A/N: wow, new formatting and stuff...when did all this go down?

Anyway, here's a new story for y'all. It's been running around in my head and interrupting with my other writing.

A sequel to Spring. Enjoy.

It was a normal day in the Green Drug Store

It was a normal day in the Green Drug Store. A tall, dark youth was taking inventory, a slight, golden haired youth was stocking shelves, and a sleeping whale was manning the register. Kakei-san couldn't have been happier with how things were proceeding. Yet, instead of the secretive smile that usually graced his effeminate features, a thoughtful frown was in its place. For Kakei wasn't at all interested in, surprisingly, the well being of his store or the sleeping whale behind the register, as per the norm. Kakei's attention was focused on one of his workers; the boy with hair similar to his own.

Over the course of the week, Kakei had watched the boy's blonde hair take on a golden sheen, and his eyes become sensitive to certain colours. As it was, the boy was wearing tinted shades to help remedy his problem, but it would do little to hide the shape of his iris.

The slit eyed gaze of a cat.

Kazahaya's gaze, ever since his power had marked him, had been knowing and unnerving. There was just something to the boy now that could only be explained as supernatural. It had been weeks since the accident, and Kazahaya was just getting back to normal as the term applied to him. Normal was a loose term around the store, applied to each of them differently. Kazahaya still stumbled occasionally and had trouble with bright, vibrant colours (they gave him a headache, or so the boy complained). The doctor assured him that the stumbling was Kazahaya's body getting used to not having stitches in it anymore. He just advised that, when the boy did stumble, to have him take a break.

It was all fine and dandy for the Green Drug Store; the store could handle it.

It was his business that would be hurting for a while.

Kakei didn't want Kazahaya to strain himself, so he didn't proposition him with any jobs, and what was worse, the boy didn't complain at the lack of activity. After work, he went upstairs to the apartment he shared with Rikuo, ate his dinner, and went to sleep. Rikuo informed him that he slept whenever the chance showed itself. Needless to say that, one day when Rikuo came downstairs alone, Kakei was worried.

"Where's Kudo-kun?" the store manager asked.

Rikuo gave him a look. "Still sleeping," the tall youth replied. "He wouldn't wake up this morning."

Kakei only nodded and went to the back room to wake up Saiga. He'd have to man the register today. With his grumbling tall, dark and handsome masking his way out front, Kakei made his way up the back staircase that led to the boy's apartment. The store owner knocked, but it was futile gesture as no answer came from within. Opening the door as quietly as possible, Kakei ventured into the eerily quiet home.

"Kudo-kun?" the bespectacled man called.

No reply.

Going through the rooms, Kakei came upon Kudo Kazahaya just as Rikuo had described; sleeping in bed. The position, however, was something to be desired and Kakei wondered just how the boy found the position to be comfortable. He was curled up on his side but twisted halfway up so his shoulders were almost flat on the mattress. His knees were bent and his head was almost pillowed on his knees. Kakei was reminded of a cat his parents had owned when he was growing up.

Thinking nothing of it, the store owner made a mental note to talk to Saiga about it and the changes Kazahaya was going through. Knowing the boy, Kazahaya would probably wake up tomorrow and not know that he had slept through the day. Thinking the boy would have to make it up in a job, Kakei began going through the lists o jobs that were on his desk that only his two boarders could complete. His neutral expression turned into a frown; it seemed he couldn't put off those jobs any longer or else he'd have to put Saiga on register duty permanently.

The next day dawned bright and crisp. It was nearing fall and the weather had taken a chilly turn, perhaps a bit too cold for this early in the season. Kazahaya was blissfully unaware of it as he woke up and stretched. Blearily rubbing his eyes, Kazahaya got out of bed, dressed, and had breakfast made and on the table before he realized that Rikuo wasn't up yet. Not really caring, Kazahaya ambled down the stairs to the store and proceeded to tie on his apron and sweep. He had his glasses tucked in his pocket and the lights off. He didn't feel like having to put up with them this early in the day. Taking his time, he heard Rikuo's alarm go off, and wondered how the hell he didn't hear it every morning. Following the sound of the footsteps, Kazahaya had to stifle a giggle when he heard them abruptly stop.

Probably wondering where the hell I am, the blonde thought to himself. He's already having a bad day.

Still snickering to himself, Kazahaya continued his sweeping. Shortly after he traced Rikuo's footsteps to the kitchen, Saiga emerged from the back room and seemed surprised to see Kazahaya snickering and sweeping. Saiga, a wicked grin spreading across his face, quietly made his way across the room before deftly grabbing the snickering youth.

"You seem to be a bit too happy this morning," the man's deep voice whispered. "You got some last night or something?"

Kazahaya yelped when Saiga grabbed him and whispered in his hear, nearly jumping out of the large man's grasp. He did, however, manage to jump over the few boxes that Kakei had out that had items that needed to be stocked. Saiga stood and blinked a bit as the shocked boy gasped for breath before he broke out into belts of deep laughter.

"You're something, kid!" Saiga said between his booming laughter. The lights flicked on just as Kazahaya was, most likely, going to yell some retort. Saiga got to watch Kazahaya's eyes dilate from seemingly normal to thin, catlike slits in less than a heartbeat. Kazahaya, on the other hand, covered his eyes and, if Saiga didn't know any better, hissed.

"It seems you've gotten a head start," a calm, complacent voice said.

Saiga looked over his shoulder, lewd grin on his face, to see Kakei turn the corner, clipboard in hand. He glanced at the two before him realizing that someone was missing.

"Rikuo's still upstairs," Kazahaya muttered as he rubbed and blinked his eyes repeatedly to try and sooth their ache –and try to get the random spots of colours to stop flashing in his vision. Fishing his glasses out of his pocket, he perched them on his nose before stalking down a side aisle to continue his sweeping. Saiga and Kakei watched him go in consternation.

"He just stalked, right?" Saiga asked Kakei as the sound of the broom tines on the floor could be heard a few aisles over.

"It appears that way," Kakei replied, hand on his chin in thought.

"How feline of the boy," Saiga commented.

"Indeed."

It was then that Rikuo made an appearance. The boy looked calm and thoughtful, but Kakei detected something else…something he couldn't quite place. Knowing the tall youth would probably hunt down Kazahaya, Kakei called him over. Rikuo's hesitation was a bit too blatant, and, realizing this, he scowled and headed over to Kakei.

"It seems that Saiga has already teased Kudo-kun quite a bit this morning," Kakei began. "Wait a little while before you take you're turn."

"Hm," was Rikuo's reply.

Kakei smiled. The store owner gestured to the clipboard in his hands. "These are the items that need to be stocked and this is the shipment that I'm expecting today. Try to get as much done as you can this morning."

Rikuo gave him a pointed look, clearly asking without words.

"Your evenings are going to be busy," Kakei informed him. He didn't have to, and both of them knew it; Rikuo was intelligent enough to guess at what his boss was alluding to and Kakei knew that Rikuo, due to Kazahaya or not, would show up out of some morbid curiosity.

It was the typical day. Girls came in asking for obviously placed products in hopes that they could get Rikuo to talk to them; which he was obligated to do as an employee. Rikuo and Saiga picked on and teased Kazahaya, Rikuo more relentlessly than Saiga; his excuse being the disruption of his morning routine.

It was about the time that school let out that Kakei called his two workers to the back of the store.

As he always did, Kakei began, not with pleasantries, but with, "I have a job for you two."

"We'll take it!" Kazahaya happily exclaimed.

Rikuo scowled. The idiot never thought these jobs through. What if it was someone who just wanted him for some twisted reason or other?

Kakei smiled at them, and Rikuo, for some reason felt a tad bit of unease. Kazahaya hung onto Kakei's every word, Rikuo knew the regular speech by now and only half paid attention to it.

"What are we retrieving?" the dark haired boy finally asked. Kazahaya blinked; an 'oh yeah' expression clearly on his face.

Kakei's smile was predatory in a knowing way. "You're actually going to be retrieving several things tonight. I've had a sudden influx of jobs that require your specific skills. You'll have four jobs tonight, more so if you complete the others quickly and efficiently. I've already sent the locations to your cell phones. Before you leave," Kakei went over to his desk and fished an envelope out of one of the drawers. "These are pictures of the items that you need to retrieve. Have Kazahaya touch them at the beginning of each job. They're in the order you need to retrieve them in, top one first."

Kazahaya just looked perplexed, but Rikuo nodded and the two left via the back door. Kakei's smile fled as soon as the door latched. Something was going to happen, but every time he tried to See what would come to pass, he'd only get a vision of a garden of oleander. He'd have to trust in Rikuo and both boys' abilities. Else wise, he feared, he might not see them again.

Why not apple blossoms? Kakei thought, Or clover? Why did it have to be oleander?

Kazahaya was sipping some juice and enjoying some dango while Rikuo had some tea at an outdoor café next to a Galleria. They were supposed to retrieve a painting from the galleria next door, yet Rikuo was reluctant to let Kazahaya touch the photo of the painting. Finally, since he didn't want to cause a scene, and that's just what Kazahaya would do if he didn't let the blonde touch the damn photo, Rikuo withdrew the envelope and reached inside for the photos. He was surprised when two matching bracelets came out along with the photos.

Make sure you are both wearing them, the scrawled not instructed. Had to Kakei, Rikuo thought. Upon further inspection, he found out that the charms of both bracelets formed a singular charm…design…thing.

"Here," Rikuo said, tossing the left half to Kazahaya, "put that on your left wrist."

Perplexed, Kazayaha was enjoying his dango and juice too much to ask questions and happily adorned said appendage with the bracelet. Rikuo put his half on his right hand. Looking at the photos, Rikuo fingered the one that was on the top before giving it to Kazahaya.

"Hey," Rikuo said to get the boy's attention off a butterfly of all things.

"Hey."

Kazahya looked away from this hypnotizing pattern a rather prettily coloured butterfly was flying seeing Rikuo with a photo in his hand. He smiled sheepishly, waiting for to be berated, but when nothing came, he shrugged it off. Probably wants to keep up public appearance incase his fan club or something is about. His fingers barely touched the photo before he was assaulted by the memories of the photo…

Kazahaya opened his eyes to blue sky, vaguely thinking how nice the day was before a foreboding breeze brought the scent of rain and storm to his nose. Pushing his glasses up his nose, Kazahaya looked about and found himself at the edge of an evergreen wood and a field. Taking a few steps into the wood, he saw a rooster circling with a peacock; hackle feathers raised. Taking a step towards the birds, Kazahaya heard birdsong in the sky, but when he looked, the most unexpected sight greeted his dilated eyes; a school of coelacanth swam lazily in the sky…

Kazahaya opened his eyes and found himself staring at his shoes through a rather interesting floral patter; hibiscus and lavender if he wasn't mistaken. Interesting…

"Kazahaya?"

Kazahaya blinked lazily as he raised his head off the table to greet Rikuo's questioning green eyes. Something was eating at him…

"The painting is in the back of the gallery," Kazahaya informed said. "A peacock and a rooster." He drew himself up from sprawling across the table and languidly stretched. He wondered how long he was out…Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Rikuo staring at him, a smirk firmly in place.

"What?" Kazahaya asked.

"You stretch like a cat," Rikuo flippcantly commented.

"YOU BASTARD!" Kazahaya shouted.

"Shhhh! You're causing a scene!" Rikuo whispered vehemently as a few patrons turned to see what all the commotion was about.

Kazahaya veritably hissed at him.

"Let's go get this painting so that we can get the next few jobs done," Rikuo suggested as he stood up. Kazahaya visibly perked up at the mention of the job, therefore money, and happily stood up as well.

As the two perused the galleria, Rikuo took some time to glance at a few pieces. Kazahaya was enthralled. The only reason he found himself in the back of the galleria was because Rikuo had to, almost literally, drag him to the back of it. There were several paintings of roosters and peacocks, and a few with the two fowl in the same picture.

"Kazahaya," Rikuo beckoned. He was glad that nobody was in the back of the galleria with them. "Which one is it?"

"Huh?" Kazahaya asked, his attention diverted away from a small painting of butterflies on roses. Rikuo, at the end of his rope, went over and dragged Kazahaya back to the paintings. He hadn't taken three steps into the part with the peacocks and roosters when something amazing happened. Kazahaya's eyes went from almost normal to slit pinpricks in a heartbeat; if he had had ears, they would have been pinned to his head; if he had had fur, it would have been standing on end; if he had had a tail, it would have been poufed and imitating a bottle brush; he yanked his arm out of Rikuo's grip and jumped nearly a full meter back, hissing.

Rikuo blinked. He looked at the hissing, spitting youth and then the painting. It was a bit unusual from the other peacock rooster paintings. Both were fighting rather vehemently, but whereas in the other paintings the rooster was being attacked, in this painting, the rooster was in the air getting ready to spur the peacock who was in a rather defensive position on the ground. A forest was in the background, but instead of the maple and elm forests that graced the other paintings, an evergreen forest was in the background of this one; it looked dark and foreboding. The whole painting had an air of…something dark…about it.

"This is the painting then?" Rikuo asked. Kazahaya nodded, fur still ruffled and eyes mere slits. "You go somewhere else and settle down. I'll grab you on the way out."

Kazahaya just nodded and slunk off, nonexistent tail lashing in agitation. Rikuo smirked. If Kazahaya wasn't a cat, he didn't know what the boy was. Using a small amount of his ability, Rikuo broke the security cameras before pulling out the sack Kakei had given him for the painting. Taking it off its hanging on the wall, the tall youth shoved it in the sack before putting it back in his satchel.

Now, to find Kazahaya…

If it were possible, Kazahaya would have been vibrating he was so full of energy. There was just something about that painting that he didn't like. It was…wrong! Why someone would create it, let alone want it for whatever reason…

His anger dulled and dissipated as he actually saw what was in front of him…or rather something was calling him. He tilted his head this way and that, trying to figure out where it was coming from; feet unconsciously following. The boy named for wind meandered aimlessly until he came to a rather unvisited section of the galleria. There was a thin layer of dust on everything and no footsteps disturbed the likewise dusty floor. His feet took him to a painting that was a good size of what appeared to be, at first glance, two lovers next to a creek. If one looked harder, such as what Kazahaya was doing, they looked too similar to be lovers, but were instead siblings.

One could even hazard that they were twins.

It was in front of this painting that Rikuo found him.

"There you are! We have to go," his partner informed him, but Kazahaya was too taken with the painting to actually hear, or for that matter, notice Rikuo at all. He just stood there, wide eyed, staring at the painting, trying to rack his brain to see if he posed for the painting.

"Kei," Kazahaya breathed. He suddenly looked to the left and saw another painting of what appeared to be himself and his twin sister. What was this? This whole gallery wing seemed to be themed with the twins.

Kei? Rikuo looked at the painting that had Kazahaya so enthralled and likewise became wide eyed. It looked like Kazahaya, a carefree Kazahaya, relaxing with a female version of himself that had long, blonde hair. So was this the image of the mysterious Kei? Either way, he had to get himself and Kazahaya out of the Galleria before the security caught on that they had a broken feed and a missing painting.

"Come on, kitty, we have to get out of here!" Rikuo breathed as a couple came into the wing they were in. Rikuo watched as Kazahaya seemed to come back to himself.

"Leave?" He absently inquired as his eyes still flicked between the paintings, not glued to just one now.

"Yes! Before someone comes!" That seemed to snap Kazahaya out of his daze completely. He glanced quickly at the corner of one of the paintings before following Rikuo out of the Galleria and down the street to their next location. He didn't ask Kazahaya if those paintings were of him and his sister, and Kazahaya didn't volunteer any information.

The two boys found themselves at a coffee shoppe near the next location provided by their cell phones. Rikuo had forbade Kazahaya from indulging in the caffeinated beverage, but relented and allowed his blonde haired coworker to indulge in some tea…as long as it wasn't strong. He remembered all too well the incident where Kazahaya had been dead tired and Saiga had given him a cup of coffee saying it wasn't that strong, but black; one of the rare times that Saiga was nice to the boy in the mornings.

He never thought someone could have that much energy. Kazahaya had rivaled sugar high five year olds; put them to shame.

Needless to say, Kazahaya was forbidden from the drink from that day on.

Rikuo dug in his sack and found a small brown box with a few holes in it. Were they catching an animal again? Dismissing the thought, for Kakei would have provided everything they would have needed for the missions in the satchel; he withdrew the envelope with the pictures. He fingered through the polaroids until he came to the second one.

"Oi," Rikuo said, slightly annoyed, waving the picture under Kazahaya's nose. What was with the boy and butterflies?

Kazahaya looked up from where he had been watching an orange and black butterfly on a rather pretty white hibiscus. Rikuo's annoyed utterance had the boy's attention effectively diverted. Scowling slightly, Kazahaya was going to make some snide remark until he noticed the picture being waved under his nose. Glaring, Kazahaya swiped the picture out of Rikuo's hand…

The wind coursed about it, buffeted him, guided him, loved him. The trees whispered and rasped stories, gossip and happy tales to each other and those who'd listen. A particular silver elm called out to him and he flew over before landing on the branch, making the people beneath him on the bench look up. From his perch, a mere large jump from the ground, he could observe the children playing on the merry-go-round…

Kazahaya blinked, his eyes opening. He lifted his head and stared blearily around at his surroundings, noticing he wasn't in the coffee shoppe as he had been when he had touched the picture, but now in the park.

"Huh?"

"Have you ever thought of being less dramatic?" came the cocky response to his ever so inelegant statement he almost always uttered when he came back from a vision. "I had to talk on my feet to get us out of that coffee shoppe without them calling for an ambulance. Oh, and you're a diabetic for future reference if you go to that place again."

Kazahaya blinked a few times, his brain catching up to what Rikuo had said, before screeching, "WHAT THE HELL?!"

"And less loud?" Rikuo commented off-handedly as he rubbed his ear. "I'm sure all the local wildlife is fleeing in terror."

Instead of the rise that he thought he would get, Kazahaya shut up. They needed to get this next job done, and scaring away all the wild life was counter productive.

"The picture?" Rikuo asked.

Kazahaya nodded. "It's a bird. It perches on an elm tree that overlooks the playground. It likes to watch the merry-go-round."

The two got up off the bench that Rikuo had stopped at and meandered their way through the park. Rikuo's gaze was only partially on the flora and fauna; he was more interested in the people, making sure none of them took an interest in them or decided to follow them. Kazahaya, on the other hand, had no such qualms. In fact, the thought that they might be followed never crossed his mind. Opposite of Rikuo, the boy took much joy in examining the flowers and insects, squirrels and birds.

"This the place?"

Rikuo's question cut through Kazahaya's wandering mind, causing him to relinquish his attention from a particularly beautiful begonia. Looking around, the youth saw that their path abruptly ended at a rather small playground of sorts. There was a jungle gym of ladders and paths that led to various slides, a fireman's pole, and a rope net to climb up and down on. A little ways away from the twisty slide was a set of swings and a rather large metal slide. On the other side of the jungle gym were the merry-go-round and, a little to the left of that, a set of tire swings. There were a few other paths that branched off from the little playground to other parts of the park, and Kazahaya immediately trotted through the playground to the path that ran by an ancient elm tree.

It was obvious that where the elm tree was was once a field to play in. The behemoth of a tree, its species usually identified by the unique way it's branches grew, more resembled an angel oak than anything; large, twisting branches resting on the ground before once again reaching for the sky. If one examined it long enough, they could make out the original shape of the tree through all the branches. Underneath it, just off the path that snaked around its branches, was a bench that was partially hidden from view; Kazahaya's destination. If the vision hadn't told him about the bench, he wouldn't know it was there until he was practically past it.

Rikuo followed Kazahaya as he trotted through the playground towards the massive tree.

"The bird comes to this branch every day before twilight sets in," the smaller boy informed Rikuo, sitting down on the bench. Rikuo sat under the branch on the bench. He, too, noticed that, unless he was sitting on the far end of the bench, they were rather obscured from the casual observer. That gave him an idea.

"You know," Rikuo casually began, a teasing smirk forming on his face, "I'm sure people find interesting activities to do on this bench."

"Huh?" Kazahaya looked around. "What makes you say that?"

"It's rather secluded," Rikuo continued, hedging closer to Kazahaya. "No one would be able to see what was going on."

Kazahaya continued to stare dumbly at him. Rikuo began to wonder if Kazahaya was indeed as dense as those floosie school girls that came to the shop before his face turned as red as the begonia he had been admiring earlier. Instead of the explosive response that was par for the course, Kazahaya venomously hissed his response.

"You dirty, dirty idiot! Freaking bastard!"

"You could at least come up with a better insult than that," Rikuo chided. The breeze gusted then, causing the trees to sway and creak; leave hissing and whispering.

Kazahaya opened his mouth to retort be stopped suddenly, his expression replacing the anger that had vividly coloured it with a more thoughtful expression. Rikuo, puzzled and slightly concerned, was about to question Kazahaya when he heard the whisper of wings. The two watched as a raven flew towards the tree, but when it landed, a grosbeak chirruped a few sharp notes; an obvious greeting to the tree. Kazahaya met the equally dumbfounded gaze of Rikuo. Yes, they knew their jobs were special, but this obvious show of it just made the boys remember they were more than mere thieves and errand boys. The bird chirruped again and Rikuo watched Kazahaya go from a happy go lucky person to a predator; a hunter.

Rikuo had never seen Kazahaya so still…or focused. The dark haired boy watched as Kazahaya stared intently at the bird.

It was then that Rikuo entertained the notion that Kazahaya fancied he was going to jump and catch the bird. He was about to open his mouth and inform the boy, in a kind way no doubt, that he was being foolish, when he jumped. Green eyes followed the strangely graceful leap all the way up as Kazahaya's pale hands closed around the conversing bird, eliciting a rather sharp kree from it that reminded Rikuo of hawks or falcons and not raven-songbird things. It was Kazahaya coming back down, much less graceful, that made Rikuo realize the boy was unconscious.

"Shit!" the dark haired boy hissed as he lunged and barely managed to catch the other boy. The bird was breathing, but oddly still in Kazahaya's limp hands. It seemed to look between Kazahaya and himself with strangely intelligent, focused eyes. Getting the box out of the bag he had abandoned on the bench, Rikuo carefully extricated the bird from the sleeping, he was either that or embroiled in a vision of some kind, youth and placed the now crooning bird in it. It was silenced as soon as the satchel was closed. He remembered something about birds going to sleep when there was no more light. He looked at the still sleeping Kazahaya.

"What the hell am I going to do about you?"

Kazahaya stilled. That was the only word his very focused mind could come up with. The bird wasn't that far away, and he knew that he could jump high enough to catch it. That being said, nothing else mattered. Judging the distance, Kazahaya finally leaped; knowing that the bird was too consumed with his conversation with the tree to notice him. His hands closed around the bird and his peripheral vision bled white…

…He stumbled as his surroundings bled into darkness; grass and trees. In the middle of the now clearing, full of asters, rhododendrons, daises and other flowers stood a towering angel oak. Feeling compelled, Kazahaya made his way towards the giant tree. On one of its weeping branches, three birds were perched; a raven, a grosbeak, and hawk…he wasn't quite sure. He did, however, find it odd that the Rven was sitting between the Grosbeak and the Hawk, yet side to side with the smaller songbird. He would have thought that the carrion bird would be closer to the Hawk that it could steal a meal from.

Just like you are, the words came from everywhere and yet, no one was speaking. We are more than what we seem to be.

Kazahaya was most confused. He was more than he seemed to be? Were the birds like flowers? He had seen some of his cousins indicate certain flowers to each other in reference to things and giggle or gasp. His gaze fell on the Hawk. He felt an understanding with the bird of prey. The Hawk only nodded at him. It was the Raven and the Grosbeak that posed the greatest confusion.

"What do you want with me?" Kazahaya asked exasperatedly after a few moments thought.

Look at what you have, what you used to have, and it will show you what will be. Kazahaya got the impression that the Raven had spoken. The wind blew through the trees and different flowers grew and bloomed in this strange world.

Our time is up. The voice that spoke now was lilting and musical; the Grosbeak. Keep us in mind, and the song we sang. All will be clear in Time.

Anything else that the birds were going to say was drowned out by the wind. The tree groaned and the scent of water filled the clearing with the almost too fragrant scent of cinquefoil and helleborus. Upon looking down, a white flower that reminded him of a morning glory was growing among the trodden meadow grasses he was standing in. He looked up to see the birds watching him…

Kazahaya blinked. He was not in the park. Handles swayed with the rocking motion of what the boy realized was a train. He wanted to sit up, but didn't know if it would be a bad idea or not. He didn't know what kind of vision that was, so he settled for fixing the sunglasses on his face; they had become askew when the train made a sharp turn on the tracks.

"Good, you're awake."

Kazahaya looked up to see Rikuo looking down at him. "Why're we on a train?"

"I figured we'd drop off the painting and bird at the store before going after the flower and whatever the hell this is."

Kazahaya sat up, took the picture and had to restrain his power; which surprised him. He usually had to invoke his power, but lately, it had been jumping to the forefront; reading the memories of most everything he touched. The Polaroid was blurry, but it was old. There was a woman in a formal kimono talking with someone, but what they were supposed to retrieve, he assumed, was whatever was in the woman's lap; the part of the decrepit picture that was in shadow. Kazahaya sighed.

"I'll need to invoke my power to see what's behind the shadow," he sighed, rubbing his temples. Ever since those damn birds had talked to him, he had acquired quite the headache.

He didn't notice Rikuo giving him a slightly concerned look.

posted 16April2008