by Haruka

"And _then_ they said, 'I want a dinner for one'."
Fish Eye frowned at Seiya. "But we don't have anything called 'a dinner for one'."
"No, nothing _called_ that, but lots of meals that could be considered that. Yaten was doing cash that day, and he just looked at the guy and said, "We have eighteen dinners for one, which did you want?"
Fish Eye giggled. "I get the idea Yaten shouldn't be put on cash."
"They don't schedule him there unless they absolutely have to," Seiya agreed. "Yaten shouldn't deal with the public. As you'll find out when you start cash yourself, you need _infinite_ patience, especially on Stupid People Days."
"What's _that_?"
"A day when you get a lot of people asking questions like 'are those hotwings hot?'"
Fish Eye laughed. "I hope it wasn't Yaten who had to field that question!"
"No, Tamahome took that, and he was great with the customer, but once they left we all cracked up."
"I don't think I could have kept a straight face."
"It's not easy sometimes." Seiya reached into the glove compartment and began digging through cassette tapes. "Do you mind some music?"
"No, that would be great."
Seiya put in a tape and turned it on. Fish Eye listened to the sweet melody and rich vocals and enjoyed it, but didn't recognize the group. "That's pretty," he said. "Who is it?"
"Me!" Seiya grinned. "Well, me and my brothers. We have a singing group called The Three Lights. No one told you?"
"No," Fish Eye admitted. "Are you famous?"
"Only around here. We've played a few local gigs, parties, school dances and stuff."
"I'm impressed all the same," Fish Eye said. "I'd like to hear you play live sometime."
Seiya grinned at him. "Then I'll make sure you do."
Fish Eye returned the grin and thought Seiya had beautiful dimples.

"Where the heck is he taking him?" Yaten complained. "I don't know anything of interest in _this_ direction!"
"Knowing Seiya, it's something out of the ordinary," Taiki commented, then frowned. "I'm really not that comfortable staying right behind them like this Seiya's likely to recognize the car."
"So slow down!"
"I can't," he replied, glancing into the rear-view mirror. "There's a car behind us. It's been following us for a while."
"Slow down anyway," Yaten advised. "Make him pass us."
Taiki slowed the car while Yaten twisted in his seat to look behind them.

"Uh oh," Hawk Eye said. "That car up ahead is slowing down. I think they want us to pass."
His brother's eyes widened. "But we _can't_ pass! If we get too close, Fishie will see us!"
"Don't worry, I'm staying right behind this car. They'll get the idea and speed up sooner or later."

"What is WRONG with those people, they're not passing us!" Yaten exploded. "If we go any slower, we'll lose the van!"
"I don't understand it. Maybe it's a very nervous driver." Taiki turned the wheel. "I'll just pull over. They'll _have_ to pass then."

"Hey, they're pulling over!" Tiger Eye cried.
"I guess I'll just keep going, but stay far enough behind the van so they won't see us." Hawk Eye passed by the red car on the side of the road.

"Okay!" Taiki said. "Now we can get back on the road before we lose the van!" He pulled back out onto the street.
"Some people shouldn't be driving," Yaten grumbled, glaring at the silver car up ahead.
Taiki glanced down at the speedometer. "Uh ... Yaten? Don't get upset, but they're slowing down."
"WHAT?!" Yaten sat up straight. "They can't slow down, we'll lose the van!"
"Well, what do you want _me_ to do? We can't pass them, or we'll be in Seiya's line of sight, and we can't stay here if they slow down much more."
Yaten watched their speed go down another notch. "Damn it, they're trying to force us to pass _them_!"
"This is ridiculous," Taiki muttered and pulled around the silver car to move over in front of it. He then slowed down so as not to be too close to the van up ahead.

"Is there some REASON why those people are playing Musical Cars with us?!" Tiger Eye screeched.
"None that I can think of and don't yell in my ear!" Hawk Eye snapped.
"Well, I'm not just going to sit here!" Tiger Eye leaned over to honk the horn, but Hawk Eye grabbed his wrist.
"Are you out of your mind?!" He cried. "Fish Eye will _definitely_ notice us if you hit the horn!"
Tiger Eye exhaled in frustration, then cranked down the window. He leaned half out of it and waved his arm wildly. "Hey, you! You're going slow enough to get a parking ticket! Move it!"

Taiki glanced into the rear-view mirror and blinked. "Someone in the car behind us is about to fall out their window."
Yaten opened his own window and stuck his head out. "What's _your_ problem?!" he shouted.
"Yaten, don't get into a shouting match with the guy in the other car please," Taiki sighed, reaching over to yank his brother back inside.
"HEY!" Yaten protested, glaring at Taiki. "What's the big idea?!"
"You were about to start crawling out the window and I don't want you splattered all over the street," Taiki said reasonably. "How would I explain having blood on the car to Mama?"
"Oh, thanks!" Yaten snorted and twisted around to glare at the car behind them. His green eyes widened suddenly. "Taiki, I think I know that guy!"
"Which guy?"
"The driver the one who just pulled the blonde big mouth back into the car. I saw him at the restaurant, he's Fish Eye's brother!"
"What?!" Taiki's brakes squealed as he pulled off the road and he and Yaten jumped out of the car, waving to the silver vehicle.

"Those guys are flagging us down!" Tiger Eye said, bouncing in his seat. "Stop! Stop! I wanna kick their butts!"
Hawk Eye's jaw dropped. "Tiger Eye, those are Seiya's brothers!" He pulled over and got out with Tiger Eye following. The two of them and Taiki and Yaten all started talking at once.
"What are _you_ guys doing, driving like that?!"
"Us?! We were doing perfectly fine until you started slowing us down!"
"We didn't slow you down, _you_ slowed _us_ down!"
"What are you talking about?!"
A throat cleared in the silver car and the four boys turned to see four girls peering out the back seat windows.
"The Quartet!" Tiger Eye gasped. "How long have YOU been there!"
"Since you left the driveway, stupid," Jun Jun replied.
"Just thought we'd let you geniuses know that you're losing the van," Ves Ves said.
"Auugh, she's right!" Hawk Eye cried and darted back to their car with Tiger Eye behind him.
"It looks like we're all following Seiya and Fish Eye," Taiki called over his shoulder as he and Yaten ran for the red car. "So let's not mess each other up anymore and try to work together!"
"Yeah, yeah, get in the car, Taiki!" Yaten cried, diving into the passenger side.
Car doors slammed on all sides and the two vehicles renewed their pursuit.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now!" Seiya said.
Fish Eye opened his tightly-shut blue eyes and gasped in amazement at what loomed before him. "An aquarium! Oh Seiya, how did you know I'd love something like this?"
"Just call it a hunch," he said and jumped out of the van. He went around to open Fish Eye's door for him, then the two of them headed for the ticket counter. "I haven't been here myself since I was a little kid and I've heard they've really expanded and added a bunch of new exhibits since then."
"I can't wait!" Fish Eye grinned excitedly. "I used to practically _live_ at the aquarium in our old city!" A momentary frown passed over his face. "Until ...."
Seiya glanced at him, noticing his change in tone. "Until what?"
"Nothing, nothing at all." Fish Eye smiled brightly. "This was so thoughtful of you."
Seiya smiled back, enjoying Fish Eye's obvious pleasure.

The red car pulled into the parking lot first, and the silver one followed. The van was parked a couple of rows away.
Everyone got out and joined up by the red car. "What _is_ this place?" Hawk Eye frowned.
"Seiya's idea of a joke maybe," Yaten said. "Taking a fish to an aquarium. Hey, Taiki, maybe he really doesn't like Fish Eye and just wanted to insult him."
"An _aquarium_?!" Hawk Eye and Tiger Eye exclaimed together.
"Yes, they have some beautiful samples of marine life from all over the world here," Taiki said. "I did a research project on exotic sea mammals once and the information I picked up here was very informative." He looked at Yaten. "And I _don't_ think Seiya would go to all the trouble of setting up a date with Fish Eye just to insult him. He must genuinely think he would enjoy a place like this and why wouldn't he? _I_ like it."
"Oh, don't worry," Tiger Eye sighed. "Fishie'll love it."
"In more ways than one," Hawk Eye agreed.
"What are you babbling about?" Yaten frowned.
"Palla Palla wants to go inside and see the pretty fish!" piped up the small blue-haired girl.
"We have to be careful, remember?" Cere Cere told her. "We don't want Fish Eye to catch us."
"I don't care if he catches us." Jun Jun shrugged. "He _expects_ stuff like this from us!"
"Yeah, but not from _us_!" Hawk Eye retorted. "And if he finds out we've followed him, he'll pluck me!"
"I don't even want to imagine what he'd do to me," Tiger Eye remarked.
"Seiya wouldn't be thrilled with the two of us, either," Taiki said. "So it be hooves us all to work together and stay as inconspicuous as possible."
"Eight people following them?" Ves Ves chuckled. "Nothing conspicuous about _that_."
"Then why don't you four go home?!" Tiger Eye told them. "You've got no business being here anyway!"
"And _you_ do?" Jun Jun said.
"We're here to protect Fish Eye's honour, of course."
"Hey!" Yaten snapped. "Are you suggesting Seiya would do something to Fish Eye against his will?!"
"We've heard your brother's reputation," Hawk Eye said. "He might not force Fishie into anything, but we know he can charm people into almost anything."
"Why he'd want to waste time charming that fish is beyond me, and he's sure to come to his senses before the evening's over!" Yaten retorted.
"Personally, I'd like to just go home." Taiki sighed.
"Sure," Yaten looked at him. "You go ahead and face Mama alone. I'll join you later, after she's tired herself out on _you_."
"Touche," Taiki said quietly.
"We're staying, too, boys, so get used to it." Ves Ves folded her arms. "So do we go in, or what?"
Hawk Eye ran a hand through his pink hair. "Yeah, we go in. But everyone be quiet and don't get too close to them."
"Be quiet, right." Yaten looked dubiously at the four girls. "We'll be about as quiet as a brass band with all those little girls along."
Jun Jun glared at him. "Hey, ever hear about the blonde who got fired from the M & M factory for throwing away the W's?"
Taiki grabbed Yaten to keep him from launching himself at the green-haired girl. "Let's just go inside. We can make introductions on the way." He steered Yaten toward the entrance and glanced at Hawk Eye. "By the way, what did you mean before about Fish Eye and the aquarium? You seemed concerned for some reason."
"Well," Hawk Eye sighed, "Fish Eye has a little ... problem ... whenever he's around fish. We're as much our animal selves as we are human, and some basic instincts can be hard to suppress ...."

Fish Eye was having a great time and was glad that Seiya seemed to be enjoying himself, too. They stopped to examine every display, laughing over the antics of the penguins behind one glass and stepping back automatically when a shark neared them from another. They had been there for almost an hour when they came to the Amazon exhibit.
"Oh!" Fish Eye cried in delight as he ran into the room. "This is my native habitat!"
Seiya looked confused. "What do you mean?"
Fish Eye laughed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound strange. The kind of fish I change into is from the Amazon a lion fish." He ran to the glass of the tank and began searching the various species drifting through the water. "That one!" he pointed.
Seiya stepped up to join him and studied the beautiful streaked fish with its unusual spiked fins and tail. "It's stunning," he admitted. "And you can turn into one of those?"
Fish Eye giggled. "Yes, but I'm just a _little_ different. Hawk Eye and Tiger Eye tell me that my fish self has blue eyes." He nodded toward the fish. "See the tips of the tail and fins? Those are poisonous."
Seiya grinned rakishly at him. "And I thought a cute little fish like yourself wouldn't have any defenses."
Fish Eye tossed his hair and winked. "You'd be surprised."

"They're flirting," Yaten said flatly as the group of spies peeked around the corner. "I may barf."
"Ew, not here, you don't!" Cere Cere protested.
"Ssh, do you want them to hear you?" Taiki cautioned for the eighty-third time.
"Come on, Fishie, get out of there," Hawk Eye murmured.
"Now, before it's too late," Tiger Eye added.
"You guys aren't still worried about what you were talking about before, are you?" Jun Jun looked over at them.
"Fish Eye hasn't done anything," Palla Palla remarked.
"Not yet, but " Hawk Eye began.
Seiya's voice carried over to them, "Hey, look, it must be feeding time!"
Tiger Eye sighed. "_Now_ it's too late."

Fish Eye stared at the fish in the tank as new expendable victims were tossed in as food for those bigger species on display. The lion fish focused on a wiggling minnow and swallowed it whole.
"Did you see that?" Seiya said excitedly. "One blink and it's gone! That's amazing!"
Fish Eye watched as the other fish took advantage of the new weaker newcomers. He felt something familiar stirring inside him and fought to control it.
"Whoa, that big fish just bit that other one's head off!" Seiya exclaimed, then looked at Fish Eye in concern. "This isn't grossing you out or anything is it? We don't have to watch."
"No, I'm fine," Fish Eye replied, keeping his voice and expression carefully schooled. In the dim lighting, Seiya didn't notice that his date was paling. "Um ... where can I find the ... uh ... facilities?"
"Oh!" Seiya said. "Back in that hallway, just around the corner." He pointed.
"Thanks. I'll be right back."

"He's coming!" Hawk Eye hissed. "Run for it!"
The group of them scrambled down the hallway into the next room and peered around the doorway to watch Fish Eye leave the Amazon display. He paused in the hallway to catch his breath, then looked up as one of the aquarium caretakers emerged from behind a nearby closed door. He shut it and nodded to Fish Eye, then left. Fish Eye examined the door, clearly marked, 'No Admittance.'
"What's he doing?" Yaten muttered.
"Arguing with himself," Tiger Eye replied in a whisper.
Fish Eye put his hand on the doorknob.
"And losing," Hawk Eye added with a sigh.
They watched Fish Eye slip inside the restricted door and close it behind him.
"What's in there, anyway?" Ves Ves asked.
"That's the stairway that leads to the top level of the tanks it's where the staff go to feed the fish," Taiki explained.
Palla Palla frowned. "Fish Eye is not allowed to go up there. He'll get into trouble."
"Only if he gets caught," Hawk Eye said.
"And it wouldn't be the first time," Tiger Eye put in.
"Come on!" Jun Jun ran out into the hall. "Let's go see what happens!"

Seiya sat down on one of the cushioned benches in front of the tank and surveyed all the various species as they quickly and neatly finished off the smaller fish they'd been given to feed upon. It was an amazing thing to watch, nature in action or at least simulated nature in a controlled environment. The fish didn't know the difference probably, all they knew was instinct. Food was presented and they went for it. He noticed a red, round-finned, particularly plump fish that seemed very slow and languid drifting toward one of the smaller ones. At the last moment when it seemed about to pass it by, its head turned in a lightning-quick move and the little fish was gone. Seiya was still marvelling at that when the plump fish itself disappeared.
He blinked, not sure of what he'd seen. Where did it go? There were no other bigger fish in the vicinity that could have eaten it, and he was sure it didn't swim away that quickly without his seeing it. An after-image of a green-scaled hand flashing toward the fish flickered at the back of his mind, but he dismissed it as imagination.
"I don't get it," he murmured, scratching his head.

"Did you guys see _that_?" Jun Jun whispered excitedly. "Fish Eye grabbed it!"
"He really did it," Yaten said in disbelief. "He _took_ that fish and is probably eating it right now!"
Taiki covered his brother's mouth. "Seiya will hear you!"
Yaten struggled away and glared at him. "I don't care, he _should_ hear me! He's dating a cannibal!"
"Fish Eye isn't a cannibal!" Hawk Eye snapped. "He can't help himself sometimes, it's fish instinct!"
"He's always had this problem," Tiger Eye said. "We can't take him into pet stores in case he tries to sneak a snack."
"Well," Taiki said slowly, "personally, I understand the instinctual drive, but for practicality, he's stealing. That was probably a very expensive, rare specimen."
"That's the real problem," Hawk Eye admitted. "We're afraid he's going to get himself arrested sometime." "He's been caught before," Tiger Eye said. "But that was when he was younger, back home."
"There was this fresh fish store near our house," Hawk Eye continued, "and because Fish Eye loved fish so much, and we liked it, too, Mama used to take us there to select some for dinner at least once a week ...."

The little bell rang over the fish store entry door as Sagara Nuriko held it open for his three six-year-old children. They tumbled into the store excitedly and began darting around to look in the display cases.
"Hello, Astor." Nuriko smiled at the big shop keeper.
"Good to see you, Nuriko, and how is your husband?"
"Oh, he's fine."
"Look, Mama!" Tiger Eye pointed. "They have big shrimp!"
"Big shrimp!" Hawk Eye laughed. "That sounds funny!"
"Those just came in," Astor remarked. He reached down to scoop up Fish Eye before he could disappear behind the counter. "Got you, little one!" He chuckled warmly and tickled him.
Fish Eye giggled. "Don't! Put me down, please."
"I will," Astor said. "Right here." He placed Fish Eye in his big hanging scale and took note of his weight.
Nuriko and his other two sons watched in confusion. "Astor? What are you doing?"
The big store owner lifted Fish Eye out of the scale and placed him on his feet, watching him scoot off with his brothers to the other end of the shop. "Well, I'll tell you, Nuriko," Astor grinned sheepishly. "I didn't want to say anything, but last time you and your young ones came in, a little chunk of my cod stock was missing from behind the counter. Time before that I was short some haddock. Before that it was mussels. I'm used to letting neighbourhood kids go all over the place on their own, but Fish Eye's the only one who ever ventures behind the counter."
Nuriko looked horrified. "You mean he's been taking fish from you? But I've never seen him leave with anything or I'd have stopped him."
"Of course you would have, that's why he eats it on the spot." Astor grinned. "I could be wrong, that's why I weighed him just now. When you're ready to leave, we'll know for sure."
Nuriko spent another fifteen minutes in the fish shop choosing what he wanted and chatting with Astor. Finally, he called the children over. "We're leaving now, boys!"
The three of them scampered to his side, but Astor scooped Fish Eye up again. "Whee!" Fish Eye giggled.
"Back in you go, little one," Astor said and plopped him down onto the scale once more.
"What's he doing with Fishie, Mama?" Hawk Eye asked.
"Is he gonna put him in the counter like the other fish?" Tiger Eye asked worriedly.
"No, sweetheart, don't worry," Nuriko said, although he looked rather concerned himself.
"Ah ha!" Astor declared as he checked Fish Eye's weight. "Our little one's not so little anymore; he's gained four pounds!"
"Fish Eye," Nuriko said sternly. "Did you eat anything here?"
Fish Eye gripped the chains of the scale, his lower lip trembling. He glanced at Astor, who smiled reassuringly.
"I'm not mad at you, child, but I think you'd better answer your mama."
The six-year-old's blue eyes cast downward. "Yes," he whispered.
Nuriko sighed. "I'm sorry, Astor. When you figure out what I owe you, please let me know."
"Don't think anything of it." Astor chuckled, lifting Fish Eye off the scale. "We'll just keep an eye on him in here from now on."
Nuriko took a firm hold of Fish Eye's hand and looked down at him. "I don't know if I'll ever bring him in here again," he admitted.
Hawk Eye leaned close to Fish Eye. "Yeah, but if we do, we _will_ put you in the case with the other fish!"
His brother's eyes widened and he promptly burst into tears.

"You were a rotten kid, weren't you?" Jun Jun asked Hawk Eye in admiration.
"Nah, but I felt sort of responsible for Fishie, even then," Hawk Eye admitted.
"Did Fish Eye ever get to go back to the store?" Cere Cere asked.
"Yes, but anytime he did Astor weighed him coming in and going out." Tiger Eye grinned.
"Speaking of coming in," Taiki interrupted, "I think he's returning."
They all rushed back to the other room and watched Fish Eye come out through the restricted doorway. He glanced around carefully, then closed it and went to rejoin Seiya.
"I thought you got lost for a while there!" they heard Seiya joke.
"Don't worry," came Fish Eye's airy reply, "I can always find my way around a place like this!"
"Can this date get any weirder?" Yaten muttered.

End of Chapter 6

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