"Mello." Mello looked up, rubbing his eyes as he woke up---he was one of the few slaves allowed to sleep indoors, and that was because he was Near's personal slave.

"Near-sama?" He mumbled, sitting up slowly. Five-year-old Near stared at him. "What's wrong, Near-sama? Are you hungry? I told you that you shoulda eaten earlier...."

"Mello, teach me Russian." Mello paused and looked at him with wide blue eyes.

"What?" He muttered softly, moving to place his arms across Near's bed, carefully avoiding contact with his younger master. "Why, Near-sama?"

"I want to learn." He said simply. Mello rubbed his eyes again and sighed.

"Raito's teaching you Japanese already." He said slowly. Near sighed.

"Teach me Russian, Mello." Mello dropped his head in to his hands for a few seconds before lifting his eyes to meet Near's pitch-black ones.

"All right." He agreed, only because he knew that Near was asking politely---if Near pulled rank, he would have no choice. "When?"

"Tomorrow." Near said. "Tomorrow morning. Good night, Mello."


The next morning, Near sat in his room, Mello by his bed, as Mello taught his younger master Russian. Slowly, because while the boy was a genius for a five-year-old, they kept getting interrupted by Wedy and Aiber. Finally, Mello managed to have Near learn something. Near practiced the song with Mello, copying the older boy's hand movements as well.

"Итси Битси паучок взбирался вверх по водосточной трубе.
Пошел дождь и смыл паучка.
Вышло солнце и высушило весь дождь.
Теперь Итси Битси паучок полез вверх по трубе снова.(1)" They sang together, and Near gave Mello a small smile of victory in mastering the song. It took Mello by surprise (the younger boy had never shown Mello any emotion in the year since he came... ever.), but he smiled back happily.

"Teach me another one, Mello." He ordered. Mello rolled his eyes but taught Near another one.


A few days later, and Near had mastered a majority of what Mello had taught him. As a test, Mello had him recite something by himself.

"Спой-ка песню о шести пенсах, карман, полный ржи!
Четыре и двадцать дроздов испекли в пироге
Когда пирог открыли, то птицы запели
Не было ли блюдо достойно короля?(2)" Near recited. Mello grinned proudly and Near sighed. "That was a little easy, Mello."

"Want to try something else?" Mello challenged. Near smiled.

"Sure." Mello smiled.

"Sing with me, then." Wedy opened the door, a laundry basket in her arms, and looked in on Mello and Near.

"Эй, дидл дидл, кот со скрипкой
Корова перепрыгнула Луну
Собачка засмеялась от такого спорта,
И тарелка с ложкой убежала.(3)" She smiled as she saw Mello and Near, on Near's bed, singing songs in a language she would never know. Silently shutting the door, Wedy continued with her chores.


"I think I would like to try to hold a conversation with you, Mello." Near said softly. Mello looked up at him.

"All right. You start, Near-sama." Near nodded.

"Здраствуйте, меня зовут Нэйт Ривер. А вас как?(4)" Mello smiled. Near had only stumbled over a few words.

"Меня зовут Михаил Кехл.(5)" Mello paused. "Мэлло."

"Рад встретить тебя, Мэлло." Near replied. Mello laughed silently. "Почему ты смеешься?(6)"

"Sorry, Near-sama, forgive me." Mello laughed and looked up at him. "It's just..." Near looked at him seriously. "I haven't had a conversation in Russian since I came here last year." Near smiled a little.

"I apologize, Mello." He said. Mello shrugged.

"You didn't bring me over, so it doesn't matter. Let's try again."


A few weeks later, and Near was watching Mello and another little girl singing outside his window. Mello looked up and waved at him, and their singing got softer and softer, and Near couldn't hear them. Then, suddenly, it seemed they went reversed and they were screaming the song loudly, catching the attention of the other workers, who laughed at the childish antics of the seven-year-old and his friend. Near, though they were singing loudly, couldn't understand the lyrics.

"Who was she? She's new." Near asked off-handedly as Mello sat by him.

"She lives down the street. She spoke to me on the ship on the way here." Mello told him.

"What were you singing?" Near asked quietly. Mello smiled.

"Do you wanna learn it?" Near nodded and Mello turned to face him.

"Listen." He said. Near leaned forward.

"Ok."

"Джон Джэкоб Джинглхеймер Шмидт,
Его имя - мое имя тоже!
Куда бы мы не пошли, люди всегда кричат:
Идет Джон Джэкоб Джинглхеймер Шмидт!(7)" Near smiled and Mello grinned at him. "That's the whole song. Then, you get louder or softer."

"Sounds like fun." Near said. Mello nodded.

"Wanna play?" Near nodded and they sang, regularly, then quietly. Aiber, passing by, smiled and continued walking.


It was amazing, Wedy thought as she watched Mello and Near singing again. When Mello first came here, for the first two months at least, he was a regular little spitfire, glaring at the other slaves in the room he was confined in. Wedy and Aiber didn't dare let him out, fearing what he would do---run away, or worse. After he calmed down, when he learned a bit more English and understood a bit more what his job was (when they let him out of the room for the first time in two months), Wedy had been a bit afraid that Mello would try to run away. But instead, he went instantly to Nate-sama and stayed by his side.

And now he was teaching Nate-sama Russian. It warmed Wedy's heart that all that could happen in the span of a year.


Mello stood by Near as the boy watched the other slaves talk and joke, each one of them dusty and dirty from working in the plantation. Mello watched him.

"What's wrong, Near-sama?" Near turned to him.

"I'm only five, Mello." Mello blinked---where was that coming from? Near continued. "I wonder how those slaves would feel towards me if I were older."

"They'd all care for you just the same." Mello said decisively. Near glanced at him.

"Would they?"

"Of course, Near-sama." Mello leaned against the windowsill and motioned to the others. "You are the best masters out here, among others. That girl that I was playing with, the one who lives down the street? She says that Mikami-sama is one of the meaner ones out there. Here," he motioned to the others, the groups talking in Afrikaans, the ones talking in English. Near looked out at them. "They all have smiles, and they all are loyal to you." Near looked at him. Mello smiled and, hesitantly, ruffled Near's hair. "Не волнуйся из-за таких вещей снова, Ниа-сама.(8)"

Near wasn't quite sure of what Mello said, but he smiled lightly and looked past the last few groups of slaves, out into the colorful sunset.