It was so interesting how a single blade of grass could feel. Pressing it between two fingers and slowly pulling upward gave away an almost rubbery feel. Those fingers rubbed together absently as she stood and turned toward sunlight and closed her eyes. It warmed her face with its gentle rays. The wind was blowing a cool breeze, offsetting the heat and making it feel perfect.

Both hands slowly raised palms to the air, as if embracing the heat. It seeped through the white of her long-sleeved shirt, touching skin. The breeze gently ruffled the fabric, brushing against the fine hairs on her arms. The long, wild mane twisted in small chunks, brushing against her back. Part of it wrapped around her arms before being blown off again. It seemed she was frozen like that, arms up to her waist. As still as a statue to just soak up the sun and take in every small detail she could. Touch, smell, and hearing were in overdrive as she sopped up her environment.

A quite, almost wondering whine next to her got her attention and she finally regained mobility. A hand went to the top of Beethoven's head, giving him a scratch behind his ears. They'd been out here for a while and she imagined he was getting hungry, as she was, but she just couldn't leave yet. The need to get up today and experience everything as if she just lost her sight was staggering. She had to get out of the apartment, if only for a trip to the park, and feel everything through her calloused fingertips. Time was running out...

She grasped the collar and directed him to the nearest tree. She could tell his direction by the way he would pull her out of the way of an object. Except the objects was where she wanted to go. A hand rose and gently pressed against the bark of a sakura tree. Her fingers slowly moved to it, taking in the texture as if to engrave it in her head. She looked up to the petals and inhaled the fragrance they gave. A hand reached around for a low branch, feeling for the ends.

Her wrist bumped against something soft and she instinctively latched onto a petal. Gently plucking it off the tree, she rubbed it against her fingers, reveling in the soft feel. She brushed the petal against her skin, lingering it under her nose to breathe it in again. This whole afternoon felt nostalgic. Fingers opened and let the petal flutter to the ground.

The days passed by almost in a blur, something she didn't want. The week was nearly up, but she was almost to an answer. The first day brought with it the first of many emotions she dealt with. The week had been a rainbow of sensations, from anger to sadness to serenity to happiness. She dealt with them all in her mind, trying to figure out an explanation for each of them and understand them. It wasn't easy, as many of them happened for no reason, triggered by a sense somewhere throughout the day.

She barely did any homework. It wasn't easy, as there were a few big tests just a few days ago. If she didn't already have previous knowledge of some things she might have failed them. Luckily enough to have a mild steel trap mind, she was able fly by on the seat of her pants. She got lucky this wasn't interfering with her schoolwork, as it was enough already. If she kept up the way she was going with emotions concerning Cye, her grades would slip. That was unacceptable.

One would think her choice was easy. That she didn't really NEED a whole week to think of a single yes or no answer. But it wasn't that easy. Eighteen years worth of blindness was something to find a comfy niche in. She was secure and used to it. Given the chance to see was actually quite scary... Would she still want it if she chose to take sight over her other senses? She had never questioned her other four senses and perceptions and they'd never steered her wrong. It would be nice to keep them if possible, but she knew with eyesight, they'd dull with time. That made her a little sad at that big a change.

Then there was the fact of seeing in itself. Would she really be able to see perfectly? Would she see in color, or would her corneas still be too damaged for that? It would be an interesting concept to see in black, white, and shades of gray. She perceived everything in shades of gray anymore and before black and white. She was told her eyes were gray, something they never were before. It would be a total ironicy to see through gray eyes...if they still remained that color...

Another quiet whine came and she grasped the handle. Gray went to the sun above the littered canopy, figuring the time. "Hai BT-kun...I suppose we can go back for now..." There WAS homework to get done after all and she wanted to stay caught up. Just because something like this came about was no reason to let it cloud her entire life... She turned and let him start directing her out of the park, senses still tuned on high for everything as they passed it again.

When her nose and ears started registering cars, another thought sprang up again. If she chose to see...would her fear of cars be gone? True it might not FULLY leave, but perhaps it wouldn't be so potent if she could SEE where she was going. It was an encouraging thought that her phobia might dim...

Then there came the most panicked-induced thought yet. What she looked like. She'd NEVER seen herself in a mirror since she was four years old and KNEW she didn't look like she did back then. The baby fat was all but gone on her face and her hair was about three feet longer. She often wondered what she looked like. Not even a mental mapping could present as clear a picture as a mirror and a pair of eyes could.

The one little thing that tipped it in the 'yes' favor was the ability to see others. She wanted to see what Mia and White Blaze looked like in detail. She wanted to see her otou-san at least...and she wanted to see what Cye looked like. She wanted to see what his family looked like, especially Mouri-san, and Cye's four friends. She wanted to make a conscious effort to know Cye's friends. Even if Mia was HER only friend that Cye knew of, she wanted to be apart of his life more. What he was offering was a life debt if he could restore her eyes and she'd do anything to pay it back.

Her nose pricked as her eyes misted. There were those cursed tears AGAIN... Were they of pain or happiness?? She could never tell, as all the emotions usually flooded right back and she was filled with so many yes and no reasons. But she knew part of them were grateful tears. She would ALWAYS be grateful to Cye for everything he did. He opened her up and gave her sensations she never experienced as a child or with her father. Not even half the feelings she had even surfaced with MIA'S friendship.

When she locked the apartment door and unleashed Beethoven, she quickly put everything away and headed out to the balcony. The air was colder up here without the sun to help warm her, but she tried to discount it as much as possible. This had to stop and she HAD to find an answer! There was only a day and a half left before the week was over and she barely made headway with her decision. Arms rested on the wood railing as she leaned over and listened to the neighborhood. Now was the final hour. She was getting tired of such indecisiveness. What would she do when she graduated college?? Would she be like this too until she finally decided on a career??

A sigh sounded. It was rather pathetic. She was a smart person as far as her grades went, yet it seemed she lacked common sense and mental perceptiveness to make her own decisions on something. Yet, she was new to it, as she never HAD to make decisions for herself. Usually, she was led around by someone and when it came to looking something up or doing something that required sight, her chichi usually did that.

Kimon took an extremely large, deep breath and held it until her lungs burned. When she exhaled, her mind purposely blanked to avoid thinking for a bit. Sometimes with homework, if she was unable to come up with an answer, she would not think of anything for a few seconds or minutes and the answer normally came to her. If she was lucky enough to have that kind of clarity with THIS decision, the gods would be merciful today.

She kept a blank mind for a long period of time, watching the light change behind the blackness in her lids...ears absently listening to the sounds distant and close. During that whole time, she calmed a little and the stress receded a tad. The cold became more pronounced as she was brought outside her mind and to the real world. A small shiver stole up her spine and hands absently brushed her arms. What she wouldn't give to have Cye with her, holding her to keep her warm...

She blinked. Was she so dependent on him that she wanted him around during a time like this?? Most of the days he left her alone, the rest just being next to her in quiet, knowing she had a lot on her mind. He didn't ask how she was feeling, he didn't ask what she was thinking, or if she'd made a decision yet. Whenever they were together, his hand would hold hers and squeeze once to let her know he was there for her and patiently waiting.

She replayed his words from that night in her head. It was time to reflex on them and give herself, and HIM, an answer. She deserved to give herself an answer; no more stalling and wasting time thinking about it. Even if it was a big time choice, she was ready to say what was in her heart. Her mind had five and a half days to think of everything it needed to...it was her heart's turn. It rarely had a chance to think for itself most of her life; it was time to start now.

Her eyes fluttered closed. Hands kept her head propped up as she took another deep breath and exhaled. 'Dig deep...find that voice that's never been able to express itself. Let it tell you what it wants to say now... THAT'S the voice I need to be listening to.' She stayed still as a statue once again, brow furrowing in concentration as she bypassed all the emotions clouding herself. It was buried a lot deeper than she THOUGHT.

More time seemed to pass her by. The sun started setting in the sky, and still she searched. She searched as sounds inside the apartment came, thankfully leaving her alone. The cold became more pronounced, and she studiously ignored it as valiantly as possible. She HAD to reach a decision!

Then...finally... Her eyes popped open. 'There!' An unknown emotion surged throughout every other. She had no name for it, but it was powerful. It flowed through her veins and nearly took her breath. Her stomach fluttered with it, quite similar to the emotions she experienced whenever Cye touched her. Yet this was a lot more powerful... 'This...this is what I feel deep down? To who, why, and for what? When did this develop and how long has it been there?? This is what I was looking for?'

She didn't understand the feeling, but she realized the need it produced. It overrode every current thought except one. The one that made her choice for her. She smiled and inhaled the crisp air one last time before heading inside. She had to tell Cye. She wasn't going to wait any longer. Not when things needed to be said.

~*~*~

The call came just as dinner was finishing up. He ignored it as his mother got up to answer it, his sister picking up dishes to be put into the sink. An ear absently listened to her voice as she conversed with the caller and he nearly choked on his food in surprise upon hearing the name.

"Musuko, it's Kimon."

Dropping his chopsticks in his bowl, he hurried to the phone and almost snatched it from his mother's grasp. She only smiled and went back to the table as he took the cordless to a different room. "Kimon-chan?? Ano...moshi moshi... What's up?"

She smiled at his flustered tone and twirled the phone cord in a finger. "I just thought I'd call and tell you Cye-chan. Instead of waiting for the end of my limit."

His eyes widened and his feet immediately halted in their direction for privacy. "Already? But...that was fast... I figured it'd take you even longer to decide..."

She nearly giggled. That was probably the case, if she hadn't forced herself to stop procrastinating. "Hai... But I have and I just thought I'd tell you." A small smile appeared. "When can it be done?"

A wide grin split his face. Happy laughter bubbled in his chest, but he held it back. She was choosing to see! He couldn't explain the elation that went through him at that moment. "Well...I have to make a few calls first. My friends...wanted to spend some time with you before it happened actually. Just to see how you changed."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "What do THEY have to do with it?" She queried.

His mouth stretched into a thin line as he wracked his brain. How much did he tell her NOW?? But a plan was starting to form in his head that included the others and their time together. That could work if he ran it by them first... "Well...you see...they're involved in it. I've got an idea though... I'll talk to them about it and then I'll call you back with details." A grin sprouted. "Don't give up hope Kimon-chan. I promise you I won't let you down!"

She shyly grinned and said her goodbyes. Cye was so sweet...and his voice told her he WOULDN'T let her down. She headed to her room for the rest of the night to plow through homework she was neglecting. It felt like a small weight was lifted off her shoulders and she was happier in this place than she was for a long time. In her heart, she knew she made the right choice.

~*~*~

The next day after classes, she was pulled aside again, but it didn't startle her as much as it did before. Those arms went around her waist and she returned the hug, arms going around Cye's neck. "Hey you..." She murmured, a grin sprouting.

"Hey good-looking. What's a thing like you doing in a place like this?" He kidded, easily chuckling.

She giggled at his odd sense of humor, shaking her head. Her grin widened as his humor caught on. "I often wonder that myself." A finger poked his chest. "YOU'RE in an odd mood today. Care to enlighten the class?"

His arms situated to get comfy as she shifted a little as well. "Well...I talked to the guys...and we all pow-wowed most of last night about this. But we came up to a decision about the date. How's this Saturday at Mia's sound?"

She blinked in shock. "Just HOW is this going to happen??" She softly asked, a brow rising. "When you meant friends, you meant Mia AND the other four??"

Blue quickly scanned the halls to make sure they were empty. "Well...it's quite a long story. It involves the five of us plus Mia. We can tell you this Saturday." Fingers lightly grasped her chin to look at her face. "This is what I want you to do. You're going to set up with your otou-san to stay at Mia's for the weekend. We normally spend a weekend there once a month and it's about time for it. During that time, we'll explain everything to you and the...process will happen."

His tone during the end sounded a little hesitant. Kimon told herself he would explain everything this weekend. She WOULD be going to that if it killed her! She didn't plan on mentioning the five; instead just saying that she was staying at Mia's for the weekend. Her otou-san wouldn't understand and he was a little old-fashioned. She was an adult and if he didn't have any faith in her morals after all this time, then he didn't know her at ALL. So, best to play it safe and bend the truth a little.

She nodded and rested her chin against his chest. "Gotcha." She murmured, breathing in his scent. She had grown to like it a long time ago. "Anything else I need to know? Like how I'm getting there?"

His lips twitched at her mildly sarcastic tone. "Friday afternoon, Mia will pick you up a little after you get home. So make sure you're packed and ready. Depending on what happens during the weekend is when we'll get you home Sunday."

~*~*~

Where the time seemed to speed up for the decision, this time now slowed to a crawl. Even classes held no way of gaining her attention to keep her busy. She was so excited and anxious for get the weekend to here faster to pay much attention. The day before, she felt through her closet about a dozen times to find something nice enough to pack, even though all her clothes were practically the same thing. It was rather ironic that she wanted something nice to wear when all her shirts were collar and button, and all she had was slacks. Even her pajamas were fully covered and showed nothing. She DIDN'T own anything 'nice'.

So she packed the most comfortable things, knowing she'd need that familiarity in something like this. She was going to need the feel of soft cotton to help soothe her nerves! She sighed and ran a hand through her mane, knowing that she needed that NOW.

The final hour of Friday afternoon, she was packed and waiting to go. She sat in the recliner with Beethoven hooked up to his leash and waiting with her. She wanted to take him with. Something told her to. She knew after whatever would happen with her sight, she wouldn't need Beethoven anymore. She was just going to have a dog, not a seeing-eye dog. A hand went to his muzzle and scratched his nose. Perhaps it was better that way. He was getting up in years and she didn't know how much longer he'd be with her. She blinked as her eyes misted. Maybe, after this, she could take care of HIM for a change...

The intercom bell startled her so much, she yelped in surprise. Momentum propelled her to stand and a hand snatched her bag off the back of the chair she was perched in. "Ja ne!" She called, grabbing the harness. Padding for her key as if this was a normal thing, she locked up behind her and hurried down the stairs. The closer she got to the bottom, the more she wondered what would happen. There was a strange thought over her home that she couldn't ignore. If she could see...would she REALLY want to come back here again??

The door opened and two walked out instead of one. "Well...I wasn't expecting this. But no problem...he can sit in the back of the jeep." Mia answered, going for Kimon's bag. She took it before the girl could protest and led the way to the jeep. She let Kimon in and helped Beethoven in the car before going to her side. After buckling up, blue looked across the front seat. "Is there...anything you want to do before we go? Anything you want to say?"

Silence encompassed them. Finally, Kimon looked down. "I...I don't know... Somehow, I don't feel sad to be leaving for the weekend. This is the first time I'll be away for so long. But...you know this place was never really my home...it was a place I lived in with my father. There's no love here." A small smile appeared as gray looked to the elder. "I feel more comfortable with you and Cye-chan than I ever did with him. Is that wrong? Does that make sense?"

Mia gave a touched smile and reached across, gently squeezing Kimon's shoulder. "You can't help how you feel. I've met your father and I understand. It's your decision." Giving another squeeze, she looked to the dog in the back, who looked utterly happy to be going with his master on this trip. She gave him a smile before starting for the exit. "Then I guess it's onward and upward! Here's the start of the rest of your life my friend."

~*~*~

"Is she here yet?"

"Will you quit ASKING that??"

"You can't blame Torrent Rowen, he's excited."

"And nervous."

"THAT'S obvious!"

"So what?? Can you guys BLAME me?? This is the first time she's hanging out with all of you. Gods...I feel sorry for her already..."

"Hey!"

"Oh have a little faith Cye...you know Rowen will be on his best behavior."

"It's not Strata I'm afraid of..."

"Hey...don't give me that look buddy! I can behave as well as Sage or Ryo can when I want to."

"Yea...he just chooses not to."

"Shut up Ryo...stop giving him ideas."

"You guys hear a car?"

"Hey...they're here!"

"Okay...now PLEASE go easy on her you four! She's liable to be nervous and edgy for a few hours at least. Give her some slack alright?"

"Boy scout's honor Torrent."

"Show me your hands Kento."

"Eh...hehehe...can't blame me for trying."

The front door opened and five pairs of eyes whipped to the voice. "We're back! And we brought along a guest with us."

A pair of blue furrowed in confusion. "Whaaa?..."

Five Ronins and White Blaze went to meet the group as they came down the hall. Five pairs of eyes landed on the seeing-eye dog strapped to a harness before trailing down to the tiger at their side. They all eyed each other.

"Ooohhh boy..."

"This is definitely going to be interesting."

"You think Blaze will eat him?"

"Please! White Blaze is more mature than that!"

"Hopefully they'll get along fine..."

A raven brow rose as she blinked at the banter. They sounded so funny that she couldn't help the smile that appeared. With Mia still possessing her bag, she kneeled and rubbed Beethoven's ears. "Shinpai suranai minna. Beethoven-kun is well-behaved. He's smarter than normal dogs for a REASON." She placed the tiger amongst the others and stood. Making her way to Blaze, she kneeled again and felt for his chin. "But boy...just promise me you WON'T terrorize my eyes... Hai?" She received a kitty nod and let go, satisfied.

The others watched the exchange with no small amount of surprise and confusion. "You know Blaze is...well..."

"Intelligent?" She supplied, snapping her fingers. Beethoven was at her side in seconds and she went for his leash. She started unhooking it to give him some freedom for the weekend, as she wouldn't need his help in this house. She grinned to Ryo's voice. "All animals are highly intelligent on SOME level. Just because White Blaze is wild doesn't mean he's stupid. I knew long ago he was smarter than any other animal. I kind of knew when he sniffed me for a few seconds, then carried me on his back to the car."

Cye grinned and absently gave the tiger a pat for taking care of Kimon back then. He watched Beethoven go up to Blaze and the two carefully sniff each other before trailing off somewhere in the estate. "Well, now that that's taken care of...should we sit down to dinner? It's ready and waiting." He walked up and took hold of Kimon's hand, getting a blush from her. He knew it was more because of being in front of the others than that. She was getting over small things like that now.

"Food?? Yes I'm starving!"

"You're ALWAYS starving!"

"Hey...YOU don't do much better than I do Rowen!"

"Oh gods, is this going to go on like it ALWAYS does?"

"Hey, it's entertaining at least..."

She listened to the banter as the four trailed off into the dining room. Another smile slowly appeared and she looked to the side from a brief squeeze.

"You SURE you're going to be able to put up with THAT for two days?" He quietly asked, grinning. He was used to it, but to someone who didn't have any kind of siblings or family to bug her; it might drive her up a wall.

The grin widened. "Hey...I've never had the opportunity to shoot out sarcastic or witty comments in my LIFE before I met you. I'm going to see how much I've adapted. Plus, it'd be nice to see how family acts..."

He blinked, but knew she was right. They WERE a family of their own in a way...

"Kimon-chan, I'm going to put your things in one of the rooms next to the others. I'll show you where it is later on when you want to get something from your bag. Hai?"

"Hai." She answered, absently following Mia with her hearing. When the woman was out of earshot, she looked to Cye. "Shall we? I assume you have two food hogs in the bunch by their voices."

He had to grin. "This is going to be a highly interesting weekend..." He muttered.

~*~*~

Silence finally settled in for a brief amount of time. After a rather talkative and bickering dinner, her first since she became blind, things at last settled down. She really didn't talk a lot, as she was too busy trying to eat gracefully and not give the impression she was a slob. But it was hard not to laugh at their antics when they were so easygoing with one another. For being five totally different individuals, they blended and complimented each other's attributes almost perfectly.

It was rather nice to observe the other four and how Cye and Mia interacted with them. Cye seemed to open up even more than when he was with her and it was interesting to hear. She found he had a dry sense of humor that he directed most at Rowen and Kento. He was still rather polite to the other two and Mia though, and it was nice to know he was still himself...just a little 'louder' with the others. She would've hated it if he was an entirely different person around her than he was with these people. It would've made their entire relationship a lie. She was glad that wasn't the case.

Sometime in the middle of dinner, Beethoven and White Blaze waltzed in demanding handouts and a small eruption followed. Kento started saying he wasn't going to let that 'beast' ruin anymore perfectly edible food. Mia, for some reason, was quite irritated that he try to beg after 'what he did last time'...whatever THAT meant. She ordered Ryo to get him out of the house for the time being until they finished dinner. But Mia didn't order Beethoven out, knowing she could control him better than that. Though she loved the dog dearly and treated him well, he would cower from her harsh tone and behave himself. She was glad to not have to resort to that tonight.

When the small talk quieted down, she finally came back to the present and opened her senses to take everything in to find out what was going on. That was a habit, even though it wouldn't be one for much longer. Her lips quirked and she hid it behind her tea glass.

"It's too quiet."

"I agree...you know what we need?"

"Piano." Mia suddenly piped up. Six pairs of eyes looked to the girl in Cye's arms and a few grinned.

She tried not to squirm at the sudden bout of attention, but smiled at Mia. "I assume you'd like your normal Mia-chan?" She lightly teased, quickly finishing her tea.

"No...play whatever you like. You always play what I want. I think I'll let you choose this time." She answered, already gathering everything to take to the other room.

She stood and handed Mia the empty glass, feeling Cye's fingers go for hers. She tangled them with a small smile, her mind running through what she wanted to play. Beethoven was the first that crossed her mind, but she wanted to play something a little more lighthearted. Even though she could never sing and play in front of these people, at least not YET anyway, she could still play what her mind remembered. Even if she didn't play what she memorized from work, she could try to pull something from the past that she heard from her mind.

Everyone pulled chairs closer to the piano and situated the coffee table to go for the tea when they wanted to. White Blaze and Beethoven hunkered down next to the piano, their gazes trained on her. Everybody else got comfortable as she sat down and plunked a few keys to find her position.

She had never been this nervous in her LIFE. Even though she played for everyone at Christmas, it didn't have the same meaning as it did now. They weren't on the same terms back then. She wanted them to like her, thus she wanted to make a good impression. Absently cracking her knuckles, teeth nibbling her lip, the first few notes of a song she heard at Christmas popped into her head. Her fingers easily found the main settings and went up a few to hit the higher notes. They slowly plunked as she clearly remembered that soprano singing in Japanese on Christmas Eve.

'Hontou ni taisetsu na mono igai subete suttee shimaetara ii no ni ne. Genjitsu wa tada zankoku de...... Hito wa minna kanashii kara. Wasurete yuku ikimono dakedo. Aisubeki mono no tame. Ai o kureru mono no tame dekiru koto....... Ah-deatta ano koro wa. Subete ga bukiyou de. Toomawari shita yo ne? Kizutsuke atta yo ne?......'

Those were the only parts of the song that made any sense to her life in accordance with Cye. It was sad, but it was true. If she bothered to take in the lyrics more than connecting the stanzas with her mother, she would've seen fate was trying to tell her something at that time. Perhaps if she foresaw what would happen, then it could've been side-stepped. But then, they wouldn't have grown closer as a result, would they?

Before she knew it, the song was over and she pressed down on a pedal to keep the final notes hanging. She sat back and let the lyrics of the song fade as the last key died to nonexistence. The applause that followed startled her and a tiny blush appeared. She smiled and nodded in acceptance to their polite cheering, not expecting it. Remembering the other song that played with, she decided to play that as well. The lyrics already started in her head.

'Sotto mezameru...... "Ato sukoshi" to yuu kyori ga fumidasenakute. Itsumo me no mae wa tozasarete-ita no. Aitai aenai hibi wo kasaneru tabi ni. Tsuyoi tokimeki wa setsunasa ni naru yo. Moshimo eien to yuu mono ga aru nara. Toomawari shite demo shinjite mitai. Bukiyou dakara KIZUtsuku koto mo aru to. Wakatte mo tomaranai mou dare ni mo makenai...... Tsuyogaru koto dake shiri-sugite-ita watashi. Dakedo ano toki kara mayoi wa kieta yo. Misetai to omou mono ga kitto ate. Kikasetai kotoba mo takusan aru. Egao nakigao mo zenbu mite hoshikute. Matte-iru watashi wa yamete chansu wo tsukamu yo...... Shinjite...'

Music sure was an inspiration to get out what you couldn't express in any other way. Whoever thought this must've been like her to put together the main stanzas. How ironic really... And she came across it by accident from a girl's folly.

More applause sounded as she ran out of main songs, aside from Beethoven or work, to play. So she absently plucked the keys, making small melodies here and there, some slow and others picking up pace to more lighthearted tunes. She worked the pedals with ease, drawing out notes that would make the songs even better and soon got lost in the pleasure of playing in front of an audience and lost track of when songs stopped and started.

As she plunked the keys of the final chords, there was an admired silence that followed. A few snuck glances at the other. She was good, really good. Her playing was a gift and it was even more amazing that she played blind. She was truly inspiring.

Sage was the first to yawn, signaling the late hour. A few looked to some of the clocks in the room and found it nearly midnight. Though it was already nine when dinner finished and everything was put away, they spent at least an hour in minor chitchat.

She paused and blinked, forcing her eyes open. Her shoulders slouched from the playing stature they were in and she was the next to yawn. "What time is it?"

"Nearly midnight." Cye answered, standing to collect her. "I think it's time we all turn in."

"Speak for yourself Cye...it's still way early yet."

Blue rolled in amusement. "You would say that Rowen. But we've got a big day tomorrow...try not to stay up till sunset..."

Rowen grinned and stood to stretch. They'd all been pretty prone in whatever chair everyone situated in before Kimon started and hadn't moved since then. After stretching his muscles, he looked to the group. "Who wants to go look at the stars?"

A few groaned and leaned against the back of the chair, as if it took supreme act of will to stay up THIS late. Finally Kento's head popped up with a grin. "How about we look under the stars and make a campfire to roast marshmallows?"

Ryo looked up and grinned. "I get to make the bonfire!"

Mia smiled and shook her head. "Anyone up for ghost stories with those marshmallows?" She added, going for the tray.

"Just so long as we can do it near the beach to get easy access to put the fire out when we all fall asleep." Cye dryly supplied.

She looked to the voices; amazed they still wanted to stay up with as tired as their voices sounded. Didn't they want to SLEEP?? It was WAY past HER bedtime, yet it didn't hit her until just now. The hype of playing for a crowd always enthused her to create with a talent she possessed. Yet...she didn't want to be the only one sleeping while everyone was having what sounded like a great time. It was time to be with Cye and Mia's friends once more. Didn't she tell herself she wanted to make Cye's friends her friends too? Well, this was how to go about it. "I'm in." She quietly answered. A tiny smirk appeared. "I think I could make a few stories for everyone..."

A few turned interested gazes to the girl. "Oh? And how do you figure?" Kento challenged, crossing his arms.

Cye grinned. "Kimon-chan's a writer in training. Romance literature. Remember? I was failing English?..."

Mia knowingly smiled as she headed for the kitchen, leaving the others to plan and to go get the essentials for another long, and fun, night.

The others stood and agreed to meet back in ten minutes with supplies to combat the weather and to change so when they headed back, everyone could slip right into bed. Cye quickly went to find Kimon's room and led her there, pointing out which room was his in the process, and where the others were located just in case. After helping her to initially feel her way around, he left for his own and give her some privacy, telling her he'd be back in five.

She quickly tore into her bag, changing in record time. She was excited...as this was her first experience with ghost stories and a campfire. And on the BEACH nonetheless! These friends of Cye certainly had fun lives. She was glad enough to be able to join in, if only for now. Who knew what the future would bring, but she hoped it included her.

Just as she buttoned the last button, a knock sounded on her door. She hurried to it, hands extended on instinct to make sure she didn't bump into anything, and brought the ocean with her when the door swung open. She smiled and extended a hand, which he immediately took. "That was fast."

"I could say the same." He easily threw back, tugging her into the hall. He shut the lights off and left the door open for her before juggling the blankets and pillows to sit on with his other hand. The others were already ambling toward the bottom level with similar things. Everyone would grab more when they reached the coat closet. Knowing White Blaze would be going helped...they could strap some more blankets and warm accessories and use him as a temporary pack animal.

"So we ready to do this?" Kento called, shifting on his feet in anticipation. It'd been a long time since they did something like this. He was excited to get to it again and see what Kimon had up her sleeve for ghost stories. Whatever it was couldn't be as bad as whatever battle they fought in the war.

"Yea...I got all the supplies for Smores." Mia called, turning from the dining room area. She shuffled a few bags and dumped them next to the door to go for her coat.

"Everyone has blankets and coats to keep warm. I say we're all set for a night of fun." Rowen surmised, grinning like a kid. This was gonna be great!

"Oi...White Blaze!" Ryo called, zipping up his jacket. The beast showed up seconds later, Beethoven next to him. Cat-like blue turned to gray. "You want Beethoven to come along Kimon-san?"

She perked up upon hearing her name and looked to the voice. A grin sprouted. "He's spoiled, but well-behaved. He'll stay by me if he comes."

With a nod, Ryo went to White Blaze and gave him an absent pat. "So...he going to carry anything?" Tiger blue looked to the masses.

Cye nodded and pulled Kimon to him. "Yup. Sit straight back Kimon-chan. You're riding Blaze down to the beach."

"DEMO...I can walk there if you guide me!" She protested, giving a mutinous look.

He smiled and shuffled a few of the things in his arms. "Iie. I've got too much to carry and you'll be able to hold some things that we were gonna strap to Blaze. He doesn't mind carrying you and this way he won't be too uncomfortable."

She sighed, but nodded and held out her hands. The food bags were deposited into her palms and she instinctively held onto them. She straddled the tiger's back and protectively held the food, keeping a tight enough reign with one hand so the other could grab his coat. "Yosh...White Blaze iko." That was all the tiger needed and Mia held the door open for the two. "He knows the way right?" She asked as they started down the steps.

Everyone quickly gathered everything and started after. "Of course he does!" Ryo called, hurrying to catch up. The group easily caught up and soon there was a mass heading down for the desired location. "So...who goes first for ghost stories?"

"Let Kimon-chan." Mia answered, smiling to her friend. "She's never done anything like this and this's her first night here with everyone. She gets the honors."

~*~*~

Sunrise came all too early. With a quiet groan, she rolled over and squinted at the light that invaded the blackness behind her lids. "Gods...only three hours...why couldn't mornings start later??" She whined, twisting under the warm covers. She tried to ignore it, but the first beams of Saturday flooded her window and her internal clock wouldn't let her go back to sleep. As if to accent her five o'clock schedule, a nose pressed against the thick bedspread. "Gods...I suppose I should take you out before you make a mess inside Mia's nice big mansion." She uttered, throwing the covers off. The chill of the morning hit her and she gasped through gritted teeth, especially when bare feet touched wood flooring.

With a sigh, she stood and stretched, slapping her cheeks a little to help wake up. She quickly reminded herself she wasn't at home and mentally picked through to where everything was. After being sure she wouldn't hurt herself on anything, she slowly moved to the door with clicking following her.

After opening it, her tousled head stuck out, hearing nothing but quiet. She stepped into the hallway and vaguely stuck her hand on a wall to trail down as she passed the others' doors. She stopped in front of Cye and Kento's, listening to quiet snoring. She smiled, knowing it was Kento by the voice. With a quiet chuckle, she headed for the top of the steps, letting Beethoven head down first.

Her ears picked up something other than her dog as she made her way down the main hallway for the front door. Her brow furrowed as she paused just beyond the edge of the wall. Her ears and nose perked up, trying to figure out what was going on. Was it a burglar? Rustling of clothes sounded...and then the screen door opened...

A bark startled her out of her skin and she loudly gasped. With wide eyes, knowing she was caught, she tentatively peeked around the corner and felt for her dog. "Anata dare ka?" She queried, eyes suspiciously narrowed.

"It's just me...Sage."

She breathed a quiet sigh of relief and gave a tiny smile. "Ohayo gozaimasu. What're you doing up? I figured you'd be passed out with the others."

His lips tipped, but his head shook, forgetting she couldn't see it. "I'm a morning person. Rowen's the one who gets the late nights. I always go out to my spot and watch the sunrise whenever I'm here. What about you? We stumbled in at two this morning. How could YOU be up?"

His spot... Something nagged in the back of her head. "Where is this spot?" She asked, hearing her dog circle them. Her hand absently went to pay him attention.

"It's on Mia's property. No one but me really goes there on a normal basis."

No one...except her and Cye. Her lips pressed together. Gray looked away with a twinge of guilt. If that was his personal, private spot, she just spoke some very private words there. Why didn't Cye TELL her that was Sage's spot! He wouldn't like it if he knew she was there, but she felt a need to apologize for invading it. "Gomen...but I was already there." A hand grabbed a chunk of unbrushed hair and fiddled with it.

His brow furrowed in confusion at Kimon and her actions. When was THAT?? "You have? When?"

"Not too long ago... Cye-chan brought me there so we could talk and I could tell him what happened in the past." Teeth bit her lip. "Gomen nasai...if I knew it was your private place, I wouldn't have let him take me there..."

His head shook after a minute. It wasn't really that big a deal; the others went to that with him before. It was just someplace with a really nice view that he liked to meditate at. It wasn't some sacred place... "Daijoubu." A sudden idea came to him. This would be a perfect opportunity to spend some time with her as the guys mentioned. One-on-one was better than being with everyone, as he could act like he wanted without them picking on him. Kimon wasn't the type to do that either. "Would you like to come with? I assume you were headed outside anyway." His eyes trailed down to Beethoven.

She blinked, but nodded with a small, shy smile. This was the first time she would be alone with one of Cye's friends. Her heart pounded. "Hai...I was taking Beethoven-kun outside before he got himself in trouble." Her lips twinged. "You'll have to help me though..."

"No problem. Just tell me what to do."

She nodded and slowly stepped up to him, her arm extended. She would do this the old-fashioned way with him. "Just wrap your arm around mine and that'll keep me close enough from walking into anything."

Sage did as instructed and started for the front door. He held it open for the dog, who bounded out, yet stayed mere feet away with an eye on his master the whole time. "What else do I need to do?" He suddenly queried, stopping before the steps.

She shyly patted his hand. "I have a pretty good layout of the immediate area. It's the forest I have trouble with. As soon you get about ten feet away from the house in the back, then you can start feeling conscious of stuff on the ground."

They made it there with only two slipups. It was quite admirable and she had to admit, he did a good job for being a little uneasy about it. He hoisted her up like Cye did the first time and the two sat facing the sunrise in the cold.

The silence was broken only by a few bird calls in nearby trees and Beethoven running around below. He seemed to be in heaven with all the trees nearby, yet would often pause and Sage swore he could feel canine eyes on his back before the dog took off again. He had to confess, Kimon was nice enough to be around. Her aura was pretty calm, if not still tired from the late night/early morning venture, and she was quiet enough to enjoy what was going on around her. He sensed no real thoughts in her head, nothing of great importance anyway. She was at peace right now, more than he ever felt about her whenever they were together in a room.

The sun started getting brighter and the morning arriving. It was so nice and a little unlike sitting outside with Cye in the quiet. With Sage, it was like a meditative tranquility that enveloped her, whereas Cye was more of a pleasant mood type of person. She liked the change, and it made her think of small things she could hear and smell in the area. The morning was cold, but that only brought out the enchantment of everything. The dew was even colder and brought to her nose that much more. She loved the smell of morning dew...

"This is wonderful." She quietly mused, hugging her legs a little tighter against the air. The sun wasn't warm enough to do any damage to the temperature just yet. "Thank you for taking me out here. Last time I was here wasn't for scenery purposes."

He nodded and mentally slapped himself. "You're welcome." He softly voiced, eyes on the sky.

Silence mixed with the wakening sounds of morning and it was another few degrees of the rising sun before she spoke again. "What'll happen tonight?" She almost fearfully whispered.

Violet finally left the view, finding gray almost looking at him. It amazed him how she could do that and probably not even know it. He took in her posture and tone. It was honest that she was scared about the unknown. Cye said he hadn't told her exactly what was going to happen, just that 'his friends would heal her'. She was acting rather trustful to something she had no real clue about. It was commendable to say the least.

"I can't really explain now..." He reluctantly answered. It wasn't his place to tell her everything yet. He would let Cye or Ryo tell her the tale of the armors and Talpa. "But I can assure you that you'll get better. As good as new."

"Cye-chan said he talked to you because of your wisdom and knowledge of healing. I take it you're the one who will be performing...whatever?"

"Hai..."

She suddenly turned and rested a hand on his shoulder. It skipped down to his hand where she clasped it with both and brought it near her face. "Then I have you to thank for this as much as I do Cye-chan." She whispered, eyes watering a little. She blinked back grateful tears. "For at least offering to help and thinking of doing it if nothing else."

His head instinctively ducked and turned to hide his blush with that curtain of hair, forgetting she couldn't see. After a bit, he looked up a little uncomfortable, but flattered. "You...you're welcome. But you can thank me when you see me." He lamely kidded, giving her hand a tiny squeeze. She nodded and turned back to the sunset, waiting until she felt his eyes leave her to wipe the tear that fell.

~*~*~

The second the two walked in the front door, the ocean blasted her in the nose as she was suddenly pulled into a tight hug. "Where have you BEEN!? I've been worried sick! You weren't in your room and Beethoven was gone and I knew you went outside! Why did you go outside without me?? Are you crazy? You even TOLD me you didn't know the forest that well!"

Sage fought not to smile at Cye's overprotective behavior. His hand waved to gain Torrent's attention. "Uh...Cye...I was with her the whole time. So you can stop crushing her now." He went to put his coat away. "Is breakfast ready yet? I'm hungry."

The second she was let go of those strong arms and that bone-breaking embrace, she inhaled and her stomach grumbled. "Yup it is." She answered, looking to Sage. His footsteps passed her without a word and headed into the kitchen area.

The second they were alone, his fingers grasped her chin and pressed a relieved kiss to her forehead. "You scared me!" He murmured, his other arm gathering her back to him again. "Do you realize that? I'm responsible for your well-being while you're here. Next time you go off like that, at least have someone write down where you're GOING please..."

She blinked in shock at his parental tone. This was new...but her face flamed at his actions and tone. It was sweet of him to care that much to feel protective of her, even if she knew eighty percent of this place like the back of her hand. A smile popped up as she looked up to his voice. "Daijoubu desu Cye-chan. I'm fine, see? Sage took me with him to his spot upon offer and we spent some time together. I finally got to talk with one of your friends. No big deal." A hand went to his cheek to soothe his worry.

He sighed, knowing she was right. He got a rather good scare by going in her room when she didn't answer upon his knocking, finding her bed not made and Beethoven gone. He went to the front door and found shoes and coat gone, intending on going outside to look for her, when Mia and Ryo reminded him that she was safe out here. Mia also recalled that Sage normally was up at this time and if it was coincidence enough, maybe the two met up. He was glad she was RIGHT.

With a small, embarrassed grin at his behavior, he went for her coat without a word and hung it up. "Well I can't help it. I worry about you, you know." Blue stole a look before he turned away and found her face beet red. He smiled and shook his head. "Come on...let's get those shoes off so we can all sit down to breakfast. Rowen's not a morning person, so he'll probably be the last down."

She smiled and walked next to him, going for his hand this time. The blush on her face started receding for now at the change of topic. "So I heard. Sage said he was the morning person and Rowen was the night person."

Blue jerked to her, but she didn't seem to think too much about it. He mentally sighed and wished the night would come a little faster. Trying to keep this a secret from her was harder than he thought and the others were apparently content enough to give little snippets about their armors and lives connecting to them. He wondered if it was to drive him crazy.

As they entered the kitchen, Cye let go of Kimon's hand and rushed forward to get Kento away from the pile of pancakes, sausages, eggs, and waffles before he ate them out of house and home.