This chapter is going to feature a bunch of capital letters 
randomly inserted in the sentences. 
This is intentional; it refers to the use of the various 
powers. 
Enjoy! 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Chapter 2 

The young telekinetic followed his German friend up to his 
room and watched as the orange haired 
man tucked the girl in with a gentleness he had not thought 
possible of him. 
"I heard that," Schuldich muttered, brushing some bangs 
away from Makoto's face, "I'll 
have you know that I can be as gentle as a mouse, should I 
feel the need to be. She's someone I 
feel the need to be gentle with." 

Nagi tilted his head to the side, studying his friend. 
//She's different, is that it? Like a kindred spirit or 
some nonsense like that.// he 
Thought at the older man. 

He was rewarded with a short nod from the German. 
"I'm going to have a peek inside her head. She's probably 
still huring and it's going to 
take time, so tell the others not to bother me." 
"Aa," Nagi agreed. 

Behind them the door slammed shut. Schuldich smirked and 
his eyes became unfocused as he dived 
into the layers of her brain, searching for her conscious. 

~*~*@*@*%*%*@*@*~*~ 

He found her in the region where nightmares and horrible 
experiances were remembered and 
re-visited. 
"Haha! Chichi! Anata wa doko?!" the little girl cried. 

Schuldich turned to face the source of the sound, alarmed. 
Surely she could not have gained 
brain damage from a few voices! 
"Makoto?" he asked softly. 
"Iie," another, more mature voice answered from behind him, 
"Koko." 

He spun around to face the young woman he was looking for. 
He was about to speak when he got a 
good look at her. She was 'sitting' on a ledge, watching 
the little girl with troubled and sad 
eyes, arms wrapped around her legs. He approached her 
slowly and stood. 
"May I sit down?" 
"Hai." 

The German sat and stared at the image of the little girl, 
running around looking for someone on 
an airplane. It seemed that the plane had caught fire, the 
seats were burning and bodies, some 
dead some not, were cast about. But it was not moving. 
//A crash.// 
"Aa." 

The girl ran to and fro, searching aisles, coughing 
harshly, trying to keep herself from getting 
burned. 
"Who is she?" he finally asked, curious and gentle in his 
manner. 
"Watashi o," Makoto replied, "That's me when I was very 
young. My parents and I were 
coming back from a vacation when the plane crash landed in 
the middle of Arizona. It caught on 
fire, the safety features all went haywire, and I nearly 
died." 
"How did you get out?" 

The ESPer shrugged, watching the images play out, getting 
fuzzier and fuzzier. Finally they 
disappeared alltogether. She waved a hand in that 
direction, as if that explained it. 
"I blacked out. When I woke up I was in the hospital." 

In front of them, the images no longer played. Makoto 
turned to look at Schuldich. 
"How did you find me?" she asked, tilting her head, "Where 
is my Shugotenshi?" 
"Shugotenshi? ... Ah! You mean Nagi! He is waiting for 
you." 
"Dare da?" 
"Schuldich. I'm a telepath." 
"A freak like me ... " 

The German gave a bitter laugh. 
"Ja. A freak of nature -- " 
"Who shouldn't be allowed to live," she smiled grimly at 
him, "I know. I've heard the 
same thing over and over. My classmates assumed that 
because I was the only one to survive the 
crash that I was some sort of supernatural being. Thus I 
became an outcast. I can Hear voices, 
you know." 
"Ja, I know. That's why I came to find you. I can teach you 
to use your barriers, to make 
them stronger. You don't have to go through this alone." 

Makoto studied him thoughtfully. She glanced back at the 
space where images of classmates 
taunting her played out. 
"Not alone, huh? ... That'd be nice for a change." 
"Oh come on. You can't really say you've *always* been 
alone, can you?" 

Glancing from him to the space, she shook her head. 
"Iie ... " the ESPer sighed. 

Schuldich noticed they had moved to a different section of 
her memories. He saw her first true 
friends; Mizuno Ami, Hino Rei; Aino Minako, and Tsukino 
Usagi. He saw their battles, their pain. 
Their last enemy had been defeated only recently, and now 
the poor girl was Hearing voices in her 
head. 
"You have had it rough," Schuldich admitted, "But it's 
nothing that a little time can't 
fix. With some practice, you'll only be able to Hear those 
you want to Hear, to Feel the emotions 
of those you want to Feel." 
"Wakatta ... arigatou gozaimasu." 
"Don't thank me now. Thank me when we set up your mental 
blocks. You have to wake up 
first, you know." 

~*~*@*@*%*%*@*@*~*~ 

Nagi watched as the telepath jerked back into full 
awareness with a sudden Shove. He stared 
slightly, not expecting it, the telepath had been messing 
about in Makoto's mind for well over an 
hour now. 
"I'll be damned," the orange haired man whispered. 

Beside him, Nagi nearly squirmed, impatient for news. 
"Nani?" he asked, forcing himself to sound composed. 

Schuldich shook his head and stared down at the still 
sleeping girl, a small smile growing on the 
corners of his lips. He finally seemed to realize Nagi's 
presence and turned to look at him. 
"Kono bishoujo ... " he started, still in awe, "She's 
almost as powerful as you or I. 
It's amazing! I've never seen an ESPer this powerful. She 
could nearly be a telepath." 

The younger boy shook his head and grinned down at the 
older man. 
"You're taking this far too much to heart, Schu-niisan. I 
almost think you're in love 
with her." 

Before the German could protest, Makoto wrinkled her nose 
as she fought her way to consciousness. 
They watched her eyes open slowly, bit by bit, so her eyes 
could get used to the light. When 
they opened fully and settled, unfocused, on Schuldich, the 
two men were stunned by the amazing 
shade of green. Nagi looked between Schuldich and Makoto, 
noting the similar features the two 
shared, namely the eyes. 
"Schu-schu?" Makoto whispered, eyes focusing properly. 

Nagi felt a twinge of jealousy spur through his system, but 
he quickly shooed it away, not 
wanting Schuldich to have the satisfaction of knowing his 
jealousy. The German gave no 
indication of sensing the Nagi's jealous thoughts as he 
nodded and brushed some bangs off 
Makoto's forehead. 
"Ja." 
"Danke ... " 

The telekinetic raised an eyebrow, amused. 
"Teaching her German already, Schu-niisan? Monopolizer." 

Schuldich snorted and stood from Makoto's bed side. 
"Right, Nagi," he grinned, "That's not even a real word, 
but whatever you say. I'll get 
you some food, okay Makoto?" 

The said girl pushed herself into a sitting position and 
nodded slowly, not wanting to bring on a 
headache. Schuldich ruffled her hair, though she batted at 
his hand playfully, and walked to the 
door, opening it. 
//She's all your, Nagi-chaaan. You don't have to be jealous 
of me.// 

Nagi refused to let his surprise show, but Sent the other 
man a nice selection of choise phrases, 
keeping his eyes on Makoto. The bed ridden girl watched the 
German leave the room, then turned 
to look at Nagi. 
"Shugotenshi ... arigatou ... " 

The telekinetic nearly fell over. 
"Shugotenshi? Hardly. I can bearly protect myself, let 
alone someone else." 

Makoto shook her head, more vigorously this time. 
"Iie! You protected me! I am greatful to you for that. And 
damn it, if I wanna call you 
'shugotenshi', you're gonna be called 'shugotenshi'!" 

Nagi stared down at the auburn haired girl in suprise. She 
blushed and looked away, and the 
telekinetic did something he swore never to do again: he 
laughed. A sudden, genuine burst of 
laughter, brought forth because of pure amusement. Never 
before had anybody dared to talk to him 
like that. 
//It's rather refreshing, really,// Nagi thought to 
himself, careful to keep his shields 
up so she could not Hear him. 

Makoto watched him out of the corner of her eye, trying to 
chase the blush from her cheeks. 
//He's got a nice laugh ... I wonder how often he uses it 
... // 

When the laughing subsided, Nagi held out his hand to her. 
"Would you like a tour? If Schu-niisan is going to be your 
teacher, you'll probably be 
staying here for a while. Do you have any family you want 
to contact?" he asked. 

Makoto shook her head, finally looking back at him. 
"Iie. ... Just some friends who need to know where I am." 
"I'm afraid that will have to wait until we get some 
answers," said a new voice. 

Without turning, Nagi frowned and sighed. Brad did like to 
make things difficult. 

~Owari, chapter 2~