You, yes you. Give yourself a hand for being awesome. I'm happy you've been following this story, and you're sticking with it. There will be battles in the future, -some epic ones- and a moment that I hope will read as a 'holy crap!' jaw dropper.

Everything I write has a reason, and it's all for plot development. If you find you're loving the characters, and are invested in the characters...GOOD. That will make the fulmination of this story that much richer for you. :) And I'm doing my job.

Also... I wrote the bamboo forest scene while listening to the sounds of a bamboo forest (found on youtube), so let me tell ya I was pretty relaxed. :3

Volleyball, a picnic, and... a new social link?

35th SCENT: A REAL SUMMER VACATION

August 25h. Early on a breezy Thursday morning...

The threat of a lengthened heat wave lost all power by the end of Wednesday. Thursday cooled down enough to ensure their trip to the pond wouldn't be inundated by sweltering temperatures.

Kanji tightened a bungee cord over a small, yellow plastic cooler set on the back rack of his black town bike. He and his friend split the difference yesterday after he'd gone to the Dojima home to bail Yu out of the daunting task of making lunches for eight people. Yosuke helped, though went back to the Hanamura's home later on to assure his parents that he was all right, and get permission to go on this picnic. Once the meals were finished, they each agreed to carry half so the load wouldn't be too daunting for a single bicycle. As for the girls, well, they were given strict instructions to bring the blankets, plates, games, and utensils, and if they felt the uncontrollable urge to bring something edible, it needed to be pre-packaged and unopened from Junes. No tampering or mixing to make it 'better.'

He stretched the hook of the bungee around the metal rack as Naoto walked across the street, her hands in her pockets, and wearing an expression that read more irritation than excitement about the day.

"My mother told me take the day off." She scowled.

"Really? Cool. Glad you could make it." There was no way in hell he'd tell her he'd gone to speak to the chief of police about it. As far as Naoto was concerned, it was her parents' idea.

"There's a serial murder case going on. I can't take a vacation right now."

"Most people would be happy for the break." He glanced to her, knowing her tail would be cutting sharp flicks through the air if she were allowed to let it show. "You look like someone took away your favorite toy."

She thought of her stuffed dragon back in her room at home, and what she would do to someone stupid enough to make off with it.

Another bungee cord was added to the three around the ice chest. "She probably thinks you're not well enough yet to give this case your full attention."

"And if someone else is kidnapped while we're gone?"

Kanji checked the cords for security. "Then you'll be strong enough to go rescue them."

"It doesn't matter how sick I am. If we don't find solid evidence against Mitsuo and locate his Bonded, there will be more kidnappings, and more murders. Justice doesn't go on picnics."

"Look," he folded his arms. "I didn't get my ass kicked by the Reaper just so you could wear yourself out, lose control, and get carted off to a lab somewhere so nerds in white coats could study the shit outa you." His stare speared the words through to her core. "You were close to the edge. That Hollow infection was eating your soul. We saw what happened to a cat demon who didn't survive in that other world. If that had been you, I-" He clamped his mouth shut. For the brief moment he'd been in that train car, he hadn't seen the deathly ill cat demon lying on that bed. He'd seen Naoto, and what would happen to her if they'd failed.

Words flew from her mind, tearing away any retort to the contrary. She bit her lip. He didn't need to finish that sentence, because she already knew what he would say. It warmed the grumpy chill she'd harbored all morning.

Kanji finished his inspection of the bungee cords and gave her his full attention. "Normal people take a good couple of weeks to get over the flu. Give yourself time, and have fun today. Go back to the case tomorrow."

She hesitated to answer. Her desire to ignore her parents' orders, and the need to remain with her classmate created a tearing friction within her.

He could sense her conflict. "You should know some R&R will clear your head." He chuckled. "Sheesh. For someone with a genius IQ, you can be pretty stupid."

That slight mirth crushed against her growl of disdain. She folded her arms, unable to fight his logic. "Fine. Even so, I'm afraid I can't join you today."

"What, you can't ride a bike?"

A long pause lived between them before she begrudgingly shook her head.

"Hm. Wait here." He moved back to rummage around in the garage, then returned with a wire rim basket and a yellow towel. He used the towel to line the inside, then secured the basket to the front of the bike. It was an older black wire receptacle, but kept in good condition. "Prime front row seating."

Naoto's eyes widened. "Y-you're kidding me, right? Is that even safe?"

"It's all we've got. You've never been on a picnic, and I ain't about to let you miss this one."

She stepped back, eyeing the contraption as though it had fangs that dripped poison. "I don't know..."

Kanji sighed. "It's fine. You comin' or not?"

Naoto grumbled her worries, but glanced around and quickly shrank down to her 12" tall native cat form. Kanji picked up her and placed her in the basket. The towel protected her feet from the metal cage. Another bungee cord around the outside of the basket so she wouldn't be harmed if the bike bounced around. She sat cross-legged and gripped the towel to either side as she took in her new surroundings. "This should have seat belts."

Kanji straddled the bike seat, planted his right foot on a pedal and both hands on the bars. "You gotta trust me."

"I do trust you. I just don't trust..." She leaned over the edge to read the label on the basket badge, "this 'Schwinn' person."

He ruffled her ears, settling her back down to sit. "Hold on, scaredy cat." He balanced the bike and took off down the street, chuckling at Naoto's loud mew of surprise.

Yosuke casually opened the front door of the Dojima home without knocking. Ryotaro blocked his path.

The older man exhaled. "Yosuke. Hm." He moved back to the living room. "He's out back by the shed."

"Uh... Thank you. You're not at the station today?" He asked.

"Nah, I'm on call."

Nanako interrupted before her father could say much more. "Daddy's taking me to the park! Big bro made extra sandwiches last night, so daddy said we could eat them at the playground!" She giggled, bouncing around the room. "I can't wait! Can we go yet, daddy? Please?"

"In a minute, Nanako." Ryotaro smirked. "She wanted to go on this trip with you guys, but I told her she was too little, so this is my way of making it up to her."

"I see." Yosuke scooped her up as she ran by and grinned as she squealed. "Maybe next time, ok, Nanako?"

"Uh huh!" He put her down. "Ok. You have to pinky promise." She held up her right hand, pinky out.

Yosuke wrapped his around hers. "Promise."

Satisfied that a new unbreakable oath was now in place, she scampered to the back door and leaned out without stepping onto the porch to watch.

He moved around the side of the house to the back.

Though the master of the house had accepted the fox-boy—or so he believed—he still made Yosuke nervous –and not just because he had a tendency to use that oversized hamster ball as punishment. Ryotaro was the alpha male of the house.

He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, trying to act aloof. "Dude, how long are you going to take?"

"One second," came a voice from the open shed.

"The picnic is today!" 'Aloof' failed, as the fox couldn't keep in his excitement any longer. He ran to the shed door. "It's today! Yes! I've never been on a picnic. What is that anyway?"

Yu rolled out his uncle's dark green, old fashioned town bicycle and kicked down the stand. The gear shifts were from the 1970's when the manufacturer thought putting them on the lower frame in front of the handlebars was a good idea. This old beast hadn't been used in years, so it needed a good cleaning. "It's where people go to have lunch in a park or out in nature somewhere to get away from everything."

Yosuke watched him air up the tires and oil up the chain. "How are we supposed to get there on that? There's only room for one person."

Yu glanced around, wiping off his hands on a rag. "You didn't bring yours?" He asked, confused.

"Well, no," He scratched the back of his head. "See...it was...busted, yeah...and I... well..." He sighed, resigning to the grim truth. "I crashed into a trash can yesterday when I tried to ride it. I ain't getting' back on that thing." The day was against him already, and it wasn't even noon. "Guess you'll just have to go and tell me what it's like." He dropped in a petulant whine cross-legged to the grass. "Awe man! This sucks!"

Yu glanced to the bike, then to him. They didn't have another ride, and no way to keep up with the group. His half of the picnic lunch would take up the entire rack on the back of the bicycle, and he didn't have a front basket. He couldn't leave the fox-demon behind, not when he was so excited about the trip. Maybe, if he could give his friend a brief lesson on bike riding, he could jog along side. The sudden image of a panicked Yosuke speeding off in uncontrolled wobbles down the hill, careening into someone's yard and sending the basket lunch flying through the air discouraged that bad idea.

Nanako overheard the conversation, and worried her chin in thought with the same concern. She didn't want the fox to miss out on picnic fun either. Her face suddenly lit up. "Aha! I got an idea," she began, to get the attention of the two boys. "I saw it once on t.v. And it would be so cute if you could do it!"

The two boys looked to each other –curious—then back. "Shoot," Yu shrugged. What did they have to lose?

Nanako giggled in glee at her ingenious problem-solving, and knew she'd be the hero of the day. Of course, if her two brothers went along with it, she would need to take a picture before they left; which she did.

About ten minutes later after the bicycle was tuned up, and Nanako's idea implemented, Yu rolled down the street on the bike. He had to work to balance the antique, but the skills to ride returned quickly to his muscle memory. Soon, he was soaring through Inaba toward the Satonaka Dojo. They'd all agreed to meet there since it was closest to their destination, and Chie's parents wanted to meet everyone before letting their daughter go out. Since she was still recovering, it was natural that they would be a little more protective.

"This is the best idea ever!" Yosuke's high-pitched buoyant voice carried on the wind. Yu glanced down to the tiny fox zipped up against his chest in his dark gray sweater. He had to admit that he wouldn't have thought of this on his own, but once his little cousin mentioned it was how someone had carried a puppy home to free up their arms, it suddenly seemed plausible. The fox-demon didn't weigh much in his natural form, so there wasn't a real weight difference to compensate for, and he was small enough that this would work without inhibiting Yu's movements. He'd tucked in the bottom of his sweater to his jeans, zipped up the fox, and taken off.

Yosuke's hands rested on the fabric folds over the zipper. He looked out at the Semegawa river as they crossed the bridge to the other side of town. Not only was he warm and cozy, but he had a great view of the world rushing by. He'd bundled up the cloth beneath his feet for support and enjoyed the ride. He'd never been able to travel outside as himself before, so seeing the world as it truly existed was amazing. Everything was far more vast than he was accustomed to, since he'd come to know Inaba from a Human's perspective. He hid his face from passing car on instinct. Their speed made it hard for anyone to tell that he wasn't just an animal. The wind in his ears felt amazing.

Yu pulled up outside the dojo to find everyone else waiting for him. Rise had Teddie bundled up in a tan wicker basket on top of a tightly folded blanket on the front of her pink bicycle, Yukiko stood next to her apple-red road bike, Chie's white and green mountain bike complimented hers, and both girls carried backpacks bulging with plates, utensils, and games, and of course, Kanji was there with Naoto.

"It's about time you got here," Chie planted her hand on her hip. "I was about to send out a search party."

Rise squealed when she saw them enter the dojo's courtyard. "Oh my gosh, that is so cute!" She snapped a picture with her phone, as did a few others.

Yu sighed. He should should have seen this coming. "We ran out of options."

Chie straddled her bicycle. "I'm just happy to get out of the house for once. C'mon, let's go before my mom changes her mind. I have to be back before dark, or my dad's going to have a serious break down."

Yu gestured to the two girls who knew where they were going to lead the way, and followed. The group pedaled along the road out of town.

Teddie's hands clasped the basket's weather treated weave and gawked in joyful amazement at the scenery. "This is bear-illiant idea, Rise! I love bicycling! And picnics! I can 'bearly bear' the excitement! The bright summer's day pouring over us, the rays of sunlight glinting off a lunchtime feast, and the thought of these bathing beauties splashing in crystal blue water make my heart soar. It's going to be a perfect day."

Rise groaned. "Do me a favor and go easy on the bear puns."

The tiny blond boy's blue ears twitched as he blinked back at her, completely clueless. "What bear puns?"

Naoto kept a death grip on the rim of the basket, and kept telling her driver to watch out for every pot hole they came across. "Look out for that hole in the road! Watch the branch! Ah! You almost hit a huge rock! Can't you balance on this thing?"

"Hey, Stop basket driving and just enjoy the stupid scenery." Kanji huffed, though softened the next sentence a bit. "Would you relax and trust me already? Sheesh."

She settled down, clutching the towel and let out a long breath. "Relax and trust him," she repeated to herself. Sure, she could do that. She glanced to the right, left, then up at the sky. Everything whizzed by her, and she started to feel contentment creep past her fear of a bicycle accident. It really was a beautiful day.

Chie rode side by side with her best friend. "This was a great idea, Yukiko! We haven't been out riding like this in ages."

"I thought it was time for a change." Yukiko smiled. "Are you feeling ok riding this far?"

"For sure. I'm great!" Chie pulled ahead with exuberance. "Try to keep up!"

"Wait up!" Yukiko sped up to catch her, and ended up passing her down a hill. She let a spark of competitiveness burn longer than she'd normally allow. Chie always helped her feel like she could push her personal limits. "Last one there has to eat a bug!"

The short dog demon's eyes widened in horror. "A bug?!" She may as well have just said, 'go vegan.' "No way am I gonna be last!"

"Onward!" Yosuke grinned in pure love of the wind in his ears as the girls flew by. "Faster! Faster! We gotta catch up!"

Yu worked to get the bike up a hill. "How about you pedal?"

By the time they rode down the other side, Yosuke got his wish."Woooooohoooo!" he cheered as they flew down into a nearby valley.

Yu skid to a stop at the base of the hill, happy for the break so he could catch his breath and let his heart calm down. It had been far too long since he'd last ridden a bicycle. He recovered quickly, and stared slightly slack-jawed at the mouth of a shaded path marking the next leg of their trip. "A bamboo forest," he muttered.

Yosuke blinked straight up at the towering slim giants in awe. "Whoa..." He'd never seen anything like it. The forest felt alive. It stretched on in a perfect straight wall of green down the road around a corner out of sight. The pathway greeted them like an entrance to another world. At first, he wasn't sure if he wanted to go in there. Who knew what creatures thrived in this secluded secret place.

Yu got off the bike to walk it with the others. He set the fox-boy on the ground so Yosuke could return to his human height, and wasn't surprised that all four yokai let their ears and tails remain visible.

It was incredibly peaceful. No matter how hard he strained to listen, not one sound of civilization met them here. Occasionally, the wind would carry the hollow tones of bamboo knocking together high above them. They were truly in the middle of nowhere, and it existed a mere 2 miles out of town.

He stopped when they finally cleared the trees, and stared. If the entrance to the bamboo forest was the portal, this was the other world.

Yukiko and Chie were already there setting down blankets, with their bikes standing off nearby.

"Wow! It's so beautiful here." Rise pushed her bike past Yu in awe at the scene around her.

A small creek trickled into a pool of clear azure water, keeping the surface moving just enough to hinder any mosquitoes from calling this 'home.' The bamboo forest continued off into the distance on the other side, and few rocks pock marked the edge of the pond to create small inlets of their own. The stones were placed close enough to hop from one to the other. The area the girls chose to settle down in was rich with thick, soft green grass, edged by brush a little further down. It was an amalgamation of simple, natural beauty.

"This place is kinda in the boonies," Kanji removed the picnic feast from his bicycle. "How'd you even know about it?"

Chie relished at being the keeper of such a secret. "It belongs to Mr. Fujiyama. My father had him as a student for a long time. He said me and my friends were welcome here whenever we wanted. It's been forever, but I remember the bamboo forest goes on for a long way into the hills. He uses this as a training ground -said it was for meditation and maneuvering or something. I think he's a landscape designer, too. I remember, because he did a ton of work on our place in exchange for lessons. I was never happier to not have to do yard work." Her father had a skill in exchanging lessons for favors. If he needed plumbing done that he couldn't do himself, one of the local plumber's sons studied here, so he'd bargain the work to wave the next months training fee. Consequently, he saved money and had various things taken care of at no charge but his own skill.

Naoto had returned to human size when they'd entered the forest. The area was indeed breathtaking, untouched by humanity, but she frowned at the main attraction garnering all the attention. "Why does everything we do have to be near water?"

She gasped as a rush of air swept past her, blowing her cap from her head. She reached for it just as Yosuke ran by, throwing his shirt carelessly aside. He was already in his swimming trunks. "Yeah haha!" A loud splash followed soon followed, as did a yelping, "Holy crap, that's cold!"

The air around her suddenly chilled as Teddie rushed by, also tossing his clothes away. Both boys left a trail of clothing. Those two crazy idiots may have been prepared for a swim, but she was keeping her feet on dry land.

Teddie burst to the surface and shook water from his hair. "Ah, this is the life." He laid on his back to float.

"Incoming!" Chie ran for the water with an inner-tube in hand and leaped in from one of the rocks. The cold water prickled her skin.

As the three young animal demons played, Yu helped Yukiko set out lunch, and Kanji dug a volleyball from Chie's backpack. Thankfully, she'd brought a few things to keep them entertained. He tossed it to Naoto, who had to drop her book to catch it.

Surprised, she snapped at him. "Kanji! What's the meaning of this?"

"You ever played volleyball?"

"What?"

"Hit it back to me, like this." He mimicked a serve motion.

Naoto stood, remembered the motion, and tried to return the ball. It fell short. Disbelief flooded through her. How could she miss something so simple? That wouldn't do. She ran over to pick up the ball and ran back, trying it once more. It hit the grass short of his feet. She growled. Now it was personal. The ball saw three more weak failings before mastering this became the cat's full world. She held the mocking ball in her right palm, glaring at it. Calculations flew through her mind. She just needed more power, and if she adjusted the angle at which the ball arched through the air by changing the placement of the heel of her palm on its surface at the point of strike, factoring in the breeze, combined with an explosive energy, her victory in this skill would be assured. She passed the ball to her left hand, tossed it into the air, waited for the exact moment, felt the energy surge through her arm as if it were a lit canon, and ...wham!

The ball shot past Kanji's head and impacted the ground like a rubber asteroid.

Kanji straightened when he'd had to duck to avoid having his head taken off. "Whoa! Jesus! Calm down." Kanji picked up the ball, happy to find it survived the decimation. "It's not the end of the world. Go easy on it." He hit the ball back to her.

She caught it. "Go easy. Right." Pulling back her need to be perfect, she tossed the ball up, and returned it smoothly.

He caught it.

"Yes! Haha!" She jumped into the air, realized what she'd done, and immediately calmed down. The part of her that wanted to play pushed to be free'd again. After tasting the joy of 'fun,' why wouldn't it hurt to let go for a little bit. She hurried to return the ball when he hit it back to her.

Rise soon joined the group in the water, though she only made it waist deep. "Brr! It's freezing."

"Come on in, Rise." Teddie beckoned. "The water's fine."

"Hey!" Yosuke called from from a rock to get everyone's attention. He owned the scene as its captain and master. "Watch this. Samurai Fox Spinning Blades of Fury!" He pounced, and used his wind power to send a rush of air across the pond seconds before he hit with a canon ball splash.

"Look out!" Yu flattened himself on the blanket as the wind rushed over them, fluttering the blanket wildly, knocking over the picnic basket, a couple of bikes, and finally howling off into the trees. The bamboo's peaceful knocking became a clattering chaos. It eventually calmed.

"Yu, um.." Yukiko muttered.

"Hm? Uh..." He sat up quickly, not realized he'd shielded Yukiko from anything that could have gone flying by. "S-sorry. You ok?"

She sat up and rubbed her back. "I'm fine."

The three in the pond immediately went on the attack with the fox as their target. They were all involved in a splash war. At first, angry threats were thrown, but those soon bore chuckles until the anger turned back into play.

Yukiko set out the food. "Oh, Yu, I almost forgot. I brought some seasonings for the sandwiches, and I-"

A chorus of "NO!" slammed into her from every person there. Even the water play instantly ceased. Teddie –who'd been sitting on Yosuke's shoulders to launch a flying splash attack at Chie—lost the war with balance.

"But I feel so useless not preparing anything. I made this special seasoning blend myself last night using every flavor enhancer I could find in the kitchen." She opened a sandwich and sprinkled some onto the meat. "Try it. As a thanks for saving me." She held it out to him.

Yu grimaced, staring down the innocent sandwich now sick with a green miasma. He'd made it the night before, and was sad its life was cut so short...to be the victim of a brutal culinary crime. He could have sworn he saw the meat move on its own accord. What on God's earth was in that seasoning blend? Had she unknowingly used the power of her persona on the meat? He reached out to take the sandwich in a trembling hand.

"No, dude!" Yosuke shoved Teddie out of the way as he swam back to shore. "Don't do it! It's not worth it!"

It was a 'thanks,' a peace offering, and her feelings would be hurt if he didn't accept the offer. He had to or she'd be disappointed. He had pinned her down to 'save' her, so in order to save himself, he had to have courage. If he ate it all in one shot, maybe nothing would happen. Hopefully.

Braving all pain, suffering, and the inevitable cramps to follow, he stared at the food, solidified his will power to consume it, and downed the entire sandwich quickly in three bites. He slapped his hand over his mouth for a second, swallowed the last bite, then exhaled. Maybe he was already hallucinating, but he thought he saw a cloud of red vapors came out. His throat burned, his eyes watered, and he'd bet his life that something just moved in his stomach.

"Well?" Yukiko leaned forward eagerly.

"It's... good." He tried to grin. "Ex..excuse me."

He quickly grabbed a bottle of water from the basket and chugged the entire thing.

Unphased, Yukiko turned to Chie. "You wanna try it?"

"Ask Yosuke," Chie folded her arms, resting her elbows on the inner-tube.

The scrupulous squint that followed spoke volumes of distaste. "No way! That crap almost killed him." He scrambled out of the water to where Yu now lay on his back staring at the sky with glazed over eyes. "Yu? Hey, talk to me, partner."

"I think," he muttered, "It's alive." He took a deep breath, and waited for the squirming in his gut to settle before sitting up. Despite his fear of future discomfort, he smiled at Yukiko anyway. "The spices need work, but-."

She smiled. "Great. Then you won't mind trying it, too, right Kanji?"

He shrank back in fear from the bottle that might as well have had XXX written across it. "F that shit. I wanna live."

She snubbed her nose at his rudeness. "Everyone's a food critic."

Yosuke and Naoto quickly picked up their sandwiches before their taller friend could poison the rest of them. Teddie and Rise joined them as soon as it was safe and sat down to eat. Yosuke handed his afflicted friend another wrapped lunch to save the day.

He took it, examined it with the care of a jeweler, then finally took a bite. He sighed in happiness. This one was safe. "Hey, where'd you get this?"

"I grabbed it before we left. It was in my jacket pocket when I changed. Glad I remembered it was there at the last second, or it would have been interesting." He munched on his own food. "This is delicious!"

"So, if you're holding onto something, you can take it with you?"

He nodded and munched happily on the food. "Pretty much."

"The more complicated and bigger in size the item is, the more energy is used, and the more errors can occur." Naoto remembered a phone she lost that way when she'd forgotten it was in her pocket. She tried to change it at the last second, but it ended up cracking in half. She bit into her lunch and sipped on a soda.

The fox stretched, and flopped back on the blanket to look at the sky. It was a deep blue-the kind found on a painters palate, swept by brushes of white, feathery clouds. The breeze delightfully ruffled his ears, and he wondered if the sky in the Red World ever held this sapphire clarity. Yosuke relaxed, watching the clouds. A memory of a clear day like this in a field of tall grasses lived for a fraction of a second in his mind. He'd been there playing with Naoto and others from his class as they chased each other through the grass calling out and responding to find one another, It was a game. They knew they couldn't get lost, and this place was safe from Shadows. He closed his eyes to find it once more, and for the first time in months, he succeeded. The memory cleared to his point of view. He found the cat demon –whom he knew lived with him and the white fox in their house. They both laughed and split up again to start the game over with a bear demon, the brown dog demon, and a bunny demon. He felt like he hadn't lived here for very long as of yet, and didn't really know them, but they were his friends because they were in the same class. He stopped to look up at the face of the white fox –Ai—when she knelt in the grass to call him and others over, and then to another tall fox walking by behind her. The one he didn't recognize paused to look down at him, frowned, and kept walking –as if stopping to even pay attention to Yosuke took precious time from his schedule.

He blinked back to reality as he watched two butterflies flutter across his eyeline. Who was that?

He sighed and hoped that world knew days like this. It would be too depressing if they always lived beneath that red and black murk, fighting shadows, and trying not to be eaten by them.

Teddie started in on a bag of chips while he watched Yukiko finally go join Chie in the water. Both were relaxing and laughing at a conversation he couldn't hear.

"Hey, Ted," Yosuke tucked his hands behind his head and watched the clouds. "Do you remember what the TV world looked like before it turned red?"

"Yeah." He smiled and raised his face to the warm sky. "It looked a lot like this. Only everything was bigger." He shoved a handful of chips into his mouth and spoke around the food. "Why? You don't?"

Yosuke shook his head from side to side.

"Oh," Teddie whined. "That's too bad."

Rise offered the bear-boy an orange. "That reminds me. While we were in that world finding the cure, the Raccoon doctor said you didn't have a bonded because you named yourself. I thought that was impossible."

Teddie watched Yosuke get up, grab a frisbee from Chie's backpack, and start taunting her with 'fetch, girl!' until she agreed to play with him –after she hit him over the head with it, of course. He soon got Naoto involved in the game as well. "I remembear a bright flash of light after the sky turned red and black. The Shadow that attacked us was suddenly gone. So, I got out of the field me and others of my class were playing in and found shelter in one of the buildings that appeared out of nowhere. Inside, everything was destroyed, furniture was broken, and it was dirty and smelled like old gym socks. I hid from a Shadow that passed by looking for another animal demon to eat. That's when I bumped into a stuffed toy that looked just like me. It had ears like mine, and a tail like mine, and its fur was soft like mine. It was the only thing that felt familiar, so I stayed there curled up with it all night while screams and the sounds of those monsters went on outside. After waiting for hours, I finally tried to leave. That's when I saw a word written in black ink on its foot. It said 'Teddie.' I figured if this was a 'Teddie,' and it looked like me, then I must be a 'Teddie,' too. Suddenly I wasn't alone anymore. Luckily, I managed to keep from getting eaten until I found Rei. When he asked if I had a name, I thought back to the toy and said my name was Teddie." The bear-boy grinned. "He said animal demons can't name themselves or others, but apparently I did. I guess I was the exception." He turned a charming sparkle in his eyes to the girl who'd saved his life. "But I'm even more happy now that you gave it back to me, Rise."

Her smile broadened. "That's an amazing story. And you only used one bear pun." She giggled.

"Huh? I don't know what you mean!" He whined, flopped onto his back, and rolled across the grass right into the middle of the game. Despite orders to 'move it, you stupid bear!' from Yosuke, or 'Teddie, join us or get out of the way' from Naoto, he remained rolling back and forth. It was fun to be in the middle of everything.

Yu stood. "I'll be right back."

And everyone who'd paid attention earlier knew why he was disappearing for a while. "Take your time, man." Kanji sent his sympathies. "Seriously."

The bamboo forest spoke around him in its muted, percussive speech. Creaks, snaps, and pops accented the rustling of thousands of leaves as the tall thin spires swayed in a sea of pale green to the will of the wind. Yu closed his eyes tilting his head back, and let the natural music carry him away. He'd seen a bamboo forest before in Arashiyama, Kyoto, but there were always people around, so civilization never truly left him like it did here. For the first time in his life, he was in complete solitude, yet he didn't feel alone in the slightest.

It also calmed him down from the sandwich of epic fail. He wrapped his fingers around an older green bamboo trunk and blinked up at the sunlight dappling through the canopy of pointed leaves. Other thick, knuckled stalks knocked against this one, but it seemed to pass the energy on to the next. Everything flowed continuously. This was tranquility. If Igor wanted him to rest his body and spirit, this was the place to do it. Though the day brought sunshine through partial clouds, he couldn't help but imagine the sound of raindrops peppering the leaves.

Teddie mentioned his world once looked like this instead of the harsh, deadly, broken hell hole he and his friends fell into. Yu wondered if it would ever look like this again.

The clattering of metal against pavement in the distance jarred him from his peace. Unlike the ancient song of the bamboo forest, that was a sound he'd grown up with; the sound of a vehicle involved in a wreck. He wove between the straight stalks until he reached the path, and jogged out to the road. If anyone had been hurt, he could call for help on his cell phone, but he hoped he wouldn't have to.

He cleared the trees, moved down the road further from town around a corner where he saw a white scooter tipped on its side, and a girl in a very familiar white bandana and red apron.

Aika's back was turned to him as she pushed her scooter up, straining to balance it while she herself balanced on her left foot. She stepped on her right to keep moving forward –away from the newcomer on the road she'd failed to notice—and cried out in pain. She hopped back to avoid being crushed by the vehicle when it fell over again, though she hit the ground.

"Aika? Are you ok?" Yu moved over to check on her.

"Huh? Where did you come from?" Her black eyes scanned him in confusion. "I didn't see anyone else on the road."

"I'm with my friends today. I went for a walk and heard the crash."

"Oh," she stood to balance on her own power as he lifted the scooter. "I hit a pothole and busted up the front end." Her pained expression betrayed the only injury she'd obtained besides a few bruises. She cried out and dropped back to the ground, clutching her right ankle. Her teeth clenched, biting back another cry. "Slow speed crashes aren't very dramatic."

He set the bike on its stand and turned his attention back to her. "Is your ankle broken?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't think so. It's just twisted."

Yu withdrew his phone to dial the hospital so they could send an ambulance for her, and contact the Moel gas station for a tow, but his reception meter rebelliously displayed the 'no service' icon. The battery was close to dying as well. It must have been searching for a signal for a long time. That was weird since he'd just received a text from his uncle while at the pond. He pocketed the phone. "No luck. I can't get reception out here. Do you have a phone?"

She nodded, checking her pocket, but frowned in defeat when she came up with nothing. "I must have lost it." Her attempt to stand up faltered. "I still have to deliver this order."

He caught her, glanced to the tray on the back of the scooter holing the metal box still secured with the hot meal inside, and exhaled. He could walk her there with the scooter and ask the people who'd called in for take-out to call for help. "Where are you going? I'll take you."

"Just ahead a half mile."

"Ok." That shouldn't take too long.

Yu pushed the bike with her sitting on it down the road to her destination.

The two said nothing as they moved past the green grasses of a small rice field to their right. The bamboo forest continued on to their left.

The house was spacious, two stories, and like most of the homes in Inaba, held a traditional appearance trimmed with modern flourishes. This must be the home of the person Chie told them about, the one who owned the property. She'd mentioned he was a landscape designer, and by the clean lines and manicured detailing of the garden up to the front door, he believed her.

He grabbed the bag of food from the box and knocked.

"One second," he heard a man's voice answer. The door opened seconds later.

Yu looked down at a short middle aged man no taller than Naoto. For some reason, he imagined the landowner and practitioner of Kung Fu to be...well...taller.

"You're not who I expected," he said dryly. "Are you new at Aiya's?"

"No, I'm -"

"He's helping me, Mr. Fujiyama," Aika interrupted from her scooter seat. "That'll be three hundred yen." Her manner of speaking was very rote, as though it were a script holding hardly any emotion.

Mr. Fujiyama dug the money from his wallet and handed it over. "I see. Are you all right?"

She nodded. "It's just a twisted ankle."

Yu accepted the money and delivered the food as promised. "My phone doesn't get any service out here. Can you call someone?"

"Of course." The older man flipped open his cell phone, though his hopeful demeanor faded. "Huh. It looks like my phone is dead, too. Strange. This rarely ever happens. It must be a solar flare interfering with the satellite, or something. I don't have a land line anymore."

Yu glanced back to Aika, patiently waiting. "Would you mind if we left the scooter here?"

"Yeah. Just pull it off to the side." He left them to the task and walked out to his car. The least he could do was give the two kids a ride back. As if to mock them in time to Aika's bad luck, the engine refused to turn over. He grumbled, exasperated. "Well, I dunno what to tell ya. Sorry."

"Don't worry. I can take her back into town and have the gas station send a tow truck."

"You sure, kid? It's a long walk."

"I'll be fine. Thank you" Yu crouched down so Aika could climb onto his back and locked his hands behind him under her legs for support. Her arms draped over his shoulders across his chest.

"Just leave the bowls," She repeated in a sleepy tone.

"Be careful," Mr. Fujiyama said.

"I will." Yu adjusted his grip so he was more comfortable. "I'm coming back this way anyway. My friends and I are by the pond for the day."

"Your friends?" He didn't recognize this kid from town at all, and he'd lived here his entire life.

"Chie Satonaka."

Mr. Fujiyama's brown eyes lit up. "Ah! I see. Tell her I'll be by the dojo to talk to her father later this week."

Yu agreed, and turned to walk back down the road toward town.

Aika continued to let the silence live between them, even though she couldn't shake the memory of him pushing her broken scooter to the house without hesitation. She'd never spoken to him beyond taking his order over the phone, or serving him and his friends at the restaurant. And yet here he was, a complete stranger, giving up his day for her sake. "I'm sorry to put you out like this."

"Not at all."

"I ruined a day with your friends."

"They know I'll come back. Besides, I have clearance to be gone for a while."

"Clearance?"

"Eh...I'd rather not talk about it."

"They trust you? And you trust them?"

"Yeah. That's what friendship is."

Aika listened to the sound of dirt crunching beneath his feet for a while. "You're the new transfer student. I don't get it. How can you have such strong bonds with people you haven't even known for a year?"

That would have been a good question at any other point in his life. However, this time he had an answer. "It just seems natural. It's like we've known each other forever."

"Why are you doing this for me?" Her own experience dictated that he would want something in return. No one did anything for free.

"I'm doing this on my own. And I'd like to count you among my friends, if that's all right." He couldn't turn his head to look at her, so he hoped the sincerity of his words came across clearly. "There's nothing lost or gained when you try to help someone."

She tightened her arms across his chest to hold on, though when she noticed her right hand was over his heart, she moved it away. "No one's done anything like this for me before."

"Well, now they have."

Not sure what else to say, she remained silent a bit longer.

He made it back to the dojo a half hour later. "Are you ok if I leave you here? The Satonakas can call for a tow truck, and I really need to get back."

She smiled. "I'm fine, thanks. I think I can walk back to the restaurant. See?" She rotated her right foot. "My ankle feels better. I guess I just needed to stay off of it for a while."

"Ice it down as soon as you can and try to rest it." Yu nodded a 'good luck,' and jogged back toward the pond.

Aika watched him go, curious that he would drop his plans to help her. She hadn't expected Yu Narukami to be this kind of person at all. He always seemed so spacey and silent, and impossible to read. "What a strange guy."

Three quick beeps from his phone grabbed his attention on the way back. He stopped to catch his breath and checked the notification. All five bars of activity were lit. He had perfect reception, and his battery life was back to full. He glanced back toward town. Why would it suddenly go completely dead like that and then return for no reason?

Mr. Fujiwara was probably right about the cause. He pocketed the phone and assured himself it was just a fluke. Cell phones were a classic train wreck when it came to reliable service. He let his thoughts wander as he made the two mile jog through the hills back through the bamboo forest and the hidden pond tucked away within. There was still plenty of light left in the day to spend time with his friends before they needed to return to town.

Next scent: A Test of Heart