P-sama: A little note, Popsicle is a character who's appeared in two of my other stories, and was introduced in "Aardvarks". I suggest you read the chapter about pets in that story before you read this chapter, so you won't be a confused idiot while reading this. Seriously, she's a major character, so read up, people.

Tomorrow must be better than today. That's how Kisshu saw it. After a day of porcupine wounds, hobos, 2nd degree scolds, and streaks, he was flat out pooped by 9:00 P.M. Pai had already gone to bed, and Taruto (now fully clothed) was conked out on the couch, a nonchalant Popsicle on his chest.

Kish WANTED to wake him up, just to get him off the couch, but touching Popsicle was not an option. The mutant was like the top five fiercest watchdogs on earth rolled into one, with a wet cat on top of that. She would bite your hand of if you even came close. She hated everyone in existence. Except, of course, for her master.

Taruto.

She adored him beyond compare, and would literally bite anyone's head off that caused him discomfort. Kisshu figured that he and Pai were lucky to still be alive.

"Tart?" he called as quietly as possible from across the room.

One of the beast's eyes opened, and she began to growl and hiss at Kisshu. Tart woke lazily. "Kish…?" he murmured.

"Yeah, it's time for bed, kiddo." He said as gently as he could muster, as to not disturb the killer sitting on his friend's chest.

"Otay…" he yawned. "C'mon, girl." He put Popsicle up on his head, which was her favorite spot, and smiled as she began to purr.

But while she purred happily, she gave Kisshu a sinister glare, which obviously meant only one thing:

"You suck"

Kish gulped. Tart made his way to his room, and the older alien plopped down on the couch.

The only time Taruto was even CLOSE to normal was bedtime, because most of the crazy-hyper-ness had been burned off during the day. Kish felt like going to bed himself, but he wanted to make sure Tart was in bed asleep before actually packing it in himself. He'd learn the hard way to never take his eyes off the kid for too long, or who knows what could happen.

He heard Tart's door close, but waited still. Twenty minutes passed, and he could feel himself dosing off. So he opened the door to Tart's bedroom tentatively, peeking inside.

Taruto was sleeping peacefully as Popsicle sat on his pillow, eyes glowing in the dark as she stared the intruder down. He expected a snarl, or a menacing hiss. But she was silent as Kisshu stared back her. And then, came a moment that would be imprinted in his mind for the rest of his life.

She smiled at him.

No, not a happy smile, but a huge, scary-smile, showing a mouth full of shark-style razor sharp teeth.

Kish slammed the door, panting, as her heard a series of wheezes from back inside, which he realized was Popsicle laughing at his discomfort.

"My life is one big horror movie," Kisshu thought to himself. "I live with a half-crazed kid, an eighteen year old who can suddenly sleep with his eyes open, and a smiling monster."

What had become of his life? He had been a hopeful young teenager once, sent to another planet in hopes of becoming a hero to his own. Now, he could see himself aging, frown lines emerging on his forehead. Pai was the eldest, HE was suppose to be looking after them. But now, Pai was almost as mentally unstable as Taruto was, and Kisshu was forced to make sure both of them made it through the day alive.

Then, in the battle aspect, which rarely even happened nowadays, things were just poop. Deep Blue had stopped checking up on them after a series of disturbing moments at the fault of Taruto, and they rarely even went to earth to fight anymore. Pai was out of plans and out of patience. Plus, whatever had happened to Taruto had completely flipped his personality, making him extremely squeamish. He couldn't even pick up a weapon with out retching, making him useless.

This brought Kisshu back to the subject of what exactly had happened in the first place. When they had first came to earth, he and Kisshu actually had a lot in common. Taruto was a bloodthirsty little brat with a nasty smirk on his face, but a playful glint in his eyes.

Looking at him now, Kisshu saw nothing of his old friend. He'd giving up fighting, and all the luster was gone from is eyes, they were just filled with confusion. He'd even given up his pigtails, which he'd once refused to remove. Now his hair just hung in his face, and was beginning to grow past his ears.

He admitted that the old Taruto could be downright bratty, but he still missed him. All he wished now was that he could figure out what had happened to him, so he could fix this whole problem. Tart would be who he used to be, Pai could go back to sanity, and Kisshu could give up having to be forty and go back to being fourteen.

And on top of all that, he had smiling roadkill coming after him.

"I'm a wreck!" he said aloud. But then he saw the door open, and figuring it was Tart coming to whine to him again, he just groaned. But the door closed, and he could hear something plopping across the floor.

He froze, gripping the edges of his bed in terror.

A feminine voice came from beside the bed, as the animal he dreaded plopped onto his chest.

Popsicle grinned, staring him strait in the face.

"Hello, Kisshu."

P-Sama: Slight cliffy.