Uninvited Guest (Akhtar/Open)

[Annie Cingolani]

*Grrrr.....*

Little Annie clutched her stomach with her free hand as she fought back tears. It had been years since the child had been this hungry. Back then her and her brother's masters were the ones that refused to feed them as one of their many punishments. Things had changed though once they were free. When the twins gained their freedom all of that stopped. There were no more cages, no more beatings, no more hunger, or experiments. They could do what they wanted now, play as much as they liked, eat whatever they wanted, and punish the fools who wanted to hurt them, and the most important thing of all they would be together forever. No one could separate them anymore for different tasks, or to beat them and leave the other helpless to protect them. They were going to be together forever. That was how it was suppose to be...and yet..

Annie choked back another sob. They were suppose to be together forever but that promise was broken and it was all her fault. Ever since she and Anthony had to came to this place their life had taken a turn for the worst. While it was not uncommon for the twins to get lost in an unknown location they at least were lost together. Rarely did they ever get lost on their own. But when they came to New Orlands they almost always got separated. At first it was only for a day or two, but then days turned into weeks. Annie was frightened and desperate. The little girl spent many sleepless nights looking for her lost brother, constantly wandering the streets searching for him, ignoring the ache in her legs from the long hours she had spent walking. She even forgot to eat sometimes, like right now for instance. What was the point of eating if she couldn't feast on sweets with her brother? Annie didn't want to waste time taking care of herself when she could be spending that time looking for her brother.

But as much as she wanted to ignore it, she couldn't ignore her body's needs any longer. She couldn't look for Anthony if she starved to death right? Annie was too tired, cold, and hungry to go on much longer. She needed to find a place to stay just like she used to do when she and Anthony were together. There were plenty of places here that she could pick on this street. Annie had wandered in the richer part of town by nightfall. The streets were quiet and empty but the big houses hiding behind their great big gate weren't. Those houses had food and nice warm beds too. They did have people living in them too but that wasn't much of a problem for her. Though she didn't have her twin anymore she was more than capable of handling a few humans if they were stupid enough to try and hurt her. And who knows, maybe she might make a new friend while she was there.

“What do you think Mr. Tibbers?” She asked her stuffed teddy bear. “Should I find a place to stay tonight?” Annie brought the bear closer to her ear so he could whisper his answer to her. When he replied Annie smiled for the first time that day. “Okay let's go Tibbers!” Annie hugged her one and only friend close to her chest as she looked around the street for what house she would steal for the night. Crimson eyes fell on the biggest mansion on that block. It was perfect! The Solaris walked over to the place and stopped at the large gate. The girl reached out towards the gate, focusing all her energy to her hand and in moments the gate was nothing more than a blacken, melted mess. Annie moved past it without a word, towards the front door. As tired as she was the fire within her brought back some of her strength. She had just enough power to take over this place, and there was nothing that the owners could do to stop her. The front door was blasted open in just as quickly as the gate. Annie stepped into the house. Whoever lived here was probably going to come here in any moment, she wondered if she could grab something to eat first before she had to deal with them.

[Deleted]

Sara, Akhtar's head maid, was walking to make sure the house was completely secured and all magical wards were in place. She was also going to meet her lover, Akhtar's chauffeur and his most trusted employee, Khaled. The two had been having a secret romance for the longest. Akhtar didn't care for relationships amongst the staff but he himself knew about it. It wasn't anything that happened in the home that he didn't know. He just decided to turn a blind eye to the pair.

As Sara was passing the front door she heard the creaking of the door and she slowly looked backed up ready to attack if she needed to. The door shattered apart and she stumbled back in surprise with a small scream of terror escaping her throat. Khaled ran over to Sara and helped her stand to her feet. He asked her what was wrong with her in Arabic as that was the lingua franca of the home. Sara nodded her head and yelled seemingly into the air, "Samukum,SAMUKUM!!" Akhtar who was in his room ready to retire for the night was curious to all of the noise downstairs in his foyer quickly reacted to hearing Sara call out in Arabic, "Your highness! Your higness!" He told her he really preferred she not call him that but it seems that old habits die hard for her.

Turning a half circle he apparated out of his room and reappeared in less than a split second in the destroyed foyer. He looked around trying to find out what is going on. He looked to Sara and said in Arabic, "What is going on?" His voice was so calm and soothing. She looked between he and Khaled who was holding her close to him. She pointed to the door and said, "That child did this...she destroyed the door and the gate. She is magical for certain."

Akhtar turned and looked at the young girl who stood in his doorway. He looked as she clutched what appeared to be a teddy bear. He cautiously stepped forward to her and said, "Who are you and why are you in my home..."He looked at her inquisitively waiting on her to respond. His phoenix form was trying to break free and protect its master. He gathered that she was able to control fire just by reading her aura but he didn't push much past that. He didn't like using his magical abilities for things like that.

[Annie Cingolani]

Once Annie started using her powers some of her exhaustion was forgotten. That always happened when she used her powers. She could easily lose track of her own limitations the moment she released her flames. That would probably spell bad news for the unfortunate owner of this place. A pumped up crazy solaris was a dangerous no matter how tiny they were. After blowing up the gate destroying the front door was a breeze. Annie stepped through the nice big charred hole in the wall and stepped inside the building, only to be welcomed by screams of terror. The little girl looked over to the what looked like a maid in the arms of a man who was shouting in a language she could not understand. The little girl glared at the couple, she didn't know what they were talking about but she didn't like how the woman shouted. “Noisy...” Annie raised her hand towards the pair, flames starting to form in her hand when suddenly someone materialized in front of them.

“Huh?” The flames died down instantly as the girl looked over at the strange man in surprise. Did...did that man just teleport here? Or had he just been invisible this whole time? Surely it wasn't some trick of the imagination, she hadn't missed him when she came in here, he hadn't been hiding from her. There was a strange vibe she was getting from him too, it was as if a strong force of energy was radiating off of him. She had never felt this kind of energy before. It was almost like...magic. He couldn't be a human, no human had this kind of energy. If he wasn't human then what was he? The girl gasped as realization hit her. If he was a being with magical powers he must be a...

“Fairy!” she squealed, running up over to him to look at him better. Surely he had to be a fairy! Fairies were one of the few magical creatures that Annie had heard about. She had never seen a real fairy until now. How cool was that? She couldn't wait to see him do some magic tricks, and to see his wings. Annie peered over his shoulders to try to see his wings but she couldn't see anything. Maybe he had really tiny ones? Yeah, that was it! They must be small wings. The girl was just about to look behind him when he asked her a question. “My name is Annie Mr. Fairy.” Annie smiled at him. “I was hungry and tired so I decided to stay here for the night... Hey, hey can I see your wings Mr. Fairy?”

[Deleted]

Akhtar stepped back a little in shock. He looked at the young girl confused. She shouted "fairy" and he looked around trying to figure who she was speaking about. He finally realized she was referring to him. He didn't know how she figured he was a fairy. He didn't know many but he was quite sure they weren't the same as himself and other witches and wizards. He chuckled a little bit and was about to speak when she cut him off. He cut his eyes to Khaled and Sara who too were now confused. Without taking his eyes off of the young girl he spoke to Sara and said, "Sara...please go and prepare a space for our young...uninvited guest."

Sara nodded her head and said, "Na'am samukum." Not even blinking she disappeared from her spot next to Khaled. After looking at the girl once more Khaled approached Akhtar. He stood next to his friend and said, "Prince...are you sure this is what you want to do." Akhtar looked to him and said,"But of course...you know I never turn away a guest...or a person in need." Khaled nodded his head and said, "Well I will certainly keep an eye on her. I will give you two a few moments." He snapped his fingers and he too was gone like his lover, Sara.

Akhtar was now focused on his new guest. "You are very young. Where are your parents? How did you end up here? You do realize what you've done is illegal. You may stay here for now but this must be discussed further. You can not go around burning things and breaking into people's homes. It is unacceptable." All while he spoke he never raised his voice. Although he had a very heavy accent he was certain that she would be able to understand him. He made sure to speak clearly so she could understand him. Deciding to address the issue of her calling him a fairy. He said, "I am not a fairy. I can assure you of that. I am a wizard...a male witch if you will. I am from a far away magical land."

Deciding to show off a bit for her he allowed blue flames to engulf his entire body and allowed his phoenix form to take over. He simply looked out of the door and the flames stretched all throughout the foyer and to his damaged gate and from there his magic took over repairing everything. In moments everything was back to normal and the blue flames disappeared as quickly as they appeared. Looking at the girl who still stood there holding her bear he smiled and turned around hoping she would follow him towards his large gourmet kitchen. He spoke to her without turning around and said, "Tell me what is that you would like to eat?"

[Annie Cingolani]

The fairy seemed a little surprised at Annie's reaction but soon the man smiled and turned to the others, telling the woman first to fix up a spare room and then speaking to the other man. Just like the fairy the others vanished into thin air which only made the little girl more excited. They must be fairies too if they could do the same thing as their leader. Annie must have found some secret fairy kingdom, how cool was that? Now she was really happy she found this place. She hoped they would be her friends and play with her sometime. It would be fun to show off her fire tricks to someone besides Mr. Tibbers. Once the other two disappeared the main fairy turned his attention back to Annie to ask her some questions. “I don't have any.” she replied to his question about parents all matter of factually. “Mommy and Daddy sold me and my brother to my masters when we were babies. They didn't care about us.” The girl giggled when he asked her how she wound up in his home. “I walked here silly.” she said. “I was looking for my brother...I can't find him.” Annie looked down on the ground sadly at the thought of her missing brother. Though she had made up her mind to at least rest for a night she still felt bad about abandoning her search even if it was only for a few hours.

The fairy spoke again which thankfully pulled her out of her depressing thoughts, but what he said confused her. “Ill-legal? What does that mean?” The word was foreign to the girl. Was it something bad? No...it couldn't be. Annie was a good girl. She didn't do anything wrong when she came here so that couldn't be something bad. The fairy continued to speak, telling her next that it was a bad thing to be burning things to get inside peoples houses. The little girl frowned at him. “But my masters liked it when I burned things and so does brother.” she exclaimed. “Fire is pretty and it makes everyone happy silly!” It certainly made her happy, surely he could understand that. If he didn't she could always prove her point. She could burn something for him so she could see her point, that or she could set him on fire to make him happy. That would be great!

Annie was considering how to show him how good fire was when he confessed he was not a fairy after all. “You're not?” she sounded a little disappointed till he said he was actually a wizard. “A...wizard? Like the guys that pull rabbits out of their hats?” Strange...she didn't see a top hat on him. Maybe she had the wrong idea? It was then that the man showed her what made him a wizard. Annie stared on in awe as the man turned from a human to a blue flaming phoenix. The phoenix spread its blue flames towards the broken door frame and within moments the destroyed entrance was back to its original state. “That's so cool!” the girl exclaimed while the phoenix turned back into a man. “You are so awesome Mr. Wizard!” Annie was more than happy to follow the man as he started to lead her towards the kitchen, asking her what she wanted to eat. “Cookies!” came the immediate reply. “Do you have any cookies?”

[Deleted]

Akhtar looked at the girl as they entered the kitchen. He turned to her and said, "Masters? What do you mean they sold you to your masters. Tell me young one...where exactly is that you come from?" Slavery he was sure was pretty much illegal everywhere in the world. He knew of some places where it still existed but he was certain she wasn't from there. He looked at her for a moment and shook his head. There was something off here. He couldn't put his finger on it but he was certain that by the end of their conversation he would find out the whole story. He would get more information from her and send Khaled to find her parents.

The young girl looked a bit frightened or was the word shocked? Perhaps hesitant is a better word to use when he told her that what she had done was illegal. He gave her his genuine warm smile and said, "Illegal means that it is against the law. It is kind of like what your parents did to you and your brother you say." He didn't want to upset the girl as it seemed that the topic of her brother upset her. He sighed when she said her masters liked when she burned things. It was obvious her masters were sick people. He just hoped that she didn't share their sadistic ways.

"Listen young one...fire is pretty...but you have to be careful of how you use it. It can cause a lot of damage if it is out of control. Whatever you masters, as you called them, taught you, you should just forget because that is not what fire should be. You see my fire is different from yours. I can control what my fire does. I only showed you that trick to show that fire does more than destroy. It can also help life. My phoenix form protects me from all fire but I can control if the phoenix form burns or if it is just the flames themselves with no destructive properties but then again that is very old magic."

They entered the kitchen and Akhtar waved his hand toward the stove and a kettle appeared and the stove turned itself on to prepare himself some coffee. As he turned back to face Annie and walk towards the large island that housed stools where Annie could sit a plate of warm and fresh smelling cookies appeared. He allowed the plate to float over to the island without him walking. He loved using magic for such mundane things like this. He had to keep a check on his magic while outside of his home but when at home he relished in it.

He actually laughed when Annie referred to him as a magician. "I think you're a bit confused. That is called a magician. They are just humans who use the old art of trickery to give the illusion that they are magic. I am a magical being. My kingdom is in an entirely different realm within this realm." He smiled at her when she called him "Mr. Wizard" He said, "Thank you for calling me awesome. My name is Akhtar...Prince Akhtar to be exact but I simply prefer Akhtar. What might your name be? Would you like anything to drink with those cookies?"

[Annie Cingolani]

Annie looked a little confused when the wizard man asked her about her masters. The man seemed rather surprised that she even had masters in the first place, and she didn't understand why. Wasn't it normal for kids her age to have masters? No, not all kids had masters. Her former masters children were free they had to listen to their parents but they weren't asked to do the same things that she and her brother did. They were different she was told, Annie and Anthony weren't born the same as the masters children. They were born as tools, and tools were meant to be used till the day they died. That was only natural, even if she and her brother were free now she still knew that she was a tool. So why didn't this man understand that? He had powers just like she did, he had to be someones tool right? Or maybe he wasn't. He didn't act like a tool, but he had others that answered to him. Like the two magical servants. Weren't they his tools? “That's what they said. When we were babies my mommy and daddy sold us to them. We were suppose to be the masters tools and do what we were told or we'd get punished.”

That was as much as she knew about it anyway. Annie had never seen what her parents looked like and was too young to remember what had happened when she and her brother were given away. All she knew she knew about them was what little she had heard from her masters, and all they said was that her parents gave her away and didn't care about them. That was all she needed to know about it. After asking about her parents the man asked her where she came from. Annie thought for a moment. She and Anthony had been traveling on their own for awhile now, it was hard to remember all the places they had been and it had been even longer since they had been with their masters. “New...york I think is where we lived.” she answered finally. “You...aren't going to send me back are you?” she asked, sounding a little worried now. The last time someone had asked her and her brother where they had come from they told them they'd take them back home. Though their old home was nothing more than ash now the thought of going back to the hell they were raised in was enough to scare the twins into turning that person into ashes too. She hoped Mr. Wizard wasn't going to do the same thing too.

The man didn't mention if he was planning to take her back to her old home and instead explained what he meant when he said the word illegal. So what her parents had done to her and her brother was illegal? If that was what he meant then that meant illegal was something bad. Good, then she couldn't be illegal. Annie was a good girl, and good girls didn't do illegal things. Burning things couldn't be illegal, not when burning made people happy, even her masters as cruel as they were liked it when she burned things. The little girl explained that much Mr. Wizard in their conversation. But he didn't seem too happy with what she had said. When she looked a bit confused again he explained what fire was to him. Fire could do more than destroy? Well to a degree she understood that. Fire did a lot of things. It made her and her brother happy, it made things they caught like squirrels and birds tastier, and it made bad things go away. But she could never do things like he described. Annie's fire couldn't exactly fix holes in the walls, it couldn't quite heal either. She had once tried to help a boy heal a scrap on his knee but had only made it worse. In the end she had to burn him whole to make him stop crying and screaming. They boy stopped moving after that, but at least he wasn't in pain anymore. If she could have powers like Mr. Wizards though maybe the next time she made a friend and they got hurt she could do a better job.

“Can you teach me how to use my fire like yours?” she asked as she followed the man into the kitchen. Annie had never had a real teacher for her powers before. Most of what she knew was stuff she had learned by herself, with a little prompting from her masters. It had taken them pushing her and her brother to the point of near death for them to realize they had powers in the first place, then giving them people to practice on to improve their control of it. Homeless people, servants that did something wrong, even the children's own caretakers that were too soft on them till they had enough control to be unleashed on their masters enemies. The twins learned how to play with their fire without the help of their own kind or anyone like them. So they could only do so much. But if she could do what Mr. Wizard could than she would be even better.

When they entered the kitchen Annie couldn't help but watch the man in awe as he used more of his magic. It wasn't nearly as impressive as his fire magic, but it was still kind of cool watch him summon things out of thin air and make them move on their own. After the man summoned himself a kettle to make coffee for himself he made a plate of freshly baked cookies appear on the table in front. Annie squealed in delight as she took a seat and put Mr. Tibbers on the stool next to her and grabbed one. The cookie was even more delicious than it looked, before she knew it she had eaten three more before she remembered Tibbers. “You have to try these Tibbers.” the little girl handed one to her teddy bear. “Come on don't be shy. Eat up.” Slowly the stuffed bear took the cookie from her hand and nibbled on it. Annie smiled as she took another cookie off the plate and munched on it too. While the two ate the wizard man introduced himself. “You're a prince?”she asked excitedly. How cool was that? He was not just a wizard but a prince too. “Its nice to meet you, I'm Annie! And this is Mr. Tibbers.” she patted her teddy bear and gave him another cookie. When Akhtar asked her if she wanted something she smiled. “Milk please.” Milk was the best to have with cookies.

[Deleted]

When Annie asked for milk he nodded his head and without even lifting a finger two glasses of milk appeared. One sat in front of Annie and the other in front of her bear, Mr. Tibbers as she called him. Although a wizard himself he was shocked to see that the bear had actually started eating the cookie. He had seen a lot of things in his life but never that before. He would definitely have to get his parents wisdom on that. HE didn't let the shock register on his face however. He kept a cool and calm demeanor. He never allowed anyone to see him sweat. Not even the slightest change registered on his face.

He could tell the young girl had been abused. It was apparent in her behavior. He would definitely send Khaled to see about this place she came from. He had enough information from her for them to take care of the rest. The girl didn't even want to go back to where she came from. Well she happened to break into the right place. Akhtar was very giving and he didn't like to see people suffer. He would make sure that everything was taken care of and he would be certain that she found her brother. Akhtar would make sure no more harm would come to them.

He smiled at her and said, "No, of course not" After he said that the kettle started to whistle signaling that the water was ready to be used. Nodding his head to the right slightly a cup of coffee was starting to be made for the young prince. After the cup was ready it floated over to where he stood and sat itself on the counter at his side. He picked it up and took a sip of it enjoying the perfection that warmed his mouth. Picking up where he left off with her he said, "What happened to you shouldn't have happened to anyone. Do not worry or fear anything. You are in very safee hands. Myself, Khaled, and Sara will all help you find your brother. There will be no harm that can come to you with me around."

He thought it rather endearing that the girl wanted to learn to use her fire like his. He hated to break the news to her but he guess she hadn't encountered many magical beings. He took another sip of coffee before saying, "I wish I could but I can't. My magic helps me with my fire and that is why they are so different. I'm sorry..I really wish I could. "

He laughed watching the bear eat the cookie. He had never had anyone this young in the house. It had been a while since Guillotine had come home as well. Perhaps he was serious about getting his life together. There were some babies in his very near future after all. Removing the thoughts of his friend from his head he said to Annie, "It is very nice to meet you Annie. And to answer your question, Yes I am a real life Prince. How do you think I can afford a place this big?" He starts laughing at his joke because he knew the girl had probably not got to experience and learn a lot like others did.

Needing just to know general information about her he summoned a stool over near him and said, "So tell me how old you are, where was the last place you saw your brother, how old he is, and if you're in school anywhere. I know these aren't very fun questions but they are important. I don't want bad people trying to come and take you away. You are very thin after all. We may have to have a doctor look at you and make sure you're okay."

[Guillotine]

The look of embarrassment could be seen on Guillotine’s face as he pulled himself from the off-white taxi cab. The hellhound had decided to pay his dear friend Akhtar a surprise visit. Only this time he was not walking. For once in his life Gil had to use a different mode of transportation than what he was used too. With his right knee out of commission there was no way he could move around town on foot like he used too. It almost pained the hound to feel so weak, but what more could he do?

After paying the taxi driver he turned and limped heavily towards the front gate. Annoyance seemed to plague the tall man's features. Gil wasn't happy. His knee brace was making it difficult to walk. “D-damn it.” Gil cursed under his breath. He absolutely loathed the leg brace the PIDA put on his leg. It was stiff and uncomfortable. And to add insult to injury, they gave him an ugly shit brown cane to go along with that itchy, annoying, leg restraining device. In the hellhound’s mind the PIDA was simply punishing him for being a bad dog. Typical. 

Once the male managed to clear the curb without falling on his face, he approached where the gate was supposed to be. A spark of suspicion risen in the young hound when he noticed the once formidable metal gate had now be reduced to a pile of melting metal. “What happened here?” This couldn't have been the work of Akhtar. The prince always prided himself on taking care of his things. He wouldn't melt his own gate, would he? No, something must have happened. "Something doesn't smell right..."

Guillotine strained himself as he quickly cleared the melted gate and hobbled over to the mansion door. The hellhound nearly caused himself to faint from the sudden strenuous movement. A series of hoarse coughs streamed Guillotine’s mouth as he stopped to catch his breath at the doorstep. “T-This fucking leg is going to be the e-end of me.” Gil breathlessly grumbled to himself before he shakily raised his fist and knocked on the door.

[Annie Cingolani]

Within a few seconds of Annie asking for some milk two glasses magically appeared before her. “Thank you!” the girl took the first glass and hand it to Tibbers before taking the other glass and dipped one of the cookies in it. The cookies tasted even better with milk. Out of all the places Annie had ever broke into uninvited this place was certainly the best. The owner was a lot nicer than most of the humans she and her brother did this to. Most screamed, yelled, or even tried to attack the twins when they came into their home and they always had to punish them for it. But Prince Akhtar was nice. He didn't make a fuss and he gave her and Tibbers cookies and milk. This was a good place to stay the night. Annie almost wished she could stay there longer. As much as she liked Akhtar and his home she couldn't possibly stay here while her brother was still missing. She had to keep moving if she wanted to find him, and no amount of cookies, safety and warm beds was going to stop her from her search. As if he could read her thoughts Akhtar mentioned helping her find her brother. “R-really? You will look for my brother with me?” It was almost too good to believe, no one had ever offered to help her look for her brother before. Though there was one creepy man with a metallic arm that claimed he would help her but had lied to her. But she already dealt with that man, and Akhtar didn't give her that creepy vibe. He definitely wasn't a liar, she could trust him to keep his promise. Annie was so happy that she didn't even mind when the prince said that he couldn't teach her how to use her fire like his.

“It's okay, if you can help me find my brother that would be ten times better than teaching me!” Annie giggled when Akhtar confirmed that he was a prince by pointing out his house. He did have a point, wealthy people had big houses. Her masters had been a wealthy family but their home was actually smaller than this. This house was big enough to be owned by a royal. If this was his place then he really must be a prince. Once his coffee was done Akhtar sat down with her and Mr. Tibbers and started asking her some personal questions. Annie chewed on another cookie as she thought over his first question. How old was she? Time back when she had lived with her masters was hard to gauge, and didn't improve much after she had gained freedom. “I...don't know.” she answered finally. “I never had a birthday...and though I was older than my masters kids, they grew up faster than I did.” Annie had to think over the second question too. New Orlands was still somewhat new to the twins so when she had lost her brother she didn't remember what street it was on or anything that was really useful.

“I am not sure....it was a place with a lot of shops and nice smelling food. Brother said he was going to look for something for us to eat but he never came back. I went looking for him everywhere there but then I got lost.” After she had gone searching for her brother she somehow left the place with all the shops and couldn't find her way back since. The chances were Anthony was not there anymore. It was a start at least if the prince knew where it was. The next question he asked was at least something that she could answer. “Anthony is just as old as me.” she replied. “We are twins so we were born together!” Next Akhtar asked her if she and her brother went to school, for that question she shook her head. “We don't need to, all we need to know we already do.” That was what their masters had told the twins as they grew up, and even now they still believed it. Fire was their lives, besides basic reading and a bit of math Annie and Anthony weren't really educated but that lack of education didn't really affect them as far as they knew. “Its okay Mr. Prince, I don't need to go to a doctor. I am fine. See?” The girl raised her hand, letting a small flame grow at the center of her palm before willing it away to show that she was perfectly healthy. Just as Annie tried to show the prince that she wasn't sick there was a knocking sound coming from the entrance. “I think someones at the door.”

[Deleted]

Akhtar was listening intently to everything Annie was saying. He was astonished by her naivete. Akhtar had to assume that this was one of the moments where "ignorance was bliss." He couldn't believe that these people...her masters as she referred to them brainwashed her into believing all of the crap they told her. He would make sure Khaled went out to investigate this as soon as possible. This poor child, he thought to himself. He would actually suggest a psychological evaluation for her. The one plus that he heard from her was that her brother got lost here in the city. That meant he couldn't be too far. They had very little to get by one and he was sure they got by stealing.

Annie herself had said they broke into people's homes and they had obviously been caught before. He just sat there not saying much. To be honest he was extremely upset. Whenever he saw people mistreating innocent children he became upset. He knew everyone wouldn't have a plush life of luxury like himself but he knew that children didn't ask to come in the world. As he sat there he noticed a new presence coming into his home. It was Gil. He actually laughed to himself thinking that it was strange for Gil to show up when he had just thought about him earlier. He was sure Annie was in for a shock when she saw him. He waited for Gil to actually reach the door. Annie spoke to him telling him someone was at the door. He smiled warmly to her and said, "Oh I know...They have been waiting before knocking. I guess he was a bit nervous about coming home after all of this time."

Standing up from the stool he said "I will be right back okay? Don't try and sneak ofd. I will know." He laughed as he said this and made the relatively long walk to the front of the home to allow his former employee and friend access to his home. He met Khaled as he rounded the corner and told him not to bother. He knew his guard wasn't the fondest of Gil so he didn't want anymore drama. He finally reached the door and saw Gil standing there. He couldn't help but smile and say, "So you finally decided to come home? Come on inside I know it is a bit chilly out tonight." Akhtar stepped to the side and allowed the door to open wide to allow the hellish beast access.

[Guillotine]

The young fool could feel his chest constricting with each and every breath. It appeared that Guillotine’s smoking habits were finally catching up to him. Clearly, Gil underestimated the cancer sticks that he held so dear. Those lovely little cigarettes would be the end of him. The poor hound could barely catch his breath. With his body leaning against the door, Gil continued to cough and wheeze as if he was having an asthma attack. It had been a while since he had gotten any real exercise. This sudden burst of energy took a lot out of him. Not to mention a daily dose of cigarette smoke didn't help either. Suppose Guillotine wasn't quite as invincible as he thought he was? The hellhound was immortal, but still a fool.

Guillotine’s long raven colored hair hung in his face as he glared down at the abomination the humans called a leg brace. Pitiful, just pitiful. Not only was his leg giving him problems, but his lungs seemed to be out to get him as well. Could he ever catch a break? After beating his coughing fit down, the hound took a step back from the door and straightened his posture. He couldn't let Akhtar see him like that. Hell, he couldn't let anyone to see him like that. Showing any signs of weakness was a foolish thing to do, in the hound's mind anyway. A low, raspy sigh streamed from his lips.

I’m getting too old for this shit.

As Guillotine stood at the door he had begun to wonder if Akhtar knew about the fence and possible trespasser. After some pondering, he came to the conclusion that his dear friend didn't know about it. The man was a wizard, he could fix the fence with one flick of his finger. Just as Gil’s mind began to wonder the front door opened. The hellhound’s forest green eyes widened as Akhtar stood before him. He could barely contain his excitement.

“Akhtar!” A feeling of sheer joy filled Gil’s tall frame. He wished to do nothing more than transform and shower Akhtar with slobbery dog-kisses. But alas, now wasn't the time or place for such actions. If he was going to learn to control his instincts this would be a start. It had been a quite some time since he’d last seen his Prince friend. Gil missed him.

An interesting scent quickly snapped Guillotine from his little episode. It didn't take him long to figure out that this smell was the same scent that lingered around the melted fence. Oh! He had almost forgotten about that damn fence. The hound looked to his Alpha and said. “I don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news, but your fence is melted.”

Once Guillotine limped into the house he realized just how casual his tone was when he spoke about the fence situation. Gil made it seem like he had been the one who destroyed Akhtar’s gate! Gil wouldn't blame the prince for thinking this at first, he was a hellhound after all. Causing chaos and destruction was in his nature. Needless to say, Guillotine wanted to clear this up right then and there. The beast quickly turned back to Akhtar. When he spoke his voice seemed to crack like some prepubescent teen. “I didn't do it, I swear!” He raised his free hand in defense while the other clung to his cane.

“I decided to pay you a little visit.” Gil sniffed the air. Even with his powerful nose Gil still couldn't tell who, or what, had entered Akhtar's mansion. The smells of Akhtar's servants was distracting. He could recognize quite a few of their natural aromas. There was one or two he couldn't remember smelling before, but the scent that he discovered outside was fresh. "Hmm, I see I'm not the only one who decided to come over today." The scent he'd smelled outside was in the mansion. It hung thick in the air like a cloud of invisible smog. Gil crinkled his nose in disgust before releasing a low growl. Despite being in a leg brace the male was still determined to defend Akhtar’s house. Little did he know the Prince’s guest wasn't a trespasser at all!

[Annie Cingolani]

While Annie was talking with the wizard prince and eating there was a knock on the door that broke her concentration. What was going? The little girl wondered, was it another magical person coming to visit the prince? Was it a bad person? Or maybe it was Anthony or someone that found him? It was outrageous to think that Anthony would have made his way here that fast, Annie had only just told her new friend about her twin brother. But a girl could dream, and Annie was a big dreamer. There was no way for the little solaris to know who wanted to come in but the wizard certainly did. Somehow the wizard prince had known that the person was there even before they started knocking. Once again Annie was amazed by the man's abilities but didn't bother to ask how or why he knew what he knew. For a moment Akhtar turned to her and promised he would be right back and asked her not to sneak off. The girl nodded and smiled. “Okay!” Annie was a good girl, she liked the prince and wouldn't wander off if he told her not to. Besides, there was still cookies to eat she had no reason to move just yet.

“Prince Akhtar is nice isn't he Tibbers?” Annie said once the prince had left the room. Annie and her brother hadn't made many friends since they had gained their freedom. There had been a few though, some kids around their age, some younger, and some older too. But none of them were as nice as Akhtar was. They never gave her and Tibbers treats like this, or help her out. Anthony would love him once they met, Annie was sure of it. One day they would get to meet and they could all play together she would make sure of it. Annie grabbed another cookie for her and her teddy bear. She just hoped he continued to be this nice forever. All the twins friendships were unfortunately short lived. None of their friends lasted too long with them. Some friends they accidentally hurt and turned into ashes. Others they would turn on them and make them angry, while others that they tried to befriend were so scared of them that the twins lost their patience and turned them into ashes too. Once they were ashes there was no way to turn them back. That was the one thing that their fire did that wasn't always good. You could play with ashes all you want, and they were pretty in their own way but ashes couldn't speak, they couldn't laugh, hug, or play with you. It would be a little sad if she had to turn Akhtar into ashes like the rest. If he changed though it probably would happen. But that wouldn't be for awhile, not till after she introduced him to Anthony.

After a few more bites Annie was finally starting to feel full and tiredness starting to kick in. The girl yawned and rubbed her eyes. “I want to go to bed now...should we wait for Prince Akhtar to come back?” she asked her teddy bear. She had promised the prince that she wouldn't wander off without him but she was starting to feel too tired to stay up any longer. Mr. Tibbers didn't answer her question but the girl sensed something wrong with her friend. “Tibbers? Are you okay?” Annie took the glass out of the bear's paws and set her on her lap. Mr. Tibbers wasn't the kind of friend that could speak but her bond with the stuffed animal was strong enough that he never needed to speak. So long as she was around him or held him she could sense his feelings. Their link was always its strongest when she held him like this. Now that she had him in her lap she could feel the energy around him stirring. Tibbers was not happy about something, and whatever it was out there with their new friend. “It's okay Tibbers, I'll go see what it is.” she patted the bear on the head before she got up and headed in the prince's direction. The prince had asked her not to wander off but he didn't say anything about following him.

“Prince Akhtar...I'm sleepy, and Tibbers is not feeling too good.” the girl announced when she saw him. As the girl approached she noticed the strange man with him. The man was fairly tall and pale, all black and white just like she was. “Who is this? Is this your friend? Is he a wizard too?” she asked him. “Hi mister!” she smiled at the new man, but when she took a step towards him the anger radiating off of Mr. Tibbers intensified. “Tibbers? What's wrong?” the girl looked at her bear, again the bear said nothing but she understood it clearly now. Little Annie looked up at the strange growling man. “Tibbers doesn't like you mister.” she said, a dark tone in her voice as she spoke. “Why doesn't Tibbers like you?” Mr. Tibbers always had a good sense in people, it was rare for Tibbers to react this badly to someone new. He didn't even react this way to most of the humans that upset her and her brother. But when he did that person was dangerous, if Tibbers didn't like him then that meant this stranger was dangerous and she couldn't trust him around her and her new friend.

[Deleted]

Akhtar couldn't believe Gil's state as he stood in his doorway. He had seen the hellhound looking much better in the past. It was obvious that even though he was an immortal his lifestyle was starting to catch up with him. He partied and he smoked and he drank and he drugged. All the things that would certainly have a normal human near death were taking their toll on Gil. Akhtar gave him a sympathetic look as he limped his way into the home. Akhtar was definitely happy to see that he was still alive. After their last encounter he didn't know if he would ever see Gil again. Akhtar had taken the side of the PIDA agents and essentially turned on Gil. He himself wouldn't consider it turning but he knew how the hellhound may have reacted.

As Gil went on the defense of Akhtar's fence the prince couldn't help but laugh. He had already known about the fence considering the culprit was sitting in his kitchen enjoying cookies and milk. Akhtar held up his hands to try and calm the other male down. "Gil...Gil..Gil...calm down. I know you aren't the person who did that. The person who did it is sitting in the kitchen having cookies and milk at the moment." Akhtar knew Gil probably wouldn't be too happy to hear that. Akhtar was known for his kindness and constantly helping those who are seemingly in need. Even in his kingdom he was known as "The People's Prince" because he constantly gave to the poor and anyone who was considered the underdog. It was in his nature. After all he did the same for Gil and even to this day he would still remain by the hellhound's side.

Looking at Gil and raising his eyebrow at his last remark Akhtar was about to respond when Annie came around the corner. He actually had to shake his head. The girl's timing was spot on. He looked between the young girl and Gil and wondered how this would turn out. She was telling Akhtar that she was tired and she was ready to go to sleep but Mr. Tibbers, her stuffed bear, wasn't feeling well. Akhtar had to guess he had one too many cookies. He said to Gil, "You would be right Gil...You're not the only one who decided to pay me a visit. Annie here is a bit of an uninvited guest who almost destroyed my home earlier...but that isn't a problem because the majority of the damage is fixed...I will just have Khaled go down and fix the gate before we all retire for the night."

Turning his attention to Annie he said, "Annie this is my friend Gil..." He hesitated for a moment because Annie and it seems Mr. Tibbers, picked up on Gil's hellish nature. She said that the bear didn't like Gil. He had to make sure to keep this situation calm because it was late and he didn't want an all out magical war taking place in his home. He smiled at Annie and said, "Mr. Tibbers may be picking up on Gil's magical abilities and that is why he may not like him. Gil is a good guy...He is just different. He isn't a wizard like me but he does have powers. It is a little too late to explain right now but you and Mr. Tibbers do not have to worry Gil will not harm you...So if you just give me a few more minutes I will have Sara come and take you to your room for the night okay?"

He hoped the girl just gave in without question and didn't keep pushing Gil. HE wasn't the most patient person in the world and Akhtar knew that Gil didn't really see a distinction between an adult and a child. Although this girl technically wasn't human...So maaybe he would just lay off...especially since he had just arrived and he claimed he was there to see his friend.

[Guillotine]

Ah, good Akhtar knew Guillotine wasn't the one who destroyed his property. The growling hound breathed a sigh of relief until Akhtar mentioned how he dealt with the intruder. This was unbelievable! Had Akhtar gone mad? Gil couldn't believe his ears. At first, he thought his friend was messing with him when he said he allowed the trespasser entry into his home. Wait, did he said he was feeding them too!? It had to be some kind of a joke because also mentioned that he gave them milk and cookies. No, Gil couldn't quite believe it. The hellhound looked Akhtar over, desperately trying to find any signs that this man was messing with him. To the hound’s dismay, Akhtar was telling the truth. Well, at least he was being honest.

“A-Are you crazy, Akhtar?” Guillotine queered, his forest green eye glared in Akhtar’s direction. Gil’s body had begun to stand rigid and his temper flared. Of all the things Akhtar had done, this had been the worst. “Was your smagh on too tight? Why would you let an intruder into your own home?” Guillotine knew Akhtar had a good head on his shoulders. He would have had a damn good reason to allow this trespasser into his house. Still, Gil feared his alpha’s kindness would eventually lead to his downfall. He would have to break the man of this habit before it was too late.

When Annie entered the room and spoke Guillotine’s growls intensified. He Immediately spun around to face her, straining his leg in the process. Silent, Gil listened as Akhtar replied to what the little girl has said. Gil just stood there and scoffed. The girl, whom Akhtar had referred to as Annie, had a few questions of her own. All of which were directed at Guillotine.

That voice, that god awful voice! The hellhound cringed when little Annie said hello to him. She then went on to ask if he was a wizard. Could Akhtar have picked a more annoying guest? Guillotine wasn't too fond of kids. Hell, he usually preferred their meat over their company. Well, he could always make this little brat his dinner. That would take care of everything; though he wouldn't go through with it. Akhtar never did accept his eating habits, no matter how vile his victims were. Besides, Jesse finally let him out of the house on his own. Gil couldn't screw this up, not unless he wanted to spend the rest of his life on Jesse’s couch. Luckily for him Akhtar took over and explained the situation.

Silent, Guillotine peered down at Annie. So, she was the trespasser, a little kid? Guillotine’s fierce growls began to fade. This little brat didn't seem so tough. Still, Gil wouldn't let his guard down. If there was anything he had learned in his lifetime, it was not to underestimate his opponent, no matter how small they were. The male pushed his free hand into his coat pocket. Gil had brought his stress ball with him. After giving it a squeeze he could feel his anger slowly vanish. The little yellow ball worked miracles. It didn't take long for him to completely calm down to the point where he began to tease the wizard prince. “I see you want to play nanny, Akhtar. Why didn't you just say so?”

Soon the little girl spoke about her bear. Annie let the hellhound know that her bear did not like him. The strange kid seemed a bit taken aback by this. He would dare say she was confused that her friend didn't like him. Could it be possible that the bear knew what he was? A dark chuckle crept from Guillotine’s lips. Sure, he wouldn't kill this little girl, but there was nothing stopping him from being a complete asshole towards Annie and her bear. “Maybe that is because he knows I eat little girls like you for breakfast.” Guillotine didn't make any attempts to tone down the harshness in his voice. He’d taken note of this girl’s rather strange scent. She couldn’t have been human. As for the bear, he could tell there something was definitely off about it. With a toothy grin he decided to test the waters a bit. Guillotine drew closer to the small girl. All the while Gil pulled his hand from the comfort of his pocket and scratched the light stubble on his chin. “That is an interesting little bear you have there, Annie” Then with a devilish grin and a challenging stare he said. “You know, I could use a new chew toy.”