~~

In every dream that was birthed within his mind during his delirium, Legato was kneeling. Sometimes it was during a battle, blood coursing down his cheeks, filling his mouth with acrid sweetness that slipped down his lips and stained his shirt with warmth...sometimes he was whole, healthy, prone on the ground before that precious pale man, the one he had met for moments only. Always, though, his head was bowed and his scraggly, long blue hair was falling thickly in his eyes, half obscuring the vision before him.

"Please," Legato would beg, his tiny hands outstretched and his mind looped in on itself in utter terror, unable to think or breath or speak words other than that one, ever-important plea. "take me away, please take me away, I wanna go away, away, please take me from 'ere- away-"

The man would sit, his head tilted delicately, one hand curled around a long-stemmed glass of wine, his thin lips curved slightly upward in detached amusement at the bloody, grovelling child at his feet. "You're weak," he always replied, his voice both hard and filled with pity at the same moment. It was the voice of a controller, of someone who knew exactly what he had been blessed with and precisely how to use it. "I have no use for you."

No. Legato clenched his fists, tears slipping down his thin, haggard face- he couldn't stand this exquisite torment. That man clad in white was from another world, he could feel it, he could sense it, and he longed to be a part of His designs- "I'll get stronga' if you take me away, I can work 'arder, I will do anythin' for you if you jus' take me away..."

The man would allow himself a full grin, then waved a hand and laughed harshly. "Little boys cry. I have no use for little boys." Legato found himself lifted from the ground, his dream world collapsing into a sensation of vertigo until he was eye-to-eye with that man, falling forward into eyes the color of the sky- unable, unwilling to escape. There was no kindness in the being's gaze, nothing but a calculating smile was shown on his features as he regarded the tiny boy.

"When I...when I don' cry, will you...come?" Pale, bloodless palm scrabbled towards the man, thin skin melded with dirt encrused fingernails and old, aching scars. "When I'm worthy- please-"

"You," the pale being said, his lips brushing across Legato's cheek and leaving a trail of fire there, the sensation burning long after it had ceased to be, "will never be worthy. You are human dirt, you have no value, no choice, no right to live."

Legato's amber eyes widened slightly.

"You will never be ready and you will never understand me," the narrow gaze the boy recieved as as frigid as ice, and he shrank back, making a valient effort to stem the tears in his eyes. "You will never recieve kindness at my hands and you will worship me, for I am not human, I am above you, and you are nothing."

Abruptly Legato felt his body twist in a thousand directions all at once as he was flung to the cold floor, the sudden pain making him cry out again- he swallowed the agony without whimpering. He swallowed the words, taking them to heart, *believing them* with all of his soul. "I am nothing. He says I am nothing. He....He is..."

The boy of six rolled in on himself and buried his face in his hands.

In the small room where he was sleeping next to the trembling figure of his younger sister, Andante breathed a sigh of relief- Legato had finally stopped screaming.


~~


When Legato opened his eyes, he found himself staring at a blank wall made of crumbling wooden panels. He had no idea where he was, but wasn't disturbed by that at all- the whispers in his mind told him he was safe for the moment. A moment longer and he had taken stock of his physical condition- he was burning with hunger, and there were painful rents in the flesh all along his back, palms and sides-

He closed his eyes again, wondering how much of his encounter with that God had been a delusional dream and how much of it had occured-

"Lega-brother?" Andante was at his side as soon as she saw him move, watching him intensely through slanted lashes. "Yer awake!"

Legtao stared at her, his gaze vauge and rather detached from reality. "Yes," he breathed softly, pulling himself into a sitting position in the bed. "I'm awake."

"Ne, Lega-brother... I miss'd ya," Andante whispered softly, her palms balled into tiny fists. She looked as if she wanted to hug her brother outright, but was too terrified by his reaction to move a muscle- "You slept fereva'."

"Don't miss anything," Legato whispered, his expression unfamilier to the girl he had spent his life with. "Never."

"Lega-bro..."

"Just Legato, Andante. My name is just Legato."

As the blue-haired boy stood up shakily, flexing the ratty muscles on his arms and legs as his sister stared at him in shock. Legato *never* reprimanded her, and he never told her not to do something. He... "Lega...to...?"

"Where are we?"

Andante backed away, staring at her sibling with tears in her eyes. "We...we were picked up by Charlie," she whispered softly, confusion in her tone as she named their savior. "He's lettin' us stay here fer a bit," she choaked out, biting her lip nervously as Legato began peering around the room with the same cold expression he had worn when correcting her.

"Charlie..." her brother whispered softly, his voice soft and almost silky- there was someone outside their door, he could feel the mind of a human, one filled with overconfidence and anger. He waited until the door had opened silently and the figure in the doorway was aout to speak. "I want to meet him."

"Good, because he's waiting."

Legato turned and greeted the newcomer with a cool, calm expression spread across his face- the man was dressed in all black, and had odd looking red lenses over both of his eyes. The man stepped aside somewhat quickly as Legato reached for his coat, a scraggly blue-black thing, and pulled it over his trousers and bandages. Andante was wearing a scruffy, long-sleeved green shirt, and she padded behind him, barefoot and terrified. What had happened to her brother that night? He was acting even more distant than usual, and when her mind brushed against him it came in contact with something that was spookily like an erected wall, keeping her from sensing any of his thoughts. The man they were following led them through dimly lit corridors, hallways Andante had explored a bit but never fully- after almost five minutes of silent travel, they reached an impressive looking doorway, which was pushed open-

"Ah, our two newest guests are awake." The main occupant of the room was a tall figure with long, dark hair that was tied back at the nape of his neck and slanting, emerald colored eyes. He wore a maroon suit and held a thin cigarette between his fingers- Legato took an immediate dislike to him. His mind felt slippery, it was difficult to read even though he had no telepathic power that the boy could sense... "Did you sleep well, children?"

Andante nodded mutely- the only sound in the room was that of a distant saxophone, wailing on in another corridor. "Good," the man smirked slightly, breathing out a long cloud of smoke. "I'm Charlie. What are your names?"

"Andante Bluesummers," the girl said immediately, her voice quivering with suppressed st rain. Legato said nothing, just stood in the half-light of the smoky room with his arms folded across his chest- "And this is my big brother...Legato."

For a moment she feared that he would last out and hurt her for daring to speak his name, but another second passed and nothing happened, so she allowed herself to relax slightly. Legato, at her side, was engaged in a staring contest with the 'Charlie,' golden eyes meeting emerald with an unspoken challenge, filled with defiance.

"I run a simple show here," the man smirked, tapping the ashes off the tip of his cigarette. They fluttered the ground, as he continued, catching Andante's attention for a moment before the words continued. "You live here, I get a cut of whatever you chose to do."

"To do?" the girl asked, startled.

"You've had a few free days...since you're so young, there's only one thing you can manage. But if you do it well, I will provide you with a roof and food- what more could you possibly want?"

Legato narrowed his eyes. He didn't want a home, he didn't want a job- all he needed was to become stronger and impress the Being that had graced him with a few words and a faint, fleeting touch-

His cheek was burning again, and Legato shifted in surprise at the suddenly remembered sensation. A kiss...?

"-you will pick pockets," Charlie continued, oblivious to Legato's brooding as he explained. "At the end of each day you will split your earnings with me, and be allowed to stay another night. Fair enough for you?"

"Lega-bro...Legato..." Andante flinched away from the look her brother gave her when she faltered on his name. Legato gave her no suggestions, so she shifted nervously and thought about the decision- Legato was not himself. They were being offered food, a place to stay...and Legato was injured..."Can we stay?" she asked him softly, not really expecting an answer from her sibling.

None came.

Fine, Andante decided, feeling a bit betrayed by Legato's silent lack of a response. "We'll stay," she told Charlie coldly, trying to imitate the way her brother stood, so extremely detached from the activities around him. "Only until Legato is healthy again."

"Fine," a pause, Charlie turned and waved to someone on the side- a young man with sharply spiked dark hair and chocolate eyes appeared half a breath later, slinging his saxophone across one shoulder- it hung there by his neckstrap, oddly polished in the grungy surroundings. "Take them to their room."

Legato lingered a moment, staring at Charlie darkly. Smirking slightly, he 'leaned' a bit on the mind before him- and his eyes widened as the mind fought back, wrapping itself around him with one fluid motion.

//What, you think you're the only telepath around, Legato Bluesummers?//

Stuttering, Legato took two steps backwards and winced at the pounding voice that rattled through his mind- it was strong, but did not have a lot of power behind it. Legato had the nagging suspicion that he would be able to defeat this man if it came to an out and out battle of wills- not at the moment, of course. Right now he was injured and his power was much to sapped by his experiance- dream? - days before. //No? Well, you're weak, kid. And far too young to challenge someone like me... Turn around and follow your sister...if you stay alive long enough, you might learn something from me.//

Legato barely managed to keep from shaking as he exited the room.