Yoyo Manor

Lucus – I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL IT THAT!


I gotta figure out how to use this.

Goxlin had been thinking about the echolocation and reasoned it best if he learned how to use it. Only problem was he couldn't figure the best way to do it.

"Having trouble just sitting there?"

"No, Clen just thinking."

"AHHHH!"

The twins were setting up a painting on the wall but stopped abruptly to hide behind a chair.

"What are you two doing?"

"Thinking is dangerous." Luke shivered as though the mere word would poison him.

"How?" Clen and Gox were getting more confused by the second.

"Ever notice that only the smart people think?"

"And it's the smart people that cause all the problems of the world." Lucus finished.

"We dummies are safe because we have all the fun since we don't think so we never have to worry about the problems of the world unless the smart people think then it becomes our problem too."

"Say 'contemplating.' it's a safer word."

Blink

"Ok I was contemplating about how to use the echolo---"

"Could you find a shorter word?"

"Yeah." Luke said. "My brother has a hard time with big words."

"I do NOT! I just don't like the really long ones."

Clen had a hard time finding the difference.

"You're trying to use the echo thing?" Brody just came down the stairs carrying a vase to put in the kitchen.

"Echo thing? That'll work." Lucus shrugged.

"Yeah I was." Gox rolled his empty eyes at the twin's idiocy. Oddly enough he found it kinda funny.

"Let me put this away and I think I can help."

"Sure, I ain't going anywhere."

"What's that kid thinking?" Clen asked.

"I don't know. He's resourceful, like his brother. Too bad I can't say the same thing about mine." Luke said.

"Well, nyaaah!"

"Will you two shut up and put up that painting?" Mark's voice came from upstairs.

"How does he do that?" the twins said together.

"Ok I'm back." Brody walked back in. "You two put up the picture and get lost."

"Great, I'm getting bossed around by an imp." Lucus muttered.

Brody pulled a face behind his back and turned his attention back to Gox.

"The solution to your problem is quite simple really, set up something like an obstacle course and see how well you can get around it with just using the Echo."

Thinking of no better way to do it Goxlin agreed and with Clen's help, Brody put a few large and small objects from around the house in an unused room.

"Don't worry about a thing." Clen put Gox's arm around his shoulder and escorted him to the room. "You'll have this down flat in no time. Maybe even to a point where you can walk up stairs by yourself so you don't have to sleep on the couch."

Twenty minutes later

"Well you didn't do that bad for a first try."

"Yeah but you could've warned me about the mousetrap, Brody!" Goxlin sat on a chair and nursed his little toe.

"Well, I, um. Ok sorry I guess it was a little early for the drastic stuff. Wanna try again?"

"Sure, whatever."

"Don't say it like that." Clen told him. "You did great for the first time, so you stumbled into a chair so what? That was only cause you aimed the echo too far down."

"Ok then, lets start you from the other side of the room and get rid of the mousetraps."

Later in the evening

Ed, Al and Chanticleer jogged to what was once the warehouse. The building had taken on quite the transformation on the inside as well as the out. It looked like a mansion befitting royalty instead of a group of teenagers now that it was almost done. They would've come by earlier but they ran into Hughes who had just gotten a handful of new pictures of his daughter. Chanticleer was about to open the door when the three of them heard a bunch of someones singing loudly and somewhat off-key.

"JEREMIAH WAS A BULLFROG!

"He was a good friend of mine!

"I never understood a single word he said,"

"But we always had a REAL GOOD TIME!"

"No, no, no! It's 'but he always made some real fine wine.'"

"Who cares?"

Edward couldn't help but shake his head.

"I guess the charm just keeps spreading."

"Ya know, I think you should try singing along with us sometime." The Dawn suggested. "Who knows, you might like it."

"No Thank You just get in the house."

"Brother!"

Brody made it a habit to make a mud hole in his brother's gut with a python like hug whenever they saw each other. Chanticleer winced as he returned the hug. He never cared much for the phrase 'love hurts' but this time he'd have to make an acceptation.

"You're just in time! Everyone has just started getting into the rhythm."

That sorry excuse for music was getting into the rhythm? Ed thought.

"Come on guys, come in!" Brody grabbed his brothers' arm and pulled him through the door. "Guess what, guess what! Gox is getting to the point where he can get around the house without help."

"That's great for him." Al said. "How does he feel about it?"

"He says it's like being rid of a ball and chain."

In the living room that had now been fixed up with two fancy couches, a coffee table, grandfather clock and the chandelier Brody wanted. Mark and the new friends had gotten comfortable in the perfected family room and the twins carried in their band gear.

"Perfect timing." Lucus said as he took the guitar off his shoulder. "We need a lead singer."

"What I can't take up the position?" Luke protested sounding slightly offended.

"I have no desire to go deaf."

"Wha-I-I? (grrrrr!) Just remember who's the oldest!"

"Why do you keep pulling that card whenever you feel cornered? It doesn't work. And I don't consider you to be the oldest since we came out one right after the other. Twenty seconds or less doesn't count."

"Yeah well…"

"Do brothers always fight like this?" Annie asked Chanticleer.

"Only immature ones." He answered rolling his eyes.

"And you're not guilty of being stupid once and a while." Lucus brought his attention from arguing.

"I never said I wasn't…just not all the time."

Clen and Lame sat next to Mark.

"Do they always act like this?"

"Quite often. But their random stupidity keeps them from going crazy. Believe it or not their idiocy sometimes keeps me from losing it too."

"Hey guys! I thought we were going to break out the music not fights." Ren interrupted. "I don't believe that you're as good as you say so prove me wrong."

"It would be an honor."

The Elrics pulled up a seat next to Dixie and Gox and listened to the unbelievable talent their friends had. Chanticleer had modified the microphone so it looked as spiffy as it made him sound. Trying to look like a professional lady-killer he flicked his hair out of his eyes before winking at Annie and started singing.

Their new group of friends were (if possible) even more baffled at the amazing music abilities Chanticleer and his family had than Ed or Al the first time they heard it. This song had what we might know as a rock type beat, to everyone else it was just awesome. Gox obviously couldn't see the enthusiasm the group put into their music but he could feel it better than anyone. The next verse changed its tune a little but after a few minutes the song ended strong and powerful. Here's how it went.

"Well down into below, I was so alone. I didn't have no money or no honey ta call my own that's why I'm, treasure huntin' for my love!"

"He's treasure hunting for his love." The twins so familiarly echoed.

"Well I've been everywhere, searchin' high an' low. But I ain't found no rainbow that's had a pot of gold so now I'm treasure huntin' for my love."

"He's treasure hunting for his love."

"I got this treasure huntin' fever, that treasure's all I'm thinkin' of."

"Thinkin' of, thinkin' of."

"Ole king Neptune he said he'd help me find my treasure, far below the sea. He introduced me to every single sexy mermaid, but not one could find love for me! So now I'm treasure huntin' for my love."

"He's treasure hunting for his love."

"I got treasure huntin' fever, yeah yeah! I got this treasure huntin' fever, yeah yeah! Yeah I've got treasure huntin' feveeeer! For Looove! I got treasure huntin' fever…FOR LOVE!"

There wasn't even any applause the spectators were so amazed.

"KUN! Kun, Kun, Kun!" Dixie finally said.

"Glad somebody liked it." Mark smiled, twirling a drumstick.

"Well, I-I guess I should say sorry for not believing you." Ren said still dazed by what he just heard.

"Such a sexy voice." Annie couldn't help but say. She quickly checked if anyone heard that once she realized she said it out loud. But in her mind she couldn't shake the feeling of admiration toward his beautiful voice and hot dance moves.

"Why thank you." Luke bowed.

"She wasn't talking to you, dipstick!" Lucus clunked Luke over the head. "Compliments like that belong with those with real talent."

The yoyos didn't even notice through their bickering Annie and Chanticleer were staring at each other.

Dixie stood between them and looked at them each in turn with a curious look, trying to figure out what they must be thinking.

"Kun? Kun. Um. Kun! Kun, Kun!" she ran to her brother and pointed at Annie and the Dawn while jumping up and down.

"You'd be a lot easier to understand if that wasn't the only thing you said."

"KUN!" she pointed at them again.

Ren took a second to think of her excitement and what caused it… then he understood.

"Ya know," he looked down at his sister. "I think you might be right."

Dixie looked at him like 'I told ya so!'

"Might be right about what?" Clen asked smiling.

"Ask her."

"I can't get her to talk!"

"Boo-hoo for you then."

"Clen come here." Gox said.

"You get what she's talking about?"

"Animal instinct you should know this."

Clen bent over and Goxlin whispered to him,

"They like each other."

Unbeknownst to everyone else Clengar felt a tremor of fury go through him. He and Annie had always been friends but he had a secret affection for her that she didn't know about. Now the knowledge that she had possibly turned her affection to someone else made him feel betrayed and that Chanticleer had no business being anywhere near Annie.


Me – well that ones a bit longer that usual.

Chanticleer – does this mean I get a girlfriend?

Me – maybe

Chibi me – Next up, Brody and…

Me – Hey, who says you get to do the preview?

Chibi me – (hands preview to me and pouts)

Me – Brody and Ren sort through a chest of old belongings and come across a very interesting item that was given to Chanty when he was younger.

Chanticleer – I think you're forgetting I'm still here.

Me – who cares, not that anyone knows this yet but this item is probably the biggest piece of this puzzle yet.