I own nothing.

Chapter Seven: Aya has a Change of Heart

"Hey, Hatori! How are things?" asked Shigure in his most annoying voice.

"Great. Good. Where's Ayame?"

"You don't like me anymore?" the dog whined. He was, in Hatori's opinion, the most annoying person Hatori had ever met; the fact that Shigure was trying didn't put Hatori into a better mood. Though lately there were contenders for Shigure's throne.

"I like you the same as I ever had: not at all. Now get that nitwit on the phone because otherwise he'll be pestering me later."

"Aya? Oh, he's taking his daily bath," said Shigure. This was technically true. Never mind that dear Aya had been "accidentally" locked in the bathroom so that he wouldn't interfere. Shigure took the call from the attic so that Hatori would not hear his cousin's shrieks.

"Doesn't he usually take his bath around midday?" Hatori asked.

"He took one before, but then he found a new soap while shopping and wanted to try it out." Shigure was so slick! That's exactly something that Aya would do!

"Stop lying. Before you said that he was taking his daily bath. Where is he?"

Shigure chuckled. "Caught me! Aya didn't call because he doesn't like you anymore!" He hung up.

Hatori wouldn't believe it, but it was fun to keep him guessing. He always had that look on his face as if he were eating a lemon cake that turned out to be a cream pie. (Hatori had no imagination.)

Shigure unlocked the bathroom door. Aya tried to exit, but was repelled by a picture of an ugly person. A person repulsive because of his filth.

Ayame screamed, backed up and fell into the tub.

Shigure snickered. "Don't try advanced gymnastics, now. The doctor is out of town."

"Ai?" asked Ayame. "Is that me I see, covered in g-g-garabage?"

"Yup," said Shigure. "Don't you remember the time when we got off at the wrong train stop and ended up at the dump?"

"I remember now. You pushed me into a mountain of filth."

"You were screaming and flailing around with your eyes closed. While Hatori pulled you out, I snapped this pic, and a few more like it."

"You would use this picture to blackmail me, yes? Nobody would believe that was me." Ayame shook his head and said quietly, in grief, "But it was."

Shigure thought fast. "Well, what do you think the lesson of the story is?" He knew full well how Aya's mind worked.

"We need our Tori, of course!"

"And we will get him back. But only as long as we follow this plan."

Ayame looked dejected. "But I have no stomach for it. Oh, Hari! Poor, poor Hari! Would that I could comfort you!"

"And you can. Call him now and tell him how much you miss him. And in the meantime, try to get a hobby or something. Hatori is more likely to come back if he knows that we won't need him 24-7."

"I'll try," said Ayame. He really would, Shigure knew, because Hatori was Counting on Him. He helped his cousin out of the bathtub and gave him the phone, carefully monitoring Ayame's words.

Yeah, I know the picture blackmail trick is old. But I wanted to! (That's no excuse, though. What I did should be forever condemned and degraded.) That wacko there should just shut up already! Who cares? (I do.) DIE! *Tries to stab own brain, but it's protected by a tinfoil hat.* Mummy!

Until whenever!

-Little Stone