It was gloomy and dim outside, lit by the poor neon light bulbs and the nearly full moon up above. The air was humid and sticky thick. The young Hedgehog Prince, with a remorseful sigh, lowered himself onto the walkway curb. As he put his feet onto the ground, he heard a strange sound under his right foot. He slowly turned his direction down to it. There his foot sat in a small, but sure enough, puddle. Masevar moaned, exasperatedly. He slowly shuffled to the left, moving his shoe out of the cold water. *-Can't I EVER catch a break, here??* he thought. It felt like he was right back where he'd started, over a week earlier. And yes, it sucked just as big time as before. The young hedgehog leaned back, and looked up at the moon. It was shining brightly and beautifully, on the clear night. Masevar however, slightly scowled. It was like the damn thing was beaming at him, mockingly, snickering at his misery. Annoyed, he lowered his head, at turned back to the puddle of water, to his right. He could see his reflection, in the still surface. Still, it stood, no movement, no wind making tiny waves break. He reached down, and scooped up a small stone. With a quick flick of the wrist, he tossed it into the water. A few droplets splashed upwards, as the stone plunged in. Several ripples circled outwards, from their origin, swarming into each other, twirling and spilling about. Masevar blankly watched, seeing his reflection go blurry and splitting into pieces. For a moment, he closed his eyes, relaxing in a somewhat ease. When he opened them again, and looked back at the water, he was surprised to see a reflection... that WASN'T his. His eyes widened, and mouth gawked. It was... Aleena! He swiftly looked behind him, but she wasn't there. When he looked back again, the reflection was still there, however. Confused, Masevar blinked madly at it. How he was seeing that, he didn't know. *-I must be having a nervous breakdown or a mental hallucination...* Nonetheless, he kept looking at Aleena's reflection, as it seemed to offer him some comfort. Just then, on the moldy speakers outside, under the water drainage, a song was starting to play. Masevar rolled his eyes, in the irony of it, but just laid his head, on his propped up knees, continuing to glance at the supposed face in the water, and kept his ears open, listening to the song's starting guitar solo...

"-Everyday just seems so long,

Every minute that I'm here, without you,

Will tomorrow ever come?

Will I ever get the chance to feel you?"

"I need you, so much..."

"You're out of reach,

You're out of reach, but you're so close,

You're out of reach,

You're out of reach, but you're so close,

You're out of reach,

You're out of reach, but you're so close,

I hear you call, I feel you fall,

But you're out of reach"

"Another rumor I can't hide,

Another night without you here, beside me,

'Cuz I don't want to fake it,

I'm just trying to make it real"

"I need you, so much..."

"You're out of reach,

You're out of reach, but you're so close,

You're out of reach,

You're out of reach, but you're so close,

You're out of reach,

You're out of reach, but you're so close,

I hear you call, I feel you fall,

But you're out of reach"

"I need you, so much..."

"You're out of reach,

You're out of reach, but you're so close,

You're out of reach,

You're out of reach, but you're so close,

You're out of reach,

You're out of reach, but you're so close,

I hear you call, I feel you fall,

But you're out of reach..."

"You're out of reach, but you're so close,

You're out of reach, but you're so close,

You're out of reach, but you're so close,

You're out of reach, but you're so close,

You're out of reach, but you're so close,

You're out of reach, but you're so close,

You're out of reach, but you're so close,

You're out of reach, but you're so close..."

Awhile later, Masevar was still sitting there, slightly dozed off. As he blinked his eye, when he looked to the water reflection that time, he saw a face again. But as he studied it, he realized it wasn't Aleena's. It was... a person with grey fur, black hair, white muzzle, and a... long pink scar running across his left eye... Masevar turned around, and this time, saw the reflection's person standing there. Buckthorne looked down at him, slightly smiling. "-Having a nice sleep, there?" Masevar rolled his eyes, and stretched. "-Yeah... sure I did." What you doin' out here?" The wolf smirked. "-Looking for you." All of the guys were startin' to get worried." The hedgehog lazily opened an eye. "-They 'were'?" ...Why?" "-Well, y'know... one minute you were there, next minute you weren't," explained Buckthorne. "-Plus... we all kinda saw that little... 'spaz attack' episode." Masevar blushed. "-Ah ha... I see." Figures." "So yeah... then you went off... and didn't come back, soooo... we all started scrapping the place, to find ya." Masevar sat up straight. "-Didn't Charles tell you?" I told him I was going outside..." Buckthorne scratched his neck and replied, "-That's the thing." He actually forgot that... big help, huh?" His friend snickered a little. "-Heh... yeah, no kiddin..." So how'd you figure out to find me here then?" Was it the "last place you looked"?" Buckthorne rubbed his hands together. "-That, and Charles finally had a memory trigger, and told me that you told him about going out back." Masevar nodded. "-Ah... so what about the others then?" An amused look came over Buckthorne's face. "-Dunno... probably still hunting for you, now that you mention it... and Charles is probably looking for them now." The hedgehog shook his head. "-Man... one big search party gone to hell." How great." Buckthorne shrugged, "-What to do, eh?" Well... maybe we should just stay in one place, then." They'll find us eventually, that way." Masevar agreed, boredly, "-Kay." It's not like I have anywhere BETTER to go, anyways." His tone made Buckthorne wonder. The wolf raised a brow. "-You okay, Masevar?" "-Yeah, I'm-" the Prince started, but never finished. He sighed and changed his mind. "-Oh who am I kidding... no, I'm not... as usual." Buckthorne crossed his arms, and leaned against the hard wall. "-Ah... I kinda had a feeling." Masevar cast a sidelong glance. "-Is it 'that' obvious, Buckthorne?" His wolf friend lifted his shoulders. "-A little, I suppose... but hey, I'm not blaming ya or nothing... you've got a 'right', I think." The red hedgehog mumbled, "-Yeah... sure." Buckthorne cocked his head to the side. "...You really loved her... didn't you?" Staring at his feet, Masevar corrected, "-I STILL love her..." I just... I can't get her out of my mind, Buckthorne... she means so much to me... I care about her." She's like... I mean... I've never been closer to anyone, like I have to her... except my parents, maybe." At the mention of this, a strange look passed over Buckthorne's face. He kind of turned his head, a little, staring off, thinking. Then he slowly reached up... and ran his finger against the long scar line, over his eye... "-I hear ya," he spoke quietly, just enough for Masevar to hear. The hedgehog turned around. "-You.. you do?" The wolf turned his gaze back to his friend. "-I just... had like a 'brain wave' or something... and now... what you said... just totally made sense... and even more... I know 'exactly' how you feel." Masevar blinked. "-Really?" Buckthorne came over, and took a seat next to him, on the curb, and continued on, "-Look at this whole thing like this... it.. it's just like when your father died..." This baffled and confused the young Prince, and he was rather stunned that Buckthorne of all people would bring up such a subject... "-H... how so?" he dared to ask. The wolf looked at him mournfully and sympathetic. He replied, "-You're miserable, sad, and alone without him." You WISH you could bring him back, you WANT to bring him back, and you TRY to bring him back-" But you can't.. cuz he's GONE." -See?" Did he ever... Masevar was totally taken aback at this. It felt like a heavy weight had just been chucked onto his shoulders, bringing him downwards, into the dust. "-And here it is again... exact same thing with Aleena, pal." You're miserable, sad, and alone without her." You WISH you could bring her back, you WANT to bring her back, and you TRY as much as you damn well can, to bring her back!" But you CAN'T... cuz she's GONE too, Masevar." Buckthorne hung his head, pausing, taking it in, as hard as his friend was, except for a different reason... "-It's like... that's really 'it'... it's OVER." The 'closure'... lock down... bottom line... take your pick, type thing!" No... turning or taking back... it's already set into stone... just.. nothing left to do." What's... done is done." Just then, Buckthorne realized how he was ranting on and how depressing he was getting, and turned back over to Masevar, who was staring off, blankly into space, with a rather choked look on his face. "-Oh man-" croaked Buckthorne. "-Masevar... I... I'm sorry... I shouldn't have said that... I was-" The hedgehog snapped back into the present, and looked to his friend. "-Huh?" What is it?" The wolf hung his head, lower than his shoulders. "-I wasn't directing that towards you... not intentionally... I mean... the 'harshness' of it anyways." I was... having a bit of a 'morbid spell' there... I just... well you... mentioned 'parents', and I-" His voice trailed off, just as confused as Masevar. Luckily, the Prince understood him. Buckthorne had been talking partly about his own parents... he could see why. The poor guy... his parents' slaughter when he was a child, had left him scarred and skewed for life. And the finishing blow... his siblings' passing had wounded and silenced him. His family... all dead. They were the reason why Buckthorne was so silent, so angsty, so distant, so dramatic, so... Buckthorne. Like Bullseye, the young wolf was a difficult 'turtle' to encourage to pull his head out of his shell, so to speak. Masevar then felt foolish. What HE was going through, was "milk and cookies" compared to what Buckthorne had gone through.. He gently put a hand on the wolf's shoulder. "-Truth sucks... I know what ya mean, Buckthorne." ...I'm sorry too... I didn't mean to get you worked up too." His companion shook his muzzle. "-Nyah... it's not yer fault... I'm the one who dragged it in..." Anyways... what am I doing??" Look at me, I'm being all selfish, and taking the focus away from you!" An expression of amusement was upon Masevar's face. "-No way... it's alright... who needs to dwell on it anyways?" It's MY problem, not yours, buddy... I'll be fine." But Buckthorne was persistent. He didn't like his friends being unhappy... he wanted to help cheer Masevar up, in some way, especially after talking to him in that super-depressant mode of his.. but how?? He thought hard. "-Hey... it's not so bad for you, Masevar... at least... in THIS situation, the problem can be fixed, in some form." Masevar showed a slight interest at this assumption. "-Oh really?" "-Yeah, totally!" insisted Buckthorne. "-I mean... Aleena's not the 'only' girl you'll ever love, right?" His hedgehog friend breathed out. "-I dunno... it 'feels' like she will be.. but... I 'guess' who can tell, right?" Given the advantage, the wolf encouraged him on. "-Exactly!" I mean... sure, she may 'seem' like the only girl for you right now... but hey... look at what a few years can do... people change... things happen." Who knows?" He tried to give Masevar an assuring smile, and put his arm around Masevar's shoulder, in a friendly/brotherly way. "-Come on, buddy... I bet in no time, you'll find that someone else, who's totally perfect for ya... I mean it.. you will." You're still young here, ain't ya?" It's not like we're living in medieval times, where people were marrying at the ages of fourteen to sixteen, and shit!" You've still got years to roam, and age to ripen." Whadda ya say, pal?" Somehow, a tiny smile formed upon the hedgehog's lips. "-Well... I 'guess' you have a point there, Buckthorne..." he agreed. "I DO still have over seven years left to find "the one"-" "-See?" There ya go!" Buckthorne supported. "You're gonna be fine... and let's face it... it's not like you're gonna have 'trouble' either, finding any 'willing' ladies!" Masevar rolled his eyes. "-Yeah... 'gold diggers' or whatnot, without any geniunance, just wanting to become Queen," he grumbled. "Nu uh!" Not to YOU!" Come on... you're a great guy, Masevar!" I mean.. look how you treated Aleena... you were respectful, devoted, loyal, courteous, and everything!" Girls LOVE that!" And you do it with EASE!" Believe me... you're all 'set' here!" exclaimed his friend. "And even more.. LOOK at you!" You're GORGEOUS!" YOU are a beautiful man!" A little taken aback at this comment, Masevar stuttered, "-Umm.. 'thanks'?" ...I think-" Buckthorne insisted further. "-You ARE!" Seriously... you my friend, are one of the 'man-pretty' people... I mean... if 'I' was a girl... damn!" I'd be all over ya, like-" He snapped his fingers and whistled. Now his hedgehog friend was more than just a 'little' creeped out... "-You know what... I need a walk!" Masevar gulped nervously, scrambling up to his feet. The wolf arose to his feet as well, as his friend slowly took a few steps away. "-Oh yeeeah!" Buckthorne called. "-That's what I'm talkin' about!" Back that ass up!" Wooooot!" Masevar froze on the stop, at the news that his companion was watching his rear. *What the FUCK is he doing??* he thought, wildly, as he heard the wolf jeer out some more. "-You'sa sexay beast!" Ow ow OWWWWW!!" Crazily, Buckthorne threw back his head, and emitted several more long, shrill howls. Bewildered, turning around, Masevar remarked, "-Y'know.. you sound more like a coyote than a wolf, there." His friend smirked, "-Really... well.. at least I don't LOOK like one!" he teased, referring to the rather odd looks of that particular species. The hedgehog shook his head. "-So let me get this straight... you're trying to make me feel better... by pretending you're 'GAY'??" Buckthorne blinked twice, then shrugged, with a grin, "-It 'worked', didn't it?" Masevar stared for minute, then a smirk broke out and he chuckled, "-Sad as it is... I think it kinda did." "Only 'kinda'??" questioned his wolf friend, sounding a bit disappointed. "Hmm... well let me think then..." The Prince gave him a screwy look. "-Kaaaay..." Then, Buckthorne said the most non-Buckthorne thing to say, ever... "-You know what?" You quit your 'bitchin', get in the kitchen, and bake me some pie!" Masevar's eyes widened, and he couldn't stop himself in time. In seconds, he was holding his sides, aching from the hysterical laughter. Buckthorne shuffled shyly, looking the slightest bit pleased with himself. "-Ah, who am I kidding?" I don't like pie, anyways." Blinking through his teary eyes, and catching some breath back, Masevar gasped out, "Really?" You don't like pie?" The wolf shrugged. "-Ehh... it's alright... but I'm kinda more partial to cake." The hedgehog sniggered. "-Cake.. yeah... COFFEE cake!" he jested, referring to Buckthorne's coffee 'addiction', as it were. They all liked to joke, that if their wolf friend didn't get his morning drink everday, he'd either lash out at everyone like a psychopath or drop dead fast asleep on his desk. Buckthorne's cheeks tinged scarlet, and snorted, "-Aww... cheap shot!" He gave Masevar a playful slug in the shoulder. "-Hey!" yelped his friend, trying to slug him back. But the young wolf dodged, and made a break for it. "-Come and GET it!" he taunted, as Masevar chased after him. Sure, it may have seemed childish play... but that 'childish play' got them both through the last part of the night, and had even... gotten Masevar's mind off of Aleena, for the first time in days.