Sakura sat on the park bench keeping an eye on several children that she and her friend Andrea babysat for some of there neighbors. The brown wolf looked up at the sky as a shadow passed over her. It turned out to be a small bird flying across the park. Sakura returned to her job, knowing full well that someone might wonder off if they had the chance.

Andrea was sitting in the sandbox with the two youngest kids that they watched. But as she feared the other four had push off from the jungle gym to the few trees that this park. Sakura could see one of the youngest of the badger brothers standing at the side of the largest tree, obviously surprised at what they had found. Sakura gave a second to think on what it could be before she saw the oldest of the kids, Rena, a peach rabbit short for her age, pop into sight and run towards her babysitter.

Sakura tensed up in fear of what it could be. They lived close to the south end of the city where nothing really happens. If it was a kidnapper she’d have no way to stop him.

"Sakura," Rena spoke when she thought that her babysitter would be able to hear her. "There's someone behind the tree, I think he’s hurt."

Sakura realized that she was standing and already walking to the young girl. "Show me," Sakura said.

Rena took her babysitter by the hand and brought her behind the tree where a panther laid on the ground as if he had fallen off the tree. She had to stare for a moment. The panther had the blackest fur she’d ever seen; it didn’t seem possible, but compared to his black fur, his black pants and cloak were lighter. He was tall and of medium build, but muscular.

"Is he dead?" Ryan, the boy Sakura could see, asked.

"No," Sakura replied, not so sure. She knelt down put the back of her hand in front of his nose. She felt a breath escape the panther’s nose. The panther stirred, groaned and slowly opened his eyes. "See, he probably just fell asleep," Sakura reassure Ryan, but was to sure herself.

The panther looked up his eye’s went wide with fear then turned quickly to confusion. He then stared at Sakura as if he never seen a brown wolf before. Perhaps it might be the fact that she was beautiful, as she is constantly reminded.

"Are you all right?" Sakura asked as she placed her paw on the panther’s head.

The panther shifted from her touch. "No," he replied simple and was quite for a moment. "Where am I?"

"You are in a city called Deviting," Sakura replied. "Do you know your name?"

"Shade," he replied, now propped on his elbows, looking around. "Please put down my sword."

It took Sakura a second to notice that the other two boys had moved to the side. The oldest of the brothers, Bobby, held the unsheathed sword, as his younger brother watched. He had not heard Shade’s request, or chose to ignore it. He lifted the sword strait up, but it was too heavy for him and it fell strait down towards Sakura.

In a blink of the eye Shade reached passed her and caught the blade with his open palm. He pulled the blade from the badger and stood to his full height. Shade grabbed his sheath and put the sword away.

"Thank you for your concern," Shade said and moved off.

Sakura quickly moved in front of the panther and grabbed his hand. As the wolf thought he was bleeding.

"It’s alright, it’s a scratch," Shade tried to pull away.

"Do you know which country this is?" Sakura asked, looking up at Shade, who was at nearly two feet taller. Shade said nothing. "What’s your last name; do you know what year it is?"

Shade turned his head and looked to the ground. "No," was his answer for the questions.

"Rena can you get Andrea please," the young rabbit nodded and ran off. "And you three wait by the bench." Sakura’s other charges nodded and did as they were told.

"Please don’t trouble yourself, it’s nothing," Shade protested getting his hand back.

"We need get you to the hospital, it sounds like you have amnesia," Sakura said.

"I know," Shade replied.

"Your family might be looking for you," Sakura reasoned. "They must be worried. But first need to put that sword away, maybe wrap it in the cloak. I actually don’t think you can carry something like that around the city."

"Sakura, who’s your friend," the white cat Andrea asked looking Shade up and down.

"Andrea this is Shade," Sakura gave an intro. "Listen I need to take Shade to the hospital, he’s had a nasty fall. Let’s gather everyone up and take them home. Roland should be up he can help watch the kids."

"After Bobby’s and Roland’s last encounter, I don’t think he’ll take his eyes off the badger," Andrea commented.

Sakura smiled at the thuoght. "And you still need to cover the sword up, I don’t want the children, or Roland, to see it," Sakura ordered.

"You know I can get there myself," Shade sighed.

"But you won’t go, will you?" Sakura asked knowing the answer. "You are not well and I will not stand by way you wonder around lost."

"Are you afraid of doctors?" Andrea asked innocently.

Shade said nothing as he took off his cloak. Andrea smiled as Shade’s shirtless body was revealed. Sakura noticed an old key hanging from the panther’s neck, and a gold arm band with a red stone in the middle. She did not ask about the items as he might not know there true propose.

It was easy to get the kids the Sakura’s and Andrea’s home, which they explained that three others share. Roland was not up yet as Sakura hoped, however that didn’t stop her from getting Shade’s hand bandage, and him into the van that was there.

Shade had to leave his sword in Andrea’s room. Andrea had brought Shade a plain shirt; it was on the verge of too small. Shade left it unbuttoned. Sakura couldn’t help but look at Shade from time to time as she drove, seeing him look at everything for the first time.

"Why are you doing this?" Shade asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Because you were hurt," Sakura replied.

"I could be a killer or worse," he said quietly, looking at out the window.

"No," Sakura smiled, "I can tell."

Shade turned to her. "How, I was carrying a sword. How do you know I won’t hurt you, or your friends?"

"Your ears," Sakura smiled, stopping the van at the red light. She turned to Shade, and looked at him strait into the eyes. "They are filled with sadness."

Shade’s ears had been pressed against his head since he woke up, and never moved. Shade turned away, as Sakura drove on; she felt that Shade might cry.

"What about you," Sakura asked. "Why did you cave so easily?"

"Because, you cared enough to go to this length just to get a complete stranger to the hospital. And to top it off you haven’t ask for anything in return," Shade replied. "It's something I rarely see."