A/N: Wow I updated! I'm sorry for the wait – I've had a lot of schoolwork and this chapter, for whatever reason, I had a lot of trouble writing.


"Hand me that – no, not that beaker, the other one," Even ordered, sounding crankier than usual. Ienzo sighed, grabbing the container gingerly with his small hands and giving it to the blonde before letting himself steal a glance out the window.

It was a beautiful spring day in Radiant Garden; it really was true that this season was when the world really shone. The flowers were brighter and even more plentiful as they swayed dreamily in the calm wind that flickered through the city, and the weather was impenetrably crisp and light. And of course the songbirds were rarely interrupted, barely drowned out by the regular day-to-day business of the city and its people. And then there was the fountains and their constant twinkling and even from the window Ienzo could just see, if he strained his eyes, the surmount of one of the bigger fountain's cascades, and the way the sun shafts hit it to make rainbows…

The boy withheld a sigh, and instead turned back to look at the experiment Even was conducting. There would be no "outside time" today – maybe not for a while. Ienzo idly remembered the reports that continually filed in of strange, alien creatures that had begun appearing in the city – Unversed, they called them. Ansem had immediately begun investigating, of course, and the moment he'd heard of attacks via the monsters, he'd told Ienzo to stay inside while the whole thing was sorted out.

The boy had begged and pleaded and used every ounce of the power of his puppy-dog eyes to attempt to sway his master but to no avail. The worst part was that with Ansem so busy trying to take care of the monsters, he'd placed Even in charge of Ienzo, seemingly unaware of the mutual annoyance between the oldest and youngest apprentice.

Otherwise, it had been a couple of months since Ienzo's adoption. He'd been introduced to all of the apprentices and guards who had accepted the nine-year-old's presence with a variety of different reactions, with Ienzo accepting them differently as well. Braig, with his brash, loud behavior, tended to make the nine year old uncomfortable; Dilan and Aeleus were alright – they were both rather stoic and down-to-business people and a tad bit boring; and then of course there was Even, who was annoyed with the nine year old's very presence the moment Ansem had told his apprentices that the boy would be staying with them permanently.

It had been a bit awkward at first, but the apprentices had become used to the boy's company and Ienzo became used to theirs'. And then Ansem had given Ienzo his own lab coat for the boy's tenth birthday (the smallest he could find, and even then the bluenette had to roll up the sleeves) and told him he was an apprentice, too, and Ienzo had literally beamed for the first time in a while and had taken his new title to heart despite the fact that he wasn't allowed to help in the "main" experiments and only help, like he was doing now.

Ienzo shook himself from his thoughts just in time to notice Even's back was turned to him and craned over two beakers as he carefully watched some sort of reaction. The boy stared for a moment before his rock-hard gaze sliced slowly over to the door that led to the Outer Gardens. He looked back at Even, who was still crouched over the beakers, then back at the door. A smile threatened to flicker on his face, yet his façade of emotionlessness prevented the action. Slowly, cautiously, he stepped one step backward. Two. Three. Each continual step was calm, and then suddenly he was at the door and without a moment's hesitation he grasped the handle in his eager hands and opened it before slipping out into the fresh air.


Finally he was free to do whatever he wanted. With a self-satisfactory sigh, Ienzo meandered slowly through the small, quaint gardens while enjoying the fresh air. He loved experimenting – but with Even, he was only a lackey whose participation was limited to giving the other scientist the materials he needed.

Another sigh escaped him, but this time is was more grumbling and irritated and his brow creased downward into an agitated expression that mirrored the sound. Even. What an idiot! He was glad he'd escaped, though he wasn't sure how long this trek would last. Would the blonde bolt after him like a hound on the hunt when he'd discovered him missing? Or simply ignore it?

He was so deep in his thoughts he did not realize he'd reached the central square. A ring of houses and the like surrounded the somewhat circular area, and in the middle was a lowered section of the tiled pavement with flowers and small fountains ringing around it. Ienzo stared at the area for a moment, then looked up to see that one of the many entrances to the Castle, though gated, was on the opposing side of the place.

Ienzo shrugged, thinking nothing of it, and descended into the lowered platform. At least he would see Even first if the blonde came through that exit.

He reached the middle of the depression. Perhaps he should head back—

WHOOSH

A sound slinked up from the earth itself, and Ienzo flinched, caught off guard. A black, inky, swirling substance had abruptly appeared right in front of him. The boy stared wide-eyed at it. He was not afraid, but curious.

But then another of the black spots appeared, and another, and another.

Abruptly, like waking beasts, a column of dripping darkness shot out from the ground where the spots had been and reformed into strange angular creatures. They were a little bit bigger than a dog, and much less organic looking than one. With alien red eyes and each appendage ending with a sharp point, their bodies jerked back and forth as if moved by a hyper puppeteer.

The problem was, there were a lot of them. And they were all staring at Ienzo.

Ienzo just stared back. They weren't really that frightening, he decided. They looked odd with their dark navy bodies and pupil-less eyes, but were not exactly… scary. Were these what was causing Radiant Garden so much trouble?

He turned his head left and right, and realized then he was surrounded - at least from the front. Well, as un-scary as they were, they had attacked people, and he knew better to judge a book by its cover alone. The only probable option, he decided, was to leave, even though he truly was curious about them…

The only difficulty in his sound reasoning was that he didn't know how to leave. If he backed up, would they attack him? A flicker of fear flared in his heart, but he tried to shove it away. There wasn't any time to be scared right now.

Again he scanned their ranks, thinking, torpid…

A flash of movement to his right appeared, a blur of yellow and white and other earthy colors. An older boy, seemingly out of nowhere, had leapt to his side with a fierce and determined expression.

"Run!" The blonde instructed, and at that instant a shining blaze of light burst from the boy's hand and was soon replaced with an artfully beautiful metal weapon, oddly shaped like a key. Ienzo, however, had no time to stare – with a quick nod, he turned and left the scene to join the safety of the outer wall.

From there he watched the mysterious boy leap at the Unversed with an uncanny agility, seeming to blur from his nimble actions. A quick sweep of the blade here, a swift jab there, and two of the creatures had dropped, disappearing to darkness before they even had a chance to fight back.

The other two were quicker to react. They leaped at the blonde, but he was too quick for them; in one blow he devastated them both, and they too vanished.

Ienzo began to relax, as the battle seemed over. But then even larger Unversed appeared, and the boy's eyes really widened this time. These, although larger, were a mixture of absurd and frightening - the demonic being the vulture-esque creature that flitted against the wind, circling the blonde, and an even larger version of the smaller Unversed the boy had just killed with razor, gloved hands, and the absurd being the enormous, blown-up creature that lumbered aimlessly around the battlefield and flying Unversed, blue and red, shaped like pots.

Pots.

Ienzo stared. Who in their right mind would make a creature shaped like a pot? Pots did not instill terror, although the boy idly thought that maybe possessed, flying ones that spurted lava and ice might.

Maybe.

Again the boy turned his attention to the blonde. The teenager seemed unfazed by the newer creatures appearances, as if expecting it, and soon began to cut them down as well, shining light flashing, fire erupting, beams of radiance exploding after many of the attacks. He was ferocious in his determination to eliminate the enemies, but graceful doing so.

And then suddenly the creatures were gone. After the killing blow by the blonde to the bird Unversed, no more came to attack, and the teen stood triumphantly in the center. The blade disappeared in his hand, much to the dismay of Ienzo, who had wanted to see it up close.

"Ienzo!"

Oh, no.

"Where are you? Answer me!"

The bluenette sighed under his breath while his emotionless face kept its mask. Of course Even had to find him now, of all times! That was just his luck. Dislike bubbled in his chest as he caught sight of the elder scientist on the opposite side of the square. Well, might as well accept his fate. Feeling dully defeated Ienzo descended into the lowered platform as Even did the same.

"Ah, there you are. Didn't I warn you not to wander off, child?"

Mentally, Ienzo scowled – physically, his face didn't betray any of his annoyance. Child? He couldn't talk to him like that!

Even reached Ienzo, only stopped his long, sloping gait until he was in reaching distance of the ten year old, no doubt preparing to snatch the boy if he tried to bolt.

Ienzo held back the urge to kick him in the shins.

Even stared at him for a second more before turning his green gaze to the blonde, who had been watching the duo with silence.

"I see we owe you our thanks," Even commented graciously, his tone diplomatic.

"We have done our best to raise the boy, since his poor parents are not here to do it," the scientist continued, and his tone had lilted into a pitying, sad one.

Ienzo didn't flinch, though a dull pain throbbed in his chest for a small beat or two before dispersing into the depths of his heart. He was suddenly even angrier at Even than before – why would you share that with this stranger? Sure, this teenager had saved him, but that was hardly a reason.

The only thing was that Even's tone really had seemed sincere. Odd. Of course Even and Ienzo's father had been friends… but still.

The older boy's bright blue eyes quickly glanced to Ienzo. "Oh. You're on your own, huh?"

… Obviously.

Ienzo didn't speak, per usual. Just stared.

The other boy apparently noticed his muteness and after a moment turned his attention back to Even. "Sir, I'm looking for a friend of mine. He's a tall guy kinda dressed like me. Have you seen him?"

"Hmm… Perhaps I did see him in the Outer Gardens," Even mused thoughtfully. "Just follow this road." He subtly pointed out the decorated opening on one end of the bricked square. The boy's eyes brightened.

"Thank you!" He exclaimed thankfully.

"No, thank you," Even replied, a slightly amused tone in his voice, "for keeping Ienzo out of harm's way."

Even's tone shifted again as he turned sideways to depart – it changed so many times that Ienzo was beginning to question his dramatics.

"And… well, let's just say I have a feeling we are destined to cross paths again," the scientist said cryptically, one of his hands lifting to hover in front of his face in a posture of thoughtfulness.

The teenager suddenly looked startled, managing to emit a confused "Huh?" before Even turned his back and began walking to the Castle gates.

Ienzo took that as his cue to follow him. The ten year old's bright blue eyes lingered on the other's as he slowly pivoted to leave. He wondered who this boy was and who he was looking for; he wondered about the key shaped blade that had appeared out of thin air, and the armor on the boy's shoulder, and he even noticed the odd metal symbol on the boy's jacket – what was it? A heart of some kind?

Of course he would probably never get these answers, but there was no way he was ever going to forget this. So maybe if Even's strange "prophecy" did come true, he could both thank this stranger properly and question him…

Which would never happen.

Thank you, Ienzo thought then, as if the other boy could hear his thoughts, and finally broke away his gaze and turned to follow Even to the Castle.