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Chapter Three

"Mizuki, do you want a bubble bath?" asked Ritsuka as he turned the water on, filling the tub with warm water and turning to Mizuki to take the child's wet clothes off before he caught a cold.

"Bubble . . . bath? What's that, Mama Ritsuka?" Mizuki looked at the older boy with big innocent eyes that read that he went through more than a four-year-old child should endure.

Ritsuka sighed in defeat, but smiled gently down at the half naked boy. "Mizuki, why are you all of a sudden calling me 'Mama Ritsuka'? You have a real mother back home, don't you?"

Mizuki's cat-ears fell against his blondish-brown hair. Ritsuka noticed that the boy's eyes were the same color as his, but now they were devoured by black. The same shade of sad, lonely black he saw when he found Mizuki in the alley.

'Biological eye color: lavender, but changes to black when upset and gloomy.' Ritsuka made a note about the change of colors in Mizuki's eyes in his head.

"Mizuki . . . I'm sorry. I-I didn't know it would . . . have a big affect on you." Apologetically whispered Ritsuka, stripping the last clothes Mizuki wore and gathered all the wet clothes and piled them up in a corner of the bathroom.

As Ritsuka piled the clothes in the corner, Mizuki began to move his lips and words came out, but very quietly. "Mama doesn't like me. She said my big sister loved me the most out of our whole family. Papa said it's the only reason why my big sister still lived with Mama and Papa. Mama hates me because I'm a demon who stole Akira away . . . Akira ran away about two years ago, but I still see her here and there. Now and then."

Ritsuka was clearly impressed with Mizuki's influence to speak undoubtedly well. He probably talked at a third or fourth grade level as well as read and write. Yes, the impressed teenager was awed and he just gawked, staring at Mizuki before saying, "You're very mature for a child of your age."

Mizuki looked up at Ritsuka and gasped softly to himself. He saw Ritsuka's concern face mixed with awe, but saw more of the concern feeling in Ritsuka's lilac eyes. He was causing trouble for Ritsuka and that was the last thing he wanted to do, so he quickly changed the subject. "Mama Ritsuka, what's it feel like to have a bubble bath?" his expression enliven with his cat-ears sticking up, twitching a bit with excitement.

RITSUKA'S POINT OF VIEW

Mizuki and I have a lot in common, but we should not. It is not okay for a four-year-old to be afraid of his mother, but most of all, a mother should not hate her child.

"Mizuki . . ." you shouldn't . . ." I began, but stopped before I said anything that might have made him cry. I want him to be loved, to feel like his is important so that is why Soubi and I shall love him. "You shouldn't stand there! Let's get you in the bathtub, okay? And soon enough, you'll know how it feels to be in a bubble bath!' I told him, grinning with him. Then, I scooped him up into my arms and got into the tub with him while still wearing my clothes.

For now, I have to keep him happy, but I will have to know who he really is, where he lives and question him about his private life. Questions like why was he in the alley all alone? Why are you afraid off your mother? Where did you get those bruises and cuts I saw on his body and on his face? Who is your older sister? Then, after I have all the answers I need, I have to take him home otherwise his parents will report him as a kidnapped child.

"Wow. The bubbles are pretty." Mizuki exclaimed, cupping a hand full of bubbles and then blowing it. Afterwards, he looked up at me and asked, "Mama Ritsuka, you want to see a magic trick?"

I nodded, smiling in improvement and he grinned, widening his smile even more. Next, he began and my eyes grew big, disbelief overwhelming my mind. I could not believe what was happening!

"Bubbles of the seas,

Float to the skies,

Like little butterflies!

Invade the air like bees,

And let us see!

I command thee to rise!"

All the bubbles that was in the bathtub with us slowly raised from the water and turned into butterflies! The butterflies fluttered to the top of the ceiling, but then the butterflies transformed into bees! I gasped and held onto Mizuki, but I noticed that the bees were not doing anything. They were merely hovering around the ceiling then the bees turned back into butterflies then back into bubbles.

"See? It's pretty and magical!' I heard Mizuki say. I could imagine Mizuki's satisfying smile on his lips, but all I could do was stand there, shocked.

"A . . . a spell?" I looked down to meet Mizuki gaze. "You can cast spells . . . just like Soubi?"

Mizuki tilted his head to the side, his golden-auburn hair soaked and dripping water down his. "Spells? Aren't they magic trick? I got the magic words from TV when I was watching a man with a big, long black hat and a black cap wearing white gloves. Not all his magic words worked when I said them. I wanted to do the magic trick where he pulled a bunny out of his hat!" he said, but I did not answer him. I was still too stunned, learning that Mizuki could cast spells.

Knock-knock.

"Ritsuka, are you okay in there?" I heard Soubi calling from the other side of the bathroom door.

"I . . . I don't know, Soubi." I whispered, realizing I did not have the energy to speak up. "I don't know anything anymore."

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