Since several people expressed interest in a continuation of my first fic, Homeward, I've decided to keep writing in a fresh new second installment! The plot will most likely be at a more casual pace - I'm not sure at this point - and also including more characters from the A.Z world. Updates (I hope) weekly or thereabouts.

I don't have a set plan for the plot right now, so feel free to send requests/suggestions for what you'd like to see via pm or review! I'll do my best to include it in the story, and if I can't for whatever reason, perhaps in another fic sometime. As with Homeward, I'll probably be keeping this a T-rated fic, so please no M-rated questions. (though I'd be happy to answer/discuss such questions with you in private ;D)

Without further ado, please enjoy Shattered Chains!

Slaine straightened his back, shading his eyes from the glaring sun with one hand. It was nearly midday and getting rather hot, unusually so for September. He wiped the sweat from his chin with his shirt and began putting away the garden tools.

The cooler air indoors felt good on his skin. Even though he had come to hate the summer heat - he could not abide the suffocating feeling it gave him - he couldn't bring himself to stay away from the garden for very long. Each morning he ended up wandering back out to that familiar place, carefully watering herbs and gingerly pulling weeds as butterflies flitted from flower to flower. And every week he clipped a small bunch of fresh blooms for the kitchen table. Well, really they were for Yuki.

As was routine, he trudged to the refrigerator for a cold glass of water. Inaho always emphasized hydration, something that was never an issue for him before coming to this place of infernal heat. Mars only looked hot - in reality, it was bitterly cold. Not that water was very abundant on that planet.

"You forgot sunscreen again, didn't you?" said a voice behind him.

Another routine, it would seem. He was always forgetting sun protection, and his skin color was firm proof of that. He was a little too tan for someone of his features, but it didn't bother him. Yet Inaho seemed to care, for whatever reason.

"Hey, look at me," said Inaho, reaching a hand towards his face.

"What?"

He stood still as the other boy ran a thumb over his cheek. Inaho was always checking and touching and messing with his skin, his hair, his weight, even his mind, and only ever explained why afterwards, if he explained at all. He had gotten used to it by now.

"Ah, it was just dirt." The shorter boy cleaned his finger on Slaine's shirt.

"Hey!"

"You're already filthy. Go wash up, I'll make lunch."

When Slaine returned to the kitchen, Inaho was on the phone.

"What, already? Can't you help her? Mhm… you know, there are tutors in the student center," he heaved a sigh, "... true. Alright, I'll see what I can do. Ok… yes, I know… yes, I will… bye."

The phone was dropped back into his pocket and he looked up as Slaine approached.

"Sorry, a friend needs help with some homework tonight… constantly suggesting alternate locations for meeting up with people is a bit too suspicious."

Slaine shrugged. "It's fine, I'll read."

Most evenings he read. His mind was alive with the new information he absorbed daily, all from books Inaho brought him from the library. He could probably teach college-level ecology by now.

But most evenings he read with Inaho. They shared the livingroom sofa, or one of their bedrooms, or, on cooler evenings, the garden. The university student taught him subjects that were less decipherable on his own, like mathematics and Inaho's personal favorite, physics. He was a poor teacher, but Slaine caught on quickly anyway. And though was not a genius, he was definitely gifted. Not that he could use his knowledge for much, but he enjoyed it and Inaho encouraged him to continue. But now that university courses had begun once more, Inaho was around much less often. He came home sometimes for lunch, though usually there was no sign of him until dinner. After such an indulgent summer of nearly constant company, Slaine couldn't help feeling lonely at the sudden long periods of separation from one of his only companions. Yuki, too, had returned to work after her long medical leave. She was still not allowed much physical work, but the rest she could do. There was no stopping her, anyway. Perhaps she was slow getting out of bed in the morning, but the woman hated sitting still for very long. Thus Slaine had resumed his solitary weekdays.

That evening he curled up on his bed with Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. It wasn't often that he picked up a novel, but Inaho had mentioned that some works of fiction were actually political commentaries. Somehow, he was interested in that. Politics were no longer any of his concern, but some part of him still wanted to contribute to the betterment of society. Maybe reading about it in a fictional setting would ease that futile desire.

It was a little hard to concentrate, however, because the walls were thin and he could hear every word Inaho and his guest were saying. It was a girl (when was it ever not), and by the sound of it she was not very enthusiastic about his tutoring.

"I don't get it," she said for maybe the fifth time in three minutes.

He could almost hear the internal sighs Inaho was no doubt succumbing to. "These integers here become part of the second function…"

"What integers?"

"These three."

Slaine stifled a laugh. He really wasn't very good at explaining things. Most geniuses weren't. The girl seemed more confused now than when he had started.

"I'm going to the bathroom," said the girl with mild irritation. It was a step up from her former apathy.

Slaine was just beginning to enjoy the brief peace and quiet that followed, which allowed him to finally wrap his mind around the literary gibberish he was reading, when with no warning at all the door opened.

For a moment they simply stared at one another, both too shocked for any reaction at all. Then the girl's surprised expression eased into narrowed eyes and a frown. She seemed to recognize him, though he had never seen her before. That wasn't unexpected, though. It had happened with Yuki, too.

"What are you doing here," she said in a lethal tone.

As he sat up, he could see her stiffen in a cautious way, inching back slightly. Her hand gripped the doorknob and she looked ready to pounce if necessary.

"I thought you were going to the bathroom." Inaho appeared behind her, looking less than pleased. She jumped somewhat and turned to face him, short brown waves bouncing as she moved.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

Slaine set his book down and stood up. Well this was something he hadn't thought about… what would happen if someone unauthorized discovered he was alive? Inaho probably knew the answer to that question, but it couldn't be good. Of course, they wouldn't silence a civilian, but there was probably going to be a lot of procedure for her to go through now. Interviews, background checks, paperwork, signatures, oaths… all because he had forgotten to lock the door. Would Inaho be mad at him?

He seemed a little irritated, but not angry. There was no telling with that face of his.

Slaine wondered who she was and why she had decided to open the door. Maybe she was unfamiliar with the house and mistook it for the bathroom.

Inaho took a deep breath, rubbing his temples as though he was already tired before even beginning to speak. "Why did you come in here..."

"I wanted to get something. You didn't answer my question, Inaho. What is he doing here?"

Either her personality was bold or she was a very close friend to be ordering him around like that. Perhaps it was both.

He did not dodge her question again. "Slaine is living here now. He has been for the past six months."

The girl simply stared at him. She almost looked betrayed.

"Why don't we go downstairs and get some tea while I explain the situation."

When they were seated at the kitchen table, Inaho began. "I suppose I should start with introductions… Slaine, this is my friend Rayet. Rayet, I'm sure you're aware, but this is my friend Slaine."

"Friend?" Rayet gripped her teacup with unnecessary force as she looked from one to the other.

Inaho went on to explain Slaine's situation and the relevant points of the past several months. Rayet listened sullenly. Her purple eyes were fixed on Slaine the entire time, every second of her gaze filled with distrust.

"You know, he's not Martian," Inaho mentioned, noting her death glare.

"He might as well be."

Inaho fingered the rim of his cup. "Rayet, do you know who killed Baron Trillram?"

"That Martian scum who betrayed and murdered my father? No, but I wish it had been me."

As much as she seemed to hate him, too, Slaine couldn't help but like this girl. There was a strange sense of kinship with her that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"It was Slaine," Inaho said easily as he sipped his tea. "Anyway, I'm not saying you need to get along, but please keep in mind that people change, Rayet. You of all people should know that."

She turned her gaze to the far wall. "Tch."

Slaine almost gave the same response as he listened to Inaho toss his personal secrets out to random people. Sure, tell the angry girl all about his first murder. Like that was sure to foster good relations...

Inaho pushed back his chair. "We'll deal with the UFE tomorrow… they don't really need to know about this right away. Are you ready to try those equations again?"

"No way. I'm going home."

"But you'll fail if you keep skipping your homework…"

She pressed her forehead to the table in miserable resignation. "Fine."

Slaine watched them get up and clear their cups. "If it's mathematics," he said without really thinking, "I can help you."

Both of them looked at him in silence, equally surprised at his sudden offer.

"That guy is useless as a teacher…" he added with half a smile.

Inaho opened his mouth as if to speak, but closed it again, apparently having nothing to say to that comment. It was true and they all knew it.

Slaine had a much keener understanding of people and the way their minds and emotions worked. Some might call it cunning or manipulative, but in this sort of instance it was a much less sinister ability.

This girl seemed vehemently against the idea, but Inaho's mention of failure fueled her desperation. "Yeah, ok," she said moodily, walking past him without even a glance.

Upstairs in Inaho's room, Slaine looked over her chaotic class notes. Most of it was nonsense, probably copied incorrectly from the board. The book was much more promising. After gaining his bearings, he let out a long breath and then began. This was not really all that difficult once a few key concepts were understood, but getting past that initial hurdle was tricky.

He started writing out a sample problem. "If you start here, it's much easier later. Don't skip this next step."

Rayet looked closer at the paper. "He didn't show me that step."

"Because he skips it. If you know what you're doing you can do that part in your head and move on, but for you it's easier to write it out so you can see what you're doing."

As Slaine carefully explained and worked her through each type of problem, the information clicked and she was able to solve them. In little over two hours she had completed every question in the homework assignment. Inaho checked her answers with a speed that mocked her hard effort – but they were all correct.

"My head hurts," she complained, though she was clearly pleased with herself, "Want to play something?" She dug in her bag and pulled out a thin disc case.

"I thought you wanted to go home. And if you studied sometimes instead of playing video games, you'd have better grades, Rayet," said Inaho without bothering to look up from his book.

She shot him a glare. "I like doing what I'm good at. You're the one who coerced me into taking these damn classes in the first place, you should be satisfied that I haven't dropped out yet."

Slaine watched them silently. She very obviously wanted him to praise her, but Inaho would never catch that hint, disguised as it was in aggression. He almost felt bad for her.

Setting his book aside, Inaho took the game disc from her and read the cover. "Hey, this might actually be a really good idea…" he mumbled, glancing up at Slaine.

She reached for it impatiently, "just put it in already."

Slaine was wondering what kind of game this was exactly when he found a strange device being placed in his hands.

"Have you ever done a flight simulation?" Inaho asked him.

A strange question. Wasn't this a game they were going to play? Flight simulations hardly seemed relevant.

"Once or twice, yes," he replied warily.

"This is like that… these buttons let you move and shoot," he pointed to the controller, "it's a bit simplified but the effect is the same."

Rayet cracked her knuckles and picked up a second controller. "It's the newest version, I just got it today." She seemed to have revived from her earlier misery, eyes aflame as she watched the screen in anticipation. The openly hostile vibe she had initially displayed towards him also seemed to have eased noticeably.

Inaho had a small TV in his room, but Slaine had never actually seen it on. He probably only used it when friends were over, which rarely happened. Maybe he had been more social before Slaine's arrival.

After receiving a hasty explanation of how to play, the game started and Slaine promptly died.