Ah... finally some peace and relaxation.

Syaoran watched in interest as the town passed by. The sun had warmed the car enough that they were driving with the windows down, and Syaoran leaned his head out slightly to see better. The downtown had been jam packed with people and activity, glittering lights adding a yellowish glow to the darkening city. The sun had dipped below the horizon a little while after they entered the police station. This world had remarkably long sunsets. Purples and oranges bathed the cloud-streaked sky.

Briina and Wrennen spoke quietly in the front, voices light despite how tense they had been at the station. Syaoran felt a spark of guilt at his decision. He was sure the couple hadn't expected to be taking some mysterious person home tonight, and yet here they were. They had offered, and the teen felt much more comfortable with them than the stoic officers.

He pulled in a calming breath and leaned his head on his arm, blinking against the wind. The further they drove from the center of town, the higher the streets climbed. Stores dropped away, replaced by sprawling homes with large, clearly marked yards. Everything appeared methodical, even the plant life here was manicured into orderly shapes. Sporadically, Syaoran could sense a brief stir of something magical. It was never anything as potent as a spell. More like the natural magic of the world being tugged in a certain direction.

Higher they went, and Syaoran couldn't help but twist around in his seat to peer out behind them. His eyes widened in awe. The whole city was mapped out below, having been built in the center of a massive depression. He could see the hills rising up on the far side of town. The city very well could have been built in a crater. He caught sight of the river in the park, reflecting the vivid colors of the sky and winding out towards the west.

Wrennen noticed his curiosity. He turned in the passenger's seat and pointed back at the glowing town.

"Shinchamwa," He told him.

Then he motioned up in the direction they were driving.

"Hahuen ma."

The large homes too, faded away and in their place multifamily apartments sprouted up. Simple things with only a few floors and neat little patches of grass. They each stood independently, unlike the large blocks of housing Syaoran had seen in more populated worlds. He started spotting clotheslines stretching between buildings the closer they were. Covered balconies sprang out from every floor, outdoor stairs twisting up pastel colored walls.

As the buildings grew closer together, they also grew taller, four, five, six stories. The longer they drove away from the center of the city, the taller everything became. The trees in town had been of average height, yet here they were now towering twenty, thirty feet over the roofs. The trees were thin and spindly, their branches weaving around the tops of the apartments. The residents here made up for their lack of yard by bringing nature with them. Vibrant ivies and creeping vines hung from pots on nearly every balcony, the plants making themselves at home by twining around railings and bannisters.

They turned onto a side street at last, a good ten minutes from the park. Briina crept the car slowly through the tight street, waving at children who scurried around in raucous groups. The night was full of the chatter of unfamiliar animals, and Syaoran found he couldn't even picture what kinds of creatures would fit such sounds. A moment later, the car jerked to a stop and one small part of his curiosity was quenched.

Briina grumbled lightly and shook her finger admonishingly at an animal that slunk low across the street in front of the vehicle, its long body rippling as it hurried off into a spot of tall grass.

"What was that?" He craned his neck as they started moving again.

"Mmm? Ushuyi," Wrennen answered his question.

Or at least Syaoran thought he did.

"Onh wromma ushuyi," Briina sounded like she was correcting her partner, or else, insulting the creature.

It might have been the latter, because Wrennen chuckled at her.

After another minute or two Briina turned the car and pulled them into a spot in front of one of the shorter buildings. Only four floors whereas most of the surrounding ones had at least five.

Syaoran stepped out of the car and looked around, apprehensive in spite of the kind-heartedness his hosts were showing him.

Briina hopped out, shooting him a reassuring smile. She put a hand on his upper arm and pointed up to the third floor.

"Leomu uhra!"

The boy assumed it was something along the lines of 'That's us!' or 'We're home!'

He carried his bundle of clothes and followed the couple up three steep flights of stairs. Briina and Wrennencalled out greetings to neighbors out on other balconies as they passed. Syaoran nodded to them politely. The family on the third floor of another apartment had a couple young children, and Syaoran was startled to see a baby sized swing hanging over the railing from the porch roof. It had to be at least thirty feet off the ground.

Briina and Wrennen's own balcony space had only two chairs and a low table between them. A waterfall of ivy fell from the overhanging roof and coiled around the corner railing post before continuing its decent to the second floor.

The dark haired woman took out the little translating device from her pocket and pressed it to a depression above the doorknob. Two low beeps stuttered out from the machine and Syaoran heard a click from inside. Briina opened the door inwards and flicked on some lights. Apparently, it did more than translate.

Syaoran wavered, but Wrennen held out a hand, offering for him to go first. The boy tried to give the man a thankful smile, but he wasn't sure he pulled it off. He stepped into the apartment, moving to the side to let Wrennen enter after him. Syaoran took of his shoes and put them next to where Briina had tossed hers. It felt amazing to have the soggy things off his feet, but he frowned down at his equally sodden socks.

Wrennen made a big show of taking his shoes and socks off. If it was for Syaoran's benefit, he was grateful for the go ahead to remove his socks. He was sure they didn't want him tracking sea water onto their carpets. Syaoran followed suit, tucking his socks into his rolled cloak.

"Fumer mo nah," Wrennen waved for him to come further inside, and proceeded to give a quick tour.

The apartment was mostly one open room, split into a living area and kitchen by a waist high wall. The living space had a large table, a couch, and a screen mounted on the wall. Two doors in the back of the apartment were to the bedroom and the bathroom, where Briina was puttering about and pulling things out of closets. Plants overflowed from pots in the most curious places. On top of cabinets and the fridge, hanging in corners, and one vine that crept in the window over the sink from outside.

The thing that interested Syaoran the most were two support beams. One stood next to the couch, and the other was built into the wall by the bedroom. Intricately painted scrolls hung from each side. Each one with its own symbols and designs. He could feel magic slowly wafting toward them, pulling in and then releasing. Syaoran stared at the closest one, never having seen anything quite like it.

Wrennen stood with him for a minute, letting him look at the scroll without comment. Syaoran shuffled around to the one closest to the door, looking to Wrennen for permission. The man watched him calmly, not indicating that Syaoran couldn't investigate further. This one scroll felt different from the others. It was not pulling in, but instead pushing out steadily. The magic in this world felt extraordinarily mild, and because of that, the push was not very powerful.

Even still, Syaoran swore this one was a ward.

"Wrennen?" He asked.

The taller man joined him, humming in a questioning tone.

"Um," He wondered how to convey what he wanted to have confirmed.

He pointed to the scroll, and then turned to the door, arms out as if he were pushing something away. Then he took a step forward and crossed his arms, standing tall like a guard.

Wrennen's eyebrows flew up, but he nodded.

That made Syaoran feel a little safer.

"Briina, herbhu frem shalnar," Wrennen called back to his wife. (Syaoran was going to go ahead and assume they were married at this point.)

"Yammo?" Her head popped out of the bathroom, her face incredulous.

"Syaoran frym shalnar wran ma," Wrennen gestured to the ward, eyes serious.

Briina came out to them, astonished at what Wrennen was telling her.

Syaoran bit his lip. Was it weird for him to be able to tell what the scroll was for? He curled his toes into the carpet, wondering if the residents here knew what they were intended for, but couldn't actually sense the shift of magic in the air. If these scrolls were common for people to hang in their homes that would explain all the subtle tugging he felt during the car ride.

Briina looked from him to the ward a few times, eyebrows furrowing. She reached up and lightly touched the thick paper for a moment, then indicated for Syaoran to do the same. When he didn't move, Wrennen squeezed his shoulder encouragingly and Briina smiled gently, giving him a thumbs up.

Not sure what was supposed to happen, Syaoran cautiously reached up and touched the ward. A soft ripple of energy pushed through his body leisurely. It raised the hair on his arms, but otherwise did not effect him.

When he turned his gaze to his hosts, Briina looked triumphant and Wrennen nodded his head approvingly.

"So that was good?" He asked them.

Briina smiled widely at him, her eyes soft. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders and guided him off to the bathroom where she'd filled the tub.

Syaoran was certain he had just passed some kind of test.

Awareness came to Syaoran slowly. Eyelashes fluttered on his cheeks and he let out a contented sigh. The darkness was alluring, trying to drag him back into a blissful slumber. He couldn't remember the last time he had such a difficult time waking for the simple reason of being so comfortable. It took his sleep-muddled mind a long minute to remember where he was.

Briina had encouraged him to take as long a bath as he liked, though he felt a little bad for indulging as much as he had. When he came out dressed entirely in borrowed clothes, they had made up the couch for him, an impressive pile of blankets as his disposal. The two had gifted him with a glass of water and permission to eat anything from their fridge before they bade him goodnight. Syaoran was glad to retire early and fell asleep faster than he expected, especially with the upstairs neighbors talking as loud as they were.

The boy let out a yawn and turned his head to snuggle deeper into the pillow. Except he couldn't exactly do that, because halfway there, his cheek pressed up against something warm and soft that was definitely not his blanket. His first thought was that it was Mokona, as she often slept curled into his neck… but that wasn't possible, was it?

Half asleep and mildly confused, Syaoran cracked his eyes open, blinking against the grey light of dawn. Amber eyes flew open when his brain recognized not only what was cuddled into his shoulder, but what was laid out over his chest as well.

"Uh…" He breathed, hoping not to disturb either of them.

Both creatures could have passed as cats if they had been a little less… translucent. They were clearly feline, but it was if they had been stretched. Long legs. Impossibly long tails. The one on his shoulder could have been a kitten. The one laid out on top of him, however, was huge. He would have guessed it weighed close to thirty pounds if it had any weight at all. He had mistaken the press of the creature for the heavy folds of his bedding, barely enough for him to notice at all. Syaoran could vaguely feel their presence now that he was aware of them. They were not magical per say, but they felt otherworldly in a way he had few words for.

Spirits.

The large one raised its head at his thought. It was dignified, nearly regal in the way it gazed down at him with serene golden eyes.

Syaoran held his breath as the spirit leaned closer. Its whiskers puffed forward and tickled him as it sniffed and chuffed over his cheeks, his eyes, his ears. The boy couldn't help but scrunch his face at the inspection. The little one huffed and gave a stretch at the disturbance, kneading almost imperceptible paws against his collarbone.

Satisfied, the larger spirit pulled back. It flicked out its tongue to lick at its nose and closed its eyes. A hum rumbled through Syaoran's body rather than his ears, and his eyelids suddenly drifted lower, darkness tugging at him once again.

Syaoran woke a second time to the sound of heaving.

Throwing up never meant anything good when they were traveling. Illness, food poisoning, actual poisoning… it had all happened at some point since their journey began. He could feel his stomach coiling with nerves. He was off the couch and in front of the half-open bathroom door before he registered why his heart was pounding.

Syaroan knocked and pushed the door open, peeking his head in.

"Are you okay?

For a second the boy's brain short-circuited, because it was not Fai, or Kurogane, or even Sakura kneeling over the toilet.

Briina lifted her head groggily and seemed to have a similar moment of noticing thatvthe young man in the doorway was not actually her husband.

Embarrassment flooded Syaoran before the woman had a chance to say anything.

"I'm so sorry for barging in! Forgive me, I wasn't thinking," He backed away and waved his hands in apology.

Briina opened her mouth to reply, then held up a finger and took a few shaky breaths. She grimaced and swallowed, then smiled at him and sent him a thumbs-up.

Wrennen shambled out of the bedroom, short hair sticking straight up in the back. He gave a jaw-cracking yawn and rubbed the heel of his hand into his eye before noticing the boy hovering around the bathroom door.

"Hanma, Syaoran."

"Um, good morning?" He replied, at a loss at the complete lack of concern the man was showing for his currently retching wife.

Wrennen snuck past him, bare feet padding on the tile floor. He dropped a brief kiss to the top of Briina's head, before regarding the contents of the toilet with a 'bleh' sound.

"Oshun wa?"

"Shun wa," Briina mumbled, looking annoyed.

Syaoran wrung his hands, too worried to walk away, but nonetheless feeling like he was intruding.

The older man came back out, patting Syaoran casually on the back and waving for the boy to follow him to the kitchen. He started pulling things from the fridge and cabinets, a small pile of cooking tools growing on the counter.

Syaoran expected that he should help make breakfast, but was torn between offering his assistance, and asking about Briina.

Wrennen made the decision for him.

"Obra lim, lea," He said, handing Syaoran two strangely colored eggs and pointing to a small bowl.

By the time Briina emerged from the bathroom, Syaoran had cracked and mixed the eggs, measured out two cups worth of a flour like powder, and was in the middle of peeling a tart green fruit. Wrennen insisted he level the fragrant peelings on the counter. Why, Syaoran couldn't fathom.

She looked refreshed, her wavy hair tidied and face washed. The woman downed an entire glass of water at once, sighing in relief.

"Hanma, Syaoran," Briina grinned down at him.

"Ah… Good morning," Syaoran said worriedly.

Briina got to work helping her husband mix the batter and prep the stove. When she spotted Syaoran still visibly fretting, she paused, leaning the whisk on the edge of the bowl. A thoughtful look softened her face, and she walked around Wrennen to approach him.

"Shun wa, Syaoran. Shun wa ne," She ducked a little to look him in the eye.

She was trying to reassure him, but flashes of the last time one of them had vomited refused to leave his mind. Someone had tried to get Kurogane out of the way… Fai had been on the warpath… He hadn't know what to do.

"Syaoran, ah… suna mea greanah."

Briina accompanied the statement with a hand on her stomach, and then bringing both arms up like she were cradling…

Oh.

Oh, Briina was pregnant.

"Uh, congratulations!" He squeaked, his eyes wide.

He didn't know anything about pregnancy. She couldn't be far along, right? She wasn't showing, though the clothes in this world were so loose that if she were, he may still not have guessed. Was morning sickness a good thing? A bad thing?

Briina giggled at his flushed face. Her hand gently patted her belly again, then she struck a pose that was clear. Followed it with the same signs reversed, and pointed to the bathroom.

The baby is strong. Strong baby makes me vomit.

Syaoran nodded eagerly, accepting this wisdom without question.

Wrennen rolled his eyes at them and continued to make breakfast.

Briina sent him to set the table laden with dishware, and he set the table for three. He hovered awkwardly for a moment, unsure if he should help serve, but his hosts waved for him to sit. Syaoran was pleasantly surprised when Wrennen slapped three familiar items on his plate, along with a hefty serving of the fruit he peeled, now diced and heated with spices.

"Pancakes," He murmured, thinking of Fai and his love of sweet dishes.

"Panshaegs?" Briina attempted, clearly unused to the word.

Excited, Syaoran perked up and bobbed his head in confirmation.

"Pan-cakes," He repeated, slower this time.

"Panchaegs," Wrennen gave it a shot as well.

Syaoran bit back a smile as the couple happily parroted the word at each other, chuckling at their own botched pronunciations. He spent the rest of breakfast teaching them to say Fai, Kurogane, and Mokona's names. It would be helpful if he could refer to his friends without having to draw them every time. The language in this world had almost no hard consonants, the sounds soft and rolling of the tongue, nearly half the words ending in a lilting vowel.

A sudden heavy downpour outside interrupted them. Syaoran gawked as dozens of what he had assumed were leaves out on the balcony suddenly took cover. His jaw dropped even more when a swarm of lizards clambered over the open, vine-covered windowsill and onto the kitchen counter. They were every shade of green he could imagine, and even the occasional yellow or turquois, ranging from the size of his pinky to nearly a foot long.

They immediately pounced on Syaoran's fruit peels.

"Wrennen!" Briina scolded, lips pursed with forced disapproval. Syaoran could see she was trying to hold in her laughter even as she slapped at his arm.

Her husband didn't seem the least bit apologetic. He snickered and leaned out of her reach, picking a fruit chunk from his plate and lobbing it over her head towards the horde. A squabble broke out over it the instant it touched the floor.

"Syaoran," Briina covered her face in exasperation.

The boy tried to hide his amusement as Briina managed to convey a message to him filled with arm waving and exaggerated facial expressions.

No listen to Wrennen. He act serious. No. He is a child.

Syaoran filled his mouth with pancakes to stop himself from laughing at the incredibly fake offence on Wrennen's face. Swallowing with difficulty, he supposed if he had to get stuck in a world alone… well, this place didn't seem so bad.

Is it weird for me to wish I had lizards in my kitchen? I wouldn't need a compost bucket. They could just eat everything instead.