Disclaimer: I own nothing but the general plot and the odd character.

To those who asked if this story was gonna be slash, i ask you, do you honestly believe an eleven year old is gonna get into a relationship? He hasn't even his puberty. So no, it won't be slash. Possibly in a sequal, but not in this story. Sorry. ;o)

Whisper had settled in reasonably well into the beautiful two-story country house the Niwas' called home, which really wasn't that hard considering how amusingly odd this particular family was.

Mrs Nanako Niwa was a small and rotund, but energetic woman with her dark hair up in a bun and possessing a round, surprisingly pretty face complemented by the same pale green eyes as her son, which twinkled with mischief and all-round good humour. This was odd considering she was a litigator. She had, however, a stubborn streak wide enough to drive a semi through and she most definitely expected her orders to be carried out.

Mr Leon Niwa was a tall, slender mellow man with an older version of his son's face, though his eyes were a beautiful syrupy brown that flashed hints of gold in the right light. He was a platinum blond.

Mr Niwa owed part of his blood to a few Germanic ancestors, but he was really a quiet, shy and kind man with a rather pleasant disposition. According to Seb, Mr and Mrs Niwa met at a Charity Benefit Function. He was a well-known child psychologist.

Whisper was at a loss as to how two such normal people had produced such an off the wall kid like Seb. Whisper had seen the junk shop Seb called his room. It appeared to be queerly ordered in a way that only Seb knew how to navigate.

Whisper quite liked his own room though. It was sky blue with midnight blue panelling, carpet and curtains and all the furniture was darkly lacquered wood. Whisper liked blue. Suichi said it had something to do with the colour of Whisper's natural aura and his natural affinity with water and plants, and thus cooler colours like blue, some greens, purples and greys.

"Come and get it!"

Whisper shoved his now empty suitcase under the bed and wandered downstairs for dinner.

One week Later…

Several plants now decorated Whisper's room and there was a portable indoor rock fountain sat in the corner, depicting a red fox sitting beneath a ginkgo tree at the head of a foot-high waterfall and pond. By the north-facing window and window seat were the paints, brushes, canvas and stand Whisper had bought on a whim, along with the art folder, charcoals, pastels and water-colour pencils neatly arranged on the desk between the two large windows. The west facing window led onto a small balcony that overlooked a garden Whisper had spent most of the week and a lot of money taming, with a rather pretty view of the surrounding woodland. The canvas currently depicted a dark forest glen with a waterfall and pool. Whisper had yet to put any of the exact details or the character into the picture. Whisper found he rather liked painting and drawing.

'You know, this place isn't really all far from Genkai's temple.'

"Hmm…?" Whisper paused to contemplate the picture on his sketch pad as he lay stretched out on his bed. It was a full-body charcoal sketch of himself in his adult kitsune form. 'Who?'

'Genkai. She is, or was, a powerful psychic who could control the Spirit Wave Technique. She used to take missions as favours to Prince Koenma. Last I saw her, she was a kick ass old lady with a killer sense of humour. She trained Yusuke.'

'Ah.' Whisper contemplated his sketch critically for a few moments before answering Suichi. 'Do you think she'd be interested in a part time gardener?'

Suichi gave him a mental smile and a gentle laugh. 'I'm sure she'd be grateful for a gardener who can control Makain and Reikain plants. If memory serves, she was always relieved when I offered to tame her gardens.'

'And I don't suppose it has anything to do with a certain fire demon, would it?'

Suichi's mental self gave the impression of a pained look. When he answered, it was soft and wistful. '…I burned those bridges long ago. The path behind me is blocked, so I have not choice but to continue forward.' Suichi sounded so sad and wistful, longing. 'But…But I do want to see him again. He was the first person to truly understand me in that life. The first to want to understand me. He was my very first friend as Suichi. Would it be such a bad thing, such a terrible thing to want to see how he is? Even if he doesn't know I'm there?'

'Did he know?'

"That I loved him? No. I do not believe he would have understood it even if I had shown it to him. I loved him, needed him, relied on him, but I was never in love with him. Ours was a friendship built on loneliness. I have prayed that he would find happiness.'

'I know…because that is the same relationship that exists between the three of us. A companionship built on need. We care, we love, but if we were to be separated, we would distance ourselves from one another because we have been too close for too long. But we would always remember each other. And that is what is important. He will remember the colour of your eyes when no other remembers your name. He will remember your heart when your bones are dust. That is a type of immortality. Not a happy thought, but a true one.'

'…I'm lonely.'

"We are always alone. We may interact with others, but we are always alone. That is reality.' Whisper got up and left his room. 'Go to sleep. It only hurts when you think about it.' Agreement came from Youko as he pulled the unresisting Suichi into subconsciousness, the 'Threefold Lament' echoing around Whisper's mind.

After telling Mrs Niwa he was going for a walk, Whisper wandered out into the mid-morning air and down the driveway towards the main road.

There was a reason Whisper liked to be kept occupied. When he had nothing to do or think about, his mind came up with the most depressing topics. Whisper despised philosophy.

Whisper didn't notice Seb watching him walk away from his bedroom window. This kid could project his mood to just about anyone, and, at the moment, just looking at him made Seb depressed. It was something Seb had noticed Hari could do on the first day. Seb turned from the window and put on loud, happy music.

Summer was ending.

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Quote:And, lo, the gods play chess with the lives of men, and when they appear to be losing, they throw the board across the room in a fit of petulance.