I pick up a pack of seeds and inspect it curiously, I notice the aura of the alfalfa is red… I sigh as my head starts to ache, "Gakupo," I call lightly, "I can't focus enough on anything… will you find the seeds I need?"

"What color do you want the auras?" Gakupo smiles lightly.

"Green for healing and peace and nurturing and new growth and balance," I answer and rub my temples. I look around and find a bench, then quickly sit down before I get another major headache, "Thanks… you're such a great friend…" I can't manage better words right now… it probably sounds sarcastic, "I'm not being sarcastic either… I just can't… think right now…"

I feel a warm hand press against me and I feel over heated instantly, "You're sick," Gakupo's deep voice makes me shiver… his warm breath is really close.

"I'm fine," I answer, "Wizards barely get sick. I can't be sick."

Gakupo chuckles, it's a deep sound that makes my cheeks flush as my head feels like it's about to split. He sighs, "We'll finish up here and I'll take you home. You'll get too hot if I have you ride on my wolf form," he sighs, "So I'll stay in this form and carry you on my normal back. I'll be quick."

I wipe sweat off my head and pull my scarf closer to hide my face as I cough a little, "Thanks…" it's barely a whisper, I have no idea if he heard me… the wall is so cold… I lean my head against it and sigh contently… it's like ice… I love how Gumi set up her shop in her basement… it's nice and cool… In my head I think of Sweetness by Jimmy Eat World and doze off…

"Kaito," Gakupo taps my forehead with one of his long finger nails and chuckles again, "Gumi said she'd give us a ride in the back of her truck until the road is done… then we'll get home quick," he had a hopeful glint in his voice.

"Cool," I rub my eyes, "We still have a parking spot cutout I think…"

"Yeah, yeah," Gakupo answers me and I notice him giving me worried eyes.

Told by Gakupo

"Cool," Kaito mumbles as he rubs his eyes with tired hands, "We still… parking spot… I think…" he mutters and I can barely tell what he says other than a few words. He's really pale… his scarf is drenched in sweat and it's really just a sad sight.

"Yeah, yeah," I smile and I can't get the worry off my face.

Gumi walks up as get Kaito on my back, "He really is sick… I'll help you carry your stuff… you bought an awful lot…"

"I'll probably personally run back into town to get some stuff if I can't get better," I sigh and notice Kaito instinctively hug my neck and I hold his legs, "I'm worried about him. Wizards really don't get sick often."

"Want me to watch over him when you go back to town…" she pauses, "Get stuff now…"

"We only brought enough for stuff here," I answer and open the door with my elbow and let Gumi out first, she starts her truck and I climb in the bed of it then move Kaito so he's in my arms, then I sit down and shift Kaito so he's on my lap.

"Gakupo… when will we get home?" he ducks his head in his scarf and coughs, he's no longer trying to hide his being sick.

"Soon," I answer and notice he's sweating more, "When we get home I'll get you some boneset… I think you have the flu…" I notice how he seems to be clinging to me for warmth now… it's weird…

"I'm so cold now," he mutters, "I think it's a Wizard version of the flu…"

Gumi opens the back window of her old farm truck, "Do you have everything you need at your home?"

Kaito sighs, "I have no idea… I'm sorry."

I shrug, "Hopefully, otherwise I'll run into town again."

"Want me to get anything?" Gumi asks.

Kaito and I both answer, "No, it's fine."

Kaito slumps against my chest, he sneezes into his scarf… now that I think about it, he has been sneezing a lot lately… and he's been more quiet than I've ever seen him… usually he's harvesting mushrooms and herbs like mad… all the time… Even though his magic keeps our property in harvest time at all times… and mine keeps plants growing in one fourth the time it takes for other places… yet he still harvests as though that harvest may be our last…

Then a dark thought pops into my head… maybe I could get him to talk to me while he's sick. There's so much I'd like to learn about why he does certain things… but I could never ask him when he's healthy. Perhaps him getting sick will help me learn about him more… I mean… I know he found me as a dying youkai and turned me into a chimera because we're old friends, but we have a lot hidden about each other from one another… it's a difficult thing to explain…

"Gakupo," Gumi calls, "Did you hear me?"

"Sorry, what'd you say?" I raise my eyebrows apologetically.

"You're fine," she laughs as she starts toward the edge of town, "But I got a text that people want to give you both some things."

I sigh, "I need to get Kaito home… mind if I ask him?"

Kaito slaps himself and sits up, "Okay. I'll go into good mode," he wipes the sweat off his face and hides himself pretty well with his scarf… it tugs at my heart with how he pulls some herb out of pocket and wipes it on his face, "I won't sweat on my face for about an hour… we will have to be quick."

Gumi smiles, "Cool, we're meeting at Old Town Inn," she turns into the parking lot.

I notice Kaito drinks a small bottle of something, "Okay," his color starts to go to normal and he starts to get a normal aura. He gives me a sorry look, "I'll be like this for about three hours… afterwards I'll be out of commission," he sighs, "Forgive me, but I don't want people to know how bad it is," his voice gets normal now and he jumps out of the truck quickly and catches himself on the truck. He pulls out another small bottle and drinks it and he seems to regain his muscles after a moment or two and then he puts the bottles back in his coat to stay concealed.

"Kaito!" Rin smiles brightly as she runs up with Len, "Hey!"

Len smirks, "You always avoid coming to town all the time! We want to play!" he was hiding his concern.

Gumi walks up to where I was seated in the bed of the truck, "They all know Kaito is sick. They're actually going to give him a lot… they just texted me after I texted them to let them know he was sick… you might get visitors now and then…"

"Thanks," I sigh and fight back a lump in my throat, "He's never gotten sick in the time I've known him… and we've been friends for five hundred years…"

Gumi sighs, "I know…" then she looks at me, "Who's older… you or him?"

"Me I think," I shrug, "Yeah, me."

Gumi looks at me, "What's it like?"

"It's normal for me," I shrug, "Why're you bring this up now?"

"Do you think he just might be tired? I mean we might all die at any time and you him have a better chance of survival," Gumi's green eyes lock onto mine, "Think about how many friends you've seen die… Kaito was in the war before he came here… he lost every single friend he had before he came here."

"Really?" my eye brows peak at the center, "Do you think he wants to…?"

"No one really knows," Gumi shrugs, "But Kaito has also made it clear he plans to figure something to let anyone who wants to live like he does," she gets a sad smile, "I would never accept, but… it's a nice though, isn't it?"

My eyes scan Gumi's eyes… large pools of green that question my thoughts… her aura purple for wisdom and blue for sadness, "Gumi… I'm sorry… maybe I'm holding onto him more than I should."

Gumi sighs, "Well he must've had some reason for making you a chimera," she chuckles, "Let's get going."

I watch Gumi walk towards the Old Town Inn. Meiko walks out with a bottle of sake and hands me one, "Come on, you're old as dirt, but you can come," she reeks of booze… I follow her in and Miku is standing with all the other town folk.

Kaito walks over to me with a smile, "Apparently they got the idea I'm sick," he laughs whole heartedly, "That's untrue, right Gakupo?" he smiles at me.

"Of course it's wrong," I nod. He's actually very sick.

Miku looks at me, "Really?"

"Yeah, really."