Night had truly set in by the time the four +Anima children reached their destination. It was s small, Podunk town back in the sticks. There was only one little hotel in the town, but it was reputed to have nice clothes stores – Nana was the one who insisted multiple times, in great detail, about why they had to go.

Even in the darkness, the group could still see the clothed mannequins in the shop windows, their dresses covered with patterns of flowers and small animals.

"Ooo, they're so pretty!" Nana exclaimed. "And look, the shop's still open! Can we pleeeeeeeeeease go there right now?!"

"In the morning," Husky told her with a yawn. "I'm bushed, we need a few beds."

"Well, I demand my own bed," Nana said commandingly. "I won't be sharing a bed with a boy."

"And you think I will?!" Husky shot back at her.

"…Floor," Senri told them, expressing his wish to sleep on the floor.

Irked, Husky asked him, "Why are you never on my side?"

"It'll be fine," Cooro reassured Husky. The crow +Anima smiled calmly. "I don't mind it."

Husky's cheeks went pink, but he was quick to blame it on the night's chill. "F-Fine," he stammered. "But first we need to find the place." The group moved on, Nana taking one last look at the bright shop. She didn't seem to notice that one of the mannequins was missing.

Five minutes later, the group of children had located their hotel, which was two stories high but surprisingly small. Husky grumbled his complaints to himself as they entered. Nana talked to the clerk, who lounged at the front desk in a mess of wild black hair. A cigarette stuck out from between two of his teeth.

When his hands had safely secured themselves around the money he was given, he reached back and grabbed a key. "1st floor, room 3," he muttered, followed by a loud cough.

Grimacing, Nana quickly took the key and the group retreated down the right-hand hall. None of them bothered to look back and see the clerk's eyes, not completely covered by his black hair, following their path. He took another puff of his cigarette and said, in a louder voice, "Room 3, down the right-hand side…"

When they'd set their meager possessions down inside the room's closet, everyone went to sleep quickly. Husky, cheeks pink once again ("You mean none of you can feel how utterly cold this room is?"), had still objected to sleeping in the same bed as Cooro. However, it was either the comfortable bed or the cramped bathtub, so in the end, Husky laid his head on the pillow.

But he couldn't get to sleep like the others had so easily done. His mind was still racing about the mysterious Zeke. Everything about the boy was entirely suspicious, especially his uncanny ability to get people to agree with him. Something wasn't right…

He spent the early hours of the morning contemplating just what Zeke could be up to. A thousand possibilities racked his brain, each more unlikely than the last. Zeke obviously wasn't a black market dealer, nor could he be royalty in disguise. It would be far too cliché if he turned out to be a long lost relative of Cooro's, or…Husky had shuddered at the idea of being related to the silver-haired boy, causing Cooro to stir

"Are you alright…?" the crow +Anima had quietly asked.

Husky had looked at Cooro – right into this big brown eyes, shimmering glossily with sleep. A lump built up in his stomach. Could he really lie to those eyes?

Turning so he didn't have to face the crow +Anima, Husky had. "It's…it's nothing. Go back to sleep."

Before Cooro obliged, he'd absent-mindedly muttered, "If anything's the matter, you just have to tell me…" And those words had stung the fish +Anima so severely that his mind had been driven from thoughts of Zeke to pure nothingness. And they'd remained that way until the sun shone in through the window, waking everyone else up.

Nana spent at least an hour in the bathtub, because she claimed she had to look her best or else everyone buying clothes would jeer at her.

When she was finished up, three +Anima went to the door.

"Are you coming, Cooro?" Husky asked him. But the crow +Anima had only shaken his head, claiming he wanted to think. It was very uncharacteristic for the boy, but Husky had a feeling he knew what was going through Cooro's head.

So the trio had gone downtown to the fanciest little dress shop the town had to offer. Only a few other people were inside shopping, though they were beautiful women. Husky opted to remain outside, saying he wanted nothing more to do with women's clothing.

As Nana and Senri had entered, a girl had come out. She had flowing chestnut colored hair and a few freckles on her nose. Husky felt his jaw twitch as he watched her walk his way. When the girl opened her eyes, they were the warmest shade of indigo blue the fish +Anima had ever seen. He seemed to melt into them.

The girl wore a light blue tank top and short blue jean shorts that showed off her terrific legs.

When she neared him, she waved. "Hi there, handsome."

Husky, almost involuntarily, waved back. "Is this a good shop?"

The girl stopped and made a funny face. "What, looking to get something for yourself?"

Husky really tried not to laugh, but a small chuckle escaped his lips. "No, two of my friends are in there, and I wouldn't want them to be disappointed."

"So modest," the girl told him with a quaint laugh. Suddenly, her hand reached out and took the +Anima boy's. His face skipped the usual pink stage and went straight to red. He stammered nonsensical grunts. The girl didn't seem to notice, or she didn't mind. "I'm Noïr," she told him.

"H-Husky," he managed to spit out. And as he stood there with the pretty girl, Noïr, he couldn't help but feel sorry for Cooro. He was cooped up in their hotel room, moping about…Husky. He had been cold and indifferent towards his best friend's attempts to merely help. It was a little…unfair that he was out having a good time.

"It was nice meeting you," he said, trying to get out of Noïr's grip. "But I've got to go check up on one of my friend's at our hotel."

As he said this and tried to walk away, he felt himself being tugged back. Turning his head, he came face-to-face with Noïr. She pulled him in even closer, and their lips locked. Husky's eyes went wide, and his pupils shrank to the size of a grain of sand.

Noïr's tongue was inhumanly inviting. It took al of the +Anima boy's willpower to disengage the kiss. Gasping, he tried to say something, but nothing came to mind.

"You can't leave yet!" the girl told him with a bit of a shocked expression.

"I'm sorry, but I have to!"

"Not yet…" Noïr looked close to tears. "Please…not yet…"

Husky hated girls, but he found himself unable to leave this poor girl standing and crying in the middle of the road. He had no choice but to stay. And, though he'd never admit it out loud, he kind of liked it.

Meanwhile, at the hotel, Cooro was busy wondering why Husky had seemed so distant. In fact, he could only half remember what had happened, since he had been half asleep at the time. He remembered asking the fish +Anima something, then Husky turning away and not answering. It was all so confusing…

The crow +Anima took another bite of the apple he held. He always seemed to think better when eating fruit, especially his favorite kind – apples.

As he chewed and began to swallow, a knock came at his door. Flecks of apple still on the side of his mouth, Cooro quickly finished swallowing and called, "Come in!"

The door began to creak open, until it was completely open, revealing the person out in the hall. "Hello once again, Cooro."

It was Zeke.