"We'll go around the horses again!"

"No, on them!"

"I'm the blue one. You get the purple one. It has polka-dots."

"And I'm a kitty riding a donkey!"

"It's still a horse. See? It has reins."

"Oh. I'm a kitty riding a green horsie. Okay!"

Raika looked away from the three small children now "riding" the colored stone donkeys in a small play area in a grocery store that he was in. He wondered how he was allowed outside- and outside the base, no less- in the first place. His aunt was nearby, looking at some food in the frozen food aisle. Of course, he had strict orders not to run off and to stay near his aunt at all times.

He glanced back toward the children, where the smallest was now petting the "horsie's" mane. For some odd reason, the scene seemed familiar . . .

"I didn't really want to come here," Raika griped, talking in a low tone so that his Aunt Hilda could not hear him. "Someone always makes fun of how we speak ancient Sharian."

He did not mean everyone, of course, but four certain kids that were on some colored horses nearby.

His aunt's- his father's oldest brother- two oldest children, Niqua and Jekosa were definitely not listening- they were having a contest on who would name the most strangest flavors of ice cream that all started with the same letter in thirty seconds.

He scoffed his foot against a slight mark on the tiled flooring, ignoring his cousins and the shrill laughter of the children on the colored horses (and a single goat, for whatever reason) nearby. Of course, the mark would not come off on his boot, no matter how much he rubbed against it. It was a shame that even if the mark on the floor could get onto his boot, the certain aunt that was with him would not be one to notice it.

Raika then heard Peter speak up from right beside him. "I guess they really don't know anyone else who speaks another language," he suggested, from his six-year-old wisdom.

Raika, who was only four (but almost five- in three weeks!), shrugged. "I still don't like them." The boy on the blue horse was noisier than the rest, holding out his arm like it held a lasso. His aunt that was with him (and certainly his aunt Suraiya, waiting for him and the others back at the base) would surely tell the kids to "use their inside store manners." Raika scoffed at the idea, wishing a bit to climb on the horses mounted on the springy metal. Who put a play area inside a store and expected no one to make any noise?

At least the kids currently there were at least occupied with something else besides shoving him and Peter off the slides at the park just outside the base; trying to tangle up their swings; and purposely throwing the rope in between two platforms away from them. One time, they had even thrown cucumbers (dipped in ranch dressing, at that) at them, and he and Peter had gotten into trouble.

They could not escape them forever outside the base, but Raika was glad that he had never seen them on it. They were most likely civilians that lived nearby the store.

Raika turned away from the horses, and walked with Peter toward his aunt again . . .

Raika blinked, looking at the different children still on the horses. Actually, the younger two were off them now, with the youngest one crawling underneath the yellow horse, which was still teetering side to side.

He frowned. Surely he had not just had some sort of memory. There were better things that could happen (such as not having to relive the virtual reality- what had actually happened- one more time). Certainly annoying younger children in a random store had no significance- besides that Peter had been there; Peter who had disappeared perhaps just a year after the incident, and had vanished to the public entirely.

Raika huffed slightly. If he was to actually remember something, why could it not be something more important? Something about Peter's disappearance would certainly be much more useful. He supposed that the (memory?) meant somewhat that he had Peter had certainly gotten along- from what he could tell, anyway- just as his aunt and chief uncle had stated. Of course, it was no different than their firm partnership now.

He turned away to walk closer to his aunt (just like he had years before?), where she was occupied with hefting a large bag of frozen fish from a cooler. Raika swiftly moved to help her, lifting the bag with ease into a small metal cart.

The items were soon bought, and Raika followed his aunt toward the small car, laden with a few bags. He almost wished that he was in his military uniform, but it was not required for when he was off-duty. Plus, his aunt had given a firm suggestion that he not put it on.

A group of laughter from nearby got his attention. He turned toward his left to see a large shuttle bus with a group of youths standing by it. A few held suitcases, while others just stood by with nothing, their hands jammed in pockets. He was not quite sure why a random bus with probably school kids was in a grocery store parking lot, but perhaps there had been something wrong with the vehicle or otherwise.

He was about to turn away when two more male youths stepped off the bus and were hustled by an impatient man to the front of the group.

Raika's eyes widened with surprise at the features. They were not looking directly at him, but they were somewhat tall- one taller than him, but only slightly, and the other looking to be about his height. They had dark ebony hair, and light brown skin, with the older one's pulled into a loose ponytail.

He recognized them- and so would Searchman. Surely his navi would be taking at least one picture for him to see later. He did not know why they were in Sharo- he had known (or rather, "known") them in Netopia.

He barely heard his aunt call out to him. Surely the group would not be waiting outside in the cold for a long time.

"Raika, are you all right?"

Raika frowned and turned to his aunt, gripping the bags tightly. He could not let the two familiar-looking youths be out of his sight so soon.

"May I talk to two of them quickly?" he asked softly, pointing toward the group of youths bythe bus. "I won't be long."

His aunt's brow creased slightly. "Do you know them?" she asked.

Raika frowned again. "Not really . . . but I would like to speak with them."

He did not want to have to state why, of course. Hopefully his aunt would not insist on following him, and therefore, overhearing the conversation.

He was in luck, apparently, with his aunt's response. "You may, but do not take too long- and don't run off," she added.

Raika resisted sighing out loud at the latter part of the response. Of course, generally it would not apply to him, though. He hefted the bags a bit higher on one arm, and at a slow run, dashed quickly toward the two youths. They turned as he came right by him (as well as several others).

"Pardon?" the older one asked. "Are we in your way?"

Raika could not speak for a few seconds. He could clearly see the eyes of the older one, and the younger one also- they were a deep brown. He could also more visibly see the matching features of both youths. Obviously, they were related.

The younger one's face were almost hostile, though, where the older one seemed merely a bit reserved, but no less observant.

Raika tore his eyes from the familiar features for a second. He and Searchman had seen those faces quite often for a short while . . .

He wished he had thought more of what to say to them beforehand, but either way, nothing would sound entirely logical. He spoke up finally, for once slightly glad that he was not in his uniform.

"So you are Henry and Nathaniel?" he asked bluntly, chancing that their names would be the same.

Henry's eyes deepened in suspicion, while he noticed that Nathaniel scowled slightly. "How do you know this?" Henry asked evenly.

He managed to shrug nonchalantly. "I have heard a bit about you both, and was wondering if you were truly the same people," he stated, careful to mask any nervousness. "We could also have something in common. I hoped you would care to share a means of correspondence, including perhaps an email address."

Raika ignored a blatant remark from someone nearby about his formalities, waiting for one of the two youths to respond.

"What for?" Henry asked, his face still serious. "Also, I don't think we would know each other. We are from Brightland on a school trip."

Raika involuntarily flinched. He had not expected them to be from yet another country . . . but they certainly looked familiar, even with the difference in nationality. (Actually, they had "been" Sharian in the virtual reality, but only by default.)

"Just for any similarities," he responded, clearing his face. "If you want, the correspondence need not last any longer than one time-"

"How could we have anything in common with him?" Nathaniel jutted in, though keeping his voice quiet.

Raika was a bit miffed about the interruption- need the younger one be so rude?- but rejoiced a little, since Nathaniel had not spoken in the main language of Sharo, but in ancient Sharian.

"I know the same language," he supplied, responding with similar wording that would most likely sound gibberish to most of the youths nearby.

He had had to restrain himself from saying "we," though he wondered at the near mishap. At least if they did agree to any sort of communication, they would know that he had not willingly eavesdropped without telling beforehand of his knowledge of more than one language.

"Is he saying that he wants to go on the broken bus?" a youth nearby quipped, chortling a bit.

"Maybe he's homeless," another one piped up. "Look at those bags."

"Maybe he's got others stored somewhere else? It doesn't look like he's actually got that much- not for living, anyway."

"You sure he's not actually insane or something?"

Henry also seemed to ignore the jabs of his peers as he turned toward another bus that was pulling into a lot nearby. He frowned, seeming to decide, then turned toward Nathaniel, who shrugged, surprisingly looking a bit uncomfortable. Perhaps the younger youth did not appreciate the "stealing" of the advantage he and Henry usually shared of another language that many others around them did not know.

He then looked back at Raika again. "We could set up a correspondence," he said quietly, still in the familiar flow of words so different than most Sharians. "I could share one of my email addresses" –Raika noticed Nathaniel frown at that, but stay silent- "and we could talk. We hold the right to decline any further conversations or to block you at any time, of course."

Raika wondered at the formal-sounding speech, which was different than most Sharian youths. Then again, he tended to speak formally also. It could be that the older one was merely mimicking his speech pattern in accepting the queer invitation.

He rejoiced, though, at the quick approval of his proposal. Perhaps he could finally discover something more about the virtual reality at last . . .

Raika swiftly shared a lesser email address which he mostly gave out to a few civilians as needed on missions. It had not been used too often, though, so the inbox was much less likely to be cluttered with other less useful items, unless Henry and Nathaniel did not share his liking of not wasting space. He hoped that nothing would ever be too strange in any email headers that the security navis in his uncle's home or anywhere else would notice.

Henry gave him a quick nod- Nathaniel just glared at him instead, clearly still suspicious- before they both went with the other youths towards the new bus.

Raika watched them board, then easily sprinted back over to his aunt, who was unsurprisingly waiting near the car. He saw that she had placed her bags in the back seat.

"So did you speak to who you wanted to?" she asked briskly, as she opened the door to let him place his bags by the others.

Raika nodded, placing his bags neatly so that they would not topple over. "Yes," he responded curtly responded.

He hoped that he would not be questioned too much (but perhaps with the whole silence with other certain topics, it would not be looked over after all . . .) Perhaps his aunt would think that the youths he had spoken to were ones he had seen on a mission at some point, though he had never done such a thing informally before while staying at his uncle's home.

Yet again, thankfully his aunt was silent about the matter, and as they drove back to the base, she merely related about another younger relative of his that she had heard from one of his older cousins.

Raika was only partly listening to the tale about a piano and the twenty-six plastic hot dogs that had somehow been shoved inside of it. He finally had another clue . . . if it would actually lead somewhere. He suddenly wondered if it truly had been sheer luck that the same two youths from the virtual reality had been in Sharo, and near enough that he could see them, at that. Then again, it seemed quite odd that a whole bus could be derailed enough just to be near him (he, one person out of many). Plus, a school trip to another country would have been planned months in advance. The virtual reality would have been set up way after then.

He deliberated, not for the first time, as his aunt was finally silent and he watched the homes and businesses outside fly past through the foggy car window, that perhaps he and Searchman (or even just himself?) had never actually woken up from the virtual reality after all.

Briefly he wondered about Searchman worriedly gazing at his supposedly unconscious net op, while someone else futilely attempted to stop the program from running. (. . . But would that not mean that they would be watching him currently?)

He then forcefully cast the ludicrous thought aside. He had not known that he had been in the virtual reality while in it, of course. What could the point be of one allowing such a large glitch at any point? Surely that fact alone would disrupt any procedures meant for him and his navi- not to mention, that he had been rescued far too easily in the first place.

He clenched one first slightly before releasing it. He (and especially Searchman, as the attacking navi that cyber enemies saw) had been targeted before. Perhaps there was something more that they could do . . . at some point. Even though he currently did not know how the "knowledge" of the virtual reality could help more, he at least had one thing to go on.

Raika waited for another response from Henry appeared on a chat on his PET. There were the three "dots" that confirmed he was typing, at least. He had also stated that Nathaniel was also watching the chat, though he had not seen anything specifically from the younger brother.

He glanced at the door of the Sci-lab room that he was staying in while in Netopia for another cross country mission. Fortunately, there had not been any annoying net savers or otherwise that had come pestering him yet, and the workers in Sci-lab seemed more preoccupied with other topics, perhaps since he was foreign, after all. The virtual reality had not been set up in Netopia.

Raika looked back at the PET chat screen where Henry had finally responded. I don't know about any family, like I said before, he had typed. But I know for sure- and Nathaniel knows also- that we are for sure related as siblings. That was discovered with DNA tests soon after we were discovered by the orphanage. Also, our ancestry tests from an earlier grade in school determined that we are purely Sharian, if they are correct.

Raika nodded- the news for either item was not new to him. I am glad that you were adopted by someone that likes you.

Of course. One would generally not adopt two siblings unless they truly wanted to care for them. But we still know that we were lucky- I have heard of many stories in the orphanage about those who were only meant for labor and money, including those who were not able to speak out and anyone believe them.

Raika stared at the message a bit, but believed it, even though he had little experience with foster homes and such places, including any Brightland orphanages, besides "some" in the "reality". He then changed the topic- he did not want Nathaniel getting so angered again that the younger brother actually turned off the PET, like he had once before.

So you truly can do some things, then, like I and my navi can.

There were a few seconds before Henry started to type again. You have said this, and we have chosen to both believe and trust you. Of course, we have talked with our father and mother about this.

Raika grimaced- he (and Searchman) had briefly "known" the man (he knew nothing of the woman) as their own foster parent in the virtual reality for a while- until it became clear that they could not stay and they had moved onto elsewhere. Much as he wanted to talk about which specific Brightland orphanage- it could be similar to the one that he and Searchman had stayed in a bit before being forcefully sent to one in another country in the "reality"- he also wanted to learn more about the power that his new "friends" held.

We can do some things, Henry typed. But it would be better if you could show us what you can do first.

Raika frowned. The youth was talking to a complete stranger about the power, which he had stated that he did not feel inclined to reveal in the first place. Why would a video chat change anything?

Then again, he did want to truly see that he was talking to Henry (and Nathaniel), and not someone else that could be some random (or not random) enemy. Raika consented, and he soon pressed the accept button, a bit miffed that Henry had been the one to start the call. Of course, he only allowed the call since he was somewhere else besides his uncle's home at the moment.

Thankfully, a screen with a video came onto his PET, with the two youths that he had seen in Sharo. According to them, Raika had seen them near the end of their class trip in Sharo, so the background of a room with a few posters and other general items in a bedroom made sense.

Raika could not help but see that Henry seemed a bit relieved. Nathaniel had a scowl on his face, but spoke up. Of course, both youths would now see him in his military school uniform, but at least he had told him that he had been "visiting" his relatives from some time off from his military school.

"Where are you?" Nathaniel asked briskly, his face no less content.

Raika hesitated, glad that at least the video chat showed who he had hoped he had been conversing with. "I am not at my school, or relative's home, but somewhere that it is generally safe to mention certain topics," he said vaguely, not mentioning the security camera in the corner of the room. There was not a navi directly watching the feed, anyway.

'You're a net saver, right?" Nathaniel asked next. Raika forced himself to not flinch at the familiar voice. "That's one reason why you're so interested in us?"

Raika then did wince, then chided himself for the reaction. Generally he could control himself when it came to that particular type of question from civilians, but he had been so preoccupied with the virtual reality and the implications from that lately. He supposed that he had just not anticipated the question . . .

Fortunately, Henry seemed to be on his side, at least somewhat. "We can ask him later," he said, turning to his brother. Raika hid another wince at the second familiar voice. "I would want to see if he really can do what he says first."

Nathaniel nodded in agreement. Raika sighed inwardly.

"As I have stated before, I cannot do much," he started. "Searchman can do more than I can. However, I can show you a few things, and I hope that you would believe that it is not within Searchman's created abilities for the things that he can do also. It would be better if we were actually together in the same room, but I hope that you will see that I am not lying. Also, for most things, as I have said, I have not had the chance to practice much, nor am I very strong at it."

Henry nodded. Raika propped his PET on his desk and picked up a pencil from a small holder on the desk, then purposely let it go. It did not fall, but stayed in the air as if held by an invisible hand. Raika moved his gloved hand around the pencil (to hopefully reveal that there were no invisible strings) dropped his hand to his lap, and mentally flipped the writing utensil over several times before he caught it again.

"A pencil?" Nathaniel asked, but with less scorn than Raika thought he might.

"Let him continue," Henry said, and his brother nodded again.

Raika then stood and picked up the PET, briefly showing around the small room to let the viewers know that there were no fans in the area, or horizontal vents. He then backed up and created a small wind that flowed directly from his right side- where there had only been a door and part of a wall- ruffling his hair slightly. Only the sudden last larger gust showed his inexperience with control.

He then quickly left the room to get a clear plastic cup, and filled it with water. Thankfully, no one interrupted him, including a couple of chatting employees.

He came back to the room where he had left the room and backed up the PET on the desk, placing the cup of water in front of it. Raika frowned. This was one skill he was less competent at, but surprisingly better than Searchman somehow. He had also been better at the winds, but Searchman quickly had surpassed his "experience", due to being able to practice in the PET.

Raika focused, carefully first moving himself to the left of the cup so that the viewers would not see him through it and moved it slightly to show the liquid contents. To his surprise, it was almost too easy to create a frosty mist on the edge of the cup and on the top of the water- but not in it.

He winced- he was certainly not used to failing at tests in his military classes, including on hands ones, and here he was, clearly showing sheer inadequacy at something that should be quite simple, or at least for those who had practiced for much, much longer than he ever had. He had not expected the sudden "test" either, though he had assumed that he would need to show it somehow at some point.

"I apologize," he said aloud, hoping that his voice did not carry his embarrassment. "I can freeze it somewhat, but . . ."

"It's fine," Henry assured him, while Nathaniel merely raised a doubtful eyebrow.

Raika jiggled the cup to show that it indeed was not frozen all of the way, careful to only use a few fingers to not erase any of the pathetic frost he had managed to create.

He then moved it aside. Raika closed his eyes, knowing that lightning, for him, was the hardest to manage. Searchman had been able to control it so much in the reality that he had even managed to slash a materialized darkloid with the thin electric cord, seemingly held by an invisible being at one point. His navi had quickly discovered that his "level" had lessened quite a bit since then waking up from the "reality", though.

Thankfully, a thin thread of lightning appeared on his right sleeve without scorching anything- not where he had wanted it to appear, but it was somewhere. Surely, though, he could manage to get it to move nearer the PET on his own without it accidentally increasing the temperature and burning the desktop or otherwise.

Raika focused on the lightning that was slowing snaking up his arm. He attempted to shove it the other direction, but it merely stopped at a peak of velocity, then continued up its path. Raika scowled at it, hoping that it would actually obey him- he had created it on purpose, after all.

The thread of yellow lightning flipped over a few times away from him, like a slinky might a descent down a set of stairs- then unexpectedly shot out in front of him toward his left. Raika quickly swerved his head toward where it had landed, where he could see a small scorch mark on the wall. He inwardly sighed- at least "experience" in the reality had him rubbing off similar types of marks with no damage to the object somehow many times. He hoped that this was a time like that.

"So where did it go?" Nathaniel asked bluntly.

Raika sighed. "The wall," he said, reluctantly turning his PET screen toward the mark.

Interesting enough, Nathaniel's face did not change into something mocking. He did not even laugh, but turned to his older brother instead.

"It seems like that he was actually doing things, right?" he asked. "No one would be that bad on purpose, especially if they're trying to prove something. But even with that, it seemed that he was actually doing them, instead of them being just computer effects."

Henry nodded. "It appears so." He too, also seemed to not hold any sort of disbelief on his face.

Raika managed not to wince at his failures. He knew that he had not practiced- in Sharo, where he was most of the time- and had had more control in the "reality", but to actually show such poor skill in anything . . .

"Searchman will show you some things now," he said instead, still somehow managing to keep his face neutral.

Raika brought up another window to show his navi. He was a little disappointed, that even with neither youth recognizing himself (or their navis, either), that they also did not react to seeing Searchman for the first time.

He was glad, though, that Searchman not only did much better at the skills, but even managed to flip three lightning strands from one hand to the other without them even flickering to another direction, and shot five data targets successfully in a row.

Searchman let Raika know that he was finished, and Raika, glad as he was that Searchman was much better prepared, was also grateful to pull up the screen that only showed himself. Cadets from his school generally were not supposed to showcase their navi's skills for mere sport, after all.

He at least saw that Henry was smiling a little bit. "It seems that your navi also was showing the same skills- actually doing them, like you were." He did not mention Raika's failures. "I did say before that we wished that Squareman and Cubeman also had similar skills, but we do not know how they would get them. We do not even know how we acquired them in the first place."

Raika nodded. The navi's names- though slightly ridiculous sounding- did not thoroughly imply their full skills, which included various weapons created from the shapes.

He then was not surprised as Henry, then Nathaniel, showing him various displays, much more impressive than his own and even Searchman. Raika stared as the large looped lightning from Nathaniel's hand faded.

"Three-colored strands?" he asked, surprised. In the reality, the two brothers had mentioned barely being able to control two colors- which were even more powerful than the single hue.

Nathaniel nodded, showing small proud smile. Raika suddenly wondered if he would ever had been in his position, showing off something for his brother and not having to hide (as much). If Searchman- Peter, as he had been known as then- had never run off that day years ago from his parent's house, or if no one had captured him, leading to his lesser life as a military navi . . .

"We were both only able to control them just recently, and not all the time," Nathaniel explained, his face showing his embarrassment. "And Henry's better than me."

"It's much better than myself," Raika reluctantly said, not truly wanting to mention his failures again, including just a single-colored strand of lightning.

"You just need practice," Henry stated, his face not truly friendlily as with companions, not somehow not seeming as stoic as before.

Raika sighed briefly. "Unfortunately, with my circumstances, I cannot practice much, as Searchman can in his PET," he responded.

"Your school superiors would be suspicious," Henry said, quoting what Raika had said in an earlier chat.

Raika frowned. "Yes, that."

He was glad that he was at least- somewhat- on friendly terms with the brothers, but wondered how much that would last if they knew the full truth of what had occurred with "them" in the virtual reality. Most likely, they would not even believe him, even if they now knew that they all shared a common strange power that no one knew the origins of.

Nathaniel was soon frowning again, and mentioned something else that Raika was surprised was similar. "I still wonder how you and I have the same birthdate," he muttered, leaning back a bit in his chair. He looked at Henry for a moment. "It also still seems weird that Henry and I were even were told of ours in the first place, being adopted and all, with no birthplace said other than Sharo." He blew out a frustrated breath. "No birth place, just a country that used to be against the one we're supposed to be legal citizens of. And here we are, talking to someone from that country."

Raika wondered about the sudden speech, but responded. "I don't hold your citizenship against you," he stated firmly. "I don't have any obligation to despise anyone just due to being from Brightland, either."

"I would hope so," Nathaniel mumbled.

Raika thought that perhaps the brothers had encountered such prejudice before. Unfortunately, such bias did exist with the somewhat recent unfriendly relations between the two countries. He had had a few similar problems when in Brightland for net saver missions before. At least their school system and whoever had hosted them in Sharo did not show any bias, though, as they had been allowed a school trip to Sharo in the first place.

Of course, Nathaniel was correct that he and Raika shared a birthday. What he did not know, though, and Henry, was that Henry and "Peter" (he still could not help thinking of Searchman that way, especially since the virtual reality had stopped) shared one also. Perhaps he might mention his supposedly missing brother at some point, but he did not know when.

He did not know the significance of the similar dates, but surely there was something, as it was too much to be a mere coincidence. In the virtual reality, the dates were incorrect- in actuality, but not in appearance.

Raika sighed. He was used to withholding information on missions from civilians, both to not frighten them, but also to hold secrets that only the military was supposed to know, including certain passages and codes. He just hoped that something else would come up that would be useful in eventually discovering more about the virtual reality and its origin and purpose in the first place.