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Beautiful Flames

Leon felt their home to be unusually cold for the next month, without the unnatural heat of Pire's exhuberence. The fox toddler hadn't ignited anything for the past few weeks, and his energy level had been correspondingly depressed. Well, it was July. Specifically the 4th of July, also known as Explosions Day among a few painfully frank pyromaniac techies, and it was the perfect day to get Pire back into the swing of things.

The actor had to pull a few favors, as he had to work his second job that night, but he was sure that Pire was going to enjoy himself with the bagful of explosives that Leon had purchased for him. He was currently carrying them in one arm, with Pire's paw grasped firmly in the other hand and Seven was trailing behind them while stuffing extra matches into his sleeve.

Seven had decided to come home for Summer Break, and having discovered that he hadn't been un-disowned while he was away (his father slammed the door in his face), he was once again living with Leon. Pire was estatic about having a roomate, and someone to play with, and Leon could breathe a sigh of releif when it came to finding someone to watch Pi while he was away at his second job (which thankfully, Seven still didin't know about). But at the moment, none of that was important. At the moment, they were all on their way to John (the guy with the awesome power drill) and Ben's (the lights guy) apartment so they could light explosives on the roof.

Seven managed to fit two boxes of matches in his sleeve, and tucked a tube of neosporin into the roll of gauze, which was wrapped in his new black hankercheif that could double as a mask, if he lost his official techie-ninja mask, and secured the whole package by pinning it to the small of his back with an extra belt (which also served as a holster for a multitude of other supplies). Yup. Leon was entrusting him to watch Pire tonight, and he wanted to be prepared for anything that might happen, including, but not limited to, actors initiating a game of K-rugby and acidentally stepping on something fragile (such as Pire's tail, or a bottle rocket) in the process, thus setting off a chain reaction of crying and temperature flares, which might ignite all the fireworks in the vicinity, which would result in serious burns to everyone involved. AllieCat (one of the painters) often said he was too pessimistic. Seven liked to think of himself as well-prepared.

Leon dropped them off at the door, and stuck his head inside to wave hello at people, but left before he could get dragged all the way inside and asked to do a hip-waggling impersonation of Tugger (which he was actually fairly good at, although he preferred the part of Skimble because of the tonal quality). Task completed, he mumbled a quick prayer to whatever diety might be listening that the combination of Pire and explosives wouldn't send anyone away in an ambulance, and hurried to work.

After the incident with Paint, Pire had been considerably shaken. He found that if he was happy, things got hurt, and if he was mad, things got hurt, and it scared him, but when he was scared, it just made things worse. He kept dreaming that he was all alone in a barren wasteland, and everything was charred and black, burned, just like the delicate wings. Then, a tiny sprout of green came up from the ground, and he was so happy not to be the only living thing left. He reached out to touch it, to asure himself that it was really there, and the moment he did, the little leaf burst into flame and died. All around him, things started to light on fire, and it frightened him, so the fires oly grew brighter, and it just kept growing until he woke up and found his paws glowing with heat, and he told himself, that he mustn't be happy or everything would burn up.

Before Pire, Seven had been the baby of the group. (Which made sense, as he was the only person under 21 present, as well as the shortest, and the lightest.) This meant that he received quite a bit of coddling, glomping, and mother-henning, and unofficial ownership of him was shared by several people. When Pire was brought into the picture, Seven was away at school. When Seven was brought back into the picture, things hadn't really changed (except that Pire was now literally the baby of the group, and the youngest and the smallest). The fox-toddler was always ready to play new games and meet new people, and most of the theatre crew was delighted to have something else to fawn over and Seven was actually rather releived that there wasn't anyone trying to pick him up just because everyone knew he would squeal in fright, because it was so much more fun to listen to Pire giggle than him screaming. How would they react to the now sullen and skittish Pire?

He thought he could never be happy again, but as he watched all the grown-ups waving sparklers and jokingly pointing roman candles at each other and trying to burn each other (or in the case of certain brawny males, showing off how much pain he could tolerate from burning themselves), maybe fire wasn't so bad after all. Seven handed him a strip of copper wire, and Pire giggled, his joy lighting it aflame. Together, they watched the bluegreen fire glowing in the night, like an eerie colorful candle. Someone fetched a magnesium ribbon and they all sheilded their eyes from the blinding white light and laughed. A chunk of zinc provided a loud whistling noise and aluminum foil gave off white sparks. Fire could be beautiful, and he could be happy without hurting anything. This kind of fire was okay.

Even if there was fire whenever he was happy, there were things that were beautiful to burn. Like a torch in the night, that's what he wanted to be. A torch, burning brightly for all to see, a torch to guide those who were lost in the dark and needed spark of happiness. He could provide that spark of joy and keep that torch alight just as he held the glowing metals in his paws.

When they had finished burning their homemade sparklers, Pire climbed up onto a bench and threw the oxidized chemicals into the wind, sealing his promise to himself.

Music was not at all an uncommon thing in Leon's small household. Although he did not own a radio, or a CD player, and all he had for his old and decript tape player was production songs, the electric keyboard next to his desk and the shelves full of sheet music, spoke of themselves. He was constantly singing or humming, some songs he had learned, some he had written. Every once and a while, usually when it was a song from a musical they had done together, Leon would strike up a few verses and Seven would join in.

It must have been strange for the people who lived in the apartments next door to hear a smooth rich baritone and a squeaky cracking voice belting out

"No if's (Judah!)
No Buts (Brothers!)
Benjamin is honest as coconuts.

Sure as the tide wash the golden sand, Benjamin is an inonocent man.
Sure as bananas need the sun, we are the criminal guilty ones."

So, it was really no surprise that Pire also liked music. He had the highest voice of the three of them, although he couldn't stay on key, and it must have disturbed the neighbors to hear the unusual trio singing

"There's one less place at our table. (Aa aaa aahhh~)
There's one more tear in my eye. (Aa aaa aahhh~)
But Joseph, the things that you stood fooor (Like Truth and Light!)
Never diiiiiie~"

with exaggerated Southern accents. In fact, the unwary guest might have suspected that they were drunk, but it wasn't the case. The truth was that the household contain three very exhuberent thesbians, only one of which was actually capeble of carrying a tune. Little Pire was fully absorbed into the culture and knew all the words to Invitation to the Jellicle Ball, even if he couldn't always hit all the notes.

He knew what a C sounded like, and he knew how to read music, so naturally, Pire was estatic when Leon took hold of his little paws and showed him how to put his fingers on his plastic yellow recorder and when he blew, instead of a horrible screeching sound, there was a smooth middle C. Leon then proceeded to teach him the fingerings for D, E, F, and G, and for the next two days, the fox toddler played Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars at least a dozen times every waking hour.

Leon then managed to get him to hold still for long enough to learn the rest of the scale, and soon, Pire was trying to sound out every song he'd ever learned (which was quite impossible as there are no sharps or flats on a recorder, especially cheap yellow plastic ones from the toy store, like Pire had, but he loved it none the less.) He took it everywhere with him, and even slept with it tucked safely under his arm like a beloved stuffed animal.

Somehow it surprised nobody except Pire when he blew enthusiastically into the recorder to start a jaunty off key version of Matchmaker Matchmaker, on a hot sunny afternoon at the park, the plastic began to soften and soon, he had a twisted pile of yellow goop.

Leon just shook his head as Pire walked into the kitchen that morning with more scorchmarks on his shirt. Sure, he had flameproof bedding, and flameproof pajamas, and flameproof shorts that were actually swim trunks (and as many other flameproof things as possible) but it seemed that the foxboy's body temperature was always on the rise. He was sure that Pire didn't have a fever. He wasn't flushed and he seemed as energetic as ever, but it had gotten to the point where there were melted patches on his chair at the table (Leon has plastic chairs), just because his bare skin contacted it several times a day. Furthermore, school was about to start and now that Pire was old enough he needed to enroll and to do that, he needed a health check.

The man only shook his head when he thought of what would happen if they tried to take his temperature. Or worse yet, if they frightened him and he set the clinic on fire. He would deal with that when the time came.

Completely unaware of his guardian's dilema, Pire bounced into the kitchen and made himself a bowl of oatmeal. Leon always told him to microwave it, but what Leon didn't know wouldn't hurt him, and he concentrated for a few seconds, with the metal bowl in his hand, managing to make the milk boil the sam way he could conjure flame. He did the same with a plate of breakfast sausages, and grabbed a fork from a drawer.

If Leon had a choice, he wouldn't be allowed to use a fork. Pire's guardian had a strict no-sharp-things policy, even going as far as to buy him a new pair of safety scissors every time he melted the handles together, but there were just some things he couldn't do, and use a plastic fork was one of them. However, realizing that it wasn't possible for Pire to burn himself after he had stuck his paw in boiling oil to grab a piece of frying chicken, with no consequence except for getting grease everywhere when Leon yanked it out, they had given up on the don't-touch-the-stove-or-the-oven-or-anything-else-hot rules. Being able to cook his own sausages gave Pire a sense of unequaled five-year-old pride, even if he hadn't actually fried them in a pan.

Leon was on another one of his organizing sprees. He wandered around, looking for a place to put an armful of completed scripts, notes, and costume ideas, before his eyes settled on the top shelf, where he archived everything else. To reach up there, he would need a chair. The nearest one was also covered in loose sheets of music, so he moved that onto a nearby pile of notebooks.

After sucessfully putting the binders on the top shelf, he spared the pile of papers that he had moved a second glance. Those were going to have to be filed too.

It took him at least a few hours to finish, but when all the papers were confined into preexisting but seldom used labeled folders, and all the folders were sorted and crammed into the filing cabinet in the corner of the room, he realized that the mess had been resting on what looked like a wooden chest. It was covered in dust and grime, and appeared to be very old. The ammount of junk sitting on it was enough to testify that it had been in Leon's apartment for quite some time, but he could not recall its origin, nor its contents.

Maybe it was just too dirty. He dug a bottle of Orange Clean, something that hadn't been used since Raven left, out from under the sink and started to scrub at the wood. He could feel some sort of design etched into it, but it was impossible to see the details. When he lifted the rag away, the chest looked much less grimy, and was a gleaming orange colored wood. There was green and gold plaiting on the top, forming a symbol he could not interpret. Disregarding it, he pushed the chest open.

It wouldn't budge. He pushed harder, but it was still shut tight despite no visible lock. Frustrated, he fetched a crowbar from under the sink and attempted to pry it open, still to no avail.

A wonderful scent eminated from the wood. It was a burnt smell, and although he wasn't sure what was burning, it was heavenly to Pire's nose. He wandered over to where Leon was still attempting to open the chest. He put his paws on the wood, surprised when it felt warm, as if it had been sitting in the sun. It smelled so nice, if only he could just heat it up a bit more. Carefully, he increase the temperature, just like when he was trying to make fire. Glowing firey lines spread from under his paws like streams of molten rock, encircling the emblem on the lid. The chest began to smoke, and with a small click, popped open.

Delighted, he hopped into it, atop a pile of strange things, many of which were books, and all of which were giving off that delicious fire smell. Something shiny caught his eye, and he pulled on it, drawing out of the chest a long slender object that looked like..

"Kon! A recorder!"

Leon, of course, could not smell fire, and found it ver peculiar that Pi had been able to open the chest. Just where had it come from anyway? Ah yes, the psycho holographic leaf mirage. This was the chest that was left with Pire.

"Pi, I think that's a flute."

The foxboy let out a happy bark anyway. As long as it made music, he was happy. He rummaged around the chest, coming up with several articles of clothing, including a deep green shirt that seemed to be made of the same material as the blanket he still slept with. He had an idea, just a small idea, but it was worth a try.

Pire focused heat into the shirt, slowly increasing the temperature. Soon it began to smoke. He focused harder, putting his whole effort into it. Finally, it blossomed into flame. He relaxed, worn out by his experiment and the fire receded, the fabric completely undamaged.

Right, this was Pire's stuff. It was only natural that it would be fireproof. It looked like Leon had finally found a solution to all the burned shirts. He debated whether or not to tell him where the chest had come from, and decided against it. He was still much too young.

As if agreeing with him, Chaita rubbed her head against his knee. She nipped Pire's tail in a motherly way and led him out up to the roof of the building to practice with his new recorder, leaving Leon alone with his indicision.

Perhaps there was some sort of innate fear that all children possess, that tells them how dangerous medical proffessionals can be. Leon had never been fond of doctors himself, and had never gone willingly or alone, but that might have been attributed to less than pleasant experiances in his past. Pire on the other hand, had no reason to fear the doctor, as he'd never been there before. In fact, Leon wasn't even sure that he knew what the doctor was.

Pire might have been plagued by the same questions, but whatever instinct was telling him to get out of this place as quickly as possible kept him rather occupied. He didn't know what it was about this place that scared him, but despite Leon's constant assurance that things would be just fine, it was the firm hand gripping his paw and only that hand, keeping him from bolting out of the building and back into the street. Perhaps it was the wails of pain and distress, or the scent of disease that lingered in the air and the raspy wheezing breaths of miserable patients waiting to be treated. Whatever it was, it was bothering the foxboy and he did not like it one bit.

Keeping Pire close to him, and trying to skirt around the coughing sneezing children and their hostile parents, Leon approached the receptionist feeling rather accosted.

"Erm..hi. I have an appointment for a school checkup. It should be under the name ((Oh crap! Leon doesn't have a surname! Must think of something quick!)) Shadowfox. The child's name is Pire."

He hoped that she wouldn't question his name. He knew it was strange, but he had chosen it for his own reasons and although he was proud of them, those reasons really weren't for others to hear.

Pire fidgeted anxiously. The counter was too high for him to see over, and Leon was still holding his hand so he couldn't run away. This was not fun. This was not fun at all. He wanted out of here!

The kind lady at the desk happily looked up from her work papers which she was writing on.
"Hmm, oh yes! Pire... lets see Pire Pire... Oh here he is!"
the lady said finding the foxboys name on the list.
"The 3:15 appointment, well we are running just a tad bit late on scedual today so if you wouldn't mind you two may sit anywhere in the waiting room and we'll call your name as soon as possible!"
Said the lady as she looked back down at her papers, but than she looked at the nervous Pire and than smiled.
"Hmmm! I know what could turn that frown upsidedown!"
Said the lady as she got up and grabbed two lollypops.
"Here you go!"
Giving a pop to Pire and than handed one to Leon too.
"From the looks of it I think u need it too."
Said the girl with a smile as she got back to work.

"Er..thanks."

He handed one of the treats to Pire, who was still looking around nervously for any available exits.

"Pi..the nice lady is giving you a lollipop. What do you say?" he prompted.

"Thank you." Pire replied smartly.

The receptionist was right in one. Leon felt immensly releived when Pire took the candy and started focusing his attention on it rather than on trying to escape. It had been enough of a battle to get him out of the apartment and into the clinic. He became slightly concerned when the foxboy started melting it as oppposed to eating it, but it served the same purpose.

He gave the receptionist a truely grateful smile and ushered his young charge to a seat, where they waited.

By now, Pire's lollipop was literally dripping down the stick, although it hadn't quite liquified yet, so he turned it upside down and watched as the viscious mass of crystalized sugar began to move with gravity in a way that literally resemboled thickened molassas.

About ten minutes later the lady stood up from her chair and picked up a microphone.
"Shadowfox and patient Pire! Shadowfox and Patient Pire! Will you please come up to the front desk! That will be all!"
The lady said as she sat back down into her chair wating for the two to come up to the front of the room.

Pire's ear pricked and he hurridly stuffed the now formless lollipop into his mouth before hopping off the chair and following Leon up to the front desk. Leon had let go of his paw and the adult was releived that Pire didn't try to bolt out the door when their names were called. Just in case, he picked up Pire when they reached the front desk.

"Leon Shadowfox and Pire. What do you need?"

He really hoped they hadn't noticed Pire's complete lack of paperwork, such as a birth certificate, social security number, or a mother for that matter.

The girl looked up and smiled at Leon, when he noticed that she was rather young more of somebody that is new at the job.
"Okay! Your doctor is all ready for you! Now if you will please follow me into your room!"
Said the girl as she walked out of the desk and started to walk into the hallways.
She led them into a room with outer space pictures on the walls.
Than she looked over at Leon and Pire.
"your doctor shall be here shortly sir."
She said as she walked out of the room and closed the door half way

Leon breathed a mental sigh of releif when the assistant led them into an examinging room instead of questioning him about paperwork. He took Pire by the paw and led him through the hall, both of them pausing to look at the pictures every once and a while. He could feel the foxboy's temperature increasing with nervousness, and Leon tried his best to calm him down, while plagued with worries of his own. Relax. He had to relax. If he could keep Pire calm, nothing was going to suddenly burst into flames.

"Hey Lion, what's that?"

Pire pointed to a picture of the eagle nebula on the wall.

"Don't call me that and I'll lift you up so you can see."

He lifted the foxboy onto the padded, paper-covered table anyway. It wasn't Pire's fault he'd picked up the nickname. The people to blame had already been stranded on the catwalk overnight, but the retribution hadn't undone the damage or healed his pride.

"It looks like giant rocks! Why's the sky purple?"

"That's the a nebula, Pi." he explained "It's a huge cloud of dust and debris in outer space. Someday, it's going to compress into new stars and planets."

"Cool! How's it do that?!"

"Well, I'm not sure, but we can find out. I bet Dominique will know."

Shortly after a couple minutes of waiting, the half open door started to finally be pushed all the way open.
Than a mid- 20 yr. old man came walking in. His eyes two different colors, one was blue and the other was a dark brown.
He was wearing a white suit and a name tag.
Than he looked at Leon and looked down to see Pire and finally gave a happy smile.
"Hello there! My name is Doctor Greg! And I will be Pire's doctor for check-ups and such!"
He said with a kind voice.
Than he knelt down to Pire with a kind face.
"Hello there! You must be Pire! My now you sure are a big boy now? Aren't you?"
He said with still kindness in his voice. Not minding the strange looks he was getting from Pire, as the little foxboy looked at the doctors eyes.

"Nice to meet you Doctor."

Leon spoke cordially to hide his nervousness, adding a bright stage-smile for good measure. This man was younger than he was and already a fully qualified M.D. and in pediatrics no less. With the four years of pre-med, then Grad School, then a four to six year residency, that Wolfie had told him about, it hardly seemed possible. Could he really be trusted? He wrote it off as his own fear of medical proffessionals. Just because he was unsettled didn't mean Pire had to be and the calmer he was the less likely Pire would get scared.

"Do you know how nebulas make stars?"

Pire was still too facinated by the picture to pull his young mind completely off the previous subject, but that soon vanished as he noticed the doctor's eyes. They were different colors. Pire had never seen a human with two different colored eyes before. Unthinkingly he asked, "Are you blind in one eye?"

"Pi! That's not very polite." Leon admonished, but Pire ignored him and kept talking in the way that all little boys do when they have a lot to say and someone interesting to say it to.

"'cause Dominique has a cat with different colored eyes and he says Livi can't see out of the grey one 'cause it's got "cauterized" or something, when he was a kitten and he fell in the shark tank, and Dominique was cleaning it with that funny smelling stuff that's got "chemicals" or something, and it's bad for you and Nicky told me how you're never supposed to mix Draino with anything because you might make mustard and these old people got sick from it."

The doctor just started at Pire for a second and than with a bit of a sweat was able to fit a smile in his face remembering that he was only a child and that sometimes children don't know better.
Doctor Greg than gave a friendly chuckle to Pire.
"Nope silly, I'm not blind in one eye! Ya see hmm hopw should I put this oh! I know! I was just born with a little uh harmless sickness that made my eyes two different colores it's harmless for both my vision and health."
Said the doctor, as he than got back up and looked at his papers with a light smile.
"Lets see, according to this, t's time for Pire's check-up for the beginning of the school year if I'm correct?"
Said the doctor as he glanced his eyes over at Leon.

Pire just kept staring, letting out a breathless "Coo~l!" Having two different colored eyes would be so awesome! His respect for the doctor instantaneously rose a few notches.

"Yup, this'll be his first year."

He nodded cordially, keeping his voice calm and friendly. (Being an actor had its benifits.) Having never had any formal education, Leon was equally nervous about that particular subject. Would school be difficult? Would the teachers be strict? Sure he knew enough about Junior High from Seven, but that just worried him more. After all, Seven had wrecked an entire lab and seriously injured three of his classmates in a chemistry accident, prior to being disowned. He pushed the queasy feeling to the back of his mind along with the lacking paperwork. He would deal with it when the time came.

Pire on the other hand, seemed excited at the prospect of something new to experiance, completely oblivious to whatever horrors Leon was imagining.

"I get to go to school just like Wolfie and Dominique and Seven soon!"

The doctor kept his smile at Pire.
"Heh, well I sure remember my first day of school too! It sure was fun now if you don't mind I need to first ask your daddy a couple of questions before we get started, so you can take a comfy seat right up on that long table with the paper on it okay?"
Said the doctor kindly as he turned aroudn to look at Leon.
"So tell me, how old is Pire, what is his birthday, what is the name of his mother anddd hmm oh yea! And has he had any problems lately that you may think is involving his health and please take your time."
Said the doctor as he finally brought his face out from the papers and look at Leon, his hand in his pocket for his pen to write down the notes.

"Okay!"
Pire, who had been standing on the table to look at the picture, sat down and let his legs dangle over the edge, whistling "Glory" happiliy, and thumping his tail against the paper covering to the beat. Occasionally, he flicked an ear in Leon's direction.

Those words had been exactly what Leon was afraid of..well, short of setting something on fire. Would it be alright to say that he didn't know? Should he just lie? What if they found out? Did they actually need the information? Well, as far as Leon knew, there were no documents to prove him wrong. Thinking back to the holographic swirling leaf message, he highly doubted that there would be. But what about Pire's mother? Was it safe to say that he was a foundling? Leon decided to just run with it. The worst they could do was take Pire to an orphanage, in which case, Leon would show up to adopt him again as soon as the paperwork cleared.

"Well, I'm not sure, but I'm guessing that he's about six. We celebrate his birthday on April 14." He dropped his voice, with a nervous glance at Pire, hoping that he wouldn't pay enough attention to overhear. "I don't know who his mother was. Oh, and other than the obvious..er..abnormalties, he has a funny temperature condition. I don't think it's harmful for him, but you might want to..er..be careful." he muttered nervously.

"Ehh? Excuse me? You are telling the truth?"
Said the doctor as he kept an eye on Pire and than looked back at Leon.
"So than if you don't know his mother, than are you telling me that he isn't your REAL son? Ohhh wait I see!"
Said the doctor as he brought his voice down a bit lower.
"You adopted him? Didn't you? Well it's so nice to see people out there with such friendly hearts sir and it's very interesting about what you said. You know the temprature thing, I keep a good watch for that thanks for warning me."
He said as he looked at Pire again.


It was strange to think of himself as a father. Pire had never learned to call him "Dad" or anything of the like. In fact, had picked up the armourous nickname that his colleagues teased him with. Mostly, Leon was content to not be glared at by people who automatically assumed that he'd had a child out of wedlock and the mother had left, which was perposterous because the two looked nothing alike at all. But he realized, that even though they were a bit of an odd family, he was more than just the provider of food and shelter to all four of his unintentionally adopted children, and especially to Pire. If he wasn't a father, he was as good as.

"Er, thanks."

He rubbed the back of his neck anxiously with one hand, grateful that the docter had kept his voice down. Pire was still a child. He didn't need to know any of this just yet.

Meanwhile, said child was growing rather bored with the pictures on the wall, but doing his best to wait patiently as the adults conversed.

The doctor than turned around and walked over to Pire.
"Well than! Lets get started now! And if your a good boy through the whole appointment Pire, than I'll give you a special treat!"
Said the doctor happily as he opened up a drawer and pulled out a light and a stick and than walked back over to Pire as he turned on the light.
"Now! Say Ahhhhh!"
Said the doctor as he opened his mouth showing Pire what he should do for the doctor.

Pire mimicked the doctor, opening his mouth obediantly, ears flattening at the uncomfortable sensation of the tongue depresser as it prodded at the back of his throat. What did the doctor want to look in his mouth for anyway?

As soon as the stick was on Pire's tongue in his mouth he than turned on the little light and looked inside with it checking the back of his throat.
"Mmmhhmm, everything seems pretty good back there."
Said the doctor as he wrote down some notes, than he threw out the stick and turned the light back on lightly lifting up Pire's fox ears and looking inside them.
"I'm proud to see that you seem to keep your ears very clean!"
Said the doctor with a smirk as he than wrote down some more notes.
Than he put the light away and opened another drawer taking outside soemthign that looked a bit like a hammer than he walked back up to Pire.
"Now Pire, this next test isn't going to hurt you not one bit, now you just relax and I'm going to gently hit both of your knees with this and see if they react, if they do, that's a good thing! Okay?"
Said the doctor keeping a calm face at Pire.

Pire giggled and wiggled his ears when the doctor touched them, brushing against the sensetive fur inside. That tickled. He flicked them a few times when it was over, instinctivly trying to knock out whatever had gotten in there. He looked curiously at the rubber mallet, wondering exactly what was going to happen to his legs.

Leon was slightly alarmed when instead of just swinging like a normal human's leg was supposed to when the patella was pressed, Pire's entire leg spasmed into a curled kicking position, even his small toes tensing back to reveal short doglike claws. Pire on the other hand, cocked his head to the side in wonderment.

"Cool! Why's it do that?"

The doctor smiled at Pire.
"Why, to make sure that your knee relexes are all right now just keep your legs and body nice and relaxed."
Said the doctor as he lightly hit both of Pire's knees to see their reaction.

The other leg spasmed in the same way when tapped, indicating that nothing too unusual had happened. Pire wasn't exactly a normal child, it wasn't as surprising as it should have been that he had unusual reflexes.

Meanwhile, Leon hovered in the corner of the room, trying not to seem anxious.

The doctor nodded peacefully and wrote down some more notes.
"Mmmhmmm good, good, now on to the next test."
said the doctor as he put the object away and got something new, it looked like a neklace but wasn't, than the doctor put two things in his ears and was holding a thing at the end that was made of metal.
"now this is called a sethoscope it checks your heartbeats and breaths."
said the doctor as he put the metal piece on Pire's chest waiting to hearheart beats.

Pire squirmed uncomfortably at the sensation of the cold metal. His expression twisted into a childish frown, unaware that his body was reflexively increasing his skin temperature in response. The metal stethoscope, being in contact with his skin and made of a material that readily conducted heat, began to warm gradually but with increasing rapidity, so that in a space of five seconds, both the metal and Pire's skin had soared to well above 47 Celciuos (104 Farenheiht) and burned the doctor's fingers.

Leon was at his side in an instant, whipping a tube of neo-sporin out of his shirt pocket.

"Are you okay?!"

As soon as Greg felt the serge of pain through his two hands he quickly let go of his stethoscope and threw them of his ears before they woudl get burned too than he quickly closed his eyes as he felt the serge of pain in his hands.
A couple minutes later he finally opened his eyes and looked at his two hands, with his now burnt up fingers. Blinking he first tried to wiggle his fingers a little bit to make sure he could still move them. Than he quickly looked at Leon as he walked over to the sink to first put his hands under cold water before the cream woudl be aplied.
He looked at Leon and than Pire and somehow SOMEHOW! Was able to put a smile back on his face.
"Ohh please, don't worry much Leon, just a little burn is all, besides it was only my finger. It was my fault though, I should have warned you first that it was going to be cold."
Said Greg as he turned of the water and gently patted his burned hands on a towel trying to dry them.

"I had no idea he would do that! Please forgive him, I mean, he can't control it."

Leon continued fretting and apologizing for a full minute after Greg's hand was already bandaged. Of course, fretting and apologizing was a normal 'Leon' thing to do whenever something went wrong. Pire was not entirely sure what had just happened, although he got the feeling that he should probably say something, like the time he'd set a bottle of vegetable oil on fire at Wal-mart. But somehow, the smiling doctor and Leon bordering on hysterics again, and the picture of a big orange planet behind them struck him as insanely funny and he began to giggle. Pire tried to choke out the words 'I'm sorry' but broke into a fit of laughter instead.

The doctor gave in a sweat and started to give in a little snicker.
"Please, it's okay, I'm fine!"
Said the doctor putting his hands in front of his chest trying to give a sign for Leon to calm down as he was still smiling.
Than the doctor looked at the laughing Pire.
He smiled at him for he had always loved to see children happy.

Gradually, Pire's laughter subsided into occasionaly snickers.

"M'sorry I burned you. Does my heartbeats okay?"

The doctor kept his smile on Pire and gave a nod.
No worries it's okay now I just need to do one more test and something else and we will be done, now listen Pire, I'm going to be taking your pulse.
Said the doctor grabbing the band and airpump.
Now...
Said the doctor as he carefully put the leather band around Pire's wrist.
Listen closely Pire, I'm going to squeeze this thing and that band will start to get tighter so don't be surprised if you feel your wrist being squeezed, okay?
Said the doctor as he started to slowly squeeze the airpump not wanting to get Pire overheaded again.

Pire giggled as his paw began to tingle. The band rubbed his fur the wrong way and it really tickled too, but he managed to blurt out his question anyway.

"Heehee What's a pulse? hee"

He wiggled his fingers delighting in the strange new staticky sensations.

The doctor happily chuckled at Pire as he saw that Pire was enjoying the feeling than hating it.
Well your pulse checks your blood pressure andddd there all done with that now I need to uh do one more thing.....
Said the doctor rubbing the back of his head as he slowly drifted his eyes of to Leon a bit worried now.
Greg walked over to Leon and started to talk to him in a very low whisper.
Listen uh Pire needs to take two different shots, one is so he doesn't get any of those really bad sicknesses and the other we need to test his blood.
Said the doctor looking at Leon still a bit worried.

Leon paled as a vision of fire trucks rushing up the street towards the burning building flashed through his mind. He glanced quickly at Pire, who thankfully did not seem to notice and did not seem to be listening. He silently thanked whichever clever people had decided to put such interesting pictures on the walls.

The needle p***k wouldn't hurt him all that much. Like all small children, Pire had already gotten into numerous accidents and had many skinned knees, and had even managed to cut himself on a protruding screw on the back of a platform set, something which previously, only actors had managed to do, and even then only during shows. Of course, then Pire had stared at it for a few moments and started crying, which set the wood board on fire and half the platform had to be carefully plaster-filled and repainted.

"Um..first thing we need is pro'lly a bucket of water, just in case. I'm not sure how to explain needles without scaring him."

In truth, Leon was also one of those needle-hating people (actually, he was one of those doctor-disliking people in general), but the difference was that he was a needle-hating person with a fairly high pain tolerence and was very easily coerced when pressed by the right people. (The ill-tempered, posessive, jealous, falcon sitting on Raven's shoulder had probably helped too.) Right now, the current situation demanded that they make do without the falcon (which probably wouldn't have worked on Pire anyway.)

You can hear a gulp in Greg's throat as he saw Leon worry and than a bit of a sweat when Leon told what they might need.
Hmmm, yes I do agree a bucket of water will be a smart idea, here you just keep Pire some company and if you can try to please explain to him what will exactly happen as I go and find something that can hold a lot of water okay?
Said Greg as he started to open to the door and than left in a rush and a hurry now knowing that after everything things were really starting to become late off scuedule....

Leon took a deep breath and settled himself next to Pire, unsure how to begin. The latter just cocked his head curiously. This was certaintly very strange. In fact, the entire visit had been strange so far, and if not little frightening, but he was okay. Leon remained silent for a few more seconds, and the fur on Pire's tail started to bristle involuntarily. Something bad was going to happen, he could just sense it. He laid his ears back and his lips twitched in a tentative baring of fangs as he looked to Leon for reassurance. Slowly, the temperature in the room started to rise. Realizing that he was making Pire nervous, Leon pulled out his acting abilities and gave him a carefree smile, but Pire saw right through it and the air around them began to spark.

"Pi, Dr. Greg and I need you to be a brave boy, all right? We have to do this so you don't get sick. And it might be a little scary but I promise it won't hurt okay?"

"Waitaminute. Lion? What'er ya gonna do?"

The sparks grew brighter and Leon literally began to sweat. He took Pire's paw, which was strangely cool compared to the room, and looked calmly into his eyes.

"Can you stay calm, Pi? Just close your eyes and don't look. I promise I'll tell you what he did afterwards, and it won't seem so bad, trust me?"

Slowly, the temperature decreased and the sparks vanished, although his ears stayed back.

"Okay. I trust you."

Dr. Greg than quickly walked back in with a cool bucket of water with a half smile on his face, than he started to think to himself if the temperature increased.
He gave the water to Leon not too sure what he would do with it and than grabbed a cotton ball and two needles and shots than he turned to Leon and gave a light nod. Showing him that he was ready as he was putting the vaccine into one of the shots.

Pire kept his eyes shut tight, unsure what to expect. He gripped Leon’s hand firmly in his paw, and flinched as he felt the cold alcoholic swab. He had to make a conscious effort to keep from increasing his body temperature and his lips twitched nervously. The unnatural sterile scent burned his nose as the liquid evaporated even more quickly than usual on the heated surface of his skin. What was going to happen? Would it hurt?

Both Leon an Pire winced when the needle went in. With the small p***k of pain, Pire had increased his temperature again, and his body heat was drying the paper he sat on and making it stiff and warped, as well as scorching Leon’s palm, but the actor knew better than to react. Compared to what Pire was capable of, it was a small price to pay.

As if it seemed like no longer than a second the two shots were over and done with than the doctor quickly grabbed two cotten balls and put them on where Pire was bleeding in the two spots and quickly asked Leon to hold it than he walked over to a cabnit with a big odl smile and said as he was taking out a couple of boxes of band-aids.
Good Job Pire! You a very brave boy! Now as a reward you get to pick two special band-aids from these boxes and than you get a special treat afterwards!
Said Greg sounding proud of Pire.

The cotton balls began to dry right away. Pire was really more scared than anything, but he calmed down once he opened his eyes.

"Is it over?"

"Yeah. That was it! See Pi, that wasn't so bad. Now go pick out your band-aids."

In reality, the band-aid were comepletely unnessesary, but when Seven was gone, Leon tended to stick with the crude but practical gauze and duct tape method, which had the bonus of being waterproof and of any size or shape. The brightly colored adhesives were endlessly facinating to Pire. He looked through the box carefully, before selecting a deep green leaf patterned one. Now, what to do about the other one..he shuffled through it a bit more, and a spark of color caught his eye. It was perfect!

"This one!"

He held up something in such a bright shade of neon orange that it was almost painful to look at. Upon closer inspection, the band-aid was actually striped with a color Leon referred to as "highlighter yellow", but looking at it for more than five seconds induced enough retina fatigue to make him see an opaque blue rectangle everywhere else he looked.

Pire on the other hand, seemed perfectly happy with his choice and prodded it periodically as if to compare the color of his fur with it. (The band-aid was undoubtably brighter.)

Doctor Greg nodded and than quickly put the band-aids on Pire's two bleeding spots.
Than he put the boxes out and quickly got out two candy canes, one for Pire and than walked over to Leon and gave him a wink, and handed him a candy cane too.
You desrve it too, you were quite a brave boy.
Said Greg with a wink, reminding you of the lady at the counter with the lollypops.
Than he grabbed some papers and started to write some things down and quickly looked back up.
Welp that's just about it I'm so glad that you and Pire have come, it was a pleasure to meet oen fo my new patients for now and the future. Now all that is left is to go to the front desk and to pay the lady that u met earlier before at the counter and she will give u and Pire a thing called a med card with his stats and stuff.
Said Greg as he quickly shook Leon's hand as he spoke and than walked to the door and opened it up for the two.

Leon accepted both the papers and the candy with a sheepish smile, thouroughly releived that the ordeal was now over. Pire, on the other hand, seemed no worse for the experiance. He barked out a brief "Thank you!" without being prompted, and smiled cheerfully as he continued prodding the brightly colored orange band-aid.

"Thank you, Doctor. C'mon Pi, time to go."

He slipped the candy-cane into his pocket and held the manilla folder gingerly in his burned hand, while grasping Pire's paw in the other. Together they walked back out into the lobby. Leon presented his insurance information and Pire's new medical records to the secretary, then shrugged his sleeve over the injury, sheilding it from veiw. Jauntily, they made their way back out of the building and into the welcoming afternoon sunshine.

I went and bought Pire his first journal today. If he's he turns out anything like me, he'll be writing in no i time. (and making lots of typos and other eerorrs while he's at it. Although I supose they're not really typos because I'm not typing.) My he's growing up fast. Either that or I'm just getting old. Probably both. It feels like all of them are growing up f right before my seeyes. Dominique and Wolfie are juniors, Seven is going to rfgraduate this year, Pi is starting school. Time just flies. That, and Raven will be coming home soon. I'm looking forward sto that. I miss him . Di dyou know that Pi has picked up even more funny nicknames. He calls Dominique "Nicky" now. It's endearing, but it must be as annoying as calleing me "Lion", which is a name reserved for Ray and Raven on nly. Kitds say the dardnest thngs dont' they. Who was it that first came up wit that? NO idea, but it's bpretty true.

Binnie stood in the center of the room, dancing in circles. she had opened up a bit, and seamed happier. She had a rather large cookie stuffed in her small mouth, and was trying to swallow it.


Although this was their first Halloween, the triplets already knew they would hold this holiday in high regards and enjoy it above all other festivals. It was perfect for them, allowing them to be extra mischievous and providing them with the excuse for behaving in such a manner. ‘Trick or Treat’ was their new favourite line, through they only ever fulfilled the trick side of things – being to bold as to say that they were given someone a treat through playing a trick on them. That was why they had been so delighted upon receiving an invitation to a Halloween party, and had immediately began devising their costumes and the myriad of tricks they would prepare for the evening.


From behind the masks of a trio of toddlers a series of dark and malicious giggles would be heard, the sound wrapping around the adults and children that had gathered as the triplets raced amongst the figures and toward the snack table. Stuffing hidden pockets with lollies and other sugar loaded morsels, the Lock, Shock and Barrel costumed forms turned their attention to those who were gathered. So far they didn’t see anyone they recognised, although their attention was immediately captured by a child with wings upon her back. They were different from those that belonged to Heaven, but they marked Binnie out as a half-breed all the same.

Exchanging silent, yet powerful looks, with each other, the triplets moved to surround Binnie.

Tugging firmly on the girl’s wings to draw her attention, Lock/Viktor grinned behind his mask. “Does having wings mean that you are too stupid to now how to eat?” the boy hissed, leering at Binnie behind his mask.

Behind the elder girl, Shock/Amelia and Barrel/Marcus giggled and whispered the word freak in unison.


Heaven came running into the party room with Kitty far behind, she was dressed up as a witch with a big black witch hat on her head and a broom stick.
She than saw Binnie.
Hi Binnie! It's me Heaven from sch---- NOT YOU THREE AGAIN!
Said Heaven as she quickly ran over to the triplets raged.
LEAVE HER AND HER WINGS ALONE YOU THREE INCOMPIDENT DEVILS OF HELL!
Heaven bursts out...


The trio smirked behind their masks as they heard a familiar voice hurl insults at them, having some prepared to deal with the girl again if she were to turn up. “We was just talking” Marcus fired in return, resting his hands against his hips. With the triplets still glaring at Heaven, each of them took a step forward as they reached behind their backs to the concealed spray cans hidden there.

Each pressured container held a different substance – one filled with silly string, a sticky substance that clung to anything it touched, another with a combination of various foul smelling liquids and the final spray can held the contents of a blood satchel the triplets had found in the fridge.

“Yeah, there was no need to be mean!” Amelia sneered, stamping her foot down fiercely.

Without verbal warning, but a mentally transmitted command, the triplets shook their cans and produced them from behind their backs. Each was aimed directly at Heaven, and with malicious glints in their eyes the triplets open fire.


Heaven just stared but than her angel insticts took in, she quickly gave the strongest leap she possibly could flapping her wings as hard as she could.
The next thing she knew she was in the air, FLYING, also dotching the triplets trap just in time.
I-I'm FLYING?!
Said Heaven and than she looked down glaring at the three, she looked around making sure nobody was noticing and quickly swooped downward towards the three, grabbing all the cans.
Right back at ya kids!!!
Said Heaven as she turned around and gave a dead spray shot at the triplets, all three getting hit with the contents inside the cans.


Unlike the reaction that Heaven would have been sure to display had the attack found its mark, the triplets appeared unaffected by the various substances in which they were now covered. They had planned this assault and thus they had prepared themselves for the minute chance that it would be turned against them. Producing another can from behind his back, Viktor sprayed himself with its contents before passing the can to Amelia, the girl repeating his actions and handing it on to Marcus who did the same. Although this wouldn’t remove the liquids and materials clinging to their clothing, it would be enough to neutralise any foul odours.

With limbs still dripping with blood and fluid combination, the trio flicked the hands in Heaven’s direction – leaving her speckled and smelling.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?” a voice barked from behind Heaven, seizing the girl by the arm pulling her back down to Earth. “Apologise now” the blonde-haired woman, Cyn, hissed from between gritted teeth. She had only witnessed Heaven’s returned attack, having missed the triplets instigation, and although she suspected that her ‘children’ were responsible she was hardly about the make them grovel for forgiveness.



Heaven quickly wiped around and glared at the older woman.
If these are your kids than THEY STARTED IT! They started to bully one of my school friends, so I went to go and help her telling them to stop and they tried to spray me with that stuff. And I'm no lier! Askl anyone that knows me.

“Really? Well you certainly seem like a little liar to me, especially when you’re the one holding the spray cans and ‘The Brats’ are the one covered ******** only knows” Cyn growled in reply, her grip upon Heaven’s arm tightening. At the sound of a demanding voice the blonde-haired woman turned upon her heel to face the source of the sound, dragging Heaven sharply around with her


"Lion! In here! Hurry, the party's starting!"

Pire bounded into the room, dragging Leon by the hand. The wooden slats of his costume clacked together as he moved and he let out sharp barks as he chattered. Unlike most parts of his life, the costume was something that Pire had planned for months in advance, and even tried to make himself, although he'd had more than a little help from the tech crew. Leon, however, never planned anything, and had thrown on a gassing hood and the Auron the Dentist black jacket over a nice normal pair of jeans. While it certaintly didn't look much like a costume, as he hadn't done anything to his hair or put on stage makeup, or remembered important props such as a drill, he could always back it up by singing what he mentally dubbed the "Sadistic Dentist song".

By contrast, Pi wore a complicated headress and a multitude of clacking wooden arm and leg bands adorned with bright red faux fur along with a bi-colored white and red vest. He had even rubbed black finger-paint into his hands and feet as well as the swirled markings on his face. Aside from having a few authentic parts, such as his tail, he could have passed as a very small version of the cougar festival dancer in the sketch that Raven had sent back in the mail. He was the Fire Spirit, one of the four sons of creation, and it suited him.

Oh boy, this didn't look good. There were parents yelling at each other, children crying, other children yelling right back, and something smelled absolutely nasty. Leon hesitated at the doorway, but Pire strolled right up to Heaven and pawed her wing lightly to get her attention.

"Wot's happened?"


The smell had soon stopped when Kitty had said her magical words from before, Heaven quickly stopped paying attention to Cyn and Kitty and quickly turned around to look at Pire.
Her eyes were mad and blazing all at the same time.
She than quickly wipped an annoyed finger out and pointed straight at the triplets.
Those three little devils started it all Pire!
yelled Heaven in a low tone without even giving a hello.
But stay away from them! They think that anybody who isn't human are freaks, they first started to pull poor Binnie from school. They started to pull her wings. When I came I saw this and told them to stop, than they tried to spray me with those foul substances. THAN I jumped up and missed it spraying them back and they flicked on me. Kitty quickly came over and was able to start talking to Cyn as she only saw what I did. And Kitty was able to do a spell to get all the darn awful stuff anf smell off of me. B-But they are devils! They ruined everything Pire! EVERYTHING!
Said Heaven as she started to lightly shake him, as her eyes got a little watery.
She quickly buried her head into Pire's shirt and gave a little light sob, that only Pire could hear.


Pire was taken aback when Heaven started to cry on him. So she was upset...very upset..and probably rather angry..and she had spoken so quickly that he still wasn't too sure over exactly what. He patted her on the shoulder comfortingly and twitched an ear, glancing quickly from the triplets to Kitty to Cyn to Binnie and finally at Leon, who had slipped into the room sometime during Heaven's minature rant, with an easily interpreted "help-me" look. He stammered aimlessly, stumbling over his words even more than usual.

"Ts'okay Heaven. I mean, you don't smell anymore, and it was aweful brave of you to jump in and protect Binnie and..um..I mean..um.."

Leon decided to be merciful and intervene. He knelt down next to them and gripped Heaven's shoulders firmly, turning her to face him.

"Heaven, look around. Binnie seems okay, and that stuff is gone now, and Pi and I missed the entire thing. The only thing that's been ruined so far is your good mood. Are you going to let some little toddlers upset you? Even though you're older and wiser than them?"

He fixed her with a gentle, but steady expression and waited for her response, carefully drying her face with the sleeve of his costume. By this time, Pire had recovered his bravado. His costume clacked loudly as his tail lashed in fury.

"But Lion! Heaven said that they said that we're freaks!"

He ended in a short snarl and flashed a furious green glare at the three toddlers.


Heaven sniffled a bit and stared at Leon, thinking about what he said and than gave a shake of her head.
No.... I guess not.... but there is something about them, they just think that they are so special and that they can do anything they want. They are takind advantage of all of us. It isn't right. And that lady over there is her mother, she's just letting them get away with it by the looks of it.
Said Heaven shifting her pink eyes to the triplets and than to Cyn and Kitty who seemed to be fighting.


"Even if they do think so, does that make them right?"

T.S. Elliot was thinking of Aparagus, but he'd hit the nail on the head with Leon too. Both his features and his voice softened gravely, but warmly and he let go of Heaven to draw Pire closer to him with an open arm, giving a quick upwards nod towards Binnie for her to come join them. These kids were special and they needed to hear this, even if he wasn't the best person to hear it from.

"Take a good look at them. What can they do that you can't? What can I do that you can't? What can any human do that you can't?"

"You can sing good!" Pire blurted but Leon silenced him with a wry glance.

"And Pi, you told me that Binnie had the prettiest voice you've ever heard. I've been practicing for years and years, and I bet little bird-girl is already better than I'll ever be."

He gestured at her fondly and Pire opened his mouth to reply, but stalled, and finally shut it again with a snap, unable to come up with anything to say as Leon continued.

"Heaven and Binnie have wings. They'll be able to fly one day, to go high above the rest of us and see things that we'll never see, to feel things we'll never feel. Because Heaven, you would be the same of them if you cut off your wings. You would lose your flight, but what would you gain? You would just be ordinary, like them."

Pire growled and flung a paw into the air, quivering with righteous anger. Even if he hadn't been there, Heaven was right! They had insulted all three of them and he wasn't going to let anyone get away with that!

"They teased Binnie and made Heaven CRY!" he snarled, his paws bursting into flame as he stalked towards the triplets."I don't care! I'll make them pay!"

Leon stayed him with a hand on his shoulder and brought him back towards the group, still speaking gently.

"And look at you Pi. You can make fire. You hear and smell much better than I do, and you'll never be burned. But we humans can't do any of those things. How can a few little human toddlers take advantage of something with gifts as great as yours?

It doesn't mean they have a right to be cruel, but really, they're only afraid of you because they don't know what you know, can't feel what you feel or do what you do. They're young. They don't know how else to react but to be mean, and it's up to the three of you to teach them so they won't be afraid anymore. Is hurting them any way to do that?"

“Really? Well you certainly seem like a little liar to me, especially when you’re the one holding the spray cans and ‘The Brats’ are the one covered ******** only knows” Cyn growled in reply, her grip upon Heaven’s arm tightening. At the sound of a demanding voice the blonde-haired woman turned upon her heel to face the source of the sound, dragging Heaven sharply around with her.

Hey, what's going on here?!
Said Kitty as she ran over to the spot, staring at Cyn.
Mame, if you may, please let go of my daughter's arm, I saw everything from a distance and she is telling the truth. You should really learn how to control your children.
Said Kitty grabbing back Heaven's arm.
Saying a little spell, all the stuff that was flicked on Heaven's clothes were gone, the smell faded away as well.
Thanks for getting that off me mom.
Said Heaven glaring at the triplets.

Cyn gave a derisive sneer in initial response to Kitty’s comments. “I could say the same thing to you” the woman hissed in reply, crossing her arms over her chest and stepping threateningly toward the other woman. “But at least this explains where this winged rodent learnt to lie – one would have to learn such a skill swiftly with a deluded parent raising them” Cyn replied, plastering a superior smile on her pale pink lips. “So you really shouldn’t be passing on parenting tips when you aren’t doing such a bang-up job yourself. The triplets might by pains-in-the-arse, but at least they aren’t liars” the guardian suggested, the words spoken from between gritted.

Kitty's cat ears quickly went flat to her head as her eye pupils grew to dots. She took a raged step to Cyn.
EXCUSE ME?!
Said Kitty face to face with Cyn.
You should be the one talking not me! You better watch what you say cause your freakin children over there are just gonna keep on getting worse and worse if you don't do something about it!
Growled Kitty.

With an exasperated sigh, Leon turned to Kitty and Cyn. It wasn't just the children who were acting like children. Really, it was sweet of Pire to try to act the vindictive hero, but as the other two adults had clearly displayed through their verbal exchange, it didn't solve much of anything. Okay, now things were getting bad. Stage violence was nice and all, but Shakespeare wasn't meant for children. The man stepped between them, thrusting Kitty back with an outstretched arm and wrenching Heaven's arm away from Cyn.

"That's enough from you too. Children are impressionable, and thus excusable, but you know better. Behave like responsible adults, please, at least in front of them."

He spoke forcefully and fixed each of them in turn with a look of barely concealed rage. Adults were not supposed to act like this. Adults were supposed to be the responsible, rational ones, and too many children had already suffered because many of them weren't, without adding these six to the roster.

Kitty's ears quickly popped up as she heard what Leon said, she looked down and her ears drooped down with her.
I guess your right Leon, it isn't a good resemblence for the children but... HEAVEN DIDN'T START IT! She's calling Heaven AND ME A LIER! Leon you remember Heaven! She was NO LIER! Those three kids did it! I know they did! It's like I gotta use those security cameras up there to prove it to her!
Said Kitty pointing up and looking at Leon.
Heaven went to her knees and her eyes started to glow a dark blue.
I've...had.... ENOUGH OF THIS!
Said Heaven as she quickly closed her eyes and sat down, she started to relax and than as quickly as ever the ghostly was able to be seen, it started to glow a dark blue and was quickly thrown against the wall.
Heaven than got up, her eyes were still a dark blue as she stared at the three children and than looked at Pire and everbody else.
She was tired and didn't want to cause anymore trouble, as her eyes quickly changed back to a pink again.
She slid herself back down to her knees and relaxed as Pire started to run back over to her.

“Not only deluded, but deaf and stupid too” Cyn replied with a pitying shake of her head, “but I suppose someone had to born with all the defective genes”. The woman’s sapphire eyes glinted with dark amusement, her standard sinister smirk returning. As Kitty continued her spiel, Cyn cocked her head to the side and frowned – although not the type of frown that was indicative of someone thinking about the words being presented to them.

“You’re making the assumption that I care about the behaviour of ‘The Brats’, although I suppose we can’t blame someone with problems such as your’s for making that mistake” Cyn responded in a condescending manner. “As far as I am concerned the triplets can act in any way, shape or form they like, as long as they stay the hell out of my way” the woman continued, gracious enough to elaborate on her earlier statement, “but the gods help anyone who happens to get in their way”

Choosing to allow Kitty to ponder her words for a moment, and due to an interruption, Cyn shifted her dark gaze to the man who had so rudely interrupted her little ‘discussion’. “Who do you think you are?” the woman demanded, brow furrowing in a mix of anger and irritation. “I don’t take orders for law enforcement, so what chance in hell do you think you’ve got?” Cyn added, quirking her brow as she waited for a half-decent response. The pause was short lived however as Kitty spoke once more, prompting Cyn to roll her eyes before focusing her attention and remarks on the other woman once more. “You can keep spouting the ‘my daughter isn’t a liar’ garbage all you want, doesn’t make an ounce of difference. As far as I am concerned you are both as bad as one another – liars breeding the next lying generation if you will. And might I add that how exceptionally pathetic it is that you are attempting to rope someone else into delusions, because honestly one of you is bad enough without needing converters”. The reply was dry and blunt, followed once more by a smirk.

Kitty started to hissss and twitch now she was getting annoyed once again, but she slowly started to calm herself.
Ya know what! I give up, think up anything you'd like to, I don't care anymore. We aren't the children.
Said Kitty even though she was still very outraged.

"I don't care who is lying and who isn't, and I certaintly don't care about what you and your three do or think, be you noble Cyranno, wicked Olympias or foolish Antony."

Leon replied equally viciously, keeping his voice down to a low growl. If she was going to be nasty, he wasn't going to bother being nice either.

"Spout whatever you wish, shout whatever you wish. For he who listens to your meaningless drivel, I shall not be among. And mayhaps the bloody vengence of Medea be in you, for you care not for yourn children. Whatever! Raise them however you like, but be warned, for by the blood of PetroculusI do care who suffers in this world."

He threw his hands up exageratively, on the last sentance but softened, watching her expressions carefully as he pulled up his sleeve, displaying the rough scars that marked his entire inner arm.

"Burns, most of them anyway. Burns so bad my skin charred and peeled right off. Is this the kind of pain you want for them? Maybe it's true that humans are better, but they're young. Elephants can kill lions easy, but while they're young they'll still be eaten if you let them go running into a pride camp. Do you intend to let them get burned or would you go running after them? Sure, you'll sue the pants off me, which won't do any good as I've nothing to give anyway, and they'll take Pi from me, but what will that help you? They'll still have scars like mine. Men hunted swans, but a blow from a swan's wing can still break the neck of a child. Will you let them wander into a swan's nest to be bludgeoned to death?!"

After his breif outburst, he broke off and strode in a tight circle, the angry energy in his words finding its way into his smooth gait. Suddenly, he whirled on Cyn with hard eyes, but a soft voice, understanding dawning on him.

"It's you, isn't it? You really don't care, because you're the one that's suffering. You never wanted them, did you?" he paused, scrutinizing her, "Then why keep them?"

Nearby, he could hear the children fighting, but he couldn't turn from the potentially hostile adults to help them, just yet. He needed to keep their attention and resolve this first or the conflict would just escalate and they would end up fighting too. He hoped that nobody would be injured too badly before he could reach some sort of truce. Children learned by imitation and this didn't need to get any worse.

“You make it sound as though I was seeking your approval” Cyn growled in reply to Kitty’s words, inwardly delighted that she had worn the other woman down to such a level. Although most of her personality qualities left much to be desired, the ghoul’s persistency was constantly something that yielded the greatest, and was to be admired, results regardless of the situational context – the encounter with Kitty proving not to waver from the rule.

Once more the interfering male decided he felt the need to speak, the harshness of his tone instantly infuriating Cyn – his words only reinforcing the feeling. Damned actors, writers or whatever the ******** he is, the woman grumbled inwardly while she grappled to understand the meaning behind Leon’s cryptic statements. Casting a winning look to Kitty as her ‘support’ failed to offer her the backing that she had been seeking; Cyn begrudgingly turned her attention back to Leon.

“I didn’t know such bleeding hearts still existed” the woman muttered through her teeth, “I had been hoping the world had done the favour of weeding you all out”. The momentary sneer that had graced her features faded, her visage becoming blank and unreadable once more; denying Leon the reaction he seemed to be attempting to discern. The lingering scars, reminders of endured torment, were shocking, although Cyn has seen far worse marring and disfigurements in her years. “I doubt the triplets lack the same intelligence that you do, and thus would never place themselves within a situation in which they would succumb to grievous harm – although we can hope” Cyn stated bluntly, offering a casual shrug to punctuate her words. “Not that it matters either way” the woman continued, “we’re all scarred in some way, shape or form; serves to give one character and depth”.

At the notion that she would go running after her ‘children’, attempt to prevent them from harm, Cyn laughed in a cold and callous fashion. “I think I’ve already made it blatantly obvious that I care little about what happens to them, and that they are free to wander and act as they please as long as they remain out of my way. So if they get burned or bludgeoned or some other ******** means of pain, then so be it” the woman stated, no hint of care or concern within her voice.

Leon paused briefly in his spiel, allowing Cyn a reprieve from the thoughts the man words had caused to well within her mind. Much to her irritation, Leon decided to he needed to speak once more. You’re the one that suffering…. The words reverberated within her head, silencing the clamour of thoughts that resounded within. “Of course I never wanted them” Cyn hissed, sapphire eyes fiery with bottled anger. “I had enough problems to deal with; I hardly needed to have three children dumped upon me”. At the next question the woman paused, forcing herself to become blank and unreadable once more. “I have my reasons for keeping them, and the added feeling of obligation and duty – although it is a greatly unwanted feeling” Cyn replied in a hushed tone, although it was short-lived. “Why does it concern you anyway?” she demanded, anger returning once more, “they aren’t your problem, your burden, and in turn neither they are I are any of your business”

”You’re right, of course.” He stated cordially. “I’m just some delusional actor that don’t know anything past the D.S. on the back of my jacket and what happens to your children isn’t any of my business. At least not until Pire gets involved.”

Suffering for honor? Duty? He had seen enough of that. Seven, ousted from his parents home for the sake of their honor, weak and delirious from the poisonous fumes as well as the explosion when he had failed to complete his task. He had needed at least a month of proper medical care, something Leon’s meager salary hadn’t been able to provide at the time, and much of Seven’s nervous system had been numbed. His vision would never be the same again. It was really thanks to the medical knowledge of two other youths that Seven had survived at all. Poor little Nicky, as he hated to be called, sent away from his home and his country at such a young age and gone willingly for the sake of duty, the duty to cast roots for his family, even if it meant he slept more often with his head pillowed on a textbook than in his bed, exhausted with trying to best his peers, in a language that was neither of the two he had spoken since childhood, at a subjects which he either could not or was grieved to understand. Wolfie had been the true healer, patching them up and making her boys feel right about themselves again. She had even consoled Leon at times, showing a wise and sly cunning far beyond childhood, but it was Wolfie that needed the most healing. Raised by a father often absent for work and a mother who cared both too much and not at all at the same time, all three of the Wolf children bore the mental scars, but sweet little Violet had been left alone with nobody to share the burden when her two brothers graduated. Yet, for her honor, she refused to admit she was breaking under the strain and insisted it was her duty to see her mother through. And then there was Leon himself. Oh how fitting it was that he was wearing a costume from this particular musical. This kind of pain fitted right in with the storyline. Honor and duty? What could there be with such things as honor and duty?

He hissed softly under his breath, but Cyn had made it pretty clear that the argument was closed and Kitty didn’t look like she was about to try to reopen it. Then, as Kira entered the room with Nyoko, the open, friendly expression and gentle stage smile were back upon his features as if they had never left.