Samurai Souls: A Ronin Warriors Origin story

Chapter 8: Okanashi

by Kajite Gray

    Hot sand blew in Kento's eyes, making him squint. Endless, yellow desert
stretched before him. His legs felt heavy as he dragged himself through knee-
deep drifts. The dry, hot air snatched at him with stinging slaps of sand.
Kento looked up and winced at the strength of the sun which seemed to never
set in this place. He was so THIRSTY. All he wanted was cool water to drink.
He trudged endlessly through the featureless landscape. There were not even
any mountains.

    Then the dream changed. And he was in a dark, cold, airless place.
Confused, Kento tried tried to find a way out of the darkness he'd been
plunged into. And found he could not move. Not even to blink. He was frozen in
place, as though he were a part of the stone that encased him. His mind was
free, but his body was trapped. All of his great strength amounted to nothing
now. Panic gripped him. There was a terrible noise, of metal ripping through
stone. The sharp sound filled his senses, driving him mad with terror. The
sound was Death, and it was moving closer.....
    Kento surged awake with a desperate cry, flailing at the empty air. He
hit the edge of the nightstand hard. Pain flashed up his arm, jerking him back
to full consciousness. He sat up in bed, breathing harshly and clutching his
injured hand. There was nothing here. Kento blinked confusedly. His throat
felt parched and raw. The memory of the dream already seemed fuzzy and far
away. Something about a big rock....? And sand. Lots of it. He was terribly
thirsty......
    Head spinning, he lurched towards the bathroom. His foot came down on
something lying in his path, and he all but killed himself. That damned marble
again. Growling, he pitched it back its drawer, silently cursing Malachai for
leaving it in his way. He stumbled into the bathroom and turned on the cold
water. He made a few futile attempts to drown his thirst with one of those
little paper Dixie cups before abandoning the effort and plunging his head
under the running water. He gulped noisily, straight from the faucet. It
seemed to him he couldn't get the water down fast
enough. SO THIRSTY....
    After several minutes, he surfaced, finally slaked. He mopped his face
with a towel. It was then he noticed just how much pain he was in. A pink
smear on the towel told him he had hit the nightstand harder than he'd
thought. He swore when he saw the cut on the side of his hand. It wasn't bad,
but it hurt like hell. He was bound to have a bruise the next day. He gritted
his teeth and splashed alcohol over the cut, swearing softly at the pain. He
didn't usually do stuff like that to himself.
    After clumsily bandaging his hand, he went back to bed. He was far from sleep, however. The nightmare, though in faded tatters now, still haunted him. The dream had scared him for some reason. He slung an arm over the edge of the bed and groped about in the debris until he found what he wanted.
    Trusty old George. He dragged the battered toy monkey free of a pile of junk
and curled up with it. George was dusty. Kento sneezed, startling Malachai.
(who had amazingly slept through the whole thing - probably the victim of
another catnip hangover) It had been a long time since he last needed George
in order to sleep. Tonight had disturbed him, however. He wasn't sure what time it was - somewhere deep in the middle of the night. There was no telling exactly when - he had managed to demolish his clock along with the nightstand with his flailings. He was glad he hadn't hit the cat. Oh well, he had asked Mama to wake him in the morning, so it was ok. He turned over, trying to get comfortable. His sheets felt gritty - they needed changing. Clutching George close, he managed to go back to sleep.
    At breakfast, Kento made no mention of his hand to Mama, and hid it under the table. He felt embarrassed that he'd lost his cool over a silly dream. He didn't want to admit to being scared. So he said nothing; just ate his breakfast as fast as he could and ducked out the back door.
    "Kento!"
    He stopped short on the bottom step. Rats.
    "Don't forget to gas the car," Mama called after him.
    "Ok, Mom!"
    He ducked into the ancient Toyota, tossing his Polaroid camera onto the passenger seat as he climbed in. The car's worn springs creaked in protest at his weight. Counting himself lucky that the thing didn't just fall apart beneath him, he sped off towards Cye's place. He didn't want to be late, and the LAST thing he needed now was to be fussed over by Mama. Traffic turned out to be light. Before long he was driving through the elegant little suburb where Cye lived. Further inland than Yokahama, the neat rows of white houses and manicured lawns were a far cry from the chaos of the city.
    Kento pulled up in front of the tidy blue-trimmed house. It had a spacious yard and several flower gardens, some of which still showed late blooms. Vine-laden trelliswork wound up the white plaster walls. A low fence made of white brick bordered the property. Topiary animals dotted the yard. A pair of stone fish stood guard at the front entrance.
    This was Cye's house allright. Kento ambled up the brick walkway and rang the bell. The door was opened by a bright-eyed, auburn- haired girl who could only be Cye's sister Kami. She was petite, with long hair and vivid green
eyes. She was very cute. The thought occurred to him that if Cye had been born a girl, this is what he would have looked like. He gave her a wide grin.
    "Hi! I'm Kento. I'm here to pick up Cye."
    The girl flashed him a naughty wink and giggled behind her hand.
    "Don't get any weird ideas!" growled Kento. "We're going to the Aquarium."
    "Oh, that." She sounded bored. "He's been chattering about that ever since last week. I hope you know what you're getting into, Kento!" She walked into the house and led him down a hall hung with family pictures. Most were of her and Cye. There was one of a red-haired man in military uniform, no doubt the late Mr. Mori. He looked very young. Kento gave a brief, respectful bow to it. The portrait was draped with black cloth. Further down the hall, he paused to chuckle over
an old photograph of Cye feeding a large speckled carp in a pond. He couldn't have been more than four years old - the fish was bigger than he was.
"He's still in his room," said Kami, stopping before a door with a ceramic dolphin on it. "Go on in."
    "Is he awake?"
    "Who knows." She flipped her long hair over her shoulder and minced off to the kitchen. Kento watched her move off with an appreciative smile. She looked great both coming and going. He cocked his head towards the door.
    Not a sound came from within. He shrugged to himself. Well, he'd told Cye to be ready... He opened the door and let
himself in. Cye was in there, allright. But he was far from alert. He was still curled up on the bed, fast asleep. Kento looked down at Cye, who was snuggled up peacefully in his fuzzy, bright blue...
    "SLEEPERS?!!" shrieked Kento, scaring Cye half to death. He popped awake and glared at him.
    "Jeez - Kento!!"
    "Sleepers...." said Ken, in gog-eyed amazement. "I can't believe.... you're wearing .... SLEEPERS!!"
    Cye looked down. He'd forgotten he was wearing them. "Oh." He shrugged, raising mittened palms. "What's the big deal?"

(For those of you who are fortunate enough not to remember having to wear them, Sleepers are those hideous, one-piece pajama contraptions with the booties, mitts and trapdoor. A-la Dennis the Menace. Why is Cye wearing this monstrosity? Read on.)

    Kento stared at him in dumbfoundment.
    "SLEEPERS, Cye!!"
    Cye looked a little embarrassed. "They're from my Aunt Greta. She's a little... you know." He tapped the side of his head with a mitted hand. "She still thinks I'm 5."
    "I wouldn't put THAT on a five-year-old," grimaced Kento. He scrubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand. He was having a really hard time believing what he was seeing. Cye shrugged.
    "Well, she gave 'em to me last Christmas, and she'd be disappointed if I didn't wear them once in awhile. It was cold last night, so I put 'em on."
    Kento just looked horrified.
    "Hey, they're not so bad," defended Cye. "They're warm, they're blue... and look! They've got a fish on 'em. At least Greta remembers what I like." He waved a padded hand at his shelves full of whales and dolphins. " She gives me a lot of fish stuff, so I can't complain too much."
    "Is that where this came from?" Kento picked up a stuffed black and white whale off the bed.
    "Hey! That's my Willy!!" cried Cye. "Give him back!"
    Kento considered a truly crude joke. Instead, he tossed the whale back to its owner. Cye held up the plush toy.
    "He's pretty cool, though - see?" He gave the whale a squeeze and it made realistic squealing noises.
    "Very cool," mumbled Kento, eyeing Cye who was hugging Willy like a little kid. There were a great many stuffed marine critters in the room, along with shelves loaded with crystal whales and dolphins. Diving and gymnastic trophies crowded in among them. A LOT of the trophies were for first place. Somehow, Kento was not surprised. But something was missing.
    "Hey, Cye -where's your fishtank?"
    "Fishtank?!" yelped Cye.
    "Yeah. Of all the people I know, I'd expect YOU to have some fish!"
    Cye shuddered with revulsion. "I most certainly do NOT have a fishtank!!"
    Kento scratched his head, bewildered by his friend's vehemence. It was like he'd just insulted him or something. "How come?"
    "They're CRUEL, Kento - imagine living your entire life trapped inside a tiny glass box! It's horrible."
    "Oh." Cye did have a point. Life in a fishtank with a plastic palm tree would probably suck.
    "So, you don't have any fish at ALL??"
    "Oh, I didn't say THAT," said Cye with a smile. "We've got a big pond out back - it's full of Koi."
    "Koi...?"
    " Giant goldfish, Kento. Like carp. Mostly orange and white ones."
    "Oh."
    "They're great. I love them."
    "That explains the picture - that one in the hall."
    "Uh-uh." Cye shook his head. "That was at my Aunt's place. She's got a pond too. Sometimes I think she put it in just for me."
    Kento picked up a glass fish curiously. Noticing Cye's anxious look, he quickly set it back down. "It's gonna be winter soon, Cye - What do you do with 'em, send 'em to Fort Lauderdale?"
    Cye grinned. "Nah. They hibernate... sort of. The go down in the mud and sleep for the winter. Like frogs do. They don't freeze."
"Um," said Kento, edging out the door. "Back in a moment. I, uh, left something in the car."
    Cye shrugged, hugging Willy patiently. Whatever it was, he could wait. He yawned hugely, nearly unhinging his jaw. He was uncharacteristically sleepy this morning. It was unusual for him to oversleep.
    "Smile!"
    Cye looked up. "Huh?!"
    A flash startled him, followed by the whir-click of a camera shutter. "Gotcha!!" crowed Kento triumphantly, waving the fresh polaroid at him. Cye's mouth dropped open. Kento waved the picture under his nose. "A little something to show Rowen and the guys at school, huh?"
    "You - YOU!! Gimme that!!" howled Cye, diving for it. Kento was too fast for him and shot out the door. Throwing dignity to the wind, Cye charged after him, booted feet patting down the hall. If he caught him, he was gonna kill him. Both boys peeled around a corner. Cye hit the slick hardwood and his soft padded flew out from under him. He fell on his behind hard enough to make the china in the cupboards jump. His sister, emerging from her room, saw him and collapsed into fits of giggles. Cye glared, unable to flash her the finger with those damned mitts..... He settled for sticking his tongue out at her and scrambled after Kento. He found him, staring out the open kitchen window.
    "Dammit!!" swore Ken, looking down.
    "What?" asked Cye, giving him a moment to explain before strangling him.
    "It went out the window! Crap!!"
    Cye peered out the window. He squinted down into the weed-choked ravine behind the house. "Is it down there?"
    There were too many trees and leaves to see. Kento made a face. "Wanna go down in the prickers and LOOK for it?"
    "Nope."
    "Me either."
    "Kento?"
    "Yeah?"
    "I still have to kill you." Cye jumped on him, knocking them both to the floor.
    "Uff!! Get offa me, ya nut!!" protested Kento. He was suddenly glad Cye was wearing those Sleepers - from the evidence he'd seen on Rowen, Cye scratched when he fought. But he wasn't trying to scratch. This was a wrestling
match.
    Well, this should be easy, thought Kento, grappling with him playfully. It was harder than he thought! He was much bigger and heavier, but Cye was tremendously fast. And those stupid Sleepers weren't helping. Every time Kento
tried to grab him, Cye slipped away like an eel, twisting inside the loose cloth. Kento got only fleece, no Cye. There was just no getting hold of him. There was one disadvantage his uniform, however. The trapdoor in the seat was just
too much temptation for Kento. If he couldn't win by force, he was going for humiliation. He pulled. Cye yelped in horror and twisted onto his back, kicking furiously. Kento took advantage of the breech in his defense, so to speak,
and Cye found himself gripped in a ruthless headlock that left him struggling for breath.
    "Holler 'nuff!" ordered Kento. Cye growled - which came out as more of a wheeze - and punched at him futiley. Kento increased the pressure ever so slightly, making him squeak. "Had enough YET?"
    "Enough!!" Kento's head snapped up. Cye's mother was standing over them with an outraged expression on her face. She looked ready to spit tacks. Kento dropped Cye, grinning sheepishly. His meekness had no effect on her whatsoever. "And who are YOU?!! Why are you assaulting my son?!" Belatedly, he noticed the chunk of firewood in her hand. This woman was not fooling around! Kento ducked behind Cye for protection.
    "Help me, Cye!!"
    "Why should I?" growled Cye, putting his clothing back in order. "You fight dirty, Kento!"
    "Ahhh.... so THIS is Kento."
    "Yeah. You can put the wood down, Mom."
    "Huh. Maybe I should hit him anyway. Look what he did to you! Your eye is still a mess!"
    Cye laughed, shoving Kento playfully. "Phoo. I started it."
    She gave him an incredulous look. "Child, I thought you were going crazy last night... and right now I am certain of it!" She gestured agitatedly with the piece of wood at her kitchen. "This is not a Sumo Ring! If you must behave like animals, do it outside!"
    "Sorry, Mom..." mumbled both boys.
    Cye fell into giggles, unable to keep a straight face. Kento did no better. But he did manage to pick Cye up off the slate floor. Kento choked out an apology between fits of laughter. The dark look on Cye's mother did not improve.
    "DON'T you call me "Mom"," she grated. She turned on her heel and stalked off, muttering something unladylike about Kento's heritage as she went. Cye shook his head, brushing himself off.
    "Well, so much for first impressions. I think you blew it, Kento!"
    "Wouldn't be the first time," he mumbled. He doubted that he'd be welcomed back in THIS house for a long time. He followed Cye into the bedroom. He found him gazing raptly out the window.
    "It's beautiful out there, Kento! What a day to go out!"
    "Yeah, it's nice," agreed Kento. The sky was a stunning azure, sharp and clear against the last faded colors of autumn that patchworked the hillsides. Cye leaned on the windowsill, greedily inhaling the cool autumn air. Kento poked him.
"So are you gonna get dressed, or are you gonna go like that?"
    Cye threw a pillow at him. "Twit."
    Kento busied himself with rummaging through a shelf of comic books while Cye dressed. He had a LOT of
Aquaman comics, and something called "Lords of Atlantis." He might have known.
    "I'm ready!"
    He turned around, and dropped the book. "Christ, Cye - don't wear THAT!"
    Cye looked hurt. "Why not?"
    "Look in the mirror,Cye! Have you gone colorblind?!"
    Cye was wearing red-checked pants, a turqouise jacket over a green tie-dyed t-shirt with a PURPLE smiling dolphin on it... and a yellow bandanna. Kento's eyes hurt just to look at it. "That outfit is so GROSS!"
    Cye shrugged. "Fish like color."
    Kento shuddered. "I'm gonna go blind if I hafta look at that all day."
    Cye gave him the puppy eyes. "Awww! Don't be such a spoilsport."
    Kento grimaced. The pitch of Cye's whine reminded him of a Dentist's drill.
"Ok, Cye - I'm your buddy, and I'm telling you this to keep you from getting beaten to death by the general populace.... So I'm gonna ask you to change one thing. For me. PLEASE."
    Cye looked pouty. "Oh, Okay - what is it?"
    "Get rid of those pants! They're hideous."
    "But they're comfortable, Kento."
    "Jeans, Cye," he muttered, tossing him a pair from the closet. "Straight guys wear JEANS. Not red check."
    Cye put them on, looking like he was being punished. "You're no fun."
    "Maybe not, but at least now you'll live longer." Cye looked unconvinced. He gestured at Kento's bandaged hand.
    "Are you sure you should be passing out advice? What did you do to yourself this time?"
    "Uh....." Kento looked uncomfortable. "I, um - I just hit it on something. It'll be ok."
    Cye shrugged, picking up a small white case. He understood adolescent clutziness perfectly well. He was a victim of it himself sometimes. Kento squinted at him, for the first time noticing that something was terribly out of place.
    "Good grief - what's wrong with your EYES, man?"
    "What? Oh - I told you I wore contacts. Blue ones."
    Kento shook his head. "I didn't know you had brown eyes! I'm surprised your Mama lets you wear tinted contacts," he teased.
    Cye, having gotten one lens in, gave him an odd-eyed wink. "She has to let me! She's got them too, so she can't complain. She's got both green and blue lenses."
"What color are her eyes really?"
    "Dipped if I know. C'mon - I gotta go make breakfast."
    Kento followed him back out to the kitchen. Cye's Mom was at the table, still eyeing him with disgust. Kento grinned in spite of himself. He wondered when she was going to stop treating him like he was a lower life form. Kento rolled his eyes as Cye donned a frilly blue apron.
    "What now?"
    "Nothing, Cye."
    "Sorry, Kento - I didn't mean to oversleep," apologized Cye.
    "Don't sweat - it was worth it!!" He laughed.
    "Hang on a minute," said Cye, stuffing his shirt tail into his pants. "I need to make Mom and me a fast breakfast, then we'll go." Whistling the theme song from "Flipper", he set about making a quick batch of waffles. Kami had gone out
already so there was only his mother and him to cook for. Or so he had thought. He realized every time he turned around, the stack of waffles on the counter was getting shorter. He sighed. "Kento.... would you like some waffles?"
    Kento hiccupped guiltily. "Sure! Thought you'd never ask."
    "Oink," was Cye's only reply. He hadn't planned on making a triple batch....
    "Hey, Cye, why else would I get out of bed so early unless I thought YOU were making breakfast? C'mon, you know me."
    Cye laughed. No matter that Kento had probably eaten breakfast at home already. He should have known better. His mother was less receptive. "Someone has left his manners at home! Cye, really - I'm not sure about your taste in friends. You could do better."
    Cye quickly went over and put his arms around Kento's neck. "I wouldn't have him any other way." His words were cheerful, but he gave his mother a very hard look. She had a bad habit of undermining his friendships. He had lost too many to her manic behavior, and had no intentions of letting Kento become a casualty.
Cye's mother frowned, but held her tongue in check. Cye was giving her no option but to be civil. She looked Kento over, not sure she was comfortable having him at her kitchen table.
    "Tea?" she offered quietly. Kento nodded, not taking his eyes off Cye, who had gone back to his waffling. Kento accepted the tea, his huge hand dwarfing the fine bone china cup. It looked like a toy in his hand. She sensed the strength he held so easily in check - like a sleeping mountain. She noticed his bandaged hand. No doubt he had cut it on some poor boy's face while brawling in the schoolyard. Why her son wanted to be friends with THIS one, she had no idea. Maybe he needed a bodyguard. Kento looked like Sumo material. He certainly ATE like one. He had already finished his second plate of waffles and was looking around eagerly now.
    "What - no bacon?"
    Cye turned away from the stove for a moment. "You're sitting on it, Kento."
    Kento gave him a dirty look. "Ha, ha, Little Fish."
    "Seriously. You'll have to do without."
    "Awww...." Kento looked pouty. He had to content himself with a third plate of waffles, followed by the contents of the fruit bowl. Cye's mother could only shake her head. On their way out to the car, Cye tried to apologize for his mother's behavior. Kento shrugged him off.
    "Don't worry about it, Cye. So your mom's a little....." he hesitated.
    "Unhinged?" supplied Cye.
    "I didn't say THAT...."
    Cye made a sad face. "Well, that may be pushing it a little. But she's been walking on eggshells mentally ever since..... since dad died. She's just overprotective is all."
    Kento thought about that for a moment. "Maybe that's a good thing. At least she cares about ya, and that's a whole lot better parent than anything Rowen's got."
    Cye's brow creased. "Where IS his mom anyway?"
    "Law firm in Tokyo someplace. She doesn't give a shit about him." His voice held a bitter edge.
    "Damn."
    "She's got a lot of rich boyfriends, from what I hear."
    "Can't really blame her for that...." mused Cye, "Considering the alternative...."
    "Yeah...." Kento fished out his keys. "But she coulda taken Rowen with her. She must know what's going on."
    "Wasn't there a Custody battle?"
    "A short one. She coulda fought a lot harder for him than she did. Know what? She took the dog, but she wouldn't take HIM. That had to hurt."
    "Ouch," remarked Cye.
    "You're lucky your mom cares as much as she does. Nuerotic or not."
    "Yeah."
    They stopped in front of the car, and Cye blinked hard. "We're going in THAT?"
    "What's wrong with it?"
    "It's a '79, copper-colored Toyota hatchback held together with staples and duct-tape, Kento!"
    "Welcome to your nightmare," intoned Kento in an evil voice.
    "Can't we just take the bus?" whined Cye.
    "Aw, quitcher bitchin' and get in."
    Cye walked around the car, at a distance of about 12 feet. He wasn't certain he dared breathe on this thing that passed for transportation in the wilds of Yokahama. He was afraid it might fall apart if he did. "C'mon, man - it's SAFE," coaxed Kento. He banged on the side of the car reassuringly. Shards of rust drifted down to tinkle softly on the roadway. "I thought you were excited about going?"
    Cye shot him a wink and executed a sudden back-flip, landing squarely on the roof of the car. The vehichle gave a protesting squeak of bad shocks, but remained intact. "I'm ready as I'll ever be, Kento! This thing is more solid than it looks." He slapped the pitted metal. "It'd almost HAVE to be."
    Kento's jaw hung slack. Cye's aeriel manuever had stunned him. "Damn, Cye!" He grinned broadly. "And me with no Kitty-Treats."
    "Oh, STOP."

    The clatter of metal wheels on steel rails kept Rowen from falling asleep entirely. He leaned against the wall, trying to ease the aches in his legs. It had been a long walk to the railway station, and he was certain he'd pulled something important jumping the turnstile. In his exhausted state, he was surprised he hadn't just fallen over the damned thing. The rocking of the old gray subway car would have been soothing, had it not jarred his tired body so.
    He shifted, resting his bruised leg against the door. He was still recovering from his father's earlier tirade. Spending last night in a tree had not helped his condition or appearance any. He ran a hand self-conciously through his straggling hair, wincing at how tangled it was. He needed a comb. His limbs ached from clinging to the limb of the tree all night.
    After that Pimp propositioned him, he hadn't been at all inclined to come down til it was full light. Vermin like that usually preferred the cover of darkness. Rowen shivered - the old subway car was airless and overheated, but he was so cold.... The chill from the night before had gotten into his bones. He didn't think he'd ever really be warm again. He fiddled anxiously with the meteorite he wore on a chain. He frowned, scratching his itchy neck. It felt like the cheap chain was giving him a rash.
    Rowen winced. His wrist throbbed. It had begun to heal after he'd sprained it the week before, during his encounter with his father. Climbing that tree last night had not helped it any. He had been too scared at the time to concern himself about it and he had reinjured it in his haste to escape. It had not hurt him then, but he had felt a distinct 'pop' - and now his wrist pounded with pain at every heartbeat. He squeezed his eyes shut against the pain. He'd had worse, but that didn't make it feel any better.
    Exhausted and sleepless, he fought to stay awake on the train. He didn't want to miss his stop and end up out in the boonies someplace. He needed to escape, to rest - if only for a little while. Maybe he would spend the night at Kento's. His shabby appearance made him wince when he caught his reflection in the smeary glass of the car window.
    He hoped Mama wouldn't be too upset seeing him like this.
    He barely managed to stay awake until his stop. It was a confusing struggle for him to make his way through the morning rush hour traffic to the resturaunt. Somehow, he managed to avoid being run over. Rowen stumbled up the back steps of the Fung restaurant, startling Mama when he came through the door. Her
grey eyes went wide.
    "What on Earth - Rowen?" She dropped the wad of dough she had been kneading onto the counter with a thump. Rowen looked like an
unmade bed - tired and dirty, and visibly shaken. She wanted to draw him to her, to hold him close and soothe his hurt. But she knew he would only pull away. It was not in him to accept charity if he could help it. Yet SOMETHING had drawn him here today without an invitation. It could not have been anything good. She watched him glance around with his nervous blue eyes. He reminded her of a small, frightened animal. His body shook slightly, though he tried to conceal it.
    "Is Kento here?" he asked, so softly that she almost didn't hear him.
    "No..... He's.... out right now."
    "Oh." The thin shoulders sagged slightly. "Where to?"
    Mama bit her lip. He wasn't going to like the answer. "He's went to the Aquarium with Cye."
    "Oh." He dropped his dirty dufflebag on the kitchen floor. Mama dusted her thick, floured hands off on an old dishtowel.
    "They'll be back in time for dinner. Would you like to stay?"
    Rowen's back stiffened. He wondered if she knew about the fight between him and Cye. Probably. "No thank you." His head throbbed. This was all he needed. He had hoped to stay the night, but there was no way he'd consider it now. He kept his face turned away so Mama couldn't see his exhaustion. He had no intention of sharing bunking space or Kento with Cye. Mama came around and rested her broad hand on his thin shoulder. She was so big and warm and kind. Rowen wished that he could just lean against her and forget for a moment how much his life sucked. Somehow, he couldn't quite do it.
    "If you want to stay, we can manage. There's room, so don't be -"
    "NO -" His voice was sharper than he meant it to be. Rowen took a deep breath to steady himself. "I just want.... to rest awhile, ok Mama? Please...." The eyes that met with hers held so much more that went unsaid. Mama did not argue with him anymore - there was no point in it. She knew that look. But she did make him sit at the table by the stove and eat something. Rowen could barely hold his head up, battling to stay awake long enough to take in the nourishment he so badly needed. His body was crying out for sleep. Once finished, he groped his way upstairs. Mama stared after him worriedly. Perhaps she should have dosed his food - to keep him here longer. He needed time to recover. But he looked so pale and
exhausted already, that it wouldn't have been good for him. It might even have done him harm. That was the last thing she wanted. After awhile, she followed upstairs to check on him. Rowen had not even made it as far as Kento's bedroom. He had collapsed into one of the battered easy chairs in the den. He was so exhausted that he trembled in his sleep. He sprawled like a broken doll, long arms spilling limply over the sides of the chair. Mama looked down at him with concern. She draped a patchwork comforter over him, and he never once stirred. He looked like he had not slept all night. There were dark circles under his eyes. She ran a finger over the fading bruise that bordered the one. He had such pretty eyes. How could anyone hurt him? But his father had filled them with pain. She wished she could make Rowen stay, for his own safety. But she knew she could not make him. He seemed to her like a weak little bird, tumbled from its nest by an irate parent. Brushing a hand over her eyes, she returned to her work downstairs. She silently prayed that Rowen's stubbornness would not someday kill him.

    Judith Date and her husband stood silently in the doorway of their son's bedroom. Something was very much out of place here. It was such a strange, incredibly unusual thing that for a moment they could only stare. It was late
morning, nearly 10 'o clock. The day was in full swing.
    And Sage was ASLEEP.
    Not dozing. Not fitfully napping in the starts and twitches that usually troubled his rest. But deeply, soundly and truly asleep.
    Perplexed, Judith twisted her honey-blonde hair around her fingers.. "I can't believe..... he's sound asleep."
    "I can't believe it either," muttered his father. "He's missing his morning Dojo practice."
    "He's been sick. Let it go."
    Sage's father shook his head. "If the Doctor says so, but...."
    She smiled tolerantly. "Work him too hard now, and he will be sick for a week instead of a couple of days."
    Mr. Date shrugged, giving in to her wisdom. He had other students waiting anyway. Personally, Judith was very pleased, if rather shocked, to see her boy sleeping so soundly. She watched him for several minutes to see if he stirred.
Usually Sage was disturbed if anyone so much as breathed close by while he slept. But he didn't move this time. His cat was sitting up on the bed, twitching her calico ears. Minx was suffering from insomnia, unused to sleeping without a moving target. She had grown accustomed to her friend's nightly tossing and turning. His uncharacteristic stillness worried her. She gave a small, questioning meow to the woman in the doorway.
    "Shhhh...." Judith removed her from the room. She closed the door so Sage would not be disturbed. He needed his sleep so badly, she wanted to give him every minute of peace that she could. Sage continued to sleep late into the day. Unencumbered by the thoughts of others, his mind slumbered in blessed stillness. His over-tired body welcomed the opportunity to relax. Delicate snores rose from him in a steady, unbroken rythm. Untroubled now, his face held an expression of perfect peace.

    Okanashi Aquarium was packed that day. Finding a parking space was a nightmare. Everyone seemed to have chosen TODAY to come visit the fish. The interior complex was a noisy, chaotic place. Cye and Kento mingled with the throng of Grammas, little kids and hassled parents who milled around the twisting halls of the Aquarium. The air was warm and sticky.
    "Dang," muttered Kento, tangling with a display of helium balloons and inflatable fish. Cye didn't seem to be bothered by the crowds at all. He rushed in ahead of Kento like an excited kid, making a beeline for the tanks and pressing his face up against the glass of the nearest one. All the fish went wild. Kento looked around for a moment before following his friend. The walls were composed almost entirely of glass, the huge tanks separated only by narrow concrete dividers. Every fish that Kento could imagine (and some that he hadn't) was here. Sunnies, tropical fish, eels, rays, puffers, octopi - and several things he didn't recognize occupied the tanks. The tanks were huge, easily ten feet across and about eight feet high. The top of the glass enclosures met the ceiling, so they were closed off from anyone trying to toss things into them. Apparently that was a problem here. He peered into one of the enclosures. It went back further than he could see, obviously a good many yards. The fish had lots of room to swim here. 

    Kento looked around for Cye. It was the fish themselves that pointed the way. A large school of small gray skippers were making a great commotion in one of the tanks. They dipped and dove en masse, turning their bodies in unison to create a dazzling display of sheetsilver. Kento found himself dizzied by the undulating patterns. The cause of their excitement was, of course, Cye - who had stepped over the rail and was pressed up against the glass like an eager leech. The fish made wild rushes back and forth in the blue water. Cye's eyes flickered to and fro, his lips moving soundlessly as he communed excitedly with them. Kento shook his head. The tour guide gave them both a sour look.
    "Come on, Cye," he urged, pulling him back by the arm. It took some effort to detach him from the glass. "Don't get us in trouble, ok?" Cye reluctantly allowed himself to be drawn away. The fish darted frantically for a moment, agitated by his
leaving. "Geez," muttered Kento, pushing his friend back into line. "Why don't they just spell out your name? What IS it with you and fish......."
    Unknown to Kento, fish are lousy spellers. But if he had looked, he would have seen that they DID manage to form a reasonable facsimile of a "C". Although to some, it might have looked more like an "S".
    Cye was all over the place, peering into various tanks and squealing over this or that fish. Kento had to hustle to keep up with him. The Aquarium was a bright, noisy place - full of colorful balloons, and jammed with people. The din was unbeleivable. He hurried Cye past a display of Merchandising Hell - a stand with Aquarium T-shirts and souvenirs. Cye had already talked him into buying him an inflatable shark (for what purpose Kento could only guess) and a stuffed dolphin. He wanted to have some money left over for lunch. They headed up a wide ramp, finally emerging into the bright sunshine. Kento breathed a bit easier. There weren't so many guys outside here hawking souvenirs. He had a chance of walking away with a little money left in his pockets.
    "Aw!! Kento - look! How cute!!" cried Cye gleefully.
    Kento winced, looking his way with trepidation. He had quickly come to learn that the phrase "Kento - how cute!" was usually followed by "Kento - wouldn't that look great on my shelf?" To his relief, it was NOT something Cye could take home with him. Cye was leaning over the rail, watching an exhibit full of strutting penguins. He borrowed the camera to snap some pictures.
    "Looks like he's going on a hot date," remarked Kento. The birds' black and white markings DID make them look like they were wearing tuxedos. "All he needs is a bow tie."
    "Wait til you see the seals!" cried Cye. "And the whales, and the dolphins, and -"
Kento sighed quietly through his nose. Whether he was eager to or not, he was certain he was going to be shown every critter here before the day was through. He tagged along patiently with Cye to look at the baby seals. Cye cooed over their big eyes and shiny fur. They both laughed at the lumbering walruses with their bristling mustaches and long tusks.
    "Hmmm.... reminds me of someone," Cye teased. Kento scowled at him.
    "Say it, and yer walkin' home, wiseguy."
    Suddenly, Cye grabbed his arm and all but dragged him up a flight of stairs. "Hey! Where are we going?" protested Kento, not liking the way the ground seemed to fall away beneath their feet on the open metal staircase. It made him dizzy to look between the solid metal slats to the empty air below. He always forgot not to look down.
    "The whale show is going to start - I want to get good seats!" Grabbing Kento's hand, Cye wound like an eel through the crowd. Kento followed, with limited success. He stepped on a number of toes. Cye pulled him into the third row, against his protests.
    "It's so close, Cye! We're gonna get soaked."
    Cye grinned, waving a plastic poncho at him. "That's why they give us these. Put it on if you're such a wimp."
    Kento felt his stomach roll. The ponchos were covered with bright-blue, smiling octopi. "I'll look like an idiot."
    "Would you rather get wet?"
    "YES."
    "So would I," concluded Cye, showing rare good taste by chucking the poncho under his seat. "Getting wet is half the fun!!" Before long, the show was under way. At Cye's urging, Kento snapped several pictures. A team of sleek grey dolphins performed water acrobatics, followed by a trio of huge black and white animals. Kento nudged Cye.
    "What are THOSE?"
    "Orkas - Killer Whales."
    "Great...." mumbled Kento, hoping they didn't get hungry and decide to make a meal of the crowd. He wished they weren't sitting so close. The term "Killer Whale" did not exactly inspire confidence. To his relief, the worst thing that happened was that he and Cye got wet. It was astonishing to Kento that something so large could jump so high out of the water. Cye sat in rapt attention, watching the three Killer Whales performing with balls and hoops. Despite his uneasiness, Kento found himself impressed by their size and grace. To his surprise, Cye was not whistling and cheering with the rest of the crowd.
    "Hey, Cye - smile! I thought you enjoyed this stuff." He nudged him. He looked so serious!
    "I do.... but...." His eyes looked distant, moving with the trio of giant mammals. "It's kinda sad. This is the only time they really get to play, and they gotta play by HUMAN rules. It's not fair."
    Kento watched the huge black and white whale leap high out of the water and catch a brightly colored hoop on its nose. "Looks like she's having fun to ME."
    "That one's Diego. He's a boy."
    Kento squinted. "I'm not going to ask how you can tell that, Cye."
    Cye laughed smiled a little, but his eyes remained serious. "They're bored in here, Kento. They do the same old crap day after day. They'd love to go back home to the sea." Cye stared at the show; his eyes looked sad and angry. "I wish I could help them."
    Kento looked over at him. "Hey, Cye, if this is upsetting you, we don't have to watch this."
    Cye didn't move. "They're prisoners here. But they're still beautiful to watch." They sat and watched the rest of the show in silence, Kento draping an arm across Cye's sagging shoulders to comfort him.
    After the show, they had a quiet lunch. It took some urging from Kento to get Cye to go to the Food Court. His appetite was missing, and Kento found that HE wasn't all that hungry either. After just three cheeseburgers, he was full. He tossed his frenchfries to the seagulls, who were having a grand time in Junkfood Paradise. Cye was not so talkative now. Kento wondered why he wanted to come here if it depressed him so much. After lunch, Cye tugged silently at his hand. His brows raised questioningly, Kento followed him. They moved downstairs out of the bright
sunshine and into the quiet dark of the Aquarium complex. They passed through several doors, into parts of the building Kento didn't recognize. He figured Cye knew where he was going, so he just followed his lead. He realized they were alone - no one else was down in this part of the Aquarium. The place felt damp and deserted. The lighting was dimmed. Cye approached an immense glass tank - many times bigger than anything they had seen elsewhwere.
    Kento could see that the actual bottom of the tank was sunk several feet below floor level so as to give the structure greater depth. It was not closed off at the top like the others, but had several feet of clearance between the exposed surface of the water and the ceiling. The air was heavy with salt and fish smells. The rippling water sent bizarre reflections of light scattering across the walls and ceiling.
    "Cye...?" Kento's own voice startled him with how loud it suddenly sounded. "Are we supposed to be down here?"
    "Not really," admitted Cye, ducking under a yellow rope.
    "What's down here, Cye?"
    "You'll see." He gave a weird, warbling whistle that raised the hair on Kento's arms and back. It was an eerie, inhuman sound. Two huge shapes drifted out of the gloom of the greenish waters. Kento drew a sharp breath. Whales. They had
seemed large at the show - up close, they were immense black and white phantoms. Cye hopped up easily to the ledge of the tank, completely ignoring the stepladder next to him. He made the distance of eight feet like it was nothing.
Kento would have been impressed by this manuever if he weren't so worried Cye would get his head bitten off.
    "Get down, Cye!" he hissed.
    "It's ok. Watch." The whales cruised right up to Cye, spewing gouts of water from their blowholes. Cye patted their slick, wet hides, scratching the snout of the nearest whale til it all but purred. Kento shook his head nervously.
    "Man, if he BITES you..... There won't be enough left worth mentioning." Cye laughed.
    "She won't bite me, Kento! Baby wouldn't do anything to-"
    Ssspppllttxzkkkzzz!!
    The whale blew a fishy blast of seawater in his face. Cye sputtered and hacked while Kento laughed unsympathetically. Cye dragged a sleeve across his dripping face. He crooked a finger at the whale. "C'mere, sweetheart." He whispered into her ear, and she dipped back down into the water. She surfaced moments later and sped past the side of the tank, angling her body to throw a huge bow wave over the side. Kento caught the full of it, getting knocked down by the force of the water.
    "Ghaaahhh!! YUCK! Cye!!"
    Cye smiled down at him sweetly. He patted the whale's head. "Good girl, Baby."
    Kento staggered to his feet, thoroughly drenched. "Aw, man - now I smell like fish! Gross!! - thanks a lot, Cye!!"
    Cye snickered. "Malachai's gonna go nuts." Baby nudged him insistently. Both whales turned on their backs, eliciting a tummy rub. Cye's smile dimmed, but
he obliged them. "They hate it in here, you know."
    Kento looked up, squeezing water from his shirt. The smaller of the two whales had come up to nuzzle Cye's wet hair with her nose, while the other one swam in agitated circles. Cye leaned his head against Baby's neck sadly. "I think I'd hate it too."
    Kento watched the bigger whale cruising around the confines of the tank. "It is kinda small in there. Is that one Diego?"
    "Yeah," said Cye, pulling his damp hair back from his eyes.
    Kento squinted into the murky water. "I thought there were three of them. Where's the other one?"
    Cye looked upset. "They keep Kodo separate. She's agressive." He waved his hand irritably at the tank. "Can't say that I blame her. She keeps losing calves."
    "Calves?"
    "You know. Babies. They can't survive in a place like this."
    "Oh."
    "These three weren't born here..... they were caught - out there somewhere." He gestured at the open waters that lay unseen beyond the Aquarium walls.
    "You make it sound like they're in jail, Cye."
    "They don't have any freedom here, Kento. It IS a prison." He hugged Baby. "She USED to live outside. They took her away from her family a long time ago." His eyes were sad and reflective. The waves in the pool lapped gently at the glass walls. "She still misses them." Cye stayed with the whales for a long time, stroking them and talking softly to them.

    Rowen trudged alone through a shattered landscape. Immense iron frameworks - the twisted skeletons of burned-out buildings - rose high on either side of him. The earth beneath his feet was scarred and barren. Scores of splintered arrows were imbedded in the broken rock, their fletching oily and tattered. A sour wind blew fitfully past him. Rowen's nose wrinkled at the stench. It smelled of rotting meat and old car batteries. Uneasy, he picked his way through the ruined city. Bits of blue metal, sharp and twisted, littered the naked black ground.
    Rowen did not like this place. It was cold and frightening. He hurried, stumbling over broken rock and tangled debris. There was nothing living here. He looked up at the sky. It was red and oily-looking, like old bottle glass. The tubercular breeze died, and the fetid air lay deathly still.
    A sound reached his ears now. A scuffling, rasping noise of rusted metal and old bones scraping across broken pavement. A shudder pulled through him. Rowen looked wildly about. The sounds were so close, yet he could see nothing. The earth trembled slightly. A hiss of noxious steam burst through the rock, startling him terribly. He watched in horror as a scummy, blackened THING oozed up through the wound in the ground. Grasping limbs bubbled up out of the sickening, corrupt mass, snaking unerringly in his direction. He tried to run, but the thing caught him, latching brittle, steely fingers around his legs. Rowen tried to fight. Hitting the thing was like striking a rotting pumpkin. Slush and brittle bone gave way, sucking at his arms. A shriek of horror ripped from his throat.
    The Thing had a face. The Pimp had come to claim him. Terror threatened to shatter his mind. The Pimp's leer had decayed to corrupt lust in a decomposing, skeletal face. The crooked jaw hung with shreds of greying flesh. The dessicated maw opened as if to devour him. Overcome with fear, Rowen gave up. There was no fighting it. The Thing wrapped itself hungrily around his body, dragging him THROUGH the earth. He clawed feebly at the dry soil. Teeth clutched into his arms and legs, dragging him back from the light. A whimper of pain escaped him. He gave a small, desperate cry as he felt himself pulled beneath the pavement. Low thunder boomed across the iron valley.
    Rowen blinked. He hadn't really expected a reply.
    Thunder sounded again, an angry growl coupled with a moisture-laden wind. Lightning struck close by, sending a shockwave through the earth. The thing pulling at him paused, then commenced yanking at him again. Somehow gathering courage from the approaching storm, Rowen resisted the horror. But he did not have enough strength to keep it at bay. A powerful blast of wind struck, raking over the twisted landscape. Rowen flinched at the force of it. The Thing gripping him gave a gurgling snarl as its talons began to slip. Rain fell now, darkening the parched earth in
broadening patches. It was warm and humid. The wind sounded angry, and lightning struck all around him. The air filled with the endless cascade of thunder. Rowen was not afraid of the storm. The horror that clutched at him was
slipping away; his eyes widened when he saw the reason why.
    The warm rain was melting the Thing away. Its limbs became stringy and uselss, its flesh oozing loose like melted cheese. The gummy black stuff could no longer hold him. Rowen wrenched his body free - And found himself standing quite suddenly in a grassy field on a summer night. Gone were the ruined buildings, the parched land, the broken things. The warm rain still fell, gently now, kissing his astonished face. He felt cleansed and renewed. The air was pure and energized. In the distance, a figure moved towards him. It was.... very bright. He shielded his eyes with his hands.
    Rowen woke with a start, having roused himself by touching his face in his sleep. He had involuntarily copied the gesture of raising his hands to his face in his dream, and that was what had wakened him. He blinked hard at the late afternoon sunlight streaming through the window. Baffled, he fumbled around for a few minutes, trying to make sense of his dream before giving up. Dreams would not help him. He groaned, knuckling his eyes against the glare of the slanting afternoon sun. Against his body's protests, he forced himself up out of his chair. With a sigh, he replaced the comforter that had fallen to the floor. He didn't remember wrapping up in it, but he must have. He hurt in a million places and wanted nothing more than to just lie down and sleep for the weekend. But he just couldn't bring himself to stay knowing that Cye would be there.
    Without saying a word, Cye reminded Rowen of everything that he wasn't. Sheltered, well-groomed, privileged in every way, well-loved..... and Kento's faithful shadow. Rowen couldn't stand the poofy little mama's boy. It hurt that Kento had gone off with Cye and not him. Shrugging off the pain, he quietly gathered his jacket and bag. He wanted to leave before they returned. Quietly, he slipped down the back stairs. There were some things he was just unwilling to share.
    On his way back home, he realized that his bag felt heavy. He opened it. It was full of things that hadn't been there before. Mama had been there. She must have put things in while he was sleeping. He hadn't noticed a thing, but then again when he slept a brass band could play next to his head and he still wouldn't wake up. Heavy knit socks, a wool muffler, gloves, new underthings (that made him blush) toothpaste, a comb, shampoo, and a bag of those high-energy snack bars he liked. And another bag of eggrolls. Rowen sighed. He needed every bit of it. Somehow
Mama had known exactly what he needed. They were not expensive, but he REALLY needed those gloves to keep his hands warm. He donned them gratefully. The soft fleece lining felt good against his sore wrist. He was going to hide all this stuff so his father didn't take anything. Mama hadn't put any money in there; she knew he wouldn't accept it. His heart a little lighter, Rowen went home.

    Kento drove Cye home from the Aquarium in silence. With the windows cracked to give them some relief from the fishy smell. Kento glanced over at him several times. Cye sat silent and brooding. His long, thin fingers stroked the grey plush dolphin on his lap absently. His sea-blue eyes held a distant look. Kento shifted uncomfortably. Cye had wanted to come to the Aquarium so badly - yet here he was, all depressed and moody. Cye looked up a little as Kento braked, turning onto a side road.
    "Oh." He went back to staring out the window. Kento tapped him on the knee.
    "Know where we are?"
    "No."
    "Well, you might find it interesting. They had a Tsunami come through here last year. I guess a lot of the buildings are still down."
    Cye didn't say anything. They drove along the shoreline now, passing several damaged structures, which were long abandoned. Shattered wooden signs and sand-covered timbers showed where homes and businesses used to be. The road wound around a cliffside, climbing high above the pounding surf. Driftwood and wreckage still littered the beach below. New guardrail had been put up, but little else.
    "Wow, Cye - it took the pier - look! I wish I had some film left."
    Cye sat rigid beside him, eyes fixed and staring. He looked like a statue. They continued on past wrecked houses and shattered trees. Bare branches rattled in the wind, seagrass blowing in yellow waves beside the road.
    "Stop the car," he breathed softly. Kento didn't hear him. "Stop the car!!"
    Kento stood on the brakes in a panic, jolting them in their seats. "Jeez, Cye! Don't yell like that!!" Kento looked down. Cye's knuckles were white, gripping the edge of his seat. His face was white too.
    "Cye....?" Kento touched him hesitantly, drawing a shiver from him. "Are you okay?"
    Cye said nothing. He unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car. He moved in slow motion, like a mechanical doll. His eyes were glazed. The stuffed dolphin tumbled unnoticed onto the sand. "Hey -!" Kento picked it up, astonished. Cye definitely was NOT himself. He set the toy on the dashboard and went after Cye, who was now walking perilously close to the edge of the bluff.
    "Cye - Cye! Hey, Cye!!" There was no response. Kento caught up to him before he walked off the ledge. He took hold of his arm and steered him away from the edge. Cye seemed not to notice him - he acted like a sleepwalker in a trance. Kento wondered if he should slap him.
    Cold salt wind scoured across the sand by the roadside; the chill cut through Kento like a knife. It flung Cye's auburn hair wildly in his face. He didn't flinch. "Sea...." he whispered.
    "What?" asked Kento, shivering. Cye was staring hard out over the water, down at the surf that crashed against the rocks below. His open jacket whipped noisily around his body.
    "The water.... it has teeth...." His voice trailed off into wordless ramblings. Worried, Kento got in front of Cye.
    Had he gone suicidal? Staring hard into his face, Kento felt himself go cold. Cye's artificially blue eyes were slicked over like glass, their color startling in his bloodless face. His expression was masklike. Wherever Cye was, it was not here. Frightened, Kento shook him hard. He wanted to slap him, to break him free from whatever had locked up his mind. Cye felt like a wooden doll in his hands. His expression was slack, almost calm. But what was in his eyes - Was horror.
    Kento could see the fear in his eyes, but he could not get behind them to see the things that Cye saw in his mind. Cye was seeing something, and it was awful.

    Cold. Water. Crushing down. So much water. So heavy. The wave had struck at mealtime, catching families in their homes. Sudden. Swift. Fatal. So many never had a chance.
    Cye felt his heart crashing in his chest, like the heavy pounding of the surf. The wind seemed to howl in his head, carrying away a feeble, frantic voice. There had been devastation here - so much raw power. The very air seemed to scream. What had happened was neither evil nor good. It simply WAS. Cye's blood pounded in his veins, sounding in his ears like the crashing of the sea. The weight of the water crushed him, sending him spiraling downwards helplessly.
    Icy cold claws raked into his lungs. He felt drowned in the overpowering stench of sea salt and cherry blossoms. The world dipped sickeningly and he fell -
Into the black, the cold. The sickening void - And was caught up by two powerful arms that held him close and kept him safe.
    Shelter. Stillness. Silence.
    Cye gasped, coming to his senses. He was lying on the sand-strewn roadway, propped up against something warm and soft. Another body sheilded his against the freezing wind. His whole body shivered violently. A broad hand
came up to cup his face.
    "Jesus H. Christ, Cye...." came the hoarse whisper. Cye looked up. Kento's worried, midnight blue eyes gazed down at him anxiously. He looked SCARED. Cye tried to speak, to ask what the hell he was doing lying in the road like this. But his lips were numb. Kento held him close, wrapping his arms protectively around Cye's shivering form.
    Cye suddenly seemed very small and helpless. "Are you okay? You really blanked out on me there - what happened?"
    "Wha...?" Cye blinked confusedly. It was difficult to concentrate. He didn't know where he was or how he had come to be wrapped up in Kento's arms. His body felt thick and strange, like he had just risen from a deep sleep. His thoughts
were muzzled and unfocused. It felt like someone had socked him in with cold concrete. His entire body shivered, and he was very glad to have the warm bulk of Kento to huddle against. Cye had no idea what had just happened to him. Kento waited for a minute before giving up on getting an intelligible answer from him.
    "Ah, forget it, Cye - c'mon." Kento boosted him to his feet. Cye found it an effort to remain upright. He staggered drunkenly back to the car, leaning heavily on Kento. He felt sick and disoriented. Worried, Kento bundled him into a car blanket and cranked the heater up. Cye still looked ashen. The sooner he got him home, the better.
    Unnerved by the weird events, Kento shoved the car into drive and gunned the motor. The vehicle moved sluggishly. It felt as though something were hanging onto them, dragging them back - Close to panic, Kento jammed down the accelerator. The tires spit sand. Gravel ricocheted off the underside of the car as they spun out of the sandy wash. The car bucked forwards. Kento cursed at himself for being afraid of something like a little sand. Swearing made him feel better. He pulled out of the site and onto a different road. One that was further away from the sea. It
would take them longer to get home, but it was worth it. Kento had no idea what had flipped out Cye, but he guessed it had something to do with the wrecked village. Maybe just thinking about a wave that big had somehow freaked him out. Cye was easily impressed by such things. Somehow Kento could not quite convince himself that this was really the whole explanation, but it was the best one he could come up with. He wrinkled his nose. With the heat on like this, the car now smelled of hot fish. But keeping Cye warm was more important. He glanced over at his silent passenger.
    "Feeling any better?" Cye nodded sluggishly. He huddled deeper under the grey army blanket, wanting nothing more than to just rest. He blinked sleepily at the scenery sweeping by. The daylight was fading, draining the color from the landscape. Cye let his eyes go unfocused, soothed by the muted grays and blues. The chaos in his mind subsided. He let himself be lulled by the hum of the car's motor and the warm breath of the heater. At least he didn't feel carsick. The way Kento drove, it was surprising that he didn't.
    The further he got away from the Tsunami site, the better he felt. By the time they arrived back at the restaurant, Cye had all but forgotten about his strange experience. Almost before Kento had the car stopped, Cye jumped out and bounded up the steps two at a time and into the kitchen. Kento, who had been fully prepared to carry him, was left sitting in the dust. Cye greeted Mama enthusiastically, showing off his souvenirs and yammering cheerfully about their
adventure at the Aquarium. Kento could only stare at him in disbelief. Cye acted like nothing had happened. Kento trudged up the steps and leaned against the stove to puzzle things out. This was the second time in two days that he'd had someone go sick on him. Sage's illness he could dismiss as the flu or as a result of his migraines. But Cye's behavior was just plain bizarre. People just did not recover that quickly. Cye was flashing the photos they had taken together, pointing out the whales to Mama. Kento caught her attention with a little gesture of his hand, indicating that he wished to speak to her alone. She gave him a nod.
    "Come on upstairs, love," she said, placing a guiding hand on Cye's back. "I have a place where you can put
those pictures."
    Casting Kento a questioning glance, Cye allowed himself to be guided upstairs. In the den, Mama handed him a set of worn photo albums from the bookshelf.
"I'm sure you can find a place in these."
    Cye's eyes widened.
    "YOUR family albums?"
    She smiled. "Yes, Little Fish. You are as much family here as anyone. Go ahead." She left him sitting in an easy chair, thumbing through the albums. She caught Kento sneaking a chunk of spiced fish straight off the grill. "For shame, Kento," she scolded. But there was no anger in her voice. He swallowed guiltily.
    "I'm sorry - I got hungry."
    "So I see."
    "Thanks for losing Cye upstairs for a minute - I wanted to talk to you."
    Mama's brows drew down. "I should think SO!"
    "What?"
    "Your HAND, Kento! When did you hurt it?"
    "Uh....."
    She pushed him into a chair impatiently. "Here. Now you SIT."
Kento sighed. He'd put this off as long as he could. Mama made disapproving noises as she undid his haphazard bandaging. The antiseptic she applied to the cut made him wince.
    "Ouch!" His hand jerked back involuntarily. He didn't get far. Mama's free hand was locked firmly over his wrist.
    "Hold still."
    Kento squirmed miserably in his chair until the burning passed. "What IS that stuff?"
    "You're better off not knowing. Trust me."
    "Mama? I wanted to talk to you about Cye - he was acting really weird today."    Mama paused in her bandaging to look up at him. "I think he's sick!" He told her about Cye's strange behavior and his collapse on the road.
    "He looked allright to me, Kento," she remarked, tying off the white linen. "There. How's that?"
    "Feels better. You shoulda seen him earlier, Mama - he looked like he was on Death's Door. He was white as a sheet!"
    She sat back, wiping her hands on a clean rag. "And your friend Sage is also sick. How do YOU feel?"
    "Fine."
    "I'm going to keep an eye on both of you boys. Cye looks all right now, but from what you say, I'm worried that these fits might be catching." She scribbled herself a note on the back of an order sheet. "You're going to the doctor next week."
    "Aw, MAMA!!" Kento made a disgusted face. She matched it with a glower of her own, which was enough to squash any arguement.
    "By the way, you had a visitor today."
    "Who was it?"
    Mama handed him a plate of rice and fish to work on. "Rowen stopped by."
    "Oh." He stopped chewing. "OH."
    "He looked very tired, Kento. I did what I could for him." Kento had the sudden, unpleasant vision of an unsupervised encounter between Rowen and Cye erupting in the upstairs kitchen.
    "Where is he now?"
    "He left. When I told him you would be coming back with Cye, he would not stay."
    Relief coupled with concern touched Kento's features. "How.... how did he look?" He swallowed slightly, afraid to ask directly. "He wasn't... ah...."
    "I don't think he was hurt this time, Kento," said Mama quietly, knowing exactly what is was that concerned him.
    "But he looked very tired and.... frightened. Something frightened him Kento. I don't know what." Kento folded his fingers together, staring down at his hands. He felt guilty somehow.
    "I wish I had been here. Maybe he woulda stayed if I coulda said somethin' to him -"
    "No," said Mama, putting her hands on his shoulders. "I don't think we could have made him stay. Not with Cye here." Her face clouded quickly. "Please - don't tell him I said that."
    Kento looked up at her. Her face was drawn and tight. "Don't mention Rowen to him, allright? I wouldn't want Cye to feel badly about it."
    Kento let his face drop into his hands. "What am I going to do? They just hate each other. Am I going to have to chose who's going to be my friend? I don't want Rowen to get hurt because of something like this!" He banged the table in frustration with his bad hand and was instantly sorry. "Dammit..... I'm not going to choose. I won't throw one friend away so I can keep another. Somehow they're gonna have to deal with that."
    Mama's big arms folded him in a strong hug. "Thats' the most mature thing I've heard you say and I agree with you. We will resolve this somehow."
    Kento leaned into her embrace gratefully. "Thanks."
    She ruffled his hair. It didn't really need it. "You know that you can always talk to me or your father. And the NEXT time you have a nightmare - just TELL me about it."
    Kento gasped. "You knew?"
    "I heard you hit the table. And all that water running in the bathroom."
    "Oh....."
    "Did you know that you shouted in your sleep? I thought someone had broken in at first."
    Kento looked embarrassed. "No. Sorry about that. It - it was just some stupid dream."
    "Mmm. Come on upstairs. Cye is probably wondering what's become of us." He followed her into the upstairs kitchen. Mama handed him a lumpy, tape-covered object from the table. It took Kento a moment to recognize what it was.
"Your father fixed your clock." Her mouth twitched humorously. "It wasn't so badly wounded. You only caught it a glancing blow."
    "Thanks," laughed Kento. He stuck his head around the edge of the doorway. Cye was propped up in a chair, engrossed in a book of photos. Sensing he was being watched, Cye looked up at him and grinned.
    "Hey! You guys didn't tell me you had a bareskin rug!" Kento gave him a baffled look, coming round to peer over his shoulder at the picture.
    "Bearskin? What bearskin?" He looked down at the photograph and felt the color rush to his face. It was one of his baby pictures, taken at
their old house in China. He was playing on the living room rug, not wearing a stitch. 

    "Oh," he winced. "THAT bareskin."
    Cye giggled and Kento shot Mama a pained look. "Did you have to show him THOSE pictures?"
    "Hey look!" said Cye loudly. "Here's 'bath-time for Kento-chan'!" Kento snatched the book from him.
    "GIVE me that!!" He scowled, stowing the album back on its shelf. "That was a long time ago," he huffed, thuroughly embarrassed.

    Cye hid his smile behind his hand. "Sure it was..... Kento-chan."
    Kento threw a couch pillow at him. Hard. "Baka."
    Mama could not supress a giggle. Still shaking her head and laughing, she went back downstairs to fix them dinner.
    "C'mon, Cye," grumbled Kento. "It's gonna be a little while before we eat."
Cye chuckled quietly. The back of Kento's neck was bright red - he blushed like a little girl. Cye trailed after him into the bedroom. He tripped over a mound of old clothes and comic books. Malachai shot out of the pile, giving him a pissy look. The cat paused to sniff their shoes with interest.
    "You must really like monkeys," commented Cye, spying the toy on the bed. It was an old, battered- looking Curious George.
    "Yeah, I guess I must," muttered Kento, stuffing the toy back under his pillow. He looked embarrassed that Cye had noticed it.
    "Aw, gee - don't do THAT. You've seen MY room - it looks like a wildlife preserve in there!" Cye retrieved the toy and held it up. "Poor old George," he said, looking at it. George had definitely seen better days. He was dusty. He had been all
hugged out of shape and stuffing showed through several old repairs. Most of the tan fur had been loved off its face.
    What was left bore the faded stains of several childhood attempts at feeding. Kento was trying very hard to pretend he wasn't interested in what Cye was doing.
"Aw, come on, Kento," said Cye, leaning the monkey over his shoulder. "You shouldn't ignore your best friend!"
    Kento mumbled something gruffly, nevertheless taking the toy into his arms. He ruffled the dingey fur. "We've been through a lot." He hugged George up close, looking reflective.
    Cye walked over to a bookshelf full of easy-readers and Curious George stories. He picked one up. "DON'T laugh," said Kento defensively. "They're the only things I can read easy. I got dyslexia."
    "I'm not laughing." He turned the well-worn book over in his hands.
    "It must be hard."
    "Shit, yeah. It bothers me. I mean, I get by ok for ME.... I can read simple stuff. But everybody else lands all over me for it if I screw stuff up. They think I'm dumb."
    "What about your parents?" asked Cye, settling on the edge of the bed next to him.
    "My mom saw early that I had a problem. My dad...." Kento sighed heavily. "It took him a long time to realize his son wasn't stupid. I got a lot of punishment for "not trying"." He paused. "It was pretty hard... for both of us." He raised sad eyes to Cye. "I used to be so scared to come home from school and hafta show my grades to him. Guess he thought if he whipped me hard enough, I'd start learning better." Another heavy sigh escaped him. "Course that just made it worse. Hell, I was nervous enough just trying to read without THAT hanging over my head. It was good when he finally realized I couldn't help it and he accepted me the way I was. I forgave him for what he did a long time ago - he was only trying to fix things. But I think he still feels guilty about it."
    He propped George up on a shelf over his bed, somehow finding room with all the junk that was there already. Cye set Splash with him. The dolphin and monkey leaned together like two old friends. Their glassy black eyes
sparkled as though they held some amusing secret.
    "I've been doin' better this summer," continued Kento. "I got up to 4th grade level." There was pride in his voice. "That is, if no one's pressurin' me. When people breathe down my neck, I lose it. The words get all scrambled up and I can't read anything. If I can just keep dicks like Nagori off my back, I'll be ok."
    "Wow, Kento - are ALL your teachers like that?"
    "No, thankfully. I really liked my one teacher last year. She introduced me to a lotta good books- stuff that I found out I WANTED to read. She even let me do all my reports orally. And if I was out sick or on vacation, I could just give her a tape of it. Miss Tazuka was really cool."
    Mama tapped at the door. "If you two don't come down for dinner right now, I'm going to feed it to the rest of the animals."
    Kento stuck his head out the door. "Interesting crowd tonight, eh?"
    "That's putting it mildly. Your father had to 'escort' a group outside just now. You missed the fireworks."
    "Wow - what was it - a bunch of rowdy teenagers?"
    Mama's cheeks reddened slightly. "No. A few drunk business men who thought I was on the menu."
    Kento's jaw dropped. So did Cye's. "They made a PASS at you?!"
    She looked half-annoyed, half-amused. "They were VERY drunk. Tetsuo helped them sober up."
    Kento raised his eyebrows. "So where are these ill-mannered punks now?"
    Mama winked. "Face-down in Yokahama Bay, I imagine. Your father is rough with his toys."
    "It serves them right," huffed Kento. "Some nerve."
    His mother laughed. "Well, it's done with now. Come on down for supper."
The boys enjoyed a huge dinner, mercifully free of fish. Mama was careful about that. She didn't need Cye fainting in front of her customers. During dinner, Kento kept a jealous eye out for the men who had caused trouble earlier. Fortunately for them, they stayed away. Kento was moderately disappointed that he did not have a chance to kick some rich fanny. He did catch a glimpse of his father coming back into the restaurant. There was a definite swagger to his stride. Kento grinned and waved. Whatever he'd done, Kento was sorry that he'd missed it.
    After dinner, Cye and Kento headed back upstairs. They kidded and teased each other, engaging in an impromptu pillow fight with the couch cushions. Recieving the worst of it, Cye ducked into the bedroom for cover. Looking for something to throw back at Kento, his gaze fell on the battered dresser.
    Oh, no - It was here. He stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the tiny ball glittering at him from amid the tangle of ThunderCat figures and half-finished Gundam models. Kento bumped into him, hard. "Uff! What's wrong with ya, Cye? Don't stop like that!"
    When his friend said nothing, Kento followed his gaze to the dresser. "Oh - that's where I put it!"
    Cye blinked at him. "What?"
    "That marble - it's mine, but Malachai thinks its his own private cat-toy." He shooed the cat off his cluttered desk by waving an old sweatsock at him. Faced with this threat of biochemical warfare, Malachai fled. Kento tossed the sock after the retreating cat. "I almost tripped on that damn thing earlier. He left right it in the middle of the floor."
    Cye laughed harder than was necessary, relieved. That was silly, to think it had grown legs and followed him over here. He stuffed his hands in his pockets - and his laugh died as though cut off by a knife.
    Something cold and round greeted his fingers. He didn't want to look, didn't want to know what it was.... but he couldn't help himself. He pulled the object out, praying that it was just a marble, a polished stone, an old fuzzy gobstopper - ANYTHING but what he knew it must be. As though governed by another force, his fingers uncurled from around the little globe.
    It winked up at him with icey brightness. So COLD - he dropped the thing as though it had burned him, giving a little yip of horror. It rolled across the bedspread.
    "Hey!" protested Kento, reaching to retrieve it. "Don't break it on me!"
    He snatched his hand away sharply before he touched the ball. It felt so DIFFERENT!
    "That - that isn't mine. Where did you get it??" he demanded. There was a strange, high-pitched edge to his voice.
    Cye's nervous blue eyes met his. A bizarre flicker of truth - one that neither was quite ready to admit - flashed between them. Cye shoved the ball back deep in his pocket, trying to ignore its chilly bite. It was like gripping a piece of winter
ice. "I - uh, uh.... I just found it."
    "Yeah...." Kento chanced a nervous glance at the thing on his dresser. Was it a little to his left now? "Me, uh, too....."
    He walked over quickly to the other side of the room and began fiddling with an old wrestling trophy. He was VERY quiet. Whatever was running through his mind, he didn't want to discuss it.
    For that matter, Cye did not want to either. Pleading the need for a hot bath, he excused himself to the master bathroom. Any excuse to leave this room and its uncomfortable silence. Cye grabbed his robe from his dufflebag. Much as he loved the fish, he really didn't want to smell like one. The bathroom off Kento's room had a shower, but that just wouldn't do for him what a good long soak could. The odor of the Aquarium seemed to be under his very skin. A hot soak was the best way to smell human again. He wanted to wipe out any thought of those weird balls too. After ducking into the bathroom, he peeled gratefully out of his fishy clothes. He made a face. Phew! It was a wonder that Mama had even let them eat downstairs. Surely she had noticed the smell. He admired the floor's tiled patterns of fish and flowers as he scrubbed himself clean. The tiny, white tiled bathroom off Kento's room was dull and plain by comparison. The cold water from the basin took his breath away. He filled up the tub and slid in, submerging up to his eyeballs in hot water.
    Ahhhhhh. He leaned his head back against the polished wooden ledge.
    The door opened abruptly. "Hey!!" yelped Cye, grabbing for a towel. Panic seized him for an instant before he realized it was only Kento. "Sheez - ya scared me!"
    "Same goes for me earlier," remarked Kento, coming in and shutting the door behind himself. He came around and sat on the low wooden bench next to the tub. "Are you sure you're all right?"
    Cye submerged, flushing. "How about a little privacy? This isn't a public show."
    "Cye! You didn't answer my question."
    "I've got no idea what you're talking about, Kento. All I know is I'm trying to take a bath."
    Kento gave him a stunned look. It was obvious Cye didn't remember passing out at the seaside road earlier. For some reason, he appeared to have total amnesia. At least he didn't look any the worse for wear. There probably was no chance of getting a sensible answer out of him, so Kento let it drop. There were other things that needed discussing.
    "Go on, get out of here - Peeping Fung!" scoldeded Cye, splashing water at him. Kento ignored him, stripping down and dropping into the tub with a hefty splash. "Hey!!" Cye scooted to the far side of the tub. He was far from comfortable with this arrangement. No one shared baths in HIS family.
    "Hey, yourself," said Kento. "I smell like a fish too, and I don't wanna wait for YOU to finish."
    Cye fussed at him. Shy by nature, he was quite uncomfortable with communal bathing. The public bath houses were an absolute nightmare for him. "Ah, quitcher bitchin'." Kento threw a sponge at him. "This is a huge tub! You can fit like five people in here. So don't be a hot-water-hog. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you."
    "What is it?" griped Cye. "Couldn't it have waited til later?"
    "No. It's about Rowen."
    "Ugh." Cye made a face at him. "And that's the OTHER reason I don't like sharing a baths. Everybody wants to talk a blue streak."
    "TS and too bad. This is important."
    Cye looked like he'd rather discuss the nutritional content of toe jam. "Fine. What about him?"
    "Rowen stopped by here earlier while we were out. He might have stayed the night, but he left. Mama didn't want me to tell you - she didn't want to make you upset."
    Cye raised a brow at him. "Why should that make ME upset?"
    "He's all worn out, Cye. From what Mama said, he really looked like hell. He needed a rest. If it wasn't for you - I mean, if you weren't here right now, HE would be."
    "Oh." His eyes went wide as the meaning sank in. "OH. Shit, Kento....." He knew where Rowen had to go back to. He closed his eyes, feeling terrible about it. No - that didn't quite encompass it. He felt like SHIT. He peered woefully up at Kento. "Just.... because of me? I didn't think.... he hated me so much. He'd rather go home to THAT than be anywhere near me...?"
    Kento hung his sunburnt arms over the side of the tub. They appeared startlingly dark against Cye's moon-pale ones. "Well, that's part of it. Other part's 'cuz he's a prideful bastard. Charity bugs him. He wouldn't have come here uninvited if it hadn't'a been bad."
    Cye lowered his eyes. "I guess.... I guess he doesn't like me bein' here, does he?"
    "Uh-uh." Kento twitched his thick fingers in the water, watching the ripples fan out in ever-widening circles. "He doesn't like sharin'. I've known him for a long time. It's been mostly just him and me. We got a few friends in common, but me an' him are really close." He shrugged his massive shoulders. "Maybe he's jealous of ya, Cye?"
    Cye gave him a queer look. "Why should he be?"
    Kento brought his hands up, counting the reasons on his fingers. "You have a good house, decent clothes, a.... uh, caring mother - and me as a best friend. I think it bugs him."
    Cye laughed nervously. "C'mon - we're not talking some weird love triangle here. He doesn't have to avoid this place just because I'M here. Even if we do fight."
    Kento crossed his muscular arms behind his head. "I know that - but maybe he needs to hear it from YOU."
    "Hold on!" Cye sat up with a splash. "I didn't say I wanted to kiss and make up! I really can't stand him, Kento. He's a complete jerk!" His brow furrowed. "But what he's got at home -" he shivered. "I wouldn't wish THAT on anybody."
    "Catch 22," muttered Kento. "Damned if you do, and damned if you don't." Cye stared down into the water, watching his own broken-up reflection scattering across the surface. This was all he needed - A one-way ticket to Guilt-City. It wasn't HIS fault Rowen's father beat him up. It wasn't HIS fault Rowen wouldn't stay where he'd be safe...... A sigh escaped him. Maybe it was. He shut his eyes, painfully aware of the part he played in this. If it weren't for him, Rowen might have had a peaceful night of it. But now......
    Cye rubbed his now-aching head. Damn. He heard Kento getting out of the tub, water slopping over the sides as he did so. He towelled off and shrugged into his robe, casting a glance back over his shoulder.
    "I'll let you stew over that one for awhile," said Kento. "I'm going to bed." Cye watched him leave, mulling over what had been said. He supposed that he COULD try being nicer to Rowen..... Ugh. That would be hard to do. Rowen just rubbed him the wrong way. At school, Cye was the target of dirty notes, sly kicks and so many flats that the backs of his shoes were wearing out. Not to mention the all-out
brawling that had suddenly become commonplace. He had already gotten two detentions because of it. Rowen was not the only person that teased him, but he was by far the worst. Just why Rowen was so pissed at HIM in particular was a mystery to Cye. Maybe he really WAS jealous. Or maybe he just didn't like getting his ass kicked the first time they'd met. Cye frowned, remembering. Be nice to someone as antagonistic as Rowen? It'd be easier to just stay out of his way.
    Kento looked up from the bed as Cye came into the room. "And?"
    "'And' nothing," said Cye, putting on his pajamas. Normal ones. "I'm still thinking about it." He curled up on the cot and buried his nose in a Science book. But he wasn't really reading it. There were too many things churning around inside his head. The excitement of the day, Rowen's problems, the weird thing with the balls. And whatever it was that had Kento walking on eggshells around him tonight. He chanced a look up at the dresser. His ball and Kento's sat there quietly, perfectly behaved - glowing softly in the shadows. He decided not to say anything to Kento about his strange experiences with his orb. In the light of everything else, they seemed insignificant. It was all just as likely to have been a product of his overwrought imagination as anything else anyway. He sighed, turning over in bed. The sheets felt crisp and fresh. Did Rowen have clean sheets? He wondered most where Rowen was spending the night. If he had found someplace safe, or if.....
    He rolled onto his side, shutting off the thought. How much damage had he done? Kento's hand closed, big and warm over his shoulder. He didn't say anything, just gave him a reassuring squeeze. Cye looked up at him.
    "I'll try," was all he could manage. He was afraid that if he tried to say anything more, he might end up crying.
    Kento kept a hand on his shoulder until he felt Cye's body go slack beneath him as he slid into sleep. He sighed, pulling the blankets up over his friend's shoulders. Cye needed as much support in this as anybody. Kento wondered if he should have kept his big mouth shut. Mama was right. Cye was part of the reason why Rowen hadn't stayed, but Kento hadn't meant to make him feel so guilty. Some people just weren't mean to be friends. Things just worked out that way sometimes.
    He stayed awake for awhile, struggling through a John Bellairs mystery. It was hard to concentrate on the words. He absently ran his fingers through Malachai's fur. The cat snoozed peacefully on his favorite cushion - Kento's stomach. A soft knock at the door made him look up.
    "Mama?" She smiled down at them, looking tired.
    "Are you going to sleep? Your light was on."
    "Yes..."
    "You had better. It's late."
    "Ok." He put his book down and slid under the covers. Mama was standing over Cye.
    "Oh, look. He fell asleep reading." She lifted the book from his slack fingers and put it next to Kento's. She pulled the covers up around Cye, tucking them around his body before dropping a kiss on his forehead. Cye stirred slightly, a small smile touching his face in sleep. She brushed the disarrayed hair back from his face gently. "Poor Fish. Did you wear yourself out?"
    "Aw, Mama - if he knew you were doing that, he'd be embarrassed."
    "As embarrassed as this?" asked Mama, tucking him in as well. He blushed.
    "I'm a little old for that, aren't I?"
    "Never," she informed him gently. "You'll always be my Kento-chan." He choked on a giggle. She hadn't called him that in a very long time. Considering that there were those who didn't HAVE a mother to tuck them in at night, Kento let himself be babied. He didn't really mind. He just wished he could share her with someone who needed her as much as he did. "Now, go to sleep."
    She turned out the light and left. After a few minutes of tossing and turning, Kento managed to relax. Lulled by Cye's soft snores, he at last went to sleep.
    It was deep in late-night. All the city was dark as deep blue velvet. Like a silent, unblinking sea. No ripples of activity disturbed its surface. Cye stirred. He blinked awake, smiling at his own ability to preprogram himself to wake up at a certain hour. He looked down at Kento, who was sprawled on his stomach and snoring like a chainsaw. Cye rolled over and got up, trying not to wake him. There was something he needed to do tonight. He retrieved his clothes from the back of the chair, belt buckle chiming softly before he silenced it. He paused. That was an oddly familiar sound. He began pulling on his pants. Kento stirred sleepily behind him.
    "Wha? Whaddissit?" came the sleepy mumble.
    "Shhh. Go back to sleep Kento." Cye didn't exactly want company for this. Kento could hear him dressing in the dark.
    "Hey.... where ya goin'?" He could see Cye's white form dimly in the shadows.
    "Uh, no place."
    "Liar."
    "Just go back to sleep! I'll be right back."
    Kento heaved himself up on his hands and knees, glaring at him in the darkness. "No way. You tell me what's up!!"
    "Ok - but don't tell anyone! I'm goin' back to the Aquarium."
    Kento's eyes got wide. "Are you NUTZ?!! It's ----" he squinted at the bedside clock. "Shit, Cye - it's 1:45 in the morning!"
    Cye beamed at him angelically. His expression was lost in the dim light, but his voice was patently smug. Kento could all but hear him grin. "Perfect. I can catch the late train at 2 and be back here by 5."
    "What the hell for?? Place is closed."
    "Exactly."
    "Cye! It's the middle of the night!"
    Cye shrugged, buttoning his shirt. "Never stopped me before. I'm gonna go visit Baby." He stuffed his feet into his shoes and headed for the door.
    Kento made a grab for his arm, but missed in the darkness. "Cye! Get back here - it's freezing out!!"
    "I don't feel the cold. I'll be fi -" Kento made a lunge at him, catching him by the back of his belt.
    "Leggo, Kento!" hissed Cye, pushing back with surprising strength. Kento grunted and hung on.
    "You're insane, Cye!!"
    Cye pushed him hard enough to sit him on the floor - Kento blinked at him in astonishment. "How the fu - "
    "I'm GOING, Kento," intoned Cye softly. His eyes reflected a strange, icy blue light from within. Kento opened his mouth to argue, but abandoned it in disgust. There was no reasoning with a lunatic.
    "Fine! Go!" hissed Kento, burrowing back under the covers. "Freeze your ass off." He stayed in bed exactly 3 seconds before throwing back the blankets and lurching after Cye in utter disgust. "You just hold it - I'm comin' with ya."
    An impassive blink was his only reply.
    "Ya ain't goin' alone on them trains! It's not SAFE."
    Cye waited impatiently while Kento fumbled into his clothes. Wordlessly, he turned, drifting through the upstairs kitchen like a sleepwalker. "Hey!" protested Kento, hopping after him. "Lemme get my pants on!" Cye paused only momentarily at the top of the stairs. Kento grabbed their coats and hustled after him. The frigid
night air made him gasp when they opened the door to outside. He made Cye stop long enough to put on his jacket. He pushed it at him.
    "Put it on, man - it's COLD out there." Cye's disinterested stare worried him. He looked like he was on autopilot. It was disturbingly similar to the look he'd had on his face earlier that day. Only this time, he didn't look frightened. He looked.... driven. But he did shrug into his jacket before taking off at a fast trot for the railway station. By the time they got there, Kento was huffing and panting, painfully winded from running in the cold air.
    Once within the warm confines of the train, Cye seemed to come back to himself. Literally as though he were thawing out. He gave his friend an apologetic shrug. "Sorry, Kento - I didn't want to miss the train. The next one's not til 3 o clock."
    He felt bad for making Kento run all that way, and couldn't quite put into words the hard pulling he'd felt - like he was tied to a string. The urgency was strange. Now that he was on the train, he felt it dying away a bit. He often visited the Aquarium at night, but he usually didn't switch off like that. Cye smiled at Kento as though everything was normal. But Kento knew that it wasn't.
    "Man, you have the craziest ideas."
    "I think this is half the reason my mom didn't want me to come - she was afraid I'd do something like this again." He gave Kento a small, lop-sided grin. Kento shook his head, leaning back in his seat. Again? How many times had Cye slipped out like this in the dead of night? If this part of his normal behavior, it was no wonder his mother kept him on a short leash. Kento yawned. The warmth of the train car and the gentle rocking were shoving him back towards sleep. He slumped tiredly against Cye's shoulder, unused to late-night ramblings. Cye shoved him hard,
seemingly only moments later.
    "Wake up! This is our stop."
    A short time later, they had made their way to the Aquarium complex. The place was dark, with only a few exterior lights to cast dim pools of white on the empty parking lot. Cye skirted these easily, blending in so well with the shadows that Kento nearly lost him in the darkness. Cye crouched by the low concrete wall separating the parking area from the main grounds. He waited for Kento to scurry over to where he was. Frost blew out of their mouths and noses; Kento's teeth were chattering. He started to speak, but clammed up and dropped low to the ground as a sleepy-looking night watchman drifted by. The lazy yellow beam of his flashlight swept over their heads. They hugged the cold pavement til he was past.
    "Man, your mom was right - you ARE crazy! We're gonna get caught!"
    "Relax," whispered Cye, patting his arm. "Security is lax here. I've been doin' this since I was 9." He threw Kento a wink as he swung his leg over the concrete barrier. "They couldn't catch me then, and they ain't gonna catch me now." Before Kento could stop him, he had dropped over the other side and scooted across the open ground to the shadowy corner of the main building.
    Shit.Kento swore softly to himself and followed, trying to make as little noise as possible. His muffled sneakerprints sounded like gunshots in his own ears. If they got caught, he was going to feed Cye to his fishy friends, and he told him so. Trying to make himself as small as possible, he squeezed into the pool of shadow beside him. Cye gave him a silent thumb's up.
    "Aren't you worried about security cameras?"
    "Nah." Cye peered cautiously around the edge of the brown, wood-paneled building. "They don't have 'em here. There's nuthin' to steal." Kento looked unconvinced, shaking his head doubtfully. The last thing he needed was to see himself on the 6 o' clock news.
    "C'mon, Kento.... what's somebody gonna do - sneak in here and swipe a dolphin? That kind of thing's sorta hard to hide under your coat, ya know." Ducking low, Cye shot around the side of the building, making Kento scramble to keep up. They moved down a low concrete ramp to a dark grey metal door. "Service Entrance," whispered Cye, jiggling the handle experimentally. Kento felt a little better. They were half-hidden by hedges here. Cye dropped down on his knees, fumbling around in the little rock garden that was down there.

    "Sssst! This is no time to be adding to your rock collection, Cye! What're ya doin'?"
    "Hush," muttered Cye, coming up with a bright metal object. "You don't think they just leave this place unlocked at night, do ya?"
    Ken's eyes got wider. It was a key. "Where did you - ?! Ah, never mind."
Cye smiled sweetly. Hiding his key here was the best idea he'd ever had. In five years, no one had thought to look for it, and there was no chance for him to lose it at home. He turned the key in the lock and the heavy door swung silently open.
"This is breaking and entering!" hissed Kento, balking at the open doorway. He expected the place to erupt with alarm bells at any moment. But everything remained dark and silent.
    "Where were ya raised - in a barn? Come in and shut the door!" said Cye. Reluctantly he stepped in, letting the door close silently behind him. The place was dead quiet, the damp coolness of it closing in on him oppressively. It felt like a tomb.
    "Come on," whispered Cye, padding off like a little cat. His eyes were wide and alert in the darkness. Kento could barely see where he was going, and followed Cye as much by sound as anything else. They were at the end of a long hall. The worn carpeting muffled their footsteps. They emerged into a wider, public walking space, lined with glass tanks. Kento remembered this area from earlier in the day. It seemed strange and foreign without any people. The pair moved down the walkway, past water-filled enclosures. There were dim little lights at the     floorboards.
    Aside from his own breathing and the occasional distant slosh of water, there was no sound. Kento felt the muscles of his back tighten from the strain of nervousness. The ghostly grey forms of sea creatures moved fluidly on either side of
them. Cye led him through an interior door he hadn't noticed during the daytime. They felt their way down a winding, narrow set of stairs. Another door creaked open at the bottom, admitting a slash of dim grey light. The air that rushed in was thick with an overpowering smell of fish. Kento held his nose.
    "Yuck. That's worse than cat-breath, Cye!!"
    "Clean fish don't smell like that, Kento. The tanks are dirty."
    "What're you gonna do - scrub 'em yourself?"
    "Not tonight." Cye pattered off ahead of him down the dim hallway.
    "That was a joke, Cye." He got no answer. Grumbling, he quickened his pace. The last thing he wanted was to be left behind and have to explain himself to the police. It would be very easy to get lost in such a place. All the tanks looked alike to Kento.
    "Here," said Cye so softly that at first he almost didn't hear him. They drew up short at a whale tank. It looked similar to the one they had paused at earlier that day. Kento jumped when a huge black and white form angled past him sharply; Cye's presence had been noticed. It was a different whale than they had seen earlier - much bigger than the other two. This one had to be the notoriously aggressive "Kodo." Kento looked at the rows of bared teeth and was very glad he was on THIS side of the glass. Cye had his face pressed up against the smooth surface, talking in less than a whisper to the huge animal. His eyes were intent in his serious face. Kento watched him commune with the whale for awhile, shivering a little from the cool, damp air. There was no sign of the guard so far. He did not wish to press their luck.
"    Can we go now, Cye?" he whispered nervously, turning to his friend. "I'm gonna catch cold if I hafta - Hey!! What're you DOING?!"
    For Cye was eagerly shucking off his clothes, dropping them in a pile at his feet. He leapt up with the grace of a cat to perch on the edge of the tank. "Have you lost your ever-lovin' MIND?!!"hissed Kento. "That's NOT Baby!!" Cye just threw him an impish grin and dove into the water. Kento gasped - the whale shot towards Cye at top speed, jaws wide open. Kento nearly pissed himself before he realized this was a game. Cye held the massive jaws apart, wrestling playfully with the huge mammal. A rather one-sided game of tag ensued, the two of them swimming circles around each other. Shaking his head in stunned disbelief, Kento could only watch.
He's nuts.... he's just plain nuts. If the damn thing didn't swallow him whole, he was going to be very lucky. He marveled at Cye's lack of modesty. Maybe he was just shy around people.
    As he watched Cye dip and dive, it occurred to him that he was graceful as any fish in the place. Cye swam with the same natural ease with which most people breathed. He streaked past underwater, yanking playfully at the whale's fin. He stayed underwater so long, Kento began to worry. He couldn't hold HIS breath for that long. Maybe Cye was used to it...... Cye surfaced with a splash, grinning at him. Kento took the opportunity to scold him.
    "Cye! Yer gonna die from the cold, man!! C'mon outta there!" Cye's only reply was to dive back underwater and keep on swimming. Kento growled in disgust. Cye wasn't coming out until he was good and ready. And who knew when the hell THAT would be? He looked at the grey shadowy forms drifting in the tanks that lined the walls. Speckled grey dolphins gathered close to the glass, watching the activity in the whale tank. The ghostly white shadow of a Beluga whale in a nearby enclosure made Kento jump. It was an unreal-looking thing. He shivered in the damp air. Hurry up, he thought.
    After about 45 minutes, Cye reluctantly hauled himself out of the water. He dropped down to the floor, dripping and grinning. "Shit! Ya idiot - aren't you cold?!"
    "Nah!" Cye shook himself like a dog, spraying Kento.
    "Dumbass." Cye laughed, not the least bit hurt. Usually he'd be shivering by this point, but instead he felt exhilarated. Looking somewhat sheepish, he glanced around. "Crap - I forgot to bring a towel this time."
    "Here." Kento wrapped his jacket around his bare shoulders. "You're gonna get sick wandering around like that," he scolded, sounding very much like Mama for a moment. He made a face. "What the hell am I saying? You're already sick!!"
Cye sqeezed water out of his hair, looking for all the world like the proverbial drowned rat.
    "Hey, so my definition of "fun" is a little different from other people's. Sue me."
    "Know what, Cye? You're a lousy liar. You didn't come here to swim with Baby at all!"
    "Nope. But if I told you I was going to go swimming with Kodo, would you have let me come?"
    "Hell, I would've nailed you to the FLOOR if I thought you were gonna do THAT, Cye!"
    "Exactly" Cye patted the glass tank, affectionately. Kodo bumped the glass with her snout in reply.

    "Hell, now I know why you've got so many swimming trophies," commented Kento. "Look at the teacher you've got!"

    "Secret's out!" grinned Cye. He used his T-shirt to blot water from his hair and dry himself off a little. Somehow, he managed to get himself more or less dry. Prodded on by Kento, he hurried into his clothes, getting his shirt on backwards in the process.
    They managed to sneak back out without attracting any unwanted attention. The train ride home was uneventful. They crept upstairs without making a sound. To Kento's relief, there was nothing but snores to be heard from his parents' bedroom. Cye was trying hard not to giggle. Frowning, Kento shoved him in the direction of the bathroom.
    "Get in there, Fish."
    "What for?" whined Cye, tired enough to drop.

    "Man, your skin is like, freezing" Kento eyed him with concern.
    Cye tried to brush him off. "Aw, Kento - I'm fine!"

    "Bullshit. Go take a hot shower!"
    Cye folded his arms stubbornly, giving him an irritated look. "You worry like an old Mother Hen, Kento! I am NOT cold."
    Kento glowered at him. "You go and take a hot shower NOW - or I'll tell Mama what you did!"
    "Hey!"
    "GO -" He shoved Cye none too gently towards the bathroom.
    "Ok, ok," grumbled Cye. He supposed it wouldn't hurt to wash the fishy smell off himself anyway. If his mother found out about his little adventure, there'd be major hell to pay. Her reactions in the past to this sort of thing had been.... less than encouraging.
    As it turned out, a shower was a wonderful idea. The hot water felt good on his tired body. Once he was convinced that he longer smelled like a Friskies factory, Cye fumbled sleepily into his PJ's. He shuffled back into Kento's room, only to find him already asleep. Too tired to even take off his coat, he lay sprawled across both the cot and the bed.
    "Me too," muttered Cye drowsily, smiling at his friend's lack of stamina. He flopped down beside him and dropped into welcome sleep.

    Kento's eyes snapped open. For some reason he couldn't fathom, he was suddenly very much awake. What was it? He moved his eyes only, looking around the darkened room. Cye snored softly beside him. He was dead certain he'd heard something else. A flash of motion caught his eye, and he looked up. His breath sucked in sharply. The ceiling and walls were alive with flickering, wavering blue lights chased through with silver. They reminded him of the water reflections he'd seen at the aquarium. He blinked hard. The lights didn't go away. They weren't the least bit frightening - the shifting patterns were rather pretty. Kento blinked sluggishly. Cye was dead asleep beside him. Just like he should have been. It had to be a trick of his tired eyes.... or a reflection from something metallic outside. There
was enough loose junk in the yard to throw some really weird shadows.
    Unable to keep his eyes open any longer, Kento threw the covers over his head with a yawn. He gave Cye a shove so he'd stop snoring and plunged back into sleep.

****** To be continued********

Next Chapter: Dodge | Back

UPDATE: On the now somewhat-behind-schedule fan art book. For anyone interested in sending in art for the Samurai Souls collection, please see the end of chapter 7 for all the gruesome details. Several people have expressed
interest in buying copies of the book when it is finished, but we need more material. Please send your drawings of your favorite characters and scenes from this fan fiction! I'm aiming for a hundred pages, but have only a dozen pieces so far. What has been sent so far is REALLY cool looking. Thanks to everyone who has sent me goodies so far - more is always welcome. (= Domo Arigato, Everyone!! >^;;^<