There Was Only One

[Joshua]

Kyle was doing it again. Running strands of his long, brown hair through his mouth. His mother always hated it when he did that. Said it was a bad habit. But he couldn't help it. It was comforting. Helped keep his mind off of the terrible times. And the snarky voice in his head.

"Oooh, playing with your girly-locks again, I see."

Kyle ignored it. He just sat there. He hugged his knees to his chest. His worn, aching feet scraped the jagged cobblestone. His clothes were torn and tattered. He didn't mind, though. It felt comforting, somehow, even though it reminded him of those darker times.

The war had taken its toll on him, no doubt about it. Not everyone had voices inside their head. Then again, not everyone had a bad run in with a poltergeist while running behind enemy lines.

Kyle allowed the strand of hair he had been sucking to fall down. It stuck up at an odd angle. There were always a few odd-angled strands of hair. His hair was his pride and joy. For some reason, it always looked beautiful, even without any upkeep. Like his mother's.

He brushed a few stray strands of his hair out of his grimy face with an equally grimy hand. Anyone looking at him might have thought him to be a beggar, except for his eyes. They were sharp, stunning ice-blue. The skin around his eyes was wrinkled, making him look like an old soldier; someone who had seen too much. But one look could pierce through a soul. Many men had shuddered under that piercing, thoughtful gaze.

But no one would be shuddering today. Today, he kept his face hidden.

His stomach rumbled. If only he could find something to eat.

"I told you that child looked tasty."

"Shut up." He muttered aloud. His voice echoed softly throughout the dark alleyway where he sat. 

[Dionne]

Dionne was on the way to the market, still seeking for a way to make some coin. Her bow was missing from her back, but as always she kept her blades - Sai and Kiro.

She walked quickly, being on alert is one of the few things that kept her alive throughout her childhood. Looking around, she disregarded the beggar in the alley, but froze when he spoke, trailing her hand onto the hilt of Kiro.

"Well, isn't that suspicous." Dionne thought as she slowly turned to face him.

[Joshua]

Kyle could hear someone stop walking near him and turn. He heard alarm bells go off in his head. One useful thing the war left him was a keen sense of when danger was about to strike. Had to have that, if you didn't want to die.

"Or get stuck with me." A smug voice said.

Kyle ignored it again. He spoke to whomever was standing near him.

"Look, I don't have anything, alright? I'm just a tired beggar resting on the street. Can't you leave a poor man in peace?" He was careful to keep his eyes averted. Making eye contact almost always resulted in a strong reaction from the other person.

And then, the voice in his head decided to voice its opinion as well.

"OR YOU COULD TRY KICKING HIM LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!" Kyle laughed maniacally for a few moments before he finally regained control.

"Curse you..." he thought. The voice didn't respond. It just continued to giggle hysterically.

[Dionne]

Sliding Kiro out, Dionne wondered about the sanity and purpose of said beggar.

Shruging her shoulders after a couple of seconds have past, Dionne figured that perhaps his situation got better of him - and his brain..or lack of.

"I haven't even said anything, what is your problem with me?"

[Joshua]

Kyle glanced down at her feet, still keeping care to keep his eyes covered. He heard the blade leaving it's sheath. A sound he had heard many times before, when an enemy soldier was about to behead him or one of his comrades. He shuddered. The sound was no less terrifying now than it had been years ago. When he spoke, it was barely above a hoarse whisper.

"I-I'm sorry. I thought you were going to mug me. It's happened...before. In this city."

He was visibly shaken, but not just by the threatening blade. It had been a long time since he had lost control like that...to that...thing.

"Oooh, being touchy, aren't we? I have a name you know."

Kyle just slowly shook his head.

"Not to me, you don't. You have no name. You're not...her."

His eyes moistened. For a moment, he remained still, breathing heavily. Finally, he spoke again, in the same, hoarse whisper.

"If-if you're not here to rob me...perhaps you could...could..."

His voice trailed off. He couldn't do it. His pride as a soldier wouldn't let him. Asking for help had always been viewed as a weakness. Perhaps that's why he was suffering now.

He hung his head. 

"I'm sorry." He said again. He wasn't sure if he was speaking to the woman, or to someone else. There were many people he owed an apology to. Many people he knew he should apologize to, but couldn't. 

[Dionne]

She kind of felt sorry for him, which didn't happen often. Dionne went through a lot of hardships, and knew what kind of toll they could take upon a being - yet remorse was not her thing. If she could've endured, so could others.

"Wonder what he's been through..." Crossed her mind as she took a step forward, stopped, followed by another.

"What do you need?"

[Joshua]

For the first time, Kyle looked up. He gazed straight into her yellow eyes. She seemed...unusual. Almost like an outcast. Almost like him.

"Minus the voice in your head."

He blinked, slowly, his vivid eyes searching hers for something. One could see the desperation in his face. The desire to find hope.

"I-I could use some food." He muttered, finally, his head hanging again. It made him sick to even admit to having this weakness. To admit to not being able to take care of himself. He was one of many though; the war had left many soldiers destitute.

It was ironic. His training had prepared him to handle any kind of hostile situation or enemy. Yet for all his training, he didn't even know how to survive in the civilized world.

[Dionne]

There was something about him, that she could relate to, even if she was unsure to what it really was. With her blade finding the way back onto her back, she held out a hand for him.

"I know that one, and I'm sure I can spare a little bit, if you can walk. Today you, tommorow me, right?"

[Joshua]

Slowly, Kyle reached out and took her hand. He was too surprised to speak. It had been a long time someone had been able to meet his gaze without flinching. People often told him his stare was overwhelming.

He stood, his joints creaking from sitting for so long. The sound of wet gravel crunching beneath his battered feet came to him like a sharp sting.

Still...it felt good to finally be able to stand again.

Although he stood with his shoulders hunched, he towered over the woman. She was short, probably at least half a foot shorter than him, and had beautiful black hair. He hadn't noticed that before. Kyle self-consciously ran his fingers through his own locks. He had often been mocked by the others for his shoulder-long hair. Except by those who knew him well. And those who's lives he saved.

He smiled, just a little bit. Yet that small smile made a great difference; for a single moment it swept away the tired, broken soldier, and revealed someone who was far younger and more alive.

"Yeah. I guess you're right. Thanks."

[Dionne]

Dionne did not smile back - even though he might've earned her pitty, he has not earned her trust, but there was certanly something about him that made her feel more at ease, than she normally would be with others before him.

"I have some meat I can share back at my place, try to keep up." Not willing to appear too sympathetic, Dionne turned around and began walking from the way she came.

[Joshua]

Kyle moved slowly, at first. It was difficult for him to move. But with his long, sweeping stride, he was able to keep up with her. It had been a long time since he had eaten.

"You could have eaten sooner, if you had followed my advice."

Kyle gritted his teeth. It took some self-control to not respond. It had been so long since he had actually spoken with a real person, he had just gotten used to replying to the voice out loud.

[Dionne]

As they neared the gate going out into the wildneress beyond, Dionne shouted to the man.

"I hope you're fine with game, that's all I can offer."

[Joshua]

Kyle caught up with the woman. The more he walked, the more he could feel his energy return to him. He was starting to feel alive again.

"That sounds fine. Food is food, right?"

[Dionne]

She smiled to herself. It felt right helping someone like him, as she was in the very same position once upon a time.

She couldn't quite get to herself to trust him, and knew she'd have to move afterwords, which bothered her slitghly.

As they made their way through the forest, first into the outskirts and into the dense heart of nature, she wondered outloud.

"So, what do you for a living?"

[Joshua]

Kyle smiled wryly.

"Do I look like a man who earns a living?" His face became thoughtful for a moment. "I...used to be a soldier. For a time." His facial features became soft, and his eyes become distant as he recalled those memories.

"It had always been a dream of mine, to be a knight. I fought in many battles. And saw some pretty strange things. Some terrifying. Some wonderful."

He shook his head.

"I was pretty good. Never thought a time would come when I'd become...useless. No longer needed. It was a shock for many of us, just being abandoned, after the war was over. Most of them died within a month, from starvation."

Kyle looked down.

"I had fought with some of those men for nearly ten years."

For a moment he just stood there and said nothing. Then, he shrugged.

"Turns out no one really wants to hire a soldier. All we can do is fight, and survive, to a certain extent."

A faint glimmer entered his eyes.

"I was able to survive for a while with my art...but it's hard. Especially when people keep mugging you."

He sighed.

"Life goes on. I mean, we soldiers...we fought this war to defend all this. To ensure there would be peace. We were prepared to die for that. I guess most of us figured on dying on the battlefield, though. Not in the streets."