "She should be punished. I am willing, however, to pardon her if you forge us swords."

"What do you need more swords for, anyway?" demanded Kailey before Harden could answer.

Igneous grimaced. "If you must know, I detest +Anima especially the Kim-un-kur. My grandfather was murdered by one of those filthy bears during the Battle of Moss Mountain."

"I will forge you your weapons," grumbled Harden. "Though no good will come from it."

Igneous grinned and ordered his man to release Nana before taking his leave.

"What were you thinking, Nana?" asked Husky, later that day.

"Husky's right," agreed Kailey as they stood by themselves around a tree. "You could have been hurt."

"Now Harden has to make that guy swords," muttered Husky.

"I'm sorry," murmured Nana, hanging her head.

"There's nothing we can do about it now," sighed Kailey. "I'm going to go for a walk."

"I'll go with you," offered Husky. "It's not safe for us to be alone with the army around."

Kailey nodded and they promised the others they'd be back before supper. "Why does everyone hate us?"

"Not everyone," Husky corrected her. "Harden loves Margaret."

Kailey stopped and stared at him. "Miss Margaret's a +Anima?"

"She was," replied Husky.

"'Was'?" repeated Kailey, cocking a dark eyebrow.

"According to Harden, Margaret used to be a deer +Anima," Husky informed her. "They fell in love and have lived a quiet life together. Apparently, her +Anima vanished because she didn't need it to protect her anymore."

"That can happen?" whispered Kailey, glancing down at the +Anima marks on the backs of her hands.

"Would you like it if it happened to you?" inquired Husky, watching her.

"The falling in love with someone who accepts you for you, yes," answered Kailey. "But I don't mind having these powers even if people hate me for them."

"Hmph," said Husky, smirking slightly.

"What?" demanded Kailey.

"I never would have taken you for a romantic," he replied. "You'd most likely drive the poor guy insane."

Kailey stuck her tongue out at him. "You're one to talk."

Husky shrugged. "Come on, let's go work on your fencing."

Kailey grinned. "Sounds good to me."

A few days later, the soldiers returned to find Harden had taken their swords and turned them into everyday tools. Igneous was not pleased but withdrew his troops, leaving Harden in peace.

"That was clever of Mr. Harden," opined Kailey to Margaret as the gang prepared to depart. "It's like something Husky would have done."

"You care for Husky, don't you?" mused the former +Anima.

Kailey blushed. "I honestly do not know how I feel. Husky can be so infuriating but there are times when he's kind and patient."

"Give it time," said Margaret, smiling kindly at the preteen girl. "You are young yet."

"Can I ask you something?" inquired Kailey.

"Of course, dear," responded Margaret.

"Do you miss being a +Anima?" she murmured.

"Sometimes," Margaret confirmed. "It was thanks to my deer +Anima I met Harden."

"I think I know what you mean," said Kailey. "If it wasn't for my powers, I never would have met my friends. That's why I can't hate being a +Anima. It's a part of who I am."

"And that part will always be with you even if your powers disappear someday," Margaret assured her.

Kailey smiled as they finished their preparations and took their leave of the tranquil couple. I hope we can come back here and enjoy the kind of peace they have. Perhaps then I will figure out how I feel about Husky until then it's off to the South we go.

A/N: And there you have it! Hope you all enjoyed! Until next time, read review and show the love!