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[b][i]"How is he?"[/i][/b]

[b][i]"Better, he's stabilised since we first brought him in."[/i][/b]

[b][i]"C-can oi see 'im?"[/i][/b]

[b][i]"He's still resting, his body is exhausted from a great mental exertion."[/i][/b]

[b][i]"It's alright Ashwin, we'll come see him when he's awake."[/i][/b]

[b][i]"B-but...but he'll be alrigh', won't he?"[/i][/b]

[b][i]"Physically speaking there is nothing wrong with him. But as for his mental health I cannot say until he has woken and we can talk with him."[/i][/b]

[b][i]"M-miss...miss oi swear oi didn't know-"[/i][/b]

[b][i]"No no it's fine. What you did was irresponsible yes, but you couldn't have seen this happen. Let's just wait for now, I'll tell you when he's up."[/i][/b]

His eyes flickered open to a white room, the smell of cold clinical fluids stung his nostrils as a pale light blinded him. Sounds of clattering wheels and a vague murmur went off in the distance, the raptor laying back on a bed next to the window within a small private room where a TV hung over his bed and a lavatory beyond it.

"Nnnnngh?"

"OH, James is that you?"

"U-uhhh?" He turned to his right seeing Ms. Okowengo stare down upon his face. "Wh-whuh...whuh happen?"

"Well..." she clasped her fingers, "you had a rather bad fall, we found you and took you to St. Bart's hospital which is where you are now?"

"A-a...Ashwin?"

"He's fine, he's back at the orphanage or working, but he'll be coming later today."

"Oh, o-okay..."

"I just need to get the doctor so we can check on you, alright?" She stood up patting his arm gently. "I won't be long, alright James?"

"Mmkay."

The cheetah headed off down the ward as James tried to lift his head, staring beyond his personal room to see brief snatches of other children in a variety of ailments. A human with a bloodied eyepatch, a fox with a bandaged arm and a brachiosaurus with four neck braces. He looked up over the window sill, pillars of iron teeth all along the River Thames formed a steelscape as the sun broke high over the city revealing a gentle smog that covered the length of the land. The raptor felt his head become muddied as the world turned with every blink he made from the dust that scattered across the building. Sometimes the fog rose higher amongst the heat, sometimes it sank lower and almost fully dissipated into the Thames.

"Ahhh hello James!"

He turned to the door seeing a robust male dolphin in a white coat.

"My name is Dr. Cacchione, how are you feeling?"

"I-i don'...my head feels funny."

"That's the morphine to help your body relax. You were in rather a state when you were brought in and had to be sedated proper. Now, do you mind if I examine you?"

"O-okay."

The doctor sat himself beside James and went through his tests whilst Ms. Okowengo watched on from the door. The stethoscope made him shiver from its cold touch, the light shining in his earhole made him warm and nervous, and the tongue stick tasted like bark as his little fangs glinted in the light.

"Any pains in your body?"

"Nuh."

"Any tummy problems, sort of queasiness?"

"Uh-uh."

"Weak arms or legs?"

"My head feels kinda weird."

"Alright. Now," the cetacean put his instruments away and sat up with a notebook, "can you tell me what happened exactly? It's alright, no one will judge you, we just want to know what went down so we can better cure you."

"Um...i-is Ashwin an' me in trouble?" whimpered James.

"Noooo no no nothing like that, I just need to know what led to you passing out and being taken here so I can treat you properly."

"W-well...Ashwin, me an' him were...h-huntin' ghosts."

"I see," said Caccione scribbling down.

"W-we went to the museum, cuz I...I-i saw sumthin' when we went there with Ms. Smedley."

"This was on their school trip," added Ms. Okowengo, "what did you see?"

"S-so, the pan-guyist exhibit wuz closed an' I asked why cuz I saw someone in there, like a shadow, an' the guy, the tour guide, said that wuz enough questions."

"Hmmm...so, you decided to go investigate for yourselves?"

"Y-yeah, cuz I heard voices too," James rustled in his sheets, "voices I didn' know, an' then we watched TV."

"Did anything else happen?" asked the doctor still writing.

"Jerry the Hero wuz on. H-his friend died, I wuz really upset."

"Ohh?"

"Y-yeah, he...burned to death." The raptor pulled back against his pillow. "I-i wuz really upset, h-he wuz screamin' an' Jerry tried to h-help him but he couldn't!"

"This was on TV?" asked the cheetah drinking from a glass. "A kids' show?"

"Y-yeah."

"Were they any other incidents?" asked Dr. Caccione tapping his beak with the pencil. "Perhaps before the first visit to the museum?"

"Th-there wuz...this guy, in an alley me an' Ashwin found," James rubbed his head with a wince, "he wuz gettin' beat up, by Adam real bad so Ashwin beat 'im up, a-an' I helped too."

"You were fighting?" gasped Ms. Okowengo. "When was this?"

"Uh, P-piccadilly."

"Oh my god. Why didn't you tell me I was there!"

"CUZ YOU DON'T DO ANYTHIN'!" he shot up in his bed.

"Jaaames, please." The doctor put his hand up carefully. "I do not like my patients shouting."

"S-sorry." He slumped back with a scowl.

"This fight in the alley, when was this?"

"August, me an' Ashwin were doin' jobs to get money."

"I see."

"An' we saw this guy gettin' beat up by Adam, so we beat HIM up, an' then the guy came up to me an' said thank you, h-he wuz homeless."

"Alright."

"But then he like...grabbed my arm, an' said sum creepy stuff, s-said like...Choo-lub-cah, an' then Ashwin pulled me away an' told me that, th-the guy wuzn't even there!"

"Wait, what?" The carer put her glass down and stepped over. "He told you that?"

"Y-yeah!"

"Well now hold on," the cetacean doctor put his hand up between them, "let's get all the facts here now tell me about the second museum visit, the ghost hunt."

"Ummmm, yeah, okay." The raptor hugged himself. "We got in through the back, an' went into the pan-guyist place, there wuz no one there, just a buncha paintings of that...that raptor guy."

"Mmhmm."

"But...then the paintings all started to move, and their hands came out, an' I got scared so I ran towards this light cuz I thought it wuz Ashwin. But it wuzn't. It wuz...it wuz a lotta fire."

"Fire?" asked Caccione leaning forwards.

"Lots of fire. Big walls full of fire, an' there was this BIG monster like it wuz huuuge," James reached up with his hands.

"What did this monster look like?"

"Like, a big skeleton, like a raptor skeleton. It wuz s-screamin' a lot, an' it wuz hurtin' me. It hurt me...in my chest."

He started rocking gently with a hot shiver as Ms. Okowengo put a hand on his shoulder.

"Do you want to stop now?"

"I-i-i...I-i-"

"Caaalm James," the doctor patted his knee, "we can stop if you want."

"O-okay."

"But, can I ask one last thing? What did the monster say to you?"

"Um...i-it said that...choo-loob-cah name again, also lotsa fire."

"I see, well I think that will do." The dolphin stood up putting his notes in his pocket. "I just need to speak with your carer so until then you should get some rest."

"Just think of it as a day off school," said the cheetah smirking, "get yourself an early lie-in alright dear?"

"O-okay," the raptor blushed, "sorry miss."

"It's fine James, don't worry about it."

They stepped outside and closed the door whilst James laid back, before feeling his bladder suddenly tense up and he whinged slowly lifting himself out of bed to limp towards the bathroom, his legs feeling weaker than usual with his hand gripped around the drip stand connected to his arm. He passed close to the door enough to hear the adults talk which caught his ear.

"I know it's unorthodox to suggest this-"

"Well, it's not that I dislike the idea, it's just I didn't expect to hear a doctor to say that rather than take him to a therapist."

"James is a saurian, his problems are unique to his species. Normally this would almost never happen in someone his age, but the visions he is encountering do match up to that of the faith."

"But that's ridiculous, James is not one of them, he was never raised that way!"

"I know, which is why it's all the more unusual for someone his age to have those. I think you should find a respectable paklah and hopefully find someone who will help to unravel these visions, since it harkens to a very specific legacy. That, and the trauma from last year certainly would have been a trigger."

"I...is this your actual professional opinion?"

"Yes. Usually saurians who had these issues are much older so I would advise you accompany James at all times during this."

"Of course I won't leave him. I was there when it first happened, I feel I have to help him. I don't want James to end up on the streets as some homeless lunatic."

"Ma'am please, we don't use the L-word here."

"S-sorry...I just...god."

He relieved himself before returning back to bed, sleeping from exhaustion as he faded in and out of consciousness. Hours passed into the late afternoon as the sky darkened towards the eve of winter, his eyes gazing listlessly at the window as rain continued to pour down with thunderous bursts on the horizon.

"James?"

He turned his head to the door with a smile.

"H-heyyy Ash."

"Ohhh, god." The elephant quickly closed the door and rushed in. "Christ mate you alrigh'?"

"I'm okay...bored."

"Heh, yeah, got nuthin' round 'ere."

"...whut happened to you?"

James pointed to a bandage wrapped round Ashwin's trunk.

"It wuz um...it wuz the ghost, yeah."

"...so it wuz real?"

"Yeah...yeah mate." Ashwin took his hand with soft squeeze. "You were roigh'. M'sorry."

"It's okay." James squeezed him back. "But, wh-where were you?"

"Wotcha mean?"

"I-i wuz calling out to you. The ghost got me, h-he wuz hurtin' me, I couldn't find you."

"I...I-i was there James."

"No you weren't, I-i couldn't see you."

"...pfft, fuckin' ghost magic musta tricked yer eyes," the elephant rubbed James' head with his trunk, "don' worry mate, it's gone now we chased it off."

"A-are you sure?"

"Well, oi didn't see it stay around after you 'ad a foight with it."

"Okay. So all that trainin' an' fightin' helped huh?"

"Sure did! Here." Ashwin pulled from his bag a few comic books and chocolate bars. "Knew you'd be bored off yer tits so oi got you sum things."

"Awww sick!" James immediately grabbed for the chocolate and devoured one of the bars. "MMmmmm, th-thunksh Ushwin!"

"Hahahaha, well oi guess a sugar rush does ya good eh?!"

"Y-YUH! Mmmmmhhh...so," James gulped down the first bar in three bites, "how much money we got now?"

"Eh?"

"Fer our big plan, yanno, leaving?!"

"Oh...roigh', yeah," Ashwin rubbed his neck, "wellllll we hit a bit of a slump, so it moigh' not be this year we leave, but it's no biggie."

"Wuz it because of me?"

"No no! Noooo no no don' worry about it, just business dried up, it always does round November, people wanna save up money fer Christmas yanno!"

"Oh, o-okay!" James chewed onto the second bar staining his teeth. "S-so, we leaving next year?"

"Yeah Jim, you'll be outta that orphanage by next year, promise ya."

"Promise?"

"Yeah...new promise." Ashwin put forward his hand. "Wotever happens, oi'll make sure you leave that orphanage by next year, got it?"

"Yeah, got it!"

James offered the pinky of his three-fingered hand to which Ashwin grasped with his own fourth finger. They tightened their grip before bumping elbows and shouted together.

"Sup!"

"SUP! Heheheh, so, wot you wanna do when you get out Jim?"

"Mmmmm can we go to the movies?!"

"Sure, wotever ya want mate."

"Anythin' happen?" James finished up the second chocolate.

"Welllll Adam got grounded," Ashwin rubbed his head, "got caught with drugs, his dad foinally 'ad enough so just straight-up kept him in his room, locked everythin' out."

"Hahah, nice, he's a stupid b-bitch."

"Hahahaha, yeaaah...'sides that, uhhh Mr. Tolland put up that letter oi wrote into his personal faves."

"No way that's awesome!" cried James bouncing in his bed. "I didn't read it though, c-can I read it sometime?"

"W-well...oi dunno," he fiddled his large fingers, "i-it's kinda...well, oi guess you can read it but maybe when oi'm not around cuz oi get all self-conscious."

"Why?"

"I-it's just all family stuff an' shit, oi don't really wanna remember that now."

"Oh, okay...can I get a drink?"

"Wot sum water?"

"Ew no, I wanna soda!"

"Hahaha, oi think oi saw a vending machine with sum OJ in there, wan' me to grab some?"

"Sure, uh wait!" James reached out to the table beside him. "C-could you turn on the TV, I can't reach the remote an' the buttons are all weird."

"Yeah no prob."

Taking the remote from the table Ashwin took around five minutes to figure out the television's setup. The most difficult part was finding the on button of its strange non-endorsed configuration before he finally had it onto the terrestrial channel, giving a fingergun to James as he nipped out to grab a drink. The raptor sat himself back strangely soothed by the monotonous newscast, not even paying attention to some parliamentary debate where a fox and a wolf were playing question tennis, bouncing retorts back and forth with increasing jeers from either side of the commons. He read one of the comics Ashwin had brought him, full of japes and puns a little too puerile for Ashwin's tastes but were perfect for the raptor as he giggled mindlessly with feet waggling at the end of the bed. The news ended and went into the next program, a sombre version of a jingle that brought faint recognition to the raptor's mind causing him to look up.

"Jerry the Hero" had started, but the title was different, coldly opening on the Termon & Termon office with black and grey shadows across the wall whilst Jerry stood at the window in silhouette, colours monochromed like a film detective whilst dressed into his lawyer clothes as he pushed his former boss' empty chair to let it spin.

[i]"This city hides something rotten,"[/i] said the gecko in gritty voiceover, [i]"a parasite within trying to stop a hero from emerging. A villain much greater than anyone I know and yet it could be someone I've always known, maybe even my family know. I managed to free my parents, but I can't free myself from this feeling, trapped like a rat in a cat food factory."[/i]

He sucked on a white stick in his mouth with puffing lips, before pulling it out a lollipop which he tapped against his cheek.

[i]"Termon fell to a trap, a newer trap, one that was set exactly for people like him. The double Sumerian bluff's a rare technique in the world of archaeology, but someone managed to disguise it without us noticing until I went back with a fine needletooth comb."[/i]

He pulled out said comb showing very small granules of silt that disturbed him.

[i]"This kind of silt's only from this city. Someone had been there before us, knew we were coming. They couldn't alter the text though, at least we have that. 'Five hearts, each of which possess one of each trait, Courage, Loyalty, Kindness, Love and Justice'."[/i]

Jerry leaned forwards putting the comb into his mouth and the lollipop back into his pocket with unchanged expression.

[i]"I have to find these five hearts and bring them together to stop the Schekuun invasion. The problem is I don't know the words I need to call them. What could they be, WHERE could they be? I was lost, like a rat in a cat food factory-"[/i]

[b][i]KHHHNN![/i][/b]

The door burst open suddenly behind him as Jerry turned with a shock. His eyes turned wide with fear as he spat out the comb from his mouth.

[i]"DA-...d-d-da, dad!"[/i]

The patriarch said nothing, not even wearing his hero armour but the higher ridges of his eyes made him distinct from his son in the noir filter. His eyes burned into him as Jerry gulped pushing against the window.

[i]"Dad, okay, I know things are not great now bu-GUH!"[/i]

He marched towards his son and punched his head against the window, spiderwebs on the glass before Jerry was grabbed and hurled across the desk hitting the wall at high speed. The son barely had time to pull himself up before his father grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt.

[i]"D-DAD, DAD NO STOP, PLEASE!"[/i]

But he didn't. The sound dipped and the camera remained still as Hellfire cracked his fist into Jerry's jaw twice before throwing him to the ground and viciously kicking him. Jerry managed to scrabble out from between his feet and frantically ran for the door before Hellfire launched himself with a running start off the desk, the pounding of their feet throwing the camera view off its stance to fall onto the ground and face the desk in diagonal position. The sounds of screaming violence could be heard on the left, scrabbling claws and desperate sobs before Jerry was thrown back into the camera's view, stumbling in half-crawl to behind the desk in full view of the shot. His father stomped around it, the bloodied beaten and bruised son shivering with hands covering his face as Hellfire bent over him to grab his shirt and slam his head back down, followed by a punching crush that cracked his skull against the floor.

[i]"D-DAD, DAD NO PLEASE D-DADDY NO!"[/i]

Jerry kept screaming with gasping cries between each punch, his father grabbing him by the shirt and laying him onto his back and drive his fist harder to make Jerry's head slam against the floor. He struggled to defend himself, but Hellfire's punches were monstrous enough to break through his guard as his wrists developed wounds like his face with hiccuping sobs and shrieks.

[i]"DADDY PLEASE S-STOP, S-STO-OP, I-I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY DADDY, PLEAAAAASE!"[/i]

Hellfire's fists slowed down with deeper punches, crushing Jerry's snout harder with twisting lumps and a further-blackening eye before the father stopped to recover his breath. Lines of red showed up in the filter of grey dripping from Jerry's face, covering his arms in little flecks as the larger beast panted with latent fury in his shaking limbs when he finally spoke.

[i]"I warned you. I warned you what would happen if you disgraced our family. You HUMILIATED me."[/i]

[i]"P-p-please...p-please, d-daddy-"[/i]

[i]"The only reason I don't kill you now is because even our faith would protect you, they would fully excommunicate me for ever killing one of our own. Cxulubcah may have mercy for you. But I won't."[/i]

[i]"I-i-i'm sorry...I-i'm sorry p-please g-give me another chance, d-d-don't-A-AAAGHHkhhh!"[/i]

Hellfire suddenly choked him, clutching his fingers around his son's neck as he started to suffocate with gasping screams that turned quieter by the second. His eyes flickered from the vice-like grip, his hands grasping at his father's wrist with desperate pleas as Hellfire bent down with feral slits in his pupils.

[i]"You were my only mistake, Gerald. You made me into a mockery, humiliated our long storied legacy with your cowardice in front of EVERYONE in our paklah. I may not be able to kill you, but I can ruin you. I will take everything you have until you have no life outside of your room, until you learn to become a respectable, hard-working saurian worthy of the Campbell name. And that starts tonight."[/i]

[i]"N-nuh...GH-ghhrrkh...d-daddy, s-s-stop, p-please-"[/i]

[i]"From now on, you do [b]nothing[/b] without me or your mother's say. You do not leave the house, you do not eat, you do not sleep unless you ask us first. Every time you disobey us-"[/i]

[i]"A-AAAAAAGH, [b]AAAAAAAAAARRRRGH![/b]"[/i]

He let go of Gerald's throat, only to suddenly grab at his chest and burn a deep blackening circle upon his skin. Flesh began sizzling as the son tried to push his father away with feeble hands but the elder kept his molten fist upon Gerald's body for a solid minute. He pulled back with a cauterised stick to his knuckles, the flesh almost peeling like velcro to leave a deep black scar that left Gerald gasping and clutching himself, howling with tears as Hellfire stood up and straightened his shirt.

[i]"If you can't face the fire without fear then you'll die burning with it. You deserve nothing else for what you failed to do."[/i]

[i]"I-i'm sorryyyy, I'M SORRYYYYY p-pleaaase daddy I-i won't d-do anything, I-i promise, I promise daddy PLEAAAASE!"[/i]

[i]"Get up."[/i] He grabbed his son's arm painfully and thrust him up against the wall. [i]"The next time I burn you, will be longer. When that happens, you must not fear it, but embrace the fire."[/i]

[i]"I-i-it hurts, it...i-it, daddy please-"[/i]

[i]"What you're doing now, this sobbing cowardice, THIS is why you are a failure. This is your fault, Gerald. I don't want to burn you, I don't want to have to do this. But if you cannot stand up with pride for this family, then I will make you wish you never existed. Just as I already do."[/i]

The father threw him back down to the floor and stepped over him, leaving the office to slam the door with such force that Gerald's ears popped. He sat up against the wall with a burning chest and tender throat, shivering as he clutched his knees. There was no end to the episode. The camera kept on him, sobbing as long as James would watch when he broke down in tears and tried to grab at the remote. The television wouldn't turn off, no matter which button he pressed, nothing happened as Gerald's tears filled the room.

"T-turn it off, T-TURN IT OFF, [i]S-STOP IT, STOP IT![/i]"

"HEY-EY wot's goin' on?!" Ashwin burst into the room.

"T-TV WON'T TURN OFF, T-TURN IT OFF!"

"Wot, foine give it 'ere!"

He snatched the remote and pressed one button. Gerald's sobbing still remained.

"IT'S NOT WORKIN'!"

"Mate the TV's off!"

"NO IT ISN'T, HE'S S-STILL THERE!"

"Who?!"

"J-JERRY, JERRY'S THERE A-AN' HE'S CRYING, HIS DAD BEAT 'IM UP, HIS DAD H-HURT HIM AN' CALLED HIM THINGS IT'S NOT GOIN' AWAY!"

"But it's off, oi'm tellin' ya the TV's not showin' anythin-"

"[i]STOP LYING![/i]" James grabbed an empty glass of water and threw it at him with a clunk. "[i]TURN IT OFF, TURN IT OFF ASHWIN, T-TURN IT OOOOFF![/i]"

"[i]WOT ARE YOU DOIN' FUCK'S SAKE!?[/i]"

"[i]MAKE HIM STOP, M-MAKE HIM STOP HE WON'T STOOOOOP![/i]"

James rolled in his bed clutching his ears, screaming to try and shut out the sound of shivering tears whilst Ashwin backed up against the wall stricken with horror as a human nurse stepped in.

"What the hell is going on?!"

"HE WON'T STOP SCREAMIN'!" shouted Ashwin. "H-he said the TV wuz on an' someone keeps cryin' but it's off, oi turned it off!"

"[i]AAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIGH![/i]"

The nurse immediately slapped a button on the wall as a light went on, joined by a boar and a lioness who held down James as the raptor kept on kicking with a screaming fit, his footclaws slashing at the air and sheets as the bed shuddered underneath from his desperate gyrations before they managed to tranquilise him. A few minutes passed as his cries became weaker, his body kicking less as he slipped back into slumber whilst Ashwin slumped beside the door with his head in his hands.

"James?"

The raptor woke up in his bed back at the orphanage.

"How are you feeling dear?"

He stared up at the face of Ms. Okowengo leaning gently over him.

"Wh-where...where'd they go?"

"Hmm?"

"I wuz at the hospital, wasn't I?"

"Ohhh sweetie." She brushed his cheek. "You had quite a long sleep, that was two days ago."

"Wh-whut?"

"No no it's fine, don't worry." She sat down beside him. "We're going to get you some help. The doctor recommended me to someone who might understand you better, so when you're ready you just come with me."

"Where are we...going?" James leaned back away from her.

"There's a paklah down the street, they understand what's been happening to you far better than any of us can."

"Is sumthin' wrong with me?"

"Noooo no not like that, just someone to talk to. I'll be there with you as well."

"...okay."

They headed out as the children gave him looks of distrust and a growing sense of fear that he could taste, hugging close to the cheetah as she petted him softly. Autumn was soon fading as a chill grew in the air, the streets becoming more damp under his feet as he looked towards his bare naked claws against the cheetah's pair of sandals where fuzzy yellow toes poked out. The large dome stood out amongst the religious centres with a burning stone in its centre where reaching reptilian claws longed to touch it.

"I admit I've never been in one before," said Ms. Okowengo.

"Why?" asked James clutching her hand.

"Well no reason to."

"I've never been in one either. What do you think it's like?"

"Well I assume it's like any other religious building, open, spacious...smells like ginger for some reason."

Entering the sanctum they came upon a grand empty hall where light shone from different holes in the ceiling above, showing rows of stone-cast benches with cushions laid out upon them towards a grand glass window of ancient dinosaurs staring towards a piercing orb in the sky that rained fire upon their heads. Several doors could be seen stretching out to the back rooms as the cheetah carefully called out to the hallowed space.

"Helloooooooo? Um, a-anyone here?"

"YES?!" A voice cried out from the back. "JUST A MINUTE, PLEASE HAVE A SEAT I'LL BE OUT SHORTLY!"

They sat themselves down in waiting, James looking around the inner dome and its strange smooth sculpt that echoed their voices a little too loudly.

"Wh-whut do they do here?"

"Well," his carer tapped her cheek, "from what I know they have ceremonies, they sing songs and tell stories about their past."

"Soooo it's like camping?"

"Yes except you're in a big cave I guess."

"Terribly sorry about that," a red-scaled Tyrannosaurus stepped out into the room with dark slacks and a faint purple polo shirt, "had a call with one of the other paklahs concernin-oh! Hello, can I help you?"

"Um, yes hello," she stood up bowing, "my name's Miriam Okowengo, I'm from the Iqra-Monassi orphanage, we spoke on the phone?"

"Ahhh I see, yes hello." He stepped forwards to shake her hand. "Blessings of Pangaea upon thee."

"Nice to meet you too...I admit I thought this place would be busier."

"Halloween is very popular with my tribe, I did consider having some decorations up here but I decided instead to just have a bowl of chocolate. Sadly none of the local children decided to come now, who is your friend here?"

"This is James Campbell, this...well, the issue I spoke of."

"Ahhhh. Well, hello there James," the rex bent down with a toothy grin, "my name is Adrian Rodersten, I'm the chief of this paklah."

"H-hello," James kept seated gently shaking his hand, "I...I-i dunno whut to do."

"Well, Ms. Okowengo only told me some of the details. That you had a rather nasty fall during a ghost hunt I believe?"

"Y-yeah."

"Would you like to tell me about it? It's alright, no one is here to judge, you are safe in this paklah. But of course, if you don't want to talk about it, I cannot force you."

"W-well...Ms. Okowengo said, cuz I heard her talkin' to the doctor, that I should talk with a pan-guyist cuz they would understand me?"

"Really?"

"You heard that?" asked Miriam biting her lip.

"Y-yeah," James nodded fidgeting with his feet, "I dunno whut he meant."

"I admit I didn't either," confessed the cheetah, "but, basically the doctor on hearing James' symptoms recommended that we come to the head of a paklah as it was more of a mental issue than physical."

"Well," Adrian rubbed his shoulder, "I must stress I am not trained in mental health so I may not be able to help, but I am a good listener and I shall do my best to assist you. May I?"

She moved out of the way to allow him to sit next to James whilst she stood to the other side of him.

"Tell me what is troubling you," began Rodersten, "I will do my best to answer."

"...um...wh-whut do I say?"

"Whatever you want to start with, I am here to help."

"O-okay...so," James took a deep breath and stared down at his feet, "I wuz...I keep hearin' voices. People that aren't there, I heard 'em in the museum when I wuz on a trip."

"I see."

"S-so, then I saw a ghost in the pan-guy exhibit, so me an' Ashwin we went to hunt it down. But it like, got me, an' it hurt me, an' it wuz burnin' me an' I wuz screamin' cuz I couldn't find Ashwin an', a-an'-"

"James, James," Ms. Okowengo put a hand on his shoulder, "it's alright, just take it slowly...no need to rush."

"O-okay," he sniffled with a sting in his eyes, "so it wuz like, this ghost wuz a biiiig skeleton of a big s-saurian, an' it wuz sayin' really bad things, an' this ch-chuh...choo-loob-cah, it wuz sayin' that a lot, like this homeless guy I met-"

"Wait." Adrian put his hand up. "What was that word you said, the chuh word?"

"C-choo-loob-cah?"

"...James, how old are you?"

"I'm, eight," he looked up at Adrian with a gentle gulp.

"Are you a pangaeist yourself, do you practice the faith?"

"N-no, I never been here."

"Hmmm."

"Tell him about the homeless man," said Miriam keeping hand on his shoulder.

"Y-yeah, back in the summer," James licked his lips with shortened breaths, "there wuz this guy who wuz gettin' beat up, but Ashwin an' me helped him, an' then the homeless guy said 'thank you' and told me about...he said...dust comes and takes the sun away, and then cxulubcah."

"I...I see." Adrian pressed his hands in a soft prayer to his face. "Were your...parents, Pangaeist by chance?"

"We don't know," said Miriam spreading her hands, "there's a...well, I can explain privately."

"I see. Ms., Okowengo yes?" The chief of the paklah stood up and stepped between the rows. "Could I speak with you privately for a moment?"

"Of course, but, what about James?"

"We have a room for children, it may be a little...simple but James do you mind if-"

"N-no." He hugged the cheetah tightly. "I-i don' wanna be alone."

"Alright. Come with me please."

He led both of them to the back room where there was an office, a surprisingly normal set of furniture involving a desk with a computer, a phone and a small bookshelf with various reference works with one rather old-looking tome left on the desktop.

"Firstly," Adrian closed the door behind them, "I am sorry that you have suffered so much from these visions James."

"Mmm," James shrugged.

"Secondly, I believe I could actually help you with this."

"Y-yeah, really?!"

"Wait, really?" asked Miriam crossing her arms.

"Your visions," began Rodersten, "are unusual for someone your age to have, see, saurians within the Pangaeist faith learn from their teachings the memories of our ancestors and how to unlock them. The fact that you have had no prior knowledge or training is remarkable that you are experiencing them."

"But I don't WANT them," cried James swinging his arms.

"I know," the chief leaned against his desk, "but I can help unravel this, if you'll permit me. Normally, our faith teaches the children about basic things such as the origins that we were, dreams we may have and the words of Cxulubcah."

"Who is Cxulubcah?" asked the cheetah stepping closer to James seeing him shiver at the name.

"He is our saviour, of a sort." Adrian took up the book from his desk and held it to them. "Our scripture tells us, that Alberto Noriega first spoke to him twelve-hundred-and-seventy years ago of which he wrote down all of his encounters with him. Cxulubcah is the warmth, the light incarnate and a peaceful entity."

"So what does he want exactly?"

"He wishes to unite all of the saurian tribes together in the afterlife, which we call Pangaea after the ancient land where we once came, but only after we have attained strength, and harmony, and unity with the world. We dedicate our lives to improving the world, to leave kindness and hope in our wake so that when our tribe ascends into Pangaea, this world will be but a reflection of the peace we wish to achieve."

"I see."

"S-so, why's he hurtin' me?!" cried James stomping towards him. "Wh-why is he sayin' mean things, messin' with my head, h-hurtin' me all the time!?"

"Well, that's because that was not him."

"Wh-whut?!"

"Your description of him does not match what he is," said Adrian putting the book down, "Cxulubcah has no shape, he is the warmth of the sun and the light of hope, the purest spirit of Pangaea at the peak of its fulfilment before the world was left behind in a ruthless wake of fire from the stars. Our souls would have perished were it not for Cxulubcah, who saved us from our dying bodies and healed our spirits with his own fire against the great and terrible dust from beyond."

"So basically," said Miriam tenting her fingers, "he saved your souls during the great extinction."

"Exactly."

"I would have thought the fire you would not want involved since that's what happened."

"Fire can burn and erase, but it can also heal and give warmth. Just as humans first wielded it to destroy each other's tribes, they have also warmed themselves and gathered friendships round the tender flames. That is Cxulubcah, that warmth, that comfort of friends and family sitting around a fire without any fears in the world."

"I see." She nodded looking down to James. "What do you think sweetie?"

"I-...I-i dunno," he shuffled gently, "whut do I do?"

"I have a suggestion," said Adrian kneeling down to him, "but I would normally not request it for someone so young, so I will need to make some calls to my friends."

"Ah huh?"

"I wish to invoke a ritual, one that shall help you unravel Cxulubcah's message in a safe environment."

"Whut are you guys gonna do?"

"We have a ritual room full of special plants and warming stones that will invoke memories of your past, deep in your ancient roots. We normally do this at the age of sixteen under supervision of the family-"

"Wait wait," Miriam put her hands up, "hold on, I don't like this, I've heard about these rituals."

"What have you heard exactly?" asked Adrian looking up.

"That...well, I have heard of incidents where people have been burned by the use of open flames an-"

"We absolutely never do that. I assure you, that is not how we do things in Pangaeism."

"Sorry, but I have heard stories of that happening especially in America-"

"I know the ones you mean, the paklahs in North America yes?" The chief stood up clasping his hands. "They are horrendously abusive, we have constantly spoken out against them and their cruel practices compared to the rest of the Pangaeic world, our tribe should never need any use of open flames."

"Oh, I-i see-"

"In fact I would rather have you there with us at the ritual since you are James' guardian and caretaker so you shall see for yourself."

"Well, yes of course I won't be leaving him. What do you think James?" They both stared down upon the raptor. "Do you want to try this?"

"...I want to." James nodded stiffening his lip. "I-i wanna get rid of these things in my head."

"I shall do my best," said Adrian patting his head, "it will take some time unfortunately, since I have a schedule and your case is highly unusual, I will need to gather some arrangements from the other paklahs, some health advisors for legal reasons naturally."

"How long will that take?" asked Miriam.

"The autumn tends to be rather busy leading off into winter, so I will contact you with a date. I'm sorry I cannot make this come sooner."

"That is fine. Is that alright James?"

"Mmmm, okay."

"Until then, take this." Adrian handed him a brass ring that looked slightly melted. "It's a good luck charm, whenever you feel the visions come just press this to your snout, and breathe in."

James did so with a soft sniff. Something flickered in his memory with a warm scent that made him sigh deeply.

"Smells...nice."

"I hope it helps you until we can pen a ritual. Take care James, Ms. Okowengo, may the light of Pangaea warm your hearts, the waters stay rich and the spirit of Cxulubcah watch over thee."

He shook both their hands as they departed, the raptor slipping the ring on his finger to find it perfectly fitting with a comfy warmth that brought a strange zest to his body. Miriam led him back to the orphanage down the cold wettened streets.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked once more.

"Y-yeah...well, kinda no, but-"

"No one is forcing you-"

"I know! But I wanna, I'm s-sick of the voices I wannit to stop!"

"Alright alright, we'll just have to wait. As soon as we get a date I'll tell you."

"Okay."

So the wait would come, the nights turning longer as winter approached with a harkening chill that seeped to their bones as the children wore thicker coats from the many discarded clothes in surplus at the orphanage. The streets became brighter from the snow filming on the surface, a soft powder of white that came trickling from the air in pale motes that scattered and thickened like sugar icing on trees and fenceposts, dusting old skeletal buildings with bone-white pallour as birds had long disappeared from their nests and the trees had all lost their leaves. Streets became emptier as people returned home sooner to escape the darkness, but for the few hours of light the children would gladly build up snowfort positions and engage in wars across the blacktop with snowballs and strategic cover behind cars and post boxes. Breaths became fog as little warriors darted through the street running gauntlets of snowfire that volleyed back and forth, pummelling them back to front as allies aided each other and dragged their fallen comrades to safety whilst others fought back with their last strength beneath the pile of snow that would start to descend upon them. Mercy was for the weak in the halls of winter's eve as small armies of diminutive fighters took each other down with no chance of glory nor posterity. Another day, another score to settle with hearty smiles and frosted cheeks.

The adults however were less inclined to lose themselves, shuffling against the howling winds at bent angles with long coats and hands thrusted into pockets, nervous brows wracked with their phones showing holiday gifts, potential arrival times and frantically planning their events around it. Stores were already pulling out both Christmas and Hanukkah celebrations the moment the first snow dropped, wall to wall with santas and menorahs in each aisle offering special sales on chocolate coins and potential small presents ranging from cheap toiletry sets to "funny" joke books. The buses seemed to have no trouble navigating through the streets, but occasionally a large truck would rumble through leaving salt in its wake, scattering granules that sparkled faintly upon the black icy roads reflecting the stars above. Streetlights however remained unchanged by the passage of time, flickering on even when two hours of darkness had since passed leaving people forced to guide themselves with lit-up billboards advertising wares or mini-marts with reindeer cutouts waving them a safe passage indoors. Two boys hoofed it towards Sy's Pies as the snow dappled their bald heads, one in a thick jacket with "SOHO ROAD" emblazoned upon his back, the other in a thick parka and cheap thermal pants shivering close to his friend.

"Arigh' boys," said the orca, "same as usual?"

"Yeah mate thanks," Ashwin paid up front, "not much toime to chat we're off sumplace."

"Ahhh that's good." He turned towards James hugging himself tight, "jesus lad you look terrible."

"C-c-cold, f-f-feet," whimpered James.

"God...hold on a sec."

He slipped into the back room and returned after a shuffling with two thick oven gloves wrapped in waterproof bags.

"S'not much but I hope it'll help."

James took them and tried to pull them on, his toes feeling tight as his large sickle claw struggled to push into the thumb of each glove.

"K-kinda...stiff."

"But yer feet are warm now right?"

"Yeah...th-thank you."

"No worries lad, here you are."

He gave them both pies and soda cans before they departed, heading towards the bus stop as James shuffled with his glove-shoes with an awkward shiver. They sat themselves on cold seats, the only two waiting as the snow turned thicker on the little roof above their heads whilst trying to enjoy their lunch.

"Wh-wh-why can't we have shoes?" shuddered James.

"Cuz people think we don't deserve 'em," snorted Ashwin, "that an' they cost loik fuckin' tons fer all the different types o' feet we got."

"Bullshit," he mumbled slurping down his soda, "they could make like a dozen million of 'em."

"Yeah but they still cost too much fer us, 'specially if you 'afta change them every year or two."

"WHAT?! You gotta buy MORE shoes?!"

"Yeah mate they wear out loik clothes do."

"What's the POINT even?!" James threw his empty can into the bus stop window. "Screw this, screw everything!"

"Least them gloves are 'elping."

"I guess," James slumped back in his seat.

"Hey YOU wanted to go to the concert, oi couldn't give a toss about this Reiki lady."

"I know I KNOW! I just...I really like her."

Ashwin put his arm round his shoulders as James slumped against him.

"I dunno why, she just...she makes me feel......happy."

"Mmmm. Oi getcha." He patted his side. "Wotever you want mate, oi'll do my best to give you it."

"Thanks...sorry."

"S'alrigh' Jim, you 'ad a rough year."

They finished eating and soon the bus arrived ten minutes later, three minutes late as they made their way to Wimbledon. The somewhat-gentrified streets offered a few comforts as they stumbled through arctic winds whistling down the roads with hands in front of their faces. James stomped his way through the increasing snow, his ears hurting from the sharp sounds of screeching banshees whilst dogs and reptiles and humans quickly hurried into shops and cafes to hide from the increasing storm. Occasionally James and Ashwin would join them, checking the tickets' location and asking for assistance from locals that pointed them the right way. An hour after they had left the orphanage, they arrived at an old warehouse out on the commons where lights were blinking around the entire roof, a rhino and a komodo at the front checking the queue with careful motions of his hand.

"Scuse meeee!"

"Eh?" the mammal bouncer looked down at the raptor. "Mate I'm busy."

"We got tickets, f-from Ms. Reiki!"

"Hmmm." He took them with a careful eye scanning across the laminated slip. "Huh...Terry I got two VIPs here, should I take 'em in?"

"Uh yeah?" the komodo sneered at him. "Whoever Reiki wants, Reiki gets, don't chance it."

"Alright. You two come with me."

"Noice," Ashwin sighed with a flutter of relief, "wuz worried we got gypped there for a minute."

"Reiki's cool, she wouldn't screw you like that, even if I dunno how two kids like you got her passes."

Heading round to the back of the warehouse, they came upon a lonesome door beneath a sad little light as he pulled out his key and unlocked it for them to enter. The boys passed through unattended into what felt like the backstage of a theatre, props and devices dangling all around them in a series of ropes, sandbags, masks and backdrops that had been piled up against each other.

"Hey there kids." The white dog with the guitar waved them over to a back room. "Glad you could make it."

"Y-yeah," murmured James kicking the snow off his feet, "jeez it's cold out there."

"We got a heater in here for ya, come on in."

"Th-thank you."

Shuffling into a converted dressing room, with mirror bathed in lights and a few cupboards full of various costumes, they sat down into a pair of cushy seats as the heater against the wall hummed a soothing song that made them melt with relief.

"Hhhhohhhhh thanks mate," Ashwin murmured, "so uh, we loik the only VIPs here?"

"Sure are," said K.K. sitting opposite them, "we don't normally do the whole VIP thing, yanno, don't wanna make a classist action outta it. But Reiki always got a few just fer the extra special peeps."

"Extra special eh?" The elephant muttered tightening his fists. "So uhhh, where's the main star anyway?"

"Right here boys!" The raptor in deep violet dress swished herself through and kissed both their heads. "I'm so glad you could come, sorry that it was so far away."

"Is okay!" James cried with a sudden spark. "H-how're you?!"

"Ohhhh good good, very excited for my big show here, been waiting all year for it."

"You an' a few others it seems loik," Ashwin looked past the door to see shadows moving props, "so why'd we get special treatment then?"

"Because you helped critique my work and I wanted to show my appreciation."

"I really liked yer song," said James with a tender blush, "th-thank you fer lettin' us come, we never been to a concert."

"Well SOMEONE perked up," snickered the pachyderm, "Littlefoot 'ere wuz miserable all thuh way we came up 'ere you'd think OI wuz forcin' him to come!"

"Sh-shut uuuuuup!"

"Hmhmhmhm," she giggled sweetly patting both their heads, "well I hope you boys enjoy yourselves, want a drink, something to eat?"

"UH no thanks," Ashwin raised his hand, "we 'ad sumthin' on the way."

"Alrighty then." She sat down beside K.K. as the elephant leaned forwards.

"So wot's the story between you two?" he asked.

"We met in a lonesome li'l village," said the dog tuning his strings, "I was playin' down at a coffee bar every Saturday, she really liked my music. She was an up-and-coming starlet with a wonderful voice, very haunting yanno? So we hit out on the road together, working our way up the gigs."

"Cooool," James gasped bouncing in his seat, "s-so, you guys live anywhere?"

"Not anymore," said Reiki sweeping her sleeves, "we just roam from place to place with only our voice and a set of strings."

"You wot?!" Ashwin pointed to the stage. "How'd you get all that then?!"

"Paid for it of course."

"Yet you don' have a house?"

"That's cuz we chose not to, not because we can't buy one." The guitarist gave a single strum and closed his eyes. "Can't live in a house myself, can't root myself to a place. My feet ache when I stop walking."

"Maybe we could be like that," James pondered looking at himself in the mirror.

"You think so?" Ashwin asked looking at his reflection. "Would rather have a bed to come back to every night."

"Yeah...mmmm...yeah, I don't think I could live like that Mr. K.K., walking aroun' going to so many places, sleepin' in different beds...sounds kinda scary."

"That's okay," he smiled nodding, "not every life has to be the same, that's why people are different. An' that's a good thing."

"Your life is special," said Reiki leaning towards James, "both of you of course, your lives are unique in that no one else can have the exact same experience as you. All your troubles, all your strifes, all your joys and all your sorrows, they make You. And there is no one else but You."

"S'not much comfort with our lives the way they are," said Ashwin crossing arms.

"No, but...one day you'll find your freedom, you'll take your first steps without anyone left to hold you down. And that's when you become your true self."

Her words silenced him as he sat back, suckling on his trunk gently as the raptor bounced in his seat waiting for the show to start. Once they were called and taken out onto the stage, they were ushered gently to wait in the wings as K.K. stood in front of a sea of faces barely lit by people's phones. Lights suddenly burst above the stage showing the dog now wearing a green beanie and vanity glasses with a set of headphones round his neck, a large turntable set unveiled before him as the crowd went shrieking with joy when he pressed the first button to set the song up. It started as a gentle murmur, a subdermal beat that shook through everyone's eardrums with gentle taps and in two-tone beat. Spacey sounds accompanied to build it up as more instruments started to slip in underneath, slowly but surely sculpting a melody. Then it stopped. Her voice came through as James and Ashwin looked around trying to find her. Louder and louder she became as the song rose back up with a buzzing murmur that shivered upwards to a crescendo, snare drums and booming synth making her voice turn even stronger to almost echo throughout the entire arena. Then, from the sky at the height of the song's intro came a shimmering purple dress, flowing through the air like a phantom before her body twisted out of it and she rose her arms high in the air with a cry of joy.

A tower of crystal rose up from the floor underneath to flash a brilliant light that filled the entire room, glowing faces across all species as their eyes sparkled and their bodies lifted with a jump to the beat. Ashwin and James were pulled out from the curtains with a beckoning hand from Reiki as the young raptor leapt forwards with excitement, bouncing on the stage as the surging roar of the crowd washed over him with the song running through his head. He danced and cavorted as colours spun round him, stretching throughout the audience in multifaceted lights that bounced off the walls and turned the entire hall into a kaleidoscope. K.K. pumped up the beat, hopping on the spot as his turntable lit up with a dazzling spell as he swished out his hand seeming to dot the ceiling itself with stars in every palette. Even Ashwin found himself being wrapped into the joy and wonder of music as James grabbed his hand and yanked him out on stage and danced with him, spinning round and round in a clumsy waltz as their eyes started swimming.

"THIS IS THE BEST PLACE [i]EVER![/i]" cried James.

"HHHAHAHAHA, YEAH THIS IS PRETTY GREAT!"

"LIFT ME UP, C-COME ON LIFT ME!"

"OI'M NOT YER BOYFRIEND MATE!"

"COME ON, YOU CAN CATCH ME!"

The elephant cackled as he pushed him back, goading James to take a running leap towards him as the audience watched with bemusement at the two kids messing around on stage. The raptor took a flying leap as Ashwin grabbed his chest and spun him round above his head with squeals of delight, the world turning to a blur as he swung faster and faster before slipping him back down with a stagger that almost sent him off the stage until Reiki swept over to grab his hand. She pulled him back with a smile of riches as he swung himself into her arms with her song continuing to echo throughout the hall. She danced with him briefly, lifting the boy up high into the air with her as she levitated in turn without breaking her beat, gliding across the stage as she hopped onto the crystal stand and swung him by the arms with a squealing cackle lost beneath the techno melody.

"YOU HAVING FUN?!" she cried to all.

"Y-YEAAAAAH!" James shrieked beaming wide. "I DON' WANNA LEAVE FOREVER!"

"HMHAHAHAHA!"

More gemstones appeared both from the ceiling and the floor, shining together to form a constellation that shone with different colours all in rotation to wow the audience with a zen-like peace, lost within the songs of shapes as Reiki took the raptor's hand and leapt from one stone to the other almost light as air. There was no fear when he held her hand despite how high he was above the ground, even when she grabbed him and spun in mid-air to a galactic waltz from one celestioid to another. So entranced he was to her that existence almost faded as the music changed to softer beat, a tender pulse of an ethereal melody that began to mimic his heartbeat. Darkness descended upon the audience and the stage that James never noticed until a soft azure light came from the songstress' heart. She pulled him close, embracing him tightly to her chest before leaping off the crystalline galaxy and went falling to the floor. There was no floor, only water took them to its depths with a silent splash as James found himself swimming through the dark, the world long since gone as Reiki pulled him forth through the abyss. The further they swam, the brighter she grew as her heart pulsed a thickening light through the dark as an echoing song from within. She smiled to the boy as he tried to do the same, feeling something in his chest turn warm as he squeezed her claws tightly before a soft cry escaped him.

Reiki smiled as her song continued in the beyond, a voice not from her lips that resonated throughout the world as James cried once more with a gentler sound than he expected. She cried back in turn as their hearts pulsed even greater and stronger with dual lights that shone through the abyss as blue and green. They spiralled together within the waters of the ancients, where coral reefs began to form as long stretching networks of every colour beneath the sun, glimmering upon James' floating body like stained glass as he spun himself round and round Reiki's form whilst she turned with him as a mother to her calf. They dove ever deeper into the depths of the world as she took his hand, their presence lighting the world as fossils turned to gold imbedded within the rock, schools of fish became silver clouds that reflected the light of their hearts to expand across the ocean. They swam together into the deepest depths where darkness could not hide from their warmth, the raptors finding the remains of a giant shell scattered across the barren stone bed as Reiki reached out her hand and pulled them together. She ushered James to the centre and followed him in turn, the songstress enclosing them both within the shell of a giant egg of rose-tinted white. A lighthouse within the sea that once completed burst its melody throughout all the world as everything turned blue, shades of cerulean with dappling fragments of green and ruby and flaxen hue as she embraced him tight within the egg. James knew this warmth, but he had only ever felt it once. Once in a faint memory that sent him to sleep within her arms amidst her song, the raptoress cradling the child in her arms as he felt himself become smaller against her chest. The egg cracked apart, bursting with sudden life as each part of its shell twisted into strands of molecules and tiny digital pieces, numbers and codes that wrapped around the base of the egg and started sprouting flowers that each sang the same melody, transformed into binary and theorems. A garden of science and beauty as she rocked the child still, kissing his head as her voice came whispering to his heart.

[center][i]I'll always love you James...my sweet precious bairn[/i][/center]

"Jim? Ere Jim, cummon wake up."

"Wh-h-huh?!"

"Cummon mate, get up."

"W-wait...where..." the raptor woke up in his bed once again, "wh-why am I here, w-we were at the concert."

"Mate that wuz two weeks ago." Ashwin rolled his eyes.

"WHUH-...h-have I been asleep fer two weeks?!"

"No course not, wot!? You jus-...no," he waved his trunk dismissive, "no, yanno wot, there's no toime come with me!"

"Awwwww," James slumped back with a smile, "I wuz havin' a real good dream, m-miss Reiki wuz there an' it wuz like, we were swimmin' in the ocean an' it felt super warm an' she hugged me an-"

"Roigh' okay that sounds brill but we really gotta go, oi mean now."

"Wh-why?" James hopped out of bed.

"Just cummon it's important!"

Dragged by the arm with bleary eyes and a stupid grin, the raptor was taken downstairs towards the headmaster's office. Ashwin beckoned him close as they crept up against the door carefully opening it just a crack to hear voices coming through.

"I knew this would happen," said one male, "I knew the new laws were going to be like this and screw up kids the government doesn't know anything how to handle them."

"I'm sorry," came the voice of Mr. Kaplowitz, "but yes, James has fallen to some rather distressing symptoms that have only just developed this year. So if you still wish to adopt him, I have his medical record-"

"We understand," said a female voice third, "I actually, well, my mother had a few psychoses so I had to raise myself essentially. I know how it is to raise someone with such problems, I can deal with that."

"Really? Oh, well I'm very sorry."

"It's fine, she's in a better place now. But if I can give someone like James a good home and a better start in life, I think that'll be best."

"We both agreed on this," said the first male, "we wanted to give a kid a chance in life, do something more than just teach. I can only do so much in the classroom but it doesn't feel like it's enough, my lessons can't do anything when they come from bad homes or get screwed by the government on these harsh laws-"

"John." A tender creaking of chairs in the silence. "But yes, if we could give at least one child a better home it'll be worth it. That and well...it'd be nice to have a family."

"I understand," said Mr. Kaplowitz shuffling papers, "well, I think it would be best if you met him first, I'll see if he's available."

Ashwin pulled James away quickly as they tried to flee, but the raptor banged against a waiting chair beside the door and stumbled fast onto the ground.

"Ah, speak of the devil!" He clenched hard against the floor at his voice. "Hello there James. I take it you overheard all of that hmm?"

"U-UHhhhhh...nnnooooo?"

"Are you alright sweetie?" the female voice came closer towards him. "Do you need any help?"

"N-no, I'm fine."

He pulled himself up and turned to face the two visitors next to the badger headmaster who simpered with a soft nod. A human of short brown hair in a green jumper around 5'10'', standing beside a zebra who towered over them at 6'8'' with a pink sweater as she bent down towards James offering her hand.

"I'm Lisa, it's very nice to meet you."

The raptor pulled back however as she nodded understanding.

"My name's John," said the human, "we heard a lot about you, you sound like you lead a pretty exciting life."

"U-uhhhh...Ashwin?!"

"Yeah oi'm 'ere," the elephant stepped out the corner and approached them, "sup sir, ma'am."

"Ahh hello there Ashwin," the badger smiled stretching his arm to him, "this is James' best friend, the two are inseparable."

"Yeah yeah, that's roigh'," he pulled James close with a hug. "Us two we're as thick as thieves."

"Hahaha, well that's good!" said Lisa clapping her hands. "How old are you Ashwin?"

"Fourteen almost, Jim 'ere's about eight, both been together fer four years."

"That's a long time," said John stroking his chin, "fourteen so I assume you speak for James?"

"Naaah he's just bein' a kno-uh...well, he's had a rough week, maybe a month...year."

"Well I'm glad to see someone looking out for him. You're a good kid."

"Ehhh." Ashwin shrugged. "You two would do better, bein' grownups an' everything."

"A-aaaaash," James whimpered.

"Hey-ey mate don' worry it's foine."

"Do you not like us James?" Lisa asked clasping her striped fingers.

"Uh-...y-you seem nice," he muttered, "but...b-but you only talked about me."

"Well yes, we like you. We decided why not adopt a kid, someone who needs a home and a better place-"

"But I wanna be with Ashwin." He grabbed the elephant's hand tightly. "We...w-we promised to stay together, we're best friends."

"Well he could visit us," said John smiling with open arms, "no reason you can't see him."

"Wh-why won't you adopt him?!"

"We weren't planning to look after two children, plus Ashwin is well, he's older than you, he requires a different education, other needs in life, it would be a lot more tasking rather than focus on you."

"Oi don' mind," Ashwin shrugged back, "could just not teach me, oi know enough."

"That's not how it works."

"Why not, be easier for ya if you just wanna focus on 'im, could just give me my own room an' just be to myself."

"We still would have to take care of you," said the zebra rubbing a hoof on the floor, "we have to give you an education as well, legally speaking as well as feed you and look after you. We don't have a big place, if you were both the same age we might make it work but the costs of raising two kids at different ages is just a bit out of budget for us."

"That's not fair!" cried James stomping. "A-ashwin's my best friend!"

"I know sweetie, but you can still see him, he can come round-"

"NO! We get adopted together, we PROMISED!"

"Jim, JIM WAIT!"

Ashwin hurried off after him, leaving the couple confused and somewhat dismayed as they all headed off after him. They managed to corner James at the back stairwell just before he left, the elephant hurriedly charging up to slam the door in front of his face.

"MATE, listen!"

"ASHWIN NOOO!"

"Jim cummon jus' hear them out, yer not gonna be leavin' roight away!"

"I DON' CARE I DON' WANNA GO!"

"Whyever not?!" cried Mr. Kaplowitz as they turned the corner.

"I WANNA BE WITH ASHWIN, H-HE'S MY FRIEND AN' YOU DON' WAN' HIM!"

"I'm sorry," said John stepping closer, "we didn't realise you had such a close friend but I promise he can still visit and-"

"NOOOOOO!"

James tried to leave but Ashwin blocked him, stuttering with fists flying against the pachyderm's belly briefly as the headmaster stepped forwards.

"James, James please calm down. You're not leaving right now, you have your appointment with your...therapist, yes?"

"H-huh?!"

"Remember you went to see someone with Ms. Okowengo? You have that before we can let you go, I've already explained it to John and Lisa."

"Yeah mate don' worry about it," Ashwin put a hand on James' shoulder, "we got toime to sort all this out."

"F-fine," he shirked away from his touch, "but I'm not goin' without Ashwin."

"Alright. Look." Lisa nodded squatting down to James' level. "We understand this is a difficult time for you, we're sorry that we came in like this. We just want to help a child."

"H-help someone else then."

"But we want you. You seem like a sweet boy, excitable, energetic and we think we can give you a good home where we can help you. I understand the sort of things you're going through?"

"Wh-whut sorta things?"

"My mother had incidents too, visions and things. I know how to help, to make it easier for you."

"I-i don' care."

"Well...would you mind at least talking with us every once a while?" She offered her hand once again. "Just talk with us, for a bit, get to know us before you judge us. You have your appointment too so there's nothing else until then."

"We just want to help someone like you James," said John bending down with her, "can you give us a chance?"

James backed away keeping close to Ashwin. Their faces dropped slightly as they stood up with a sorrowful understanding before they walked back to Kaplowitz. Ashwin tapped his friend's shoulder with his trunk before James barged past him out the door.

"Lemme talk with 'im," said Ash to the headmaster, "he just needs a bit o' toime yeah?"

"Alright then," said Kaplowitz, "please make sure he does nothing rash."

"No promises."

He gave one last cheeky grin before pushing out the door and into the cold to catch up with James.

"Hey, HEY wait up JIM!" The raptor kept marching towards the gate in the fence. "JIM, hold on a minute!"

He only stopped once Ashwin grabbed the gate, pulling it shut against James' will.

"Cummon mate, talk to me, wot's wrong?"

"Th-they wanna t-take me away from you!"

"Alrigh'...hey." He rubbed the raptor's shoulder tenderly. "Let's go sumplace no one'll bother us eh, let's head over to Ema's place."

"F-fine...I wanna leave."

"Yeah oi know-"

"No, I wanna leave London." He turned towards Ashwin with a cold snarl. "I don' wanna be here anymore, this city sucks, I hate it, I wish it'd burn to the f-fuckin' ground-"

"Ey-ey-ey, cummon." He grabbed his neck firmly and led him out the gate with an arm round his shoulders. "Let's talk about this sumplace better, don' wan' nobody thinkin' yer one o' them Janus bastards roigh'."

"F-fine, whatever."

Taking a bus northeast they hoofed their way down the sewers of the old observatory and up into the abandoned industrial district. James said nothing on their way to the medical facility's ruins, sitting up in their hideout as he slumped into a gurney-chair with Ashwin beside him. Silence between them as the wind whistled with biting cold across the wintry roofs of London, howling gasps of snow drifted across the floor beneath their feet. They shared a can of cider, wordlessly drinking half of it each as they stared off into the horizon. Night was falling sooner.

"Alrigh'." Ashwin stood up five minutes later. "Let's talk about this. You don' wanna leave, roigh'?"

"Mmm," James nodded lying back.

"But you have a chance to actually be with a family, sumthin' most kids never 'ave the chance."

"Get some other kid then. I don' wannit."

"Well...you don' want a needle in yer arm, but you need it roigh'?"

"H-huh?" The raptor sat up with a sneer on his face. "Whuddaya mean?!"

"When you were at the hospital, you got a thing in your arm that you didn't want cuz it hurt, roigh'? But sometimes the things you don' want, are the things that you NEED...you get wot oi mean?"

"I don'...wh-who's side are you on?!"

"Yours obviously!"

"Wh-why aren't you sayin' you wanna be with me then?!" He leapt off the gurney and stomped towards him. "Why you talkin' dumb shit, t-trying to, make me think I shouldn' be with you!?"

"Cuz you need a family!" Ashwin balled up his fists. "Mate...listen-"

"No," James swept his hand, "I don' wanna go with anyone, I don' NEED a family, I wanna be with you!"

"Why?!"

"C-CUZ YER MY FRIEND!"

"Alrigh'. So wot 'appens if you get hurt, or you get sick again?"

"Y-you just take me to a hospital!"

"Wot if oi can't Jim?! Wot if yer in there so often they need money to keep you going, wot if you mess yerself up so bad you need meds, oi can't afford that!"

"YOU HAVE MONEY!" stomped James.

"NOT ENOUGH TO HELP YOU!"

"YES YOU DO, YOU'RE JUST...J-JUST A GREEDY [i]FAT SHIT![/i]"

"Really Jim?" Ashwin shrugged rearing back. "Think that's gonna hurt me?"

"It's true isn't it?! You just w-want yer money!"

"Jim you know that's not true-"

"I DON' WANT A FAMILY!"

"It's not about wot you want!"

"SH-SHUT UP! [i]SHUT UUUUP![/i]"

He suddenly leapt at Ashwin, the elephant grabbing his wrists and forcing him down on the floor to have a chance to speak.

"James...James, look at me."

"NNNNRRRAGH!"

"James look wot yer doing. You're not well. You haven't been well since solitary."

"SH-SHUT UP, I HATE YOU!"

"Hate all you want, you know it's true dontcha?"

"I-I JUST...W-WANT T-TO BE YER FRIEND ASHWIN! WHY DON' YOU WANT ME ANYMORE?!"

"You think oi want this too?! You think oi want you to leave, you think maybe in that little peabrained twat head of yers that MAYBE oi never wanted anyone to adopt you cuz oi wanted to be with you?! F-fuck's sake Jim...fuck."

He pushed himself off and sat up on the floor, covering his eyes with his large ears and shivering slightly.

"S-since you came back...you scare me Jim. You weren't roigh' in the 'ead, not since Brian...not since you fucked him up an' they put you away an' oi thought you'd never come back."

"I thought so too." James slowly sat up against him. "I...I can't remember how long it was-"

"Six days. Six, days, an' oi remember cuz Kaplowitz wuz arguin', shoutin', demanding the police just not put you away, but you f-fuckin' blinded Brian Delgado so bad they had to punish you. It wuz either six days in solitary or six months in a juvie, SIX MONTHS of yer life, gone!"

"He deserved it." James tightened his throat with a gulp. "Brian's a piece of shit."

"You gouged his fuckin' eyes out Jim! Everyone wuz horrified!"

Any kid laughs at me again, I'll beat their face in, until they c-can't anymore. Even if grown-ups punish me cuz I stood up fer myself. No one's...gonna...g-gonna mess with me ever again."

"...that's why you need a family." Ashwin turned to him with reddened eyes. "That's not normal Jim. Kids don't talk loik that."

"So what?" He hunched over with bitter look. "Nobody wants me."

"Those two grownups did. They loik you, they wanna help you-"

"I don' need help."

"Loik when that homeless guy talked to you an' wasn't there? Loik you ended up screamin' in the museum an' slashed me in the face?"

"W-wait, whut?"

"Or you screaming and imagining things on the telly back in the hospital? No one else saw the things you talked about mate."

"But...b-b-but..." James turned to him with welling tears, "y-you said you believed me."

"I do." Ashwin put a hand on his. "I believe you saw those things. But no one else did Jim, neither did I. There's something wrong with you, something that's only come up this year an' it's hurting you. It frightens me. Because I don't know anything about how to stop it, or how to help you."

"But...b-b-but, Ash...we were gonna live together, on the streets-"

"No Jim. I thought we could. But I was just..." he turned away to stare at his knee, "I was just preparing meself, mentally in case no one did adopt you. Same as how no one adopted me."

"B-but, someone will!" cried James pulling his arm close. "Then we can be together!"

"James. It's not gonna happen. I'm sorry." Ashwin squeezed his hand. "I tried to make you believe in it, hoping maybe if both of us believed in it that it would be alrigh'. But it's not Jim. Wishes don't come true, not in this world at least. But there's a chance for you yet. Two people found you, good people even. People that know wot you're sufferin' an' wanna help you. You need this family."

"No......NO!" He shoved Ashwin back and stood up. "I-i can do it, I-I'll make it come true!"

"Wot?!"

"I wanna live with you, together, out on the streets! I-if you can tough it, then, s-so can I!"

"Mate, no-"

"NO ASHWIN! NO! I'm gonna be on the streets, just like you, if you don't get a family then neither do I!"

"You won't make it out there Jim, I know you won't-"

"HOW DO YOU KNOW HUH?! I BEAT UP ADAM RIDLEY, I CHOKED HIM LIKE A BITCH, I-I-I MESSED UP BRIAN DELGADO, HE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN!"

"[b]STOP IIIIIT![/b]"

Ashwin stood up with a brazen roar that burned through his trunk, echoing throughout the roofs as James turned silent with shock.

"I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE LIKE THIS! I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE SUM MURDERIN' BASTARD JAMES, I WANT YOU TO BE NORMAL, FOR ONCE, SOMEONE OUT THERE GAVE ONE OF US A CHANCE AND YOU WON'T FUCKIN' TAKE IT?!"

"C-cuz...cuz it's not with you-"

"I'M ALREADY GONE JIM! I'LL BE HOMELESS IN FOUR YEARS, NOBODY ADOPTS A TEENAGER, NOBODY!" Ashwin shuddered with a heavy sob through his cheeks. "I can't let you do this Jim. I don't want you to be like me."

"But...but I want to be-"

"No. You should never be like me."

"I-i don't care!" James bit his lip and strengthened his arms against him. "I'm not gonna leave you, never! N-never ever EVER!"

"...fine." The elephant threw his arms up with a sigh and walked off. "Fine, you wanna...you wanna just, give up everythin', give up a chance, even a little chance of sum fuckin' happiness to stay miserable with me."

"Yeah, sure."

"Then you need to prove sumthin' to me." Ashwin stepped over to a box and grabbed something. "Prove to me...that you've got wot it takes."

"H-huh?"

He tossed him a wooden stick the length of a sword, long and cylindrical that James remembered from summer afternoons. Ashwin held his with a fierce grip pointing towards his friend.

"Remember all that training we did, preppin' ourselves to foight an' defend ourselves?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Can you foight me?"

"Wh-...whut?!"

"You wanna live with me out on the streets?" Ashwin stepped forwards with stick firm in front. "You wanna tough it out with the rest of the scum, where every day is a struggle to survive, knowin' all the fucked-up problems you got in yer head will make you someone's bitch?!"

"Ashwin wh-whut are you doing?!"

"Teachin' you a lesson. You think you're hard enough, you keep boasting about Brian Delgado well I got news for you. I'm much...[b]much[/b] bigger than that snot-faced bear ever was."

His eyes changed with a frightening intensity that paralysed James to the root, stiffening his back as he clutched his weapon by instinct but was not prepared for the sudden rush of the elephant barging straight into his chest, rolling across the floor as brick dust scattered and powdered over his body.

"N-NNNGH! WHUT, WHUT ARE YOU DOIN'?!"

"Are you fuckin' deaf?" Ashwin marched forwards with his stick tightening in his grasp. "Foight me. Foight me, an' prove to me that you can survive on the streets."

"I-i don't, I don't wanna fight you!"

"You were 'appy enough tryin' to beat my face in a few minutes ago."

"I WUZ JUST MAD AT YOU!" the raptor stuttered with growing tears.

"An' now when I foight back you fuckin' cower, little bitch you are."

"SH-SHUT UP, STOP IT ASHWIIIIN!"

"That's not gonna work on me Jim. Crying won't save you anymore, so this is how it's gonna go. If you can beat me in a foight', roight here, I'll let you live with me out on the streets an' we'll be together. But if you don't beat me, an' I break you down, then you have to go back, an' you get yourself adopted."

"A-ash...I-i-i don' wanna-"

"Promise me now Jim."

"WHY SHOULD I?!" he screamed back with baring teeth. "YOU BROKE OUR PROMISE ALREADY, YOU SAID WE WERE GONNA LEAVE AN' BE TOGETHER!"

"Yer right, I did. Well, I fucked up, sorry Jim." Ashwin shrugged with a deep sigh. "Things changed. You changed. Now the only way you get to decide whether you live with a family, or stay with me, is whether or not you can beat my face in an' prove yer stronger than ME!"

"I don't wanna fight, this is STUPID!"

"IF YOU DON'T FIGHT, YOU [i]DIE INSTEAD![/i]"

With thundering force Ashwin charged with stick raised high to come crashing down upon James' head, the raptor scarpering quickly round with stumbling dodge before the elephant kicked him hard in the face and sent him rolling with a shriek. Snorting back his tears he grabbed onto a hospital gurney to steady his feet before seeing his friend come stomping with a crunching leap, frightening the young raptor as he scrabbled underneath the bed before Ashwin tossed it over with a mighty heave to expose him. Raising his stick high he crunched into James' head as he screeched, bawling with hands covering his face to protect himself whilst blind to Ashwin's own tearful face that tightened hard to strike him again.

"FIGHT, [i]BACK DAMMIT![/i]"

"[i]A-AAAAAAIIIIIGH, A-ASHWIN STOP IIIIIIIIIT![/i]"

"[i]IF YOU CAN'T EVEN FIGHT ME, YOU WON'T SURVIVE ON THE STREETS YOU LITTLE BITCH![/i]"

"[i]STOP IT, STOP IT PLEAAASE![/i]"

Ashwin booted him with a hard side kick, throwing James out of the corner to give him a chance of escape as the raptor frantically ran for the exit. But the elephant was much faster than anticipated and grabbed James' arm to wrench him painfully back and swing him across the open floor scattering the cold snowy ash around them.

"A-a-aaashwiiiiiiin!"

"W-wot's wrong?!" Ashwin quivered in his throat stepping forth. "You talked so big about beatin' up big bullies but now, y-you can't even fuckin' stack up against me?!"

"I-I don' WANNA!"

"TOO BAD SHITSCALE! I DON' WANNA HURT YOU, OR WANT YOU TO LEAVE BUT IF YOU END UP WEAKER THAN ME, YOU'LL DIE OUT ON THE STREETS AN' IT'LL BE ALL MY FAULT, [i]YOU UNDERSTAND?![/i]"

"I DON'T WANNA LEAVE YOU!"

"IT DOESN'T MATTER JIM, CUZ I'LL BE ALONE WHICHEVER WAY YOU CHOOSE, I ACCEPTED IT!" He swung out a football kick that James quickly dodged back from. "Either you die on the streets, because you're too weak to stand up to me an' show me how much you REALLY want to live your own life, or you leave me an' go with a nice family who'll take care of you, feed you, an' keep you safe. Doesn't matter wot choice you make, I'll still be alone, an' that's alrigh' with me."

"I-i don' wan' that, I-I WON'T LEAVE YOU ASHWIN-HNNNNGH!"

The elephant's foot suddenly pushed on James' chest.

"An' this is how ya prove it? Lyin' on yer back just takin' any shit from me?"

"NNNNGH!"

"Cummon Jim, you got it in you roigh'? Show me how tough you REALLY are."

"NNNNNRRRGH!"

"Huh...or maybe Brian wuz roigh' about you. Yanno wot he said before you came out an' blinded 'im?" Ashwin leaned down with the widest shit-eating grin he could muster. "He said that the reason you got all them marks on yer face is cuz all those times every single one of us could walk all over you, loik a fuckin' speed bump little BITCH that you are, and you always will be cuz you're nuthin' but a chicken-shit-NNRRRKH!"

A fist flew into Ashwin's eye whilst another grabbed his trunk, yanking hard to pull his head close for a flying punch that brought stinging tears as he pulled back and off of James.

"F-f-fuck. You."

The raptor's eyes burned to feral slits.

"Fuck. FUCK! YOU [i]FUCKIN' DUMBO TURD![/i]"

"HHhhahahahhaa...ohhhh there he is." Ashwin rubbed his face. "There's the bitch at last, now you gonna stop fuckin' around and show me the REAL street raptor you think you are?!"

"[i]SHUT UP! SHUT UP YOU, COCKFACED BITCH, YOU WANNA FIGHT?! I'LL SHOVE YOUR STUPID TRUNK UP YOUR [b]FAT SHIT HOOOLE![/b][/i]"

Screeching with blind fury the raptor came charging at last, swinging violently towards Ashwin's head as the elephant blocked him fast with his stick, clacking wood sharply before kicking James in the gut to push him back. Almost immediately he leapt at Ashwin, his mind overwhelmed by the twisting of fury and sorrow towards his friend as he felt the world start to tear slowly from his vision, almost blurring with Ashwin just barely in the focus of his mind. He tensed for a moment, his stick swung out before him as he blinked against the snow that dappled over his head, turning thicker by the moment and faster into rain drops that glistened down his back. The light of the moon suddenly appeared to shimmer off his stick, now transforming to a long steel blade as thunderous booms came from the dark-clouded horizon. Ashwin clashed with him once again as the elephant became somehow much taller, muscular, covered in scars as the rain poured off his thick greying shoulders that loomed over their weapons.

"You ever thought how sick oi felt," snarled the elephant with deeper tone, "hearin' you boast about them lads you fucked up?!"

"P-people always tried to fuck me over," gasped James creaking his blade against steel, "I had to prove I'm not some bitch!"

"Question is whether you're able to do that now, or when you grow up fer once."

"I'm not...g-gonna, S-STOP, you pushed me to this Ashwin!"

"Good. Now let's see if you can push PAST IT!"

"A-AAAAAGHKHH!"

The raptor felt his trunk wrap round his throat and swiftly strangle him, firm with constricting tightness that made him shudder and choke before he slashed at Ashwin's face with wicked claws to make him balk and back off quick. The pachyderm swung out at his shoulder with a long jagged knife of military grade, cracking against James' own weapon shaped oddly like a large pair of scissors that confused even himself. His eyes flickered from the depths of his mind as he saw the hospital roof again and the long wooden stick in his hand before Ashwin twisted it downwards with his own stick and forced James to bend his knees with a gasping wince almost disarming him.

"You can daydream all you want with yer family," said Ashwin before straight-punching his chest to push him back, "but that kinda look in yer eyes on the street, you'll die faster."

"Sh-SHUT UP, SHUT UP YOU FUCKIN', TOILET-EATING, P-PIECE O' [i]SHIT![/i]"

"You really need better insults mate. Now COME ON MAGGOT, SHOW ME WOT YER MADE OF!"

"RRRAAAAAAAAAARRGH!"

Charging across the hospital roof he struck with his wooden blade as he felt the rains come again, the black night of London sweeping over his head with scissors stretching out in his grasp as both became adults in his mind's eye. Crossing against the elephant's wicked blade, sparks gleamed off of steel as they swung and dodged, the raptor rolling to one side and slashing up Ashwin's side as he shuddered from the scar before he spun round and elbowed James in the head, stunning him briefly to be left open with a heavy boot kick that made him lurch in his stomach. The raptor grabbed a handful of pebble dust and tossed it into Ashwin's eyes briefly blinding him with a gasp before his vicious blades swung to crack against the elephant's tusk with a burning vibrations that stung through his skull. Ashwin swerved round and lunged for his knife, jabbing the raptor's leg as he yelled and pulled back with a fresh wound running down his thigh, blood pouring off in the rain as he immediately countered with his scissors against the combat knife.

Crossing steel against steel, their weapons shone in the night before Ashwin shot out his trunk towards him forcing him back, the raptor doing a half-turn to slash at the ground and swing upwards to rake fiendishly across the pachyderm's thigh and waist as he groaned tightening his leg muscles for a sudden charge to fight through the pain, surprising his friend with a barrage of knife and fist that slashed at his shoulder and knocked his head back. James staggered farther almost falling before he balanced himself on his blades, springing forwards in vengeance as Ashwin blocked him deftly with a parrying scrape of his giant knife, which the raptor quickly followed with an upwards strike to try and break the elephant's guard. But Ashwin recovered faster with riposte, sliding his blade across the scissors that screeched from the scraping blow as they crossed once more, staring each other down in their cross-counter strikes. James came left, Ashwin came right, he came from above, he struck from below, one would do a spinning strike, the other would do the same with such crushing force that it grinded their blades harder against each other, staring upon their friend with bated breaths and burning eyes as they pushed harder to break through.

"Y-YOU, YOU'RE NOT, GONNA S-STOP ME ASH!"

"Hhhheh...least yer balls finally dropped."

"I-I'LL KICK YOURS UP INSIDE YOUR ASS!"

"Oh yeah?" Ashwin leaned forwards with a creak of his neck. "Just say when mate."

"[i]NnnnnNNNNRRRRAAAAAAAAARGH![/i]"

Despite all his strength, James felt his steps faltering beneath Ashwin who grabbed his wrist with the trunk and yanked it aside before James quickly tried to punch and knee him, stopping short of his eyes with raking claws and trying instead to slash at the base of the trunk before the elephant hard-kneed him in the chest and threw him across the floor. Pushing himself back up he was almost run down by the charging pachyderm as he made a desperate leap to grab himself onto Ashwin's head and try to throw his entire body forwards to send him crashing to the ground with one heave. The raptor frantically punched him left and right, trying to stun Ashwin with constant blows into his cheeks before the elephant blocked with both arms crossed and straight-socked James in the eye with his trunk like a fist jab, throwing the raptor off before grabbing his leg and swinging him across the floor into a hard roll.

Weapons out they clashed once more in a furious blitz, sparks raining upon their feet as they broke free to clash again in a cross-strike that lit up their faces briefly, flickering eyes of fury and desperation before Ashwin suddenly sweeped his leg, knocking James down as the raptor rolled out of the path of the searing blade that shone down upon his head and swung himself back up in a spinslashing cut towards Ashwin's face, scraping across his trunk with a deep burn that made him bite his teeth and stomp forwards with a hard fist reaching back. The raptor came back with his scissors in screaming strike. He didn't register the lunging hammerblow until he heard the crack of his stick and driving knuckles crunching between his eyes.

"[b][i]NRRRAAAAAAAAARGH![/i][/b]"

The raptor fell onto his back, his mind burning with a red mist exploding inside his eyes as he struggled to keep the fantasy. The world fluctuated between the rain-slick roof and the hospital's remains, his pair of giant scissors shifting back to a broken stick as Ashwin's hardened adult visage slipped back to the battered face of a determined youth. James felt his face covered in his bruises, welts the length of his body as he gritted his teeth to fight back the sobs building up in his throat. He tried to get up, but his legs failed him as his arms swung out to throw his broken stick at Ashwin, who smacked it away and sat on top of him to pin him fully.

"N-nnnngh! N-nnnnNNNNGH!"

"I'm sorry Jim." Ashwin petted him with his trunk. "You need to learn this sooner than later."

"I-i-i...I don't wanna leave-"

"How you feelin' roigh now? Roight this second?"

"S-sore...h-hurt...h-hate you."

"Does it feel good?"

"...no."

"If you stay with me...that's never going away." He leaned over him as his deep brown eyes met his shallow green. "Do you want to feel that way for the rest of your life?"

"N-no."

"Then you can't stay. You don't deserve that Jim."

"B-but...whut about you?" he hugged Ashwin's arm to his chest.

"It's too late for me Jim. I made my peace, I know wot my future's gonna be. But it's not your future as well. You understand Jim?"

"I...I-i hate this."

"I know mate."

He pulled the raptor up and held him tight against his body, hugging him soft with a gentle rocking in the midst of winter. Snowdrops brushed against their feet as the city of London burned forevermore with smog seething across the lower streets. James buried his head into Ashwin's chest and started to weep, his friend's trunk wrapped around his neck in a tender embrace with soft strokes upon his scales. Purple and brown.

"W-will I...will I ever see you again?" whispered James.

"One day you will," said Ashwin. "You'll always be my best friend. No matter what happens. No matter how many years come between us...I'll come back to you one day."

"P-promise?"

"Promise. Swear on my family's graves."

James raised his head towards him. He knew this promise would never break, from the look in his friend's eyes he had never seen until this night. One he would not see again for many years after this.