The sky was impossibly pink that morning in Radiant Garden. Not a single cloud floated high above the city of light. Tiers of sparkling water spewed from fountains to such great heights that the bursts of water were visible above the rustic roofs of the little houses and shops around the sprawling town. The locals bustled through the cobblestone streets, going about their daily business.

The Marketplace was as busy and lively as usual. And for one entrepreneur, a busy marketplace was a good omen of a successful and profitable day.

"Ice cream!" yelled Scrooge McDuck. He stood next to a large red cooler, and held an ice cream popsicle in his hand. He waved it in the air, hoping to catch the attention of hungry customers. "Get yer ice cream right here for only 2 munny apiece!"

Shortly after, a lanky teenage boy came rushing up to Scrooge with eager sea-green eyes. He pulled out 4 munny from his pocket. Scrooge grinned.

"Well I'll be!" Scrooge said cheerfully. "It's me favorite customer!" Scrooge tipped his hat in salutation. "How goes ye, Lea? Out and about again with Isa, I presume?"

"Right on, Scrooge!" Lea replied. "Have you got the usual? The last time I came by, you said you'd sold out."

"Yer a lucky lad, Lea," said Scrooge. "I just have three more sea salt ice creams left in me cooler!" He pulled out the ice creams and handed them to Lea. "Here ye go, boy! Enjoy it before it melts!"

Lea dropped the munny in Scrooge's hand as he took the ice creams. "Thanks man! I guess that means I'd better go find Isa soon! I lost track of him in the marketplace. We were playing some ultimate Frisbee in the town center and we had to flee from this dude with an oversized toothpick after the Frisbee hit him. I haven't seen Isa since then. I'll talk to ya later!"

Scrooge waved as Lea ran off. Then he resumed business, calling out, over and over, in his loud Highlander voice, "Get yer ice cream right here, folks!" "Two munny for an ice cream!"

Two figures in white coats passed by across the street from where Scrooge had set up shop. One of the figures was a young boy of about ten or eleven years of age. He wore a long white lab coat that seemed too big for his small body, and blue clothing underneath it. He had messy gray-blue hair, some of which covered the right side of his face, leaving one of his blue eyes visible. The boy's companion was a tall man who also wore a long white lab coat over his clothes, and had bright green eyes and pale blond hair grown long, some of which framed both sides of his face.

Scrooge's cries had attracted the young boy's attention. His serene eyes were soon fixated on the blue colored ice cream that Scrooge held in his hand. It had been a while since he had something sweet to eat. The child stopped in his tracks, which prompted his older companion to do the same.

"Is there something wrong, Ienzo?" asked the man.

The boy shook his head. "No," he said quietly, still looking at the ice cream in Scrooge's hand.

"Well then come along. We have much to do today at the Crystal Fissure. Master Ansem will be expecting a good load of crystal samples from us this evening."

As the two of them started walking again, Ienzo tugged on his elder companion's sleeve. He was determined to have that ice cream.

"Even," said Ienzo, "Can I buy an ice cream to have for the walk, please?"

"Goodness, Ienzo, it's too early in the day to have something sweet!"

Ienzo frowned. He then looked up at Even with entreating eyes and asked, in a tiny voice, "Please, Even?"

Even looked at Scrooge's ice cream. The two of them really ought to get to work without delay, Even thought. But then again, the imploring look on Ienzo's face made it impossible for Even to say no.

Even sighed. He pulled out two pieces of munny from the pocket of his coat and deposited them onto Ienzo's tiny palm. Ienzo smiled at him in gratitude. Even quietly chuckled, and rubbed the boy's head affectionately with his hand, ruffling his hair. "Be quick, ok?"

Ienzo nodded obediently, and he ran across the street to where Scrooge stood. Even watched Ienzo from afar. He saw Scrooge happily take the munny from Ienzo and hand him the ice cream in exchange. Ienzo bit into the top of the ice cream.

"That's the last of my supply of sea salt ice cream! Delicious, isn't it laddie?" Even heard Scrooge say.

Ienzo nodded at Scrooge in reply. "Yes."

"Ye look awfully young to be walking around town on yer own," said Scrooge. "Have ye got yer mum or dad with ye?"

Ienzo shook his head. "No. But I'm with Even, over there." Ienzo turned to where Even was and pointed him out to Scrooge. "Even looks out for me."

Scrooge courteously tipped his hat to Even, who curtly nodded to him in response.

"Why don't ye run along now, boy? Yer friend looks like he's waiting for ye. Have a good day and enjoy your ice cream!"

Ienzo nodded, and he ran back to Even, ice cream in hand. "I'm here!" he said when he returned.

"Shall we go, then?" asked Even.

"Mm-hm!" Ienzo took another bite into his ice cream, and he and Even began set off for the Crystal Fissure.

"You've probably spoilt your appetite for lunch now," joked Even as he and Ienzo walked down the long path of the Ravine Trail.

"I don't think so!" said Ienzo, who tried to jump over every little crack on the ground he encountered. He then started running ahead, laughing innocently as he did. "You're going too slow, Even!" he said, almost as if he was reprimanding even.

Even made no attempt to quicken his pace. "It appears that ice cream also made you quite hyper, Ienzo. You're usually not one who I'd expect to make such a cheeky remark!"

"I am not hyper!" the boy retorted. But then he started running down the trail at a fast speed once more. "I'll race you to the Crystal Fissure Even! " He giggled mischievously as he ran.

"Ienzo, cut that out," Even said sternly.

"I'm going to win!"

"Ienzo? Ienzo, I don't—"

The boy ignored him completely. His tiny figure shrunk faster as the distance between him and Even grew. "Look at me! I'm winning!"

"Ienzo! I don't…Ienzo? Ienzo! I'm talking to...oh good grief! Wait! Ienzo, slow down! Ienzo! Ienzo!

The baffled scientist now found himself chasing after the hyperactive Ienzo.

The sun was high at the center of the sky by the time Even and Ienzo had finished their day's worth of work. The two of them left the Crystal Fissure, each holding a sack full of crystal shards that they had extracted from the cavern.

It was a long walk from the Crystal Fissure all the way back to the town. Little Ienzo dragged his feet. He had long calmed down from his morning sugar rush, but the long walk and hours of carving out crystal had worn him and his little feet out. He struggled to keep up with Even.

"My feet hurt," said Ienzo.

"We're almost home. I'm sure you can walk a little more," said Even.

Ienzo stopped in his tracks, unable to go on any further. "I can't! Please Even, can I rest for a minute? My feet are really sore right now."

Even looked around. He spotted some steps on the ground, located near the town's Bailey. Even took Ienzo there and the two of them sat down together to rest up.

Ienzo yawned.

"You've had quite a day," said Even.

"Yeah, but Master Ansem will be thrilled when he hears how hard I've been working today!" said Ienzo.

Even laughed. "I'm sure he will!"

"I'm one of his biggest helpers around the castle! He told me that once!"

"Well, he certainly does enjoy having you in his presence. Being ruler of Radiant Garden and conducting extensive research at the same time can be stressful, I can imagine…"

"Yeah…"

Just after Ienzo had finished talking, a group of four townspeople came walking past the fountain where the two apprentices sat. It was a family that had arrived- a man, a woman, and two little children. The woman held the little arms of her two tiny sons. Her husband's arm was affectionately linked around hers. Both the couple and their sons were laughing happily with each other as they walked together.

Ienzo watched the family with fascination—a fascination so deep that it had caught Even's attention.

"They seem to be very happy, don't they Ienzo?" said Even.

Ienzo nodded. That family was the happiest group of people he had ever seen in his life. The mother and father seemed so very much in love with each other, and their children looked so happy as their parents doted on them.

Ienzo tried not to care about what he saw. So what if he didn't have parents of his own? He'd barely gotten a chance to know them very well anyway-the time he had with them was short. But the very few memories Ienzo had of his parents had become so foggy now, and he found that it was becoming more and more difficult to remember anything about them as he got older. Perhaps that was a good thing, Ienzo believed, that he was starting to forget about them-so that the pain he felt whenever he thought about them would go away. But then again, the notion that he might one day forget everything about his mother and father back when they were alive frightened him so much. He didn't want that to happen to him-especially when the only vivid memory Ienzo had of his parents-one that he knew he could never forget but did not like to reminisce on-was of the very day he lost them.

Ienzo's eyes filled with tears. He rubbed them with his palm, so that the tears wouldn't spill from his eyes.

Ienzo sniffled. "Even?"

"Yes?" Even asked.

"Tell me...tell me again...how old was I when they...when dad and mom...?" He could barely finish his sentence.

Even paused for a moment. The deaths of Ienzo's parents had happened so long ago. Yet, to Even, it seemed like it had only been yesterday when it happened.

"You were four years old when you lost your parents." Even sighed. "It's shocking, actually, to think that they've been gone for six years now. I imagine you must be as shocked as I am too."

A tiny sob escaped from Ienzo. "Even," Ienzo began to say, with his voice quavering. "I can't...I can't remember them anymore!" He shut his eyes tightly. "But I...I don't want to forget about them! I don't want to be left with the memory of the day they died! I don't...I don't want to forget about them! But...but it's really happening and I don't know what to do!" A tiny tear fell from Ienzo's eye. He wiped it away, and sniffled his nose.

Even felt bad for the boy. To not have memories of the two people who brought him into the world must be, without a doubt, awful. Even knew there was very little he could do to stop the little memories Ienzo had of his parents from fading away. But, there was one thing Even knew he could do that might help the poor boy, even though he believed-no, knew-that doing it would make him himself feel bad. There were many things that Even knew about Ienzo's parents—things that he'd thought he'd never discuss again or recall, because they were unpleasant for him to think about. Memories filled with pain, guilt, regret, denial, broken dreams, shattered hearts, and happiness-to Even, they were a source of both wonderful joy and aching pain. These were memories that Ienzo would love to hear about even though Even didn't have the heart to think about them.

But how many memories of his parents did Ienzo have that he'd keep with him forever? Those memories were dwindling; Ienzo could very well indeed be left with nothing one day. But Even's memories-his own memories of the very same people-were ones he'd carry with him for a lifetime.

He knew what had to be done.

"Ienzo."

"Huh?"

Even took a deep breath. "I never told you this before, but, I knew your parents quite well."

Ienzo's eyes grew wide. "You did? Really?"

Even nodded. He smiled sadly at Ienzo. "I did. In fact…your parents were two of the greatest friends I could have ever asked for. And there's not a day that goes by that I don't miss them."

"Please Even, can you tell me what they were like?" Ienzo implored.

"Ienzo, I'll tell you everything about them. Their story, their joys, their pains, their friendships, their fates …you'll know them all. But for me to do that successfully, you'll have to hear my story too.

"What do you mean, Even?" asked Ienzo.

Even closed his eyes. "Hush, Ienzo. Don't speak. Just listen to my story, and you will know the truth."

And Even began his tale.