After Mokuba and Maura had finished putting all the rocks around they waited but Krystyn didn't show and they weren't told how they were supposed to get back. Tired of waiting Maura looked into her bag and then looked at Mokuba and asked, "How many rocks do you have left?"

Mokuba thought it a strange question but opened his sack and showed her.

"This is great! Let's put these around the town!"

Mokuba blinked, "B-but that's not w-what we were t-told to d-do. W-we were t-told to w-wait here after we f-finished."

"I know but we can tell this storm is getting bad but we can move around as if there wasn't a storm here! No one can see or hear us. We can go anywhere and do anything without an adult telling us not to!" Maura actually thought that part was exciting and wished they had more time to do this. To be able to go anywhere, see anything, do anything without someone watching her every move, whether it be because she's a princess or a kid or the shop owner not liking kids fearing she might steal something, it sounded like the opportunity of a lifetime. 'After I place my rocks I may just do a bit of exploring.'

Mokuba actually thought that was a good idea as well, to be able to go anywhere without someone seeing them and telling them not to and not having to fear running into someone or talking to someone.

"Since we don't know how long it'll be till Krystyn comes for us. We can protect the town by placing the rocks around the town as well. Come on!" Maura then grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the front of the castle then towards the town, she let go and started dropping a couple of rocks here and there in case they needed the road to get to town. She couldn't imagine why they'd need to go to town but you never know when that might be needed. They got to the edge of town and she pointed left and said, "Okay you go that way and I'll go this way."

Mokuba wasn't so sure on that but seeing how she was placing them around the edge of the town then around the buildings he sighed and looked back at the castle, hoping they didn't get into trouble over this. Then like Maura he too went around the buildings and ones he especially liked such as the jewelry store and toy store and the antiques store he put an extra one in the front and back.

Then when that was finished he waited by the road leading out of town when Maura ran up and dumped all of her remaining rocks into his bag and said, "Wow that's weird I thought we had the same amount of rocks but you must not have put many down as your bags are still pretty full."

Mokuba did think that was strange as his bag never seemed to get lighter, only heavier. And he did put quite a lot of rocks down.

Maura smiled, "Well I'm sure that's enough. Well I'm going to look around the shops. It's too bad we don't have any horses. We could ride to our friends houses and put rocks there as this storm is really looking nasty." With that she sighed and went to look around.

Mokuba thought about what she said. Even though they weren't currently being affected by the snow he knew Maura was right. Their friends might be in trouble, he remembered when he was at Ryo and Bakura's place and they both said how they preferred to be in the castle as they didn't feel safe at their house. Even though they said it was because they were never around to take care of the place he could only think well what if the snow got really high and they couldn't get out. He remembered that it got really big one year. Not big enough that you couldn't move around but still, he knew it didn't snow this bad often. So he started down the road and started putting more rocks down one on each side of the road. Deciding to at the very least try to make it to his friend's houses and put a couple down.

Maura was happy she could go into the shops and even though the bell rang telling of a customer she was still happy. Looking in the shops unguarded was nice. It was so freeing to not have someone up under her or nearby waiting impatiently for her. But after about the third shop she found it to be a little boring as she saw more than a few of things she'd love to have but being a spirit and having no money or anything on her she couldn't buy anything which was depressing. So with that she left the third shop and then turned around to look for Mokuba and noticed he was well close to the fork in the road leading out of town. She frowned wondering where he was going. So she didn't see any reason to look in any more shops and get more depressed at finding stuff she can't get. So she ran to catch up with him. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"Y-you s-said w-we should t-try to pro-protect our friends."

Maura frowned "Do you really think we have enough rocks to even make it there? I mean we'll need to put some on the road too."

Mokuba shrugged, "Let's f-find out."

Maura thought about it and said, "Okay, it's better than sitting around waiting. And when we run out we can always come back and wait."

Mokuba smiled and nodded. They soon noticed but didn't understand why but no matter what they did or how many rocks they threw out the bag never seemed to get empty.

"Hey let's go this way. I think I see a house in the distance." Maura pointed but was surprised when Mokuba seemed to hesitate. "What? What is it? What's wrong?"

He just shook his head and started slowly in the direction Maura wanted. But she stopped him. "No, I want you to trust me! Tell me what's wrong?"

Mokuba blinked, "I d-do trust you, b-big sister."

Maura smiled, it was still taking some getting used to being called big sister. She had always been the little sister. "Then why won't you tell me what's wrong?"

Mokuba sighed and said, "That's m-my s-stepmother's house."

"Stepmother…oh you mean the mean witch that you used to live with?"

Mokuba nodded.

'Oh well that makes sense why he'd want to avoid it.' She thought. 'If it was my old place and near where my stepmother was I wouldn't want to be near there either.' "Well it'll be alright, remember no one can see us."

Mokuba hoped she was right. They hadn't actually been near people or rather he hadn't. Maura's idea of looking in shops unguarded sounded interesting but as much as looking around unguarded and no one to see you sounded interesting he didn't see the point. Seen or not you can't touch anything and you can't buy anything so he really saw no point.

So he opened his bag and she grabbed a couple of handfuls and put them in her bag. Then she set off towards the barn. He really didn't like being here but went ahead and started placing some near the house. Then when he got around front he froze hearing "JJ! I knew it! I knew you'd come back!" Mokuba looked over and there was Noah standing in the door. He gripped his bag, turned and ran. He only got a few feet away before he tripped over his own feet. He cringed and waited till Noah pounced.

x-x-x-x

Noah had stepped out to get some air. He had never been so happy that it had started snowing again as his mother chose not to make the three day journey to the hospital in Cascadia. Instead they went to the local doctor who Ivera didn't care for but didn't feel there was a choice, she didn't want to get stuck in the snow halfway there, halfway back or get stuck in Cascadia and have to stay there till the snow let up enough to travel. Ivera had had Doctor Kayiki as Noah's doctor since he was an infant. He was said to be the best doctor in all of Cascadia. So to her what he said was as good as gold.

The doctor in Draglor Doctor Schraider had been Noah's primary doctor when a long trip to Cascadia wasn't possible. He had started questioning Noah's diagnosis of elinoreus years ago practically from the first time he laid eyes on him and to this day questions it. He believed Noah had at the moment a lesser known disease called shemeka. He'd always believed this but never more so than after Noah not only passed the age most children die of the disease but has shown little signs of anything seriously wrong with him. Other than frequent fevers and weakness and an occasional seizure he's for the most part normal which in all the studies he's read was not indicative of elinoreus, even those very few who survived the critical stage and lived to adulthood were never as healthy as Noah.

Doctor Schraider had tried to explain to Noah's mother that he still believed that Noah actually suffers from a lesser known disease called shemeka. It has symptoms that are similar to but different from those with elinoreus the signs are there but most doctors chose to overlook them. She dismissed this since Doctor Kayiki had initially claimed to have never heard of it. So in an effort to convince her he'd tried to contact Doctor Kayiki and the first time he got a hold of him to tell him of his finding he was rebuffed saying he'd never heard of shemeka and promptly hung up on him. Every time after that he attempted to contact the other doctor to help him convince Ivera that Noah does indeed have shemeka and that together they could persuade her into starting Noah on a new experimental treatment for shemeka he was repeatedly ignored.

Doctor Kayiki, tired of Doctor Schraider's constant attempts at contact, finally decided to do research and talk to other doctors whom he soon learned knew about shemeka. He finally talked with Doctor Schraider and agreed that the two diseases were similar but he stubbornly refused to believe he'd made the wrong diagnosis.

Doctor Schraider had tried to explain once again to a disbelieving Ivera that Noah had shemeka. He then went on to explain that these delusional nightmares he's having are actually a side effect of him having mild seizures in his sleep that a new experimental drug had been developed and could help.

Noah having over heard this scoffed and held up his hand to show the ring Zariah had given him, "No this fucking ring is the problem! After I had went over to the Gwydion household like you told me to mother, to get those supplies you needed for those Christmas cakes you were making for your club meeting. Mrs. Gwydion for some reason had JJ there with her. I convinced her to go to get the supplies while I kept JJ company. After that I gave him his second blow job of his life! Oh, it was great! JJ and I had a great time together until this witch woman comes out of nowhere rams my head into a tree and shoves this ring on my finger and says it revenge for raping JJ. Keh, she just didn't understand that it wasn't rape. The kid clearly enjoyed it as much as I did. I'm still waiting for the day I can really take him and not just in a dream this time!"

Doctor Schraider looked over at Ivera and asked, "How old is this JJ?"

"About 9-10 something like that, a few months ago some bastards kidnapped him. Then when we ran across the runt again the kidnappers threatened to tell everyone I beat him and treated him like a slave, if I didn't give him up. Then they had the nerve to say that Noah raped him and would tell everyone that as well. So I had no love for the brat. He was just like a stray dog my husband brought home and I didn't have the heart to kick him to the curb after he died. So I let the kidnappers keep him. But Noah has taken the loss harder than I expected. He's started believing those bastards' lies about rape only turning them around and saying he's been performing sexual acts with him and that it's all consensual! He is far too young to have these types of thoughts! Not to mention having such impure thoughts of wanting to have sex with a boy child! Even though I believe he's too young for these thoughts, if it was a girl he was thinking of I'd understand it! You spoke of an experimental treatment. Will it help him with his delusions? I'm afraid he'll next start thinking of doing these things with Asana."

Doctor Schraider raised an eyebrow at that and turned to Noah and asked, "How old are you again?"

"Technically fifteen, but in her world…" nodding towards his mother "I'm 5 going on 6 and I would never hurt Asana! I love my sister far too much to do anything like what I have planned for JJ."

Doctor Schraider sighed, Noah was confirming he was not only old enough to think about but do these things. Though he did have to wonder how much of what Noah was saying about having sexual relations with the boy child was truth and how much was from his delusions. Instead of confirming he'd had mild seizures bringing about these realistic nightmare scenarios, no instead he blames it all on a mystery woman giving him an invisible ring.

Being that neither Ivera nor Doctor Schraider had any magic within them neither of them could see the ring Zariah had given him.

"Doctor, can you help him?" Ivera asked.

The doctor turned to her and in what he thought was a low enough voice that Noah wouldn't hear, "I'll give you a little on a trial basis, only give it to him in times of high fevers and most especially after one of his episodes. The best thing to do in the meantime is to just play along and not upset him too much and make sure he takes the medicine as soon as possible."

"Yes, of course. Oh but wait Mr. Johnston at the bank had requested that I allow Noah to work part time for him."

"Mmm…I see. I'm not so sure that that would be wise, especially with his delusions. Depending on what Mr. Johnston had planned if one of his delusions suddenly acts up and he starts thinking about this JJ boy again. What if he sees him and either really acts on his delusions or perhaps a child resembling this JJ boy may have him snap and go after them. Who knows what could happen. Even if he never actually catches up to any child if his mind were to play tricks on him and he just thinks he sees him and starts to instigate or say any of the things he's been saying here in public well…who knows what the townspeople will think when word gets around. Not many will buy the excuse that he's just sick with a rare disease. Even those that do believe it's a disease will still be weary of him."

Ivera hadn't thought of that. He was right. Even though she now believed all of Noah's claims of sex or whatever with JJ were all brought on by his disease, she knew that the townspeople might not be willing to believe the same. After all these were the same ones who disowned her family for years after her husband was killed while trying to approach the former Master King claiming he was obviously in on it but had second thoughts in the end. She knew her husband was too soft hearted and too full of pride to ever be involved with anything like assassinations. But the townspeople refused to listen.

x-x-x-x

Noah wasn't sure if his seeing the boy here was real or yet another of his many dreams in which he awoke from after they went from wonderful dreams to horrible nightmares, each one worse than the one before. So needless to say he hadn't gotten a lot of sleep. So seeing the boy here he didn't know or care if it was real, however the moment he saw the boy fall he ran over and pounced on the boy! He reached down to scoop him up only to scoop up snow instead. His arms went right through the boy. "NO! This is not happening again!!"

Mokuba blinked and was happy and surprised at the same time that Noah couldn't touch him.

Ivera hearing yelling came running out, "Noah what are you doing out here and without a coat on!"

"Look! Mother, you can't deny me this time. See JJ's right here!"

Ivera looked at where Noah was pointing, and smiled and said, "Yes of course he is dear. Now why don't you grab JJ and let's go in the house where it's warm."

Maura, hearing Noah's yelling, came running. Unlike Ivera however, Maura could see the boy. She freaked out seeing Noah on top of Mokuba though sighed in relief when she saw him repeatedly try to grab the boy only to grab snow instead. She knew no one could see her when she was in the store but was confused as to how he could see Mokuba. But she decided not to dwell on it as she ran over and pulled Mokuba up and away from Noah.

Noah growled, he knew his mother was only patronizing him! 'This is that damn doctor's fault! He told her to pretend she could see what I see!' Though it made him realize that for some reason he was the only one who could see him. Then he looked up and saw Maura and glared at her and said, "You get lost, JJ belongs here with me! I want him here in the flesh! NOW!"

Maura still didn't understand how he could see her but knowing he couldn't touch them made it much easier to stand up to him. She was far from afraid of him but she also knew her limited judo would only get her so far. He was still bigger than she was and she also knew it was her job to protect Mokuba. So she knew if he had been able to somehow touch them that they might have been in real trouble. But seeing as he couldn't there was nothing at all to fear from him. "I will not allow you to have him or touch him if I have any say in the matter!" She yelled at him before taking Mokuba's hand and saying, "Let's go Mokuba. We have more places to visit."

Noah however wasn't just going to take sass from a pipsqueak girl about the same age as Mokuba. He got up and started to follow when he felt an arm around him! He turned and looked at his mother's sad eyes.

"Noah, honey please, please stop this! Let's just go back inside. I'll make you a nice hot cup of cider."

Noah sighed and looked towards where the kids left, 'Fine, you brats have won this round but it's not over till I say it's over!' Then he turned and went back into the house with his mother.