Yuki:
So you’ve remembered the way back Tog? Well good I was beginning to think you’d left me for good. Desertion.

Yuki stares at the sun then closes his eyes to listen to the wind flow through his elfin like ears and smiles to himself. His grayish brown skin legs begin to prickle with the coming of the cool air so Yuki decides to go back inside the house. He goes into his room, closes the door, and starts working on a model airplane he’d been working on for about two years. His parents were gone and had been for going on three weeks. They never took their son anywhere and they often overlooked him even when they were present in the house. He had to feed himself, clothed himself, and find various ways to get the necessary items that he needed. Ina and Ivi never seemed to care about their son they kept him because a child needed parents. In their minds they were doing the poor kid a favor by keeping him. Yuki was tired of this; he was tired of being alone with no one to care about him or take the time to acknowledge he was there. He stops working on his model and decides to write a letter instead. In the letter it simply says:

Letter:
Dear mom and dad, I’m gone for good. You’re dead to me since I’m dead to you, so this is good-bye forever. With no love to give back your son, Yuki.

He places the letter on the table in the kitchen and goes back to his room and starts packing his things away. Tog looks on in with great curiosity then flies up and sits on Yuki’s head. He curls up in his hair and goes to sleep as Yuki finishes packing. After a few minutes he exits the house again, closes the door behind him, and starts for the road. He felt good about this he was finally going to figure out how to use the side rails and get the hell away from this lonely life.

**

Casee is sitting against the wall in the underground tunnel while Fazil is laying there with his head in her lap. After showing Casee the tunnel they opted to stay there instead. It was secluded away from other people; just what they needed. They’d been out and about and were now tired. Casee looks over to the end of the tunnel where there’s a bright light shining through. It is an exit to a side rail which Casee and Fazil took full advantage of from time to time. The underground tunnel used to serve as an express way to the various islands on Arcantha, but it was closed down due to an accident several years back in which ten Arcanthians were killed. The underground tunnel was closed off but the side rail was still operational. After spending four whole months together Fazil and Casee became best friends and did everything together. They had lots of fun, but it became a hassle to keep living the way they lived. They had no money to really stay anywhere or buy anything so the tunnel was their only option. Still, they were on their own and happy to be left to their own devices, but they were on their own and left to their own devices. They didn’t have jobs so they had no money and no food, but that didn’t matter because Fazil was a better thief than a worker, so he stole for himself and Casee and was content with their lives so far. This is what they kept telling themselves as they slept on a dirty ground. Casee looks about the tunnel away from Fazil’s eyes. She had a lot on her mind.

Casee:
I’m tired of this Fazil. I’m just so sick of this. You steal every night and you’re always so close to getting caught while during the day I try and find various items in the trash to create something of a home down here.

Fazil:
Well we’re too young to do anything else Casee. Or have you forgotten that we’re not of age to get real jobs yet. No one wants run-a-ways to handle their odds and ends so that is definitely out of the question. There isn’t a soul around that will take us in so we have to make do with our situation for now. Besides, what are we supposed to do? Where are we supposed to go?

Casee:
I’m not sure, but I’m just sick of this… (Knocking her head into the wall) Darn I’m just so sick of this! Why did our parents have to be sucky, bad people? Why couldn’t they just love us and give us normal lives? We shouldn’t have to suffer through life like this trying to survive on the street. (Slightly crying) we should be home in a warm bed with people that love us!

Fazil patting her back:
You ask that question over and over again and I keep telling you that’s not the hand we were dealt. This is the life that we were given. And I’m sorry that this had to happen to us, but face it Arcantha isn’t always so peaceful and filled with such wonderful people. I don’t think any place is.

Casee:
Yeah I see this to be true. It’s just I’d built myself up to keep all the hurt inside but I can’t keep doing that because it does hurt.

Fazil:
Yeah, it does hurt but you know what I love you and I care about you. Doesn’t that count for anything?

Casee:
Oh believe me it does. But you understand what I’m saying right?

Fazil with a sad sigh:
Yeah, all too well.

Casee gently moving Fazil’s head off her lap:
Hey I’m going to the fountain I want to say a small prayer. You wanna come?

Fazil:
Nah. I’m all prayed out if you ask me. Besides Sidia and Charma hasn’t answered you yet so far, and you’ve been praying by that fountain since the day I met you. And why the fountain anyway?

Casee:
Well, the fountain water flows all the way back to the falls that come from the heavens. Sidia and Charma sit in the heavens and look down to receive our prayers from the falls. At least that’s what I’d like to believe, and my mom’s friend, Lorn, told me that, so I believe it.

Fazil:
That’s a nice thought. Wish I’d thought of that. Well I’m going to take a nap I’ll see you when you get back.

Casee:
Fine then, suit yourself. I won’t be long.

Casee gets up and runs down the tunnel to where the ladder that she and Fazil found by a dumpster a couple of months back. Before they had to fly up and it was getting really tiring bringing out their wings to do it. She climbs up and looks out to make sure no one sees her then hops the rest of the way out and onto the street. She dashes off towards Feerial Park.

**

Yuki has been walking for quite some time and finally comes to the side rail. The rails were tricky you had to stand directly in the center so that your feet stuck to the invisible mover. Next you placed your hands on the rails and held tight. If you stepped wrong then you would surly fall through the rails. This is what frightened Yuki since it was a ways down and he was not ready to die. He slowly places a foot on the invisible mover and finds contact. With a smile he places his other foot on and stands firmly with his hands on the rails. This gave him a good feeling inside since this was his very first time getting on the side rails. Fortunately for him he would be fourteen in three months and hoped to Sidia and Charma that he didn’t have to keep taking the side rails much longer. As he rides the rails he looks down briefly and laughs to himself. He looked funny in the air floating across with nothing under his feet. The ride across to the Nan is rather quick, but Nan isn’t his destination. He walks on to the side rail and again steps on cautiously with one foot at a time. After taking the second side rail he lands in Feerial Village. He’d heard of this village being the best on Arcantha and wanted to see this for himself. Yuki was a quiet person and didn’t talk much, but after landing in Feerial he let out a loud squeal of delight. He’d run away all on his own and was feeling happy. Now he had to find food and shelter to survive. This, however, was going to pose as a problem.

**

A few weeks pass as Yuki awakens from a small hole in the side of the fountain in Feerial Park. Since he was too young to work he made do with what he had. He had some money from the little that he’d taken from his parent’s secret stash, but it would soon run out and he had to eat. Yuki was a responsible boy and couldn’t see doing wrong to anyone or getting in trouble with the law. This seemed to be an inner conflict since he was running low on money. He was going to have to steal. He noticed a young boy who always went out at night and stole from vendors on the street. He admired the boy, but felt sad since he didn’t have the courage to do it. After spotting the boy at the fountain one day he thought he’d try and ask him, but after the boy noticed him staring at him he quickly hid behind the entrance wall.

Yuki sadly to himself with his head down:
I’m a coward and I’m going to starve to death. Failure.

Yuki says to himself as tears begin streaming down his face. After a minute he gathered himself together and vowed that if the boy returned to the fountain he would ask him, but days turned into months, and he was still no closer than he was the first day he saw him. Now he was sitting there starving and out of money and nowhere to go. He dared not go back home but he didn’t know how else to survive in the great world of Arcantha. He just sits there and begins to cry softly while Tog licks up his tears and nuzzles him lightly trying to cheer him up… Casee comes up to the fountain finally after going down the wrong street for the fourth time. She curses herself for this but smiles when she sees the fountain glistening in the middle of the park. People are all around so she waits patiently until they are done viewing the fountain. After several people are done looking at the fountain and leave Casee happily walks up and then touches the fountain with one hand and her heart with the other. She closes her eyes and begins speaking softly. Minutes pass by and Casee is almost done with her prayer. As she finishes and opens her eyes she sees a boy looking in her direction with sad orange eyes. He stares at her for a minute with dried tear stains on his cheeks. He was small and a bit frail. Casee felt bad for him and wanted to know if he was okay. She steps around the fountain a bit to get a better view of the kid.

Casee calling out to the boy:
Hello there. Are you okay?

Yuki just stares with tears coming down so Casee decides to walk over to him. Yuki sees her coming and tries to hide himself. He runs to his spot behind the wall since he doesn’t have time to try and squeeze through his hole in the fountain.

Casee:
Oh come on now don’t hide you don’t have to hide from me. I’m a friendly person I’m not going to hurt you.

Yuki in a small voice:
Y-you’re the girl that always hangs with the boy I saw come to this fountain before. I see you two everywhere now, but you never see me. You two seem so happy together. Oneness.

Casee with a warm smile on her face:
Oh. You have, have you? How come you’ve never come up to us and tried to say hi before? We’re not bad people you know we don’t bite either. You could’ve come and talk to us if you wanted.

Yuki:
Because I’m always scared that you two would send me away. I’m so alone and I’m hungry with nowhere to go. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to stare. (Under his breath) Coward.

Casee:
That’s quite alright. What’s your name?

Yuki:
I’m Yuki Sinth of the Second Clan. I’m supposed to cleanse the mind or something like that. I saw it in a book somewhere. Don’t you find it weird that Arcanthians have to introduce themselves in this manner?

Casee with a small laugh:
Yeah I do find it weird, but, well I’m Casee Fortuth of the Fourth Clan we cleanse the heart. From the looks of it your heart and your stomach could use some cleansing. Would you like to come back with me we have a good amount of food and it’s a place to stay underground so no one bothers you.

Yuki with brighter eyes:
You mean you’d feed me?! That’s so nice of you. I’ve been on my own for a while now and haven’t had anyone be this nice to me. Thank you.

Casee lowering her voice:
Oh never mind that. It’s just that my friend and I are run-aways as well and we have decided to stick together and also help others like us. At least I have anyway. He’s still a bit wary of others. Come on I’m done here.

Yuki looking at his pet Sapi:
Can Tog come along to? He’s my pet and I’d hate to leave him behind.

Casee:
Oh come on now I think we have room for Tog as well.

They walk off together towards the underground tunnel. Casee hops down first with Yuki not far behind her. She heads down towards where Fazil is and stands over him. Fazil is on his back with his one of his arms across his chest, mouth open snoring loudly.

Yuki:
Wow he’s out completely. Gone.

Casee:
Yeah he sleeps rather heavily. You can place your things on that wall and that will be your space.

Case points to a wall on the right that’s unoccupied. Yuki goes over and drops his stuff then sits down.

Casee:
Sorry about the darkness we haven’t acquired light at this time but we will soon enough. Right now we use the light by the exit. If you want there’s a side rail just through there you can go anywhere you need to. Fazil sleeps now because he steals at night so he has to get his rest. If you want you can also look on the left wall and find something to eat.

Yuki edging towards the left wall:
Thank you so much. I’m so hungry! I ran out of money a couple of weeks ago and have been trying to figure out how to eat. Plus I had to ration what I had so that I didn’t spend it all. I’m pretty good that way, but I knew it wouldn’t last long. I even ate some of the grass it was gross. Disgusting.

Casee with a disgusted look on her face:
I’m so sorry you had to go through that! Well now you don’t have to keep doing it. You’re going to stay here with the two of us.

Fazil wakes with a start and starts looking around frantically. As his vision comes into focus he looks over and sees Yuki and frowns up his face. He had to wonder what was another person doing down in their tunnel home. Surely he was mistaken or Casee indeed had some serious explaining to do. Casee looks at Fazil without blinking waiting for him to explode over the newcomer sitting in their home.

Fazil looking at Casee with a suspicious expression:
Who’s he? Where’d he come from? (Turning to face Yuki) Who are you? Where’d you come from?

Casee:
Oh this is Yuki he’s a run-away just like us. I found him in the park and brought him back here. You don’t mind do you Fazil? You can’t be heartless remember we’re supposed to help those like us.

Fazil:
I’m not upset just simply observing a stranger in our mist eating our food. You know its hard stealing food we have to ration until we find a solid food supply for us to feed off of. Come on Casee you know we’ve talked about this before.

Casee:
Yeah I know but the poor guy was eating grass.

Fazil looking sympathetic:
Wow I’m sorry man. So what’s your name?

Yuki with a mouth full of food:
Yuki Sinth.

Fazil with an impressed expression:
Wow he’s part of the Second Clan like me. Cool. So what’s your story man? Why did you run away?

Yuki pauses for the first time after he’d started eating to face Fazil. He looks at him for a minute then begins to speak.

Yuki:
Well I ran away because I was tired of my parents ignoring me. They leave me all alone at home for weeks sometimes months on end. The only good thing that came from that was me learning to cook just enough to stay alive. When they are there they don’t even notice me. If it wasn’t for Tog I’d be very lonely. Alone.

Fazil:
Who’s Tog?

Yuki laughing a little:
He’s the Sapi behind you eating your hair.

Fazil turns his head slowly and finds himself staring at a small dragon like creature. He takes a second, and then smiles at Tog who licks his nose. Tog then goes back to nibbling at the bit of hair that he’d started with and Casee and Yuki begin laughing out loud, Fazil grins a little.

Fazil:
He’s cute! Okay you guys can stay, but keep in mind we stick together and no funny business. We are in this thing together. We don’t betray one another.

Yuki:
I’m cool with that I’ve had no one it’s good to hear someone say these things to me. Nice.

Casee:
Well that’s settled. Yuki my dear, welcome to the family.