Akaito was the first to wake up out of the four around the fire. The flames had burned off the mist, but it still clung around the damp bark of the trees and just outside the fire's reach. It was very early morning, while the sun's rays were still glowing pink and orange through the murky gray sky, and through the fog it looked blended and splotchy and surreal in a strange, slightly creepy sort of way.
Akaito flicked his hand toward the fire lazily while standing up, and the flames sprang back to life, immediately warming the occupants of the clearing and scaring off the lavender fog for a couple more paces. The sudden surge of warmth made the little girl Rui stir, and Akaito stood behind her while she sat up.
"Rei...?" She mumbled sleepily, hands rubbing her eyes. She glanced around and saw Mikuo sleeping next to the other black-haired boy and made a high-pitched noise of happiness. "Mikuo!" She looked behind her. "Akaito! Ya foun' us!"
Akaito smiled, running a hand through his red hair. "Yeah... We found you while you were sleeping. I fixed up your fire. Good job on it for a first try, by the way."
Rui smiled widely before jumping up, suddenly awake. She gave the taller boy a hug around his middle. "Ya two are awesome! When Momma gets out ta fin' us we'll all be tuhgether!"
Akaito smiled, but sighed and shook his head. "Am I the only one of this group who has good grammar?"
"I don' have bad garamar!" Rui protested, though she pronounced the word wrong, making Akaito smile again. "Rei 'n I jus' have gutter accents. Tha's what Momma called 'em, anyways."
Akaito didn't reply, but instead looked over to the two young boys on the other end of the fire. The tealette suddenly jerked in his sleep before sitting up quickly, sweating. He had a scared, distant look in his eyes.
Akaito went over to him, taking Rui off. She trailed behind, going to her brother to wake him up. "Mikuo." The boy didn't respond. "Mikuo." The redhead touched the green-eyes boy's shoulder. He blinked and shivered, despite the warmth of the fire. Then he hugged himself, eyes locking onto the oldest boy as if trying to pull himself back to reality.
"A-Akaito-nii-sama..." Mikuo said. Akaito looked at him expectantly. "I had a - a... It wasn't a dream, but it was while I was sleeping."
"What happened?"
"I was looking back at the Lab, and Mommy was there, and then Mister Ryuku was there and he - he tried to kill Mommy with a knife, but then Piko was there and he went True-Form on Mister Ryuku, but he got hurt and then- then Mister Ryuku got to Mommy and-"
Mikuo started crying silently. Akaito patted him awkwardly on the back. Rei woke up during the explanation, and the twins were now sitting behind the crying boy, looking worriedly at him. They waited for Mikuo to calm before they let him continue. "And then I woke up... I know it wasn't a dream, Akaito, and I'm not crazy either. It was too real to be a dream, and I would never dream of someone terminating Mommy. Do you think it really happened?"
Dr. Hatsune, whom they all called Mom in some form of the word, had once told Akaito about Mikuo's strange ability to see things, like visions, whenever he was in a state of peace. They usually happened a couple hours after the event, or sometimes while it happened. They only ever involved Dr. Hatsune and things that happened to her, and Akaito knew this would be the last of his visions.
"I don't think you're crazy, Mikuo, really," he assured, evading the question. "Now, we need to start moving again - now that we have more of us we'll be moving slower. Come on, let's go."
-;-;-;-
"Hey, what's yours look like?" Rui said conversationally to Mikuo as Akaito put out the fire. "Your barrier."
Mikuo showed the translucent white charm hanging from his bracelet. Rei and Rui held theirs up at the same time. Rui's was a bracelet on her right arm, and it was a dark purple circle that was almost black. On the inside of the sphere was a little lavender dot, and the stone got lighter the more it went inwards. A silver band went around the center like the equator of the earth. Rei's pendant was on a necklace, hidden under his shirt until this moment. The circle was the same size, but it was flat and about a fingernail's length thick. The color was blacker than his hair, with a silver pattern along the edges that looked like it was drawn painstakingly with shiny gel pen.
"Cool," Mikuo said. He felt a little uncomfortable around Rei's, but that was expected, because their barriers were of different cores.
Akaito started walking off and called to the three younger people over his shoulder. "You guys coming?"
"Yes, Akaito..."
"Yes, Akaito!"
"Sure, Father..."
"Rei!"
"What?"
_;_;_
His lungs burned, his legs burned, and his mouth was dry from gulping so much air into his deprived lungs, but he kept running. He could still sense them on his tail, even though he could not hear their voices over his breathing and frantic footsteps.
He kept running, trying desperately to fill his lungs up with air and pump his heart, and though he wanted to stop he knew that would be his end. So he ran, out of the field and into a dense forest. The flat terrain turned uneven and muddy, leaves crunched under his shoes, and the amount of light went down. He started stumbling, even more so than people with two eyes probably would. He could still fell the hot stuff running down the left side of his arms and face, a reminder of what happens when you stop running.
After he'd gotten quite a distance into the dense, leafy forest, he found two trees huddled so close to each other if you hid in the gap and pulled the branches down no one would notice you. He dived for the opening, reaching it successfully, and pulled some branches down over it.
Through the opening in the trees, he watched the Advanced team of Alchemists charge by, armed and looking around for any sign of him. As soon as they passed, his shoulders slumped and he let his muscles relax. They were all really sore from running so much for so long, and his lungs really needed more oxygen. He sat there in his hidden alcove in the trees for a while, until his breathing slowed, and then he closed his eyes - Just for a moment - and before he knew it he was sleeping.
I don't think I'll do beginning A/Ns for a couple chapters. Too time consuming.
Anyways, yeah... Early update to make up for my recent not being heres. Introducing the new POV, and a joining of two of the previous ones! If you're a crazy fan you should catch the hint as to who the new one is, so guess away in reviews. And remember: I need some more suggestions for who you want to see come into this fic! I'm running out of options... See ya!
Fun Fact: Luka was supposed to come before Miku, but troubles with her VP caused delays until 2009. Bai!
-Kara