Shrek Academy 

Her body moved like a well-oiled machine. Ning Feng smiled as her feet hit the concrete ground. Since she was running without weights, her body felt as light as a feather. The cool morning air formed small clouds from her breath, and the empty streets were only being busied about by a few shop owners who were starting to ready themselves for opening hours and gave her small nods of greeting. 

Another jogger passed by her. They exchanged a nod of the head. That was why she liked jogging this early in the morning; no words, no names, no chatter were necessary, but still, one greeted the other with friendliness, despite not knowing who they were, in an acknowledgment. 

Suddenly, she felt a surge of spirit power. It was subtle, but her instincts were screaming danger at her. She sped up and dashed out of the way. Breathing flat as she felt a cold shiver run down her spine. Whoever or whatever that was, it was not her opponent. What the hell is in the middle of the city, at the spirit master tournament? 

What the hell? 

Ning Feng pressed her body against a wall, above her a spotless morning sky, announcing a beautiful day, and her breathing was shallow; in fact, she tried to breathe as little as possible. She had been out on a run and not expected to run into this. 

Swallowing hard, she prayed that no one would notice her, in her hands a single throwing needle. She slowly sank slightly into her knees, turning her head. Slowly, she tried to peek around the corner of the street. 

A young girl was standing there, somehow uncannily familiar. She tried to remember where she had seen her before, and then it came to her. Spirit Forest, perhaps they had an encounter with Spirit Hall in the Spirit Forest before. Maybe she was the little girl from back then, the one hunting her third spirit ring? 

Feng guessed it was an accurate enough idea, but still, she was uncertain. 

"Are you sure you haven't seen her?" The girl asked, and Feng was sure from that moment. The Voice, the faint sound of something she couldn't specify in her way of speech and intonation. That had to be that girl. 

"Yes." A male voice said, and they walked closer to her. Feng looked around before spotting a trash can. She dashed over and hid herself behind it as the two people passed. 

"I was certain she would be with her brother." The girl said, and then they were past the alley where she was. She got out of her hiding space and stalked to the other side. "Are you sure she isn't here?" 

"I will continue trying to find her. But I don't know why you are so nervous." The male voice answered. "It's just a little girl." 

They stopped, and Feng prayed to her lucky stars. The girl was visibly upset from her Voice. "You don't understand. Beccy is not all that special when one first meets her. More like one of those airheads, but she never forgets a friend, and more importantly, she is very good at getting whatever she wants, and whatever she has is what I want." 

"You are crazy, you know that." The man said and sounded somewhat off, almost as if what she had just said was completely out of the ordinary for him. 

"I know." The girl said, and Ning Feng risked turning her head so she could see them again. Cold shivers ran down her spine as she saw the young girl's expression. "But I want it. Beccy always has the prettiest things. What is wrong with wanting one's best friend's prettiest things?"

Ning Feng turned around, her hands over her mouth as she felt herself trembling. Whatever was with that little girl, she was utterly insane. 

"I see we have company." The girl said, and Feng cursed as she ran. Behind her, a silent but pointed slashing sound suddenly could be heard. She felt her legs get his and when looking down on them, she spotted two long bloody streaks that had cut her skin and were bleeding badly. "See what I mean." 

Ning Feng turned around and looked right at the girl, her figure half-hidden in the shadows as the young girl stepped forward, her five rings rising. Two yellow, one purple, and then two black ones. Limit break like Tang San?

Feng's eyes widened as she saw the colors floating around the little girl. 

In her hand was a scythe, or something that was supposed to be a scythe, but it had a sisscior-like head and was gleaming beneath the dim light of the beginning morning. Whisps of hair floated around a face of rather breathtaking beauty and a pair of dazzling eyes. 

"See what I mean, company." She said, and Ning Feng's instinct took over her senses. Years of training made her hands move in smooth reflexive movements as she assaulted her opponent with as many blades as she could hide and had tucked away in her storage. She forced her injured legs to move as she used her bracelet shields as guards for her back.

The girl laughed and raised her scythe, and then the shields cracked and shattered beneath the attack. It hurt to see her long-time use gifts from Gale being destroyed with such ease. Still, while using spirit power, Feng catapulted herself up a building before running as fast as her injured legs could carry her. Leaving a trail of blood behind. Her senses fixed upon her pursuer, who cut with frightening ease through whatever Ning Feng was throwing at her. 

Unleashing her own rings. Two yellow, two purple ones, she ran faster using more spirit power. In a fight, there was no chance, but running, she was confident she would make it somehow. 

Again, she felt her skin being cut, something telling her to jump down. She jumped into the street above her with creepy silence and pinpoint precision, she saw that the roof of one of the houses was cut off, and she landed and let out a groan of pain. Running further than she was stopped by a familiar face, her eyes ripped wide open as she recognized him. 

Ashen hair, red streaks, a tall figure.

Xie Yue.

She stopped in her tracks, what were the odds how much bad luck at onc could one have, if he went after her she stood no chance. He observed her quietly, his eyes wandering to the bleeding on her legs. For a moment, they both remained staring at each other. Contemplating what they were going to do with each other. After all they were enemies. He from spirit hall she from Shrek. Then he stretched out his hand. In it was a piece of white fabric looking almost like a bandage. 

"Put it over your cuts, to make them stop bleeding," he said, and Ning Feng's eyes widened. 

"W..."

"Hurry." Then he pressed them into her hands and, with a last look, left her behind, walking past her. She turned and then, in a split-second decision, did as he said and put the fabric on her injuries. 

It closed over them, sticking to her skin, and sure enough, the bleeding stopped immediately. Ning Feng started running at top speed again, but not before casting one last look behind her and seeing Xie Yue vanish around the corner where she had come from. 

Why?