Chapter 2

She swallowed her fright and boldly took a step towards the shadow. "Wh-who's there?" she demanded. The figure suddenly stopped. She took one slow step and then another. Her shoulders relaxed inch by inch as she realized the figure was not large enough to be an adult, it had to be a child.

"Are you lost?" She asked curiously, unconsciously changing her voice to that of which you'd use with a stray cat. The boy—indeed he was a boy underneath all the dirt—raised his head slowly. His eyes were glazed and unfocused. He murmured and she could tell from the rhythm that it was the same phrase he'd uttered continuously before.

"You want an apple?" A peep came from behind. Kaoru saw that Tsubame had crept up and now held out a small crab apple in one hand while clutching her sister's kimono in the other.

"Yes, want one? Take it." Kaoru smiled and nodded at the boy. He looked at it and suddenly frowned. He jumped back and glared at the sisters.

"Who are you?! What do you think you're doing?" He growled. Kaoru saw his eyes were clear and he was fully 'awake'. Her eyes widened and put her hands on her hips. The impertinence! She bopped the boy on the head with her fist and he yelped.

"What do you mean? Have you no manners?! You almost scared us to death with all your mumbling and staggering. You don't even know where you are, do you?"

"You-you…how can you hit me like that? You're the one who doesn't have any manners!" He clutched his head and spat at her feet. Kaoru gasped and jumped into Tsubame. She grabbed his color and hauled him closer. "He-hey! What do you think you're doing? Get off of me! Gerroff!"

"You're a very rude little boy!" He stumbles as she began pulling him along back the way the sisters had come.

"Where do you think you're dragging me off to?!" Kaoru stopped in her tracks and set him down.

"Well, you need to be getting home. This is an alley, I doubt you live here. Do you?"

"Yes, I do! Not that it's any of your business." He grumbled.

"Here? Well." She huffed wordlessly and collared him yet again.

"Aaaaaaaaaaah!"

"Oh, be quiet!"

Tsubame giggled as she followed the rowdy two.

A.N.: Sorry about the horribly late update. And length of it. Forgive me, dears. I found this document in my files and just had to upload it. This does not mean the story is still going to be continued, but I hope you all know who this mystery character is. ;) I'm still on hiatus after all.