Chapter Five

"Swings"

Shadow liked the swings.

He liked the feeling of freedom, the split moment of anti-gravitation right at the top when the chains slackened and there's nothing holding you up or pulling you down. At that moment, he would want nothing more than to let himself fly through the air. It would be awesome to see just how far he could go.

It was a pity, really, that everyone told him 'No, absolutely not' (even Marik-aniki, and he knows he's beaten when Marik refuses something on the grounds of it being 'too dangerous').

So he was stuck swinging the ordinary way. Which was still many times better than not swinging at all. Like today.

From where he sat beside the sandbox, half-hidden by the shadow of the play structure next to him, he frowned jealously at the three kids (two older girls and one older boy) who currently occupied the freedom-giving swings. There was also a toddler on the baby-seat swing, giggling as his father pushed the chains gently and his mother hovered around with a camera in her hands. But that didn't really count. He didn't want a baby swing that couldn't go high than two feet off the ground.

His frown deepened a little more. It really wasn't fair. Those three had been at it for a good fifteen minutes now. Surely it was high time he got his turn.

He perked up when the older boy (who had been selfishly hogging the swings for fifteen minutes) launched himself off his seat in a motion that could've been grand if he didn't crash-land onto the barkchips. Shadow stood up quickly, prepared to stake his claim to free-flight and giddy freedom.

Then a raven-haired little girl went whooshing off a slide ahead of him and leapt into the newly-empty seat with her added momentum.

He wanted to scream in frustration. A few choice words Otou-sama and Marik-aniki always used (but for some reason didn't think he knew) popped into his mind. But maybe the nice parents nearby would kick him out. And then there'd really be no swinging today.

Sitting back down again, he angrily crossed his legs once more. The frown of his face had taken on a decidedly darker tone – almost furious, but somehow too innocent for a word so malicious. He glared at the little girl now happily swinging away. It wasn't fair. And he didn't give a half-eaten bowl of cold oatmeal how unreasonable he was being.

"Is it just me, or does 'Chibi-chan seem a little…moody today?"

"Not just you. He looked at me like he wanted to strangle me when I went to pick him up at the park earlier. Left him there while I went to get that new game I've been wanting."

"The Zelda one? Twilight Princess?"

"That's the one."

"Five bucks says Shadow-chan beats it before you."

"Shut up!"

"So what was he doing at the park?"

"Nothing. Sitting next to the sandbox, glaring away at the swing set like it was his worst enemy."

"I thought he liked the swings."

"Me too. I dunno, the kid's a huge mystery to me. I think it'll burn out soon. He always tells me what's on his mind when he's ready, and not a moment before. Wanna help me start the game? I think I want to name the horse Marik. Oooh! Or maybe Joey."

It was that same little girl from last week. The one who had so evilly stolen his swing.

And she was on it again.

Not fair. Not fair not fair not fair!

He wished he still had Sahara Storm. Even though the tiger would never hurt anyone, he bet the girl would run off if he set the big cat after her. Then he could swing. Finally.

Ryou-oniichan had told him to "be patient, and wait your turn."

Well, why should he? That girl certainly didn't.

Seto-ojichan had explained that "maybe it'd be easier if you went up and lined up next to the swing."

Well, the girl didn't do that either, did she now? And no one else ever did.

Otou-sama had suggested "just beat the kid up."

Sound advice (even though Mokuba-niichan had bopped him over the head because of it). If only he wasn't so small. And if only the opponent wasn't a girl. Because Yugi-niichan had said "never beat up a girl."

All he wanted was a couple minutes at the swings. Just enough time to imagine himself flying off somewhere. Was that too much to ask?

"Shadow-chan didn't get onto the swings again today?"

"Nope."

"Poor kid. Why don't we just build our own swing set for him?"

"That's not the point. He needs to get out more. Meet new kids."

"He just sits at the sandbox and glares at the swings."

"Yeah, well…"

"I still think…whoa, that's cool. You can switch back and forth between wolf Link and human Link now?"

"Yeah. Took me forever to get through the last part with the damn jumping statues."

"How'd you figure it out?"

"Did it by myself."

"So, Chibi-chan helped you?"

"…Shut up."

Glare. Frown. Glare.

Maybe if he did it enough times, the girl would be magically blown off the swings and he'd get his turn.

Glare.

"Hey."

Be quiet. I'm not done glaring.

"Hey…hey? Hey!"

Well, the hand waving around in his face wasn't helping the whole glaring thing. He turned around and fixed annoyed crimson eyes on the intruder.

He nearly jumped back in surprise when he realized belatedly that it was a stranger.

It was a redheaded boy, with bright violet eyes and a small stature. He couldn't have been more than a year older, and he held a scooter in one hand.

Shadow blinked shyly at him, letting his eyes ask the silent question.

The redhead smiled. "You've been sitting there a long time. Wanna come ride my scooter with me? My friend couldn't come today, and it's not nearly as fun riding by yourself."

Shadow thought about saying 'no.' He still wasn't so good at talking with people. But…

That shiny scooter looked a whole lot funner than sitting and glaring.

And Seto-ojichan did tell him he should meet friends who weren't twenty years older than him.

"I've…I've never ridden one before," he confessed shyly, hoping the other boy wouldn't take back his offer.

But the slightly taller boy just smiled. "It's okay. I can show you."

It wasn't the same type of freedom. Zipping along on two wheels just didn't compare to flying weightless through the air.

The redhead boy was named Kenshin. He had a nice, soft smile and an easy laugh. He didn't care that Shadow tripped over the curb three times and scratched the scooter's silver paint a little bit. When a young lady came to pick him up, he told her that Shadow was his "new friend." And when he left, he waved and said "see you later."

Shadow still liked the swings. Still wishes that next week, that girl would get off for just five minutes and give him his turn.

But really, two wheels weren't so bad.

A spur-of-the-moment-chapter. Because Shadow can act like any other seven-year-old and because he needs a new friend. I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. I simply took the Kenshin from my other fic "My Angel Without Wings" and stuck him in here. A shameless case of laziness, because I simply have no time to think up an OC. Forgive me. I do not own Twilight Princess either. But that statue part was so annoying...

Hope you enjoyed this. As always, please review!