𝐉𝐀𝐃𝐄 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 // 𝐒𝐏𝐘 𝐱 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘

Chapter 5

Twilight walked out of the building, back into his casual attire as "Loid", with a hand in his pocket and a pondering expression on his face. Suddenly, he noticed two little girls crouched in the pavement next to the telephone booth. His eyes flew wide open in shock.

"Anya?! Kei???" His voice took on a wondering edge as he took in the sight of the little girls.

Kei did not bother looking up. She continued to gaze steadily at the line of ants marching past.

Distantly, she heard Anya's exclaim of Papa and briefly looked up to see her running face forward into Loid's pants.

"How did you... I mean, uh, what are you doing away from home?" Loid is astounded by this discovery and his gaze bounces between the green eyed girl and the other, more subdued looking pinkhead still crouched on the side of the road.

"We were playing tag with strange men." Anya simply stated.

"Ah. I see... was that fun?"

"No. It was very boring. All the ants do all day is march in a line." Kei swiftly replied, but her eyes never strayed from the ants. There was simply something so hypnotizing about it. The line never seemed to end...

"Oh... how... interesting. As for me, uh, I just came here to shop. Looks like they're out of business though." Loid smiled sheepishly as he pointed at the building behind him.

This time, Kei looked up to give him one hard, disbelieving stare before quickly turning her eyes back down to the ants.

Papa is a really big liar.

"It was a little scary." Anya murmured in reply to Loid's earlier question. She clenched the fabric harder as she buried her head onto Loid's side.

"I want to go home! With you, Papa!" She sobbed out at last.

Me too... Kei stood up and slowly trotted up to the pair. She then wrapped her arms around both. She couldn't reach all the way but her simple action said enough for all. Even for the one that couldn't read minds.

"Are you... sure about that?" Yes.

"If you leave me again, I'll cry." Anya said, wiping her eyes.

"You... already are crying..."

"No I'm not. My eyes were just itchy."

Kei nodded her head in simple acceptance at that.

Meanwhile, Loid gazed at the two girls with soft eyes. He was remembering. What Franky had told him that other day when he had gone looking into their backgrounds... They've been fostered out and returned four times. They've had four different last names only to have them all taken away. Do you realize what I'm saying?

Loid gave the girls, each, a gentle pat on their head. "All right. Let's go home."

They have never had a home.

"But we need to move. That apartment is dangerous. I found a poisonous snake in there yesterday."

Despite knowing it to not be true, Kei couldn't help but feel faint at the thought of living in the same place as a snake. And a poisonous one at that. She shuddered in revulsion. No. She would not think about that. She won't.

"I want to live in a castle!"

They were on a cable train. Anya and Kei curiously peered out the window together, taking in the city sights. There were cars. Many cars. And also buildings.

"If we see one on sale." Loid replied back languidly to Anya's words. (Deja vu, anyone?)

"But after we move, you need to study. I noticed you didn't do any of your packet, Anya?" She winced, as Loid stared at her sternly.