The Deep Recesses of Natsumi's Mind

                                           Commons – Section B64

How Shinji could see in the torrential downpour and in the dark was still a mystery to him, and he was more than grateful that his outfit was, more or less, waterproof. He still wished, though, the Whirlwind Brigade had picked another night to do random patrols through the streets, hunting for Sector Security.

“Oi, Damon,” Shinji shouted over his shoulder to his fellow D-Wheel rider on his left. “Would it have killed you to look at the forecast beforehand?”

Damon laughed as he made his way next to Shinji on his D-Wheel. “The newspaper said clear skies, Shinji. I don’t know what else to tell you.”

“Tch. Fine, whatever. Everyone, be careful. I’m not fixing any D-Wheels that skid,” Shinji announced. His three other companions laughed as they rode along the cracked and empty streets, something that Shinji was grateful for. The people of Commons generally liked to stay off the streets after about 7 p.m. or so because that was when Sector Security liked to do their daily rounds. For the most part, 7 p.m. was prime time to get off the streets unless you wanted to be arrested for no reason.

As Shinji and his crew rode along, however, they heard an inordinate amount of Sector Security D-Wheels and cars, and Shinji, being most familiar with all the sections of Commons, instantly recognized Sector Security’s direction: they were heading towards the A block of Commons. If he remembered correctly, most of Sector Security’s arrests involved people living in that area.

That meant someone there was in trouble, and Shinji felt his stomach grow knots.

“Should we chase after them?” a raucous voice inquired, whom Shinji instantly recognized as Mihael’s, one of his friends from his Facility days, along with Frederik, who was also part of the brigade. He was the one, in fact, who suggested the creation of the Whirlwind Brigade, a gang devoted to the protection of Commons from Tops and Sector Security, in the first place.

Shinji smirked to himself. “We sure should,” he answered. “And it looks like whoever’s on their radar really needs our help.”

“But, Shinji, “Damon spoke up, “what if it’s actually a dangerous criminal they’re after? What then?”

The appointed leader of the Whirlwind Brigade sighed. It wasn’t the first time Damon had brought that up, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last either. While the man understood Damon’s concern, especially since none of them could take any dangerous criminal on in a fist fight, one criminal isn’t the same as an oppressive system designed to tear you down.

“You gotta give our fellow Commons the benefit of the doubt, Damon,” he replied. “If it’s a dangerous criminal they’re after, we’ll back off. But how many of those are in Commons? Believe in our comrades.”

“Yes, Shinji!”  

                                           Commons – Section A???

Shinji, Damon, Mihael, and Frederik rode into Section A of the Commons area, their ears greeted by the blasts of sirens coming from the Sector Security D-Wheels and cars. Shinji raised an arm as a signal and the four of them split into different directions. Taking this opportunity, he assessed the situation as best he could in the downpour. Tens of D-Wheels, one Sector Security officer holding a megaphone. But Shinji still couldn’t see who the unfortunate victim of Sector Security’s bias was. Not that he wanted to be too close unless he wanted to risk blowing the entire operation. So, he drove onward slowly, inching closer and closer to the excitement of the night for Section A.

At last, his eyes caught sight of Sector Security’s unfortunate victim of the night: a young man who appeared to be slightly younger than he was with orange hair that reminded him of fire and a face marred and tattooed with several criminal markers. Shinji couldn’t stop his mouth from hanging open. How many times had this guy gone to the Detention Centre? And what on Earth for to get all those marks on his face? Maybe Damon was right. Maybe this guy was out of their league for their rescue operation, even if he did look to be shorter than Mihael, who’s the shortest of the four of them.

Shinji was about to turn around and call off the patrol for the night when he looked at the heavily marked man again. He hadn’t seen the first time, but he could then see the man was gripping a small child close to his body, as if his life depended on it, while being down on one knee. Shinji’s initial emotion was sympathy for them, as in a “well, that sucks, but nothing I can do” kind of way, but, the more Shinji looked at the two of them, the more his heart burned. It wasn’t sympathy he was feeling.

No. It’s.

It’s jealousy.

And it’s eating him from the inside out, from his heart to his stomach.

Family units were extremely rare in Commons, so whenever Shinji saw one or a few, it also gave him immense distress. He could make all the friends he wanted. That wasn’t hard for him. But, in the end, he couldn’t consider any of them family. The emotional commitment was something he had been afraid to take on, and yet, that relationship, that closeness, that bond was something he had always desired, deep down. So, seeing a man with this child – it was a hard sight for Shinji to stomach. Here was someone who possibly had something he’d always wanted.

That man . . . he wasn’t a criminal who was going to harm him or his friends. He deserved to be safe and free from Sector Security’s clutches as the rest of them. If not even more so.

And Shinji wanted what he had. He gripped the bars of his D-Wheel tighter as he made his way toward the commotion of the Sector Security officers closing in on their targets. Hopefully, the other three would be able to hear him over all the rain.

“That’s as far as you go!” Shinji shouted, catching the attention of all the officers as well as the man holding the small child.  He maneuvered his D-Wheel to topple Sector Security D-Wheels to the side, distracting them. The whoosh of arrows could be heard, followed by the yells of other officers behind him. Good. His pals had heard him. He needed the distraction if he was going to get the man and the kid to safety. But, the man had to trust him first.

Shinji took off his helmet and placed it on his D-Wheel and made his way over, the man watching him carefully all the while. He had a feeling this wasn’t going to be an easy operation, but it was the right thing to do, regardless.

“Security after you?” he asked, immediately regretting the question. That was stupid. Of course they were.

“Ye-Yeah,” the man muttered loudly enough that Shinji could barely hear him as he readjusted his hold on the child with him who, Shinji now realized, was either passed out or fast asleep. Well, at least he gave the question the dignity of an answer.

“We can’t stick around. My buddies’ll take care of Sector Security while you, the kid, and I escape and take you to where you live,” Shinji explained. Then, glancing in front and to the sides of the man, he inquired, “Got a D-Wheel with you?”

“No . . . I left it,” was the reply.

Oh boy, Shinji thought. Yeah, this definitely wasn’t going to be easy. He could only smirk. He had a feeling he knew the answer to his next question– especially considering that the man knelt to the ground as if he had an intense injury – but he asked anyway, “Well, can you at least walk?”

The other nodded no, and Shinji couldn’t help but laugh. He knew it.

“Didn’t bring a D-Wheel, can’t walk. Amazing Security didn’t catch you already!” Shinji exclaimed, being unable to contain his laughter. Unfortunately, the man didn’t seem to be in any mood for joking around by the frown on his face. Not that Shinji could blame him, but it would help if he lightened up a bit.

“You gonna help me or not?” the man retorted, causing Shinji to stifle the rest of his laughter. “I got to get this little squirt home. And two other kids are waiting for me.” At the mention of the other kids, Shinji’s urge to laugh dissipated completely. Not just one kid, but he’s taking care of three? Most families Shinji knew of only had one kid, and they had trouble taking care of the one as it was. But, here this man was, saying he had three kids to take care of as if it was no problem.

Shinji wanted to know more about him, about how he lived and took care of the three kids. It was just mindboggling. But, they had to get away from the commotion. First thing’s first, though.

“Only after you tell me your name.”

There was a period of silence between the two of them, with the pouring rain and the screams of Sector Security officers being attacked by Shinji’s comrades’ Duel Monsters being the only sources of noise.

“Crow Hogan,” the man replied.

“Shinji Weber. Let’s get goin’ before Security gets us.” Shinji started to make his way toward his D-Wheel, but he noticed the man not moving, and, instead, glancing at him, at the kid he was carrying, and then back to him.

“But, there’s only room for one person,” he said. “How’s this gonna work?”

Shinji smirked as he put on his helmet and mounted his D-Wheel. “You’re Commons, aren’t you? You figure it out.”

Crow looked at the D-Wheel again and sighed. Adjusting the small boy and bringing him closer to his chest, he slowly got up and walked – or rather, shuffled - cautiously towards the insect-shaped motorcycle. Then, leaning on Shinji for support, his bicep firmly against the middle of Shinji’s back, he sat sideways.

“You better drive carefully and get us back or you’ll regret it,” he hissed. Shinji could only laugh. This was a going to be a long, but real fun night.

 After asking Crow rapid-fire questions about where he was staying, Shinji finally managed to get him and the child to their place of residence right as the downpour worsened. He couldn’t see that well in the rain, but it looked like a moderately sized house, with a deck and all that jazz. Considering that most of Commons either lived on the streets, underground, or in shacks, this place seemed like a castle in comparison to all of that.

“This is it, right?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Crow replied. He didn’t move. Taking a deep breath, he turned his head to the side. “Sorry, Shinji, but can you carry Tanner in? My leg’s not gonna let me walk and carry a child at the same time.”

Tanner, huh? So that’s the boy’s name. The corners of Shinji’s mouth formed into a smile as he dismounted his D-Wheel. So, Crow was more injured than he initially let on, huh? “Sure thing. Where does he go?”

The other made a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a cough. “The couch, for now. Just as you walk in, to the right. He might get a craving for tuna and wake up and go to his room. That’s what I’m hoping for, anyway.”

Shinji raised his right eyebrow. Even though he lived in such a nice place? “Tuna?”

“Yeah. It’s the only thing I can afford to get these kids to eat. And bread too on occasion, if I’m lucky,” he replied, placing the small boy in Shinji’s arms. Instinctively, Shinji brought the boy against his chest, and, without another word, carried the boy inside the house. After being outside in the rain for so long, he felt relaxed with a roof over his head.

Glancing to the right, Shinji found the couch in question but realized that just as he had been outside in the rain, so had the boy he was carrying. And it would be disastrous if he caught a cold, especially since Shinji wasn’t sure if Crow had anything for colds. At that moment, finding a towel to dry him off with was priority. Still carrying the boy and being incredibly thankful that he was such a deep sleeper, Shinji made his way around the house in search for towels. Much to his surprise, he only found one towel in what he guessed was the common bathroom area that hadn’t been used recently – the other three were either sopping wet or were drying still. He sighed and made it a point to advise Crow to get more towels. There should at least be two for each person, for crying out loud.

Taking the towel, Shinji gently wiped Tanner with it, making sure he was as dry as possible. Then, walking back to the gathering area, he gently placed the boy on the couch, double checking that there was enough support – torn up pillows and all – for his body if he did decide to sleep there for the night.  

“Mission accomplish –“ Shinji almost said out loud, but he remembered what Crow had said earlier.

“And two other kids are waiting for me.”

There were two other little ones Crow was looking after. And since Crow’s having issues with his ankle, he couldn’t exactly check up on them before he had to turn in for the night. So, Shinji felt compelled to check on them too. He remembered passing by what looked like a bedroom in searching for the towels, so he made his way back in that direction. Peering in, he saw one mattress, and, stepping fully inside the room, he saw two children, one girl with curly red hair and a boy with what looked like green hair, who looked a few years older than Tanner, fast asleep, holding hands. Shinji, smiling, quietly made his way back to the front door and to the outside, where Crow was still waiting on Shinji’s D-Wheel.

“Okay, Tanner’s on the cou—” he started to say, but Crow unexpectedly cut him off.

“Whatever you stole, you better put it back,” he hissed, causing Shinji to take half a step back. The other then blinked a couple of times and put a hand to his head, unsure as to why Crow was so upset all of a sudden.

“Huh?!” Shinji reacted, trying to keep his voice down as to not wake the kids.

“There’s no way you couldn’t have seen the couch. It’s right as you walk in. So, what took you so long, huh? Don’t play dumb with me.” Crow accused, also trying to control his volume, Shinji noticed. “You definitely stole something.”

The other let the accusation sink in, letting a period of silence rest between them, save for the rain. Then, he laughed, and it turned into a belly laugh. How ironic, Shinji thought. Damon thought he was a dangerous criminal, Shinji certainly had second thoughts about rescuing him from Security just because of his criminal markers, and now, he was getting that distrust back double fold. Served him right. Feeling particularly gutsy, Shinji placed a hand on Crow’s shoulder, with Crow staring at his hand, saying, “I don’t take advantage of folks and then steal. That’s not my thing. Look,” he took a step back, raised his arms, and turned his back to him while looking behind him, “even if it was, I don’t have any way to carry anything. Not even the D-Wheel you’re sitting on has any room. You gotta trust me on this.”

Crow jerked at the mention of his D-Wheel, but, then he quickly regained his composure. “Sounds sorta convincing, but that still doesn’t explain why it took you so long,” was the reply. “I could have you punished for trespassing.”

Trespassing, holy crap. This guy sure isn’t messing around. Shinji swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat. But, it’s understandable why he was so on edge. After all, who wants a stranger they didn’t completely trust being around their loved ones? That’s a lot of risk. It really was a good thing that Shinji was the one who found him.

“Well . . .” Shinji sighed and shrugged, “You did mention you had two kids waiting for you, so, after I put Tanner on the couch, I looked for them and made sure they were alright. I figured with your leg injury and all, you wouldn’t be able to do it yourself. By the way, they’re fast asleep.”

Crow looked to the ground.

“And, also,” he continued, “I had to dry off Tanner so that he wouldn’t catch a cold, so I was also looking for towels. You really to invest in more of them.”

The other huffed and crossed his arms. “You didn’t have to do that. They’re my responsibility,” he retorted. “And, just so you know, I can walk just fine on my own –“ he jumped down from Shinji’s D-Wheel, but, as soon as his feet touched the ground, Crow went down, wincing and holding his ankle. “Ow.”

Shinji laughed at the sight. Stubborn through and through. But, he couldn’t just leave Crow like that, outside in the rain. He could probably move by himself, but that would cause more damage to his ankle. So, Shinji gave a half-joking, half-serious suggestion.

“You want me to take you in too?”

Yeah, right. was Shinji’s immediate thought. He was on thin ice with Crow as it was, so there’s no way he’d say ye-

“Yeah, sure,” Crow cut his train of thought off, and Shinji jolted in response. Well, there’s some way he’d say yes, apparently. On cue, he walked over to the injured party and scooped him up by the legs, one arm supporting them while the other supported Crow’s back. Crow, as if out of reflex, wrapped an arm around his neck.

“Huh. You’re lighter than I thought you’d be,” Shinji muttered.

“Shut up,” Crow snapped, but Shinji could see, even in the rain, that his face was flushed. The other laughed as he carried him inside, back to the dryness, and, with Crow’s directions, to his room. It was a space to the side, with a window full of cracks and a bed that for sure had been home to ants and who knows what other kind of creatures. After gently laying the injured party on the bed, Shinji took a step back.

“And my work here’s done,” he announced.

The other glared at him before gingerly taking his boots off. “Then leave. I appreciate the help tonight, but don’t come back here.”

He’s one of those guys, huh? Shinji sighed. So, Crow still didn’t entirely trust him, even after all of that. But, why did that matter to him? The objective of the Whirlwind Brigade was to help the Commons in immediate trouble, and, once that was accomplished, they shouldn’t have anything to do with that person unless they find themselves in trouble again. He only had to help Crow and that boy – Tanner  – escape from Sector Security. Nothing more.

Nothing . . . more.

But, that was the dilemma. Shinji just couldn’t leave things as they were. Not when those kids’ only caretaker had a severe ankle injury that limited his movement. Who was going to find food and other necessities for survival? Who was going to make sure they were safe at night? And not only that. Shinji didn’t know what it was, but there was something about the family unit that made him want to stay. He was jealous of the tight-knit group, after all. And he wanted – no, needed to know more about it, about them.

Rather than risking the immediate wrath of the injured guardian, though, Shinji shrugged his shoulders and tiredly smiled. “I’ll be making my way out then. You won’t be seeing me around again, promise,” he lied, hopefully for the last time, as he made his way through the door. Taking one last look at Crow, who had curled himself up in a woolen blanket, Shinji couldn’t help but stare longer than he needed to. Catching himself, he quietly closed the door.

                                               ~The Next Day~

                          Commons - Section A45 (Hogan Residence)

Carrying a large paper bag of loaves and some spare butter packets he found, the blue and purple haired man cautiously made his way inside the house. First, he looked over at the couch where he had laid Tanner and noticed the couch only had the pillows and the blanket. A quiet laugh escaped; Crow was right. Shinji didn’t know when the kids or Crow woke up, and he doubted that the man he rescued would remember his threat to him the night before, but, just in case, he had to be careful.

Remembering the kitchen area from his roaming around the night before, he went straight there and set the bag on the table. His initial plan was to just set the bag down and leave, but then he thought better of it. Yeah, Shinji. Just leave a bag of normally expensive loaves and butter here. They’re not going to find that suspicious at all. So Shinji decided he would stick around and explain it to at least the kids. After that, he would leave.

“Oh man, what did I get myself into?” he laughed, sitting down at the table. No sooner had he done that, the sound of one . . . two? No, three pairs of footsteps filled the humble abode’s atmosphere as well as the sound of chattering.

“You think Crow’s awake?” whispered one of the kids with a light, high-pitched voice. That must be the girl Shinji saw last night.

“He better be!” replied another. The voice was slightly deeper, so Shinji imagined it was the older boy of the group. “And I’m gonna give him a piece of my mind for making us worry!”

“Ah come on, Frank, don’t be like that,” the girl replied. “If it weren’t for Tanner falling behind, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“No fair, Amanda!” cried a voice that was a higher pitched than the girl’s. That must be Tanner’s voice. “You guys were moving too fast!”

“Either way, Crow’s gonna get it, and you’re not gonna change my mind,” Frank announced.

Shinji covered his mouth to contain his laughter so as to not get caught. It’s clear that Crow’s raising these kids. They sounded just like him. But, that wasn’t necessarily good news for him in the “making the kids trust him” operation. If they had as many trust issues with strangers as Crow did, it’s going to be a long, long morning.  

And Shinji was just about to find out how long the morning was exactly going to be. The three kids made their way to the kitchen area where he was comfortably sitting, and, upon seeing Shinji, Amanda and Tanner took a step back while Frank put out a protective arm over the two of them. The expected reaction to a stranger in their home. Shinji got up from his chair, and the three kids stepped back even further.

“Listen, I –“ Shinji started to say, but Frank interrupted him.

“Who are you? What did you do with Crow?” interrogated the oldest boy a little loudly, his voice trembling. They were afraid of him, Shinji realized.

“Keep it down. Crow’s asleep,” he replied, trying to make his voice sound as convincing as possible.

“So you came in last night and knocked him out?” Amanda spoke up, her voice also wavering. Shinji also noticed her eyes were incredibly puffy.

Oh boy. “What? No, no. I didn’t do anything to him, I promise,” Shinji waved his arms in protest. “If you would just listen –“

“We’re listening,” Frank interrupted, bringing his protective arm closer to Amanda and Tanner.

Shinji looked at Tanner and sighed, causing Tanner to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

“I . . . I saw Crow and you, Tanner, in trouble with Sector Security last night,” Shinji explained. “While my buddies took care of Security, I took the both of them and brought them back here, since Crow didn’t have his D-Wheel with him. And his ankle’s no good, so he asked me to bring in Tanner for him, which I did.”

Tanner nodded slowly, and then gasped as if he realized something. “Wait, so that’s why I was on the couch.”

“You got it,” Shinji flashed a thumbs up. “And I brought Crow in too, since he’s got ankle issues.”

The older two kids looked at each other and snickered. On the one hand, Shinji was relieved that the kids were finally comfortable just enough with him, but, on the other, he didn’t understand what was so funny.

“What?”

“So, how’d you carry him in?” Frank asked.

“Yeah! Did you carry him in bridal style?” Amanda chimed in, her voice a little too eager for Shinji’s liking in asking that question. Shinji’s left eyebrow twitched.

“I carried him in. That’s all I’m saying,” Shinji protested. “I just met the guy last night, okay?”

“So that’s a yes,” Frank nodded.

“No, I –”

“It’s okay, we won’t tell Crow you told us,” Amanda winked, and Shinji could feel all of his defenses crumble. The relationship assumption aside, he didn’t expect the kids to accept his explanation of last night’s events just like that, and he certainly didn’t expect them to think that something was going on between their guardian and him, which there wasn’t. Sighing, he sat back down in his chair.

“So, you guys trust me now?” he asked.

“Depends. What’s in the bag?” replied Tanner, who looked intently at the large paper brown bag with the loaves. On cue, Shinji grabbed the bag from behind him.

“Ah, this? Well, Crow had mentioned that all you guys get to eat around here usually is tuna, so I managed to snag some not-tuna on the way here,” he said quite proudly. “I got a really good deal on this bread and butter, so I thought I’d bring it here for you guys.”

The three kids looked at Shinji – or rather, the food in his arms – with sparkling eyes, all three simultaneously making a gulping sound.

“We. We can have this? Are you sure?” Frank asked, trying to keep his drool from traveling too far out of his mouth. Shinji laughed as he shook the bag.

“I got it for you guys. Of course you can have it,” Shinji smiled. “Make sure to leave some for you-know-who, though.”

“You-know-who….?” asked Tanner, looking upwards and putting a hand to his head.

“He means Crow,” Amanda answered, and Tanner, making an “oh!” sound, pounded a fist into his hand, which meant, Shinji guessed, he finally understood.

Shinji gestured to the kids for them to help themselves, which they did. He helped them divide the loaves in portions that would fill them up for the next couple of hours. After they devoured their fill (and after Shinji and Amanda made sure to leave part of a loaf for Crow), Shinji stood up and said, “Okay, so who wants to go with me to town to get more food?”

“Me, me!” Frank and Tanner both said at the same time, and Shinji laughed at their enthusiasm to do the most basic of chores. No wonder Crow kept them around. Their eagerness surely kept things light-hearted. Shinji noticed Amanda was unusually quiet at the suggestion.

“Amanda? What about you?” he asked. Amanda nodded her head in the negative.

“I’ll stay behind. In case Crow wakes up before you three get back,” replied Amanda.

“Be sure to tell him we’ll be right back if he does!” Frank instructed, to which Amanda nodded.

Shinji smiled. What an unexpected turn of events. It’d been less than 24 hours, but the three had already treated him as one of their own, as if he was a part of their family. All because he brought Crow and Tanner back to them. And, even though he told Crow last night he’d stay away, he really did hope, deep down, that things would stay as they were, if not better.

“And we’re off!” Shinji announced, although not too loudly.

                                 Commons Marketplace - Section E

Shinji glanced at Frank and Tanner, who were constantly readjusting their grips on their plastic bags filled with tuna, fruit, applesauce and whatever else they could find . . . and that Shinji could afford.

“You guys okay? I could carry another bag –“ he started to say, but Frank and Tanner shook their heads furiously.

“Nah, we’re good,” Frank replied. “Crow didn’t raise no quitters.”

“We’ve gone through worse. We can manage,” the younger of the two, the one Shinji rescued the night before, reassured – or tried to, Shinji guessed – his and Frank’s companion, although the statement did anything but what he intended.

Shinji’s face fell, just wondering how those two, Amanda, and Crow even survived before he, quite frankly, barged into their lives unannounced. Then again, he knew next to nothing about their day-to-day or what the kids liked or even how Crow acted when he didn’t have to worry about strangers, so, for all he knew, they had a system that worked. There was still some time before they got back to the house – they had just passed the fruit stand that’s a few blocks from Section A – so Shinji spoke up, “This might sound like a weird question, but just what kind of guy is Crow anyway?”

Frank and Tanner both looked at the sky with pensive faces, as if trying to figure out how to possibly answer such a sudden question. After what seemed like an eternity, the two smiled and looked straight ahead.

“He’s a little rough around the edges –“ Frank started.

Shinji scoffed underneath his breath. “No kidding.”

“- and he yells at us if we do something we’re not supposed to do, but he gives the best hugs though,” finished Tanner, his eyes gleaming.

“And he always makes sure we’re fed every night,” the older boy continued. “Even if . . .” Frank frowned and stared at the ground as the trio continued to walk, “even if that means he doesn’t get to eat every now and then. He doesn’t think us kids notice, especially since he tries to hide it, but we do.”

“No kidding?” Shinji chimed in, making no effort to hide the surprise in his voice. Crow was willing to go that far, was willing to go some days without eating, just for the kids?

“And he gave us a nice place and lets us sleep there when no one else would,” said the younger boy, fumbling with his grocery bag.  

“Yeah. We really lucked out with him,” Frank agreed.

Shinji, listening to the boys go on and on excitedly their guardian, was cut to the heart. The more he knew about Crow, the more he realized he judged him wrongly without knowing anything about him. Underneath the tough, “back off or else” exterior was someone willing to risk it all for the most vulnerable, even at the cost of his own life. The toughness was probably a defense, built by many years of hardship and hatred that surrounded the Commons every day, and to protect the kids he cared for.

And Shinji thought he had it rough. And he lived by himself.

Crow really was incredible, and those kids really were lucky.

Shinji suddenly laughed for a good minute, with Frank and Tanner looking at him like he had gone mad. He shook his head, saying, “Sorry. I’m laughing at myself, not you guys. Come on, we’re almost there.”

                        Commons - Section A45 (Hogan Residence)

Shinji, Frank, and Tanner entered the house and dropped their grocery loot on the dining table. Frank and Tanner both collapsed on the kitchen floor, exhausted.

“Finally . . .” Frank muttered.

Shinji snickered at the sight. “I tried to help you, but you guys didn’t want it.”

“We know . . .” Tanner said slowly, closing his eyes. Shinji smiled and decided he’d deal with that later, but first, he needed to let Amanda know they came back

“We’re back!” Shinji announced.

“Welcome back, Frank, Tanner, Shinji!” Amanda appeared from Crow’s room and ran towards Shinji, wrapping her arms around his waist, and catching him off guard. Shinji glanced at his two shopping companions who only grinned.

They trusted him. They really trusted him.

He hesitantly put a hand to the top of Amanda’s head and rubbed it gently. The young girl only tightened her hold, and Shinji took that to mean the gesture was okay. After a few seconds, Amanda let go.

“How was the shopping trip?” Amanda asked, but, looking at Frank and Tanner lying on the ground, she laughed. “It certainly looks like it was a trip.”

“Oh, can it, Amanda,” retorted Frank. “I didn’t think the bags would be that heavy. That’s all.”

“Suuuuuuure,” was the sing-song reply. Shinji could only laugh at this exchange, even though maybe he should’ve intervened. But, he decided to let it go.

“So, how’s the patient?” he asked, smirking in the direction of Crow’s room.

Amanda laughed and shrugged. “He’s awake, and he took the water just fine, but not the bread,” she replied. “And after we made sure to save it for him too . . .”

The kids trusted him, but Crow still didn’t. Seemed about right. Shinji sighed as he made his way towards Crow’s room, saying, “Frank, Tanner, help Amanda put away the groceries. I’m gonna have a talk with the patient.”

“Okaaaaaaaay, Shinji . . .” Frank and Tanner moaned in unison, still laying on the floor.

Shinji slowly opened the door. The tension in the room was thick enough that Shinji could cut it with a knife, especially with the way Crow glared at him. He looked at him, then at the uneaten loaf next to his feet, and then back to Crow.

“Come on, that’s some really good bread!” Shinji exclaimed, trying to ignore his nerves. “I got a good bargain for it. I didn’t poison it, promise.”

“Shinji, what’s the meaning of this?”

Shinji gulped. The kids might trust him, but Crow still seemed far from ready to accept him. So, to try and diffuse the situation, he decided to play the dumb act. “What are you talking about?”

Crow’s eyes narrowed. “The food – if you really didn’t poison it. The kids knowing who you are, this patient business . . . What gives? I thought I told you to leave us alone.”

He did remember after all, much to Shinji’s disappointment. But, Shinji wasn’t entirely disheartened. After all, the kids trusted him. Putting his hands on his waist, Shinji sighed.

“Think about this. Your ankle’s no good, the kids can only do so much for you, and there’s barely food here. If you think I’m just going to ignore all that, well, sorry to break it to you. That’s not gonna happen.”

Shinji expected a rebuttal, but, for the first time in the past 24 hours, the other didn’t have one. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Shinji took the opportunity to continue.

“As far as the kids knowing who I am, I told them about last night. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have trusted me.”

Crow nodded slowly, as if trying to process the latest batch of events that occurred while he was out cold. After a pause, he asked, “But, why, Shinji? Why go out of your way to do all this just for some guy, some former criminal, you just met last night? If it’s out of pity, then I don’t need it, so you can just go ahead and leave –”

Shinji interrupted him by waving an arm, not just because he was wrong, but he didn’t want to hear anymore. He realized why Crow was so stubborn in accepting him. Shinji wasn’t the first to offer Crow and the kids help, it seemed. But, with those other times, they’ve been taken advantage of. And Crow was sick and tired of it, so, rather than accept the help, he turned people away.

And it hurt Shinji to realize that. He couldn’t imagine where he’d be if he didn’t get the help he needed from his friends or if he had been taken advantage of. But, Crow had to live like that. And yet . . . that jealousy for the life he lived with those kids remained.

“It’s . . . It’s not out of pity, believe me,” he said. “Actually,” he laughed, “it’s the opposite really.”

The orange-haired man raised an eyebrow. “The . . . opposite?”

Shinji put a hand to his face, combing through his hair with his fingers. A nervous habit he developed. Even if Crow wasn’t going to accept what he was about to say, he still needed to say it.

“When I saw you and Tanner that night, I was jealous. You don’t see very many family units in Commons, and I didn’t have any family growing up.” Shinji paused to laugh. “I want what you have, Crow. And that’s why my pals and I helped you and Tanner then and why I’m helping you now.”

Shinji noticed Crow’s shoulders relax and his eyes soften, the most docile he’s seen him in the past 24 hours. “Shinji . . .”

“But, I get it. You don’t want a stranger intruding, and you’re concerned about the kids’ safety,” he inhaled and exhaled slowly. “I still want to help you out, though. Help you with those kids. At least until you can walk properly again. After that, I’ll leave you alone. I mean it this time.”

And he did. Even if he wanted what Crow had, it’s no use trying to barge in where he wasn’t wanted.

Crow stared at him, but the stare wasn’t as intense as before.

“I’ll be around, so if you need anything in the meantime, let me know,” Shinji turned his back to him. “See you around.”

Shinji had reached for the hole in the door that he assumed had once been a doorknob and his fingers had wrapped around the opening when he heard a desperate voice call out, “W-Wait!” He froze, not turning around.

“What is it now? You gonna file a restraining order?” Shinji laughed nervously. He heard Crow clear his throat.

“No, no, nothing like that,” was the reply. “It’s . . . It’s nothing, but . . . really. Thank you for everything, Shinji. And . . . just know you can come back here any time, even when-no, especially when my ankle’s better. The kids and I wouldn’t mind.”

It took all of Shinji’s willpower to not let his jaw drop, not believing at all what he just heard. He turned to stare at Crow, whose face, for whatever reason, was extremely flushed. This was the same guy who threatened to have him punished for trespassing last night and was giving him a hard time? The same guy who wouldn’t let total strangers near his kids for their safety?

He was letting Shinji into his and his kids’ lives and letting Shinji be a part of a family, like he always wanted? Just like that?

Not believing what he just heard, he asked, “You’re-You’re not cracking one of your bad jokes, are you? Frank had said you were prone to doing tha—”

“Who said I was cracking jokes?” the other interrupted, waving a hand as if to push Shinji out the door. “Get out of here before I change my mind.”

Shinji laughed. Crow’s certainly rough around the edges, but, since Shinji finally knew why, it’s almost adorable really. He was looking forward to visiting again.

                                             Sendou – Kai Residence

Warm and gentle early summer sunlight peeked through the royal purple curtains, illuminating the face of a young man with short blue hair who grimaced at the contact. Realizing that it was indeed morning and it was the long-awaited day, Aichi forced his eyes open, sat up, and looked over at his sleeping partner, mouth hanging open, brown hair completely disheveled.

“Kai-kun. Kai-kun, get up! The day’s here!” Aichi whispered excitedly, gently shaking him back and forth. Kai, however, much to the young man’s non-surprise, turned over to the other side, his back facing him, pulling a pillow over his head. Aichi exhaled a sigh of frustration.

“Kai-kun!”

“You can call me Toshiki, you know,” mumbled the other, who was secretly smiling at Aichi’s exasperation, trying to keep from laughing. Realizing he wasn’t going to get him at out of bed, Aichi huffed, intentionally grabbing one of Kai’s purple blankets, and went to the bathroom without another word. Sensing that his favorite blanket was missing moments later, the brown-haired man – about 28 years of age – threw the pillow from off his head and sat straight up, his hair even more disheveled than before.

That Aichi was more mischievous than he let on.

“Can I have my blanket back?” Kai called out as the other gargled and spat out his mouthwash. The blue-haired man – about 27 – wrapped the blanket around his shoulders and walked back to the bedroom. Instead of responding right away, he sat on the edge of the bed and gently placed Kai’s hair strands in their proper place – at least, in a way that made his partner look like he didn’t just get up, even though he did.

Kai’s face turned two shades of red at the gesture, but he made no attempt to stop him. Instead, having regained his composure, he closed his eyes, the repeated sensation of Aichi’s fingers gently sweeping across his forehead lulling him in a trance of sorts, with only the sound of chirping birds to be heard and Aichi’s soft humming.

“That should do it,” his partner announced, placing the purple plush blanket around Kai’s shoulders. “It wouldn’t make sense for our new family member to look better than you.”

Kai huffed jokingly. “Whatever,” he said, his playful pout turning into a soft smile as he wrapped the blanket around the other and pulled him closer to him, close enough that their foreheads were touching.

“Someone’s sure in a mood this morning,” said Aichi in a low tone, his smile evident in his voice. Kai only gripped him closer, resting his chin on his shoulder. He knew he and Aichi had to head out to the adoption center soon, but moments like this were as rare enough as it was. Between Kai’s veterinarian job and Aichi’s Cray research fellowship, it was a miracle in itself they didn’t have to rush out the door first thing in the morning, much less get the entire day off.

“Just let me have this,” was the reply. Aichi relaxed even further in Kai-kun’s embrace, also taking in and absorbing this rare, slowed-down moment between the two of them. What’s even rarer was the fact that Kai-kun was the one who initiated it, but there’s a first time for everything.

Aichi, being the first to let go after a few minutes, had last minute preparations to make before the two of them headed out for the day. Kai took the opportunity to finally get dressed, tossing on a faded red t-shirt from his Vanguard European tournament days and black jeans. No sooner had he done so, his phone began to wildly buzz. Looking at the caller ID, he laughed.

“Okay, Miwa, what do you want?”  Kai answered, his voice sounding inconvenienced, almost borderline rude, he realized, but only because he knew Miwa, his childhood friend, would understand it as a joke. The other side chortled.

“I would’ve thought getting an actual job and getting married would’ve made you a tad bit nicer,” replied Miwa, “but so much for that.”

“Don’t worry, I’m only mean to you.”

“Oh, thank you, that makes me feel so much better,” returned Miwa, his voice oozing with sarcasm. “Anyway, before you ask, I’m just double-checking if you and Aichi are gonna swing by Card Capital later. Card Capital 1, anyway, not 2 where I work. You do know there’s this huge party today.”

“Yeah, we will,” replied Kai, “but, we’re gonna be a little late, so feel free to start without us.”

“Heeeh? What, are you guys going on a married couple date or something?” Miwa teased. Kai usually wasn’t prone to migraines, but he could definitely feel one coming.

“No. For your information, we’re adopting a –“ he started to say, but Aichi’s voice rang out from the front door, “Kai-kun, hurry up!” Kai pulled the phone from away from his ear and yelled out, “Just a second!”

“Adopting a what now?” Miwa inquired like he didn’t quite believe what he’d just heard. But, Kai couldn’t afford to waste another second, so he just said, “Sorry, Miwa, we have to go now. We’ll see you soon.”

“Kai, wait –“

Kai tapped the red button, shoving the phone in his back jeans pocket and met up with Aichi at the front door. He opened the door to let his husband go through first, leaving him to lock the door.

“We’ll be back,” Aichi said, and Kai short-laughed. It was adorable how he did that.

---------------------------------------------------------

                                                   Card Capital 1

“Miwa, come on, are you sure that’s what Kai said?” Naoki, a red-haired man the same age as Aichi interrogated as he, with Morikawa and Izaki’s help, put up a light blue, sparkle-covered “Happy Birthday, Aichi!!” banner on the back wall, some of the sparkles flying their way onto his plain dark green t-shirt.

“I swear I’m not making this up,” the blond-haired man – about the same age as Kai – defended himself, setting down a cake box on the check-out counter. “Kai definitely mentioned something about adoption when I called him.”

“But . . . adopting a child? Miwa, really?” the manager of Card Capital, Misaki, chimed in, fixing her lavender hair back up in a bun and picking up a box of additional decorations. “Those two have enough on their plates, and I don’t see them adding ‘dealing with the expenses of a child’ to them.”

“I guess you’re right,” Miwa shrugged his shoulders.

“But, what if Miwa’s right though? What if it is a child? Would that make us all adopted godparents?” a dark-blue haired young man, not too much younger than Naoki, spoke up, scratching his head. “Like, would be crazy or what?”

“Kamui . . .” replied Misaki icily, repeatedly beating the palm of her hand with a rolled-up magazine. The younger of the two gulped loudly and hastily went back to setting up additional decorations around the medium-sized shop.

“Well,” another young man, also the same age as Aichi, spoke up, pushing up his glasses, “we’ll find out when they get here, I guess.” Everyone in the shop nodded and went back to their decorating business. Misaki had just finished placing the last of the decorations on the fight-turned-food tables behind a blue curtain when the familiar jingle of bells sounded and Sub-Manager, the resident cat employee, emitted a low-pitch meow welcoming the visitors.

“You’ll have to leave. We’re closed no-“ Misaki almost announced out of pure habit, as many customers had tried to come through despite the signs out front saying Card Capital was closed for the afternoon. But, when she looked up, she saw Aichi and Kai standing at the door . . . with a gold and white dog who was as tall as Aichi’s leg when it stood upright. A Shikoku, if Misaki recalled her dog breed names correctly.

“That’s no way to talk to customers, Tokura,” Kai replied without missing a beat.

“Never mind that,” said Misaki. “What’s with the dog? Did you decide to take up dog-sitting?”

Aichi gently rubbed the top of their furry companion’s head, to which the furry companion panted delightfully, catching the attention of Sub-Manager, who looked at the new furry visitor with annoyance. “Don’t misunderstand, Misaki-san,” Aichi spoke up. “This one’s ours.” Kai, of course, nodded in agreement, crossing his arms and smiling with his eyes closed, like a proud father.

Miwa, Naoki, Kamui, and Shingo all looked at each other, not quite sure how to process the latest development in the what did Kai and Aichi adopt saga.

“Yeah, Miwa, that doesn’t look like a human child,” Kamui broke the silence first, maintaining eye contact with the furry customer.

“Nope,” Morikawa nodded.

“Definitely not,” Naoki agreed.

“Not in the slightest,” Shingo chimed in.

“Doesn’t even look anything like a human child,” Izaki commented.

“Okay, okay, that’s enough. I was wrong. I admit it,” Miwa shouted, waving his hand and rubbing his head in frustration.

Aichi and Kai looked at each other, raising one eyebrow each, frowning. Then Kai directed his gaze towards Miwa and asked, “Mind explaining yourself?”

Miwa pointed a finger at Kai. “You’re the one to talk. You never said you were adopting a dog. You only told me you and Aichi were adopting.”

“Really now?” Kai brought his crossed arms closer to him. “I could’ve sworn I mentioned that it was a dog when you called –“

“You didn’t!”

Aichi giggled at the commotion as he massaged the top of his furry companion’s head. The dog wagged his tail happily, soaking up all the attention he was getting, much to Aichi’s relief, since the dog had been hiding in the back of his cage at the adoption agency.  

From what it sounded like, Miwa had thought they were adopting a child rather than a dog, so it’d only make sense that he and the others would be surprised. The two of them could barely take care of themselves, though, so bringing another human into their already small as it is house was out of the question. Plus, it’s easier to deal with dogs and animals in general than with small humans.

“Can I pet him, Big Brother Aichi?” Kamui inquired, having made his way over to the trio.

“Sure, Kamui-kun!” Aichi granted. The dog released a high-pitch squeal as Kamui petted him.

“He’s so soft,” Kamui commented, ruffling the dog’s fur.

“Right?” agreed Aichi, who joined Kamui in showering the canine with affection.

“I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the fact you two got a dog and not a cat,” Naoki chimed in, scratching his head. “Especially since Kai is obviously more a cat person.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Misaki agreed.

“I figured you’d say that,” Aichi laughed. “Our house felt a little lonely, so we figured adopting a dog was the best way to fix that. But, Kai-kun still got to name him, so it’s a fair deal, I think.”

“Really? What’s his name?” Shingo inquired. Aichi opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by Sub-Manager hissing and the dog growling at each other.

“That’s enough, Ryuu,” Kai reprimanded, like a parent would scold a misbehaving child. The dog, having sensed his name was called, immediately stopped growling and whined, shrinking back against Aichi’s leg. The rest of Card Capital exhaled a collective “Ohhhh.”

“Ryuu . . . huh?” Naoki spoke up after a long pause.

“You named the dog Dragon?” Miwa asked, doing his best to contain his laughter, but, in the end, it was futile, and his laugh echoed throughout Card Capital. “Dragon, oh my god.”

“Shut up,” Kai said, turning away from him, inciting laughter from everyone else present.

“That aside,” Aichi interrupted. “Kai-kun told me we absolutely had to stop by Card Capital today, and we had to hurry as soon as we adopted Ryuu, but he wouldn’t tell me why . . . Also, that blue curtain wasn’t there before, was it? If I remember right, Misaki-san did tell me the shop was being remodeled, but I thought the renovations were done already . . .”

Kai jumped, noting that Aichi was catching onto the surprise, and the rest of the Card Capital inhabitants’ shoulders stiffened. Glancing at Miwa’s direction, he saw Miwa mouth “Tell him to close his eyes.” The brunet sighed and grabbed Aichi by the shoulders.

“Ka-Kai-kun?” Aichi quickly looked up.

“Close your eyes.”

“Eh? Why?”

Kai smiled. It’s a good thing he hadn’t caught on. “Trust me. You’ll know.” The other raised an eyebrow but did as he was told. After he looked over and saw Aichi’s eyes were closed, Kai gave a thumbs-up sign to Miwa, who swung an arm downwards. Naoki, who was standing on a ladder, pulled down the curtain cord, revealing the hard work of the gang’s work of the past couple of hours: the slightly off-center, glitter-covered light blue “Happy Birthday, Aichi!!” banner on the back wall, enough blue and white balloons to turn Card Capital into a temporary balloon store, and the fight tables all covered with streamers, glitter of all colors, and other party decorations that Kai was sure Miwa got from the party store right down the street.

It’s a good thing the adoption process, including the never-ending paperwork, took a little longer than anticipated. All this must have taken a long while to set up, Kai thought. Rubbing Aichi’s arms, he whispered, “Okay, you can open your eyes now.”

“I thought it was taking a while for you all to–“ Aichi started to say, but when he fully opened his eyes, he found the birthday decorations waiting for him and his friends smiling, waiting, no doubt, for his reaction. The blue-haired man unknowingly let go of Ryuu’s leash to cover his mouth with both hands, but Kai swooped down and grabbed the leash before it could hit the floor.  

“This is . . .” was all Aichi could mutter, tears gripping the corner of his eyes.

Miwa laughed. “Just so you know, we put all the decorations together, but,” he pointed a nicer finger at Kai this time, “your husband over there suggested this in the first place.”

“I . . .” the blue-haired man glanced at Kai, who only laughed and gently rubbed the small of his back.

“It’s your first birthday in Japan in a while, Big Brother, so we needed to go all out,” Kamui chimed in, flashing a thumbs up.

“I don’t . . . I really don’t know what to say . . .” Aichi said, letting the tears roll down his face. He hadn’t expected his birthday to be acknowledged, much less a party of this caliber conveniently in the place he forged so many strong bonds with everyone there. “Thank you. Thank you, everyone.”

Ryuu cocked his head upwards. Seeing Aichi cry, he let out a small whine and nuzzled against Aichi’s leg, concerned for his owner, but the man knelt down and petted him.

“It’s alright, Ryuu. These are happy tears,” he said, flashing a smile. Ryuu seemed to understand his human was alright, not in any sort of peril, and barked happily in response, eliciting a small mew from Sub-Manager.

“Well, let’s get this party started, shall we?” Miwa announced.

---------------------------------------------------

                                       Sendou – Kai Residence

After spending several hours at Aichi’s Card Capital surprise birthday party, Kai and Aichi, with a mountain of presents and large card in hand as well as Ryuu, made their way back to their house. Aichi had enjoyed the party at Card Capital, but it felt good to be back home after a long day.

“Welcome to your new home, Ryuu-chan,” Aichi told the Shikoku who wagged his tail happily at the sound of his human’s voice.

“Where do you want your birthday stuff, Aichi?” Kai asked from behind the mountain of presents. Instead of answering the question, the other insisted on helping, but Kai furiously shook his head. “It’s your day. You’re not doing anything of the sort.”

The blue-haired man stared at his husband, then laughed. “I’ve heard that a lot in the last couple of hours.”

“People aren’t allowed to do menial stuff like this on their birthday. That’s just Doing Birthdays 101,” Kai huffed, forcing his way to the dining area. “At least, they shouldn’t.”

Laughing and without another word, Aichi removed Ryuu’s leash and let him scope out his new home so he could adjust. Even if Ryuu didn’t entirely understand, Aichi, nonetheless, explained to the dog about the various rooms of the small house, from the dining room to the living room, which stored Kai’s various European Circuit Vanguard trophies (for now, anyway).

Kai, in the meantime, organized Aichi’s presents in order – by size, by if they were boxes or bags, by cards – since seeing them in a disorganized pile would drive him crazy. Once he finished doing that, he sat down at the kitchen table, watching his husband and their newly adopted furry child roam about the house, with Aichi talking away, and Kai couldn’t help but stare, his gaze softening, lips gently turning into a smile.

He had told Aichi that they should adopt a dog, an older dog, because as snug as their small house seemed, it did feel empty, and the emptiness was best filled by an animal. But, there was another reason Kai insisted on adopting Ryuu, one he’s kept to himself. Aichi hadn’t told him, but Kai knew, from his tossing and turning, his groaning at night, and his tired smile the next day after undergoing such a traumatic ordeal, that he was experiencing vivid nightmares. After the Link Joker incident, Kai too experienced the pain, the immense guilt, and the frustration brought about by lucid dreams of his crimes, and it was only after he confronted that pain head-on with Aichi and the others, when they said that he was forgiven, that he was truly able to recover, enough to the point where the nightmares finally stopped.

But, Aichi . . . His recovery journey was far from over, Kai realized. And it pained him to see the one he loved in such agony, a destructive agony he’s willing to keep inside and mask, not wanting anyone to see.

Kai understood that adopting a dog wouldn’t solve all of Aichi’s problems, but, since Aichi petted practically any stray or leashed dog he saw – which has made the two of them late to very important social functions on occasion (not that Kai minded though) – it’s a start. He wasn’t the biggest fan of dogs, but, for Aichi, he’s willing to change that. He’d do anything, absolutely anything, for him.

Noticing Aichi and Ryuu sitting on the floor in the living room, Kai rose from his chair and wandered over to the duo. Aichi was gently patting the sleeping dog, who was lightly snoring. The brunet looked at Aichi’s eyes and, although he seemed exhausted, they were glistening and at peace. It was the calmest Kai had seen him in a while. He reached out and lightly touched the other’s shoulder. Aichi grabbed the other’s hand with his free one while still petting their newest roommate, their fur child.

“It’s late, so if you want to turn in, it’s fine. I’ll join you later,” whispered the blue-haired man. Aichi expected Kai to accept the offer – after all, Kai was a stickler when it came to bedtime – but, instead, he was gently pulled backwards. Sensing Kai behind him, Aichi leaned back further, positioning himself so that he could listen to and be lulled by Kai’s steady heartbeat.

“You won’t get rid of me that easily,” Kai whispered, gently tightening his hold on him. “Especially not tonight.”

Aichi laughed softly. “I wasn’t trying to get rid of you,” he whispered back. Tears forming at the corner of his eyes, he added, “I already tried that once, and look how that turned out.”

Kai inhaled sharply. He knew it. “Aichi . . .”

Aichi wrapped his arms around Kai’s waist, pressing further against his body. “Thank you for Ryuu, for the party, everything. Thank you for being here with me . . .” a pause. A deep breath. “ . . . Toshiki.”

A gasp involuntarily escaped from Kai’s mouth, but he quickly regained his senses, burying his face in Aich’s hair. He had joked about it that morning, but, actually hearing Aichi finally say his name, his first name, was nothing short of a magical, relieving moment. Only his parents had called him by his first name, and he refused to let anyone call him by that name ever since. No one had been close enough, had beaten down the doors of his heart, faced the darkness and terrors of his mind enough, had borne his anguish, his hurt, his agony and pain, for him to let them say his first name.

No one . . . except the one lovingly locked in his embrace, the one who never gave up on him, and never stopped giving him chances.

His eternal mate and, now, his husband. And he couldn’t have been more grateful.

                                 Plant Cray – Kagero, Dragon Empire

He wasn’t in the middle of a Vanguard fight, and the fate of the world, as far as he knew, was just fine. Yet the ferocious wind surrounded Kai. Ferocious, yet . . . comforting in a way. Looking around the wasteland that laid before him, he cautiously walked, taking in the gravelly sound of his feet against the ground, the wind furiously enveloping him with the contrast of the calm of the landscape before him.

He remembered this sensation from when he fought Aichi, and his Psyqualia had awakened. He had said he didn’t need this power, that he was strong on his own.

Was he dreaming of that time again? Was he that desperate to experience the Vanguard he once enjoyed and . . . and even loved that his own memories are playing tricks on him and showing him this dream? Kai couldn’t help but chuckle, thinking how far his mental state had deteriorated since losing to Ibuki.

“Huh. He really thinks it’s a dream, huh?” a voice – that eerily resembled Aichi’s, only slightly higher pitched - sounded. Kai jumped, hastily looking for the origin of the comment but not seeing it. Sleep deprived, going back in time, and hearing voices of people – beings? – who can read his thoughts? Ibuki’s Deletors did more mental damage than he thought –

“In front of you,  Kaaaaaaaai-kun,” the voice spoke up again. Kai forced his gaze straight ahead, and he made no attempt to hide his shock from what he saw, probably also due to the sleep deprivation. In front of him was a boy who, head to toe, looked exactly like Aichi, black and red Miyaji uniform and everything. But, there was one difference, Kai figured out. Aichi would never make that mocking expression in front of anyone. That’s just not like him. Then again, there was so much Kai didn’t know about Aichi. So, he had to be sure.

“You’re . . . you’re Aichi, aren’t you?” the brunet asked, his heart pounding.

The boy cocked his head to the side and shrugged his shoulders. “I might look like him. I might sound like him. But, too bad for you, I’m not him. Sorry to disappoint.”

The way the Aichi lookalike the other had said “too bad for you,” the way he assumed what he wanted irked him. What’s that supposed to mean? Sure, he had a close bond with Aichi, but it’s not like he wanted to spend every waking moment with him.

“Never mind that,” Kai said evenly. “If you’re not Aichi, then who are you and what the heck is going on in this dream?”

Bringing a hand to his forehead, the other replied, “Bold of you to assume this is a dream.” He sighed. “Whatever. Instead of giving you all the convenient exposition at once, it’d be easier to just show you who I am.” The Aichi lookalike hopped off one of the rocks he was sitting on and motioned for Kai to follow him, which he did. It’s not like he had anything else to do. Or could do, for that matter.

As the pair continued onward on their journey, Kai felt beads of sweat trickling down his neck. He hoped wherever they were going, there’d be water. His companion appeared to adjust to the drastic change in temperature just fine, though. They walked past the fiery landscape, filled with active volcano geysers and smoke billowing from every direction. Oddly enough, the farther they walked, the less dehydrated Kai felt, which confused him. But, considering his companion wasn’t in the explanatory mood, he kept that question to himself.

At last, the Aichi lookalike stopped, and the brunet took that to mean that they had in fact arrived at their intended destination. He looked up to see an overpowering black door that was decorated with flames of all colors and emblazoned with what appeared to be a symbol – the Kagero clan symbol, Kai recognized.  

“Yeesh, he asks me to bring you here, and he doesn’t leave the door open? The nerve….” His companion sighed.

“He?”

“Oh, you’ll meet him soon enough,” the other replied. “Wait here.”

“Not like I can go anywhere else,” replied Kai, to which his companion smirked and floated through the entrance. Kai took a step back in surprise. His companion was a ghost? That couldn’t be right, could it? Still, he waited for the Aichi lookalike to return.

Or, maybe not. It wasn’t long before the door of flames opened to him, revealing a long, dark tunnel filled with lit torches, and the voice of his companion rang out, “Alright, wait’s up. You can come through.” The brunet stuffed his hands in the pockets of his knee-length black basketball shorts and made his way inside, the torches which were slightly above his head being his only source of light. He heard the door close behind him, so he sighed, realizing there was no going back. After being alone with the sound of the drip, drip, drip of the droplets of water behind the walls and the sound of his breathing for what seemed like an eternity, jagged rocks, lava geysers, and several Vanguard units he recognized – who bowed ever so slightly at his arrival - greeted him.

“Aermo. Bahr. Genjo. Raopia,” Kai gasped, as each of the units, when named, lifted their heads slightly.

“Hey, don’t forget the head cheese of this place,” his companion’s voice sounded. He looked straight ahead, finding a red dragon with yellow and red claw-tipped wings towering over the rest of the units. At the sight, Kai felt a pang in his chest, overcome by a sensation, a feeling he’d been lacking ever since the fight with Ibuki: joy.

“Over . . . lord . . .”

The dragon bellowed and dropped down to a knee in response. Taking a few steps closer, Kai closed the gap between the two and reached out to touch Dragonic Overlord, gently rubbing the top of his head, which was surprisingly smooth. It really was him. It really was his Vanguard, the one who carried him through his tumultuous childhood, along with the rest of Kagero. He had dreams as a child of meeting the units, and, if this really wasn’t a dream, this was a dream come true.  

Kai’s companion floated next to him. “Overlord normally doesn’t let anyone touch him, so consider yourself lucky,” he said, sighing and with his arms crossed.

Overlord growled in annoyance in response, but Kai continued to pet him, and Dragonic Overlord stopped growling at once and made a noise almost like that of an older cat’s. Kai couldn’t help but laugh at his companion’s remark. That would explain why Dragonic Overlord was his Vanguard. Both of them liked and needed their space.

“But, yeesh, where is he? I go through all the trouble to call you and he’s not even here?” the Aichi lookalike asked. “What’s he doing? Overlord, do you know?”

The dragon grunted in response, and Kai had absolutely no idea what he said, but his companion seemed to and whatever the answer was, it seemed like good news.

“Oh, good. Took him long enough.”

Kai couldn’t take this mystery any longer. His companion had said he would meet this mysterious “he” soon enough, but how long is soon enough? And who is “he?”

“Well, since he’s taking his time in getting here, mind telling me who you’re talking about?” Kai finally asked, making no effort to hide the impatience in his voice. Before his companion could open his mouth to speak, a strong wind filled the area, causing everyone – Kai included – to hold their ground.

“Yup, he’s here,” his companion said. Whoever he was had a thing for drama, it seemed. Dragonic Overlord turned to face the backside of the cave they were in, on which had appeared a portal of some kind made of fire. Kai watched as a ball of stars popped out of the portal and took shape, a shape similar to that of a human’s. First, the legs. The arms. Fingers. Face. Hair. Until, finally, the long-awaited guest had fully-formed.

And he looked just like Kai.

“What the heck?” Kai blurted out. His traveling companion howled with laughter while those of the Kagero clan looked on. The Kai lookalike, surveying the commotion, sighed.

“You didn’t tell him,” he spoke, focusing his intense, burning gaze on Kai, who took a small step backward.

His companion shrugged his shoulders. “I thought it’d be easier to just show him rather than bore him with the details,” Kai’s companion said. “He’s human, you know.”

The Kai lookalike looked into the brunet’s eyes for a handful of minutes before he floated downwards, feet touching the floor. Kai looked around to see the Kagero units genuflecting, as they had done when he had arrived. Just who was this person? Or being, rather. It seemed that he was the only human in the room.

“Which leaves me to do the explaining. Very well,” the lookalike sighed. A huff could be heard on the other side of the space. “Come with me, Kai. Dragonic Overlord, you too.”

Kai glanced at his avatar, Dragonic Overlord at his Vanguard, and the two followed him past the wall and into a secluded space, surrounded by white light. Their guide threw his arms backwards. As a result, the room turned dark, revealing only a view of what appeared to be the Planet Cray, the moon, and Earth along with another planet Kai didn’t recognize. The three had a thread of blue, purple, white and pink light woven through each, connecting them.

“What-What is this?” Kai breathed. Not that he believed fully anything he saw so far, but he couldn’t believe his eyes.

“You witnessed the fight between Aichi and Takuto under the influence of Planet Brandt’s leader, Destiny Conductor,” he mentioned. “so you know of Cray and Earth’s relationship.”

“Kinda, yeah,” Kai replied, not sure where his guide was headed with that question.

“And, you’re familiar with Psyqualia, yes?”

Kai stood up a little straighter, his shoulders a tad higher.

“Thought so,” the lookalike replied. “All Psyqualia users, when awakened on Earth, have two selves – the earthen self who participate in Vanguard fights on Earth and the pure form Psyqualia self who takes on the appearance of the user and resides in the homeland of the user’s clan on Cray. We were created on what you humans call the moon, but thanks to a mortal error of the Concert Master before this last one, we became an intricate link connecting the three and now Brandt as well.”

“Wait, does that mean he . . . ?” Kai started to ask but cut himself off once he realized the answer to his question.

“Yes,” the guide answered anyway. “The one who looks like Sendou Aichi, the one who led you here is Aichi’s pure form Psyqualia. I had him call you and bring you here.”

“If that’s the case, then are you –“ Kai started to say.

“I’m your pure form Psyqualia, yes.”

The brunet couldn’t help but laugh a little harder than he usually did, with Dragonic Overlord looking on. He had his doubts about any of what he’d experienced being real. That answer just proved them right.

“That-That can’t be right,” he said, breathless from his laughing. “I renounced Psyqualia. I said I didn’t need the power. Even if I had that connection, my bond to Vanguard . . .” Kai winced, “. . . to Cray’s been severed. There’s no way.”

His lookalike only stared at Kai and crossed his arms. “’I think, therefore I am,’ huh? Don’t underestimate Psyqualia. Once we’re awakened, we can exist with or without you humans. Our power is not to be underestimated.”

Kai raised an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“To put it simply, even if you don’t use it, even if you choose to not take its power, your Psyqualia form still exists. From the moment the power manifests within you, it comes into being and exists for the lifetime of the wielder,” he explained.

Kai bit the bottom of his lip. He couldn’t abandon Psyqualia even if he wanted to. And that would explain why Ren still had his, despite his lack of interest in using it.  Much like . . . Much like his tie – albeit weak – to Vanguard.

“And, yes, the Deletors did quite a number on you, didn’t they?” the lookalike nodded. “But, it’s not all hope is lost.”

Kai gasped. There was a solution to his problem? “What do you mean?”

“Even if the bond to Vanguard happens to be damaged or even destroyed, each clan has its own way of restoring that bond. And, if the person who has the damaged or destroyed bond possesses Psyqualia, we Psyqualia can help as well,” came the reply.

Rather than feeling joy at hearing the news, Kai instead became irritated – not at his Psyqualia but with the whole situation.

“What’s taking so long then?” Kai interjected. “It’s been months and I still struggle to play Vanguard, enjoy the game like I once did, to imagine myself here.  It’s. It’s embarrassing.” The boy looked downward at the view of Cray, Earth, the Moon, and Brandt.

“I understand your frustration,” said the Psyqualia lifeform. “I’m just as annoyed as you are, believe me. But, sadly, Kagero was one of the clans hit hardest during the war, so the effort is more focused on rebuilding the area. So, it may be a little while longer before your bond is fully restored.”

“That can’t be . . .” Kai muttered, clutching his chest.

Feeling a nudge on the side of his face, he turned to find Dragonic Overlord, having shrunk to the size of a stuffed animal and taken his place on his shoulder.

“Overlord, you can do that?” Kai asked in surprise. The small Overlord grumbled and nodded, nuzzling up to the boy, who, in turn, massaged the top of his head with two of his fingers. The dragon roared happily, but it was clear something was bothering him still, as his eyes narrowed and head moved downward. Kai could only guess that he, as the main unit of the clan, felt responsible for what happened to him.

“Yes, it’s not just me who’s frustrated. It’s all of your units,” said Kai’s companion. “Especially Dragonic Overlord.”

A wave of sadness overwhelmed Kai. His struggle to get back into Vanguard wasn’t hurting only him. It was hurting his deck, his trusted companions, the ones who got him through thick and thin, and they were fighting to get him back as much as he’s struggling to return to the game he loved.

“Isn’t there anything-anything I can do?” Kai asked, his voice cracking.  

“That’s . . .” The expression on Kai’s Psyqualia’s face mirrored Kai’s in response, and the small Dragonic Overlord gave a low grumble, which again sounded much like a cat purring. Kai looked at the miniature form of his avatar and rubbed the top of his head with his pointer finger, which made the dragon content, if only for a short while.

“As long . . .” Kai’s Psyqualia said, “ . . . as long as you don’t abandon Vanguard. As long as you keep playing, that bond will return, stronger than before. Believe in us, the Kagero Clan, and . . . believe in yourself, Kai Toshiki. Believe in your power, your existence.”

A short laugh escaped from Kai’s lips. “Really? Is that all? Well, if that’s so simple, then why am I still -”

“I’m sure I can start over.”

Kai jerked his head upward, with Dragonic Overlord holding on. “Those words . . .”

“. . . are what you told Ibuki after your bond was severed,” replied the lookalike. “You’ve already started the healing process. Just keep on that path, and stay with your friends. They’ll help you.” Kai’s Psyqualia looked at the floor below them, still showing a view of Earth, Cray, Brandt, and the Moon. Under his breath, he said, “As a matter of fact, one of them already has,” but Kai heard it.

“What do you mean?” Kai interjected, but the other refused to give an answer. Instead, he waved an arm, opening a door behind them. He, his Psyqualia, and Dragonic Overlord walked out and found the rest of Kagero – as well as Aichi’s Psyqualia – expectantly waiting. Aichi’s Psyqualia smirked and made his way next to Kai, wrapping an arm around him. “So, did that answer your many burning questions? No pun intended.”

Kai returned a smirk in response and closed his eyes. “It did, for the most part. And I finally get that this isn’t a dream, but . . .”

“But?”

“I still have trouble believing a brat like you is Aichi’s Psyqualia.”

Aichi’s Psyqualia crossed his arms and huffed, which incited snickering on part of the present Kagero units. Even Kai’s Psyqualia, who had seemed incapable of strong emotions up until that very moment, laughed.

“He’s a handful, isn’t he? Unfortunately, that’s just how he is,” he said.

“Oh, shut it, will ya?” Aichi’s Psyqualia interjected. “I’m a delight, thank you very much –“

“Delightfully annoying,” Kai’s Psyqualia dismissed him, which made the other even more irritated, with the Kagero units doubling even more over with laughter. “But, enough about him. We need to get you back to Earth, Kai.”

At that, Kai’s face fell. He hadn’t felt this disappointed, this hurt to be leaving somewhere, since he was tossed around from relative to relative as a child. It was a strange feeling, to him, but, on Planet Cray, he felt more at home than he’d ever been on Earth, even if he was the only human, even if his time there had been relatively short. Kagero . . . they were a family to him, a family he didn’t ever, ever want to lose. But, humans weren’t meant to stay on Cray forever, he guessed.

But, as long as he had Vanguard, even with a weak bond, he was still connected to them. At least that was some consolation.

And maybe. Maybe he could find a home on Earth too.

“Kai?” his Psyqualia asked as if he had been trying to get his attention for the last couple of seconds. The brunet jumped, having been jolted out of his train of thought, and noticed Overlord had hopped off his shoulder and become his full height once again.

“Sorry,” Kai mumbled. “But, before I go, I want to say something to these guys first.”

“Of course.”

Kai looked up, staring directly at each of the units gathered. He took a deep breath. “I know . . .” he started, “I know I’ve mentioned this before, when Psyqualia manifested for me, but I’m incredibly grateful for all of you. I don’t know how long it’ll take for my connection to Vanguard to fully heal, but I’ll do my best to come back to you guys as soon as I can. I’ll pay you back. I promise.”

One of the units who had a human-like red face with blue eyes and fiery red hair but the body and tail of a dragon – whom Kai recognized as Flame of Hope, Aermo – stepped forward, and bowed his head ever so slightly. “No need to pay us back, my Vanguard,” he said. “Your coming here has already done that and more, so we’ll support you as best we can here. Just keep fighting, okay?”

“Aermo . . .” Kai looked up to see the other units nodding in unison. He looked back at Dragonic Overlord, who gave a slight nod. Closing his eyes, Kai fought back tears, much to his surprise. He usually wasn’t this emotional.

“Okay, time’s up, we need to get ya outta here,” Aichi’s Psyqualia announced. At that moment, Kai was enveloped in a bright light, filled with purples and pinks and blues. He took one last look at the units – his units – closed his eyes again and smiled, letting the tears escape this time.

“I’ll come back, I promise.”

                              Planet Earth – Kai Toshiki’s Apartment

When Kai woke up, it was still nighttime; the pitch-black, moon-absent darkness gripped his bedroom, and the only light source was the red time on his alarm clock. He groggily turned over to check: 3 A.M. He still had more time to sleep before he had to get up for school. It was a good thing too, as the journey from Cray back to Earth had taken an unexpected physical toll on his body, particularly his chest.

But, when the boy eyed his deck next the clock, without thinking, he reached for and gripped it. His friends from Cray were here, and they were supporting him. They knew how much pain he was going through, having been separated from Vanguard, and they also were suffering just as much as he was. Neither of them had to go through this alone, though. As long as the card game existed, they could reach each other somehow, someway.

Holding the deck closer to him, as a young child would hold a stuffed animal, Kai went back to sleep.

                           ~The Next Day~ Planet Earth - Card Capital

“Not bad, Miwa,” Kai commented, placing a card in the damage zone, having survived an onslaught of attacks somehow and limiting his damage to one.

Miwa let a short laugh escape. “Not so bad yourself! You sure improved over the last 24 hours. But, on my next turn, you’re still done.”

Kai surveyed the board, noting his overwhelming disadvantage. “Maybe so. I draw.” The brunet ripped a card from the top of his deck, and, upon looking at it, smiled.

“Flame of apocalypse that burns away everything in this world! Ride the Vanguard! Dragonic Overlord!”

Kai hadn’t noticed, but the rest of the shop as well as Miwa were all staring at him incredulously. Once Kai had placed his unit on the table in the Vanguard circle, though, he sensed all the stares in his direction, including Miwa’s.

“What?” he asked in an annoyed tone.

Miwa coughed and replied, “Wel-Well, it’s just. You sounded like your old self just now, and it really surprised me.”

“My old self, huh?” Kai glanced at his Vanguard and smiled. “I guess you could say that.”

Miwa made a “heh?” sound as a response. “Sounds like something happened yesterday after our match.”

Would Miwa believe that Kai was teleported to the Planet Cray, met his Psyqualia self and Aichi’s, and some of the Kagero clan? Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn’t. But, Kai didn’t feel like explaining the whole thing in detail, so he just shrugged his shoulders. Maybe he would tell it to him one day.

“It’s a long story.”

                        Planet Cray – United Sanctuary, Royal Paladin

Aichi’s Psyqualia floated his way through the pristine white halls of United Sanctuary, filled with statues of dragons and busts of the Royal Paladin greats, including one of the current ruler Monarch Sanctuary Alfred. He’d been going back and forth between United Sanctuary and Dragon Empire for a while, but he could never get used to how different Kagero and United Sanctuary were in atmosphere. The Dragon Empire definitely fit his aesthetic more in addition to the clan tolerating his jokes just a little more, but it’s not that he wished he belonged to that clan.

After all, he wouldn’t trade being that kid’s Psyqualia counterpart for the world. Aichi had guts under that soft exterior, and he liked people who had guts.

“Ah, here we are,” he said when he saw the stained glass rotunda and the tall, white thrones. Seated on the main throne in the middle were, of course, Monarch Sanctuary Alfred. Standing to his left was Blaster Blade with King of Knights Alfred sitting to the right. Aichi’s Psyqualia floated his way through the main corridor and towards the three nobles gathered, placing a hand across his chest and genuflecting to acknowledge the three nobles.

“I appreciate the welcome back party,” he said. “I was just expecting the big cheese Alfie and Bladey, so this is a real treat.”

Blaster Blade gave a sigh of what Aichi’s Psyqualia could only guess as irritation – it was the usual reaction from him – and said, “Can you at least be more respectful? You’re talking to the rulers of not just United Sanctuary but all of Planet Cray.”

He crossed his arms and harrumphed. “You’re no fun, Bladey.”

“It’s Blaster Blade.”

“Enough,” Monarch Sanctuary Alfred interrupted the two, his booming voice echoing throughout the throne room, sending a chill down Psyqualia’s non-existent spine. No wonder he didn’t talk much, Psyqualia realized. He can’t talk in a normal pitch. “Psyqualia, I trust that you completed your task, yes?”

Aichi’s Psyqualia once again genuflected, facing the floor, and smiling. “Aichi’s Psyqualia checking in. The Vanguard’s prayer has been received, delivered,  and answered.”

                                         Planet Earth – Card Capital

A high school boy wearing the red and black Miyaji Academy high school uniform walked into the shop and was immediately greeted by the chirping of the card shop’s resident black and white cat who was sitting on the counter, swishing his tail back and forth.

“Hello, Sub-Manager,” Aichi greeted the cat, gently patting him, and the cat meowed again and closed his eyes, indicating his approval.  His time with Sub-Manager was cut short, however, when he heard the grumbling and cheering towards the back of the shop. Turning in the direction of the noise, he saw a crowd of people gathered at one of the tables.

“What’s going on back there?” Aichi mumbled to himself. At that moment, a man with a blue apron with a yellow “CC”, green hair, and thick-rimmed glasses appeared, carrying a box. Noticing Aichi, he said, “Ah, welcome, Aichi-kun.”

“Shin-san, what’s going on?” Aichi asked.

“Well, why don’t you go on and look for yourself?” was the reply. “You might find something very interesting.”

“Ehhhh,” Aichi replied. That definitely didn’t answer his question. Nonetheless, he did as Shin-san suggested and walked over to the table with the crowd of people, but still couldn’t see all that well because of his height, so he gently pushed his way through the crowd.

“Excuse me. Pardon me,” Aichi muttered, pushing past one taller person after another until he managed to get to the front. What he saw was more than interesting.

“K-Kai-kun?” Aichi couldn’t help but blurt out.

The brunet, who had his back to the boy, turned to face him, his expression changing from wonder to a soft smile. “Hi, Aichi.”

“Oh, Aichi!” his blond opponent shouted out. “Get this, I think Kai’s coming back around to Vanguard.”

“Miwa,” Kai hissed. Turning back to Aichi, he said, “I still have a ways to go, but . . .” he smiled, his eyes closed, “it’s easier for me to get through a fight without feeling exhausted, so . . . It’s a start, right?”

Aichi could feel tears forming in the back of his eyes, and he dug his fingernails into his palms to keep from crying, but a few managed to escape and run down his face. His prayer – that Kai-kun’s bond to Vanguard could start to be healed– had really been answered. And he couldn’t have been happier.