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It was a sunny day. High above the clouds made funny shapes as they crossed the air. He reached up, stretching his hand high, wishing he could catch one. He knew they would feel soft and fluffy like a pillow and maybe taste like cotton candy.

Daddy looked down at him and smiled, then fixed his gaze to the sky.

"What's up there, Hikari?" he asked.

"Clouds!" Hikari said happily. Daddy laughed.

"Yes, many clouds. Would you like to get a closer look?"

Hikari nodded exitedly. Soon warm strong hands were around his waist and he was sitting on Daddy's shoulders. The boy buried his hands into his father's warm brown hair and tossed his head back to let the sun shine on his face. The sky was soo pretty, even though the clouds weren't really real. At least, Daddy always said they weren't. Hikari didn't understand how they weren't real if he could see them. But Daddy was a grownup so Daddy knew everything.

"Why aren't the clouds real, Daddy? I forgot." Hikari asked, looking down. Daddy started walking; Hikari liked the little bounce as his feet hit the ground.

"They are real. They're not natural."

"Why not?"

"Because they're man made. That means that people made them."

"You made them right, Daddy?" Hikari asked. Daddy chuckled, patting Hikari's knee gently.

"Yes I did. I helped. But you know, son, there are some clouds that are natural."

"Liiike... that one?" Hikari asked pointing to a big fluffy rabbit shaped one.

"No. There aren't any here. They're all on Earth."

"Earth?"

"The big blue and brown ball we see in the sky at night. Can you remember what we live in? What it's called?"

"A...a...baloney?" he asked. Daddy laughed, his shoulders moving up and down. Hikari giggled. He didn't know what he had said, but making grownups laugh was fun.

"That's very close. Colony. Col...o...ny."

"Col...o...ny," Hikari said, carefully mimicking his father's voice.

"Very good," Daddy said. Hikari beamed. Very good. He had done very good! Hikari fell silent again as he played with the strands in Daddy's hair. Daddy walked down a long flight of white steps to the white square where the fish fountain was. Hikari squealed and pointed as the water glittered.

"Lookit, Daddy! Lookit! It's shining! Are they fairies?"

"Yes. Sun fairies. They travel on sunbeams and love to play in water. Just like you." Daddy gave his leg a squeeze. Hikari gripped his father's hair and pulled himself up a little.

"Can I catch one, Daddy? Huh? Can I?"

"Noooo."

"But Daaaaddyyy!" Hikari whined. He wanted to catch a light fairy to put by Mommy's rock. He usually only put flowers but wouldn't Mommy love a light fairy!

"Do you remember what today is? What special day?" Daddy asked. Hikari thought. Daddy told him hours and hours ago. He wrinkled his nose as Daddy passed the fish fountain and watched it disappear as Daddy walked up another flight of steps. When the fountain disappeared, he leaned his chin on his father's head.

"Isss iiit Monday?"

"Nooo," Daddy said with a little laugh. "It's Wednesday...and it's your birthday. Can you remember how old you are today?"

"This many!" Hikari crowed, thrusting out three fingers. One. Two. Three. Not every one could count to three.

"Four," Daddy said, lifting Hikari's little finger. "See? One. Two. Three. Four."

"I thought I was three!" Hikari said. He didn't understand. He'd always been three.

"You were three. Don't you remember last year? When Nanna and Booboo came to see you and gave you Mr. Brown."

"Ohhh!" Hikari said, as the image of a big stuffed teddy bear flashed in his mind. He suddenly remembered seeing hazy faces, all droopy and silver haired, handing the big toy to him. He couldn't remember Nanna and Booboo...but Daddy talked about them a lot and Hikari had talked to them over the phone. Then he remembered. Birthdays! He got stuff on birthdays! Hikari bounced on his father's shoulders, suddenly excited.

"Nanna and Booboo will be there too. They're probably all ready back at the apartment."

"Will they give me stuff?" Hikari asked.

"Maybe. We'll just have to see won't we?"

Before going back home, they stopped by Mommy's rock. Daddy set him down and kneeled in front of the rock, clasping his hands. Hikari picked a pretty yellow dandelion growing out of the sidewalk. He placed it in front of Mommy's rock, kneeled and folded his hands like Daddy was doing. Pretty soon he got bored.

"Daddy can we go now?" he asked.

"In a minute, Hikari. Just be patient," Daddy said. Hikari sighed and got to his feet. He didn't like the word patient. It meant that he had to stand around doing nothing while Daddy did grownup things. There were lots of rocks here. Daddy said that people were under them. Hikari wrinkled his nose. He didn't think it would be very fun to live under a rock.

Suddenly something bright flashed in front of his eyes. Hikari gasped. A fairy! It had to be! It had a little black body and curved wings like he'd seen in picture books. The fairy landed on a flower and fluttered its wings. Hikari reached for it. The fairy fluttered from his grasp. Hikari giggled and chased after it, waving his hands and jumping the air trying to catch it. Suddenly he slammed into something and fell on his rear. There was a click and when Hikari opened his eyes he found himself staring at a man holding something long and black. Hikari blinked and looked up. The man's face was covered in shadows.

"Calm down, man. He's just a kid," said another man. Hikari stood to take a closer look at the long black thing, but the man put it away in his jacket. Hikari frowned. Heeeyyy.

"What are you doing out here, kid?" the man with the black thing asked.

"I'm with my Daddy. Who are you?"

"No one you want to get involved with," the man said. Hikari clasped his hands behind his back and looked up at the towering figure.

"What's...involved mean?"

"It's not for kids like you to understand," the second man said. "Now beat it!"

"But..." His words were cut off by a strong hand grabbing his wrist.

"Hikari!" Daddy snapped. Hikari flinched. Uh-oh. Angry voice. That meant he was in trouble.

"You shouldn't let your kid wander around like that," the man with the black thing said.

"Yeah. He could get hurt," the second man said. The way he said 'hurt' sounded funny. Like being hurt was a good thing. Suddenly all Hikari could see was Daddy's blue shirt as he was picked up. He peered around his father's arm and stared at the two men. The sun made it so he couldn't see them very well...but he could hear their voices.

"So you want me to take out the whole thing?" the man with the black thing said.

"The only way to kill a rat is to destroy its nest. Wouldn't you agree?" the other man said.

"What if he's the only rat in the nest?"

"Look. I have a problem. I want you to do a little extermination. D'you want the money or not?" Their voices faded into the distance. Suddenly Hikari remembered he was in trouble. He looked up. Daddy's mouth was set in a straight line and there was a little wrinkle between his eyebrows.

"Are you mad at me?" Hikari asked. Daddy glanced down at him and frowned. Uh-oh.

"You ran off again, Hikari. How many times do I have to tell you to stay with me? I might lose you... and I don't want that to happen." Daddy hugged him close. Hikari snuggled closer. Daddy was like a big blanket that made his insides warm too.

"I love you, Daddy," he said.

"I love you too."

By the time they got to the building and rode the elevator all the way up to the tenth floor, Hikari had forgotten all about the men. As soon as the doors wooshed open, Hikari grabbed his Daddy's hand and led him to their door. He was so proud he remembered it. They lived behind door number one two three. As soon as Daddy unlocked the door, Hikari was enveloped in the strong arms of his Booboo.

"How's my little man?" Booboo asked, tossing him up toward the ceiling. Hikari shrieked with laughter.

"Don't do that!" Nanna said with a gasp.

"Ahhh. Don't worry. Hikari likes it. Dontcha, Hikari?"

"Yeahhh! Do it again! Do it again!"

Booboo did it a few more times but stopped all too soon as grownups often did. Hikari's disappointment was short lived however when Daddy brought out a huge chocolate cake with candles on it. After the cake there was ice cream and then soda and chips. Then it was time for presents. This year Nanna and Booboo had bought him a fire truck. Hikari raced it around the kitchen, making siren noises. Daddy let him do it for a long time before stopping him. Then Hikari was forcefully plunked on the couch and turned on the TV where he watched three brand new tapes of Magical Plushy Island. Not soon after, it was bed time.

"But I'm not sleepy!" Hikari said as he was being tucked into bed. Booboo was doing it this time because it was special. Booboo smiled, the lines around his eyes deepening.

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not!" Hikari said, folding his arms tightly across his chest. Why did grownups always insist he was sleepy when he wasn't? He wanted to watch Magical Plushy Island again and play with his fire truck and maybe even watch grownup TV like Daddy did.

"Would you like a story?" Booboo said. Hikari nodded. Maybe if he was still awake after the story, Booboo would let him stay up. He curled up to Mr. Brown and closed his eyes to listen.

"Once upon a time...in a kingdom far far away..." as Booboo continued Hikari drifted off into the realm of warm sleep.

Clouds. So many. All above him. A whole bunch of rabbits bouncing across a blue sky.
'Clouds! Clouds, Daddy!'
'Yes. Lots and lots of clouds'
'Can I touch one, Daddy?'
'Try.'
Hikari reached up. The cloud felt fluffy in his hand. Like cotton. He rubbed his face in the softness. The cloud escaped from his hand a turned into a fairy. Hikari laughed as he tried to catch it. The stones were all around them stretching out onto forever.
'Hikari!' Daddy called. Hikari turned and saw his father standing in the distance. 'Come here! Hikari!' Hikari ran to him. Daddy was laughing, holding his arms open wide. Hikari spread his arms wide.

BOOOOOOOOMMM!!

Hikari screamed and sat up, his heart slamming in his chest. That noise had been so loud and so scary! It was dark! He couldn't see! His bed started shaking. Like there was a monster trying to get out. Something beside him crashed loudly.

"Daddy!" Hikari screamed. "Daaaaddyy!!" The door flung open but no warm light came in. Instead Daddy snatched him up roughly and ran from the room. There were crashing sounds everywhere and screaming and thunder seemed to rumble through the floor. Hikari was too scared to scream. Daddy stumbled to the door, flinging it open with a word that Hikari had never heard before.

There were people in the hall. Screaming. Hikari clung to his father's neck.

"Get out of my way!" Daddy screamed. "Get the hell out of my way you bastards!! I have a child!!" They were running again. Something slammed and over his father's shoulder, Hikari could see steps flying past. Down and down they went. Suddenly Daddy stopped.

"It's blocked!! There's no way out!!" someone screamed. "Oh God, we're all gonna die!!" Daddy started running again. Hikari buried his face in his father's shoulder. Make it go away, Daddy! He thought. It's scary! Make it go awayy!

Daddy stumbled and the thunder crashed again. It was so close this time. Daddy was running even faster. He was almost flying. Then he stopped. Hikari could hear his heart beating like a wild drum. Daddy let go of him with one and there was the groaning of wood. The thundering was getting louder.

"Comon'!! Comon' damn you!!" Daddy yelled. There was a cracking sound. Then Daddy held him up with both hands. Hikari looked down into his Daddy's face. Tears were running down his cheeks.

"Fly, my baby. Fly..." Daddy said, his voice shaking. The next thing Hikari saw was a window... and suddenly he was flying. Flying in the open air. The ground so far below. High above in the night sky were dark clouds. Clouds....

'Fly, my baby...' Hikari reached for a cloud. If he caught it he could fly. Then there was a loud roar and sharp hurt...then nothing.

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Notes: Rather an abrupt ending isn't it? ^^:


Disclaimer: Don't own it. Tho if I did I would have Sandrock. MINE ALL MINE! Eheheheheh.

Quatre. piku piku Oookaaayyy.