Wherever You Are

By Okami

Fatal_Lightning@thevortex.com

**Chapter 3**

*****Oh, I'm so happy about the reviews I've been getting! It makes me want to write more for you guys! XD Thank you!*****

Umi Ryuzaaki looked at her watch impatiently.

"Ah, she's always late!" She grumbled "You'd think someone as sweet as Hikaru would be more considerate!"

Fuu smiled. "You know how Hikaru is," She said gently. "She probably stopped to take a lost dog back to his owner or got stuck holding a door open for a bunch of people." They giggled at the thought.

"You're probably right," Umi sighed. "Still, couldn't she call or something?"

Fuu grinned, then frowned at a sudden thought.

"Umi?"

"Hmm?"

"Umm…" Fuu blushed a little. "Have you ever had the same dream more than once? One that you couldn't forget?"

"Not unless you count that nightmare I had the night I ate your sister's meatloaf." She giggled. "Why?"

"Well," Fuu said slowly. "It's kind of silly, but--"

"Umi! Fuu!"

They turned to see Hiakru barreling toward them.

"Finally!" Umi scolded, but then she noticed Hikaru's worried expression. "Hikaru! What's wrong?"

"I need your help…we've got to hurry!" Hikaru gasped breathlessly.

Fuu and Umi exchanged troubled glances, then hurried after Hikaru.

Within ten minutes, they reached the alley. Hikaru ran toward the pile of cardboard boxes, nearly slipping on the pastries she'd dropped earlier.

"Over here!" She called to her friends, who were breathlessly trying to catch up to her. Umi came to a stop next to Hikaru, panting.

"Hikaru, what are you--- oh!" She'd followed Hikaru's gaze and her blue eyes widened as she saw the boy lying there. She knelt down, throwing boxes out of the way. Fuu came up and instantly caught sight of the young man sprawled among the boxes and trash. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

"Hey…can you hear me?!" Umi said in a loud voice, snapping her fingers in front of his closed eyes. He didn't respond at all. Umi looked up at her friends with a frightened expression.

"What happened to him?"

Hikaru shook her head, near tears. "I don't know! I found him this way."

Umi looked down at him anxiously. "What are we going to do?"

Suddenly, Fuu snapped out of her shocked daze.

"Hikaru, please help me move these boxes out of the way," She said calmly.

Hikaru nodded and together they began tossing boxes aside, clearing the area around him. Fuu knelt down close beside him and touched a hand to his forehead, the fingers if her other hand encircling his wrist, checking his pulse.

"I think he's okay," She said, relief in her voice. "He looks as though he's been beaten badly, though." She touched his cheek gently, where a large purple bruise was forming. At that moment, he suddenly opened his eyes and looked at her, blinking a few times.

"Ouch." He said hoarsely.

Fuu's green eyes widened in surprise.

"Are you alright?" She asked softly after a beat.

"That depends…" He said slowly, his voice low. "Are you an angel?"

Umi grinned, Hikaru giggled, and Fuu blushed furiously.

"Of course not." She said indignantly, trying to cover her embarrassment. Then she frowned. "Can you tell me your name?"

"It's Ferio." He answered, a little more clearly now.

Fuu smiled a little. "Good…you seem okay. Can you stand?"

He winced as he moved and Hikaru and Umi rushed to help him up. He was very weak and needed them on either side of him for support.

"Should we take him to a hospital?" Hikaru asked.

"What's a hospital?" Ferio asked, confused.

The girls exchanged stunned looks.

"Um, a hospital…you know. Where they make sick people better." Hikaru explained.

Ferio frowned. "Oh…I guess we call them something else where I come from."

"You're not from here?" Umi asked, then thought, Well,duh, look at his clothes….

"N-not exactly…" Ferio said slowly.

"Do you have any family or friends, who we could take you to?" Asked Fuu.

This is beginning to get touchy, Ferio thought. I should've thought up something before I came here…stupid me. He smiled a bit uncomfortably, then backed away from Umi and Hikaru, staggering a little.

"You guys have done enough, really," He said with a cheerful grin. "Thanks a lot. I'm feeling…a lot better…now…" He stumbled again, and raised a hand to his head.

"Ferio--" Hikaru started to say. Umi and Fuu gave each other worried looks.

"Really, I'll…be--" Suddenly, he collapsed again.

"Ferio? Ferio, can you hear me?"

Ferio opened his eyes, slowly, to meet an anxious set of green ones. Fuu's expression suddenly looked relieved.

"W-where am I?" Ferio asked.

"You're at my house." Fuu answered.

"How did I get here?"

"Umi went back for her car, while Hikaru and I waited with you, then she drove us all here."

"Oh…um…"

"What's wrong? Are you in pain?"

Ferio smiled. "No, no…I'm alright. But…what's a car?"

Fuu's eyes widened and she blinked.

"There are no cars where you come from, either?"

Ferio shook his head. Maybe I should stop being so honest….everyone's gonna think I'm crazy.

Fuu didn't know what to make of that, so she did her best to explain cars to him.

"Oh!" Ferio brightened suddenly. "I know what you mean now…those machines…one of them nearly hit me earlier today."

Fuu shook her head in amazement, not sure what to say.

This is very hard to believe, She thought. No cars? Where on Earth-- Suddenly, she realized something as she looked at him, his emerald-colored hair and those sparkling golden eyes. They looked so familiar, suddenly.

Oh, my--She thought, her eyes widening. It's him! The boy from my dream! But…it couldn't be….

Ferio frowned. "What's the matter?" He asked.

Fuu shook her head again, a faint blush creeping into her cheeks. "N-nothing. I..um…are-are you hungry? I'll go get you something to eat…" She smiled and jumped up, giving him a quick little bow and dashing out the door.

Ferio raised an eyebrow in confusion, gazing at the doorway where she'd just disappeared.

"Was it something I said?"