A/N

Hello, Nerdy here. I'm sorry that it's so bad. It's not actually ready yet, but since it's NO.6 Week I wanted to submit something more than my crappy picture earlier today. And since this fits the theme pretty well I decided to submit it. The following chapters won't be up in a while and even this chapter might be changed or removed later on. We'll see.

I also want to mention that I haven't gotten my hands on a beta reader yet. I did my best to fix my own spelling errors and reading aloud to find as many grammatical errors as possible. It's probably still really bad, though. (Even though I did get an A in writing in English class and B in everything else). I actually did an online spell check as well. Hopefully I fixed some spelling errors. I'll try to use American English for simplicity. I tend to mix American and British English a lot when I write.^^;

EDIT: I decided I could safely add the second part of chapter one (Inukashi's part). They weren't originally supposed to be read as one chapter but I decided that would be best since I feel like it ended a bit too abruptly. Also I wanted you guys to get a little more of the story from the first chapter as to not get too bored before I get the second one up. I hope I made the right decision.^^;

Note: Inukashi is referred to as male in this fic but is also hinted to be a woman. We'll just have to see, won't we?

2020

Spring

Lost Town

08:50 PM

Shion was walking home after a long day at work. Back when No.6 still existed as a city state and he was working with maintaining the robots in the city park, it hadn't been nearly half as much hard work on his part. The hardest part was cycling to his workplace, which – let's face it – wasn't a hard thing to do. The rest was a piece of cake. Maintaining robots wasn't exactly difficult, apart from a few occasional breakdowns on the robots' part. Nowadays, though, working took up a lot more of his energy than he had expected it would. After the fall of No.6, Shion had become a key factor in the rebuilding of the city and the tearing down of the wall that used to surround it. Tearing down the wall had been the easiest part, he found, but it didn't exactly happen overnight. It had taken a lot of hard work and planning before the wall could be torn down, which was the key factor which would hopefully completely eliminate the city's isolation. From there on there were more than a couple things that needed to be done. Mainly deciding who would be deciding what and make sure to divide the authority equally and make sure that nobody in the committee used the city's resources for personal gain. It was easier said than done with the government gone, but Shion was determined to not let the city become corrupted. This might even be their last chance, he had realized. He had promised them after all. He had promised Nezumi as well as Safu and Elyurias to rebuild the city. To give it and the people living there a second chance. He thought of the people who had lost their lives at the hands of No.6. He was definitely not going to let them down. He had promised himself this a year or so before. He wasn't sure if he would be able to keep his promise, but that certainly wasn't going to keep him from trying.

He knew it wasn't going to be easy of course. At times, he dreaded the responsibly they'd put on him. He wished he could've run off with Nezumi that day. But that was not to be. He knew that. He had a mission and he wasn't about to give it up. It was his duty to the city and to the people living there. But most of all, he needed to prove to himself that he could do it. That he wouldn't let himself run away or become corrupted.

The days he spent working in his new office in the Moondrop were long and, in most cases, uneventful. In the beginning they had had many meetings to decide what they would be doing about the city, but the number of meetings was quickly reduced during the year that passed leaving him to sign contracts and fill in forms of how much money would be used where and who would be in charge. Most days he would be buried in paperwork like that, trying to decide what to do about the economy and whatnot. No matter how much he tried to split the decision making between other people in the committee he would still sometimes end up having to decide things on his own, which wasn't really the best way to go if he wanted to avoid one sided decisions on his part.

Some days he would end up working from six in the morning to past ten in the evening, which made his mother worry. He assured her that it wouldn't become routine, to which she then reluctantly nodded in response, deciding to trust her son and not involve herself in his work much further. She nevertheless made sure to make enough lunch for him before he left for work so that he wouldn't starve to death. She decided that, as a mother, she would support her son in any way she could, even if only by a little.

Shion looked up at the sky thoughtfully as he walked. It was completely free of clouds, which seemed rather rare for some reason these days. The sky had just darkened into a deep shade of bluish purple which would soon turn into a deeper hue of pitch black. He stopped. Stars were a rare occurrence in No.6. With the city lights illuminating the streets at night, the chances of finding a dark enough spot to see more than a few stars was next to zero. He could remember, though; he had seen it once three years before. A completely starlit sky, different from anything he had ever witnessed growing up in No.6. He had stood beside Nezumi on that evening. Nezumi, of course, was unimpressed and probably more than a little uncomfortable having Shion just looking up at the sky late at night for no other reason than gazing longingly at some stars. He didn't stop him, though. He just watched in silence as Shion rambled on about how he had never seen anything like it, eyes lit with awe. It was one of those nights when he didn't even care if he was freezing. All that existed were the stars and the seemingly endless sky reflected by a pair of calm, deep-grey eyes. It was perfect, peaceful. Even in those times, when he knew that people would be starving or freezing to death in the West Block, only around ten minutes away from where they were standing then, he didn't care. The only thing that seemed to matter then were the stars illuminating the sky, and those grey eyes, both effortlessly perfect.

Nezumi. A lurking pain in his gut interrupted his train of thought. Are you watching the same stars as I am? Are you thinking of me, too? Do you remember? For a moment he felt his eyes becoming heavy as if he was about to burst into tears, but he didn't. Why should he? Crying wouldn't make Nezumi come back and it wouldn't make Shion feel any better. Besides, compared to most days, today wasn't all that bad. He smiled. Throw away all memories. That's what Nezumi had told Shion when they had first started living together in that room in the West Block. He couldn't, of course. Not now, not ever. His memories were a part of him, one of the few things that would be able to keep him human when nothing else would. Nezumi might be able to move on, to discard the past and live in the moment, but Shion wasn't sure if he would ever be able to do that; at least not in the same way, and definitely not without Nezumi by his side. If Nezumi was a part of his past, then he would never let go. Not ever. He would hold on to the memory of those calm deep-grey eyes, his soothing voice and his warm, steady heartbeat. They were his life line.

A chill ran down his spine as he resumed walking. It didn't take long until he reached the bakery where he and his mother, Karan, lived. He would have to get his own residence soon, he realized, but his mom insisted that he stays for as long as possible, or at least not move too far way. He hated making her worried like this. It's not like he did it on purpose. He had a feeling, though, that putting on a brave front and continue on working wasn't the ideal way to go to make her feel better. He tried to eat and sleep regularly and didn't protest when his mom helped him prepare a lunch box for work. To be honest, if she didn't he probably wouldn't be eating as well as he was. He had already lost weight the past year and he was pretty sure it wouldn't stop there. But it was an acceptable price to pay if it meant that he could fulfill his promise to Elyurias and rebuild the city into what it was originally supposed to be. A true utopia, where nobody would have to die and everyone were equal. It was a next to impossible task. He knew that. He would have to be horribly dense to think that the ideal utopia could be created by human hands. He would try, though. He had to.

His mother was just about to close the bakery when Shion walked in through the back door and entered the living room. The room was illuminated only by the light emanating from the kitchen where he could hear his mother clean up after a long day's work.

"Mom, I'm home!" He greeted her.

From the kitchen he could hear a slightly muffled but energetic "Shion! Welcome home".

Shion closed the door behind him and walked into the kitchen. He was greeted by a warm smile unique to his mother, and a pair of flour covered hands reaching out to touch his cheeks gently. He knew she would've hugged him but was reluctant to get his new suit covered in flour and decided against it.

"Welcome home" she said again, still smiling cheerfully. "I was just about to close the bakery".

She turned around and began putting away the leftover pastries she had baked earlier that day.

"Do you need any help?" Shion asked, mostly out of routine. He would have helped her out anyway. It wouldn't be right to not help her. Besides, any time he could spend with his mother was time he treasured.

"Yes. Could you carry the menu board inside and close the blinds?"

Shion put his bag down on the floor next to him and began closing the shop, smiling all the while.

"I wasn't expecting you to be home so soon, to be honest" she continued "I was worried you wouldn't be home for a while since you've been working late the past week".

"Well, there's still a lot that needs to be done. It's mostly just paperwork these days, but it's still time consuming" he said as he carried the menu board inside and leant it gently against the wall.

"I would expect as much" she sighed thoughtfully. "You really shouldn't push yourself too hard, you know, Shion. You're still young. You shouldn't have to work this hard for the sake of the city" her face was calm, but her voice held an ounce of bottled up anger towards whoever hurt her son by binding him to this fate.

Shion looked at her, surprised. It wasn't like Karan to be this bitter. It was understandable of course. The past few weeks she had gone almost completely without seeing him, aside from making him lunch in the morning and a quick peck on the cheek before he left. After that she would go the rest of the day without seeing him. Even meeting him in the evening like this was rare. She had to go to bed early so that she would have the energy to run the bakery all by herself the next day after all. So when Shion finally got home she would already be fast asleep. Before, she would close her bakery at around seven or eight on weekdays, but that had been delayed until nine the past few days since she really wanted to greet her son and make sure he ate a proper dinner, like he used to. It was a little late for dinner, though, she realized. And even when she stayed awake waiting for him, it was mostly fruitless. Shion had promised her that coming home late wouldn't become a routine, but bad habits are hard to get out of. It had set its trace in the way Shion looked and acted. He was thinner and he didn't laugh as much. He was becoming cold to the world, too, carrying the responsibility of a leader. Not making a single mistake.

He was strong. He had always been in his own way, but she couldn't help but feel uneasy at the changes. He was a hero - he and Nezumi. Nezumi had convinced Elyurias, but it was Shion who took on the responsibility of carrying the weight of the city. She was proud, so tremendously proud, but scared. The lurking feeling that he might slip away from her was ever present, leaving her with a bad feeling that would be constantly nagging at her to do something about it. But she was helpless, so very helpless. Was there nothing she could do? Nothing at all?

Nezumi. Won't you come back? My boy needs you.

No, she told herself, Shion wasn't that weak. He wouldn't break – with or without Nezumi there. And she wasn't helpless. She could still help him. She was his mother after all.

"It's OK, mom. Really, it is. It's mostly paperwork that I left undone last week, so I need to work through them. It'll take some time, but I'll be back on track soon again. Then I'll be able to get home earlier" he said simply, trying to convince her. She wasn't convinced.

Karan studied his face closely. She could clearly see dark circles forming under Shion's eyes and his skin was becoming rather dry. The worst part, though, were the eyes. It hadn't happened the past year, but during his time spent in the West Block. When she was finally reunited with him she had been too overjoyed to even pay attention, but they were indeed darker - hurt eyes. The days that passed after his return, it almost didn't show. Anyone could see that he had changed, but it wasn't terribly different from the child she knew. It was only after Nezumi left that she had began to notice a void in them, as if something was missing. Days passed, weeks, months. The change was gradual, but she could tell that his hard work was taking its toll. It pained her, seeing him like that. She would do anything to go back to those days before everything changed, when she could still see the light in Shion's eyes. It was a selfish wish. She knew that the fall of No.6 wouldn't come for free. And the price for positive change… it was Shion. Why did it have to be Shion?

Karan bit her lip slightly as she watched Shion carry a bag of flour to the basement room. On impulse, she opened the refrigerator and pulled out some basic ingredients for a light dinner. It was late, so it probably wasn't healthy for Shion to eat too much just before bed, but she wanted to do something, just something. Right now, she decided this was it.

She heard Shion's footsteps approach in the hallway. They stopped abruptly when they reached the kitchen.

"Mom? What are you…?"

"Dinner. Just something light. It's been so long since we had anything to eat together".

Shion was baffled. He had not been expecting that. He had to go to bed soon and he knew that his mother certainly did have to. A flicker of guilt clouded his heart for a moment, but it was soon replaced by overwhelming thankfulness to his mother for her kindness. He walked up behind her and carefully leant his head on his mother's shoulder and whispered: thank you. To be honest, he was never sure whether he really did utter those words or not. But at that moment, he truly was grateful. He felt secure. There was no other word for it. Just once, he felt like a child again.

When Shion awoke the next morning he could hear his mother humming cheerfully in the kitchen. He had woken up before his alarm went off, which was a rather unusual occurrence. He guessed that it had to do with him going to bed earlier than usual. It felt nice. When was the last time he had had a good night's sleep?

He didn't remember the melody his mother was humming, but it was nevertheless familiar. He went up, washed his face in the bathroom sink and went on dressing up; just the usual, not too formal suit and tie. He had a pair of newly polished shoes to match in his office, but since he walked to work, he usually wore his old sneakers and then changed shoes upon arriving there. No use in getting them dirty he figured, they'd been rather expensive after all. In normal cases he wouldn't have bought them, but Rikiga had insisted to buy them for him when he turned eighteen to match his suit. How could he possibly refuse? Especially considering how stubborn Rikiga could be.

When he walked into the kitchen he was greeted by the scent of newly baked bread. He could still hear his mother hum to herself.

"Good morning, mom" he smiled and walked over to her side. She turned around, surprised.

"Shion! Good morning are you awake already?"

"Yeah, figured I might as well" he realized that he wasn't sure what time it was.

He knew it was early, though, since the sun wasn't up yet, he wasn't late for work. And since his mother was awake and preparing to open the shop… he assumed it was around four or five in the morning. Looking at the time he confirmed that it was 4:42 in the morning. He hadn't been asleep for as long as he had thought, but as long as he didn't feel tired, it was fine.

"You need any help with that?" He asked.

"No, it's fine. You go have some breakfast. I'm just about done soon anyway. Just wait for a while and I'll have your lunch box ready in a while too".

"Thanks mom" he started preparing some bread and coffee for himself, brewing enough for his mother to have some as well once she was done.

"You know, I talked to Inukashi the other day" Karan said suddenly, smiling lightly.

"Inukashi? He called you?"

It had been quite a while since he last saw Inukashi. More like seven months to be exact. They had met last on his eighteenth birthday. It hadn't been anything flashy, just him, his mother, Inukashi, little Shionn and Rikiga. Lili had come for the cake and to give Shion a small picture that she had drawn of her and him. Other than that, though, nothing eventful had happened. A couple people online had organized a celebration in his honor and many had sent him messages to congratulate him but Shion didn't think much of it. If anything it just made him feel uneasy. Inukashi and Rikiga had been fighting as usual, leaving Shion to take care of little Shionn while his mother prepared the annual cherry cake. It was as if nothing had changed. Things had changed, but not beyond recognition. There were two people he had wanted to be there, though. Safu and Nezumi hadn't been there to celebrate with him, and they hadn't been the previous year either. He didn't care much for celebrating his birthday, but it was a shame that the two most important people in the world to him couldn't be by his side. Safu would've made a fuss, making sure to get him something that was either expensive, homemade or suggestive, if not all at once. He wasn't sure what Nezumi would've done for him, but whatever it was, Shion would have loved it for sure. Just having him there would've been enough.

"More like he actually came here to visit you. You weren't in though, and I haven't had much of a chance to tell you up until now" Karan looked very content. She's got something in mind Shion thought, recognizing Karan's behavior as something that would most likely lead to something he probably would not like.

"When? Hasn't he been very busy?" He asked bewilderedly. Karan laughed slightly, with a hint of mischief in her tone.

"A few days ago. He said he'd been worried about you since you hardly come to visit anymore".

It was true. Before, Shion would take any free minute visiting the West Block to see how the work was going with rebuilding. Sometimes he would work extra with helping the people there by running the charity project that would be ongoing until the West block was completely rebuilt and people could start living normally again, this time with access to the main city's resources. While there, he would make sure to visit Inukashi, getting the latest news from the inside of the West Block itself and just generally having a good time. Shionn was growing up fast too, so he didn't want to miss out on the little guy's mischiefs. He was only about two, three years old then, but still lively. Inukashi would insist in calling Shion his dad in a jokingly manner, leaving little room for argument, seeing as Shion was the reason little Shionn was alive to begin with, despite how little time they really spent together. It was a funny thought, really, he felt a little flattered. Times were changing fast, though. After working for a year his work demanded that he worked for longer hours, which lead to him not leaving the main city as much as he would have wanted. He had talked about it with a few of his colleagues after that, making sure that someone kept an eye on the development of the West Block, keeping him updated on any changes, small or big as well as the progress of the rebuilding project.

After that, the times that he and Inukashi spent together grew distant and before he knew it, it had been half a year since they last talked. What a bummer.

"How long did he stay for? You should've told me sooner that he'd visited. I would've sent him a message" Karan's smile faded slightly. A dry laugh escaped her lips.

"I was so sure that if I told you about it you'd be bursting out the door headed for the West Block. I guess I was wrong".

Shion looked down. She wasn't wrong. As soon as the words had left his mother's mouth, that was exactly what he wanted to do. Call his workplace and tell them he would be taking the day off, then take the first bus to the West Block. It was either that, or he could just run all the way there. The thought was tempting.

Karan looked up at Shion.

"I was hoping you'd take a day off soon and visit him. It would do you good to get off work for a while. Besides, if you send a message after not talking to him for over half a year, I think he'd be pretty upset". She smiled again, obviously amused at the thought of Inukashi's angry face "I just want you to relax for a bit, you're working yourself to shreds, and you only just recently turned eighteen…"

"Mom, it's fine. Really. It's just something I need to do. I took on the responsibility, I can't just leave it be".

Did he really believe that? Would it be so bad if he took a day off? He had a feeling it would. He hardly had enough time with his work as it was. But maybe he could get someone else to do it - just this once?

No. He shook his head. I couldn't do that.

I don't have the right.

A few weeks later

West Block

"Shionn! Hey, Shionn! Dinner's ready!"

No response.

"I mean it, Shionn! If you don't come out already I'll give your food to the dogs!"

Still no response.

Dammit. Where did he run off to?

It was around noon in the west block. Inukashi had been preparing lunch as usual when he realized that Shionn had run off again. It was a common occurrence as of late. The now roughly four year old Shionn had started walking on his own more or less one year and a half before and was now happily exploring the house and the area around it. The first time it happened Inukashi had been more than a little worried about him, but his worries turned out to be uncalled-for since his dogs would make sure to bring him back if needed be and ward off any threats. Nevertheless he didn't feel less worried whenever he ran off on his own, and he would tell Shionn time and time again not to do so. He hadn't in a while, but it still happened. It couldn't be helped, he guessed. Shionn had always been an active child; always playing with the other puppies and running around their little garden. He had never been particularly loud, but his laughter could always be heard somewhere in the house, sometimes followed by a loud thud and crying as he tripped from running too fast. He would regain himself rather quickly after that, though, returning to normal and running around as if nothing had happened. Inukashi loved Shionn. If he hadn't he might have given him away or just simply killed him, but the day that Shionn had come into his life, he felt as if one piece of the puzzle had fallen into place. Without Shionn around, life just wasn't as eventful, even living in the West Block, where things always seemed to be happening.

"Hey, you" Inukashi addressed the brown dog lying at his feet. The dog immediately looked up at his master, listening intensely. "Go get Shionn, won't you. We can't have him running around". He put emphasis into Shionn and waved his left hand slightly, gesturing the dog towards the always open door.

The dog understood, running off towards the door. Inukashi sighed slightly looking down at the boiling stew. He had never once owned a proper stove and it had taken a few failed attempts before he was able to cook a proper meal. Nowadays he found that it was rather simple to use and he was more than a little amused as he recalled his previous struggles with the stove. He still never left the stove willingly, though, as he wasn't very keen on burning the food he had prepared so carefully for himself and Shionn.

He placed plates and cutlery on the table and put the stew he had prepared on the table, ready to be served. He looked it over, satisfied yet again with his work. Now to get the troublemaker. Shionn may be used to having dogs come and get him, but he was still little and Inukashi would often find himself coming after him once he was done with whatever kept him occupied. Having one of his dogs find him made it all easier, though, as he couldn't exactly smell Shionn out if he had run off further than their garden. Shionn never went further than the hotel, though, which was only a few meters away from the newly built house where they were now living together. As he approached the door he heard laughter and a lively barks coming from the right side of the house. He looked out to see the brown dog from earlier coming closer to him by the second, Shionn following close behind. Inukashi smiled, but made sure to keep an authorial stance as he beckoned Shionn inside.

"Hey, Shionn. You know you're not supposed to run off without telling me first." He said with fake anger in his voice.

"Sorry, mama, I won't do it anymore".

"Don't say stuff you don't mean, Shionn. It's a big no no".

"Okay" the boy mumbled. He seemed only slightly embarrassed.

"We're having salmon stew. I got this new recipe from Mama Karan the other day. I had it once a few years back, you probably don't remember, though".

Inukashi served Shionn first and watched him almost burst with anticipation as his bowl was filled with cream colored stew. After serving himself he gestured that it was all right to start eating, at which point Shionn dug in with his little spoon, trying not to spill, but still managing to splatter some stew on the table and his shirt. Inukashi had never cared much for table manners, but since he had started visiting Shion more and more often and gotten to know his mother, he had soon learned what was usually expected of him and wanted to pass it on to Shionn as much as he could.

He tasted the stew; delicious. Not as delicious as Karan's, but it was definitely good, creamy and spicy at the same time with hints of vegetables along with the salmon which was just slightly overcooked. He would try not to overcook it next time, but he wasn't complaining, the spices covered up for it just fine. He looked over at Shionn, he hadn't stopped eating so he probably enjoyed it too. Pride overwhelmed him. Not only had he been able to keep a steady income the past year, enabling him to buy luxurious ingredients from the main town, he was even able to cook it properly. A satisfied grin sneaked up across his lips, watching Shionn as he finished his first portion.

"Mama" Shionn said happily after reaching out to have a second round of stew "can we visit Mama Karan again soon?" Inukashi could really see his eyes sparkle as he said so. Seems like Shionn likes Mama Karan just as much as I do, huh? He thought. That, or just her food.

"Sure thing, I don't see why not. How about next week" Inukashi said.

"It's been a while since we visited and even longer since I tried calling Shion. He didn't answer, though. The guy just doesn't have any tact." Inukashi added sourly.

"What's tact?" Shionn asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

"Uh, tact means… it means, he just doesn't know how to be decent sometimes".

"Why doesn't Papa Shion have tact?"

"Who knows? He's an airhead. Always have been, always will be"

"What's an airhead?"

Inukashi gritted his teeth.

"If you're done eating, give me your bowl and I'll wash it" Shionn handed it over.

"What's an airhead, though?"

"It means he's dense, leave it alone"

"Dense means stupid, right? That's what you said, isn't it?"

"Uh… yeah. That's pretty much what it is, yeah"

Inukashi didn't mind explaining things to Shionn and he was rather fond of the little guy's curiosity, even when he didn't understand it himself. He just wasn't too fond of talking about Shion these days. Even when he happened to mention him in conversation himself he would try to brush it over.

"But Papa Shion isn't stupid" said Shionn eagerly.

"What" Inukashi felt Shionn grab his leg, tugging at his pants with a firm hand.

"He's not stupid, Mama. Papa is the smartest person I know. He knows so many things." He wasn't angry, just determined. He wanted Inukashi to agree.

As Inukashi looked down at the boy he felt a little guilty. He shouldn't talk that way about Shion when he knew how much the little boy looked up to him. He knelt down and hugged Shionn tightly.

"He is. He is very clever. I'm sorry. Mama said something bad." He could feel the boy relax and let go.

"Still" Inukashi added, cupping Shionns cheeks in his hands "not calling for half a year is very rude. Don't forget that, Shionn". He was only half serious at this point, mostly wanting to cheer up the child. Shionn nodded eagerly and smiled.

"I won't" he promised.

I just hope Shionn doesn't grow up to be like him. The guy's clever like no other, but he's just so weird.

Inukashi would often think about Shion. He couldn't deny that he missed the older boy at times, but he just wouldn't return any calls lately, which left Inukashi with a heavy chest and a lack of desire to call ever again.

Inukashi had a lot of free time since the hotel had been renovated and he had started taking in personnel who could run the place while he took care of Shionn. Inukashi was still the owner of the place, but as the standards got higher, he realized that he would need more competent employees. He himself would eventually need some proper training in the subject of running a business, but as it was now, he was busy raising Shionn. He had thought about selling the place and getting a proper job, but that just wasn't happening any time soon.

Shion, who'd become quite influential had helped him a lot the past few years, giving Inukashi some simple education along with others in the West Block. Some were unwilling to go through with it, but Shion had persuaded Inukashi to do it. Since Inukashi was still young but not young enough to be a first grader he would receive special education with other children and teenagers his age. So far, it had gone pretty well. It was only a few days a week and it was rather simple stuff. Younger children on the other hand would receive normal education from now on. Anyone from the age of six would be educated at the schools in No.6, completely free of charge, which most people couldn't even have dreamt about only a few years earlier. Some elders were against it, both inside and outside the now nonexistent wall, but most were positive to the change.

Shion, that incredible airhead, I can't believe he made it this far.

It was nearing late evening in the West Block. Inukashi and Shionn were both sitting on the couch in their living room, watching the sunset through the window, Inukashi humming a soft lullaby for Shionn as he dozed off to sleep. He didn't usually sing, but he would still sometimes find himself hum something for Shionn as he dozed off. It didn't have a clear melody, but the sound was calming to Shionn, so he kept at it, occasionally stroking his back soothingly.

Sometimes he would wonder what it was like being raised by another human. The old man who had taken him in had been human, but what was the point of that if he hardly remembered the guy?

Looking down at the little boy in his arms he felt a now very familiar sense of protectiveness and love. Somehow protectiveness would trigger that feeling of love. Or maybe it was the other way around? He wasn't sure.

He stroke a finger over Shionns dark locks, so fragile, he thought to himself briefly, tugging the boy closer to his chest.

As Shionn was just barely awake, Inukashi decided it was time to head off to bed. Climbing the stairs with a four year old in his arms wasn't easy.

Damn, he's heavy. I'll make him go to bed on his own next time for sure.

The house they lived in was a little big for them both, but it was OK since it gave his dogs the opportunity to move freely even during the night when the door was locked; two floors, three rooms and a kitchen. Shionn's room was the one at the furthest end of the corridor upstairs. He would have to sleep in there permanently eventually, but for now, Inukashi saw no problem in having Shionn sleep in his own bed. Somehow it gave him comfort, knowing that he was so near. He felt uneasy whenever he would run off. He had always been used to having puppies run around, but they never went out of sight from their mother until they were grown, and even then, they would rather stick together than run off on their own. So having Shionn running off, always left Inukashi a bit shaken.

But then again, that's humans for you.

Inukashi made his way to the bed and carefully laid down on the bed with Shionn still in his arms, he didn't care that he was still wearing clothes. He felt himself dozing off.

Just as he was about to fall asleep he felt something vibrating in his back pocket. Slight confusion and irritation filled his mind as he reached down his back pocket. He wasn't used to having people call him so it took a few seconds for him to understand what was happening. The little buzzing devise Shion had made him buy one year earlier was small and flat with an even tinier screen. On it was his identification number and on the screen… Karan's face?

Yeah, that's right. This thing shows your face when you talk to someone.

He pressed the screen slightly and heard a voice emanating from the tiny screen.

"Good evening, Inukashi". Karan greeted. A bit too formal for it to be natural.

"Mama Karan?" Inukashi rubbed his eyes making sure not to wake Shionn. "What's up?"

"I'm sorry for waking you. It's just… Um…"

"Yeah?"

"I don't want to bother you. But would you come by the central hospital tomorrow?"

"Central hospital? What for?" A slight uneasiness was starting to spread through Inukashi's body as he awaited an answer.

"Shion has… well…"

Shion? Inukashi felt his heart skip a beat. He was now wide awake.

"What about Shion?" He realized how stern his voice sounded and frowned. It felt near impossible to talk at all with this uneasy lump in his throat and chest.

"I really don't want to bother you, but I thought you ought to know."

"Yeah? Just spill it out already. You're killing me here." He didn't mean to sound rude.

There was a short pause. Inukashi bit his lip, agitated by the silence.

"Shion fainted during work hours earlier today." Karan finally said, eyes painted with worry.

What? Inukashi didn't fully grasp what he had heard.

"He hasn't shown any signs of waking up. The doctor says that the fall might have caused brain damage but that we won't know for sure until he wakes up. It's rather unlikely, though."

Shion did…? Why?

"I'm sure that he'll be fine but… he has already overworked himself past his limit many times. I thought that maybe if you two talked he would change his mind about taking a break."

What was with him? He wasn't doing any good by hurting himself and making everyone worried. Inukashi remembered that Karan had mentioned Shion's condition when he visited last a couple weeks back. He hadn't thought much about it then but now he felt guilty. Sure, he was mad at Shion but that didn't give him the right to just stop caring about the older boy, and he hadn't. He did care about Shion. He could have easily persisted in meeting Shion if he had wanted to. But as things were, he just hadn't bothered taking it upon himself to help. Guilt overwhelmed him and he felt a numbing sensation spread through his body. He felt like he would not be able to say anything even if he tried.

He looked down at Karan's face. She was awaiting an answer, her slender shoulders locked in a tense posture and her eyes borderline pleading for confirmation.

"Fine" he said finally "I'll come"

"Thank you"

She looked relieved but wasn't completely relaxed. Inukashi was not surprised. It was only natural for this event to take its toll on her.

No one said anything else, so instead they simultaneously turned off their respective ID cards. Inukashi's thoughts were racing. He held his ID card tightly, trying to calm down.

That idiot. Why does he have to be such an idiot?

Shion…

A/N

Thank you so much for reading this far. That's more than I'm able to do. I've read through this so many times I'm boring myself to tears!

Well, I hope you enjoyed it at least a little. If you have any questions, just ask and I'll try my best to get back to you as soon as possible. If you want an immediate answer I suggest you find my tumblr blog and message me there. If you have a tumblr you'll understand. (I never leave that place, ever. I swear it). (My username is NerdyLoverNr1Hitomi).

Ok, I just want to explain a few things before I leave for the time being. First off, it wasn't my intention to make Shion as depressed as he came out. In my mind he wasn't always like this. He had his ups and downs but was generally able to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This mainly covers one point where he's just about to reach his limit. That doesn't explain my crappy writing skills, though. It gets only a tiny bit worse, but I'll cover that in upcoming chapters. I'm taking a lot of liberties with head canons in this, but it's fanfiction so it's all right I hope.

Well, feel free to comment. I love to get critique but please be nice. I wish you all a great NO.6 week.:)