"Don't you think it ain't right that she lost her memories?" he asked bluntly, looking now to Minoko, purposefully, before back to her sister. He waited a moment before answering anything further. "It's part of what I do," he began. "Don't know what she's told of me to you but I'm a sort of defender. I watch over certain folks, protect them. One of those ways is by bein' able to affect their memories."

"There was nothing right or wrong about it. She hit her head on a rock. Before that she was very sad all the time. Then I lost her, and when I met up with her again she seemed pretty f*cking happy. I understand that she's curious, but I've told her everything that there is to know." Following Sai's gaze, she glanced to Minoko, who continued to stare at the ground. "I didn't ask what you do. Okay, you can affect her memories. How?"

"Then why not let her have 'em back?" Where Motoko was curious about him, he was curious about why she was so adamant about Minoko not getting her memories back. He knew why he didn't want Kingsley to have hers - so what was the deal here" Sai took a deep breath and just stared at the second Asian before, slowly, leaning back into his chair. "As you said yourself, I ain't exactly human. You could call what I can do a sort of 'gift' - literally. I gained it from someone I work for. Still kind of do."

Dark eyes rolled in their sockets. "She can have them back. I'm not going to stop her. I'm just fairly certain that she'll be happier without them." Wasn't Sai supposed to be Kingsley's guardian, not Minoko's" She hated that her sister was being so quiet. If Minoko was within kicking reach then Motoko would have gladly sent a foot flying into her twin's shin. "That's great and everything, but you're still avoiding my question."

"I ain't avoidin' it, I'm just not able to fully answer you. It'd be like me askin' how you breathe. You do it naturally, right' In and out, all automatic. Don't have to think, you just do it." He gave a small shrug. "It's kind of the same thing. I was given the ability and now I can do it. It ain't nothin' harmful if that's what you're worried 'bout. Got myself plenty of holy folk who can tell you that."

Arms uncrossed. Motoko leaned forward. Her elbow balanced on her thigh, and she rested her chin in an open palm. "Holy folk like the psychos at that church Minoko told me about' The one that that boy worked at..." What was the name" Once it came to her mind, Motoko practically snarled it out. "Toby."

Eyes widened at the mention of the redhead. She looked to her sister, and it was obvious that Minoko was slightly alarmed. The fact that her glass was now empty probably wasn't helping the situation at all.

Instantly the Gunslinger's calm visage cracked, his scowl a perfect match for the manner and tone in which Motoko nearly growled that name. "They ain't nothin' like that - or him." He should have looked at Minoko but he didn't. He just kept right on going. "My folk aren't crazies that have a likin' for harborin' demons right in their midst." The twin's lips twisted into a smirk. "I only met him once. You know that boy came over here in my sister's body?" Her gaze slid over to Minoko. She couldn't blame her sister for letting her know about the body switch, and yet Motoko had still hated everything about that situation. It was one thing to get caught up in some magical bullsh*t, but to be trapped in a male non-human body' Disgraceful.

"You're lucky," in regards to her only having to deal with that boy once. The gunslinger's scowl hadn't budged. He had hated that moment, discovering that Minoko was in Toby's body and, worse, that he was in hers. He remembered it all so clearly, his hand shoved inside of the ginger's lanky frame but feeling not his tainted soul but Minoko's instead. Were he anyone but himself, he might have shivered. "He ain't got respect for anyone, 'specially these girls." Motoko opened her mouth to reply, but Minoko beat her to it. "Could we talk about something else?" Not that she had been talking....Still, Minoko looked entirely uncomfortable. There was no point in sitting around and talking about some body switch that had happened ages ago. Sai and Motoko both hated Toby. That was fine. They didn't need to sit around and make her feel stupid for having cared about someone that technically didn't even exist anymore. Sai glanced to Minoko and then nodded. He didn't want to make her even more uncomfortable than she already obviously was, even if he would have likely thoroughly enjoyed scraping over the wonderful world of Toby with Motoko. Looking back to the second twin, he waited for further questions.

Her smirk was quick to fade away when Minoko finally spoke. She supposed they could talk about Minoko's current group of friends, who sounded just as bad. Minoko was reluctant to speak about them, but Motoko was excellent at getting information from Katan. Those siblings that they were so fond of sounded like magnets for the dangers that only Rhy'Din could provide. There was something in her sister's eyes, though, that kept the younger twin from making a rude comment. She sighed. "Let's just get on with it. If Minoko trusts that you won't scramble her brains then so do I."

Well that was easy, or at least easier than the cowboy had thought it would be. He had expected to be there for a few hours, being grilled and having to answer (or not) all sorts of twisting questions. Again, he looked to Minoko, expecting a second confirmation.

Maybe she had lied. Motoko didn't trust him. Not really. But her katana sat behind the store counter, and she had a rough idea of what her tainted sister was now capable of. They could hold their own if this somehow went terribly wrong. Motoko watched as Minoko lowered her terror filled eyes and nodded.

He looked at Minoko for what probably felt like a long time. Those eyes of his, blue as always, were steady and unwavering until he finally drew in a long breath and then let it out. So this was it. Leaning forward to push himself out of his chair, he placed his nearly-untouched drink aside on a table. No need for that just now. Moving to stand in front of Minoko, he looked down at her. "Are you ready?" There was that word again. Ready. Minoko couldn't help but to think of Emlen. Why were these blue eyed men always asking her if she was ready? No, she wasn't. She hadn't been ready for Emlen to cut her hand. Though she had thought differently at the time, Minoko clearly hadn't been ready to jump into bed with the immortal. Today the situation was vastly different, but, after all these years, she still wasn't ready to get her memories back. She would never be ready. And yet Minoko opened her mouth to confirm. "Yes." Dark eyes looked up to the Gunslinger. The hesitance that she felt would not stop her from doing the things that needed to be done. He could feel her hesitation as if it were an actual tangible thing in the air. It was thick and wary, wavering back and forth with indecision and distrust. He knew it didn't lay with him - he was fairly certain that Minoko would trust him with her life if she had need to ever do so, which he hoped she never did - but it affected him all the same. He simply looked at the young woman for a very long time, reading her in ways that were unknown to most mortal people. But finally, he nodded. "This ain't goin' to hurt any," he said, crouching in front of her so that they were just about eye-level. The hat remained on his head, giving his already constant stare an almost eerie over-shadowing. Reaching out both hands, his fingers spread so that they cradled the majority of each side of her face, index fingers on her temples and thumbs on each swell of a cheek. "It might get scary though. I ain't able to say that the memories aren't goin' to be bad. But I promise you," his eyes grew a few shades richer, "I ain't goin' to let nothin' bad happen to you. Do you trust me?"

He thought correctly. Maybe Minoko and Sai didn't see each other all that often, but she had been through enough with the man to know his character. She would have trusted Sai with her life, her soul and then some. Minoko's hands nervously clung to each other in her lap. A final glance was taken over to her sister. Would she see Motoko the same after all of this" Fifteen years....Her eyelids drifted downwards. Hands parted, and Minoko relaxed in the Gunslinger's hold. "Of course." Her words were breathy, nervous and completely certain.

Sai let a long, slow breath stretch out its lifespan in his lungs, attempting to calm Minoko even further more than himself. He had done this before, she hadn't. He honestly wasn't surprised, or offended, that she was at least a little bit scared. He would have been concerned otherwise. "Just relax." His eyes closed too, his head bowing enough so that the hat brim tucked away the view. A few moments later and both head and lids were lifting again, revealing irises that were bluer than could be imagined. The pupils were mere pinpricks, leaving the idea of sight to be dismissed. He was in another world now, one shrouded in mystery. It was like sorting through a room and finding a hidden box containing long-lost photographs, each one he carefully picked out and put back on the wall of her memory.

In this box the photographs were stacked from oldest to newest. On the top were her most recent memories, the ones that told a tale of two thieving sisters. They had wandered from village to village, stealing food and valuables. One fateful day they had gotten caught. There was a scuffle. Minoko fell. Motoko fled. And on the ground laid that rock, the one that had damaged her brain and robbed her of all that she was. The woman was still, watching those lonely days fly by, listening to her mirror image shower her with reassuring words. It's going to be alright, Minoko. We're going to be fine. All the while she clutched something: a golden inscripted ring. Her eyes opened, though they didn't see. That simple band felt like the most familiar treasure in the world to her. While Minoko had robbed villagers, Motoko had robbed her. She wanted to speak, but it wasn't yet time. Nails sank into her palms as she waited for the moon to show.

Motoko watched the process with an odd sort of fascination. Where could Minoko possibly be right now" Maybe she was running through the forest or climbing trees. Maybe she was admiring the sakura. Maybe she was spending time with Ki on that damned rooftop. But her sister didn't seem peaceful. She wasn't terrified either. If anything, she seemed empty. That was all Motoko needed to know to place her sister in time. What a shame that it had to be ordered in such a way.

He had seen horrors in his time. People murdered by other humans, the desolation and cruelty bred by war, children slaughtered by hordes of demons, punishments doled out to vicious creatures and those gone delirious with blood rage. This and so, so much more scarred the gunslinger's own memories, leaving enough room for nothing but a blank slate to be worn as a mask to hide it all. But it was always different when he was watching another's memories, gazing upon them like nothing but a moving photo album. He couldn't feel anything having to do with them, the sensations or emotions, but what he was allowed were feelings of his own. Just as he had watched so many of his precious Kingsley's memories, he was now watching Minoko's, and the response he was now feeling within his chest was something that he hadn't expected anyone to ignite except for that little Astral. Guess he was wrong.

With everything coming in backwards there was no element of surprise. Minoko knew what would happen next as the memories flashed by of digging through rubble and burying a single body. Then, as she had anticipated, the full moon started to shine down on her. She could hear the thunder of numerous horses charging for her village. Minoko positioned herself in a tree and let the arrows fly. At first she only aimed for the beasts that the soldiers rode, but as the hope in her heart started to die she began to pierce the necks of men. It wasn't enough, though. Flames flickered and grew and started to engulf everything in sight. The soldiers noticed her location and sent arrows in return. She narrowly avoided them and dropped from the tree, only to find her dying father not so far away. Her father told her to live long, to be happy. He gave her his sword as his eyes closed. Minoko's cries joined those of her dying villagers. But there wasn't any time to mourn. She was joined by Ki and Motoko, who carried news of her mother's death. Again, no time. They ran through the forest, searching for the remaining villagers. What they found was a woman being interrogated by a samurai. She had given information to the Mongols. She had screwed them all. The samurai killed her and then yelled out his orders for any remaining villagers to be slaughtered. His eyes fell on Minoko. The katana had chosen her, and yet Ki took the blow. The memories that played before her had seemed distant up until then. It was like watching a movie. But the sound of her screams tearing through the forest and the sight of Ki's blue eyes losing their light was enough to drag her into it. She was no longer in Rhy'Din. Minoko was on Earth. She was in Japan. And he was dying, all over again. No tears leaked from the black holes that her gaze had become, but blood started to drip from her palms and onto the furniture. She waited for her own death to come. It would have been such a simple ending. Maybe it would have even been peaceful. Motoko wouldn't let her go, though. Their father's sword pushed through the samurai's flesh. It was over. She was stuck in the remains of her village, sobbing over a boy's body. Only when a very real pain shot through her knuckles did Minoko snap out of it. Nails were drawn away from the crescent shaped holes in her palm. The wounds were quick to close up, and with her sanity intact, Minoko praised the immortal blood that coursed through her veins. Somewhere in the middle of the battle Motoko stood and walked over to her sister. She wasn't attempting to interrupt. The mirror image knelt down, her gaze darting between sunken black holes and bloody palms. When the wounds closed up she bit down on her lip. Again with these powers, these abilities that she wasn't meant to have. At least the worst part was over. At least minimal amounts of blood had tainted the couch.

He watched her through two sets of eyes and in two very different ways. He shared those memories with her, witnessed them as if he were a ghost present at each moment. He watched, he listened, he let his own emotions stir. And when the last of the moving pictures found their spot along Minoko's wall of memory, he stood and looked at them all. He had come here to relieve her of her lack of remembrance, to reawaken the things in which a simple fall had robbed her of. As always, he had known that not everything would be peaceful and happy and, as always, he accepted the result with stoic dignity. He did what he did because that was what he does. Nothing more, nothing less - or so it was supposed to be. His feelings for Minoko mirrored those he felt for Kingsley; protective, concerned, companionship. Anything else was his to know and his alone, but it had been enough to let him bypass his own second-guessing of giving her back her memories— no, releasing them. He blinked, slowly, drawing back out of her mind and wholly into himself again, his eyes returning to their normal abnormal state, pupils round and irises vibrant but not so bright of a blue. His hands remained, for a short time, before gradually coming away from her face. "You alright?" His voice was low, personal. Motoko's presence was still monitored but not important.

Everything that preceded the night where she had lost everything came much quicker. Minoko's childhood was a lovely blur, speeding past her. Thousands of fragments reclaimed their place in her memory. So many days were spent training. Her father smiled down on her as an arrow successfully pierced its target. Nights were spent cooking. Minoko glanced up at her mother, who calmly instructed her as she arranged rice around raw fish. The face that she hadn't been able to remember was now hers again. It was fragile, flawless, in the way that only a mother's could possibly be. Around her neck hung an amethyst heirloom, misplaced in time. It was the same necklace that Motoko always wore. Black holes had softened into a stare that was still empty, but undoubtedly calm. Training and cooking gave way to memories of her earlier childhood. She ran, climbed trees, fought with her sister. All the while that boy was there. He was their mediator, their go-between, their best friend. There were no overly obvious feelings of first love, as Minoko had loved him always. Here was the end, the beginning: her first memory. The boy stepped from the woods, his blue eyes red from crying. Minoko couldn't have been older than four. Ki was misplaced in time, just like that necklace. The nearby villagers found his appearance alarming. Motoko cowered behind their father. But despite the calls that instructed her not to, Minoko stepped forward. She examined his white skin, his light brown hair, his strange, strange gaze. Just when the boy seemed like he was going to run back into the forest, Minoko smiled. Her arms opened wide. 'Kangei!' Welcome. Though he didn't understand the foreign word, Ki smiled too. He was the nexus's gift to her, the reason that she was alive today. Minoko's eyes lost their haze as her twin's home came into focus. The box was empty. She blinked away tears and nodded to Sai. Any skepticism that was being felt by Motoko would be washed away with one question. "Motoko, where's my ring?"

She had never found it necessary to bring that detail into the story. It was no longer her story, though. Motoko stared at her sister. There would be no point in doubting the obvious. "I'll get it for you. It's upstairs." She stood and sent a nod in Sai's direction before ascending to the upper level. It was the closest thing that the Gunslinger was going to get to a thank you. Though she'd never admit it, the younger twin was happy. Her past didn't feel quite so lonely now.

He rocked back onto his heels and rested there, looking from one set of two to the other as she made her way up the stairs. He wondered if the poor dog was hiding under a bed somewhere or curled up in a ball next to one of the children. Poor thing - he always hated the first reaction he got from dogs. Once Motoko was gone, he looked back to Minoko. It felt wrong to say anything, like any words he could come up with could only go against the grain, make matters worse. So he acted instead, reaching out one terribly calloused hand until it encompassed the back of one of hers, resting there coolly before giving it a gentle squeeze.

A smile was forced onto the woman's features. She was happy, yes, but it wasn't a simple enough emotion that would leave her grinning. What Minoko felt was a bittersweet wholeness. "You saw everything?" Her hand was still beneath his. Moving felt like too difficult of a task for the time being.

The gunslinger nodded. "I did. But I can forget it if you want me to." That wasn't exactly the truth but it wasn't exactly a lie either. Regardless, it was an offer made to Minoko in honesty. His hand didn't move either. After sharing such a personal experience, it would have been futile to pretend to be shy.

A pleasant sounding laugh came from Minoko. It was brief, but genuine. "I wouldn't ask you to do that. It's, um....I guess it's kind of embarrassing." She was specifically thinking of all her early fumbles during her training. Such a large bow had been difficult for Minoko to get used to. "But I'm glad."

For the first time in a long, long time, Sai's mouth spread into a smile. Granted there weren't any teeth showing, but it was definitely a smile and not a smirk or a grin. And this one was authentic. "Ain't nothin' to be embarrassed 'bout. I'm just glad that you're happy, and that I could help you get there."

Maybe Sai wasn't feeling shy, but regaining her memories hadn't changed the bashfulness that Minoko felt from time to time. "...Thank you." Her head bowed down. She was so grateful, and a simple thank you couldn't possibly express that. Minoko would have to do something for the man in the future. Dark eyes looked to the stairs when the sound of floorboards creaking rang out in the room. Her hand attempted to shift away from Sai's.

He complied, easily, letting his hand move back and away from hers as he rose from his crouched position in front of her. Moving back to his previous seat, he stooped just enough to take up that glass of liquor and raise it to his lips, looking toward the stairwell.

"Sorry that took so long. I couldn't remember what drawer it was." Motoko didn't sound too sorry. This exchange had been a long time coming, but it was still difficult to hand over the trinket that had been with her for ten years. It might have just been easier to lie. Too late now, though. She stepped into the living room and placed the golden band into her sister's right hand. What had previously felt like an indestructible memento now felt like a simple piece of metal to her. The ring glowed pink for a few seconds as she looked it over. Though she wasn't familiar with the majority of Japanese characters, she recognized the ones that were engraved into the band. There was her name, along with something that was similar to what she had recently told Emlen. A sigh came from Minoko as she slipped the band onto her ring finger.

He simply watched, again feeling that the sound of his voice would be like pouring oil onto water. He sipped at his drink, turning to face them as he stood behind his chair.